What We’re Reading —

Posted on August 25, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Will the world ever accept non-alcoholic wine?

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Bad News for Brewers, Distillers: Spring Wheat Crop in Poor Condition

Posted on August 24, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Sixty-three percent of the U.S. spring wheat crop is in poor or very poor condition, according to U.S. Agriculture Department statistics.  That’s bad news if you produce wheat beer or vodka, and is up dramatically from 6% at this time last year.  It demonstrates the impact of the draught affecting North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska.

Overall wheat production is forecast at 1.70 billion bushels, down 7% from 2020. Growers are expected to produce 1.32 billion bushels of winter wheat this year, down 3% from the previous forecast but up 13% from last year.

Durum wheat production is forecast at 34.7 million bushels, down 50% from 2020. All other spring wheat production is forecast at 343 million bushels, down 41% from last year. Based on Aug. 1 conditions, the U.S. all wheat yield is forecast at 44.5 bushels per acre, down 5.2 bushels from 2020.

On the other hand, producers who use corn have reason to smile: USDA forecasts soybean and corn production to be up from 2020 — soybeans up 5% and corn up 4%.  As of Aug. 1, 62% of this year’s corn crop was reported in good or excellent condition, 10 percentage points above the same time last year.

 

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RNDC Expands into 5 New Control States

Posted on August 24, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

The five new states are Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Vermont.

“I’m proud to lead the expansion into five additional Control States,” said Joe Gigliotti, Region President-Control States, Republic National Distributing Co.  “We are standing up a new sales team in each of these states, and we plan to strategically increase our presence as we build the business. It’s a unique opportunity and one that will be a huge benefit to RNDC suppliers and customers.”

As RNDC expands into these states, the focus will be on spirits to start, adding wine as the business grows. RNDC expects to begin selling in these states beginning Q4 of 2021.

“This is a crucial strategic move to offer our suppliers broker access across all 17 Control States,” Gigliotti said. “We are offering a Control State solution, giving our suppliers a unique advantage.”

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Jack Daniel’s Launches 1st Age-Stated Whiskey in Over 100 Years

Posted on August 24, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Jack Daniel’s 10-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey, the brand’s first 10-year age-stated whiskey in more than 100 years is a limited-availability product, which will become an annual release.

It is to retail for $70 in a 750mL size. The first batch is to hit shelves in limited quantities in early September across the U.S.

“Over the last decade, we’ve been experimenting to craft a product that would properly honor the whiskey Jack Daniel was bottling at the end of the 1800’s,” said Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Chris Fletcher. “All of us at the Jack Daniel Distillery are thrilled to release an age-stated whiskey for the first time in over 100 years to be enjoyed by all. This product has been hand-crafted by our distillery team in Lynchburg over the last 10 summers all while keeping up with the growing demand for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey around the world. This 10-year-old whiskey celebrates our modern-day whiskey making, while also paying tribute to our founder and history. It is a special time for us all.”

Fletcher evolved the distillery’s previous aged methods by maturing Jack Daniel’s iconic Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey in oak barrels that were relocated throughout the barrelhouse to extend the aging process over the past ten years. The result is a more complex, hand-crafted whiskey with a rare flavor profile, the company said.

Bottled at 97 proof—a first for the Jack Daniel Distillery—Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey 10-Year-Old is said to feature notes of dry fig and raisin laced with oak on the nose, warm butterscotch alongside soft fruit and smoke on the palate, and an incredibly long finish with sweet tobacco and spice.

The 10-Year-Old bottle design is also inspired by the brand’s history, featuring a hand-drawn iteration of the original cartouche that appeared on Jack Daniel’s aged-stated bottles a century ago.

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U.S. Chamber Hails Deadline for Voting on Infrastructure, Vows to Defeat Reconciliation

Posted on August 24, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

The U.S. House adopted a rule that will enable it to vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill before the end of September.   “The infrastructure bill has earned the support of business and labor and deserves the support of every member of Congress,” said Susan Clark, president/ceo, U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“Anyone who needlessly delays or tries to kill this bill is holding back our nation. I don’t know how anyone could go home and explain to their constituents that they voted to block money to fix a crumbling bridge or to replace lead water pipes running into schools. It is past time to turn the long-overdue promises of infrastructure investment into a reality.”

At the same time, Clark denounced passage of “an enormous $3.5 trillion tax and spend budget that, if enacted, will dramatically expand the size and scope of government through record levels of inflationary spending and impose massive tax increases that will halt America’s fragile economic recovery. The Chamber will do everything we can to prevent this tax raising, job killing reconciliation bill from becoming law.”

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Busch Family to Assume Operation of Grant’s Farm

Posted on August 24, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

The Busch family’s agreement under which Anheuser-Busch had operated Grant’s Farm, the family estate that August A. Busch Sr. acquired in 1903 will end Nov. 1.  The result: Five family members who bought the property from other family members in 2018 will now operate it.  A-B will be a primary sponsor meaning visitors will still get to admire the Budweiser Clydesdales and enjoy free beer samples at the end of a tour.

The ownership group consists of Andrew Busch, Peter Busch, Robert Hermann Jr., Trudy Busch Valentine and Beatrice Busch von Gontard.

The property was once owned by former President Ulysses S. Grant.  “Our unified goal was then and is now threefold. One, to keep this small piece of history intact and sustainable for future generations. Two, to keep it open to the public as a civic duty to our great city of St. Louis. And three, to hopefully not lose too much money doing it,” Hermann said.

In addition to Grant’s cabin, visitors have been able to tour a wildlife preserve, see some of the Budweiser Clydesdales, and sample some free beer.  The exterior of the Busch family mansion became available for rent for parties in the last few years.

 

 

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