Innehållsförteckning för June 2024 från Market Watch

For all three main categories—wine, beer, and spirits—it’s a constant battle out there to stay competitive. Once upon a time, rival brands fought within the boundaries of their own category, and there was little concern about the shelf battles going on elsewhere. But those days are long gone. In more recent years, spirits makers tried to woo beer drinkers and even wine drinkers, while craft brewers attempted to do the same. Now it’s a cross-category war, and the competition is pretty much everywhere. Wine, arguably the most traditional category, for years saw no reason to change, but as the competition intensified, that no longer rang true. So winemakers embarked on a steady march toward innovation—in packaging, but also in products. The work on the product side has been led by…

Ardnahoe Inaugural Release Owned by the Glasgow-based independent bottler Hunter Laing, Islay distillery Ardnahoe filled its first cask in 2018 and officially opened for visitors in 2019. Now, its debut whisky is here. Ardnahoe Inaugural Release ($88 a 750-ml.) is the first new whisky from a new distillery on Islay in 15 years—since Kilchoman launched its inaugural offering back in 2009. Matured in a combination of Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks, it’s bottled at 50% abv. It’s currently available at the distillery and retail in the UK and other global markets, and it’s set to hit shelves in the U.S. this fall. For more information, visit Ardnahoedistillery.com. Strathearn Single Malt Scottish independent bottler Douglas Laing & Co. has announced the release of the inaugural single malt whisky from Strathearn Distillery…

Liam Odien, bar manager at Playa Provisions in Playa Del Rey, California, points out that the tiki craze has been in a “boom-and-bust” cycle since the 1930s. “Five or six years ago I think we hit a saturation point in terms of the quantity of tropical bars and drinks, and now we’re on a bit of a downswing in terms of the voracious appetite that people had,” he says. “This time around, though, I think the presence is such that they’re going to remain on menus in a more thoughtful, focused way. Complexity doesn’t necessarily mean more ingredients in unlimited measure; we’re seeing more economy of ingredients. It feels like a good trend to me. Not every menu needs to have something tropical, but it’s great when they appear and…

Cleveland native Mickey Mullins may have started out tending bar in his hometown, but when New Orleans called to him in 2019 he jumped at the opportunity to start fresh in a new city. He moved down to help open Latter Hospitality Group’s Claret Wine & Cocktail Bar in May 2019 and in under a year was promoted to bar manager. When Covid-19 hit, Mullins took over the bar program at Latter’s adjacent restaurant The Bower and by the end of 2020 the two concepts had merged, with Claret rebranded as The Bower Bar and Mullins positioned at the helm as bar manager and assistant general manager. As bar manager of The Bower and The Bower Bar, Mullins oversees the beverage program, which includes ordering, inventory, training bartenders, creating the…

Off-Premise News: Rite Aid Expanding Alcohol Delivery Rite Aid has expanded its delivery partnership with Uber Eats to include alcohol in eight new markets. Nearly 1,000 Rite Aid stores across California, Idaho, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington are now participating. The move follows Uber’s closing of its former Drizly subsidiary earlier this year, as it looks to expand its alcohol delivery activities through Uber Eats. Supplier News—Spirits: Jay-Z Invests In Long Drink Marcy Venture Partners, co-founded by Jay-Z, has made a significant investment in spirits-based RTD brand The Finnish Long Drink. While specific details of the investment were not disclosed, it continues The Finnish Long Drink’s run of celebrity investors adding Jay-Z to the brand’s a-list roster, which already includes actor Miles Teller, DJ Kygo, and professional…

Gallo Enters Beer Category…..Gallo has made a strategic investment into Montucky Cold Snacks, marking the wine and spirits company’s entry into the beer market. While terms of the agreement were not disclosed, Gallo notes that Montucky has seen substantial growth in recent years, with the brand reaching 1 million cases last year. “Today’s consumer is shopping brands, flavors, and occasions across beer, wine, spirits, and RTDs. Here at Gallo, we focus on serving the consumer and expanding the boundaries of what’s expected,” says Gallo CEO Ernest J. Gallo. Montucky Cold Snacks’ flagship beer is a 4.1% abv light lager with 102 calories a 12-ounce can. The beer is currently available in 12-ounce cans ($15 a 12-pack; $25 a 30-pack), individual 24-ounce cans ($3), and 16-ounce cans ($8 a 6-pack),…

Social media has been influencing pop culture since its inception, and online social networks like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have become big-time influencers at the bar, too. The on-premise is a social business, after all, and social media has naturally become a source of information and idea-sharing for consumers and bar aficionados. From a bartender perspective, social media often spreads awareness on new drinks trends and cocktails at a much more rapid pace than old fashioned word of mouth. TikTok in particular, thanks to its short video clip format, has become a haven for drinks trends. “TikTok has an outsized influence over the drinks business due to its enormous reach,” says Sother Teague, partner and beverage director at New York City bar Amor y Amargo and its parent company Overthrow…

As beer retailers are filling the shelves for the summer selling season, it might be wise to make room for a few micheladas. The Mexican-born drinks, and most especially their chelada variants, continue to buck overall beer sales trends and woo an ever-growing customer base. Indeed, cheladas are poised to be a hot trend in the beer category this summer. Micheladas—typically comprised of lager, lime juice, hot sauce, spices, and sometimes tomato or clam juice—have long been the beer lover’s alternative to the Bloody Mary. But thanks to the strong growth of the Modelo Especial line of mostly fruit-forward cheladas in recent years, the products are gaining placement in cold boxes and on beer shelves across the country. “The strong performance of our flavors has enabled Modelo Chelada to become…

Diageo has announced some key leadership changes in its North America unit. Current president of U.S. spirits, Gregorio Gutierrez, who has held that role since 2022, is leaving the company. He will be replaced by company veteran Stephen Rust, previously president of reserve and new business commercialization. Rust has been with Diageo and its forerunners for 35 years. In 1989 he joined a Diageo predecessor in on-trade sales, then led sales at Diageo’s joint venture with Moët Hennessey (Schieffelin and Somerset), prior to joining Diageo North America in 2004. Since then he has held a variety of senior commercial and strategy roles, including president of Reserve and president of Diageo Chateau and Estates. In his new role, he’ll lead Diageo’s 40-millioncase spirits business in the U.S., the company’s biggest market…

It seems everyone is drinking bitter these days—and Italian aperitivo and amari are at the center of this trend. “There’s a bit of a renaissance in embracing bold flavors like those found in herbal and bitter spirits and liqueurs,” says David Ballew, president and CEO of Oregon-based Hood River Distillers. “This trend mirrors a broader cultural shift toward more complex and robust taste experiences across the culinary and beverage scene over the last few decades. As a result, U.S. consumer palates have evolved, and now consumers want and expect bold flavors, not only in their food, but also in their cocktails.” Gabriele Besozzi, general manager of Pendolino in Sandy Springs, Georgia, just north of Atlanta, also notes U.S. consumers’ evolved palates. “They appreciate the depth and versatility bitter liqueurs offer…