What We’re Reading —

A Whiskey Distillery as Core of a Business Area

Nowadays, a whiskey distillery is the core concept of a business area. Since the early 2010s, openings (or re-openings) of distilleries started in traditional whisk(e)y producing countries have greatly expanded as the direct consequence of sales trends. This has, in turn, attracted some of the biggest investors, who are building distilleries looking like novel cathedrals. It has also brought about some greater concerns about sustainability.  (Whiskey Wash)

 

Changes in State Law Have Fueled Ohio’s Craft Distillery Explosion

The number of craft distilleries in Ohio has increased threefold in recent years, helped by changes in state law and demand from consumers. There is no end in sight for future growth.  (Columbus Dispatch)

 

As Drinking Declines, Nonalcoholic Beer Gets a Slick Rebrand

Demand for nonalcoholic beverages has been steadily growing over the last five years; meanwhile, beer sales have flattened. One report found that while NA beers claim just 5% of the current global beer market, the category is experiencing growth of 3.9% on average annually, making it the fastest growing segment of the beer market.

Consumer habits back that up. Research from Brooklyn Brewery, which will introduce Special Effects nonalcoholic beer in November, found 44% of 21- to 34-year-old beer drinkers (read: a very monetizable demographic) actively take time off from drinking alcohol. Fifty-four percent of beer drinkers are looking for ways to reduce their alcohol consumption.  (Fast Company)

 

Is State Control of Wine Sales Really a Dead Hand on the Tiller?

Capitalism teaches us that a competitive free-market will produce a much better outcome for the consumer. That’s how economics works, right?

Well, it’s maybe not that simple. A couple of things skew the figures – wine taxes and economies of scale. As a control state, Pennsylvania effectively has no state wine tax, as it would effectively be paying any such tax to itself.

Economy of scale means that the PLCB can also get better purchasing deals, given it is servicing a market of 12.8 million people, a figure that would rank it as the world’s 75th largest population if it was a separate country

Far from being the most expensive place to buy wine, Pennsylvania comes in lowest in price, with an average price so far this year of $164 against a national average of $196, a 16 percent saving. Michigan tops the list with an average price of $235, followed by California ($225), and South Dakota and Hawaii tied at $220.  (Wine-Searcher)

 

Climate Change is Changing the Flavor of French Wine

Records going back 700 years show that Burgundy’s wine grapes have been feeling the heat of the past three decades.  (National Geographic)

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