Top 10 Archives - The Spirits Business

Top 10 Barbie-inspired cocktails

Alice Brooker — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 11:23:32 +0000

From the Plastic Fantastic to the Mali-Barb, we've rounded up 10 fabulous serves for those feeling the Barbie buzz.

On the Barbie hype? Team SB is too, so we've rounded up a number of pink and pretty cocktails to satisfy your Barbie wants and needs as the blockbuster release date nears. If you're planning to bee-line for the big screen for the film's opening on 21 July, make sure you mix up one of these tipples afterwards to continue the fun. And for any Kens out there, there's a serve for you too – aptly named 'Just Ken'. For more cocktail recipes, check out our round-up of cocktails to craft from home for July.

Amaro Santoni Spritz

Taste this number at Swift in Shoreditch, London, as the venue hosts a 'disco drinks' event every Thursday night. The Amaro Santoni Disco Drinks menu claims to be the pink perfect roster to celebrate with your friends. INGREDIENTS

2 parts Santoni
3 parts Prosecco
Olives

METHOD Combine in a glass with ice and stir, garnish with an olive.

Just Ken

What would a 'Just Ken' cocktail be without simple syrup? The Cauldron Tavern in Brighton, UK, is offering up a variety of Barbie-themed drinks from 21 July for one week only. INGREDIENTS

25ml Simple syrup
2 Quartered lime wedges
1-2 Mint sprigs
75ml Bourbon
10ml Blue Curaçao (for colour)
Ice

METHOD Muddle the sugar syrup, the two quartered lime wedges and mint sprigs first of all into your cocktail mixing beaker. Then add Bourbon, Blue Curaçao and plenty of ice. Use your stirrer and dry stir for 30-50 seconds. Pour your cocktail through your strainer and into a chilled glass. Add ice and some mint to garnish.

Kwai Feh Pink Señorita

Amber Beverage's Kwai Feh pink liqueur is a must-buy this Barbie season. Go the extra mile and polish off this beverage with edible flowers. INGREDIENTS

25ml Kwai Feh
25ml Tequila
25ml Triple sec
10ml Lemon juice
Pink lemonade

METHOD Add the first four ingredients to a shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a Margarita glass or glass of your choice. Top up with pink lemonade and garnish with a pink rose or other pink edible flowers.

Dance the Night

Dance the Night named after the lead single in the film’s soundtrack. The pink cocktail will be served as a limited edition special between 21-23 at Savage Garden Rooftop Bar in London. INGREDIENTS

30ml Lanique Spirit of Rose
30ml Lillet
15ml Strawberry
10ml Almond syrup
15ml Sour Agent or lime or lemon juice
Bubbles

METHOD Pour all the ingredients except the bubbles in a mixing glass. Add ice and shake the cocktail. Then fine strain it using a sieve into a coupe glass. Then top it up with bubbles.

Pink Paloma Paradise

When mixing up a Barbie cocktail, there's no better friend to call on than the trusty pink grapefruit. This tipple is not only perfectly suited to those looking for an ultra-refreshing summer go-to, but also makes a picturesque cocktail for those pre- or post-cinema drinks with friends. INGREDIENTS

50ml Tequila
Lime
Pink Himalayan salt
Agave syrup (optional)
Double Dutch Pink Grapefruit Soda
Slice of grapefruit

METHOD Wet the rim of your glass with lime before dipping in your pink salt to create a salt rim. Fill your glass with ice. Pour your Tequila over ice. Squeeze in your fresh lime and optional agave for those that like their Paloma a little sweeter. Top with Double Dutch Pink Grapefruit Soda Stir carefully until evenly mixed. Garnish with a slice of pink grapefruit.

Mali-Barb

Come on Barbie, let's go party – The Cauldron's Mali-Barb hits the Barbiecore spot. INGREDIENTS

50ml Tequila
50ml Creme de mure
25ml Lime
10ml Agave syrup
150ml Ginger beer
5ml Wray and Nephew
Half lime (hollowed out)

METHOD Add all measured ingredients (excluding ginger beer & Wray and Newphew) into a cocktail shaker and shake over ice. Strain into a highball glass and top with ginger beer.

Turkish Delight

Cocktail club Off the Cuff is offering up the perfect dose of pink for all your summer events. INGREDIENTS

40ml Whitley Neil Rhubarb and Ginger Gin
15ml Monin Rose
15ml Lemon juice
15ml Cranberry
5ml Monin White Chocolate
Soda and orange garnish

METHOD Fill a highball glass with cubed ice, then pour in each ingredient as listed, fill to top with soda and garnish.

The Pink Pamplemousse

Mark the Barbie celebrations with this gin-based serve. INGREDIENTS

50ml Ginato Pompelmo Gin
50ml Prosecco
20ml Crème de Pamplemousse
20ml Soda

METHOD Garnish a Margarita or Martini glass with a popping candy rim. Combine all ingredients over cubed ice in a Margarita or Martini glass.

Plastic Fantastic

Another from The Cauldron, Plastic Fantastic is perfect for those living the Barbie hype. INGREDIENTS

75ml Cranberry juice
25ml Kwai feh
50ml Raspberry gin
20ml Pink tonic

METHOD Measure out all ingredients excluding the pink tonic into your cocktail shaker. Add plenty of ice and get shaking. Double strain and pour into your chosen glass. Top with pink tonic.

Classic Cosmopolitan

Barbie is truly an unstoppable force, now claiming the classic serve typically associated with Carrie Bradshaw from tv show Sex and the City. INGREDIENTS

35ml Cîroc Summer Citrus Vodka
20ml Lime juice
20ml Triple sec
40ml Cranberry juice
Orange zest or lime wheel
Ice

METHOD Pour citrus vodka, lime juice, triple sec and cranberry juice into a shaker with cubed ice. Shake for 15 seconds or until condensation forms on the outside of the shaker. Fine strain into your saucer and garnish with a flamed orange zest.

Top 10 spirits launches in June 2023

Georgie Collins — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 12:06:22 +0000

With the start of a new season comes a new range of seasonally appropriate spirits, from a collection of ready-to-pour sundowners to a gin that takes you back in time to summer 2022.

June was a busy month for spirits producers, as while one Scotch distillery unveiled its latest annual expression, another released one of its oldest bottlings to date. Meanwhile, one celebrity demonstrated she is the ultimate hostess by launching a range of canned cocktails she won't be able to enjoy herself, and a British producer decided to take things into her own hands and create a spirit designed for her favourite serve. For our take on the best new releases to hit shelves in June, keep scrolling.

Fettercairn 18YO annual release

Last month, Whyte & Mackay-owned Fettercairn revealed the 2023 release of its 18-year-old limited edition single malt. Having launched the first edition of Fettercairn 18 Years Old in 2022, which marked a ‘new dawn in progressive whisky making’ for the brand, the 2023 expression is said to be both innovative in style and substance, and celebrates ‘what makes Fettercairn different’. The whisky offers aromas of sugared almonds, baking spices, and a tropical sweetness of passionfruit and guava, while to taste, exotic syruped fruits, patisserie sugars, brioche, and spices with soft hints of berry fruit can be detected.

No. 3 Gin's bottled Gimlet

Berry Bros & Rudd-owned No.3 Gin unveiled a bottled Gimlet to mark World Gin Day (10 June) last month, the third ready-to-serve cocktail to be released by the London Dry gin brand. Created in collaboration with London’s Artesian bar, located in The Langham Hotel, the pre-bottled cocktail is described as a ‘unique twist on the classic Gimlet recipe’, using a blend of No.3 London Dry Gin with bergamot, citrus, and floral notes to produce a ‘deliciously zesty and refreshing drink’. The bottle features unique microscopic art by Justin Zoll, and £1 (US$1.29) from the sale of each bottle will go to Hospitality Action, a charity that supports all who work, or have worked, within hospitality in the UK.

Suntory's anniversary whiskies

To mark its centenary this year, the House of Suntory released Hakushu 18 Years Old Peated Malt and an 18-year-old Yamazaki whisky aged in mizunara oak casks last month. “Yamazaki 18 Years Old Mizunara was blended for our 100-year anniversary and features a rich texture created from a long ageing process,” said fifth-generation chief blender Shinji Fukuyo. “This expresses the delicate and meticulous attention to detail that went into its craftsmanship.” Meanwhile, the new Hakushu 18 Years Old Peated Malt is comprised of malt whiskies all aged for a minimum of 18 years. The new expression is said to offer a ‘new angle to the world of peated whisky’. In addition to the two new whiskies, Suntory also created limited edition labels for its 12-year-old Yamazaki and Hakushu whiskies to commemorate its 100th anniversary.

Cambridge Distillery's seasonal gin

'Tis the season for the latest release from Cambridge Distillery: Vintage 2022 Spring Summer. The seasonal expression has been crafted by master distiller William Lowe using a novo-dimensional distillation matrix. Temperature, timing, and pressure were among the nine variables used to tailor the treatment of each fresh botanical, and the result is a gin described as elegant on the palate with restrained fruit expression from flowering redcurrant, and supple citrus from lemon balm providing an ‘extended and graceful’ finish. Lowe commented: “The hottest temperatures we’ve ever seen here in Cambridge [in summer 2022] created unparalleled ripeness and richness to this seasonal expression, whilst retaining the elegant and vibrant lift for which our spring/summer releases have become so famous”.

De Kuyper RTD cocktails

There are now six new ready-to-serve (RTS) cocktails on the market thanks to Dutch liqueur brand De Kuyper. The six new RTS drinks form part of the brand’s strategy to ‘own the cocktail’, and the line-up includes: the Espresso Martini Cocktail (14.5% ABV), the Passionfruit Martini Cocktail (12% ABV), the Piña Colada Cocktail (14.5% ABV), the Strawberry Daiquiri Cocktail (14.5% ABV), the Cosmopolitan Cocktail (14.5% ABV), and the Clover Club Cocktail (12.5% ABV). Each serve in the new collection can be enjoyed in two ways: either shake the cocktails with ice to create a ‘bar-like experience’, or pour the chilled drink into a glass.

Frapin 30 Years Old

There are 3,000 bottles available of the latest Cognac to come from Frapin: the 41.8% ABV, 30-year-old Millésime 1990, each priced at RRP £205 (US$261). With an ‘infinitely long’ finish, it is made using grapes from a 1990 harvest, on the brand’s 240-hectare Chez Pet vineyard. “This 30-year-old vintage is a truly exceptional Cognac. It is a result of a complex alchemy and embodies the Frapin style with its voluptuous aromatic richness and its infinitely long finish,” said cellarmaster Patrice Piveteau. The vintage Cognac has been aged for 30 years on the brand’s estate in the humid cellars, and is the latest addition to the Millésime range, which was launched 24 years ago with a 1979 bottling.

Sphynx Tequila

Pop a bottle of Sphynx Tequila down in the middle of the table and you’ve got yourself a conversation starter. This Tequila, created by British-Indian couple Sukhvinder and Imran Javeed is the result of a decade-long ‘journey’, which saw the pair immerse themselves in the heartland of Tequila production in Mexico. All the Tequilas in the Sphynx Tequila range, which is composed of blanco, añejo, añejo cristalino, and extra-aged añejo black oak expressions, are made with 100% Blue Weber agave and contain zero additives. Each bottle of Sphynx Tequila is presented in the brand’s custom decanter, which symbolises good fortune and abundance, and is described as a timeless piece of art.

Betty Booze

Despite being known for being a teetotaller, actress Blake Lively moved into the world of hard alcohol last month with the launch of Betty Booze – a trio of RTD alcoholic canned cocktails, all of which clock in at 4.5% ABV and are crafted with sparkling water, real juice, and premium spirits. Announcing the launch of Betty Booze on her Instagram page, Lively wrote: @bettybooze [is] for those who want the alcohol… Because that’s what hosts do. We make something for everyone. And not usually ourselves.” The new line includes: Sparkling Bourbon with Apple Ginger Sour Cherry; Sparkling Tequila with Lemonade; and Sparkling Tequila with Lime Shiso.

Benriach 40 Years Old

Brown-Forman-owned Speyside distillery Benriach released two 40-year-old single malts last month: The Forty and the travel retail-exclusive Forty Octave Cask Matured. Created using ‘rare’ peated casks, The Forty (43.5% ABV) is said to be one of the oldest peated malts to be released from a Speyside distillery, and is available as an ongoing release in specialist retailers in select global markets, priced at RRP £3,200 (US$4,084). Meanwhile The Forty Octave Cask Matured was matured in small octave casks, which are an eighth of the size of a regular cask, meaning only 135 bottles of the expression are available in select international airports, priced at RRP £3,800 (US$4,850).

Neurita Tequila

You can’t have a Margarita without a Tequila, and so Lucy Smith, founder of Neurita, wanted to create a spirit that “captured the essence of what a Margarita is all about.” As such, she launched two expressions, Citrus and Rosa Neurita Tequila, which have been crafted with high-quality blue agave, and are the perfect base for both a classic and spicy Margarita. The new expressions are available to purchase directly from the brand’s website, Master of Malt, Threshers, and Amazon for RRP £29.99 (US$37.39).

Top 10 marketing moves in June 2023

Alice Brooker — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 10:22:25 +0000

From stashing diamonds in bottle corks to a partnership with White Lotus star Aubrey Plaza, spirits brands took creativity to new heights in June.

Last month saw a number of exciting marketing moves from brands, as partnerships with summer festivals and distributors saw spirits boosting their presence in a number of ways. UK distillery Bimber broke a world record for a single malt reaching the highest summit, while Martini celebrated its 160th anniversary with a stylish campaign. Scroll on for the marketing moves that stood out in June. For more marketing round-ups, check out the top 10 list from May.

Nemiroff adds Whyte & Mackay

Ukrainian vodka brand Nemiroff has appointed single-malt whisky producer Whyte & Mackay as a strategic partner for the UK and Ireland. The partnership will enable Nemiroff to strengthen its position as a “leading player” in the spirits industry. Nemiroff CEO Yuriy Sorochynskiy said: “This partnership will allow us to give UK consumers the opportunity to experience a product we have been passionately creating since 1872.” Mike Greggs, Whyte and Mackay managing director, Europe & global travel retail, said: “We recognise in Nemiroff a shared ethos between us as spirits makers – a commitment to excellence. Nemiroff has built an enviable position.”

Whitley Neill prize sparkles

Halewood Artisanal Spirits’ Whitley Neill Gin has hidden £25,000 (US$31,855) worth of diamonds in its bottles to provide UK consumers with “heirlooms to pass on”. The brand cited research from OnePoll, which found that 43% of UK-based adults don’t leave heirlooms to family and friends. In an attempt to ‘reignite’ this tradition, and mark eight generations of its own distilling heritage, the gin brand has revealed it is hiding diamonds within bottles of its Distiller’s Cut London Dry Gin. Those who find one of the 15 hidden diamond engravings in the bottle corks of Distiller’s Cut Gin will win an ethical diamond with a minimum carat of 0.4. Whitley Neill will also be offering a complimentary jewellery service to winners. The Distiller’s Cut Diamond prizes can be won until the end of August.

VK van puts alco-lollies on ice

Global Brands-owned VK has launched the UK’s ‘first’ alco-popiscle van in London, with a later feature planned in Liverpool in July. The ready-to-drink brand rolled out its VK Ices Tour at Potters Fields Park on 22 June, providing alcoholic ice popsicles made with two flavours – VK Blue and VK Orange & Passionfruit. The van can hold 8,000 lollies, which each have an ABV of 4%. Free VK merchandise was also handed out. The van will also pop-up on 7 July in Liverpool at event venue Content. Charlie Leaver, head of brand at Global Brands, said: “We are thrilled to reveal the first appearance of our alcoholic VK Ices Van, and this is the first ever chance to try our limited edition VK Ices. These alcoholic ice-lollies are made with all of the fruity fun and vibes of two of our best-selling flavours.”

Mintis targets home country

Italian gin brand Mintis has committed to boosting its presence in its home country, having partnered with distributor GS Distribuzione Italia to accelerate its growth. Launched in 2021, Mintis Gin is now available in 29 countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, and Croatia. Mintis Gin co-founder Stepan Stanek said: “We are excited to work with GS Distribuzione Italia to accelerate the growth in the home country of Mintis Gin over the coming years. We are delighted to have found a partner that will focus on the brand, and that prizes independence, inspiration and uniqueness as much as we do.” The brand’s portfolio comprises four expressions: Originale, made with mint and lemons; Clementine, crafted with clementines and mint; Amarena Cherry, which sees dark cherries distilled with mint; and Blackcurrant, which also includes a ‘hint of mint freshness’.

Martini marks 160th birthday

Bacardi-owned Martini has unveiled a marketing campaign to mark its 160th anniversary. The 160 Years of Italian Taste advertising campaign will “open the gates to the world of Martini” to consumers by drawing inspiration from its “legacy as a symbol of Italian style and culture”, according to the brand. Martini was founded in 1863 by entrepreneur Alessandro Martini and herbalist Luigi Rossi. Victoria Morris, vice-president, Martini, said: “This is the year of Martini, and we’re taking our celebration across the globe with 160 Years of Italian Taste. Martini has always been at the forefront of Italian style.” The campaign will run via advertising and social media platforms.

Music to White Claw’s ears

Mark Anthony Brands-owned White Claw is expanding its festival presence with activations at UK music festivals, including London’s British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park. The hard seltzer brand has partnered with BST and All Points East, and has a 60-date line-up at festivals in the UK, aiming to become the “festival drink of choice”. BST Hyde Park is taking place until 9 July, and White Claw is hosting its Shore Club bar experience there, fitted with a four-dimensional wave experience, beach club seating, and a raised viewing floor. The brand will also be present at Dockyards from 8 to 15 July; Junction 2 on 21-22 July; All Points East from 18 to 28 August; and Fly Open Air on 16-17 September. Michael Dean, marketing director UK at White Claw, said: “White Claw is the perfect match for festivals.”

Aubrey Plaza joins Cointreau

French drinks group Rémy Cointreau has collaborated with Parks and Recreation actor Aubrey Plaza to showcase its orange liqueur brand Cointreau in a Margarita cocktail. The new campaign plays on the idea of enjoying a Margarita the ‘MargaRight’ way, as opposed to the ‘MargaWrong’ way. The campaign has produced two 30-second spots, one of which features Plaza scolding a guest for bring a giant pre-mixed Margarita cocktail. “Cointreau has a history of cinematic storytelling, with continued investment in marketing and partnerships with top-tier celebrity talent, now including Aubrey Plaza,” said Nicolas Beckers, president and CEO at Rémy Cointreau America.

Bimber hits the heights

The UK’s Bimber Distillery has set the record for a single malt reaching the highest summit, with its whisky landing at the peak of Mount Lhotse in Nepal. In May, Philip Pinchin, founding member of Bimber Distillery, began his climb of Lhotse to raise funds for medical charity Cobalt. Bimber supported this endeavour by creating a whisky made from a “unique marriage” of three cask types, including some of the distillery’s oldest and finest stock, for the climbing team to take to the top. The Lhotse Challenge 2023 bottling arrived on the summit of the mountain on 24 May at a height of 8,516 metres, which exceeds the previous record by more than 2,000 metres.

Buffalo Trace tees off golf sponsorship

Kentucky distillery Buffalo Trace has teamed up with the DP World Tour to become the sponsor of three UK golf tournaments, including the Scottish Open. Owned by Sazerac, the whiskey maker will back three events in the 2023 schedule as part of the DP World Tour, also known as the European tour. It is the leading men’s professional golf tour in Europe. Andrew Duncan, global director of American whiskey at Buffalo Trace Distillery, said: “We invite golf fans all over the globe to celebrate the world’s best players on a global stage by joining Buffalo Trace Distillery on the 19th hole for a pour of whiskey.”

The time is now for Absolut Tomorrowland

Vodka brand Absolut created a limited edition bottle in partnership with Belgium’s electronic dance festival Tomorrowland. The creation of the new bottle design marks the partners’ first on-site activation at the festival, a campaign named United We Dance. The revamped look is said to symbolise the festival spirit of ‘unlimited freedom’, with red and orange butterflies that visualise the positive change, and the ‘new beginnings’ that the festival brings. The bottle will also display a QR code for consumers in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Malta to enter the Absolut Drop It Challenge, and features a bespoke audio track and video template for entrants to record dance content and use the hashtag #UnitedWeDance. The bottles are available in Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Poland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Estonia, Dominican Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Montenegro, Malta, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, Brazil, and The UAE.

Cocktail recipes for July

Alice Brooker — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 11:31:58 +0000

Our round-up of cocktail recipes for at-home mixing includes a brandy-based iced latte and a non-alcoholic Mojito. Scroll on for more innovative serves.

Want a Mojito but haven't quite clocked off from work yet? Try shaking up alcohol-free Caleño's recipe, which provides a new take on the classic cocktail, on your lunch break instead. Or, give 135° East Gin's Longitude Line a go, garnished carefully with dried hibiscus flowers. Scroll down to discover 10 cocktail recipes you can create this July, and see here for June's round up. Do you have a cocktail recipe you’d like featured in next month’s round up? Email info@thespiritsbusiness.com.

Bardinet Iced Vanilla Latte

Fan of ice coffees but looking for more than a caffeine buzz? Look no further than this vegan serve. INGREDIENTS

35ml Bardinet VSOP
100ml Oat milk
20ml Vanilla syrup
1 shot or 25ml Espresso
Cinnamon

METHOD Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add the Bardinet VSOP, espresso, and vanilla syrup to the glass, then stir. Slowly top with the oat milk, then garnish with a pinch of cinnamon.

The Rebel Mule

Keep refreshed with this ginger beer-based gin cocktail. INGREDIENTS

50ml Sir Edmond Gin
25ml Fresh lime juice
Ginger beer to top up
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Lime wedge and mint sprig for garnish

METHOD

Pour Sir Edmond Gin into a mule cup filled with ice. Add fresh lime juice and top it off with ginger beer. Give it a quick stir. Add bitters and garnish it with a lime wedge and a mint sprig.

Eden Mill Cross Court Cocktail

Serve up a celebration of summery British flavours with Eden Mill Gin. INGREDIENTS

35ml Eden Mill Wildcard Gin
10ml Monin Wild Strawberry syrup
Pink Prosecco
1 Raspberry

METHOD Pour the gin and strawberry syrup into a champagne flute. Top up with pink Prosecco and stir, then garnish with the raspberry.

Caleño Mojito

Alcohol-free cocktail recipes are having their heyday – and this serve is a good example as to why. INGREDIENTS

50ml Caleño Dark & Spicy
15ml Sugar syrup
1 Fresh lime
6-8 Fresh mint leaves
Soda water

METHOD Smack the mint and add into a highball glass with lime wedges before giving them a muddle. Pour in Caleño Dark & Spicy and sugar syrup, give it a stir and top with soda water. Garnish with a large sprig of mint and a wedge of lime on top.

Tonic No Kami

Give to your gin & tonic a Japanese touch. INGREDIENTS

40ml 135° East Hyōgo Dry Gin
80ml Tonic water
2 dashes Orange bitters (optional)
Yuzu peel

METHOD Pour gin into the glass, top with tonic water and garnish with a yuzu peel.

Longitude Line

Stir your sensorial curiosity with this intense and exotic cocktail. INGREDIENTS

30ml 135° East Hyōgo Dry Gin
10ml Akashi-Tai Umeshu
10ml Hibiscus syrup
15ml Fresh lime juice
10ml Egg white or aquafaba
Dried hibiscus flowers

METHOD Dry shake (no ice) all ingredients then shake with ice and add dried hibiscus flowers to garnish.

Espanita Lime Tequila Kiwi Smash

Refresh your senses with the invigorating taste of kiwi and lime. INGREDIENTS

60ml Espanita Lime Tequila
1 large kiwi, peeled and sliced
20ml Freshly pressed lime juice
4-5 Fresh mint leaves
70ml Chilled sparkling soda water or Topo Chico Kiwi slice

METHOD In a mixing glass, lightly muddle mint leaves, kiwi slices and lime juice. Transfer the muddled ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Add Espanita lime Tequila, ice and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds. Pour the cocktail into a chilled glass filled with fresh ice. Top the drink with soda and garnish with a kiwi slice.

Appleton Estate Jamaican Daiquiri

July calls for Daiquiri recipes – we all know it. Enjoy this Appleton Estate Daiquiri in your garden this summer. INGREDIENTS

50ml Appleton Estate Signature
25ml Fresh lime juice
15ml Sugar syrup (try Demerara)

METHOD Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime twist

The Bardin-itz

Crafted in France for more than a century, Bardinet Brandy has teamed up with cocktail expert Adrian Gomes to give this traditional spirit a summer makeover. INGREDIENTS

35ml Bardinet VSOP
10ml Limoncello
10ml Sugar syrup
Raspberry lemonade
Fresh berries
Mint

METHOD Fill a large wine glass with ice. Add the Bardinet, limoncello, and sugar syrup then top with the raspberry lemonade. Garnish with fresh berries, and mint.

Talk the Talk

The refreshing cocktail presents refreshing notes of cucumber, cilantro and citrus. INGREDIENTS

40ml Desolas Mezcal
15ml Bombay Cru gin
20ml Lime juice 10ml Agave
10ml Mandarine Napoleon liqueur
Cucumber slices

METHOD Muddle a few cucumber slices in the bottom of a shaker, add the rest of the ingredients, shake and serve on the rocks with a sea salt rim and a few cucumber slices as garnish.

Top 10 best-selling rum brands

Nicola Carruthers — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 12:08:29 +0000

The rum category was in rude health last year, driven by premium-plus variants. But how did the sector's biggest players fare?

Last year, rum continued its time in the spotlight with particularly promising growth in the premium‐plus arena. In July 2022, CGA reported that UK sales of rum surpassed £1 billion (US$1.2bn) in the previous 12 months, meaning it now accounts for a bigger market share than whisky. The research firm attributed this growth to rum’s versatility in cocktails, consumer interest in new flavoured expressions and the premiumisation trend. IWSR Drinks Market Analysis reported volume growth of 9% for rum in 2022 and the category is expected to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2% over the next five years. The analyst also predicted that premium-plus rum volumes would climb by a CAGR of 6% between 2021 and 2026, with the segment’s value increasing by 6.5%. Looking across the performance of million-case rum players last year, the majority were in growth, but many struggled to surpass their pre-pandemic volumes. Scroll through to discover the top 10 best-selling rums of 2022, listed in order of their nine-litre-case sales. Data listed is to one decimal place for ease of reading, but the percentage changes are based on the full data supplied to The Brand Champions 2023 report.

10. Appleton Estate (including J Wray & Nephew)

2022: 1.1m 2021: 1.1m % change: -2.7% Place last year: 9 Jamaican rum brand Appleton Estate has seen its volumes hover around 1.1m cases for the past five years. The Campari Group-owned brand fell by one place to the 10th spot on our best-selling rum list after dropping by 2.7% in 2022. In a report from the company on the category last year, Campari said the popularity of aged rum is expected to grow in the next few years, with the opportunity to further educate consumers around the different expressions on offer. Perhaps the brand’s sales could recover in the future as dark spirits drinkers experiment in the rum sector and trade across to more affordable categories such as rum.

9. Božkov

2022: 1.3m 2021: 1.4m % change: -9.9% Place last year: 7 Stock Spirits’ Božkov saw sales slip by 9.9% to 1.3m cases in 2022, a stark contrast to its double-digit increase the previous year. It remains below its pre-pandemic sales high of 1.6m cases in 2019. The decline also saw it move down two spaces on our best-selling rum list.

8. Contessa

2022: 1.3m 2021: 1.3m % change: 1.6% Place last year: 8 Radico Khaitan-owned Contessa reported a slight increase in sales last year, growing by 1.6%, but it remains at 1.3m cases. Like Božkov, the brand has struggled to surpass its pre-pandemic volume and remains in its eighth spot on our best-selling list. Indian spirits producer Radico Khaitan also owns Rampur Whisky, 8PM Whisky, Magic Moments Vodka, and Old Admiral Brandy.

7. Old Port Rum

2022: 1.5m 2021: 1.1m % change: 40.6% Place last year: 10 Reporting the biggest increase among the million-case rum brands was Old Port Rum, which soared by 40.6% to 1.5m cases. It’s an astounding feat, considering the brand suffered a 32.3% decline to 1.1m cases the previous year, but it remains below the 2.1m cases it recorded in 2019. Owned by India’s Amrut Distillers, Old Port Rum is produced from molasses sourced from native Indian sugar cane and aged in ex-whisky barrels and new oak barrels.

6. Barceló

2022: 2.7m 2021: 2.4m % change: 12.5% Place last year: 6 Barceló saw a favourable outcome in 2022, registering significant growth of 12.5% and hitting 2.7m cases. It is now at its highest case sales in five years. Barceló is currently distributed in more than 80 countries worldwide. Over the last seven years, the brand recorded a compound annual growth rate of 19% in Europe and Asia. In Spain, the rum is the number-one spirits brand by both volume and value, it claimed. Produced in the Dominican Republic, the ‘world’s first’ carbon-neutral rum is made with 100% sugarcane juice from its own plantations.

5. Havana Club

2022: 4.6m 2021: 4.3m % change: 5.3% Place last year: 5 Cuban rum brand Havana Club reported its second year in growth after increasing by 5.3% in 2022. The brand has returned to its pre-pandemic volume of 4.6m after reporting a double-digit drop in 2020. Last November, Pernod Ricard-owned Havana Club debuted its global multi-media campaign, called Cuban Mode. The marketing effort could see its sales continue to grow in the future.

4. McDowell’s No.1 Rum

2022: 8.8m 2021: 8.4m % change: 5.1% Place last year: 4 Indian rum brand McDowell’s No.1 saw its volumes grow by 5.1% to 8.8m cases in 2022, but it struggled to reach its sales high of 11.2m in 2018. McDowell’s No.1 is owned by Diageo’s Indian arm, United Spirits. The firm saw net sales rise by 19.5% for the year ending 31 March 2023, led by its ‘prestige-and-above’ brands.

3. Captain Morgan

2022: 12.9m 2021: 12.7m % change: 1.9% Place last year: 3 Diageo-owned Captain Morgan saw sales grow by 1.9% to 12.9m cases, its highest sales volume to date. According to Diageo's financial results for the last six months of 2022, Captain Morgan's organic net sales rose by 5% with growth in all regions. The brand recently rolled out a new packaging design globally in March 2023, inspired by last year’s ‘Spice On’ campaign.

2. Bacardí (including RTDs)

2022: 23.6m 2021: 23.4m % change: 10.4% Place last year: 2 Bacardí, our Rum Brand Champion for the second year in a row, recorded a double-digit gain in 2022 to 23.6m cases. The figure includes the brand's ready-to-drink (RTD) portfolio. Bacardí pins its category‐leading success to its connection with the consumer. Roberto Ramirez Laverde, global senior vice‐president, Bacardí Rum, says: “Rum has had a bit of a challenging past decade. Coming out of the recession in 2008, rum was a bit left behind as consumers changed their preferences. “It was in 2017 and 2018 that Bacardí pivoted its brand strategy and went back to its roots and history with a new advertising campaign, under the umbrella of Do What Moves You.”

1. Tanduay

2022: 27.4m 2021: 23.6m % change: 16.1% Place last year: 1 The world’s biggest-selling rum brand, Tanduay, reported a double-digit increase in 2022, soaring by 16.1% to 27.4m cases. The Philippine brand remains far above its nearest competitor, Bacardí, with nearly 4m cases between them. If double-digit growth continues for Tanduay, we could see it surpass the 30m-case threshold in the near future.

What’s on in July 2023

Alice Brooker — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 11:29:46 +0000

From cocktail festivals to eye-catching mixology takeovers, this summer is packed with key events in the spirits industry that you won't want to miss.

July is a cocktail-heavy month – we all know it. Embrace the best events that the industry has to offer this month by perusing through our guide – from Tales of the Cocktail festival to a bar's live music and burlesque night, we have you covered. For all the best industry events happening around the world, scroll on.

House of US Spirits pop-up

What: Whiskey and Bourbon masterclasses Where: TT Liquor, London When: Today (4 July), 6pm-9pm BST Taking place at TT Liquor in London, this pop-up event features masterclasses and tastings with some of the 'world's most exciting spirits brands'. While the event takes place today (the schedule kicks off from 6:30pm), there's still plenty of time to head over to the masterclasses. The schedule includes: American Whiskey 101: a guide to whiskey styles made in the US (6:30pm-7pm); Maker's Mark (7pm-7:30pm); Uncle Nearest (7:30pm-8pm); Wild Turkey (8pm-8:30pm); Bourbon diversity by Luxco (8:30pm-9pm); and Spirits Cartel (Four Roses & Westward) (8:30pm-9pm). For attendees of drinks event Imbibe, a bus will be organised for transfer to TT Liquor.

Caribbean rum festival

What: Rum-themed festival Where: Old-Port of Montreal, Canada When: 6-9 July The Taste of the Caribbean festival returns to Quebec, celebrating all things rum in collaboration with Amarula. This year, the festival will promote a new product: Omerto Cocktail, a ready-to-drink bottling that blends ginger and tomato wine. The festival is free to attend from 12pm-11pm (UTC+4) daily, and will feature live performances of varying Caribbean genres of music, as well as several other on-site activities including a rum zone.

Las Vegas music and burlesque nights

What: A speakeasy's live music and seductive burlesque evening Where: 1923 Prohibition Bar, Las Vegas When: Fridays and Saturdays in July Pop along to one of Las Vegas' most lively yet hidden speakeasies, where general admission is complimentary and VIP seating is available for up to six guests. The VIP package comprises two drinks per person, plus a digital photo and a shoutout from a performer on-stage. Enjoy live music from Troy Romzek and burlesque performances by Teri London, Lola Legs, and The Kendra.

Jägermeister’s Meister Hunter Competition

What: Herbal liqueur brand's cocktail competition Where: Online When: Until 10 July Jägermeister’s Meister Hunter Competition is returning for its sixth year. The annual competition asks bartenders to create a cocktail using a minimum of 25ml of Jägermeister, Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee or Jägermeister Manifest. For those interested, it's time to get creative, as each entrant’s cocktail submission may contain a maximum of five ingredients, without garnish. Entries must be made via Instagram and include a video or image of the cocktail, plus its name and specification. Posts must tag the Meister Hunter Instagram page @meisterhunter and use the hashtag #meisterhunter23. The 2023 finals will be hosted in London this autumn.

Ruby X Candelaria

What: One-night-only agave bar takeover Where: Copenhagen. Denmark When: 11 July Acclaimed Copenhagen bar Ruby is hosting Parisian agave bar Candelaria for a one-night special, serving 'outstanding' agave cocktails in the Scandinavian venue. Throughout the evening guests will be able to experience the exclusive menu which combines flavours of Scandinavia and Mexico, fused with summery and seasonal ingredients. Cocktails served up include the Machete, combining Koch Elemental, white tea, passion fruit and vanilla wine.

London bar Spritz giveaway

What: Swift Borough provides free Spritz cocktails Where: Swift Borough, London When: 15 July (plus dates in August) Calling all cocktail-loving bargain hunters: Swift Borough's Midsummer Spritz will be free to the first 100 people through Swift Borough's doors from 3pm on 15 July. If you find yourself unable to race to the venue on this date, you'll get another chance on 5 and 26 August, when the bar will once again be giving out the drink from 3pm.

Bombay Sapphire's art installation

What: Artwork and cocktails Where: Sketch, London When: Until 16 July

Visual artist Tishk Barzanji has partnered with gin brand Bombay Sapphire to produce an art installation called 'Into the Blue'.

Guests can immerse themselves in the artwork while enjoy a Saw This, Made This cocktail from Bombay Sapphire. Saw This, Made This is a global marketing campaign that has been rolled out by the gin brand to inspire creativity.

Naked Malt hosts Simone Caporale

What: Renowned mixologist creates whisky cocktails Where: Grand Hyatt Steakhouse, Hong Kong When: 20 July Taking place 8pm-11pm (UTC+8), this takeover will see the renowned Simone Caporale showcasing his mixology skills, and 'weaving a narrative of flavour and experience' through specially-curated cocktails featuring Naked Malt. For a chance to attend the guest shift experience, book at www.grandhyatthk.eshop.buys.hk/en/ghs-naked-malt-takeover.

Tales of the Cocktail Festival

What: Acclaimed cocktail festival Where: The Ritz-Carlton hotel, New Orleans When: 23-28 July The 2023 iteration of the must-attend cocktail festival is this month, and the five‐day in‐person celebration will offer the familiar educational programming, guest shifts and pop-up bars. The theme of this year's festival has been revealed as ‘Vitalize’, which was chosen to ‘encapsulate the hospitality community’s vibrancy and adaptability’.

No-menu cocktail club

What: London's first off-menu cocktail club Where: London Art House When: from 29 July Claiming to be the first of its kind, Off the Cuff is an immersive event that sees guests design bespoke cocktails via an app. You can play around with your favourite cocktail or get experimental, and watch experienced mixologists whizz up your invention and complete the serves with canapés. Off the Cuff is a 2.5-hour experience, and will hold a bi-monthly residence at London Art House from 29 July. Tickets are priced at £85 (US$107) per person, and include three cocktails (additional drinks can be purchased), canapés, and live music.

SB’s most-read stories in June

Georgie Collins — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 12:15:27 +0000

From a gin brand launched by a real-life Barbie, to a limited edition bottle design that celebrates British-Asian culture, last month's most-read stories have all bases covered.

In the month that saw us publish our annual Brand Champions report, our readers were keen to delve deep into the figures of the world's biggest spirits brands. While the digital version of our supplement magazine was ultimately the most popular feature of The Spirits Business online in June, our online-only round-ups of the biggest-selling brands didn't come far behind. Of course, the month wasn't just about our Brand Champions report, with acquisitions, sustainable launches and lawsuits also capturing our readers' attention throughout the month. Keep scrolling to find out which stories were our most-read in June.

10. Brown-Forman sells Finlandia vodka for US$220m

Marking its exit from the vodka category in June, Brown-Forman's sale of Finlandia Vodka to Coca-Cola's bottling arm for US$£220 million was the 10th most-read story on SB online last month. Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (HBC), which has distributed Finlandia for more than 17 years, said the deal ‘enhances its journey towards becoming the leading 24/7 beverage partner’. The purchase also strengthens Coca-Cola HBC’s ‘premium spirits credentials’ and boosts ‘mixability opportunities’ within the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink (NARTD) category. Read the full story here.

9. Margot Robbie debuts Papa Salt gin

Could the launch of Margot Robbie's debut gin brand have been strategically planned to coincide with the wave of marketing we've been seeing for the upcoming release of the new Barbie movie? It would appear so, as while this story first hit our digital pages in mid-May, it really captured the attention of our readers in June, just as the film's promotion ramped up. Papa Salt was inspired by the Australian coast, and is described on the brand’s website as an ‘easy-drinking gin that celebrates the subtle taste of native Australian botanicals’. It is currently only distributed in Australia via Iconic Beverages for RRP AU$85 (US$56.86). Read the full story here.

8. Absolut launches paper bottle in Tesco

Pernod Ricard-owned Absolut ramped up its sustainability efforts last month, with the launch of its paper bottle in British supermarket chain Tesco. The move marks the first time a paper-based bottle will have been sold commercially in-store by a global spirits company, the vodka producer said, and it was created in collaboration with The Paper Bottle Company (Pabaco). The two companies first teamed up in 2019. Read the full story here.

7. Remy Cointreau settles lawsuit with 50 Cent

Lawsuit plus celebrity always equals a popular story on The Spirits Business online, and this now-resolved dispute between Rémy Cointreau and rapper 50 Cent is no exception. The French drinks group had first launched a trademark dispute over the In Da Club performer's Branson Cognac brand in 2021, saying it had ‘wilfully and blatantly designed their bottle to unfairly capitalise on the goodwill and reputation’ of its Rémy Martin Cognac bottle mark. In a statement, Rémy Cointreau confirmed the two companies had now reached a settlement, but the court document remains under seal. Read the full story here.

6. The biggest-selling spirits in the world

The first of many stories in our most-read list that falls under the Brand Champions banner is our round-up of the biggest-selling spirits brands in the world. Each of the brands in this round-up have achieved some impressive figures in the last year, but none more so than this year's Supreme Brand Champion, Jinro, which surpassed the 100-million nine-litre-case sales milestone in 2022. Read the full story here.

5. Top 10 biggest-selling world whiskies

From Japan to North America, with a layover in Ireland in between – our round-up of the biggest-selling world whiskies features spirits from each third of the planet, and our readers were keen to find out which ones they were. Most million‐case‐selling American whiskeys were in growth in 2022, while the Irish whiskey contingent welcomed a new member to the million-case crew. Read the full story here.

4. Top 10 biggest-selling Tequila brands

Its undeniably one of the most popular spirits categories in the world right now, so it's not surprising that the clicks were high for our round-up of the biggest-selling Tequila brands of last year. The Mexican spirit overtook American whiskey last year to become the second most valuable spirit category in the US, as reported by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, sitting only behind vodka. By the end of 2023, IWSR expects Tequila will be in the number-one spot. Read the full story here.

3. Top 10 biggest-selling Indian whiskies

Four of the whiskies in this top 10 round-up also featured in our biggest-selling brands list included above, so its no surprise that this story was extremely popular in June. IWSR 2021 figures cited by Bacardi estimate that the Indian whisky category could exceed 250 million nine-litre cases by 2026, so going forward we expect each year's iteration of this story to continue making big impressions with our Indian whisky-loving readers. Read the full story here.

2. Top 10 biggest-selling Scotch whiskies

There's no doubt about it, readers of SB love a Scotch whisky story, a point proven by the two most popular articles of the month. The top 10 biggest-selling Scotch whisky brands of 2022 has taken second position on the podium, demonstrating the category's ever-growing popularity. Read the full story here.

1. Johnnie Walker unveils limited edition bottle

And finally, the maker of the world's biggest-selling Scotch whisky brand has also taken the top spot in our list of June's most-read stories. Following the Diageo-owned brand's invitation for artists and designers to put their own ‘creative stamp’ on a limited edition bottle of its Black Label blended whisky, Kushiaania was named the winning entry. Her ‘vibrant design’ was inspired by the Brit-Asian ‘culture-clash’ world, and is described as ‘a powerful celebration of self-expression, feminine strength, and joy’. Read the full story here.

Spring’s hottest global bar openings

Georgie Collins — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 10:44:32 +0000

Now that we’ve had the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and we’re officially in the midst of summer, we’re looking back at the 10 biggest bar openings around the world this spring.

From a sky-high bar in Melbourne that champions vintage spirits, to a futuristic bar in Hong Kong that hasn't held back on luxury – the global bar scene this spring has not disappointed when it comes to fresh new venues. Here, we look at 10 of the hottest global bars that have opened their doors over the last few months. If you would like your new bar to feature in our next seasonal round-up, send details to info@thespiritsbusiness.com. For more new bar openings, check out the hottest new drinking dens from last winter.

Coya Marbella, Spain

To kick things off, we're casting our memories back to April when Peruvian luxury lifestyle group Coya opened its latest venue in one of the most luxurious residential areas along the Mediterranean coast. Located at the Puente Romano luxury resort in Marbella, Spain, Coya Marbella is the ideal place to hit up if you're looking to spend a night in a vibrant setting, with Pisco Sours and Peruvian dishes on tap. It boasts the Coya day pool, a first for the group, where guests can lounge while enjoying a range of signature Peruvian favourites that are blended with local ingredients and styles.

Fox Liquor Bar, North Carolina

Located in Raleigh, NC, Fox Liquor Bar is a subterranean drinking den from Ashley Christensen’s AC Restaurants that features classic and contemporary cocktails, a sprightly zero-proof programme, and 'craveable' bar snacks. The drinks menu is said to balance excellent but approachable libations of the spirited and spirit-free varieties, including B’s Secret Sauce, a play on the hot chicken sandwich from upstairs neighbour Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, made with with Bourbon, dry Curaçao, hot honey, and lemon; and the Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy, a non-alcoholic cocktail featuring lemongrass, Seedlip Garden 108, lemon, and soda.

Post Haste, Philadelphia

Located in Philadelphia’s East Kensington, Post Haste is a cocktail bar with a farm-to-glass beverage philosophy and robust food programme. Helmed by Gabe Guerrero (formerly of The Dandelion and El Vez) and Fred Beebe (previously found at Momofuku and Sunday in Brooklyn) Post Haste’s drinks menu exclusively features spirits, beers, wines, citrus, herbs, produce and mixers from the Mid-Atlantic. Nothing is imported in an effort to both support local suppliers and address the bar’s environmental impact by reducing food miles. An outpost helmed by musicians, the cocktail menu offers four categories, including 'Covers', featuring variations of classics made with local ingredients, 'Remixes', showcasing signature spins built on a familiar base, and 'Experimental Pop' for adventurous drinkers interested in brand-new cocktail creations, as well as robust non-alcoholic options in their 'Free Spirit' section.

Artifact bar, Hong Kong

This new Hong Kong bar is the future. Or at least, it looks like the future, with its ultra-modern, minimalist design. At Artifact, brown spirits are the focus, and the cocktail and spirit offering is a constantly evolving one that tells a story of how whisky, brandy, rum, gin, Tequila and wine are affected by age, the ocean, land and the hand of man. If you enjoy the finer things in life, you'll enjoy this bar's penchant for championing luxury products. In the Caviar Martini, you'll find a generous inclusion of the eponymous savoury ingredient, while one whisky cocktail on the menu, called Bitter, makes use of Wagyu jus.

Alba Accanto, New York

This New York spot is the latest from the innovative team at Prince Street Hospitality. Located below the High Line and on the ground floor of the Lantern House in West Chelsea, this Italian holiday bar will transport you to a dreamy Positano escape, where you can sample the pleasures of an Amalfi Coast adventure without ever leaving the city. The space embodies the grandeur of the Mediterranean with playful interiors, pastel colours, and hand-painted tableware sourced from Puglia, while the drinks, curated under the creative direction of beverage director Tristan Burnell, are all Italian-coast-inspired, such as the Calabrese, a mezcal-based punchy blood orange house beverage; and the Portofino, the signature reposado Tequila-based pineapple Margarita that has already proven itself to be a fan favourite.

Cameo Bar, Melbourne

Boasting a top-down view of Melbourne's impressive skyline, Cameo is a new intimate and luxurious destination bar that shines a light on vintage and antique spirits from the 80th floor of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Cameo is an homage to the golden age of cocktails – the period that spans 1860 to 1920 and and the era we have to thank for classics such as the Martini and Old Fashioned. At Cameo there are seven antique cocktails to try, including a 1917 Sidecar, created using Calvet Grande Champagne Cognac made in 1917; a 1930s' Old Fashioned made using Hiram Walker’s fine bourbon made in 1930; and the 1931 Manhattan which utilises Barclay Gold rye made in – you guessed it – 1931. The 30-seat space was originally set aside for a private dining room, but the restaurant's loss is every cocktail connoisseurs gain.

Superbueno, New York

More than a cocktail bar, Superbueno is described as a place for shared conviviality and joyful gatherings that pays homage to Mexican culture while distinctly reflecting its home in New York. Here, hospitality industry powerhouse Ignacio 'Nacho' Jimenez has approached cocktails in the same way a chef would approach food, focusing on quality ingredients and culinary techniques to create well-balanced drinks, hitting an array of tastes for any palate. This vibrant bar's cocktails are about pushing the boundaries and expectations of what Mexican cocktail culture can be, by highlighting noteworthy Mexican ingredients and dishes through creative creations. The carefully crafted menu features 10 cocktails alongside non-alcoholic serves and a selection of Mexican beers and wines.

Gothic Bar, London

Absinthe and eaux-de-vie are the star ingredients of the concise and sophisticated cocktail menu found at this new opulent bar in London's King's Cross. Located within the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, the ornate soaring painted ceilings and lavish details (such as the peacock-print velvet banquettes) make every corner of this bar jaw-dropping, and that's before you've looked at the menu, created by bar manager Jack Porter. The menu is split into two; The Gothic Signatures, which encompasses eight drinks and sits alongside three Grand Signatures, which best embody the wider team’s ambitions for the Gothic. Highlights include the Eau de Martini (with guests encouraged to choose their own eaux-de-vie) and the seasonally-changing Grand Royale (Champagne, strawberry trilogy, and absinthe).

Thief, New York

This new bar in New York's Lower East Side neighbourhood is the second location for the Thief brand, owned by industry heavyweight John McNulty. At this new location, McNulty pairs classic and modern art pieces, graffiti murals and a killer playlist with a distinctive cocktail menu and expansive food offering. Inspired by the thriving art and music scene of New York City in the 80s, the space is decked out with pieces sourced from some very talented artists such as Maripol and Lynn Goldsmith, and boasts a large mural opposite the bar by Bisco Smith. Some soon-to-be-favourite menu items include the Dillinger’s Downfall cocktail (rum, papaya, banana, honey, lemon), described as the perfect drink for a spring day in NYC, as well as their signature 'friesling' (frozen riesling) on tap, a popular choice for summer months.

3’6 Bar at Fortnum & Mason, London

Reimagined in partnership with pioneering French architect Arthur Mamou-Mani, 3'6 is the latest venue to open within luxury grocer Fortnum & Mason flagship store in London. 3’6 Bar is said to reflect the evolution of Fortnum’s as an experimental industry leader, not only in its approach to design, but in the way it challenges customers to engage with culture, food and drink. In the daytime, it acts as a bookable workspace serving hand roasted small batch coffee, tea, smoothies and softs; come evening, it transforms into a laboratory for Fortnum’s mixologist Mustafa Tumburi – perfect for creative cocktails and dining. Customers can experience the world of mixology, from clarifying and dehydrating ingredients to nitrogen aged spirits, and watch on as the bar teams who work across Fortnum & Mason trial new techniques.

Top 10 biggest-selling RTDs

Georgie Collins — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 11:53:40 +0000

Last year, eight ready-to-drink (RTD) brands registered a breach of the one million nine-litre-case sales mark. This year, five more have joined the ranks. But which 10 RTDs came out on top?

Towards the end of 2022, IWSR Drinks Market Analysis reviewed 10 focus markets, including China, the US, Australia and the UK, and predicted the RTD category would grow by 24% in volume over the next five years, led by spirits-based cocktails and long drinks. The study also found that the RTD category in these key markets would increase in value by an impressive US$11.6 billion during this period. One brand riding the sector’s wave of success is The Finnish Long Drink, backed by actor Miles Teller. In Finland, ‘long drink’ refers to a mix of gin and, most commonly, grapefruit soda. The company’s case sales more than doubled in 2022, soaring by 114.2% to surpass the million-case mark for the first time. Also joining the million-case club was Pernod Ricard’s Malibu RTD brand, with sales up by 96.9% in 2022 compared with the previous year. The US is seeing new markets and players in the RTD category. In February 2023, California and Texas introduced bills for spirit-based RTDs to be sold in grocery and convenience stores. Meanwhile in the UK, RTD brands including Moth Drinks and Trip joined together to launch a campaign calling on the on-trade to adopt canned cocktails. All of this suggests the category’s future is bright, especially when combined with the low-and-no sector: IWSR projects that non-alcoholic RTD products in the US will grow by 18% in volume between 2022 and 2026, driven by pre-mixed cocktails. Scroll through to discover the top 10 best-selling RTDs of 2022, listed in order of their nine-litre-case sales. Data listed is to one decimal place for ease of reading, but the percentage changes are based on the full data supplied to The Brand Champions 2023 report.

10. 1800 Ultimate Margs

2022: 1.2m 2021: 1.3m % change: -11.2% Place last year: N/A As Proximo Spirits declined to share its sales data with The Spirits Business last year, its brands were omitted from our report. This year, however, we have been able to include two of its brands in our top 10 list, the first of which is its bottled Ultimate Margs range. Despite an 11.2% dip, the Tequila brand still recorded 1.2m case sales of its ready-to-serve Margarita portfolio, which includes flavours such as Strawberry, Passion Fruit, Mango, Blood Orange, and Black Cherry.

9. Campari Soda

2022: 1.6m 2021: 1.6m % change: 1.3% Place last year: 8 While this 10% ABV pre-mixed apéritif from the Campari Group saw some growth in 2022 (1.3%), its figures are no way near as impressive as those it recorded the year prior, when the brand witnessed a sales leap of 33.3%. Nevertheless, it has still out-performed its pre-pandemic figures, which the Italian firm will no doubt be pleased with.

8. Jose Cuervo Authentic Margs

2022: 3.2m 2021: 3.6m % change: -11.2% Place last year: N/A Another newcomer to the list, all expressions in the Authentic Cuervo Margaritas line-up are made exclusively with Jose Cuervo Tequila, and are presented at 9.95% ABV. In the last year, the brand has witnessed an 11.2% drop in sales, which may be a result of the growing trend of home bartending. Flavours in the portfolio include Classic Lime, Strawberry Lime, Mango, Grapefruit-Tangerine, Raspberry, Pink Lemonade, Coconut-Pineapple, Watermelon, Red Sangria, Orange-Pineapple, and Cherry Limeade, and the brand has even created a line-up of 'no-guilt Light Margaritas'.

7. Jack Daniel's Country Cocktails

2022: 3.9m 2021: 3.1m % change: 24.2% Place last year: 7 While it has kept the number seven spot on our list, Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails has continued going from strength to strength. The brand has now enjoyed year-on-year growth for six consecutive years, and will top 4m cases in 2023 if it can continue this trajectory. Owned by Brown-Forman, the RTDs include eight flavours: Black Jack Cola, Cherry Limeade, Berry Punch, Downhome Punch, Lynchburg Lemonade, Watermelon Punch, Southern Peach, and Southern Citrus.

6. New Mix

2022: 9.1m 2021: 7.4m % change: 23.0% Place last year: 4 Brown-Forman’s New Mix RTD bounced back after a tricky post-pandemic year. After reporting an 8.5% decline in 2021, dropping from 8.0m cases to 7.4m, the Tequila-based serve saw an impressive 23.0% leap last year, taking it up to 9.1m case sales. The brand first launched in Mexico more than 20 years ago, and the RTD range offers classic cocktails, such as the Paloma, in pre-mixed formats using El Jimador Tequila.

5. Horoyoi

2022: 10.8m 2021: 12.3m % change: -11.6% Place last year: N/A Available in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, and Philippines, Horoyoi is a popular canned chu-hi beverage with an alcohol content of 3% ABV. The RTDs include flavours such as peach, lemon, and grape. With a variety of unique flavours offered year-round, as well as highly anticipated limited edition seasonal editions, the Suntory-owned brand has consistently sold in excess of 10m cases over the last five years, however for the first time since the pandemic, it suffered a sales drop in 2022, taking it from 12.3m cases down to 10.8m.

4. Jack Daniel's RTDs (excluding JD Country Cocktails)

2022: 11.3m 2021: 10.8m % change: 4.6% Place last year: 6 Take Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails brand out of the mix, and its collective JD pre-mixed portfolio still surpasses the million-case mark by quite some margin. In 2022, this part of the brand’s stable grew by 4.6% to hit 11.3m cases, thanks in part to the impressive growth of its classic JD & Cola serve, which is well-known and loved around the world. This segment of the brand's pre-mixed option had a solid 2022, growing by 6.6% to reach 7.4m cases. However, now that the brand has partnered with Coca Cola, could we be about to see the thunder stolen by this named brand partnership? We'll find out this time next year. Other Jack Daniel’s pre-mixed variants include Jack Daniel’s Honey & Lemonade, and Jack Daniel’s Apple Fizz.

3. High Noon

2022: 17.2m 2021: 8.8m % change: 94.7% Place last year: 5 Quenching the growing thirst for spirits-based on-the-go serves, E&J Gallo-owned High Noon earned the title of RTD Brand Champion for 2023. This range of vodka sodas flavoured with fruit juice saw sales catapult by an astonishing 94.7% last year, from 8.8m cases in 2021 to 17.2m in 2022, also making it one of the fastest-growing brands of the last 12 months.

2. -196ºC Strong Zero

2022: 21.0m 2021: 23.0m % change: -8.8% Place last year: 2 For the second year in a row, Suntory Spirits-owned -190^oC Strong Zero has seen sales figures tumble, this year by 8.8% down to 21.0m case sales. The range is largely consumed in Japan, consisting of a selection of Highball-style drinks. The name derives from the production technique used to make the RTD, whereby fruits are frozen at -190^oC and crushed into a powder, which is used to make the liquid.

1. White Claw

2022: 59.0m 2021: 61.6m % change: -4.2% Place last year: 1 A brand that lost its impressive momentum in 2022 was the one that kicked off the hard seltzer revolution in the US. Launched in 2016, Mark Anthony Brands’ White Claw saw substantial volume growth each year through to 2021, when it earned the title of RTD Brand Champion. However, last year the brand posted a dip in sales for the first time, falling by 4.2% to 59m cases. And yet, its enormous sales are still more than double those of the second-biggest-selling RTD brand, so it'll probably be a while before it has any need to panic.

Top 10 biggest-selling Indian whiskies

Georgie Collins — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 11:46:28 +0000

Indian spirits have world domination in their sights, but it's the country's whiskies that are making significant waves in the industry, as our look at the best-sellers confirms.

There is much optimism for the Indian whisky segment, with nearly all million-case players reporting increases in 2022. A report from Global Data at the end of last year estimated the spirits market in India would grow by double digits in 2022, driven by the premium and super-premium segments and led by the return of the on-trade and steady at-home consumption. Innovation has been the key for many Indian whisky producers. Bacardi made its first foray into the category with its Legacy blend, and Diageo revealed its Godawan single malt last summer. IWSR 2021 figures cited by Bacardi estimate that the Indian whisky category could exceed 250 million nine-litre cases by 2026, and when you consider four of the 10 biggest-selling spirits brands across all categories last year were Indian whiskies, it's not difficult to see this becoming a reality. Scroll through to discover the top 10 best-selling Indian whiskies of 2022, listed in order of their nine-litre-case sales. Data listed is to one decimal place for ease of reading, but the percentage changes are based on the full data supplied to The Brand Champions 2023 report.

10. Signature

2022: 2.5m 2021: 2.0m % change: 27.4% Place last year: N/A Despite having consistently sold more than one million cases since 2009, making its debut in the top 10 list this year is Signature, a product of United Spirits. The brand initially launched into the super-premium segment of the Indian whisky market in 1994, but was lowered to the premium category in 2001. This didn't stunt the brand's popularity though, and in the last year has seen impressive double-digit gains that has taken it to the 2.5m case mark.

9. Director's Special

2022: 3.0m 2021: 2.9m % change: 3.4 % Place last year: N/A Another newcomer to the top 10, and another brand owned by United Spirits, Director's Special takes the ninth spot on the list with its sales of 3 million cases. The whisky is molasses based, and was previously the subject of a lawsuit that saw Indian liquor manufacturer Shaw Wallace & Company successfully go up against the Scotch Whisky Association to be able to legally sell the product as a whisky in the US.

8. Sterling Reserve

2022: 5.0m 2021: 3.6m % change: 39.4% Place last year: N/A Last year, not even being awarded the title of Indian Whisky Brand Champion was enough to land Sterling Reserve a place in the top 10 biggest-sellers list. However, this year the brand's sales have soared by 39.4% to reach 5 million cases, giving it a solid eighth position on the leaderboard.

7. Royal Challenge

2022: 7.2m 2021: 4.7m % change: 52.5% Place last year: 9 Considering the pandemic saw Royal Challenge's sales drop by almost a quarter, it's great to see this whisky brand return to glory with an impressive sales increase of 52.5% in 2022. Now boasting 7.2 million annual case sales, this more than makes up for the brand's Covid-19-induced setbacks, far surpassing its 2019 figures of 5.5m cases.

6. Blenders Pride

2022: 9.5m 2021: 8.0m % change: 18.7% Place last year: 7 Pernod Ricard-owned Blenders Pride has seen very impressive growth over the last year, adding 1.5 million case sales to its already impressive annual sales tally. The whisky, made from a blend of Indian grain spirit and Scottish malt, has climbed 18.7% in the last year, making it the sixth best-selling whisky on our list.

5. 8PM

2022: 11.9m 2021: 11.4m % change: 4.6% Place last year: 6 Radico Khaitan’s flagship whisky has seen a respectable 4.6% increase in the last year, with a sales increase of half a million cases that has allowed it to creep its way up the table to take fifth position. 8PM has witnessed steady growth since taking the Brand Champion title in 2017.

4. Imperial Blue

2022: 24.0m 2021: 24.1m % change: -0.6% Place last year: 2 A small decrease of 0.6% has seen Imperial Blue drop two places in our top 10 list this year to find itself officially off the podium. Despite returning to strength after a difficult pandemic year, momentum appears to have slowed for the Allied Blenders & Distillers-owned whisky, recording case sales of 24 million in 2022.

3. Officer's Choice

2022: 24.9m 2021: 23.2m % change: 7.3% Place last year: 3 With its stablemate's dip of 0.6%, Allied Blenders & Distillers-owned Officer’s Choice has retained its third-place spot on the table, despite being overtaken by Royal Stag. Although the brand saw impressive 7.3% growth over the 12 months of 2022, its pre-Covid figures, which saw case sales exceed the 30-million-mark for three years, are yet to return.

2. Royal Stag

2022: 27.1m 2021: 22.4m % change: 21.2% Place last year: 4 With a sales increase of more than a fifth to 27.1 million cases, Pernod Ricard’s Royal Stag has not only taken the number two spot on the list from Imperial Blue, it has also been named this year’s Indian Whisky Brand Champion. The brand is gaining ground on category giant McDowell’s and has also overtaken Officer’s Choice to become the second-biggest-selling Indian whisky. It is Pernod Ricard’s largest-selling brand globally, according to Kartik Mohindra, chief marketing officer for Pernod Ricard India.

1. McDowell's No.1 Whisky

2022: 30.8m 2021: 30.1m % change: 2.3% Place last year: 1 United Spirits-owned McDowell’s has taken the top spot for the forth year in a row after seeing its sales increase by 2.3% to take it to the 30.8-million-mark in the last 12 months. Last year, United Spirits announced it would be offloading much of its portfolio via a mass sale of 32 of its brands to Inbrew Beverages, a move which aligns well with the Diageo subsidiary’s plans to focus on its more premium line. However, McDowell's was a brand the firm chose to keep, and the way this brand has dug its heels into the top seller spot, it's no surprise to see why.

The world’s biggest-selling brandies

Alice Brooker — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 10:41:10 +0000

The brandy sector saw a mixed bag of results in 2022, with some brands seeing sales spikes and other dropping in volume.

Year after year, the brandy sector is faced with the challenge of retaining its relevance, given its reputation as a more traditional spirit, while simultaneously keeping up with innovation. The category has certainly seen some shaking up lately: the first dedicated brandy distillery on the British Isles, Burnt Faith, officially opened in March, while spirits producer Seven Tails Distillers released what is thought to be the world’s first spiced brandy at the end of last year. Brandy is also known to have more freedom to innovate than Cognac, which it is frequently compared to, as the appellation rules for Cognac don't apply to brandy made outside of the region. Four brandy brands tied in 2022 nine-litre case sales, all posting 1.1 million cases. Last year was certainly not consistently successful for brandy: while three brandies recorded growth of more than 40%, four brands published sales declines in 2022.

Scroll through to discover the top 10 best-selling brandies of 2022, listed in order of their nine-litre-case sales.

Data listed is to one decimal place for ease of reading, but the percentage changes are based on the full data supplied to The Brand Champions 2023 report.

7. Courrier Napoleon Brandy

2022: 1.0 2021: 0.7 % change: 40.3% Place last year: N/A Tilaknagar Industries-owned Courrier Napoleon Brandy achieved one-million-case sales for the first time this year, an impressive jump of 40.3% in sales since 2021. In its two largest markets, Kerala and Puducherry, the brand recorded more than 40% growth and 88% growth, respectively. The brandy is sold in Canteen Stores Department and in more than eight states across India, with the brand taking a 15% market share in the ‘prestige’ brandy segment.

6= Torres

2022: 1.1 2021: 1.1 % change: -0.3% Place last year: 9 Spanish brandy Torres fared a dip in sales in 2022, an unfortunate turn for the company given its recording a 4.0% boost between 2020-2021. The brandy is distilled from white wines and aged in oak barrels.

6= McDowell’s No. 1 Brandy

2022: 1.1 2021: 1.0 % change: 8.8% Place last year: 10 United Spirits-owned McDowell’s No. 1 benefitted from a boost of 8.8% in case-sales last year, which is a particular bonus after its 9.7% fall between 2020-2021. The brandy’s owner recently reported its full-year sales soar by 19.5% for the year ending 31 March 2023, led by its prestige-and-above brands, of which grew by 22.8%.

6= Morpheus

2022: 1.1 2021: 0.8 % change: 45.5% Place last year: N/A Radico Khaitan’s Morpheus Brandy saw the biggest leap in sales across the brandy category in 2022, taking the brandy from 0.8 million case sales to 1.1m. The newcomer to the Brand Champions report even made it into our round up of fastest-growing spirits in the world. This premium aged brandy is named after Morpheus, the winged Greek God of Dreams, and boasts 10 years of master craftsmanship in India.

6= Christian Brothers

2022: 1.1 2021: 1.2 % change: -3.0% Place last year: 8 American brandy Christian Brothers saw a slight decline in sales in 2022, dropping from 1.2 million cases to 1.1m. Owned by Heaven Hill Brands, it was originally produced by The Christian Brothers, the largest religious community of men devoted entirely to education worldwide. The brothers were laymen who devoted their lives to living and working in a teaching congregation. The Christian Brothers range includes The Christian Brothers Brandy VS expression, along with a line of flavoured brandies, including apple, peach and honey.

5. Silver Cup

2022: 1.3 2021: 1.4 % change: -2.8% Place last year: N/A Amrut Distillers’ Silver Cup first ticked over the million-case sales mark in 2021, and has remained over the line in 2022, despite recording a 2.8% decline. Amrut Distillers is an Indian Distiller, best known in export markets for its range of single malt whiskies.

4. Shustoff

2022: 1.6 2021: 1.6 % change: 5.2% Place last year: 6 Last year’s Brand Champion winner has climbed two spots this year, claiming fourth place after clocking 1.6m case sales for the second year running. Owned by Global Spirits, the brandy is produced at the Odessa Cognac Factory, which dates back to 1836. It was also crowned Brandy Brand Champion in 2021.

3. Dreher

2022: 2.4 2021: 2.8 % change: -14.3% Place last year: 4 Dreher experienced a particularly difficult year in 2022 with the biggest fall among our biggest-selling brandies. Yet, the Campari Group-owned Brazilian spirit still managed to take the third spot in our top 10 round up. The company has fared a tumultuous few years in sales since 2017.

2. Old Admiral

2022: 4.3 2021: 3.8 % change: 13.8% Place last year: 3 Moving up a spot is Radico Khaitan’s Old Admiral Brandy. Its 13.8% growth last year saw the brand post 4.3m case-sales in 2022. The brand was given the title of Brandy Brand Champion in 2020, and last year revealed it planned to target new markets and hit four million case sales in the years to come – which it has since achieved.

1. Mansion House

2022: 7.1 2021: 4.5 % change: 59.8% Place last year: 2 This year’s Brandy Brand Champion is Mansion House, which posted a phenomenal leap of almost 60% in sales in 2022. Mansion House also made the list of fastest-growing spirits this year, ranking fourth among its peers. The brand moved into flavoured brandies last year, with Orange, Cherry, and Peach offerings.

Top 10 biggest-selling Tequila brands

Melita Kiely — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 11:26:19 +0000

Ask any industry expert what the hottest spirits category is right now, and most are likely to say Tequila. But how are the world’s biggest brands performing?

The Mexican spirit overtook American whiskey last year to become the second most valuable spirit category in the US, as reported by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, sitting only behind vodka. By the end of 2023, IWSR expects Tequila will be in the number-one spot. Figures from the Distilled Spirits Council of the US (Discus) revealed Tequila and mezcal’s revenue rose to US$6 billion last year – up by 17.2%. This year’s Tequila Brand Champion title was bestowed upon Hornitos, owned by Beam Suntory. The brand delivered double-digit volume growth in 2022 (10.0%) following consistent year-on-year growth. While Beam Suntory’s Sauza slipped below the million-case mark, a newcomer from Bacardi means there are still 10 million-case-selling Tequila brands, which we explore below. Data is listed to one decimal place for ease of reading, but the percentage changes are based on the full data supplied to The Brand Champions 2023.

10. Cazadores

2022: 1.0m 2021: 0.8m % change: 31.5% Place last year: N/A Bacardi-owned Cazadores made its Brand Champions debut this year after passing the million-case sales mark in 2022. The brand enjoyed 32.5% growth to reach 1.0m cases. Cazadores is made today using the brand’s original 1922 recipe – including 100% Blue Weber Agave. The production process prides itself on creating no waste – and also includes Mozart. The composer’s music is played during the long fermentation process, as it is believed music can ‘soothe the yeast and water particles’ to create a ‘better-tasting Tequila’.

9. Olmeca (including Altos)

2022: 1.1m 2021: 1.1m % change: 3.6% Place last year: 7 Olmeca Tequila (including Altos) rose by 3.6% last year, remaining just above the million-case threshold at 1.1m nine-litre cases. The brand was relatively active in 2022, and unveiled a packaging redesign in February last year. The new look aimed to showcase the spirit’s fun side and attract a younger, party-going audience. In May last year, the brand also created the industry’s first virtual influencer, once again designed to connect with younger, legal-drinking-age consumers. This was followed by an RTD (ready-to-drink) launch in November: Altos Margarita Classic Lime.

8. Espolòn

2022: 1.3m 2021: 1.1m % change: 19.8% Place last year: 8 Last year marked the third year of consecutive growth for Espolòn, which grew by almost a fifth (19.8%) to hit 1.3m cases. The growth allowed the Campari Group-owned brand to remain in the Brand Champions ranking, after it made its debut appearance the year prior. The Tequila’s portfolio comprises five different expressions, all made from 100% Blue Weber Agave: Blanco, Reposado, Reposado Chardonnay, Añejo, and Cristalino.

7. El Jimador

2022: 1.7m 2021: 1.4m % change: 21.4% Place last year: 6 Brown-Forman reported the biggest volume increase for El Jimador Tequila since 2018 last year. Following a rather stagnant few years, El Jimador grew by more than a fifth (21.4%) to reach 1.7m cases. If this newfound growth trajectory continues throughout 2023, there is every chance the Tequila brand could be seeing the 2m-case mark for the first time at the end of the year.

6. Hornitos

2022: 2.1m 2021: 1.9m % change: 10.0% Place last year: 5 A solid 10.0% sales increase in 2022 saw Hornitos Tequila pass the 2m-case mark for the first time to reach 2.1m. The double-digit growth marked consistent year-on-year increases for the Beam Suntory-owned brand, resulting in Hornitos being crowned Tequila Brand Champion. The brand was able to grow throughout the pandemic in an increasingly competitive category – one that has become widely associated with celebrity-backed brands. “While we have achieved overall growth across the portfolio, Hornitos Plata and Hornitos Reposado continue to be the driving force behind the brand’s success,” Rashidi Hodari, managing director for Tequila at Beam Suntory, told The Spirits Business in May.

5. 1800 Tequila

2022: 2.5m 2021: 2.1m % change: 22.5% Place last year: N/A Proximo Spirits put a lot of love into growing 1800 Tequila last year, revealing a packaging redesign as part of a wider brand launch in July 2022. The revamp included a ‘language shift’ by calling out the category variant and Spanish language accents to highlight its authenticity. Moves such as this helped the Tequila brand, which is owned by Proximo Spirits, to grow by more than a fifth last year – up by 22.5%. 1800 Tequila sold a total of 2.5m cases in 2022 – a million more than in 2018.

4. Casamigos

2022: 3.2m 2021: 2.2m % change: 42.5% Place last year: 4 George Clooney-founded and now Diageo-owned Casamigos Tequila continues to go from strength to strength. The 2022 Tequila Brand Champion and Supreme Brand Champion had another strong year in 2022, when its volume sales jumped up by 42.5% to 3.2m cases. It just goes to show the power of Diageo’s influence as the world’s leading spirits conglomerate. Casamigos is now in line with our fourth-place Tequila, Don Julio, also owned by Diageo. If Casamigos continues to grow at such a rapid rate, it’s likely to overtake its stablemate by next year’s report. In January this year, e-commerce platform Drizly named Casamigos as its top-performing, celebrity-backed spirit brand.

3. Don Julio

2022: 3.2m 2021: 2.7m % change: 16.9% Place last year: 3 Don Julio has more than doubled its volume sales since 2018, when it shifted 1.5m cases. Fast-forward to 2022, and the brand delivered strong double-digit growth (16.9%) to reach 3.2m cases last year. As mentioned above, it will have to give a strong 2023 performance as Casamigos is hot on its heels – and showing little signs of slowing down. However, if Don Julio continues to entice consumers with new product development and limited edition launches, such as the second bottling of its extra añejo Ultima Reserva last November, there is everything to play for.

2. Patrón

2022: 3.5m 2021: 3.2m % change: 10.1% Place last year: 2 Marketing efforts from Patrón appear to be paying off handsomely, as the brand enjoyed 10.1% volume growth last year to hit 3.5m cases. The Bacardi-owned Tequila brand holds the position of the world’s second-biggest-selling Tequila by volume – but with more than one brand hot on its heels, it will need to continue its effective marketing efforts throughout 2023 to retain its position. In 2022, not only did the brand connect with the on-trade through its annual Patrón Perfectionists cocktail competition, but it also tapped into the advancement of the digital world by creating a virtual reality cocktail experience in Decentraland. Meanwhile, towards the end of 2022, the brand revealed its latest campaign – Our Hands – in tribute to the local artisans who contribute to the brand.

1. Jose Cuervo

2022: 9.2m 2021: 7.9m % change: 15.9% Place last year: 1 The undisputed Tequila category leader is Jose Cuervo, whose 15.9% growth resulted in the brand breaking through the 9m-case mark last year. Owned by Proximo Spirits, Jose Cuervo sold 9.2m cases in 2022. The brand started last year by tapping into the resurgence of travel since the Covid-19 pandemic. The company’s owner, Proximo Spirits, created a 700-square-foot interactive retail space dedicated to premium Tequila in New York City’s JFK International Airport at the end of 2021. Unless another Tequila brand is able to triple its sales in 2023, or Jose Cuervo suddenly sees a sales plummet, it’s unlikely that this Tequila titan will be moved from the top spot next year. Looking for more information about the world’s biggest-selling spirits brands? Read The Brand Champions 2023 report.

Top 10 best-selling world whisky brands

Nicola Carruthers — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 12:16:10 +0000

As interest in whisky from across the world swells, we analyse the performances of the leading players from North America, Japan and Ireland.

Whisky is enjoying strong momentum across the globe as consumers seek out premium aged bottlings to add to their drinks cabinets. Whisky is expected to post an increase of 23% in volume and 29% in value by 2026, according to data from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, with an increase in activity particularly in its largest global markets, India and the US. In the States, whisky is predicted to be bigger than vodka by volume for the first time in two decades. Earlier this month, we released our Brand Champions 2023 report outlining the sales of the world’s biggest spirits brands. Excluding Scotch and Indian whisky, which each has its own dedicated section in the report, we analysed the performances of the biggest-selling whisky brands from Canada, the US, Japan and Ireland. Most million‐case‐selling American whiskeys were in growth in 2022, while the Irish whiskey contingent welcomed a new member to the million-case crew. However, this brand is not (yet) among the top 10 best-sellers. Scroll through to discover the top 10 best-selling world whisky brands of 2022, listed in order of their nine-litre-case sales. Data listed is to one decimal place for ease of reading, but the percentage changes are based on the full data supplied to The Brand Champions 2023 report.

10. Maker’s Mark

2022: 2.8m 2021: 2.6m % change: 5.3% Place last year: 10 Beam Suntory’s Bourbon brand, Maker’s Mark, retained its 10^th position with a healthy 5.3% growth in 2022. In Beam Suntory’s 2022 full-year financial results, the brand saw its sales rise by 11%. Maker’s Mark also surpassed Bulleit as the top-selling Bourbon brand on US e-commerce platform Drizly last year. The American whiskey brand also received B Corp certification in January 2022, becoming the largest distillery in the world to achieve the title, it claimed at the time.

9. Tory’s (including Highball)

2022: 2.9m 2021: 2.9m % change: 1.7% Place last year: 9 Like its stablemate Maker’s Mark, Japanese whisky Tory’s also held on to its ninth-place position. Despite a slight increase in 2022, its sales have remained at 2.9m cases for the last three years. Suntory recently revealed a 10 billion JPY (US$77 million) investment into its Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries to celebrate the company’s 100th whisky-making anniversary. Perhaps the company’s enhanced focus on its Japanese whisky portfolio this year could lead to an improvement in Tory’s sales in the future.

8. Evan Williams

2022: 3.1m 2021: 3.1m % change: 1.5% Place last year: 8 Bourbon giant Heaven Hill’s largest American whiskey brand, Evan Williams, saw a small uptick in sales last year. Speaking to The Spirits Business last year, Heaven Hill co-president Kate Latts noted “interesting activity” for the brand in South Korea. “We have a great partner in South Korea who’s really leaning into opportunities on that brand, and I would say that’s taken us by surprise – in a good way,” she said at the time. A focus on Asian markets could see the brand reach new sales heights in the future.

7. Black Nikka

2022: 3.3m 2021: 3.3m % change: 0.0% Place last year: 7 Asahi Breweries-owned Black Nikka Japanese whisky reported stagnant sales last year, sitting at 3.3m cases since 2020. Last year, the company released Nikka Discovery 2022, a pair of single malts, Yoichi and Miyagikyo Aromatic Yeast. Nikka Whisky will celebrate its 90^th anniversary in 2024, which should bring some momentum to the brand’s sales as it plans commemorative releases and activities.

6. Suntory Kakubin

2022: 6.1m 2021: 5.2m % change: 16.6% Place last year: 3 Japanese whisky Suntory Kakubin reported a double-digit increase in 2022 to 6.1m cases. It was the only million-case-selling Japanese whisky brand to report significant growth in 2022. Kakubin was first created in 1937 by Shinjiro Torii, Suntory's founder and first master blender. Described as a ‘highly versatile’ whisky by Suntory, the brand is typically used as the base for a Highball cocktail in Japan.

5. Canadian Club

2022: 6.5m 2021: 6.2m % change: 4.9% Place last year: 6 Beam Suntory’s Canadian whisky brand continued its upward trajectory in 2022 with a modest 4.9% increase. It marked its third year in growth. In Beam Suntory’s 2022 financial results, the brand noted that its ready-to-drink Canadian Club & Dry (mixed with ginger ale) grew by double digits. The brand remains the second-biggest-selling Canadian whisky in the world.

4. Crown Royal

2022: 8.4m 2021: 9.0m % change: -5.9% Place last year: 5 Diageo-owned Crown Royal saw its sales slip by 5.9% in 2022 after a particularly strong performance in 2021 when case sales increased by almost 1m. In March 2022, Diageo revealed plans to open a CA$245 million (US$190.96m) carbon-neutral distillery in Canada for the whisky brand. Earlier this year, the Canadian whisky teamed up with Foo Fighters singer Dave Grohl to release a spot for the Super Bowl. The celebrity collaboration will likely help to increase the brand’s sales in 2023.

3. Jameson

2022: 11.1m 2021: 9.6m % change: 15.1% Place last year: 4 The world’s biggest Irish whiskey brand has reported its second year of double-digit growth with sales growing by an impressive 15.1%. The brand now sits at 11.1m cases and is targeting 15m by 2030, according to Brendan Buckley, international marketing director at Jameson owner Irish Distillers, the Irish whiskey arm of Pernod Ricard. The Irish whiskey recently partnered with actor and comedian Aisling Bea to create its latest responsible drinking campaign.

2. Jack Daniel’s

2022: 14.6m 2021: 13.5m % change: 7.9% Place last year: 2 Brown-Forman’s Tennessee whiskey brand, Jack Daniel’s, reported its second year of growth after rising by 7.9% in 2022. The brand’s growth for the year to 30 April 2023 was bolstered by its core variant, its ready-to-drink portfolio, and the launch of Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey. Last year, the brand also entered the American single malt category with a new whiskey, exclusively in global travel retail, and a limited edition bottling finished in oloroso Sherry casks.

1. Jim Beam

2022: 16.7m 2021: 17.0m % change: -1.6% Place last year: 1 Remaining at the top of the world whisky leader board is Bourbon brand Jim Beam, which saw sales dip by 1.6% in 2022. Brand owner Beam Suntory noted that the company's sales growth in 2022 ‘accelerated’ up the price ladder for its key Bourbon brands with Maker’s Mark and Basil Hayden’s growing by double-digits, while Jim Beam was up single digits. However, it noted double-digit growth for Jim Beam’s ready-to-drink portfolio. Last year, the firm announced a US$400m investment in its Booker Noe Distillery in Kentucky to increase production capacity for Jim Beam.

The world’s best-selling local spirits

Alice Brooker — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 11:11:53 +0000

While 2022 saw local spirits remain in a mirrored ranking of 2021, it was a positive year for the category with nearly all brands in growth. We look at the performance of the category's biggest players.

Local spirits comprise those outside of traditional categories, such as rum and vodka, and these bottlings are typically consumed in markets such as China, Chile and Korea – yet are working to reach new drinkers. From cachaça and pisco to Korean soju, we've uncovered eight local spirits making waves in both their home markets and globally, after independently collecting data for The Brand Champions 2023 report. Each brand remarkably ranks in the same position as the 2022 round-up, yet local spirits saw sales dip, grow, and remain the same. Data is listed to one decimal place for ease of reading, but the percentage changes are based on the full data supplied to The Brand Champions 2023. Scroll through to discover the best-selling local spirits brands of 2022, listed in order of their nine-litre-case sales.

8. Shui Jing Fang

2022: 1.3m 2021: 1.2m % change: 2.5% Place last year: 8 Diageo's baijiu has seen a small boost in growth in 2022, and was a newcomer to the list last year after it surpassed one million cases for the first time. The brand is said to be crafted in 'the oldest distillery in China' which has more than 600 years of continuous production.

7. Yeni

2022: 2.3m 2021: 2.3m % change: 0.0% Place last year: 7 Another Diageo-owned company on the list is raki brand Yeni, which didn't budge in growth between 2021 and 2022. The brand recorded negative sales growth for five years before 2021, and a 9.1% boost between 2020-2021. Yeni remains below its sales high of 3m cases in 2018.

6. Mistral

2022: 2.4m 2021: 2.3m % change: 2.6% Place last year: 6 Chilean brand Mistral was crowned the Local Spirits Brand Champion in 2022 and continued to grow in 2022 to report its highest case sales at 2.4m. Owned by Compañía Pisquera de Chile, the pisco revealed last year it would roll out three major campaigns comprising TV advertising, out-of-home, radio and digital investment in 2022, which could be attributed to its 2.6% growth.

5. Kanoka

2022: 3.5m 2021: 3.4m % change: 2.9% Place last year: 5 Remaining in fifth place for the second year running, Asahi Breweries-owned shochu Kanoka saw a small boost of 2.9% between 2021-2022. This is an improvement on last year, when the brand reported a 5.6% drop in sales, from 3.6m cases to 3.4m. The brand offers several expressions, including a sweet potato shōchū, a rice shōchū and a barley shōchū.

4. Ypióca

2022: 3.7m 2021: 3.6m % change: 1.7% Place last year: 4 Diageo's cachaça brand, Ypióca, saw an ever so slight rise in sales last year, with 1.7% growth recorded as case sales reached 3.7m. The results will be a relief for the brand, having recorded consecutive sales declines since 2018.

3. Iichiko

2022: 7.1m 2021: 7.0m % change: 1.4% Place last year: 3 The second shochu on the list, Iichiko, only jumped up by 1.4% in sales in 2022, but is flogging a larger number of cases than the majority of other brands on the best-selling local spirits list. The brand's sales have been up and down since 2018, wavering between 7.2m and 7.0m nine-litre case sales. Iichiko is a barely-made spirit owned by Sanwa Shurui.

2. Chum Churum

2022: 26.0m 2021: 19.0m % change: 36.7% Place last year: 2 Chum Churum was a soju newcomer in 2020, and has seen great success in 2022 having leapt 36.7% in case sales to 26.0 million cases. It's particularly good news for the brand given that it suffered a 22% drop between 2019-2020, and 4.4% decline between 2020-2021. At 16.5% ABV, the Korean soju is made from rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes and tapioca.

1. Jinro

2022: 100.9 2021: 94.5 % change: 6.8% Place last year: 1 Jinro is the world's biggest-selling spirit, returning to growth in 2022 after a minor decrease in 2021. The brand was previously crowned Local Spirits Brand Champion in 2021 and 2023, as well as Supreme Brand Champion for 2023. Having surpassed 100 million cases in 2022, the brand has hit a major milestone, and the spotlight is starting to truly shine on the Korean soju. This achievement marks its fifth year of consecutive growth for the brand. In 2022, we interviewed Hwang Jung-Ho, the managing director of HiteJinro’s overseas business. Last year, the brand sponsored the London-based All Points East music festival last summer.

The world’s biggest-selling speciality spirits

Georgie Collins — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 11:42:43 +0000

It appears cocktail culture will continue its rise in the post-pandemic era, if the across-the-board growth of these popular speciality spirits is anything to go by.

Data from Euromonitor International shows sales of bitters rose by 6.2% last year, from 51 million cases in 2021 to 54.2m in 2022. Meanwhile, the speciality spirits in this report – all popular cocktail ingredients – enjoyed impressive gains. Alcohol e-commerce platform Drizly recently published its fifth annual Consumer Trend Report, which found that to avoid rising inflation costs, 26% of US consumers are spending more money on beverages to drink at home rather than going out to bars. Furthermore, the report found that more than a quarter (28%) surveyed said they have a home bar setup, with 63% saying they restock it at least once a month. Could this mean the growth for the category next year will be even more impressive? Time will tell. Earlier this month, we released our Brand Champions 2023 report outlining the sales of the world’s biggest spirits brands. Based on our findings, we’re counting down the biggest-selling speciality spirits on the market now. Scroll through to discover the best-selling speciality spirits brands of 2022, listed in order of their nine-litre-case sales. Data listed is to one decimal place for ease of reading, but the percentage changes are based on the full data supplied to The Brand Champions 2023 report. Absent from the table is Fernet-Branca, as owner Fratelli Branca failed to share its 2022 figures.

8. Lillet

2022: 1.3m 2021: 1m % change: 24.8% Pernod Ricard once again has seen major success in the speciality spirits category in the last year, with the French firm’s wine-based apéritif, Lillet, experiencing growth of 24.8% to hit 1.3m cases. The French firm revealed Lillet, alongside its other speciality brands, contributed to 10% growth for the segment in the first nine months of fiscal 2023.

7. Ramazzotti

2022: 1.5m 2021: 1.3m % change: 15.9% Italian bitter brand Ramazzotti posted impressive growth of 15.9% in 2022, taking it to total case sales of 1.5m. Pernod Ricard-owned Ramazzotti was awarded the title of Speciality Spirits Brand Champion 2021, as the only brand that didn’t fare a decline in growth in 2020, and it credited its new Ramazozotti Crema for keeping it afloat. The innovation was said to have attracted new consumers in the 34-to-45 age bracket, and it’s clearly a move that has continued to work wonders for the brand.

6. Orijin Bitters

2022: 2.4m 2021: 2.1m % change: 14.0% Diageo’s only feature on the best-selling list for speciality spirits, Orijin Bitters, saw 14% growth in 2022 as it racked up case sales of 2.4m. With the growing popularity of the Martini cocktail, we may see more bitters rising through the ranks in the coming years.

5. Campari

2022: 4.5m 2021: 3.9m % change: 15.6% Campari Group’s namesake red bitter, a staple of the classic Negroni, continued its upward trajectory in 2022, increasing sales by 15.6% and shifting 4.5m cases. The brand benefitted from an injection of cocktail virality in 2022, when an interview between HBO series House of the Dragon actors Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke highlighted the Negroni Sbagliato – another serve that makes key use of the red bitter. The clip went viral on TikTok, causing a spike in searches for the cocktail, and caused the serve to become the top trending cocktail in Google search (up 5,640% growth in queries versus 2021). The boost in interest also had a halo effect on the classic Negroni, as the cocktail was not too far behind as the number-four trending drink (up 90% versus 2021).

4. Ricard

2022: 4.6m 2021: 4.3m % change: 6.9% Pernod's aptly named pastis brand, Ricard, grew by 6.9% to reach 4.6m cases in 2022. The bottling is the only anis to make the list, and was created by Marseille native Paul Ricard in 1932, who put his name to the product because he was “sure of the quality of this pastis and proud of its unique taste”.

3. Aperol

2022: 8.8m 2021: 7.1m % change: 23% For the second year in a row, our Speciality Spirits Brand Champion is Aperol. The Campari-owned brand posted double-digit growth in 2022 and has increased its sales by nearly 4m cases in the last five years. It’s now hot on the tail of Jägermeister, which sold 9.4m cases last year, rising by 7.8%. In 2022, the orange aperitivo grew its volumes to 8.8m nine-litre cases, after clocking 7.1m in 2021 – an increase of 23%. Could Aperol overtake Mast-Jägermeister’s flagship brand in the year ahead?

2. Jägermeister

2022: 9.4m 2021: 8.7m % change: 7.8% Our 2023 Speciality Spirits Brand Champion would have a mission on its hands if it was hoping to overtake the German liqueur, given its gains in the global travel retail (GTR) market and its 7.8% volume increase which saw it sell 9.4m nine-litre cases last year. In March, Jägermeister was named the eighth-largest premium spirit brand in GTR after recording double-digit growth in the channel.

1. Martini

2022: 10m 2021: 9.7m % change: 3.0% Last year, Bacardi-owned Martini vermouth passed the 10m-case sales mark for the first time, and once again it has retained its place a tthe top of the podium in our best-sellers list. This year, the brand is marking its 160th anniversary with a multi-channel marketing campaign, with creatives designed to reflect consumers’ changing drinking habits. As such, the brand’s hero product, Martini Fiero, a lower-ABV vermouth, is front and centre in the visuals and represents how Martini is meeting the demand for the rise in mindful drinking, while remaining ‘grounded’ in aperitivo culture.

Top 10 biggest-selling Scotch whiskies

Georgie Collins — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 08:50:27 +0000

What a year 2022 was for Scotch whisky, with records set for the category and highs especially felt by these top 10 best-selling brands.

Exports of Scotland’s native spirit hit £6.2 billion (US$7.5bn) last year, topping £6bn for the first time. Exports by volume also rose substantially, with the number of 700ml bottles shipped overseas up by 21% to 1.67bn, Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) figures showed. Earlier this month, we released our Brand Champions 2023 report outlining the sales of the world’s biggest spirits brands. Based on our findings, we’re counting down the biggest-selling Scotch whiskies on the market now. Scroll through to discover the top 10 best-selling Scotch whisky brands of 2022, listed in order of their nine-litre-case sales. Data listed is to one decimal place for ease of reading, but the percentage changes are based on the full data supplied to The Brand Champions 2023 report.

10. White Horse

2022: 2.6m 2021: 2.6m % change: -3% Place last year: N/A While a number of the category’s household names experienced stagnant or declining sales last year, this left space for White Horse to make its debut in the top 10 best-sellers list. While the brand saw a minor sales dip of 3% in 2022, its 2.6m case sales has remained an impressive enough figure to let it into the top 10.

9. William Peel

2022: 2.7m 2021: 2.7m % change: -1.2% Place last year: 7 For the second consecutive year, William Peel witnessed a slight fall in sales in 2022, dropping by 1.2% to record 2.7m cases. The brand’s owner, Paris-based Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits (MBWS), posted 7.8% revenue growth for 2022, with sales reaching €181.3m (US$193.7m) – an improvement on its previous year's 1% dip.

8. J&B

2022: 2.9m 2021: 2.8m % change: 3.2% Place last year: 10 After suffering some substantial loses during the height of the pandemic in 2020, Justerini & Brooks, more commonly known as J&B, bounced back with half a million more case sales in 2021. The figures continued to rise for the Diageo-owned brand in 2022 as is maintained its spot on our best-selling list, creeping up two places thanks to its 3.2% sales boost. The way its figures are going, we predict the brand will return to its 2019 sales figures of 3m cases next year if the trajectory continues.

7. William Lawson’s

2022: 3.5m 2021: 3.4m % change: 1.5% Place last year: 4 Found within the Bacardi portfolio, blended Scotch whisky William Lawson has seen a steady rise in sales over the last few years, and despite dropping a few places in this year's list, posted a 1.5% sales increase in 2022.

6. Dewar’s

2022: 3.5m 2021: 2.9m % change: 20.3% Place last year: 9 William Lawson's stablemate Dewar’s saw strong double-digit growth, with sales up by 20.3% to 3.5m cases in 2022. Finally breaching the 3m-case-mark, Dewar's boosted its portfolio in 2022 with the launch of its inaugural NFT (non-fungible token): Dewar’s Double Double 21 Years Old Rye Cask Finish. While only 50 bottles of the NFT were made available, the launch likely boosted the blended Scotch brand's profile and help aid its impressive sales leap.

5. Black & White

2022: 3.6m 2021: 3.2m % change: 14.5% Place last year: 6 This Diageo-owned brand has climbed a spot in our top 10 list this year, with impressive double-digit gains taking it up to a total of 3.6m cases in 2022. The blended Scotch is currently only sold outside of the UK, and claims to see most of its success in France, Venezuela and Brazil.

4. Grant’s

2022: 4.2m 2021: 4.1m % change: 2.2% Place last year: 3 Minor gains for Grant's in 2022 has seen the brand drop one place in our top 10 list, but it still remains one of the biggest Scotch brands in the world. The William Grant & Sons-owned brand suffered during the pandemic, but now appears to be back to full strength, leaping from 3.6m to 4.2m sales in two years.

3. Chivas Regal

2022: 5.2m 2021: 4.1m % change: 26% Place last year: 5 Pernod Ricard’s Chivas Regal grew by more than a quarter in 2022 to reach 5.2m cases. The Scotch whisky arm of Pernod Ricard, Chivas Brothers, saw net sales soar by 25% during the company’s 2022 fiscal year, and the Chivas Regal brand saw global growth of 29% during FY22, as well as a boost of 42% in emerging markets.

Meanwhile, Pernod Ricard’s full-year results for fiscal 2022 revealed a significant increase in global demand for Scotch.

Last year, the brand entered the Metaverse with K-pop star Lisa, and added a Margeaux-cask finished expression to its line-up.

2. Ballantine’s

2022: 9.2m 2021: 8.7m % change: 5.5% Place last year: 2 Pernod Ricard’s second brand to make the top 10 list is Ballantine’s, which held onto its second-place position with growth of 5.5% in 2022. Beating its 2020 volume by more than 2m cases, Ballantine's kept up with trends in the industry last year, partnering with video game series Borderlands to launch a limited edition bottling. The move marked the brand's first foray into the world of gaming.

1. Johnnie Walker

2022: 22.7m 2021: 19.1m % change: 18.6% Place last year: 1 Johnnie Walker played a key role in the category’s growth last year, enabling the Diageo-owned brand to retain its title of Scotch Whisky Brand Champion for another year. The blended Scotch achieved the status last year after a return to growth in 2021 following the Covid-19 pandemic – a rebound that took it past its pre-pandemic sales. In 2022, the brand soared by more than 3m cases to hit 22.7m, which may be credited to its numerous product launches, including its fifth Ghost and Rare expression, a Blue Label utopian collection, and a collaboration with Air Link, which saw six limited edition bottles for its Black Label series, made using an ink made from air pollution.

The world’s biggest-selling vodka brands

Nicola Carruthers — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 11:48:39 +0000

From the Russia-Ukraine war to increasing competition from fast-growing spirits segments, vodka has faced a tough year. We reveal the brands that managed to increase their volumes in 2022.

The world’s biggest spirit category (with the exception of baijiu) has seen slower growth in recent years, as competition has grown from other categories such as Tequila, rum and American whiskey. Total vodka sales rose marginally last year, up by 3% in 2022 compared with 2021, Euromonitor International data confirmed. The category sold 341.5 million nine‐litre cases last year, compared with 331.4m the previous year. Looking across the vodka brands in our top 10 list, we noticed half had recorded decreases, some of which could be down to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In a category dominated by Eastern European brands, one vodka from Asia managed to record an increase of 30.4% – the highest growth among the bestsellers.

To read the full Brand Champions report 2023, click here. Below, we count down the top 10 biggest-selling vodka brands of 2022.

10. Soplica

2022: 4.1m 2021: 4.2m % change: -3.3% Place last year: 7 Maspex Group’s Polish brand, Soplica, slipped by three places on the biggest-selling vodka list after dropping by 3.3% in 2022. It was the brand’s second year in decline. Soplica was formerly owned by Russian Standard producer Roust, which sold the brand along with nine other Polish brands, in November 2021. The deal was valued at almost US$1 billion.

9. Grey Goose

2022: 4.2m 2021: 3.9m % change: 7.9% Place last year: 8 Bacardi-owned Grey Goose recorded a modest 7.9% growth in 2022 to surpass four million cases for the first time. The brand had performed particularly well in 2021, growing by more than a third following the impact of the pandemic. The brand tapped in the fast-growing ready-to-drink segment in March 2022, as well as launched its lower-ABV Essences range in the UK the following month. The move into canned cocktails with a Spritz range could have helped to drive sales last year.

8. Żołądkowa (including Gorzka)

2022: 4.2m 2021: 4.9m % change: -14.3% Place last year: New entry Stock Spirits’ Polish vodka Żołądkowa reported a double-digit drop in 2022 to 4.2m cases. However this year the brand owner provided its Żołądkowa Gorzka liqueur data within the Żołądkowa figure. With both products included in the figure, it meant that Żołądkowa entered the top 10 best-selling vodka list for the first time. Stock Spirits also owns Prestige Vodka, a former Vodka Brand Champion, and grappa producer Distillerie Franciacorta.

7. Magic Moments

2022: 4.8m 2021: 3.7m % change: 30.4% Place last year: 9 Indian spirits firm Radico Khaitan’s Magic Moments recorded the biggest growth among the million-case vodka brands with a 30.4% increase. In addition to the flagship bottling, the vodka brand’s range includes Verve, Dazzle, and a ready-to-drink cocktail line. Radico Khaitan is one of the largest producers of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) in India. The company is also the owner of million-case brands, Contessa rum and Old Admiral Brandy.

6. Morosha

2022: 6.2m 2021: 7.9m % change: -21.3% Place last year: 5 Moving down one place on our best-selling list is Global Spirits-owned Morosha, which dropped by 21.3% in 2022 – the biggest decrease among the top 10 million-case vodka brands. The volume fall marks its first decline in five years, bringing it back to the 6.2m figure it reached in 2019, prior to the pandemic.

5. Hlibny Dar

2022: 8.6m 2021: 9.2m % change: -6.5% Place last year: N/A Bayadera Group’s Hlibny Dar returned to the best-selling vodka list after its last appearance in 2020, with sales reaching 8.6m cases in 2022. The Eastern European group is one of the largest spirits companies in the region. The Ukrainian vodka brand likely saw sales take a hit due to Russia’s invasion at the start of 2022.

4. Khortytsa

2022: 9.4m 2021: 10.9m % change: -13.8% Place last year: 3 Slipping down by one place on our best-selling vodka list is Global Spirits’ Khortytsa brand, which dropped by 13.8% to 9.3m cases. The decline is the Ukrainian brand’s first in five years and is likely due to the recent Ukraine-Russia war.

3. Żubrówka

2022: 10.5m 2021: 10.8m % change: -2.9% Place last year: 4 Maspex Group’s Polish vodka, Żubrówka, has swapped places with Khortytsa to take the third position on the best-selling list, a spot it once occupied in 2020. The 2.9% drop in 2022 marked the brand’s first decline in five years, but it is now one million cases ahead of Ukraine’s Khortytsa. In previous years, the brands have reported similar figures with Khortytsa always slightly ahead.

2. Absolut

2022: 13.0m 2021: 11.7m % change: 10.7% Place last year: 2 After temporarily losing its second-place position in 2020, Pernod Ricard-owned Absolut has held the spot for a number of years, including in 2022. The brand recorded an impressive 10.7% increase to 13m cases last year, but it remains far below its nearest competitor, category giant Smirnoff. During the second half of 2022, Absolut recorded a 19% increase. In April 2023, Pernod Ricard suspended exports of Absolut Vodka to Russia after consumer backlash in Sweden. The move could see the brand’s sales slip in 2023.

1. Smirnoff

2022: 28.1m 2021: 26.5m % change: 6.0% Place last year: 1 Unsurprisingly, Smirnoff remains the world’s biggest-selling vodka brand at 28.1m cases. The Diageo-owned brand’s 6% increase prompted us to name it this year’s Vodka Brand Champion. The brand maintained growth to deliver its best year to date – and it continues to be the category leader by volume. Stephanie Jacoby, global senior vice-president for Smirnoff, said the brand grew by double digits in Diageo’s fiscal 2022 results, mainly due to the company’s focus on “global drinks and socialising culture”. She also points to the boom in cocktails, particularly as many serves call for vodka as their base. Smirnoff has also focused on musical partnerships to drive sales. “We were the presenting sponsor for the inaugural Billboard MusicCon, which has also led to continued partnerships with Live Nation,” said Jacoby.

Top 10 spirits brands on social media

Georgie Collins — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 15:19:58 +0000

With the demand for engaging content and the potential for virality higher than ever, spirits brands must be agile in their social media strategies – especially as the popularity and policies of specific platforms evolve.

In the last year, the social media landscape has seen more changes than your Facebook profile probably saw cringey status updates in 2010. From new platform launches to business acquisitions, there’s been a lot for spirits brands to socially navigate over the last 12 months, as this year’s report discovers. In 2022’s Brand Champions report, we explored how TikTok has become the drinks industry’s White Whale – a platform full of prime, ready-to-be-marketed-to users forcibly left untapped due to the platform’s ban on all advertisements promoting alcoholic beverages, alcohol subscription services, alcohol-making kits and alcohol-sponsored events. Not much has changed on this front over the past year. However, in autumn we were given a powerful demonstration of the platform’s astonishing power to influence consumer behaviour, as a video of an interview with House of the Dragon actors Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke resulted in a 501% increase in searches for the Negroni Sbagliato, otherwise known as “a Negroni… with Prosecco in it”. Campari America saw a direct correlation between the viral TikTok clip and a spike in Campari searches and sales, and the firm said its marketing and customer trade teams jumped on the trend quickly to put out more content. Platform comeback However, for brands that haven’t had the same luck as Campari with TikTok, there are still the four other core platforms to be utilised. In the last year, some brands have even seen value in looking to platforms that have been somewhat overlooked in recent years. This includes Pinterest, which recently announced a platform partnership with Amazon – a move that “will open up a whole new level of direct-to-consumer sales for spirits brands,” says Tom Harvey, co-founder of spirits marketing agency YesMore. Brands can also look to the platform to take note of trends and get ahead of the curve. In its Pinterest Predicts report for 2023, the visual discovery engine unveiled that searches for ‘fancy non-alcoholic drinks’ had increased by 220%, while ‘creative cocktails presentation’ searches had soared by 555%. The report also revealed that Gen X (the demographic cohort following Baby Boomers and preceding Millennials) is driving demand for non-alcoholic and low-ABV serves, and cocktails, and so going forward, brands may benefit from giving the platform more attention from both a marketing and R&D perspective. While some platforms have been invaluable over the last year, one in particular is on the verge of becoming obsolete for spirits brands’ social media managers. Many brands have seen little benefit in ‘microblogging’ platform Twitter since it was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk last year. “YesMore Agency has found that many spirits brands seem to have either abandoned Twitter entirely, or let their accounts mothball – most likely due to their attention pivoting to other less content-hungry platforms,” explains Harvey. “In 2018 we conducted a study, which showed 42% of spirits brands hadn’t posted on their account in the last month.” The Spirits Business’ research this year found much the same, with brands such as Jack Daniel’s and Malibu barely touching the platform at all in 2023. Another contributing factor to this may be Twitter’s “knee-jerk and unconsidered approach to monetising the platform” with the removal of its blue verification ticks. “In a world where people are searching for more authenticity, the removal of genuinely verified real accounts is quite honestly a monumental fuck-up from Twitter that could actually be quite dangerous,” Harvey notes. “We’re already seeing phishing scams from fake accounts imitating brands with ‘official’ blue ticks, scamming people who think they’re competition winners.” Now trending In terms of content trends on social media over the last 12 months, short-form video has continued to boom, Harvey says. “The impact of this on spirits brands is that they’ve had to scramble to produce enough volume of content to feed these hungry social channels, while also being comfortable enough to reduce production values to the point that the content will actually resonate. This has been easier for the independent spirits brands who don’t have years of ingrained processes and multi-tiered sign-off from people that don’t ‘get’ how to be genuinely sociable on social media.” While the overly cautious use of social media is a particular issue for bigger brands, the 10 featured in our heroes list have managed to navigate this tricky assault course of corporate management to produce content that has genuinely engaged consumers over the past 12 months, and no brand has done this more so than our 2023 Social Media Hero, Baileys. Despite being a brand that shines brightest during the festive period, the Diageo-owned Irish cream liqueur brand’s content has remained as constant as the North Star through all 12 months of the year, churning out engaging, provocative and shareable recipe visuals across all of its consumer-based platforms. Adding to this: “Baileys has invested in what appears to be both a smart and creative way to drive awareness and consumption of the brand in summer months – a partnership with Eurovision,” Harvey notes. The brand has been an outspoken advocate for the LBGTQIA+ community, as well as a strong supporter of Ukraine over the last year. “They certainly aren’t sitting on the fence here. They are non-corporate and it’s going to do them well.” And do them well it has. The following Social Media Heroes list has been compiled as part of The Spirits Business‘s Brand Champions 2023 report. As such, it includes only brands that sell more than one million nine-litre cases annually. These figures are based on research conducted in April and May 2023, and so the majority of brands included have most likely grown their followers and fans since.

10. Johnnie Walker

Facebook fans: 14,596,509 | Twitter followers: 14,596,509 | Instagram followers: 505,876 | Total: 15,139,471 Frequency 8 | Engagement 7 | Consistency 8 | Creativity 5 | Overall Score 28 Last year's Social Media Hero Johnnie Walker doesn't appear to have kept the momentum going as well over the last year, sticking to a very obviously formulaic social media plan that has meant standing out among its competitors hasn't quite worked. That's not to say that the Diageo-owned Scotch whisky brand hasn't generated attractive and engaging content on its platforms, of course. The creative, elegant imagery has remained consistent, keeping a strong sense of brand across the board, but being so stringent with that branding has meant that it has all appeared quite repetitive. We would argue that its marketing successes have been seen in other areas over the past year, such as its out-of-home (OOH) activations and television ads.

9. Hennessy

Facebook fans: 3,694,362 | Twitter followers: 76,714 | Instagram followers: 773,596 | Total: 4,544,672 Frequency 7 | Engagement 5 | Consistency 8 | Creativity 8 | Overall Score 28 The brand with the highest Instagram following of the top 10, Hennessy Cognac has curated a colourful mix of professional imagery, spanning recipes and behind-the-scenes shoots of campaigns over the last year, however engagement is lower than expected for a brand with such a high following. Hennessy has utilised multiple collaborations with artists, all of which have been demonstrated via stories and grid posts, both static and reel-based, with a Black-skewing celebrity focus, including partnerships with Alicia Keys and various sporting players. This is continued onto Twitter, where content has been skewed to a US-based audience, and in the main excludes any audience that doesn't enjoy basketball or isn't based in New York City. For a global brand this seems shortsighted, but maybe its an easier way for Hennessy to communicate directly with its audience?

8. Smirnoff

Facebook fans: 13,610,290 | Twitter followers: 13,240 | Instagram followers: 244,009 | Total: 13,867,539 Frequency 7 | Engagement 7 | Consistency 7.5 | Creativity 8 | Overall Score 29.5 Smirnoff is consistently one of the world's biggest-selling spirits, and when looking at its approach to social media marketing, it isn't difficult to see why. On Facebook, the Diageo-owned brand utilises multiple languages to reach a wider audience rather than having multiple accounts, however posting on the platform isn't as regular (a few posts a month) and mostly just ad-style posts. Meanwhile on Instagram, the content is a lot brighter and more brand specific. The brand has roped in the help of celebrities such as TV host Trevor Noah, and made plentiful nods to cultural pinpoints such as April Fool's Day and the Super Bowl, as well as marking seasonal celebrations throughout the year. Its use of Twitter isn't frequent, but it is in-keeping with social media brand aesthetic.

7. Jack Daniel's

Facebook fans: 18,000,000| Twitter followers: 200,041 | Instagram followers: 681,039 | Total: 18,881,080 Frequency 8 | Engagement 7.5 | Consistency 8 | Creativity 7 | Overall Score 30.5 Collectively among all of Jack Daniel's 36 verified Instagram accounts, the brand boasts 1.8 million followers, with its US account – the main focus of this report – its most followed. The content is mostly male leaning, but the brand has made the effort to represent females, with a broad mix of ethnicities, too. The brand's identity and history is strongly demonstrated throughout, and this overflows onto its other social media platforms. Jack Daniel's has made sure to use each platform to promote its entire portfolio of whiskey and ready-to-drink serves, with the use of colourful and creative imagery, and it has also managed to inject personality into the content by featuring real people associated with the company.

6. Hornitos

Facebook fans: 1,200,891 | Twitter followers: 13,160 | Instagram followers: 27,678 | Total: 1,241,729 Frequency 8 | Engagement 8 | Consistency 7.5 | Creativity 7.5 | Overall Score 31 Despite having one of the lower followings in our top 10, Hornitos' high engagement has placed it higher than some of the brands with more than 100,000 followers on each platform. There is no mistaking by looking at its platforms that green is the key brand colour, as it is consistent across posts, making for a very colourful and attractive grid. Content is a mix of recipes and portfolio promotion, with post regularity on Facebook not as consistent as Instagram, with selective repetitions of what has been used on the other Meta-owned platform. The brand's use of Twitter has focused on consistent brand placement, and while not much information about the brand or its products is provided, it is quippy enough to catch attention, which is what is required on such a fast-paced scrolling platform.

5. Bacardí

Facebook fans: 9,011,040 | Twitter followers: 99,347 | Instagram followers: 235,707 | Total: Frequency 8 | Engagement 7 | Consistency 9 | Creativity 8 | Overall Score 32 If there were ever a brand that utilises social media to bring itself to life, its Bacardí. With the clever use of imagery and recipes, the rum brand has been consistent on both Facebook and Instagram over the last year, letting Twitter fall by the way side a little, though any tweets posted have been created to drive engagement, such as polls and recipes. While most of the content shared on Instagram has simply been replicated for Facebook, it appears to have paid off, as the consistency has provided a higher engagement rate than many of the brands in our list. From a grid perspective, the style is pleasing and style-forward, and the brand has represented a good mix of ethnicities and genders across all of its visuals in the promotion of its entire rum portfolio.

4. Jameson

Facebook fans: 4,137,550 | Twitter followers: 43,397 | Instagram followers: 204,937 | Total: 4,385,884 Frequency 8 | Engagement 7 | Consistency 8.5 | Creativity 9 | Overall Score 32.5 Pernod Ricard-owned Irish whiskey Jameson has used a mix of curated, high-end visuals alongside hand-made creatives to create convivial, jovial content – the perfect strategy for making the brand appear like a drink for 'feel-good' occasions. Across all platforms, the brand colours are consistently represented, and Jameson brand ambassador Aisling Bea features throughout. Jameson has been consistent with its posting without being too repetitive, and has leant into some of the more viral social media trends to remain current and relatable. Its Facebook account is UK-focused, utilising reels for content, while on Twitter, Jameson has posted engaging questions and interesting comments – nothing too strategy focused, but good for keeping brand awareness up.

3. Malibu

Facebook fans: 2,394,290 | Twitter followers: 47,115 | Instagram followers: 88,049 | Total: Frequency 7.5 | Engagement 8.5 | Consistency 8.5 | Creativity 9 | Overall Score 33.5 Pernod Ricard's Malibu has embraced the 'hun' culture of the internet by creating sharable memes and amusing content that embodies the rum liqueur brand's fun-loving ethos. The aesthetic is colourful and bright, with a lot of attractive recipes and clever brand placement. On the brand's UK Instagram account, Malibu has enlisted the help of reality stars such as The Only Way Is Essex star Gemma Collins and members of the Love Island cohort to reinstate the fun-time feel of the brand, demonstrating that it doesn't take itself too seriously. On Facebook, the UK market is the focus, with recipes and the bright use of colour continued, however frequency of posting is a lot lower. The brand hasn't utilised Twitter since November 2022, and prior to that, posting was semi-regular but less creative. Perhaps because Malibu's sense of fun doesn't translate as well on this platform.

2. Jägermeister

Facebook fans: 6,162,939 | Twitter followers: 110,095 | Instagram followers: 440,793 | Total: 6,713,827 Frequency 8 | Engagement 8.5 | Consistency 9 | Creativity 8.5 | Overall Score 34 Much like Jack Daniel's, Jägermeister's following has been bumped up by the creation of regional accounts on Instagram – 42 in total – which has amounted to a total of 1.45 million followers across the board. On all of them, the brand has kept its cool, edgy aesthetic at the fore, and the persona of Jägermeister is very much reflected in its posts on both Instagram and Facebook. The herbal liqueur brand has posted a lot of content that utilises social media trends, making it sharable and relatable to its following. Meanwhile the brand messaging has been consistent across the board, reiterating the importance of the right temperature of consumption. Brand colours have kept consistent throughout, and Jägermeister has made a generic but consistent use of Twitter, all of which was enough to land it in the number two spot on our list.

1. Baileys

Facebook fans: 5,176,628 | Twitter followers: 9,964 | Instagram followers: 197,843 | Total: 5,384,435 Frequency 9 | Engagement 9.5 | Consistency 9 | Creativity 9 | Overall Score 36.5 Our Social Media Hero 2023, Baileys, is one of the brands that has consistently and effectively used all social media platforms examined in our report, making it a worthy winner of this year's title. On Twitter, the Diageo-owned brand has consistently posted and conversed with its followers, sharing recipes and imagery that has driven high engagement, injecting plenty of personality into its posts and keeping rapport with its consumer base. Baileys has leaned into the notion that it offers a product created for indulgence, and pushes the 'treat yourself' messaging of the brand across all platforms, which clearly resonates. The brand's engagement on Facebook is high, with a lot of positive feedback on the recipes which span both food and cocktails. Creativity of these recipes has also inspired sharing and interaction. As mentioned in our report above, Baileys created plenty of engaging content as part of its sponsorship of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, taking the opportunity to keep the brand relevant long after its festive seasonal peak. On Instagram, the brand pushed and utilised the partnership to create fun recipe content. Again, engagement on this platform is the highest of any other brands in the list – and the recipe imagery is very in-keeping with the platform's aesthetic-led MO.

The fastest-growing spirits in the world

Georgie Collins — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 17:34:00 +0000

The popularity of the ready-to-drink category is clear for all to see in our list of the fastest-growing brands, but Indian spirits are the ones to watch.

There has been much said about the rapid rise of the ready-to-drink (RTD) sector – particularly since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. If the category’s true popularity were ever in doubt, look to the top three spots in the fastest-growing million-case-selling brands last year, all of which went to RTDs. However, Indian spirits have continued to dominate much of our report, with four brands from the country headlining our list. Last year also saw a monumental return to growth of a few spirits that suffered sale slumps during the pandemic, suggesting that 'normality' may well have returned for good. To read the full Brand Champions report 2023, click here.

10. Morpheus Brandy

2022: 1.1m 2021: 0.8m % change: 45.5% Radico Khaitan-owned Morpheus brand saw a growth spurt in 2022, making it both a newcomer to the Brand Champions report and one of the fastest-growing spirits of the year. This premium aged brandy is named after Morpheus, the winged Greek God of Dreams, and boasts 10 years of master craftsmanship in India.

9. Chrome Vodka

2022: 1.9m 2021: 1.3m % change: 45.8% First launched in 2014 by Kenya Breweries, Diageo-owned Chrome Vodka is said to have been created for young, modern Kenyans looking for a great value brand that they can identify with. It recorded a healthy sales leap of 45.8% in 2022, and it is described as the 'most-loved' spirit brand in Kenya.

8. Eristoff

2022: 2.1m 2021: 1.4m % change: 46.1% After recording a significant dip in sales during the pandemic, Bacardi-owned Eristoff vodka has made an impressive comeback, almost doubling its 2020 sales figures, and seeing a 46.1% leap from 2021.

7. Black Dog

2022: 1.1m 2021: 0.7m % change: 51.4% United Spirits-owned Scotch whisky brand Black Dog is another newcomer to the Brand Champions report, surpassing the 1-million case sales target for the first time in 2022. The blended whiskies saw a 51.4% rise over the course of the year.

6. Antiquity Whisky

2022: 1.1m 2021: 0.7m % change: 51.4% Indian whiskies have come to be known as solid performers in The Brand Champions report– and this year two brands sit among the fastest-growers, the first of which is United Spirits-owned Antiquity Whisky, up by 51.4% last year. The brand was first launched in 2002, and currently its portfolio boasts two expressions: Antiquity Blue and Antiquity Rare.

5. Royal Challenge

2022: 7.2m 2021: 4.7m % change: 52.5% Another Indian whisky that saw huge gains in 2022 is Antiquity's stablemate Royal Challenge. This grain-flavoured whisky, made with a blend of Scotch and Indian malts, grew by 52.5% to reach the 7.2 million case sales mark, making it the fastest-growing Indian whisky in our list.

4. Mansion House

2022: 7.1m 2021: 4.5m % change: 59.8% Last year, Mansion House was the biggest-selling brand on the category’s Brand Champions list, despite the company experiencing a drop in volume, falling by 6% in 2021 after a decrease in 2020. However 2022 has seen a return to form for the Indian brand, with sales soaring to 7.1 million cases, a 59.8% jump on the previous year's results. This may have been boosted by its first foray into the premium flavoured brandy sector last summer, with the brand debuting three new flavours: Orange, Cherry, and Peach.

3. High Noon

2022: 8.8m 2021: 17.2m % change: 94.7% E&J Gallo’s High Noon, the third-fastest-growing brand in this year’s report, is arguably more impressive than the two brands still to come, as the RTD label nearly doubled its case sales from a high starting point of 8.8m to 17.2m in 2022 – an increase of 94.7%. High Noon credits its monumental growth to “building upon the success of the previous years by listening to our consumer”, as well as being present in the “places that matter” to its audience.

2. Malibu RTDs

2022: 1m 2021: 0.5m % change: 96.9% Second place goes to Malibu RTDs, which almost doubled its sales last year, with 96.6% growth to reach 1.0m cases – another newcomer in The Brand Champions report. In autumn 2022, owner Pernod Ricard confirmed it would invest more into its RTD portfolio, having recorded ‘very strong’ double-digit growth in that segment, with ‘rapid development’ in the US. UK commercial director Ian Peart confirmed the majority of its RTDs are sold in the off-trade, and that the sector has become “extremely dynamic and scalable”.

1. The Finnish Long Drink

2022: 1.1m 2021: 0.5m % change: 114.2% Taking pole position is The Finnish Long Drink, co-owned by American actor Miles Teller since 2019. Brand owner The Long Drink Company secured US$25 million to boost distribution and scale production in 2021 – and its efforts appear to be paying off nicely. Finnish Long Drink more than doubled its case sales in 2022 to join the Brand Champions club for the first time. The 114.2% growth last year resulted in 1.1m case sales.

The biggest-selling spirits in the world

Nicola Carruthers — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 09:54:14 +0000

The alcohol sector was hit with fresh challenges in 2022, but it didn't stop the major players from making impressive volume gains. Here, we reveal the world's biggest-selling spirits.

For the majority of markets around the world, 2022 was arguably the first post‐pandemic year that saw business go back to ‘normal’. Travel has returned with renewed enthusiasm, the global on‐trade has been focused on recovery after multiple lockdowns, and pandemic‐born trends – such as online shopping and at‐home cocktails – have become more mainstream in this new era of drinking.

However, the industry is acutely aware of the consequential challenges that have also continued to test the spirits trade. Rising inflation, supply chain disruptions, staff shortages, and the ongoing Russia‐Ukraine war, have been just a number of tribulations thrown at the trade. According to data from Euromonitor International, total spirits volume grew by 1.2% in 2022 compared with 2021. While the majority of the 10 biggest-selling spirits in the world remained the same, there were a couple of newcomers to the list. A number of the million-case brands managed to report double-digit gains in 2022, while only two players saw their sales take a slight dip.

Based on the data in our 2023 Brand Champions report, we've analysed the performances of the top-selling spirits and RTD products globally. Read on to discover the top 10 best-selling spirits brands, listed in order of their nine-litre case sales.

10. Imperial Blue

2022: 24.0m 2021: 24.1m % change: -0.6% Place last year: 5 Pernod Ricard-owned Imperial Blue saw its sales drop by 0.6% in 2022, following a strong performance in 2021 when it grew by double digits. In addition to falling by five places on our best-selling list, Imperial Blue is now back to its position as the fourth-biggest Indian whisky in the world, after Officer’s Choice took back the third spot.

9. Bacardí

2022: 24.3m 2021: 22.0m % change: 10.4% Place last year: 10 Bacardí took the 2023 Rum Brand Champion title for the second year in a row after growing by double digits in 2022. The rum producer has been focused on a number of innovations in the category lately, venturing into the premium sector with Reserva Ocho Rye Cask and its first premium spiced aged expression, Caribbean Spiced.

8. Officer’s Choice

2022: 24.9m 2021: 23.2m % change: 7.3% Place last year: 7 Allied Blenders & Distillers‐owned Officer’s Choice reported a 7.4% increase to 24.9m cases in 2022, but it failed to reach its pre-pandemic volume of 30.6m cases. The increase saw it take back its position as the third biggest-selling Indian whisky in the world. Officer’s Choice was once the world’s biggest Indian whisky at 34m cases in 2018.

7. Chum Churum

2022: 26.0m 2021: 19.0m % change: 36.7% Place last year: N/A Korean soju Chum Churum soared by more than a third last year to reach 26m cases, but it remains slightly below its sales high of 28.6m in 2018. The impressive growth saw the soju brand re-enter the top 10 best-selling spirits list after three years of consecutive declines.

6. Royal Stag

2022: 27.1m 2021: 22.4m % change: 21.2% Place last year: 9 This year’s Indian Whisky Brand Champion, Royal Stag, witnessed a 21.2% increase last year. The growth saw the brand move three places up the ranks of the biggest-selling spirits. The Pernod Ricard-owned brand is gaining ground on category giant McDowell’s, and has overtaken Officer’s Choice to become the second‐biggest‐selling Indian whisky. Kartik Mohindra, chief marketing officer for Pernod Ricard India, attributed Royal Stag’s growth to its new packaging, which was given a “youthful, modern and premium” update

5. Tanduay

2022: 27.4m 2021: 23.6m % change: 16.1% Place last year: 7 Philippine brand Tanduay reported a double-digit increase in 2022, soaring by 16.1% to 27.4m cases. The increase marked a return to growth for the brand after a minor dip in 2021. It remains the world's biggest-selling rum brand. Tanduay owns and operates the biggest distillery in the Philippines, with more than 120,000 barrels totalling a capacity of 24m gauge litres.

4. Smirnoff

2022: 28.1m 2021: 26.5m % change: 6.0% Place last year: N/A The world’s biggest-selling vodka brand, Smirnoff, made a 6% gain in 2022 to 28.1m cases. The brand also re-entered the biggest-selling spirits list in 2022. It was selected as this year’s Vodka Brand Champion after it maintained growth to deliver its best year to date – and it continues to be the category leader by volume. Stephanie Jacoby, global senior vice‐president for Smirnoff, pointed to the boom in cocktails, particularly as many serves call for vodka as their base. Smirnoff has sought to “build on the meteoric rise of the Espresso Martini” through a global partnership with the world’s largest coffee festival organiser, Allegra Group.

3. McDowell’s No.1 Whisky

2022: 30.8m 2021: 30.1m % change: 2.3% Place last year: 3 United Spirits-owned McDowell’s managed to hold on to its position as the world’s biggest-selling Indian whisky with 30.8m cases, but Royal Stag is hot on its tail at 27.1m. The brand managed to slightly beat its sales high of 30.7m in 2019 and has seen sales fluctuate over the past five years. Diageo’s Indian arm, United Spirits, sold 32 of its brands to Inbrew Beverages last year, excluding McDowell’s. The move could see the company place a greater focus on McDowell’s in the year ahead.

2. White Claw

2022: 59.0m 2021: 61.6m % change: -4.2% Place last year: 2 A former Supreme Brand Champion, hard seltzer giant White Claw reported its first decline in five years with sales slipping to 59m cases. Launched in 2016, Mark Anthony Brands’ White Claw saw substantial volume growth each year through to 2021. Perhaps the brand's decrease is a sign that consumers have grown tired of the hard seltzer phenomenon, which is predominant in the US. Despite the drop, White Claw’s sales are still more than double those of the second‐biggest‐selling RTD brand, Suntory Spirits’ ‐196°C Strong Zero.

1. Jinro

2022: 100.9m 2021: 94.5m % change: 6.8% Place last year: 1 This year’s Supreme Brand Champion, Korean soju Jinro, surpassed 100m nine-litre cases for the first time. In 2022, the brand made moves overseas, including its sponsorship of the All Points East festival in London. A focus on expanding outside of its home market could help the brand to continue its growth next year. Outside of its core market, Korea, the company is also focused on driving sales in neighbouring Asian countries such as Japan, China and Southeast Asia.

SB’s most-read stories in May

Georgie Collins — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 10:10:39 +0000

From underdog stories and celebrity spirits launches to iconic bottle makeovers and award-winning whiskies, we've rounded up the 10 most popular articles on thespiritsbusiness.com last month.

The UK might have had its fair share of Bank Holidays in May, but that didn't stop the world from producing newsworthy headlines every day of the month, many of which caught our readers' attention. Keep scrolling to find out our 10 most popular stories in May.

10. House Tequila beats named brands in US bars

The news that consumers are still opting for 'house/well' Tequila over premium brand names was our 10th most-read story last month. According to Union, a data-driven hospitality engagement platform, unspecified brands not listed on menus are still the most popular Tequila orders among guests at Union venues, and Tequila is responsible for almost one-third of all spirits sales at Union venues throughout the US – putting the category ahead of whisky. Read the full story here.

9. Campari unveils new bottle design

For the first time in a decade, Italian brand Campari gave its bottle design a shake-up, and who doesn't love a good makeover story? Not our readers. The new look aims to be a visual homage to the city, which Julka Villa, group head of marketing, Campari Group, said combined “effortlessness and understated elegance, just like Milano itself”. The bottles boasts “sharp, bold and confident lines” created to reflect “the sleek minimalist fashion and contemporary design that Milano is known for,” with a modern and straightforward edge representing true Milanese craftsmanship. Read the full story here.

8. Lagavulin and Caol Ila unveil Fèis Ìle whiskies

To mark Fèis Ìle festival, one of the biggest events in the Scotch whisky calendar, Diageo-owned Islay distilleries Lagavulin and Caol Ila created limited edition single malt whiskies. Lagavulin produced the Fèis Ìle 2023 14-Year-Old, which had matured in a combination of American and European oak, and finished in Armagnac casks for the first time, while the Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2023 13-Year-Old was matured in Pedro Ximénez and oloroso Sherry-seasoned butts, and contains sweet fruit notes complementing a peat and peppery spice. Read the full story here.

7. Top 10 spirits launches in April

Another month, another appearance for our round-up of the best spirits launches to have graced the shelves and bars of the world. April saw an eclectic month of releases, from the perfect base for your non-alcoholic ‘G&T’ this summer, to a coffee liqueur with a tropical kick for those looking to level-up their Espresso Martinis. Read the full story here.

6. Brad Pitt debuts The Gardener Gin

There must have been something in the water in May, because the month saw more celebrity gin launches than we in the UK saw sunny days. The most popular of the launches we covered was Ocean's Eleven star Brad Pitt's debut of The Gardener Gin, created in partnership with former Tanqueray master distiller Tom Nichol. The Gardener is a London Dry gin that celebrates the ‘night and day art de vivre’ (art of living) embodied by the French Riviera. Read the full story here.

5. Around the world in 10 award-winning whiskies

To mark World Whisky Day (20 May), we took our readers on an around-the-world adventure, one award-winning whisky at a time. From single malt expressions to creative mash bill experiments, there was something for every whisky drinker in our top 10 list, and all of them had previously walked away with a Master or Gold medal at one of our blind-tasting competitions. Read the full story here.

4. Whisky brands bottle coronation specials

Whisky producers couldn't help but jump on the coronation bandwagon in May, and our readership didn't seem to be mad about it, making our coverage of the commemorative releases the fourth most-read story of the month. English whisky producer Bimber, Scotland's oldest privately owned Scotch distillery Bladnoch, and even the King's Aberdeenshire retreat, Balmoral, all bottled celebratory drams to mark the historic occasion. Read the full story here.

3. Jack Daniel’s loses trademark dispute

We love an underdog story, and so too do our readers it would appear, as the news that the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) ruled in favour of two comedians in a trademark dispute against whiskey giant Jack Daniel's last month was the third most-read story of the month. Greg Hemphill and Ford Kiernan launched their whisky Jack & Victor in 2021, which is named after their characters in the BBC Scotland sitcom Still Game. The Tennessee whiskey brand argued Jack & Victor could mislead consumers into thinking it was endorsed by the brand, and that Jack & Victor would benefit from its global reputation, but the UKIPO disagreed and ordered Jack Daniel's to pay £3,200 (US$3,958) to Jack & Victor to cover the costs of the hearing. Read the full story here.

2. What is the most-ordered whisky in US bars?

Our readers were intrigued to learn which whisky comes out on top in US bars last month, making it the second most-read story of May. According to data-driven hospitality platform Union’s OnPrem Insights report, Irish brand Jameson is the top whisky consumed at Union bars and restaurants in the States. For brand retention, the report examined the likelihood that a guest who bought a specific brand would repurchase the same brand on their next visit if they consumed the same spirit category, and the report found Jameson had the strongest retention of any whisky brand at 48%. Read the full story here.

1. Beam Suntory teams up with Keanu Reeves

Is Keanu Reeves one of the most-liked actors in the world right now? All of our data points to yes, as the story that the Speed actor collaborated with House of Suntory on a campaign to mark the brand's centenary was the most popular for the whole of May. The short Suntory Anniversary Tribute campaign video was created by Sofia Coppola, director of Tokyo-based film Lost in Translation, and tells the story behind the Japanese whisky maker. It stars Reeves, who previously appeared in a Suntory Reserve advert in 1992. Read the full story here.

Top 10 spirits launches in May 2023

Georgie Collins — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 10:37:38 +0000

We're taking you around the world as we take a look at the 10 best new spirits releases seen in May, from expressions that capture the vibrant flavours of Mexico to a bottling that embodies the laid-back vibes of Australia.

They say the devil works hard, but booze-backing celebrities worked even harder in May, with multiple film stars bringing out their own gins, pop stars embracing canned cocktails, and one particular rockstar blending up a whisky. Keep scrolling to find out what else was new to the shelves in May. To see what spirits launched in April, click here.

Served canned cocktails

With sales of hard seltzers on the decline, and the ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail category seeing a 24% sales leap last year according to the UK White Spirits and RTDs Market Report 2023 by Mintel, it's probably no surprise that pop star Ellie Goulding’s hard seltzer brand, Served, has added a range of ‘bar-quality’ canned cocktails to its portfolio. The RTD cocktail range is composed of three of the UK’s ‘most popular’ flavours: Mojito, Passion Fruit Martini, and Piña Colada, all of which are presented at 8% ABV and have have been created to ‘bridge the gap’ between inferior quality, low-ABV canned cocktails and ‘less sessionable’ 10% ABV-and-above offerings. “Our award-winning drinks are made for modern lifestyles without compromising flavour — for those who want to live life to the full, never miss a moment, and tread lightly on our planet," said Goulding.

Renais gin

With all the qualities you’d expect from a classic Chablis wine – crispness, minerality, and freshness – the newly launched Renais gin has drawn on the traditions, techniques and ingredients of the French wine region in a bid to capture its essence. Founded by actress Emma Watson and her brother Alex Watson, Renais was inspired by childhood trips to the family’s vineyard, Domaine Watson, in Chablis, France, which their father has operated for more than 30 years. Made with ‘up-cycled’ grapes – by-products from the vineyard’s wine-making process – which are distilled in small batches for quality, the gin has been created to be sipped over ice as well as mixed in cocktails, and is especially suited to stirred-down classics such as Martinis, as well as long and refreshing Spritzes and G&Ts.

Crystal Head Pride bottle

Once again, Dan Akroyd's vodka brand Crystal Head has marked Pride month with the launch of a limited edition bottle, which displays a colourful, paint-splattered design against a white bottle to ‘artistically’ house the brand's original Canadian corn-based vodka. The vessel also integrates additional colours to represent people of colour, transgender, non-binary, intersex, and those across the gender spectrum, and has been created in partnership with Kaleidoscope Trust, an international LGBTQIA+ human rights charity founded in 2011.

Gleneagles' Pursuit series

Throw on your Barbour jacket, tuck your hip-flask into your pocket, and get ready for an activity-led trip to the Scottish Highlands with the Pursuits collection by the Gleneagles Hotel. The four-bottle line-up of single malts from the luxury hotel has been inspired by four countryside activities offered at the estate, from shooting and fishing to falconry and horse riding. Each limited edition whisky has been individually hand-engraved and numbered, and all four expressions are available to purchase at the hotel’s Still Room, which is home to a collection of more than 200 whisky bottles.

Belvedere 10

If you’re looking for a bottle that will stand out on your shelves, this ‘exceptionally rare’ Belvedere 10 is what you’re looking for, with its chiselled facets that give a ‘diamond-like sparkle’. It is made from a single harvest of organic Dankowskie Diamond rye, grown in a single field on an estate in north-east Poland. Crafted annually in small batches, the liquid, which has followed a 10-step creation process, was rested for 10 months to ‘enhance the liquid’s velvety smooth mouthfeel’, and distilled four times, and is said to offer notes of coconut, vanilla, and rich, dark cacao.

That Boutique-y Whisky Company USA series

That Boutique-y Whisky Company has swung for the fences with its latest collection of independently bottled American whiskeys, all of which celebrates the diverse styles the category. The limited edition USA Series offers liquids from secret distillers, closed distilleries, and those at the forefront of the ‘evolution’ of American whiskey, including a six-year-old rye whiskey from Pennsylvania-based distillery Dad’s Hat, and the three-year-old Bourbon Whiskey #2 Batch 1, from an undisclosed distillery. The series also features a selection of Scotch, rum and US brandy.

Holyrood World Whisky Day 2023 Mexico

Edinburgh-based Holyrood Distillery looked to the flavours of Mexico for its annual limited edition new make spirit release last month. Lovers of the country’s history of rich and smoky distilled spirits will enjoy what the team have done with this 60% ABV bottling, as they drew inspiration from the unique combination of malts and yeast found in ‘crisp refreshing’ lagers to create layers of citrus alongside malty flavours and textures. Notes of sweet, sticky toffee and hints of hazelnut can be detected on the nose, followed by a burst of flavours that evoke dried fruit and sweet toffee cake.

Papa Salt

The star of the upcoming Barbie movie, Margot Robbie, became the third celebrity in May to launch a gin brand (following on from Emma Watson, mentioned above, and her Babylon co-star Brad Pitt). Papa Salt gin is an ode to the laid-back Australian lifestyle, and is described on the brand’s website as an ‘easy-drinking gin that celebrates the subtle taste of native Australian botanicals’. The 43% ABV gin is made in Byron Bay, Australia, and has been created for ‘sessionable drinking’ and the brand’s recommended serve is Papa Salt with soda, lots of ice and a wedge of fresh grapefruit. It is currently only available to purchase in Australia.

Bacardí Mango Chile rum

Inspired by a popular Mexican snack, Bacardí Mango Chile is the latest innovation to come from rum brand Bacardí. Said to capture the sweet and spicy flavours of fresh mango sprinkled with Tajin seasoning and lime juice, the 35% ABV expression is recommended served chilled in a shot glass with a Tajin rim. Alternatively, it can be used to create a series of cocktails ‘for any warm weather occasion’, adding a ‘hot twist’ to classic Bacardí serves such as the Mojito and the Rum Rita. After a ‘successful’ launch in Mexico last year, the brand has now debuted the bottling in the US.

Rod Stewart's Wolfie's Whisky

Bottled at 40% ABV by Loch Lomond Distillery, rock star Rod Stewart has launched a new blended whisky that will be available from 19 June in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, with a US launch set to follow later this year. The Handbags and Gladrags singer said: “It’s a fine tipple, whether you’re partying with friends, celebrating a Celtic win or reminiscing with family. For me, Wolfie’s depicts the carefree behaviour of my more mischievous days and the excitement of what life still has to offer – let the good times roll.” Tasting notes include cinnamon, vanilla and baked apple, with peat, pears in syrup, candied citrus peels and gentle oak spice.

Top 10 marketing moves in May 2023

Alice Brooker — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 08:50:34 +0000

From a summer Spritz campaign to Suntory's partnership with actor Keanu Reeves, May was awash with creative marketing steps among spirits brands.

An iconic bottle redesign from apéritif Campari, marking a century with Cutty Sark Scotch whisky – oh, and House of Suntory partnering with both The Matrix star Keanu Reeves and filmmaker Sofia Coppola, to name a few of the top marketing moves that took place in May. We've rounded up the campaigns and partnerships that stood out last month, including a summer Spritz campaign from Franklin & Sons, and Mount Gay Rum's long-standing support of yacht racing. Scroll on for the marketing moves that stood out in May. For more marketing round-ups, check out the top 10 list from April.

Writers’ Tears draws a crowd

Irish whiskey brand Writers’ Tears is the title sponsor of Ireland’s street art festival Waterford Walls. The Waterford Walls International Street Art Festival, which is in its ninth year, will run from 11 to 20 August. More than 26 national and international artists will come together for 10 days to present their art. Blank spaces in the area will be turned into large-scale murals. Writers’ Tears global brand director Clare Minnock said: “Writers’ Tears is a brand that pays tribute to Ireland’s innovative distillers and creative thinkers of the late 19th and early 20th century. Today we celebrate creativity in all its forms, including this vibrant showcase of street art. We are excited to partner with such a dynamic and energetic festival, one that mirrors our own enthusiasm for creativity and self-expression.” Fourteen countries will be represented at the street art festival.

Havana Club in Cuban spirit

Rum brand Havana Club launched its Cuban Mode campaign in the UK with a multi-million-pound push. The Pernod Ricard-owned brand will push out its campaign on digital, social and video platforms, with an aim to spread the “spirit of la Cubanía” (spirit of the Cuban), and invite rum lovers to switch on their Cuban mode. Josh McCarthy, brand director at Pernod Ricard UK, said: “La Cubanía is the essence and lifestyle born in the streets of Havana, but it is meant to be felt by everyone everywhere. Over the past few years we’ve built a solid position as a street culture icon among Generation Z, and we’re confident this campaign will further accelerate brand growth.”

Portofino Dry Gin bags a great deal

Italian brand Portofino Dry Gin has collaborated with bag designer My Style Bags to roll out the Riviera Getaway Capsule Collection. The two brands have partnered to create a bag line inspired by the ‘aesthetics’ of the Italian Riviera, which can be personalised with embroidered initials and names. The range includes two travel bags, with a matching beauty case inside, a straw basket, a beach bag, and a picnic kit. The picnic kit is lined with fine stripes and contains two glasses, two 50ml Portofino Dry Gin bottles, and four Fever-Tree tonics. The straw trousse retails for €75 (US$82), while the beauty case can be bought for €85 (US$93). The larger travel bags, both linen and straw, retail for €295 (US$323).

Desolas lands listing at steakhouse group

Mezcal brand Desolas has created a cocktail that will be served at steakhouse chain Fogo de Chão in the US. The mezcal was founded in 2020 by GG Mervis, who spent more than a decade working in the spirits industry, and developed a passion for mezcal. The Yellowbird cocktail will be served at steakhouse Fogo de Chão as part of its updated cocktail menu in California, Texas, Florida, and New York. The serve comprises Desolas Mezcal, passion fruit, pineapple, Cointreau, and La Marca Prosecco. Mirvis said: “We are honoured to be included as one of their newest options on their cocktail menu. “Having the support from Fogo De Chão felt like a natural fit that aligns well with our brand.”

Cutty Sark marks its century with campaign

Scotch whisky brand Cutty Sark has debuted a video marketing campaign, called Never Ending Adventure, to mark its 100th anniversary. Owned by La Martiniquaise-Bardinet, the brand has created the campaign to celebrate 100 years since Cutty Sark was founded, in 1923. The ad presents a Cutty Sark ship sailing through turbulent seas in a storm, before panning into the boat’s interior. The video, set to an upbeat hip-hop song, presents numerous animations of the brand’s history through the ages. Manon Brochet, the Scotch whisky firm’s brand manager, said: “We are very excited to let our consumers and whisky lovers immerse themselves in the brand’s epic history, and discover all the iconic parts of our story.”

Reeves and Coppola team up for Suntory

To mark its 100th anniversary this year, House of Suntory has partnered with actor Keanu Reeves and filmmaker Sofia Coppola on a new marketing campaign. Coppola, director of Tokyo-based film Lost in Translation, has created the Suntory Anniversary Tribute, a short video that tells the story behind the Japanese whisky maker, which features John Wick actor Reeves, who previously appeared in a Suntory Reserve advert in 1992. “I’m honoured to partner with Suntory Whisky again 30 years after our Suntory Reserve campaign,” Reeves said. “I’m a huge fan of Suntory Whisky.”

Mount Gay sets sail with 31 Race Circuit

Long-standing supporter of yacht racing, Mount Gay rum, has been named the official partner of the 31 Race Circuit and UK Cape 31 Class. The partnership was launched at Round 1 on 20 May with an Aprés Sail party at the base in Hamble, Hampshire. George Neep, Mount Gay’s UK brand manager, said: “Sailing has been part of Mount Gay’s DNA for many years, and is now firmly embedded in the sailing community culture. We are very proud to continue our collaborations within this sport and sponsor this prestigious and growing class of boats, and look forward to many more years of partnership” The brand launched limited edition hats, called Cape 31 red caps, as a nod to the partnership, which are said to be synonymous with the sailing crowd.

Patrón pushes Palomas

Patrón marked International Paloma Day on 22 May with activations in four London bars. The Bacardi-owned brand will be celebrating the cocktail throughout the summer, with private masterclasses hosted by UK brand ambassador Gianluca Canella, but for 10 days in May, the cocktail was highlighted at One Hundred Shoreditch, Homeboy in Islington, Bethnal Green’s Satan’s Whiskers, and Southwark seafood restaurant Seabird. The brand also provided consumers with the recipe to make the Patrón Perfect Paloma at home: 45ml Patrón Reposado, 90ml fresh grapefruit juice, 15ml agave syrup (1:1), 15ml freshly-squeezed lime juice, 30ml sparkling water, a pinch of salt, and a grapefruit slice for garnish.

Franklin & Sons’ Spritz hits

Tonic and mixer brand Franklin & Sons has unveiled its Remarkable Summer of Spritz marketing campaign. The seasonal push will include immersive Spritz terraces with in-venue activations, plus a selection of Spritz serves that incorporate a variety of spirits from Tequila to whiskey, as well as a variety of sparkling and still wines paired with sodas and tonics, all of which will highlight the breadth of the category, and showcase opportunities for Spritz serves. Consumers will also find the brand at events in the UK, such as Pub in the Park and Goodwood Races, where the team will be sharing the Spritz occasion with customers. The marketing campaign follows the brand’s sponsorship of So Let’s Talk, a hospitality support organisation that saw events hosted during Mental Health Awareness Week (15-21 May).

Campari bottle redesign takes inspiration from Milan

Italian apéritif Campari has revealed an “evolutionary redesign” of its bottle, inspired by its home city of Milan. Julka Villa, group head of marketing at Campari Group, told The Spirits Business: “The Campari bottle has been changing shape and evolving alongside Milano, drawing continuous inspiration from the city, since its creation in 1860.” As such, this bottle redesign, the first for the brand in 10 years, aims to be a visual homage to the city, which Villa said combined “effortlessness and understated elegance, just like Milano itself”. It boasts “sharp, bold and confident lines” created to reflect “the sleek minimalist fashion and contemporary design that Milano is known for,” with a modern and straightforward edge representing true Milanese craftsmanship.

Cocktail recipes for June

Alice Brooker — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 10:19:14 +0000

From a chilli twist on a honey-based cocktail to a Cherry Old Fashioned, we've rounded up the serves to make at home this month.

June will have us sipping on our home-crafted serves in the garden after a long day's work – just try to resist the refreshing concoctions below. Scroll down to discover 10 serves you can create this June, and see here for May's round up. Do you have a cocktail recipe you’d like featured in next month’s round up? Email info@thespiritsbusiness.com.

Little Red Corvette

Mataroa’s unique gin is mixed with bitters and fruit for this summery concoction. INGREDIENTS

45ml Mataroa Mediterranean Dry Gin
15ml Bitters
15ml Peas, Rosemary & Thyme no-alcohol ‘spirit’
15ml Egg white
20ml Lime juice
30ml Strawberry-basil syrup
1g Mastic Resin, ground

METHOD Dry shake all ingredients. Add ice, shake for eight seconds and double strain. Top with the grated mastic. Garnish with basil leaf and a dehydrated strawberry.

Message in a Bottle

This World Ocean Day (8 June), raise a glass to protect sea turtles with this cocktail created in partnership with Lost Years Rum. Bar chain Drake & Morgan has pledged to save one baby sea turtle hatchling for every cocktail sold. INGREDIENTS

25ml Lost Years Rum
25ml Aperol
15ml Lime juice
3 dashes of Angostura Bitters

METHOD Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Shake and double strain into a rocks glass with ice.

The Royal Raspberry Spritz

A long, zesty cocktail with light ginger warmth and tart raspberry flavour. INGREDIENTS

20ml Raspberry puree
25ml Fresh lime
20ml Monin Ginger Syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
60ml Harrogate Spa Sparkling Water

METHOD Add lime juice, raspberry, ginger syrup and bitters to the glass, and fill with cubed ice. Add a splash of sparkling water and stir well. Top with more Harrogate Spa Sparkling Water. Garnish with mint sprigs and lime wedge.

Ghost Candy

Spice up your happy hour with this shot of fire. INGREDIENTS

30ml Ghost Tequila (100% agave spicy Tequila)
14ml Watermelon liqueur
7ml Lime juice
Garnish: Tajín

METHOD Measure and pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Salt rim half a shot glass with Tajín spice mix and strain liquid into the glass.

Cordon Bleu Cherry

Complex, fruity and elegantly refined. INGREDIENTS

2 parts Martell Cordon Bleu
½ part Cherry eaux-de-vie
½ part Camomile syrup*
1 part Coconut water (optional)

METHOD Add ingredients to your mixing glass, stir with a spoon, strain, and pour into a glass over ice. *Make your own chamomile syrup by letting chamomile flowers rest in cold simple syrup for 24 hours.

Cherry Old Fashioned

The best way to make your Old Fashioned pop. INGREDIENTS

2 parts Martell Blue Swift
½ part Cherry liqueur
4 dashes Angostura Bitters

METHOD Add your ingredients into a mixing glass, add ice, and stir. Pour over ice cube into an Old Fashioned tumbler, and garnish with an orange twist and a cherry.

Sir Edmond Gin Orange & Cinnamon G&T

A classic G&T that is guaranteed to turn heads. INGREDIENTS

50ml Sir Edmond Gin
150ml Premium tonic
Slice of orange
Cinnamon stick

METHOD Build over lots of ice, and garnish with a slice of orange and a cinnamon stick.

Ginato Pinot Grigio Spritz

Ginato Gin has created a refreshing cocktail with Prosecco suited to any occasion. INGREDIENTS

50ml Ginato Pinot Grigio Gin
50ml Prosecco
20ml Orange liqueur
20ml Soda
Garnish: Lemon slice

METHOD Combine all ingredients over ice in a large wine glass

Grand Kadoo Pineapple Sling

Mix Grand Kadoo's Pineapple rum with Campari for a delicious on-the-beach serve. INGREDIENTS

50ml Grand Kadoo Pineapple
15ml Campari
15ml Lime juice
50ml Pineapple juice
Garnish: Edible flower

METHOD Add all ingredients to an ice-filled highball glass, stir to integrate all ingredients and serve.

Penrhos Chilli Bee’s Knees

Penrhos Spirits is celebrating World Bee Day (20 May) for the third year running, with a delicious hot honey twist on a gin cocktail favourite, the Chilli Bee’s Knees. INGREDIENTS

50ml Penrhos Rhubarb
25ml Chilli honey syrup*
25ml Orange juice

METHOD Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Shake very well with ice. Strain into a coupe glass for a deliciously honey-infused cocktail. *(50:50 mix of honey and hot water, dissolve and let cool add 1 tsp of chilli flakes to taste)

What’s on in June 2023

Alice Brooker — Tue, 30 May 2023 15:53:49 +0000

Opportunities to drink while networking are rife, as June is packed full of international trade shows and bar takeovers – how else should you start the summer?

Get your diaries out – but don't feel too overwhelmed. This month is one for the networkers, whisky lovers, bar hoppers... essentially, there's something for everyone in June. Pay a visit to the renowned Fèis Ìle festival on Islay as it sees off its last few days, or start thinking about which industry event would suit you – Tequila and mezcal-based, or a gin-heavy show? Plus, bar takeovers are aplenty in the coming weeks, from agaveria Hacha's summer terrace in London with Cazcabel Tequila, to São Paulo's SubAstor hosting numerous famous industry faces in its hidden venue at Vila Madalena. Scroll on for the hottest spirits events taking place across the world this month.

Fèis Ìle festival

What: Music and malt festival When: 26 May-4 June Where: Islay, Scotland This nine-day music and whisky event takes place on the island of Islay in Scotland. Remaining days involve events at Kilchoman Distillery, a dram workshop, Elixir Distillers' bar takeover, and more. This year, whisky brands bottled special edition whiskies for the event. Elements of Islay has released 288 bottles of its limited edition Beach Bonfire blended malt, while Bruichladdich Distillery has also unveiled exclusive bottlings to celebrate this year’s Fèis Ìle: Bruichladdich Rock’ndaal 02.1 and Port Charlotte Rock’ndaal 02.2.

Cazcabel x Hacha summer terrace

What: A Tequila takeover with a dedicated Cazcabel cocktail menu When: 1 June-31 August Where: London, UK Taking place at London’s ‘leading agaveria’, Hacha in Brixton, the event will offer consumers a snazzy new menu, plus Tequila flights and Tequila tastings. The limited-time drinks list includes five serves, ranging between £8.50-£10 (US$10.51-US$12.36), and includes the Coffee Colada (Cazcabel Coconut, Cazcabel Coffee, cold brew slushy and a dollop of coconut cream), and the Chamomile Spritz (Cazcabel Blanco, Cazcabel Honey, chamomile lemon sherbet and a dash of Moet & Chandon Champagne).

Bacardi’s Caribbean Flavour Rooms

What: A rum brand’s multi-sensory experience Where: London, UK When: 3-4 June Celebrating the launch of its Caribbean Spiced rum in the UK, Bacardí has stepped up to host an immersive cocktail experience in June, with the promise of transporting visitors to a tropical paradise. Visitors aged 18 and over can venture across rooms that are specially designed to engage with the sensory system and trigger brain receptors through sight, sound, smell, and taste. The experience involves walking through clouds of cinnamon and vanilla, a sweet haze of aromas, and entering the Coconut Chamber, which is surrounded by coconut palm trees and an ode to the home of Bacardí. Finally, the pineapple party portal presents a mirrored infinity room filled with pineapples.

Norse Bar Show

What: Nordic bar show When: 3-6 June Where: Oslo, Norway A must-attend event for those in the Nordic region, Norse Bar Show will see a collaboration of some of the ‘best’ bars and personalities around the world to showcase brands, drinks and venues at the event this year. Seminars, bloody brunches and talks are on the table for this boozy trade fair. Ecuador bar Juliana is presenting a masterclass, The World's Best Cocktail Menu, which is also one not to miss.

Cocktail Spirits Paris

What: Bar show featuring the hottest takeovers When: 4-5 June Where: Paris, France This trade show will impress ticket holders with a number of features, including Campari Academy's creative director Monica Berg gracing the event with an educational platform, called Le Bar Rouge. Meanwhile, Seychelles-based rum brand Takamaka will host a takeover at Parisian bar Le Syndicat. Here, guests will have the opportunity to opportunity to nominate industry friends who have gone ‘above and beyond’ in support of their community for a trip to the Seychelles. The takeover, taking place on 4 June at 9pm (CEST) will present a special menu of Takamaka drinks, too.

SubAstor’s three-day stint

What: A South American bar’s takeover When: 4-6 June Where: São Paulo, Brazil Taking place at BCB São Paulo, SubAstor’s takeover, called The Mission, SubAstor Experience, will see ‘incredible guests’ serve drinks for three nights at the hidden cocktail bar in Vila Madalena. The bar will host the team of Chile's Enigma Bar and Malagueña on 4 June, Nico de Soto and Barcelona's Paradiso bar on 5 June, and Japanese bartender Shingo Gokan on 6 June. Th SubAstor team will then take guests on a two-day expedition to the coast to discover Atlantic Forest, and hunt herbs with a local forager.

Ginposium 2023

What: The leading gin industry event When: 9 June Where: London, UK The Gin Guild is hosting some of the 'world’s most respected personalities and experts' from the drinks sector this year, as they come together to discuss the state of the gin industry and share their knowledge and expertise on all things gin.

Ginposium is an opportunity for distillers, brand owners and gin industry workers to network and learn about the 'pressing issues' facing the industry.

Taking place at RSA House in London, experts from around the world bring their knowledge and experience to share.

Find out more at ginposium.com.

Tequila & mezcal festival

What: La Piñata Tequila & Mezcal Festival When: 9-10 June Where: London, UK Tobacco Dock’s celebration of agave spirits and Mexican culture returns to east London. The event offers up the opportunity to taste ‘some of the best’ Tequila and Mezcal side by side, with more than 20 producers present. Margaritas, Palomas and Micheladas will also be served for when you fancy something longer, while the masterclass room will host talks and tutored tastings with experts. Tickets for La Piñata are available from TimeOut from £14.95 (US$18.48) per person.

Bar Convent Brooklyn

What: The biggest Brooklyn bar show yet When: 13-14 June Where: New York, US With 2023's iteration of the event set to be the 'largest show yet' with 55 education seminars planned, Bar Convent Brooklyn is one not to miss if you catch yourself in the big apple this year. Head to Industry City in Brooklyn to see nearly 200 brands from around the world showcasing their offerings during the show – meaning a completely sold-out floor space. Exhibitors will include craft spirits brands, non-alcoholic beverages, mixers, bar supplies and more. Visitors from Italy, Japan, France, Latin America, Ireland and Korea are signed up to attend the show, to name just a few countries and regions. Plus, let your hair down at the event's closing night party, hosted by Jägermeister at House of Yes on 14 June.

the drinks business' 21st party

What: Garden party toasting to db's success When: 14 June Where: London, UK The drinks business will be celebrating its 21st anniversary at The Orangery in Holland Park, from 6pm-10pm (BST). Attend the 'twilight soirée' in the beautiful English garden for drinks, canapés, dancing, and raise a toast to 21 amazing years at our sister publication, the drinks business.

Top 10 global destination distilleries

Georgie Collins — Fri, 26 May 2023 09:25:06 +0000

So many distilleries to visit, so little time. We've rounded up the top 10 we think are worth spending the air-miles on, from the totally immersive to the jaw-droppingly beautiful.

With more and more brand homes inviting consumers in for a behind-the-scenes look at their operations, it can be difficult to work out which ones you should prioritise. If you don't have time to travel the world one distillery at a time, we recommend putting these 10 at the top of your list, and you can come back to the rest later.

The Glenturret, Scotland

As the oldest working whisky distillery in Scotland, The Glenturret’s history should be enough to tempt you to the banks of the Turret River in Perthshire for a visit, but if you do need some convincing, perhaps the promise of a Michelin-starred meal once you’re there will do the last bit of swaying. The Glenturret is home to the Lalique restaurant, an exclusive jewel box dining room that overlooks the old still houses of the distillery and offers dishes that bring the extraordinary landscape of Scotland onto the plate. Of course, whisky is the real soup du jour, with flights served in stunning Lalique crystal are on offer, drawn from a carefully curated list of more than 400 intriguing and rare single malt expressions. After lunch, you can then tour the distillery to see where the magic you’ve just consumed happens.

Nearest Green Distillery, Nashville, US

You can’t take a trip to Tennessee without visiting the home of one of the state’s most exciting whiskey brands. The Nearest Green Distillery is located an hour south of Nashville, and sits on a 432-acre site in the small town of Shelbyville. For those who enjoy a bit of history, the distillery tour and tasting they offer here is not one to miss. Your tour guide will take you on a comprehensive journey through time, with an historical introduction to the distillery’s namesake, Uncle Nearest, all the way through to the story behind how the distillery and the brand behind it came to be. After you’re done touring the grounds, you’ll have the chance to get your lips around a few whiskey samples, and then it’s time to hit the Humble Baron, which holds the record for having the longest bar in the world.

Takamaka’s Trois Frères Distillery, Seychelles

No one needs convincing to take a trip to the Seychelles, but if you’re at a loss of what to do once you’re there (aside from soaking up the sun), a visit to the Trois Frères Distillery is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. After all, what is better than sipping on award-winning rums while the sand sifts between your toes? The Trois Frères Distillery is where brothers Bernard and Richard d’Offay produce their portfolio of premium Takamaka rums. Pay them a visit and you’ll have the chance to check out the small museum which shares some of the history of both Seychelles as well as their famous rum and heritage site La Plaine St Andre. After completing the tour, enjoy a hosted rum tasting where the experts will give you an insight into the different styles of rums and how they are made. Don't forget to make friends with the distillery's resident tortoises, Taka and Maka.

Glenmorangie, Scotland

The still room of Glenmorangie’s distillery is a site to behold. Famed for its extra-tall swan neck stills (which famously make them as tall as a giraffe), its definitely worth the pilgrimage to the Scottish Highlands to see this beautiful display of copper. The tours available here run throughout the year, and are offered at a variety of prices, but it’s worth noting that the more you pay, the more samples of whisky you get to try. Once you’ve sampled enough drams, including some of the distillery’s more experimental expressions, book yourself in for a night at Glenmorangie House, the boutique guesthouse down the road that embodies the producer. There is no better way to immerse yourself in a brand than this.

Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience, Jamaica

Joy Spence is to Appleton Estate what the sun is to summer – integral. That is why the rum experience at the brand's Jamaica-based distillery is named for the master blender, who has spent more than four decades dedicating her skills to the rums produced here. The Appleton Estate rum experience is a one-of-a-kind sensory tour that will take you through the history of the brand and across the beautifully landscaped grounds where the rum's journey begins in the sugar cane fields. The distillery and ageing room are stops on the tour, and of course there's plenty of the good stuff to sample. Then, it's off to the air conditioned bar for some cocktails to end your visit, but there's definitely no time limit on how long you can spend in here.

Milk & Honey Distillery, Israel

The vibrant city of Tel Aviv is the home of Milk & Honey Distillery, and somewhere crucial to visit if you're looking for an insight into how award-winning spirits are produced in Israel. Get all your senses involved as you immerse in the whisky-making process, and explore the distillery's craft, charged with history and chemistry, technology and handwork. Here, they offer a variety of tours, workshops and private events for groups of up to 35 participants by prior arrangement, so if you've ever fancied trying your hand at pairing whisky with cheese, or want to know 'the secrets of the barrel room', this is worth the journey.

Hernö Gin Hotel, Sweden

While not strictly a distillery, the Hernö Gin Hotel is an international destination for gin lovers that should top your next vacation list. Located by the sea, close to the city of Härnösand and a 15-minute drive from the Hernö Gin distillery, the hotel spreads across nine floors, with 120 rooms, a restaurant, a cocktail bar and a conference department. It's connected to the city baths, and comes complete with sauna and spa, all available to hotel guests. Of course, for those looking to get geeky, a trip to the distillery isn't out of reach, and definitely isn't something to skip. It was the first gin distillery to open in Sweden back in 2011, and was inspired by the nature and the beauty of the surrounding area. Expect to learn the story of Hernö Gin, its products and the botanicals that are essential to the special character the brand's portfolio.

Kyoto Distillery House of Ki No Bi, Japan

The Kyoto Distillery was due to open its first brand home in March 2020, but plans were foiled by the global pandemic which hit that month. However, in June of that year, it eventually opened The House of Ki No Bi, a dedicated brand home for its acclaimed gin brand, believed to be Japan’s first dedicated gin distillery. It is located in the centre of the historical city of Kyoto and housed in a converted traditional ‘machiya’ townhouse, which was built more than 100 years ago as a timber mill. The space offers a shop on the first floor, while the bar area and exhibitions can be located on the second floor. In addition there is a blending room, and the team hosts seminars for gin enthusiasts where they showcase the distillery's philosophy and identity as a pioneer of Japanese spirits.

Four Pillars Distillery, Australia

Australia might seem far away for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, but once there, spirits lovers will feel right at home with the plethora of innovative and noteworthy brands coming out of the country. One such brand is the multi-award-winning Four Pillars, which opened its 'green' distillery last year. The AU$7 million (US$5.2m) distillery is the country’s first carbon-neutral gin site, with a space comprising Jude’s Gin Garden; Beth’s bar, a crafted copper bar; events spaces; and a Four Pillars gin shop. It was built using upcycled and recycled materials, including pineapple ‘leather’ upholstery. Furniture has been locally sourced, and solar power panels clad the roof. The construction project has meant that the brand can produce more than one million bottles of gin a year and host between 150-200,000 visitors annually, all of whom can enjoy a range of craft-led experiences, including gin masterclasses and gin maker sessions.

The Macallan Distillery, Scotland

Tours for this distillery have been known to sell out months in advance, such is the power of this world-renowned brand. The Macallan opened this £140m distillery in 2018, with an eyebrow-raising roof design that takes inspiration from ancient Scottish hills while 'minimising the visual impact' on the Speyside countryside. The undulating timber roof structure, thought to be one of the most complicated of its kind in the world, comprises 380,000 individual components. Macallan's is one of many experiences that can be found along Speyside’s 74-mile-long Malt Whisky Trail, but what this distillery offers is a little more on the premium side – with a price tag to match. If you're a die-hard Macallan fan, join the Mastery Experience, which includes a five-course dinner and whisky flight which will set you back £250 (US$309) a head, or you could make the most of the brand's partnership with Bentley Motors and opt for the chauffeured experience, priced at £5,000 (US$6186) for four guests.

Top 10 award-winning Asian spirits

Nicola Carruthers — Wed, 24 May 2023 09:22:47 +0000

Asian spirits are taking off across the world as consumers seek new flavours and experiences. Here, we reveal some of the region's most acclaimed bottlings.

Asian spirits producers are putting their spin on products that are commonly associated with the West, such as gin, vodka and rum. Distillers have experimented with exotic ingredients native to their countries to create high-quality spirits that are making waves in markets across the world. This year’s Asian Spirits Masters competition sought to put a spotlight on the excellent products being produced in the region. Among the judges for the 2023 blind tasting were: Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business magazine, and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions (The GSMC); Jamie Rowe, bar manager at Gouqi; Ruchira Neotia, partner – Collectivino; Matt Chambers, spirits writer and co-founder of the Whisky for Everyone blog; Dr Winnie Bowman, Cape wine master, wine and spirits judge and writer; and Bryan Rodriguez-Curtis, wine and spirits buyer at Harvey Nichols. The panel sampled spirits from every corner of the region, including Japanese whisky, vodka from the Philippines, Indian gin and Cambodian rum. Read on to see the 10 bottles that scooped a Master or Gold medal.

135° East Hyogo Dry Gin

The Gold-winning 135˚ East Hyogo Dry Gin stormed to success in the Gin Made in Asia flight, with one judge praising the product’s “fresh and vibrant on the nose with plenty of zest on the palate”. Produced at Kaikyo Distillery, the Japanese gin includes local botanicals such as sencha, yuzu, shiso leaf, ume and sansho pepper, alongside angelica, coriander and juniper. Kaikyo Distillery is based on the same site as the Akashi Sake Brewery in the city of Akashi, in the southern Hyōgo prefecture.

Cream Liqueur Chocolate with Baijiu Concept

Looking to liqueurs made in Asia, and business-to-business liqueur manufacturer Creamy Creation took home the top award for its Cream Liqueur Coconut with Baijiu Concept. The expression was lauded for its product’s “indulgent creaminess and vibrant coconut flavour, complemented by subtle baijiu, which adds depth to the liqueur”. The producer also received a Gold medal for its Cream Liqueur Chocolate with Baijiu Concept, with its “rich, luscious” palate. Earlier this year, Creamy Creation launched a new range inspired by Asian spirits.

Tanduay Double Rum

Philippine brand Tanduay Double Rum was one of three worthy Gold medallists in the rum flight. The rum reminded the judges of a barrel warehouse with its “oaky, vanilla” aroma. Tasting notes included “a touch of cinnamon, caramel ice cream, and light spice”. Tanduay is among the top-selling spirits in the world. Tanduay owns and operates the biggest distillery in the Philippines, with more than 120,000 barrels totalling a capacity of 24 million gauge litres, allowing it to ‘meet the demand of different markets worldwide’.

Trading Tides Gin

Master medallist Trading Tides Gin by Third Eye Distillery was described as “light, bright and fresh” on the nose, with “a hint of Parma Violets on the palate”. “Complex and well made,” one member of the panel noted. India’s Third Eye Distillery worked with Four Pillars Gin to create Trading Tides gin, inspired by the latter’s Australian home. The gin draws from the flavours and botanicals found in Australia.

Archipelago Barrel Reserve Gin

Another Philippines-based distiller was successful in securing a medal in this year’s tasting. Family-owned Full Circle Craft Distillers Co scored the top Master accolade for its Barrel Reserve Gin, enjoyed for its “white chocolate, almost fudge-like” notes on the nose. “The palate really shines with citrus, lime and lemon zest, pine aromatics, and a long and spicy finish,” one judge said. “It shows a good barrel-aged gin.” Full Circle also won a Master medal for its Archipelago Navy Strength Gin during the competition. Full Circle was co-founded in 2018 by husband-and-wife team Matthew and Laurie Westfall on the foothills of Mount Makiling in Calamba, Laguna. The company recently rolled out its Archipelago gin brand in the US.

Kamiki Whisky

Yoshino Spirits Co’s Kamiki Whisky was celebrated for “orange notes on the nose with a slight ‘meaty’ smokiness”, resulting in a Master medal during a tasting of Japanese whiskies. One judge noted how the “peatiness doesn’t detract from the other tasting notes”, creating a “perfectly balanced whisky”. The 48% ABV expression is a blend of Japanese malt whiskies, malt whiskies from the rest of the world and spring water from Japan. It claims to be the world’s first whisky finished in Japanese cedar casks.

Hayashi 8 Years Ryukyu Whisky

The second Master winner in the Japanese whisky flight was Hayashi 8 Years Ryukyu Whisky, described as “very multi-layered” with “lots of aromatics and some salinity”. “I love Clynelish, and this reminds me slightly of that salinity,” one judge said. “It’s the kind of whisky that if I heard about it and didn’t have it, I’d go somewhere that did – it’s delicious.” The single grain whisky was aged for eight years in Bourbon casks and bottled at 43% ABV.

Short Story Grain Vodka

Third Eye Distillery grabbed a Master medal for Short Story Grain Vodka, which impressed the panel with its “aromatic and savoury” aroma, “some lime peel, hints of clove and warming spice” on the palate. The Indian vodka was triple distilled and filtered through charcoal. Released last year, the Short Story spirits range also includes an Indo-Caribbean white rum and a London Dry gin.

Samai Gold Rum

Cambodia also proved that its capable of producing high-quality spirits. Phnom Penh-based Samai Distillery received a Gold medal for its namesake gold rum. Judges enjoyed its “Jamaican-funk-like aroma” and “ripe tropical fruits” on the palate. The molasses-based rum is made with a drop of local organic honey and aged for two to four years in French and American oak barrels, ex-Bourbon barrels and Sherry casks.

Archipelago Lava Rock Vodka

Full Circle Craft Distillers grabbed a Gold medal for its “vibrant, creamy” Archipelago Lava Rock Vodka. The vodka was copper distilled in small batches, and naturally filtered over lava rocks from the volcanoes of Taal and Mayon. The Archipelago (Arc for short) range also includes Botanical Gin, Barrel Reserve Gin, Black Bamboo Gin and Navy Strength Gin.

Top 10 marketing moves in April 2023

Alice Brooker — Tue, 23 May 2023 08:20:26 +0000

From Dos Hombres' new line of merchandise to the latest series of The Three Drinkers, we've rounded up the marketing highlights of spirits brands from April.

April largely saw spirits brands making their presence known across the world, with companies entering fresh partnerships with distributors based in Greece, Austria, Germany, Taiwan and more. Desolas went another way to boost its brand with marketing, opting to serve the mezcal in two cocktails in Florida bar and restaurant chain Tap 42. Plus, Larsen Cognac looked to reinvigorate the Cognac category with its campaign to promote its new ‘Discover’ concept, which aims to confront the spirit's ‘traditional image’. Scroll on for the marketing moves that stood out in April. For more marketing round-ups, check out the top 10 list from March.

Portugal welcomes Sly Dog

Spiced rum brand Sly Dog has teamed up with distributor Honest Dragon to expand to Portugal for the first time. Honest Dragon is a new player in premium drinks distribution, and specialises in ‘discovering’ high-quality up-and-coming drinks brands, Sly Dog said. Its partnership with Sly Dog will see the rum brand promoted and supported in Portugal. Sly Dog is made using high-quality natural ingredients, resulting in a smooth, rich, and complex rum. With its ‘bold notes and smooth finish’, Sly Dog Rum is recommended mixed with cola or in cocktails such as a Mai Tai, Espresso Martini, or Screwdriver. Cocktail recipes can be found on the brand’s website.

Langley’s Gin teams up with Perola

Langley’s Gin has secured listings in Austria, Germany, and Singapore through distributor Perola. The gin has been made available in the three markets after achieving a ‘major stronghold’ in Europe and Asia already. Arkaitz Giménez, sales director at Charter Brands, said: “Perola’s expert knowledge coupled with Charter’s ambitious plans for the brand means we’re confident that Langley’s will be enthusiastically received by discerning consumers across the new regions.” The brand also entered Greece after partnering with Amvyx. Antony Panagiotareas, marketing manager at Amvyx, said: “Langley’s branding, competitive pricing and superb quality of liquid plays perfectly into the Greek market.”

Desolas gains chain approval

Mezcal brand Desolas has teamed up with Florida bar and restaurant chain Tap 42 to serve two cocktails in its venues. The Maui Wowie Margarita and Frozen Mango Margarita will be available in all nine Tap 42 Craft Kitchen and Bar locations in South Florida. The Maui Wowie Margarita blends pineapple, lime, ginger, and orange notes with Desolas Mezcal. The Frozen Mango Margarita is described as a ‘refreshing twist’ on the classic Margarita. GG Mirvis, CEO of Desolas, said: “Tap 42 is highly regarded for its handcrafted beverage programme, and the new cocktails will make for the perfect, refreshing addition.” Desolas was founded in 2020, and is made using Salmiana agave grown in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

El Tequileño expands into Greece

Charter Brands has secured a listing in Greece for El Tequileño Tequila with Athens-based sales and marketing agency Deals. El Tequileño is further expanding its presence after recently launching in Australia and Spain. Steffin Oghene, vice-president of global marketing and business development at El Tequileño, noted the Greek market “was an obvious choice in the distribution plans for El Tequileño” due to its “vibrant hospitality scene”. Arkaitz Giménez, sales director at Charter Brands, said Tequila “is having a major moment in Greece”. “We see massive potential for El Tequileño, due to its offering in the premium house-pouring segment with the Blanco, Reposado and the super-premium segment with the 1959 range,” he said.

Video highlights terroir of Depaz

La Martiniquaise-Bardinet has released a marketing campaign video to spotlight the terroir of its Depaz agricole rum brand. Established in 1917 by Victor Depaz, the rum distillery is located on the island of Martinique. The new campaign video highlights the brand’s production method, from harvesting sugarcane to fermentation and distillation. Depaz built the distillery following the 1902 eruption of the Mount Pelée Volcano on Martinique, which destroyed the town of Saint Pierre, and killed his entire family. The ‘rich volcanic soil’ gives the ‘ideal growing conditions’ for sugarcane, the brand said. Today, the brand combines traditional production techniques with innovative, modern approaches to create a more sustainable way of working.

Dos Hombres dresses for success

Breaking Bad duo Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have unveiled new merchandise for their mezcal brand Dos Hombres. The two actors entered the mezcal category in 2019. The liquid is created with spirit from mezcal producers in San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca. The brand’s new spring clothing line comprises a tan hoodie, joggers, and T-shirt, a matching short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and a duffle bag. Prices range between US$40 and US$75 for the items. The actors said they will donate 100% of proceeds from the merchandise to the building of infrastructure in the village of San Luis del Rio. Proceeds will help support projects such as rebuilding roads, agave reforestation and water purification for the village.

Portofino Dry Gin makes a splash

Italian brand Portofino Dry Gin has partnered with One Ocean Foundation to support the conservation of the marine and coastal environment. The gin brand has made a pledge to support One Ocean Foundation’s actions aimed at safeguarding the environment as a donor, taking particular action on the sea, the landscape and the people of the Gulf of Portofino. The partners will look to safeguard the Portofino Natural Park, and promote the Blue Economy – the sustainable use of the ocean’s resources for economic growth, while preserving the health of the ocean’s ecosystem.

The Three Drinkers explores Cognac

Drinks travel show The Three Drinkers, produced by and starring Aidy Smith and Helena Nicklin, is returning for a third series on Amazon Prime. The latest episodes will fall under the title The Three Drinkers in Cognac, and will follow Smith and Nicklin as they embark on a journey around the region, while learning about the traditional French spirit, as well as other local products. “We like to showcase drinks through a lifestyle lens, in a relaxed, unintimidating setting,” explained Nicklin. Smith added: “One of the most important aspects of this series is to highlight that Cognac doesn’t belong at the back of your grandparent’s cupboard and we’ll be exploring a number of simple serves and cocktails that the audience can create from the comfort of their homes.”

Takamaka rum heads to Taiwan

Seychelles-based rum brand Takamaka has teamed up with distributor Bring the Rocks to launch in Taiwan. The partnership aligns with the brand’s plan to increase its availability in Asia this year. Trois Frères Distillery creates Takamaka Rum in the Seychelles. Brothers Richard and Bernard d’Offay founded Takamaka almost 20 years ago. Bring the Rocks was established in 2014, and is based in Taiwan. The boutique distributor and importer focuses on alcoholic beverages, and plans to extend its presence across Asia throughout the year.

Larsen Cognac push ‘reinvigorates’ brand Discover Cognac

Larsen Cognac has created a campaign to promote its new ‘Discover’ concept, intended to confront the category’s ‘traditional image’ and ‘reinvigorate’ the brand. The campaign, launched last month, will aim to introduce the brand to new audiences. Mika Raukko, category marketing manager for Larsen Cognac, said: “The world is changing and so are the consumers. To most people Cognac is a niche product, consumed by the few. At Larsen we have always been open to the idea that Cognac can be enjoyed in many different ways and by different types of people. The Discovery concept will be backed by a new collaboration and limited edition product, due to be launched in late 2023.

Around the world in 10 award-winning whiskies

Georgie Collins — Thu, 18 May 2023 14:19:17 +0000

To mark World Whisky Day 2023 (20 May), we're taking you on an around-the-world adventure, one award-winning whisky at a time.

We've crossed oceans, navigated continents and travelled to the ends of the earth (almost) to bring you some of the best whiskies from around the globe for you to enjoy this World Whisky Day. From single-malted expressions to creative mash bill experiments, there is something for every whisky drinker in this top 10 list. Keep reading to find your perfect bottle.

Ireland – Method and Madness Rye & Malt

Method and Madness Rye & Malt is the first aged experimental distillate release created at the micro distillery in Midleton, Ireland. This rye-meets-malt bottling, which boasts a mash bill of 60% rye and 40% malted barley, took home a Gold medal in the 2022 Irish Whiskey Masters blind tasting competition. Judge Chris Tanner, general manager of Silverleaf bar in London, found “a nice hint of malt on the nose bolstered by underlying spice”, with “notes of rock candy and tropical fruit” on the palate. It was matured in ex-Bourbon casks and bottled at an ABV of 46%. The brand recently released a new Irish whiskey finished in Quercus Garryana white oak casks – a first for the category.

England – Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Rum Cask Single Malt

From a distillery located in the midst of one of England's Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), this Master medal-winning whisky takes its name after the ‘heart’ cut of the spirit run during production, and the well-known 19th century Arts & Crafts movement which flourished in the Cotswolds and placed great emphasis on traditional craftsmanship. The Rum Cask Single Malt Whisky has been aged in rejuvenated French oak ex-red wine casks seasoned with fine Caribbean rum. This has imparted notes of soft brown sugar and ripe pears on the ‘well-balanced’ expression. With baked apple and vanilla ice cream on the nose, the new release finishes with flavours of tropical fruit and orange peel.

America – WhistlePig Piggyback Rye

We now travel from England over to New England in the US for a taste of the Gold medal-winning “mouth-coating with cherry pops and cream soda” Whistlepig Piggyback Rye, the youngest expression to come out of the innovative Vermont-based distillery. Piggyback 100% Rye was aged for six years before being bottled at 48.28% ABV, and further tasting notes include aromas of cinnamon, black peppercorn and grapefruit zest, leading to a ‘powerfully spicy’ palate, with cocoa, cardamom and cured leather. The finish is ‘wonderfully lengthy’, with baking spices, oak and vanilla.

Australia – Starward Ginger Beer Cask #7

Every year Melbourne-based distillery Starward brings out its latest ginger beer-aged innovation, and every year consumers go mad for it, which is likely why the judges awarded the seventh edition of this bottling a Master medal. This particular expression has been been finished in ginger beer casks for a generous 12 months – twice as long as its sixth edition – which has given the double pot distilled whisky an extra generous level of citrussy spice. It also spent some time in apera (Australian fortified wine) and wine casks sourced from across the globe. Expect notes of warming, fresh ginger alongside more mellow, candied ginger, vanilla syrup, and tropical fruit.

India – Rampur Double Cask Indian Single Malt Whisky

The gold-hued liquid found inside this bottle of Indian single malt whisky matches the colour of the medal it received from the judges at the annual World Whisky blind tasting. The judges found it to be “salty and coastal on the nose, tropical with a lovely trail of spice on the finish”. This whisky spent two-thirds of its life in American oak Bourbon barrels, and the remaining third in European oak Sherry casks, the latter of which has given it a balance of dry Sherry spice, while the former has provided sweeter, tropical notes.

Scotland – The Peat Monster, Compass Box

Its a fleeting visit to the world's most famous whisky-producing country, so it's important to make an impact, and this bottling from Compass Box definitely leaves a lasting impression. First released to the worldwide market in 2004, The Peat Monster went on to become one of Compass Box’s most popular expressions, according to the brand. It is loved so much that Compass Box recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with a limited edition release. The judges in The Scotch Whisky Masters 2022 blind tasting found it to be “herbaceous and vegetal”, ultimately awarding it a Gold medal. Its definitely the whisky for those who love big, rich, smoky-peaty malts.

Taiwan – Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask Single Malt

Taiwanese distillery Kavalan is no stranger to medals from our World Whisky Masters competition, so if you're looking for an award-winning whisky from this region, you're spoilt for choice. But if there's one particular dram we think you should opt for this World Whisky Day, it's this Triple Sherry Cask expression. This single malt has been matured in a combination of oloroso, Pedro Ximenex and Moscatel Sherry casks, which has given it plenty of layers of dried fruit and nuts which compliment the distillery's signature tropical character. Summer berries, dried fruit, grapes, orange, chocolate brownies and toffee aromas treat the nose, while caramel, honey, candied mango, cinnamon, raisins and dates are detected throughout the palate.

Wales – Penderyn Myth

This Welsh single malt from Penderyn, located in the country's picturesque Brecon Beacons, has been aged in ex-Bourbon barrels and bottled at 41% ABV. Part of the distillery’s popular Dragon Range, Myth is a sweet and light whisky, and the sister expression of Penderyn Legend. It boasts honey, citrus and apple flavours on the palate, ending with a smooth, warming finish. The judges of The World Whisky Masters 2022 gave it a Gold medal, and described it as an “easy sipping” whisky, with a “banana custard nose, peach and summer fruit”.

South Africa – Three Ships Whisky 21 Year Old Millennium (Master)

It's down to the tip of the African continent for this Master medal-winning 21-year-old whisky. Three Ships 21 Year Old Millennium is bottled at 51.8% ABV, and has been aged in ex-Bourbon American oak casks for 10 years, before spending another five resting in 300-litre hogsheads. The final six years were spent in seasoned oloroso Sherry casks and older ex-Bourbon American oak. Judge Billy Abbott, ambassador at The Whisky Exchange, said: “The palate is very approachable, especially for the ABV, with an appropriately intense cinder toffee, toffee and brown sugar sweetness running through with mint, liquorice, and anise.”

Denmark – Stauning Rye Whisky

Our around-the-world trip concludes in Denmark, and what a way to end this whisky-based adventure. Gold medal-winning Stauning Rye is produced with malted Danish rye and barley, which has been floor-malted at the distillery. It is distilled on open-fired stills, and matured in new American oak barrels, and was praised by Abbott for its “solidly spicy nose – gingerbread, spiced biscuits and a load of green leaves” and “rye-forward palate with layers of chocolate, mint and grass”. This is definitely a bottle that will stand out on your shelves, but if you want something extra eye-catching, treat yourself to one of the brand's limited edition DIY bottle design kits, a new innovation from the distillers that has been launched as a work-around to bottle supply issues.

Top 10 spirits launches in April 2023

Georgie Collins — Thu, 18 May 2023 10:01:58 +0000

From ready-to-pour cocktails to Tequilas with a difference, April wasn't short of interesting spirits releases, as our round-up of the top 10 of the month proves.

If you're looking for the perfect base for your non-alcoholic 'G&T' this summer, Tanqueray has stepped up to the plate with its latest 0.0 release, while for those looking wanting to add a tropical kick to their Espresso Martinis, the latest launch from Australian coffee liqueur brand Mr Black will do the job. Keep reading to find out what else made its debut in April, and see here for the best of what March had to offer.

Glenmorangie Cadboll Estate

After 15 years of maturation, two whiskies made from liquid created from two separate barley harvests were married to create the third-batch release of Glenmorangie The Cadboll Estate. Each whisky was aged in American oak Bourbon barrels, before a small portion of liquid was finished in ex-Amontillado Sherry casks. The result is a limited edition whisky with tasting notes of honey, hazelnut, mandarin orange and toffee on the nose, and a palate that brings a ‘spicy mouthfeel’ with heather honey, gingerbread, hazelnut praline, fudge and a touch of clove. The finish has hints of almond marzipan, coconut and a ‘suggestion of baking fruit loaves’.

Patrón El Cielo

Bacardi-owned Patrón created what is thought to be the world’s first ‘prestige’ Tequila distilled four times, called El Cielo. Patrón El Cielo is described as ‘the ultimate innovation in silver Tequila’, having been made with a ‘distinctive distillation process’ and a balance of cooked agave, which is rich in sweetness and citrus notes. According to the brand, it took more than 150 tasting sessions to perfect the final flavour profile. Master distiller David Rodriguez said: “Our goal is to achieve perfection in every drop – by using this unique, four-time distillation process, we unlocked and opened up the natural sweetness and smoothness from the agave to deliver an incredibly sweet and light tasting, smooth Tequila.”

Mr Black Coconuts

Australian coffee liqueur brand Mr Black has once again collaborated with Bundaberg rum to launch a limited edition coconut-flavoured bottling, which combines Mr Black’s signature cold brew Arabica coffee liqueur with Bundaberg Small Batch Reserve rum and coconuts. Recommended served in an Espresso Martini, the liqueur is said to offer sweet aromas of roasted coconuts, vanilla, caramel, orange marmalade, and nutmeg, complemented by flavours of rich coffee, vanilla, dark chocolate, oak spice, marmalade, butterscotch and coconut throughout. Tropical and punchy.

Caleño canned non-alcoholic cocktails

Speaking of tropical, non-alcoholic ‘spirits’ brand Caleño took the high-tempo vibes of a mini Columbian fiesta and put them into a can last month, releasing two ready-to-drink, non-alcoholic cocktails made using its two core ‘spirits’: Dark & Spicy and Light & Zesty. Caleño Pineapple Piña Colada Spritz and Caleño Passion Fruit Martini Spritz are the brand’s debut canned serves. The former is described as a bubbly Spritz with notes of juicy pineapple, toasted coconut and complex spices, while the latter is blended with citrus, passion fruit and vanilla to deliver a refreshing, carbonated-take on the well-loved Passion Fruit Martini.

The Singleton 40 Years Old

Last month, Diageo-owned The Singleton unveiled a limited edition 40-year-old single malt to conclude its Epicurean Odyssey collection – a story which proved very popular with our readers in April. The 40-year-old Singleton single malt was the third and final bottling in the Epicurean Odyssey series, and presents notes of velvet dark chocolate and rich plums. Master of malt Maureen Robinson said they “sought out specially selected Ron Zacapa XO casks for a final indulgent finish to the whisky, which deliver an intensely rich, fruity and smooth finish to bring deep notes of dark chocolate”.

OP Anderson Petronella Raspberry

This latest release from OP Anderson is one to bookmark for the next time you hit the slopes. OP Anderson Petronella Raspberry launched with the aim of ‘modernising’ the schnapps (or snaps) category. Bottled at a lower alcohol strength of 25% ABV, OP Anderson Petronella is described as ‘rounded and robust’, with raspberry flavour and a touch of spiciness. It is recommended to be served with herring, salmon and fresh salads; brand owner Anora Group suggests serving the raspberry schnapps in a Spritz cocktail, and as an apéritif with ice.

MoShine by Nelly

While several celebrities moved into the gin category this month, in April Hot in Herre rapper Nelly broke the mould and launched a moonshine brand called MoShine in homage to his hometown of St Louis in Missouri (MO). The brand was created in partnership with North Carolina-based Piedmont Distillers, described as one of the world’s oldest legal moonshine producers. The 30% ABV spirit is available in two flavours: peach, and passion fruit, and is a triple-distilled, corn-based moonshine. Nelly’s signature drink for the brand is The Fix, which combines the peach-flavoured MoShine with Red Bull.

Sierra Tropical Chilli

When you want Tequila but with less of an ABV punch, Tequila brand Sierra has the solution: its new lower-strength expression infused with tropical fruits. The new expression offers flavours of mango, passion fruit and a hint of chilli, and is made with a base of Sierra Tequila Blanco and bottled at 18% ABV. Jessica Lopez, Sierra Tequila’s brand ambassador, said the new expression aimed to “take your party to the next level”, following the brand’s motto of ‘lead the party’. "With the unique blend of exotic fruits and the spiciness of chilli, Sierra Tropical Chilli will send your taste buds on an exciting journey and delight your party guests," she said.

Grey Goose bottled Martini

Ever struggled to make the perfect Martini at home? Grey Goose’s latest innovation solves that problem, with a pre-mixed bottling of the iconic cocktail. The new Grey Goose Classic Martini Cocktail (35% ABV) can make between eight to 10 Martinis from a 750ml bottle, and combines Grey Goose vodka, dry French vermouth and a dash of orange bitters. All you have to do is shake or stir a 75ml measure from the bottle for 30 seconds over ice, pour into a glass and garnish with an olive or lemon twist.

Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla 0.0%

Joining the brand’s existing alcohol-free variant, Tanqueray 0.0%, Flor de Sevilla 0.0% is Tanqueray’s latest alcohol-free bottling, crafted to offer ‘a bold, bittersweet taste of the sun-soaked Mediterranean’ with balanced, zesty flavours of Sevilla orange, orange blossom and Tanqueray London Dry’s core botanicals. “For those looking to moderate without compromising on quality, Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla 0.0% is the perfect alcohol-free alternative and ideal for those relaxed early evening moments,” said Lucy Barrett, marketing manager for alcohol-free spirits at Diageo GB. It’s already available to purchase from Sainsbury’s stores in the UK, and a wider market roll-out is planned to follow later this year. Just in time for drinks-in-the-garden season.