Sweetwater Intros 2 New Products

Posted on September 24, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

SweetWater Brewing Co. launched two new beverage offerings — Oasis Lemonade, a fresh new squeeze on Oasis Premium Hard Seltzer featuring real lemon juice, and Golden Isles Hard Tea, made with real fruit and fresh-brewed Yingda black tea – a non-carbonated flavored malt beverage created with a little sweetness and a ton of flavor.

The Oasis Lemonade Hard Seltzer has the same unique proposition as the Oasis seltzers that SweetWater lovers already enjoy, with real organic superfruit that gives a more premium mouth feel as well as electrolytes and antioxidant vitamin C, the company said. The refreshing beverage is 5% ABV and is only 100 calories with one gram of carbs and one gram of sugar. 

Golden Isles Hard Tea also contains electrolytes, antioxidant vitamin C and real organic superfruit, with each beverage at only 100 calories. It’s available in two refreshing flavors – Half Iced Tea/Half Lemonade and Georgia Peach. 

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Starward Partners with Michelin Guide

Posted on September 24, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Starward Australian Whisky said it is now the Official Whisky Partner of the globally renowned Michelin Guide in North America.  It’s a logical tie:  Starward seeks to build its brand as “the food lover’s whisky.”

Starward plns to work with Michelin Guide, a leading authority in the culinary arts to roll out a 12-month US partnership that complements Starward’s simple brand ethos of being a delicious and versatile whisky, crafted to pair well with food.

Starward Founder, David Vitale, said food is an intrinsic part of Starward’s brand philosophy and DNA and added the independent Australian distillery had set its foundations on crafting an accessible, quality whisky that was made for bold, creative and irrepressibly curious food lovers. 

“I grew up in an Italian family in the center of Melbourne, and food was always at the heart of everything I did. We’ve crafted our whiskies to be the most food-friendly whisky you’ll ever taste. We’re also fierce supporters of and take inspiration from Australia’s eclectic food and drinks industry, so to partner with a leading organization such as MICHELIN, who are equally as enthusiastic, and catalysts of culinary innovation, made a great deal of sense to us. We look forward to the adventures this collaboration will bring,” said Vitale.

 

Starward has become the fastest growing Australian whisky brand as it continues to capture the imagination of a global foodie audience following its launch into the US and its expanding European footprint.

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House Bill to Continue Spending Includes Wildfire, Draught Relief

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Wine Institute cheered Tuesday evening’s passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of legislation that would provide needed recovery assistance to winegrowers.  It said it would push for the legislation to pass the Senate.

The bill, HR 5305, includes $10 billion in aid for agricultural producers, including California winegrowers, for crop losses from natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. With Senate approval and signing by the president, the funds would be made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to those eligible until the end of 2023.

“California’s wine community has been heavily impacted by wildfires and droughts in recent years and we welcome this important step in recovery,” said Robert P. Koch, president/CEO, Wine Institute. “Our wineries have a long history of adapting to changing conditions through sustainability efforts and sound environmental practices and this funding will provide critical support to the most impacted communities. We are grateful for the leadership shown by our congressional delegation and in particular Rep. Mike Thompson, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Sen. Alex Padilla.”

In California alone, more than 775,000 are employed in wine-related jobs, with more than $34 billion in wages annually. California wineries generate $114 billion in annual economic activity, including more than $15 billion in local, state and federal taxes.

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Nearly 20% Reported ‘Heavy Drinking’ During Pandemic

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Seventeen percent of respondents to an online survey aged 21 and over reported drinking patterns that met the survey criteria for “heavy drinking” — two days in a single week in which a woman had four or more drinks or two or more days in a single week in which men had five or more drinks.

Of those surveyed whose responses met the criteria for heavy drinking, only 13% reported that they were undergoing treatment for their drinking at the time of the survey.

The survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Alkermes, an Irish-based pharmaceutical company whose portfolio includes drugs to treat addiction.  The results also suggest that family and friends can play an important role in motivating people with heavy drinking patterns to get help.

“Published data have demonstrated that alcohol use in the U.S. has increased during the pandemic. This particular survey provides insight into drinking patterns, as well as respondents’ help-seeking motivations and behaviors,” said Craig Hopkinson, M.D., chief medical officer and EVP-Research & Development at Alkermes. “As a company focused on the alcohol dependence space, we are constantly seeking to better understand this complex condition and striving to provide disease state education to support people who may be living with alcohol dependence.”

Key findings from the survey include:

  • Many survey respondents who met the criteria for heavy drinking said that, over the last 12 months, they experienced negative mental, physical and psychosocial impacts. Three in ten (30%) reported that they continued to drink despite it making them feel depressed or anxious or adding to another health problem. About one in four (24%) reported that they continued to drink after experiencing a memory blackout. More than one in five (22%) experienced withdrawal symptoms when the effects of alcohol were wearing off. And 23% gave up or cut back on activities that were important or interesting to them, or gave them pleasure, in order to drink.
  • The majority of survey respondents who met the criteria for heavy drinking (87% of adults 21+) were not undergoing treatment at the time of the survey. Despite this, more than half of these respondents (53%) said that they were either very or somewhat motivated to seek treatment for their drinking. Among those who had never sought treatment, the most-commonly cited reasons for not doing so included preferring to handle it on their own (37%) and never thinking they had a problem with heavy drinking (37%).
  • Awareness of the full range of treatment options for alcohol dependence was limited. About six in ten (62%) survey respondents who met the criteria for heavy drinking were aware of support groups or group therapy, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or 12-step programs; just over half (56%) were aware of detox treatment options (to manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms) and residential rehabilitation treatment options; and only slightly more than a third (36%) were familiar with prescription medications as a treatment option for alcohol dependence.
  • Friends and family can play a role in influencing loved ones who drink heavily to seek help. Over half (56%) of survey respondents who met the criteria for heavy drinking said that someone had expressed concern to them about their drinking. Among this group, nearly four in five (79%) said that it was a family member who had expressed concern. Almost half (47%) of this group who had sought treatment said that a reason they did so was because their family had expressed concern about their drinking.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve observed an increase in alcohol consumption among my patients,” said Melissa Fritsche, M.D., Addiction Medicine Specialist in Spartanburg, South Carolina. “The results of this survey suggest that there is an increased need for education about alcohol dependence and potential treatment options. Providing people with the tools to understand and acknowledge their behaviors and speak to their healthcare providers is an important step in supporting people to get help if they need it.”

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Glenfiddich Survey Finds Disconnect Between Professional Success and Values

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

The study seeks to understand what priorities Americans privately value and would be willing to make tradeoffs for in order to achieve professional success. Comparing that personal perspective with what Americans think most people uphold as emblematic of professional success suggests the degree to which social pressure acts as an impeding headwind or a supportive tailwind in those personal pursuits.

The study, conducted for Glenfiddich by the If-Then Co., finds Americans’ personal aspirations for professional success are characterized by a richness of relationships, strong community ties, and a focus on personal well-being. However, Americans simultaneously believe that most people in society characterize professional success as flatly equating to markers of money and status.

But the study also finds that Americans believe society devalues what matters most to then.  So, Americans likely feel ” a heightened sense of social pressure to pursue professional goals they do not privately aspire to.”

The highest ranking 25% of attributes driving the personal definition of professional success skew to prioritize what lies beyond the workplace. These priorities are characterized by a richness of relationships, strong community ties, and a focus on personal well-being. Note the two foremost contributors to Americans’ personal definition of professional success: “Prioritizes quality time with family” (#1 personal) and “Is in a loving relationship” (#2 personal). Their outsized importance is reflected in their disproportionately large share of preference.

The highest ranking 25% of attributes driving the perceived societal definition of professional success cluster around markers of money and status. Just as there were two outsized contributors to the personal definition, there are two disproportionate contributors to the perceived societal definition. The respective SOPs of “Is famous” (#1 perceived societal) and “Earns enough to be extremely wealthy” (#2 perceived societal) are each accorded more than double the importance of even the third highest performing attribute in the perceived societal definition.

The study finds that when it comes to work itself, fulfillment and enjoyment are far more important than is genuinely believed.

Equally important to understanding what Americans prioritize in professional success is what they actively deprioritize. These bottom-ranking attributes represent what individuals are willing to forego — or what they believe most people in society are willing to forego — in pursuit of other ends.

The study finds that seven attributes appearing in the personal definition’s bottom performing 25% actually appear in the perceived societal definition’s highest performing 25%. Similarly, six attributes appearing in the perceived societal definition’s bottom performing 25% appear in the personal definition’s highest performing 25%.

It finds Americans actively deprioritize outward-facing markers of status (e.g., wealth, fame) as features of their personal definition of professional success. A full ten of the bottom-ranked fifteen attributes explicitly speak to material consumption and/or shows of elitism and comparative influence.

In releasing the study, Glenfiddich also introduced the Glenfiddich #Richest25, which spotlights 20 individuals from across the United States who broaden the definition of wealth by reimagining its true meaning. Glenfiddich opened up the final five spots for nominations by anyone via Glenfiddich.com/richest25.

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Wine Institute Launches Global California Wine Certification Program

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Capstone California, the first-of-its-kind California wine certification and education program, was created by Wine Institute‘s California Wine Export Program with a team of international wine professionals.

It focuses exclusively on California wine through original content presented in a multi-lingual, multimedia platform available globally to industry professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Capstone California is part of a 10-year, multi-pronged strategy aimed at expanding California wine across international markets. Furthering the knowledge of California wines through a structured learning experience, Capstone California embraces a global audience. Focusing on four levels of study from novice to expert through a comprehensive curriculum, Capstone California offers authoritative information, interactive and aerial maps of the state’s American Viticulture Areas and other resources for wine study all readily accessible at www.capstonecalifornia.com.

“California wine makes up 95% of U.S. wine exports and more than 80% of the U.S. wine market, which has generated a significant need to provide a deeper understanding of our wine regions to the world and here at home,” said Robert P. Koch, president/CEO, Wine Institute. “With tremendous detail and collaboration by influential global wine leaders to develop this innovative and rigorous certification program, Capstone California highlights the extensive history, diversity and intricacies that make up the compelling and sought-after characteristics of California wine.”

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