Brothers Bond Bourbon Hot Toddy Kit

Posted on December 15, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Brother’s Bond Bourbon is launching a Hot Toddy cocktail kit with Cocktail Courier. Each kit includes one 750ml Brother’s Bond Bourbon, three Chai Tea Bags, four ounces of Honey Syrup, and four lemons.  The curated kit features Brother’s Bond Bourbon and all the ingredients to craft the perennial tipple. The kit, perfect as a gift or for at-home entertaining, is available via www.CocktailCourier.com for $74.99 + shipping.

Posted in Gift Sets | Tagged | Comments Off on Brothers Bond Bourbon Hot Toddy Kit

What We’re Reading —

Posted on December 15, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

A Perfect Storm of Disruptions Will Create a Global Champagne Shortage

After a perfect storm of disruptions, the U.S. is currently in the early stages of a Champagne shortage that is expected to last several years. (Beverage Industry Enthusiast)

Posted in What We're Reading | Comments Off on What We’re Reading —

Iowa Liquor Sales Rise 13.2% in Year

Posted on December 14, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Total liquor sales by the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division for fiscal 2021, ended June 30, were $415.8 million, a 13.2% increase from fiscal 2020, the agency said in its just-released annual report.  Total net revenue — which includes not only liquor profits but also funds generated by gallonage and barrel taxes on beer and wine, as well as licensing and regulatory efforts — totaled more than $168 million.

The total beer gallons sold rose 92.79% in fiscal 2021 to 95,980,406 gallons, and total total wine gallons sold rose 92.8% to 6.5 million.

Liquor sales rose about 7.3% to 6.5 million gallons.  Reflecting continue premiumization, distilled spirits’ dollar sales rose 13.2% to $415.8 million.

The top suppliers by gallons, in order, were Sazerac, Diageo Americas, Heaven Hill, Luxco, Jim Beam Brands, Fifth Generation, Pernod Ricard USA, Proximo Spirits, Bacardi USA and Brown-Forman.    In terms of dollar sales, Diageo led the list, followed by Sazerac, Jim Beam Brands, Heaven Hill Brands, Pernod Ricard, Fifth Generation, Bacardi USA, Brown-Forman, Luxco and Proximo Spirits.

Posted in Sales | Tagged | Comments Off on Iowa Liquor Sales Rise 13.2% in Year

Bogle Family Vineyards Will Use Lighter Bottles to Reduce Carbon Footprint

Posted on December 14, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Bogle Family Vineyards introduced new, lighter glass bottles that will cut packaging weight by 10% or 2,235 tons starting in 2022.

The first lighter bottles being featured in Bogle’s traditional line of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Essential Red, Pinot Noir and Merlot. This change in glass type for the Bogle brand will cut down weight by 1,695 tons.

The Juggernaut brand will see a 540-ton reduction with new Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir bottles.

“Our family’s commitment to sustainability has always been a top priority in both our vineyards and in our winery, and now we are looking at how to make an impact with each and every bottle that is opened and enjoyed,” said VOP-Consumer Relations Jody Bogle. “For many years, the assumption has been that consumers believe the heavier the bottle, the higher the quality of wine inside. Our family seeks to change this belief and show that outstanding quality wines can and should be made with sustainability as a priority.”

Lighter weight glass bottles consume fewer raw materials, use less energy to produce and reduce the amount of fuel and emissions during transport. The 2,235 tons, or approximately 4.5 million pounds reduced with the introduction of lighter glass is the winery’s first step toward packaging weight reduction.

“There is a significant environmental impact at every point in the bottle’s lifecycle so we will continue to explore further packaging adjustments to lower weights for all of our wines,” said VP-Winemaking Eric Aafedt. “We are still able to deliver high-quality wine, but these new bottles will reduce our impact on the environment.”

Posted in Packaging, Sustainability | Tagged | Comments Off on Bogle Family Vineyards Will Use Lighter Bottles to Reduce Carbon Footprint

The Categories & Brands That ‘Won’ Thanksgiving

Posted on December 14, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Liquor accounted for 45% of its Thanksgiving (Nov. 23-25) sales, Drizly reports. It held 45% of share over the stocking period, compared to just 41%  last year, a sure sign that consumer preferences for liquor will hold true through a historically wine-centric holiday season.

Wine took the second spot, experiencing a slight year-over-year decline to 43% in 2021 from 44% in 2020, and beer experienced a decline of three percentage points year-over-year (to 12% from 15%).

The 10 top-selling liquor brands on Drizly during the Thanksgiving sell period were (in order) Tito’s, Casamigoes, Johnnie Walker, Don Julio, Bullett, Jack Daniel’s, Clase Azul, Jameson, The Macallan and Smirnoff.

Premium and luxury brands were winners over Thanksgiving 2021, with Champagne and sparkling wine making a strong showing in the wine category. “Despite discussion of Champagne shortages, Champagne continues to top both the top-selling SKU and brand lists from the wine category in the days leading up to Thanksgiving in 2021 on Drizly,” says Liz Paquette, Drizly’s director of consumer insights. .

Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label Champagne topped the wine SKUs list this year, as it did last year, while Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut Champagne climbed up the ranks (to No. 6 this year from No. 9 last year) and Dom Pérignon Vintage Champagne came from behind to enter the top 10 wine SKUs at No. 5. La Marca Prosecco, a more affordable sparkling option, bumped down popular reds like Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon and The Prisoner Red Blend Red Wine — the latter of which didn’t even make the top 10 this year, despite being the second-best selling wine over Thanksgiving 2020.

,

Posted in Sales | Tagged | Comments Off on The Categories & Brands That ‘Won’ Thanksgiving

Hard Seltzers, Tequila and Sparkling Wine Seen Continuing Growth growth into 2022

Posted on December 14, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Hard Seltzers, Tequila and Sparkling Wine appear set to continue their growth into 2022, according to the latest OPM (On Premise Measurement) data from CGA

On Premise will see sales return to pre-COVID-19 levels and consumer confidence grow next year, CGA said.

Beer, wine and spirits look set to continue their growth as recovery continues. The three categories total $76.8bn in sales over a 52-week period – with Beer holding a 40% share, Wine at 16% and Spirits dominating with a 44% share. Comparing the current quarter’s data to the same period last year using OPM demonstrates that growth rates are showing positive signs for 2022 with Beer growing at +120%, Wine at +134% and Spirits at +132%.

Certain subcategories will continue to perform well into 2022 and beyond. The Hard Seltzers category has maintained its growth and is favored by consumers in outlet. While growth of the category is not reaching the same levels it experienced when it first exploded into the On Premise , CGA said, in the latest quarter it still showed strong growth of +119%. With new brands continuing to join the category every week, the question remains if its On Premise performance will mirror that of the Off Premise in terms of saturation. Given the stocking space available in most On Premise outlets it is doubtful, but there is still potential for further innovation. With flavor and brand innovation continuing onwards the makeup of the category will likely continue to evolve.

Sparkling Wine is another category that was a standout performer pre-COVID-19 and has continued to make headway. Growing +136% on the latest quarter, this suggests that consumers are still engaging with the category for the celebratory and treat occasions that they visited the On Premise for pre-COVID-19. This will no doubt continue upwards through the festive season, and into 2022.

Tequila initially dipped in performance due to supply chain issues but is back to its strong performing ways. With the category growing at +133% on the latest quarter, it’s no surprise that the Margarita is the most popular cocktail in terms of velocity in the On Premise (CGA On Premise Cocktail Report, 2021). CGA’s sales data indicates that consumers will continue to develop their taste for this category and maintain a strong preference for Margaritas.

Across other Spirits categories, cocktails remain a huge opportunity. While consumers attempted to replicate their favorite mixed drinks during lockdown, they are now back in the On Premise looking to the experts for the perfect cocktail experience. While staffing has been a continued challenge over the past 18 months, suppliers should be looking to their advocacy programs to ensure consumers’ expectations are being met for the On Premise cocktail experience during 2022.

Patrick Bannon, CGA Client Director, Americas, said: “2022 is an exciting year for the On Premise, and there is evidence to suggest we have returned to ‘normal’ in terms of levels and progressing beyond. The next 12 months will be an exciting time to track in the On Premise as it evolves further and develops. As the channel will be ever changing, at CGA we will be using the likes of OPM, BeverageTrak and our other measurement services to monitor the opportunities that unfold over the next 12 months.”

Posted in Forecast | Tagged | Comments Off on Hard Seltzers, Tequila and Sparkling Wine Seen Continuing Growth growth into 2022