Entertainment Arts Acquires Lake Tahoe Distilling

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Entertainment Arts Research (EARI) said it acquired Lake Tahoe Distilling, producer of Cave Rock Cacao Whiskey, and Elemental Spirits, producers of handcrafted bitters and hydrosols.

Morningstar describes EARI as “a U.S.-based service and game development company engaged i developing and delivering an mature suite of web-based business marketing and online communication tools via the SaaS model.  But throughout 2021, the company says, EARI “gradually transitioned to becoming a diversified conglomerate of beverage brands,” owning Bell City Brewing,a Canadian brewpub; Betta4U Brands; FoodyTV, and now producers of bitters and spirits.

In a public offering statement filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission on Oct. 15, 2021, EARI said it sought to raise $15 million by selling 200 million shares at 7.5 cents each.

 

 

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Old Bridge Cellars to Rep Robert Craig Winery

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Old Bridge Cellars said it entered into a long-term contract as the wholesale sales and marketing company for Robert Craig Winery.

Since 2013, Robert Craig Winery has expanded its vineyard holdings beyond their physical and spiritual home on Howell Mountain to be 85% estate-grown, with significant acquisitions not only on Howell Mountain but in Mount Veeder and Coombsville AVAs as well.  Owning these coveted vineyard sources allows them to maintain exceptional quality while remaining competitively priced in Napa Valley.

Old Bridge Cellars will promote ten small-production wines across the U.S. market with Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($70 SRP) and Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP $110) being the most widely available.

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Service Sector Economic Activity Slows in February

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

The just-released Services PMI report from the Institute for Supply Management shows economic activity in the services sector grew in February for the 21st consecutive month.  But that growth was at a slower pace, with the Services PMI at 56.5%, 3.4 percentage points below January’s reading of 59.9 percent. The Business Activity Index registered 55.1 percent, a decrease of 4.8 percentage points compared to the reading of 59.9 percent in January, and the New Orders Index figure of 56.1 percent is 5.6 percentage points lower than the January reading of 61.7 percent.

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Bulleit Extends Line to Include Ready-to-Serve Cocktails

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Bulleit Frontier Whiskey (Diageo) introduces Bulleit Crafted Cocktails, a new premium line of whiskey-based ready-to-serve cocktails ready to pour straight from the bottle.  First up: Bulleit Manhattan and Bulleit Old Fashioned.

“As a brand rooted in bartender culture, we collaborated with a number of leading bartenders to perfect and refine two timeless whiskey cocktails, the Old Fashioned and Manhattan,” said Sophie Kelly, Senior VP-Whiskies, Diageo. “With Bulleit Crafted Cocktails, consumers can pour and serve bar quality, crafted cocktails wherever they are. Whilst nothing can replace the full experience of enjoying a drink made by your local bartender, Bulleit Crafted Cocktails are as close as you can get.”

“It can take time to master a Manhattan or Old Fashioned,” said Adam Geissler, Bulleit Brand Ambassador. “Luckily bartenders are masters of their craft and have been skillfully making these cocktails with our whiskeys for years, so it was only right we had them help us create these products to help put bartender quality cocktails in the hands of people (21+) to enjoy without the time or fuss of cocktail preparation.”

Bulleit Old Fashioned Cocktail is a sweet blend of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, with the classic flavors of aromatic orange bitters and simple syrup, enhancing the hints of spice from the high-rye bourbon. The Bulleit Rye Manhattan was inspired by the simple belief that a spicier rye makes for a better Manhattan. The Straight Rye Whiskey packs a punch with subtle deep flavor, that’s balanced out by sweet vermouth and bitters which add a brilliant layer of complexity.

To help launch Bulleit Crafted Cocktails, the brand is putting the ready to serve cocktails in the hands of those on the frontier by working with bartenders on a content series exploring unique ways to garnish, and by celebrating with cultural pioneers starting with those breaking the boundaries of film and television at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles.

Bulleit Crafted Cocktails are a permanent addition to the Bulleit portfolio and are available now nationwide. The Bulleit Manhattan and Bulleit Old Fashioned ready-to-serve cocktails are available in 375mL and 750mL bottles, contain 37.5% ABV and have a suggested retail price of $29.99 (750mL).

 

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Who & What —

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

Austin Eastciders hires John Glick as president/general manager, succeeding Brad McKeever, who is retiring as CEO after 30 years in the industry.  Glick, most recently a consultant, has 30 years of experience at Anheuser-Busch, where he wqs vp-business development, and Craft Beer Alliance, wheere he was vp-emerging business and supply chain.

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What We’re Reading —

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Joel Whitaker

What You Need to Know About Vodka in Light of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Russian-made vodka is a small player in the U.S. bev/al market, with only Russian Standard having any significant role, writes Chuck Cowdrey, who lists the five major producers of grain neutral spirits (a.k.a. vodka) in the U.S. along with the interesting factoid that “Ukraine is much like the American Midwest in being a huge grower and exporter of wheat and other cereals. Egypt, the ‘bread basket’ of the Mediterranean in Roman times, is now a major importer of wheat, most of which comes from Ukraine and Russia.”

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