Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2024 i Market Watch

It’s been a tricky time for the drinks business over the past year, as comps with the previous two years are still a bit distorted from the effects of Covid-19, when retailers experienced outsized leaps in sales volume. But there are also some economic headwinds out there, making this year’s crop of “Hot Brands” all the more impressive. Looking across the categories, what trends did we see? For starters, the rise of spirits-based RTDs continues apace, altering the spirits side of the business in a pretty big way. What was once a small side category is now big business, with more RTD brands winning Hot Brand status than regular, botted 750-ml. products. Whether ready-to-drink, ready-to-serve, or whatever you might call it, this subcategory now has a prominent place at the…

Macallan Home Collection, River Spey Edrington has announced The Macallan Home Collection, River Spey, its latest single malt Scotch whisky celebrating the brand’s estate and its surrounding environment. The release ($487 a 750-ml.), the second in the collection, is bottled at 44.8% abv and blended from a selection of Sherry-seasoned European and American oak casks, as well as refill casks. River Spey is now available for pre-order through the brand’s website. For more information, visit Themacallan.com. Port Charlotte 18-Year-Old Bruichladdich, part of the Rémy Cointreau portfolio, has released an 18-year-old version of Port Charlotte, its oldest expression yet. Port Charlotte 18-year-old ($199 a 750-ml.) is made from 100% Scottish barley; the whisky was distilled in 2004, bottled at 54.3% abv, and is a limited release of 6,000 bottles. It’s available…

The flavored whisk(e)y segment, which has been a hot spot for whisk(e)y for years, cooled slightly for the first time in a decade last year. The category, which has seen steady year-over-year growth since 2013, fell 1.5% to 17.63 million 9-liter cases in 2023, according to Impact Databank. While some flavored offerings are still growing, retailers are noticing slightly less demand these days. “Flavored whiskies are certainly doing fine at Hazel’s, but they’re nowhere near as integral a part of the set as they were in years past,” says Max Girardin, liquor manager at Hazel’s Beverage World in Boulder, Colorado. “Overall, they represent 5% of the revenue generated by the whisk(e)y category as a whole, but they do tend to dominate in the smaller formats. Novelty packaging like the Fireball…

The Finnish Long Drink has been a staple in its native country since its inception at the 1952 Summer Olympic Games in Helsinki. Since then, The Long Drink has been enjoyed all over the world, both on tap and in a can. But despite its global presence, it wasn’t until 2018 that the drink finally made its way to the United States. American consumers quickly acquired a taste for the gin-based beverage, leading The Long Drink to see wild success in its first few years on the market. Starting at just 200,000 cases in 2018, the brand has seen double-digit growth almost every year since it debuted. “We grew 125% in 2022,” brand president and chief sales officer Rudy Costello told MARKET WATCH sister publication Shanken News Daily last year.…

About five years ago, Samantha Lee and her husband Stephen Bossu, both co-founders of Chicago’s Hopewell Brewing, were cleaning up after hosting a party at home. “We realized there were a lot of half-empty 16-ounce cans of beer left, as some guests were interested in sampling different beers,” Lee says. Motivated by the opportunity to reduce waste, Hopewell soon after launched Lil Buddy, a “little lager,” in 8-ounce cans. “These days, with people sampling a lot more than in the past, an 8-ounce can helps to cut down on the waste,” she says, adding that the small cans also turn heads in beer shopping aisles. While sourcing the mini cans became a challenge during the pandemic—Hopewell pivoted to putting the beer in 16-ounce cans and called it Big Buddy—Lil Buddy…

California’s Bronco Wine Co. has elected Michael J. Franzia as chairman. He has worked for Bronco Wine Co. for nearly 30 years and served on the board since 2016, most recently as vice chairman. With the passing of co-founder Fred T. Franzia in late 2022, and fellow co-founders Joseph S. Franzia and John G. Franzia stepping away from the board last year, the company says that 13 second-generation siblings and cousins have worked to execute a transition plan that creates a clear path for the business moving forward. The appointment of Franzia as chairman is a key part of that effort. Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits has promoted Mark Chaplin, naming him the distributor’s new executive vice president of commercial sales, reporting to Southern Glazer’s chief commercial officer John Wittig.…

Constellation’s New President Of Wine and Spirits…. Constellation Brands has appointed Sam Glaetzer as the company’s new executive vice president and president of the wine and spirits division, effective immediately. Glaetzer succeeds Robert Hanson, who previously held the role. Glaetzer will also serve as a member of Constellation’s executive management committee. “Sam is a well-rounded senior leader with a wealth of experience in wine and spirits and a successful track record of driving commercial and operational efficiency and effectiveness,” says Bill Newlands, president and CEO at Constellation. “Now that our strategic wine and spirits brand portfolio transformation is largely complete, and as we turn our focus more squarely towards strong commercial and operational execution for this business, Sam is uniquely equipped to lead our wine and spirits division at this pivotal…

Seth Freidus has worked the Boston-area hospitality scene for roughly 15 years, bartending for such venues as Eastern Standard, Alden & Harlow, Waypoint, and Contessa. He’s always dreamed of opening his own spot and was in fact just about to do so when the pandemic put his plans on pause. Thankfully for Boston cocktail enthusiasts, Freidus’ dreams were finally made a reality with the opening of Good Company this past November in the city’s Charlestown neighborhood. “We’re a fun neighborhood cocktail bar focused on local farms and sustainability,” Freidus says. “I’ve always liked having a prep-focused, homemade ingredient-heavy, farm-to-glass bar program, and opening Good Company was my chance to take it even further with modern processes, zero single-use products, and an extremely minimal waste operation.” Indeed, Good Company’s beverage program…

Each year, Impact salutes the top-performing brands across the industry with its “Hot Brand” awards. This year, the Hot Brand roster includes 50 fast-growing brands from the wine, spirits, and spirits-based RTD categories. There are three ways to qualify as an Impact Hot Brand: A contender must have shown double-digit growth in each year from 2021-2023, or be an established player with at least 15% growth in 2023, or be a top ten brand with at least 5% growth in 2023 and 15% growth since 2020. The minimum volume requirement for spirits and imported wines is 200,000 cases, while domestic wines and RTDs must meet a threshold of 250,000 cases. In 2023, the U.S. spirits market faced headwinds amid post-pandemic normalization, as consumer purchasing returned to more predictable patterns. These…

BETWEEN LIVING AND DREAMING By Nikki McCutcheon Ingredients: 2 ounces Suntori Toki Blended Japanese whisky;¼ ounce simple syrup;2 dashes The Japanese Bitters Co. Sakura bitters;2 dashes Angostura Orange bitters;Orange peel. Recipe: In an ice-filled rocks glass, combine whisky, syrup, and bitters. Stir and garnish with an orange peel, expressing the peel over the drink first. CHAMOMILE FIELDS By John Ware Ingredients: 1½ ounces Redemption rye;½ ounce Gualco Camomilla grappa-based chamomile liqueur;¼ ounce Cardamaro amaro;¼ ounce honey syrup;2 dashes Regans’ No. 6 Orange bitters;Lemon peel. Recipe: Combine rye, liqueur, amaro, syrup, and bitters in a rocks glass. Add a large ice cube, stir briefly, and garnish with a lemon peel, expressing the peel over the drink first. OAXACAN OLD FASHIONED By Garth Poe Ingredients: 1 ounce Dulce Vida Reposado 100 proof…

Blood Orange1 INGREDIENTS: 1 ounce Singani 63;½ ounce Citadelle gin;2 dashes ground Sichuan five spice;½ ounce fresh strained lime juice;3 ounces Sanpellegrino Aranciata Rossa blood orange soda. RECIPE: In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine Singani 63, gin, five spice, and lime juice. Shake and strain into an ice-filled Highball glass. Top with soda and stir gently. Carrot INGREDIENTS: 1½ ounces Flor de Caña 12-year-old rum;2½ ounces Thai coconut milk and curried carrot syrup mixture2;Curried carrot pulp cracker3. RECIPE: In an ice-filled mixing glass, combine rum and carrot mixture. Stir and strain into a coconut bowl or rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a carrot cracker. 1 This recipe has been adjusted with appropriate substitutions for home replication. 2 First, make the Thai coconut milk. In a large…

On-Premise News: Ole Smoky Distillery Brings Traction To Brand Tennessee-based Ole Smoky continues to see distillery visitors drive growth for the brand, with the company’s four sites in the Volunteer State welcoming over 5 million guests last year. Ole Smoky’s The Holler in Gatlinburg saw 2.2 million visitors, The Barrelhouse in Gatlinburg had 1.1 million visitors, Pigeon Forge’s distillery, The Barn, had 1.3 million visitors, and Nashville’s 6th & Peabody welcomed over 700,000 visitors in 2023. Ole Smoky’s Tennessee whiskey grew 25% to nearly 400,000 cases in the U.S. last year (excluding its moonshines and RTDs), according to Impact Databank. Distributor News: RNDC Partners With Edrington Americas Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC) and Edrington Americas have aligned on a new national distribution deal effective April 1. Under the agreement, the…