Innehållsförteckning för January/February 2020 från Market Watch

In this issue’s cover story, we profile a company that’s seen quite a few twists and turns in its nearly 35 years in business. New York City-based Skurnik Wines & Spirits was launched in 1987 and today has 750 supplier partners. The company moves 800,000 cases annually, and revenue reached $145 million last year, with nearly 90% in wine and the remainder in spirits. Skurnik’s story truly embodies the transformation of wine’s role in America over the decades. Elsewhere in this issue, we take a look at the thorny issue of retailer interstate shipping in our profile of Indiana retailer Cap n’ Cork. The company has been on a mission to loosen direct-shipping laws, as it aims to sell its products in neighboring states Michigan and Illinois. It’s part of…

For Michael and Harmon Skurnik, wine was a part of daily life before they were even old enough to taste it legally. The brothers, who are now at the helm of New York City-based distribution and import company Skurnik Wines & Spirits, were introduced to wine in the 1970s. They recall family dinners where wine was an integral part of the meal—long before it had a place on most American tables. Fast-forward several decades, and the brothers have built a thriving business based upon their family’s shared love of wine. Michael—who serves as CEO—and Harmon, the company president, credit their mother, Ruth, with launching the family’s love affair with wine. When she and their father, Nat, returned to New York from a vacation in France in 1970, they built a…

Over the past two decades, virtually every spirits category has changed to keep pace with demand for new products and innovating cocktail ingredients. Even smaller subcategories like cream liqueurs are benefiting as bartenders and consumers expand their horizons. “Once upon a time, Irish cream liqueur was really the only option, so flavor profiles for new cocktails were limited,” notes Johnny Swet, beverage director for The Skylark in New York City. “But now, with creambased liqueurs spanning flavors from cookies and cream to caramel to pistachio, the door has been kicked open for a wider range of cocktails.” As has been the case with other spirits, the number of cream liqueur brands on the market has grown in recent years, adding some excitement to the category, especially behind the bar. “Even…

With competition for wine and spirits customers in Massachusetts’s Berkshires region heating up, Jenn Andersen has found the need to expand her customer base. The general manager of Plaza Package Store in Great Barrington, Andersen decided last year that the time was right to market her business beyond the immediate area by using a mobile app. The move has been a big success. “With the app, we don’t have to wait for customers to come to us—we can go to them,” she says. By turning over much of the digital marketing that Andersen previously managed to the app provider, she can now spend more time on the sales floor engaging with customers. Similarly, Texas retailer Twin Liquors’ app, which launched in late 2018, has allowed the company to respond to…

FTC Approves Reduced Gallo–Constellation Deal…. Following the April 2019 agreement by Constellation Brands to sell approximately 30 brands from its wine and spirits portfolio to E. & J. Gallo for $1.7 billion, along with related facilities located in California, New York, and Washington, the two parties announced in December that the Federal Trade Commission has approved a scaled-back version of the deal, which will now be worth $1.1 billion, of which $250 million is a performance-based earnout. Under the revised terms, Cook’s California Champagne, J. Roget American Champagne, and Paul Masson Grande Amber brandy will be excluded from the transaction, and Constellation will look to divest them elsewhere. Separately, Constellation will also now sell its Nobilo New Zealand wine brand to Gallo for $130 million. Including Nobilo, the brands Gallo…

Larceny Barrel Proof Heaven Hill Brands is launching Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon in limited quantities across the U.S. starting this month. The whiskey ($50 a 750-ml.) will be an allocated release, shipping three times a year in January, May, and September. The bottling proof will vary by release and, though bottled without an age statement, each batch will be made up of barrels aged 6-8 years, according to the company. Larceny Barrel Proof is available nationwide. For more information, visit Larcenybourbon.com. Canadian Club Chronicles 42-year-old The Dock Man Beam Suntory has launched Canadian Club 42-year-old: The Dock Man, the second release in the brand’s CC Chronicles limited edition series. The 45% abv whisky ($300 a 750-ml.) follows last year’s special edition, The Water of Windsor. Canadian Club 42-year-old is rolling…

For Chicago native Stephanie Andrews, hospitality comes naturally. “I’ve wanted to work in a kitchen since 5th grade,” she says, noting that she often made meals from her mother’s Betty Crocker cookbook with a friend. “I loved the happiness it brought to my family and friends when we cooked them something delicious. My desire to recreate those feelings has only gotten stronger.” After working as a line cook during and after college, Andrews’ interests turned to cocktails, and she landed a job at The Aviary in January 2012, training under bar manager Micah Melton. During this time, she enjoyed many a post-shift drink at the bar Billy Sunday. “It was a favorite watering hole of mine—the vibe, food, cocktails, and barkeeps were unmatched in the city,” she says. She got…

American brandy is in the midst of a renaissance, led by a growing interest in craft expressions. While big names like E&J, Paul Masson, Christian Brothers, and Korbel still lead the category, craft brands from across the country have been the main catalyst for the shift. “America’s oldest spirit is new again,” says Joe Heron, co-founder and co-owner of Louisville, Kentucky-based Copper & Kings Distillery. “American brandy has become its own category, with a capital A and a capital B.” Heron notes that when Copper & Kings launched in 2014, people never talked about American brandy. “Now it’s no longer seen as inferior, but rather as a high-quality spirit that’s crafted with care and attention.” With so much interest surrounding the production of distilled spirits these days, American brandy has…

Cannabis beverages—long imagined as the holy grail of mainstreamed marijuana—are finally coming into their own. Breakthroughs in infusion science have yielded a new generation of products that are shelf-stable, taste good, and begin working more quickly. While the creation of new cannabis-specific beverage categories remains a long-range prospect for larger companies, numerous winemakers are stepping in to meet the canna-curious with a recognizable entry point. As the preeminent winegrowing region in the U.S. and the largest legal cannabis market in the world by sales, California has taken the lead in pioneering cannabis wine, despite some uneasiness in certain parts of the wine community. Regulations preclude mixing THC and alcohol, so all cannabis wines are dealcoholized prior to infusion. Companies are also not allowed to call their product “wine,” so branding…

Treasury Wine Estates has appointed Ben Dollard as president for the Americas. Dollard comes over from Constellation Brands, where he held a variety of executive roles over the past 18 years, serving as CMO, chief growth officer, head of international markets for Constellation’s Wine and Spirits Division, and president of the Canadian wine business. Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits has announced several new promotions: Scott Oppenheimer is now president of the East region, Mark Chaplin is vice president of sales and marketing, Michael Thompson is executive vice president and general manager for Indiana, and Kim Scarpone is now executive vice president and general manager for Pennsylvania. Additionally, Patrick Pokorny has been named executive vice president and general manager of control states, Doug Wieland as president for Canada, Nicole Bierig Jordan…

On-Premise News Victor George Announces Fort Lauderdale Facility Miami-based Victor George vodka has announced plans to build a 13,000-square-foot building housing a distillery with a tasting room, cigar bar, restaurant, and offices on Sistrunk Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The project will total about $4 million, according to the South Florida Business Journal. Victor George vodka retails at $20 a 750-ml. and $29 a 1.75-liter and is currently present in the Florida market, with plans to expand into Georgia early next year. Off-Premise News Twin Liquors Adds Ninth Houston Location Texas retail giant Twin Liquors is opening a new store in the Kingwood area in northeastern Houston. At press time, it was expected to launch in late January. The new outlet continues Twin Liquors’ expansion into the Houston area, where…

Elicit Wine Project Ste. Michelle Wine Estates plans to boost growth by leveraging innovation with the opening of a new brand incubation hub called the Elicit Wine Project. Patrick Kozel, who previously served as Ste. Michelle’s director of insights and innovation, is director of the new unit. Kozel says the plan is to build off the successful approaches used with recent new products like Intrinsic and Prayers of Sinners & Saints with a fresh slate of brand propositions. Elicit will roll out three new offerings this year, among them Liquid Light ($14 a 750-ml.), billed as a crisp Washington Sauvignon Blanc with high acidity; Fruit & Flower ($13), comprising a Chardonnay in 750-ml. bottle format, as well as Sparkling, Chardonnay, and Rosé wines in 2-packs of 250-ml. cans ($11); and…

AMARO DAIQUIRI INGREDIENTS: 1 ounce Braulio amaro;1 ounce Sfumato Rabarbaro amaro;¾ ounce lime juice;½ ounce gomme syrup1; Dehydrated lime wheel. RECIPE: In a cocktail shaker, combine amari, juice, and syrup. Add ice and hard shake. Double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel. FINNISH FIRST INGREDIENTS: 1½ ounces Kyrö Koskue gin;¾ ounce Cardamaro Vino amaro;½ ounce Eden Heirloom Blend ice cider;¼ ounce St. George Pear brandy;⅛ ounce dried black trumpet mushrooms;Preserved rye grass. RECIPE: In an ice-filled mixing glass, combine gin, amaro, cider, brandy, and mushrooms. Stir to chill slightly, then strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with preserved rye grass. 1 Combine 32 ounces water and 2 tablespoons gum arabic in a pot, whisking constantly. Bring mixture to a boil, then add 6 cups sugar,…