After Setting a Record at Auction, Michter’s Ships 10-Year Bourbon

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Michter’s Distillery is shipping the 2021 release of its 10 Year Bourbon. In July of 2020, a private barrel selection bottling of Michter’s 10 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon established the record for a barrel of bourbon purchased at auction when it was sold in London for £166,000 (US$209,462).

“It’s wonderful to see the growing recognition that well-made bourbon, rye, and American whiskey are having around the world,” observed Joseph J. Magliocco, Michter’s president.

Michter’s 10 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon is 94.4 proof, and it sells for a suggested retail price of $150 in the U.S.

It has been stored in Michter’s heat-cycled warehouses. “When we heat cycle, it increases the interaction between the whiskey and the wood allowing us to extract more character from the barrel resulting in a truly rich and exceptional whiskey that is not overly oaked,” stated Michter’s Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson.

Michter’s makes highly acclaimed, limited production whiskeys. Michter’s is renowned for its small batch bourbon, single barrel bourbon, single barrel rye, and small batch American whiskey.

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Cutwater Launches a Mezcal, Its First

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Cutwater Spirits, San Diego, launched Cutwater Mezcal, a new category for the company.  Cutwater Mezcal is made from 100% wild Cenizo Agave and is the latest bottled spirit to join its portfolio.

Known for its pioneering line of over 20 canned cocktails, Cutwater Spirits also produces 22 bottled spirits spanning nearly every category. Its critically-acclaimed tequilas are made using traditional techniques from 100% Blue Agave in Jalisco, where Co-Founder and Master Distiller Yuseff Cherney oversees every step of production.

While developing Cutwater tequilas, Cherney was inspired to explore other agave-based spirits and developed Cutwater Mezcal in Durango with the same meticulous attention to quality and a long-term commitment to supporting sustainability initiatives at the distillery.

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Bacardi Sponsors Orange Blossom Classic, Helping Revive HBCU Event

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

The Orange Blossom Classic (OBC) Committee announces a sponsorship from Bacardi USA, Inc. to revive one of the longest-running Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) football matches – the Orange Blossom Classic.

Originally, the Orange Blossom Classic (OBC) was a postseason college football game held between 1933 and 1978, featuring Florida A&M University (FAMU) and another historically black school in an unofficial championship, commonly referred to as the “Black National Championship” game. This year’s matchup will feature the rivalry between the Florida A&M Rattlers and the Jackson State University Tigers at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL, on Sept. 5, 2021.

Leading up to the big game is a Labor Day weekend filled with events offering education and engagement experiences designed to entertain and empower locals and travelers to the South Florida community.

“For the HBCU community and football fans, this weekend will be a moment that matters as we bring back a classic after a 43-year hiatus,” says Kendra N. Bulluck-Major, Executive Director, Orange Blossom Classic. “We are grateful to Bacardi for their support of the game and our community as we look to inspire a new generation of talent.”

The Bacardi portfolio of brands will be front and center throughout the four-day celebration beyond the stadium. As the Official Spirit Sponsor of the Orange Blossom Classic, Presenting Sponsor of the One Big Community Concert, the One Big Community Bacardi Social Lounge and multiple One Big Community Pop Ups, Bacardi will deliver entertainment and community engagement for attendees, along with networking opportunities for diverse business owners.

Bacardi will also present the Do What Moves You Activation at the OBC Careers In Sports and Entertainment Symposium which is designed to identify and cultivate relationships with talented individuals who meet the Bacardi criteria for employment.

“As a family-owned business, Bacardi is always thinking about the legacy it will leave for future generations. By supporting underrepresented demographics and placing the spotlight on programs like the Orange Blossom Classic, we believe we can help create new opportunities for diverse communities to thrive,” says Mahogani Chery, Head of Belonging Engagement & Transformation, Bacardi North America. “We are excited to be sponsoring the Orange Blossom Classic as a way to continue building equitable progress in the Black community, not just during Labor Day weekend but through events leading up to the big game.”

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Canned Wine Category Set to Explode: Drizly

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

We couldn’t agree more with the folks over at Drizly that the canned wine category is “set to explode,” and for much the same reason as hard seltzer and RTD cocktails have been so successful — portability, environmental (most glass doesn’t get recycled even though glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss in quality or purity), and portion control among other reasons.

Between 2017 and 2021, volume sales for canned wine in Nielsen-tracked channels increased more than 3,800%. In the 52-week period ending March 25, 2017, total off-premise dollar sales reached $5.9 million, while in the 52 weeks ending March 20, 2021, dollar sales reached $253 million — up 62%  over the previous year — and volume sales increased 67%, reaching the equivalent of nearly 30 million bottles.

Though canned products account for just 1% of the wine category’s overall sales on Drizly, they’re poised to make big gains in the coming years, the company says.

“In 2016 and 2017, there were maybe 40 brands with some wine in cans. Now it’s about 230,” says Danny Brager, the bev/al industry consultant and former senior vp for Nielsen’s beverage alcohol practice. “That shows consumers are buying.”

“Canned wine spritzers were previously associated with sugary and lower-quality wine,” says Liz Paquette, Drizly’s head of consumer insights. “We are beginning to see this perception shift with new brands innovating and entering the market, including wine-based cocktails like Ohza’s canned mimosas.”

On Drizly, bottled wine currently dominates the wine category’s overall share at 92 percent, followed by boxed wine at 7%. However, share for canned wines is growing. Over the past 12 months, share increased from 0.7% to 1%. “The explosive growth of canned drinks in other categories suggests that the same growth may be on the horizon for canned wine,” says Paquette.

Red and white wines hold the majority share of Drizly’s overall wine sales, but in the canned wine realm, rosé wines hold the greatest share at nearly 32%. Sparkling wine is a close second at 30% share, followed by white wine (15%), wine spritzers (10%), and red wine (6%).

Drizly’s Best-Selling Canned Wine SKUs, Last 12 Months 

  1. BABE Rosé With Bubbles
  2. Underwood Rosé Bubbles
  3. Underwood Sparkling Wine
  4. House Wine Rosé Bubbles
  5. Underwood Pinot Noir
  6. Underwood Rosé
  7. BABE Grigio with Bubbles
  8. 14 Hands Unicorn Rosé Bubbles
  9. Dark Horse Rosé
  10. Barefoot Hard Seltzer Variety Pack

 

 

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Customs Outlines ‘Framework’ for Revamping Trade Rules

Posted on May 3, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

“As trade rapidly evolves, our laws and practices can’t keep up,” Customs & Border Protection argues in a new video and related documents calling for “a structured modernization approach that will enable the U.S. Government to address modern trade challenges, leverage emerging opportunities, and achieve transformational long-term change. ​”

The CBP vision envisions three key actions which it says will harness the power of modern technology, move data from beginning to end of the supply chain, making trade safe and more efficient.  The result:  American businesses will grow more jobs because they will be protected from unethical business practices and intellectual property theft.  Enhanced technologies will clear goods at U.S. borders swiftly and securely.

Those three principles are:

  • Achieve end-to-end supply chain transparency— leverage data and technology to gain increased visibility throughout the supply chain, expediting entry processes and stamping out violative actions​
  • Drive data centric decision making— improve data sharing capabilities to enable real-time, data driven decisions by CBP and the trade community​
  • Diversify reasonable care standards— collect the right data, from the right parties, at the right time, improving data quality and eliminating single points of failure​

This could lead, the agency argues, to a world where:

  • legitimate goods are never subject to unexpected delays at the border;
  • ink, paper and hours of manual data entry are things of the past;
  • same day order fulfillment around the world
  • forced labor practices are reduced within the supply chain, and
  • the U.S. leads the world with innovative trade policy.
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Iron Smoke Distillery Intros 120-Proof Whiskey

Posted on May 3, 2021 by Joel Whitaker

Rock the Barrel is produced in association with John Petrucci, the electric Guitar legend who picked the barrels to be blended into the whiskey.

“The name Rock the Barrel is perfect because it gives you a sense of the experience you will have when this smoky goodness slides over your taste buds. Being from New York myself, I love how they go to family farms to get ingredients and age their bourbon in barrels from our great state,” Petrucci said.

Iron Smoke is based in Fairport, N.Y., outside Rochester.

Wonderland’s whiskeys are blended using the traditional Canadian method, with each grain—corn, wheat and rye—distilled on its own. By distilling, barreling and aging them separately, then blending them after maturation, Wonderland whiskey is blended with purpose to create a consistent flavor profile.

“We are handcrafting other spirits as well, including gin and vodka, but overall Wonderland is a whiskey distillery, and our cocktail bar is a whiskey bar,” said Mark Gongalski, Wonderland’s CEOWomder. “For the serious whiskey drinkers, we’re kicking it up a few notches with this release that’s not proofed down, which really showcases the intense depth of flavors in our blending process.”

Both of Wonderland’s first whiskey releases are created primarily from individually aged, Michigan-distilled rye and wheat whiskeys from partnering distilleries across the state, hand-blended with purpose to create a specific taste profile. Wonderland also began distilling its own whiskey in 2020.

“Now that we’ve had some time to settle into our space and experiment a bit with flavor profiles and new aging techniques for our spirits, our customers can expect to see some more interesting releases coming later this year,” said Allen Serio, chief marketing officer. “We want to continue innovating and pushing the limits, to ensure we’re bottling the very best of what Michigan has to offer. This whiskey will truly be a collector’s item for any whiskey lover.”

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