Innehållsförteckning för September 2016 från Market Watch

M ost of us didn't see it coming. After decades in the wilderness, whiskies suddenly came back into vogue, led by Bourbon. No one was more caught off guard than the distillers themselves, who scrambled to meet the unexpected surge. But now the worst of the supply storm has passed. Production is in balance, stocks are aging and the road is open to a long run of prosperity. Supply issues aside, Bourbon's renaissance has been evident for the better part of a decade. The category is up 22 percent since 2010, and the fastest growth is in the super-premium tier. Last year, the top five super-premium brands (over $25) jumped 13 percent by volume, and the value proposition, of course, is far higher than that. Our cover story on page…

v In July, celebrity chef Curtis Stone and his brother Luke debuted Gwen. The high-end Los Angeles venue features a five-course, meat-centric tasting menu and has a lengthy wine and cocktail list. It has glass-enclosed dry-aging rooms and an open fire pit where chefs roast whole animals. v Chicago's Fifty/50 Restaurant Group unveiled its first fine dining venue in July, opening Steadfast in The Kimpton Gray Hotel. The upscale eatery offers a meat- and fish-heavy menu with shared plates like wood-roasted suckling pig and smoked sweetbreads alongside such larger entrées as bone-in beef filet. The venue also has a creative cocktail menu. v Colorado restaurateur and TV chef Kelly Liken premiered the seasonal American venue Harvest this summer in Colorado's Vail Valley. The menu focuses on Rocky Mountain fare, and…

Bruichladdich Scotland's Bruichladdich distillery, purchased by Rémy Cointreau in 2012, has carved out a niche by focusing on the terroir of Islay. That strategy has paid off—the Bruichladdich brand was up 33 percent in the 52 weeks ended June 18 th , according to Nielsen. "The story about terroir, transparency and authenticity resonates with consumers," says Judd Zusel, vice president of marketing and innovation for Bruichladdich and The Botanist at Rémy Cointreau USA. Marketing is centered around the "Terroir Matters" slogan and emphasizes that Bruichladdich uses only Scottish barley and matures all its whisky on Islay. The Bruichladdich single malt range includes The Classic Laddie ($54.99 a 750-ml. bottle), Port Charlotte Scottish Barley ($59.99), Islay Barley ($64.99), Octomore ($234.99) and Black Art ($399.99). The brand also offers The Botanist gin…

T he Napa Valley is just 30 miles long and only a few miles wide at its broadest point. The Napa appellation is one-eighth the size of Bordeaux, and its vineyards account for just 4 percent of the California wine grape crop. Yet the region stands at the pinnacle of the wine world, commanding prices commensurate with its lofty reputation, and after blockbuster vintages in 2012, 2013 and 2014, its renown is greater than ever. "What's happening now in Napa Valley is unprecedented," says Kyle Meyer, president and director of purchasing at the Santa Ana, California­based store Wine Exchange. "We've been in this business for four decades, and we've never seen anything like this." A journey into Napa wine country begins 50 miles northeast of San Francisco in the sub-appellation…

K&L Wine Merchants cofounder Clyde Beffa says two great things occurred in 1945: Bordeaux's vintage of the century and the birth of K&L's two partners. His friendship with K&L cofounder Todd Zucker dates back to their early childhood days. It eventually led to the launch of the California-based retailer, which is now celebrating 40 years of catering to connoisseurs, collectors and buyers with an eye for competitive pricing. Last October, K&L launched its most ambitious project to date: a 25,000-square-foot location in downtown San Francisco. Formerly a T.J. Maxx store, the new venue features a 7,000-square-foot sales floor and boasts a tasting bar, 600 wine storage lockers, an "Old & Rare" section with 500 SKUs, a large fulfillment area, a shipping-and-receiving bay and a 41-space parking lot. "The store is…

On-Premise News Ocean Prime Partners  With Coravin The Columbus-based Ocean Prime restaurant chain began offering a new by-the-glass wine list in partnership with the Coravin wine system this fall. Under the agreement, all Ocean Prime restaurants will serve four red wines poured by-the-glass via Coravin: the 2011 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino, the 2014 Rochioli Pinot Noir, the 2012 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon and a fourth wine that will vary by location. Part of Ohio's Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Ocean Prime has 12 units around the country. Ruth's Hospitality Names New President And COO Cheryl Henry has been named president and COO of Ruth's Hospitality Group. Henry, who was previously senior vice president and chief branding officer at the company, will continue to work closely with chairman and CEO Michael O'Donnell. Winter…

Thai Tea & I INGREDIENTS: 1½ ounces North Shore Distiller's No. 6 gin; 1½ ounces house-made Ceylon tea liqueur 1 ; ½ ounce Angostura amaro; ½ ounce house-made tamarind-cola syrup 2 ; 3 ounces milk; 1 drop orange flower water. RECIPE: Add all ingredients to an ice-filled shaker and shake. Strain into a Collins glass with three Kold Draft ice cubes and garnish with an umbrella. There's Always Money  in the Banana Stand INGREDIENTS: 2 ounces Rebel Yell Small Batch Bourbon; ¼ ounce Giffard Banane du Brésil banana liqueur; ¼ ounce house-made lemongrass syrup 3 ; 3-4 dashes Bittermens `Elemakule Tiki bitters; Lime peel; Banana chip. RECIPE: Stir Bourbon, liqueur, syrup and bitters in an ice-filled mixing glass. Strain into a highball glass with one large ice cube. Express the…

Diageo Plans Revamp Of On-Premise Playbook.... Facing a furor in the whisky world over the end of its Masters of Whisky ambassador program, Diageo recently told Shanken News Daily that what's been cast as a costsaving move is actually an aggressive increase in its on-trade investment in the U.S. market. "There's a lot of noise out there that we're backing away from whisky education, but that's untrue," said Stephen Rust, president of Reserve brands at Diageo North America. "We've made a substantial increase in the budget that we're putting against the on-trade." Rust's comments came after an outpouring of concern that Diageo's move to dissolve Masters of Whisky—which fielded 24 ambassadors in the U.S. market—will negatively impact Scotch whisky education efforts. Diageo has lined up a new agency partner to…

v Evoking the opulent Vegas nightclub vibe, Prysm opened in Chicago's Lincoln Park in July with a chic interior and a lengthy Champagne list. The multistory club features a large DJ booth, stage and dance floor on its main level, as well as a mezzanine area and a private drinks lounge. v An outdoor wine and beer garden, Portico opened in July on the property of the Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Florida. The serene venue boasts 20 taps that pour beer, wine and cocktails, and it has a menu of light Italian snacks, charcuterie and pizza. The waterfront lounge also offers outdoor games, including pingpong, corn hole and ring toss. v "Top Chef" star Nicholas Elmi opened the chic wine bar ITV next to his upscale restaurant Laurel…

D uring the week before this summer's July 4 th holiday—beer's biggest selling weekend of the year—J.R. Hand was visiting retailers in the Chicago market served by his Lakeshore Beverage beer distributorship. As president and CEO of multi-state distributor Hand Family Cos., one of the country's largest beer wholesalers, J.R. certainly has plenty of executive responsibilities. But his favorite task is meeting his retail customers. "I enjoy engaging with retailers," says J.R., a third-generation beer wholesaler. "It's fun to dig in and find out what's going on in the market." Those visits provide Hand and his employees with a chance to lend their expertise. "We help retailers set their sails in the right direction," he adds. "While we don't sell our product to the people who ultimately consume it, we…

Tippleman's Cola Syrup Charleston, South Carolina­based Tippleman's Cocktail Syrups has added a new product. Tippleman's Barrel Aged Cola syrup ($19 a 13-ounce bottle) is crafted from cane sugar, citrus peels and spices and aged in Bourbon barrels from Bardstown, Kentucky's Willett distillery. It's designed for mixing with Bourbon and soda water, as well as in such cocktails as the Gin Fizz, and it can also be used in non-alcoholic drinks. The Barrel Aged Cola syrup joins Double Spiced Falernum, Ginger Honey, Burnt Sugar and Barrel Smoked Maple Syrup variants in Tippleman's lineup. For more information, visit Tipplemans.com. Smuggler's Cove Martin Cate, rum expert and owner of Smuggler's Cove in San Francisco, released a book about tiki culture in June. Written with his wife, Rebecca Cate, "Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum,…

Aberfeldy 16-Year-Old and  Craigellachie 17-Year-Old Bacardi USA is introducing two new single malt Scotch whiskies this fall. The 40-percent abv Aberfeldy 16-year-old ($90 a 750-ml. bottle) is a classic Highland-style whisky with notes of fruit and chocolate. The 46-percent abv Craigellachie 17-year-old ($145) has exotic fruit flavors, with a spicy, smoky finish. The releases are now available nationwide. For more information, visit Bacardilimited.com. The Kraken Black Spiced Rum Proximo Spirits launched a new extension from The Kraken spiced rum this summer. The Kraken Black ($19.99 a 750-ml. bottle) has a similar flavor profile to The Kraken, with a darker color and smoother taste. The 35-percent abv spirit targets the on-premise and is available nationwide. For more information, visit Krakenrum.com. Jameson Cooper's Croze  Irish Whiskey Pernod Ricard USA launched a new…

F or years, fast-casual restaurants have worked to attract guests from full-service venues by offering creative menus and quality food in a quick and informal setting. While many have found success by focusing on a specific type of cuisine and executing it well, they've often struggled to incorporate a solid drinks strategy that can compete with standard bar programs. Beer and wine have gained some traction in the sector, but most quick-service restaurateurs still shy away from spirits and cocktails. A small-but-growing group of fast-casual concepts, however, are starting to buck that trend by offering cocktail menus that showcase expert mixology, sophisticated drinks and high-quality ingredients. It's an emerging development that has the potential to launch these venues ahead of their dining peers. In order to develop successful mixology programs,…

V odka has faced an uphill battle within the mixology community. The prominence of bottom-shelf vodkas paired with artificially flavored mixers during the '80s and '90s earned the spirit an unfavorable reputation with early 21 st century bartenders who favored high-quality ingredients and sophisticated cocktails. "For a while, it was fashionable for craft bartenders to shun vodka, often with a good dose of derision," says Jared Sadoian, bar manager at The Hawthorne in Boston. "Some venues wouldn't stock any vodka at all in order to force their guests to try something different." But that tide is turning. "Bartenders are rediscovering how useful vodka can be," he adds. Hien Truong, beverage manager of Bazaar Meat by José Andrés at the SLS Hotel in Las Vegas, also recalls how hard it was…

Diageo named Vince Hudson as global brand director and U.S. senior vice president for Smirnoff vodka, replacing Matt Bruhn. Hudson was most recently vice president of the U.S. marketing and mobile business unit for Samsung and previously worked at Procter & Gamble. California's Wente Family Estates promoted Amy Hoopes to the role of president. Hoopes had previously served as chief marketing officer and executive vice president of global sales. Meanwhile, fifth-generation winemaker Karl Wente has taken on the role of COO and chief winemaker. He was previously senior vice president and chief winemaker. Delicato Family Vineyards appointed Kate McManus as vice president of marketing. McManus most recently served as Constellation Brands' vice president of marketing and has also worked for Kobrand Corp., Allied Domecq Wines and Rosenblum Cellars. Beam Suntory…

C reative genius often has humble beginnings. Ted Kilgore's first began tending bar at the Holiday Inn in Springfield, Missouri, in 1997. By 2006, he'd been recruited by St. Louis­based Niche Group to head their craft cocktail bar, Taste. In 2013, Kilgore left to launch his own venue with his wife, Jamie—who had been bar manager at Niche restaurant—and Ted Charak, previously bar manager at Brasserie by Niche. That venue is Planter's House, which debuted on Repeal Day, December 5 th , 2013. "We focus on classic cocktails because people gravitate toward them for a reason," Kilgore explains. "That's what they want to drink on a day-to-day basis." The menu lists five cocktail sections. "House Favorites" ($9) includes traditional recipes like the Southside, Zombie and Jack Rose, while "Aperitif Cocktails"…