November 2013 HOLIDAY - Beverage Journal, Maryland and

Transcription

November 2013
HOLIDAY
PREVIEW
Good Things Come in
All Sorts of Packages
also
BEHIND THE
WINE CURTAIN
A Somm’s Job:
More Grind
Than Glamour?
SPIRITS OF
THE SOUTH
Pisco & Cachaça
NOVEMBer13
FEATURES
18 THE 2013 HOLIDAY SEASON IS HERE:
Our annual overview of holiday gift packs.
08
36 SPIRITS OF THE SOUTH: Pisco and Cachaça producers aim to raise their game and broaden the U.S. market.
44 BEHIND THE WINE CURTAIN: The real life of a
sommelier is sometimes more grind than glamour.
DEPARTMENTS
02 Pub Page: Protect your Livelihood, Get Involved
04 Industry News: Prestige Portfolio Tasting
06 At The Bar: Too Cool for School
08 It's About Beer: Big Beer Having Big Problems
11 Brand Awareness: Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
12 Brand Profile: Svedka, Building Strength on Strength
14 New Products & Promotions
50 Industry Interview: Crisp & Mejia of Craft Wine & Spirits
54 Brand Profile: 'Anna' Redefined
56 Brand Profile: Customers Show their Devotion
58 MD Scene: Southern Wine & Spirits Out and About
62 MD Scene: Reliable Churchill on The Scene
68 MD Scene: Republic National Distributing Company
Around Town
50
18
VOLUME75Number11
November 2013 Beverage Journal 1
PUBPage
Protect Your Livelihood,
Get Involved
November 2013 … the Maryland 2014
Legislative session is just around the corner.
There is no doubt that chain store legislation will again be introduced. This is a
dangerous prospect to the independent
beer, wine and liquor store. It is in you and
your business’ best interest to get involved
and be prepared to defend your position to
your state representatives. Many of you are
involved and are familiar with the process
of protecting your business from harmful
proposed legislation. Below is a quick ‘How
To’ for everyone else…
First, you need to know what proposed
legislation is coming down the pipe and how
it would affect your business. The Maryland State Licensed Beverage Association
(MSLBA) was formed, in part, because the
association's leaders understood that actions
in the Maryland State House directly impact
the operations of your businesses. The
MSLBA tracks proposed legislation that will
have an effect on its members’ livelihoods.
They do this right at their web site, www.
mslba.org.
Next, you will need to know who your
elected officials are. There is a very quick
and easy way to find out … go to http://
mdelect.net and type in your address. Make
note of who your State Senator and State
Delegates are.
2 Beverage Journal November 2013
Now you will need to inform yourself as
to the contributions you and your business
make to the community. American Beverage Licensees (ABL) has a way for you to
quantify the significant contribution you
make to your community when it comes to
jobs, taxes and economic impact. ABL is
the preeminent national trade association
for licensed beverage retailers. Through the
ABL website, www.ablusa.org, ABL members can create reports and download data
that detail the number of jobs and amount
of taxes that they provide to their communities, as well as more in-depth economic
impact information at the state legislative
district level. This is a very powerful tool.
By utilizing this economic study data, you
now have the ability to tell your overwhelmingly positive story and impact you have in
your community to your representatives in
Annapolis.
Lastly, you will need to get the attention
of your representatives and share your story
with them. I would suggest you again enlist
the help of the MSLBA. At their web site,
www.mslba.org, go to their Legislative area
and you’ll find information on upcoming
events as well as how to put together an
email or letter that will be well received by
your representatives.
Access to the above mentioned materials at the MSLBA web site are free to all.
However, I would highly suggest becoming a
member if you are not already. If you want
more information than is on their web site
feel free to call the MSLBA at 410 876-3464.
Access to state Senate and House district
data is free to ABL members and requires
additional log-in information, which can
be obtained by contacting the ABL office.
If you are not a member of ABL, you will
need to become one to access the Economic
Impact Study data and create reports etc.
In addition to www.ablusa.org you can call
them at 301 656-1494.
Get involved … your livelihood may
depend on it.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY
THE BEVERAGE JOURNAL, INC.
(USPS 783-300)
74 Years of Continuous Publication
Web Site www.beveragejournalinc.com
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PUBLISHER
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[email protected]
410 796-5455
PRESIDENT
Lee W. Muray
VICE PRESIDENT
Thomas W. Muray
COLUMNISTS
Kevin Atticks
[email protected]
Teddy Durgin
[email protected]
Alan Horton
[email protected]
Robert Plotkin
[email protected]
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Susan Southard
[email protected]
Member
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The opinions expressed by guest columnists are their own and
not necessarily those of The Beverage Journal, Inc. The Beverage
Journal, Inc. is an affirmative action/equal opportunity corporation.
Copyright 2013 the Beverage Journal, Inc. No part of this magazine
may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Not
responsible for unsolicited material or advertising claims.
This magazine was mailed from Baltimore, Maryland on or before
the 21st of the preceding month. If there has been a delivery delay,
please contact your local postmaster.
Stephen Patten
Publisher
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
The Beverage Journal, Inc.
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www.BeverageJournalInc.com
IndustryNEWS
PRESTIGE
Portfolio Tasting
Prestige Beverage Group recently hosted its first Portfolio Tasting for the trade at
Woodholme Country Club in Pikesville, MD. Over 50 suppliers of fine wine, spirits,
and beer showcased their products from all over the world to more than 125 retailers and restaurateurs from Maryland and the District of Columbia. The tasting will
become an annual late summer event for Prestige Beverage.
Marc Kalma, Prestige Beverage Group; greets
attendees at the first annual portfolio tasting.
Klaus Wittauer, KW Selections - Wines From Austria, discusses his wines with attendees.
Rick DeLauder, Shaw Family Vintners, entertains attendees at the
Prestige Beverage Portfolio Tasting.
Joey Smith, Stuart Emden, and Gina Sanders,
all with Prestige Beverage Group.
Chris Ryan and Nicole Borrelli, Dreyfus Ashby & Company; answer
questions from attendees at the Prestige Beverage Portfolio Tasting.
Atthebar
Too
COOL
for
School
By ROBERT PLOTKIN
What You Don’t Know
About Ice
S h i n e a b r i g h t l i g h t i n t h e eye s
o f a n a c c o mp l i s h e d m i xo l o g i st
a n d h e o r s h e w i l l e ve n t u a l l y
a d m i t t h a t i c e i s m o st i mp o rt a n t i n g re d i e n t i n c o ck t a i l s . I t
i mp a c t s e ve r y a s p e c t o f m i xe d
drinks and does so with little
c o st a n d n o m a rket i n g o r p a ckaging. In a time when success
b e h i n d t h e b a r i s m e a s u re d o n e
d r i n k a t a t i m e , o u t f i t t i n g yo u r
b a r w i t h t h e m o st a d v a n t a g e o u s
type of ice is essential.
I t s c o n t r i b u t i o n g o e s b eyo n d
l owe r i n g t h e te mp e r a t u re o f a
c o ck t a i l to i t s p ro p e r s e r v i n g
te mp e r a t u re o f a ro u n d 37 - 3 8 ˚ F.
While only the genuinely ob-
s e s s e d wo u l d st i ck a t h e r m o m ete r i n to t h e d r i n k to e n s u re i t ’ s
s u f f i c i e n t l y ch i l l e d , t h e fa c t re m a i n s t h a t c o ck t a i l s r a p i d l y i n c re a s e i n te mp e r a t u re m o m e n t s
a f te r h i t t i n g t h e g l a s s . I c e p l ay s
a c r u c i a l ro l e i n p o st p o n i n g t h e
inevitable
“ E qu a l l y i mp o r t a n t , i c e i n t ro d u c e s w a te r i n to a d r i n k . I t
h e l p s to b a l a n c e t h e b l e n d a n d
a l l ow s t h e v a r i o u s i n g re d i e n t s to
m e l d a n d h a r m o n i z e , ” s ay s D e b b i Pe e k , p o r t fo l i o m i xo l o g i st fo r
B a c a rd i U SA . “ T h e w a te r a l s o
s o f te n s t h e b i t i n g e d g e o f s p i ri t s , a s we l l a s a c c e n t u a te s t h e i r
f l avo r. ”
Ac c o rd i n g to J o n a t h a n Po g a s h ,
d i re c to r o f c o ck t a i l d e ve l o p m e n t fo r Ne w Yo rk ’ s H o s p i t a l i t y H o l d i n g s , w h i ch o p e r a te s
n u m e ro u s ve n u e s i n M a n h a t t a n ,
t h e re l a t i ve h a rd n e s s o f i c e i s a n
o f te n ove r- l o o ke d a t t r i b u te . “A
h a rd c u b e , l u mp c u b e o r b l o ck
o f i c e w i l l d i l u te a d r i n k a t a
m u ch s l owe r r a te t h a n yo u r r u n o f - t h e - m i l l i c e m a ch i n e i c e c u b e .
I f i c e i s n ’ t h a rd e n o u g h i t w i l l
m e l t to o qu i ck l y a n d ove r- d i l u te
t h e c o ck t a i l . A “ wet ” i c e c u b e
is one that has been tarnished
w i t h exc e s s w a te r o n i t s s u r fa c e ,
t h u s a l l ow i n g i t to m e l t a t a
m u ch qu i cke r r a te t h a n d e s i re d . ”
A n ot h e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n i s t h e
n a t u re o f t h e w a te r u s e d to m a ke
i c e , t h e qu a l i t y o f w h i ch w i l l a f fe c t t h e t a ste o f t h e f i n i s h e d
d r i n k . Fo r t h a t re a s o n i t ’ s a d v i s a b l e to u s e i c e m a d e f ro m s p r i n g
o r m i n e r a l w a te r.
C e l e b r a te d ch e f a n d m i xo l o g i st
K a t hy C a s ey t h i n k s i c e m a d e
w i t h s o f t w a te r p ro d u c e s b et te r
i c e fo r d r i n k m a k i n g . “ M a ny o p e r a to r s fa i l to fa c to r i n t h e t y p e
o f w a te r t h ey u s e to m a ke t h e i r
ice. While spring or mineral wate r s a re p re fe r a b l e , t h ey ’ re n ot
n e c e s s a r i l y a p r a c t i c a l o pt i o n
a t a b a r. H owe ve r, i n st a l l i n g a
w a te r s o f te n e r i s re l a t i ve l y i n e x p e n s i ve . A n d b e c a u s e t h e w a te r
i s a l s o f i l te re d , t h e i c e c o m e s
o u t f re e o f h a z e o r c l o u d i n g .
C r y st a l c l e a r i c e i s m o re a e st h et ically pleasing.”
Size Matters
The size and shape of the ice
yo u u s e p l ay a key ro l e i n h ow
d r i n k s t a ste . “ S m a l l i c e c u b e s
te n d to m e l t fa ste r t h a n l a r g e r
c u b e s a n d w i l l t h e re fo re m o re
qu i ck l y d i l u te m i xe d d r i n k s , ”
c o n te n d s B a c a rd i ’ s D e b b i Pe e k .
“A d r i n k m a d e w i t h s m a l l c u b e s
w i l l t a ste b e st w h e n i t ’ s f i r st
s e r ve d , b u t b e c o m e s w a te r y a n d
l e s s f l avo r f u l i n s h o r t o rd e r.
L a r g e r i c e c u b e s m e l t s l owe r a n d
re l e a s e l e s s w a te r i n to a d r i n k .
T h a t m e a n s t h e f i r st s i p w i l l
t a ste a s g o o d a s t h e l a st . ”
Ry a n M a g e r i a n — m i xo l o g i st a n d
c re a to r o f Av i a t i o n G i n — t h i n k s
l a r g e fo r m a t i c e l o o k s a w h o l e
l ot s e x i e r t h a n st a n d a rd b a r
i c e , e s p e c i a l l y w h e n st a cke d i n
a H i g h b a l l g l a s s . “ M o re i mp o rt a n t l y, t h a t u s i n g fe we r, l a r g e
fo r m a t c u b e s p re s e n t s l e s s s u rfa c e a re a a n d re s u l t s i n s l owe r
d i l u t i o n . I re c o m m e n d m a k i n g
d r i n k s w i t h 1. 2 5 - i n ch c u b e s , e s -
p e c i a l l y t h o s e f ro m Ko l d - D r a f t
o r H o s h i z a k i m a ch i n e s . T h ey ’ re
p ro d u c e d to b e d e n s e a n d s l ow
melting.”
C a s ey a l s o p re fe r s wo rk i n g
with larger ice. “I think the
s qu a re c u b e s f ro m Ko l d - D r a f t
a re s u p e r i o r. T h ey ’ re p e r fe c t l y
c l e a r, u n i fo r m l y s h a p e d , a n d b e c a u s e o f t h e i r d e n s i t y, t h ey m e l t
s l owe r a n d c o o l fa ste r. ”
L o n g a st a p l e i n J a p a n , i c e
b a l l s a re g a i n i n g p o p u l a r i t y b e hind American bars. ice balls
a re s e e m i n g l y t h e p e r fe c t m a rr i a g e o f fo r m a n d f u n c t i o n .
M a d e o n - p re m i s e i n m o l d s o r
c a r ve d i n d i v i d u a l l y, t h ey l o o k
l i ke c r y st a l c l e a r s p h e re s b e t we e n 3 - 5 i n ch e s i n d i a m ete r.
T h e i r s i n g u l a r s h a p e a l l ow s
t h e m to m e l t a t a s l owe r r a te ,
t h u s re d u c i n g d i l u t i o n .
J o u r n a l i st Yu r i K a to i s t h e a u t h o r o f t h e re c e n t l y p u b l i s h e d
b o o k , J a p a n e s e C o ck t a i l s ( 2 0 0 9
C h ro n i c l e B o o k s , S a n Fr a n c i s c o ) “ I n J a p a n , we c a r ve i c e
b a l l s o u t o f m i n e r a l w a te r u s i n g a n i c e p i ck o r k n i fe . I n fa c t ,
to b e c o m e a m e m b e r o f t h e Na t i o n a l B a r te n d e r s A s s o c i a t i o n
o f J a p a n , a b a r te n d e r m u st b e
a b l e to qu i ck l y c a r ve a p e r fe c t
i c e b a l l . J a p a n e s e p e o p l e a p p re c i a te t h e i c e b a l l w h e n s i p p i n g
w h i s k y. I t ke e p s t h e w h i s k y a t
a ste a d y te mp e r a t u re a b o u t a n
h o u r. ”
Peek likes using ice balls when
serving cocktails on the rocks.
“Since it is round the corners don’t
melt leaving the first sip as cold as
the last. They’re crystal clear, look
sexy and last a long time. In a recent cocktail competition, I presented my entry with an ice ball to
ensure it wasn’t watered down by
the time it made it to the judges’
table.”
www.BeverageJournalInc.com Retro Chillers
B a ck i n t h e d ay, c o ck t a i l s we re
p re p a re d w i t h ch i p p e d , c r a cke d
o r c r u s h e d i c e . E ve n a s l a te a s
the ‘70s bars typically carried
b ot h c u b e d a n d c r u s h e d i c e i n
t h e b a r te n d e r ’ s st a t i o n . B u t
as juleps, frappes and smashe s s l i p p e d f ro m t h e l i m e l i g h t ,
s o d i d t h e n e e d fo r sto ck i n g
c r u s h e d i c e b e h i n d t h e b a r.
T h e Ti k i re v i v a l u n d e r w ay h a s
ch a n g e d t h a t .
“ Ti k i d r i n k s a re t h o s e p o p u l a ri z e d a f te r Re p e a l t h ro u g h t h e
19 5 0 s a n d 6 0 s , ” s ay s J o n a t h a n
Po g a s h . “ L u m i n a r i e s s u ch a s
“ Tr a d e r ” V i c B e r g e ro n k n e w t h a t
c r u s h e d i c e c re a te d a m a s s i ve l y
cold drink and that people in
t h e t ro p i c a l S o u t h Pa c i f i c n e e d e d m o re h e l p b e a t i n g t h e h e a t
t h a n a nyo n e e l s e . ”
I t s c o o l i n g a b i l i t i e s re s u l t s
f ro m h av i n g m o re s u r fa c e a re a
t h a n a ny ot h e r fo r m o f i c e , s e c o n d o n l y to s h ave d i c e . Ad d s
M a g e r i a n , “ T h a t m a ke s c r u s h e d
i c e i s p e r fe c t fo r m a k i n g Ti k i
d r i n k s . Not o n l y d o e s i t m a ke
t h e m c o l d , b u t t h ey ’ re p ote n t
drinks, so the extra dilution is
an advantage.”
W h i l e t h e c o ck t a i l m ay re i g n
s u p re m e , i c e a p p e a r s to b e t h e
p owe r b e h i n d t h e t h ro n e . A s Po g a s h s ay s , “ Yo u ’ ve w a l ke d i n to
a p l a c e t h a t c a re s a b o u t t h e i r
d r i n k s w h e n yo u s e e t h e p ro p e r i c e b e i n g p l o p p e d , d ro p p e d ,
ch i p p e d o r c r a cke d i n to yo u r
glass.”n
ROBERT PLOTKIN is a judge at the San Francisco
World Spirits Competition and author of 16 books
on bartending and beverage management including
Secrets Revealed of America’s Greatest Cocktails.
He can be reached at www.AmericanCocktails.com
or by e-mail at [email protected].
It'sABOUTbeer
BIG BEER HAVING
BIG PROBLEMS
By AL HORTON
Image
I
n 1888 Ernest Thayer, a reporter for
the “San Francisco Examiner” wrote
a poem about baseball called “Casey
at the Bat.” The poem ends with this
line, “But there is no joy in Mudville
- Mighty Casey has struck out.” The
team had a chance to recover but with
Casey’s strikeout the game was over.
At the beginning of January, 2013,
most members of the beer industry
were pleased that sales in 2012 had
increased by 1.4%, and it appeared it
was the end of a multi- year slump. But
as economists like to say, “The recovery was not a trend but only a blip on
a chart.” After nine months of sales
experience, it appears 2013 will be another down and disappointing year at
least for big beer. And, while the game
is certainly not over for big beer, at the
moment, there is no joy in Mudville.
There have been far more
strike outs than home runs,
and there are no quick and
easy answers to the many issues it faces.
What is the problem?
Unfortunately for big
beer - the industry leaders, there are no simple answers. Instead,
there are a multitude
of reasons the country’s largest brewers
continue to struggle.
Let’s face it, big beer has an image
problem. With 74% of all beer sold
in U.S., the nation’s largest brewers
still need to convince a small but
growing minority of consumers that
they make and sell high quality beer.
ABInbev and SABMiller/
Coors have allowed the
country’s small craft brewers
to seize and take ownership of the “quality story”
which has given them
the opportunity to
imply that they - the
small craft brewers are
the only brewers who are
making high quality beer.
It often goes unrecognized that America’s large
brewers, as well as their
counterparts throughout the world,
brew beers that are skillfully blended
from the finest ingredients available.
Large breweries need to educate the
consumer on the quality of their
beers.
Additionally, the company images
of big beer and their brands
have become tarnished
by out dated advertising
themes. Frat boy parties,
sophomoric humor and
scantily clad women that
once dominated TV beer
advertising and played
well with blue collar
consumers no longer
resonant with the younger generation of beer drinkers. Generation
Y (Millennials) are concerned about
lifestyle, opinions and what others in
their demographic like and think is
in vogue. Over time younger people’s
activities, interests and use occasions
have changed. Many of the craft
brewers “get it” as their products are
“liked” and followed on Facebook,
Twitter and other social media sites.
Although big beer’s websites are getting lots of hits those hits have not
turning into increased sales.
Economy
Without a doubt, a lingering
high level of unemployment
among blue-collar drinkers has
had a negative impact on many
of big beers’ brands. When it
comes to choosing whether to
buy a tank of gas, a gallon of milk,
a loaf of bread, or a twelve pack of
beer, beer is the product that most
frequently gets left behind. Yet, when
consumers make the choice to buy
an adult beverage, they want to make
sure they are getting something
special. More and more consumers
are willing to make the price leap
and purchase expensive craft beers,
imported beers, wine and cocktails.
Changing Loyalties
For years large brewers could rely
on brand loyal consumers. A Lite
drinker was a Lite drinker and a Bud
drinker was steadfast to his favorite
beer. Brewers depended on a loyal
customer base to produce predictable sales. Brand switching was the
exception rather than the rule. Today,
brand loyal consumers no longer
dominate the beer scene. Brand
switching within the beer category is
also being accompanied by the trial of
new or different products. The major
brewers should have seen it coming
as brand loyalty was eroding across
many consumer product categories
and beer would be no exception.
Perhaps nothing would have changed
except that small craft brewers gained
the attention of beer drinkers as they
began to introduce a dazzling array of
new beer styles and flavors e.g. ales,
porters, fruit infused beers, bocks,
etc. The craft beer folks grabbed the
attention of both beer and non-beer
drinkers a like. And, consumer
disloyalty became the new norm. Big
beer companies, at the same time,
weren’t doing themselves any favors
by cannibalizing their existing brands
with too any line extensions.
Changing Tastes
Light beers continue to be the
leading products of big beer, and are
still the largest product segment of
the US beer business. In recent years,
however, they have consistently lost
volume and market share. Women,
who were once regular
drinkers of light beer
drinkers, often opt for
other beverages including
martinis, flavored whiskey and wine. Similarly,
many men, who were
part of the heavy beer
drinker cohort, now include wine and spirits
as part of their lifestyle.
In sum, consumers that
brewers used
to be able to
count on to be
www.BeverageJournalInc.com loyal beer drinkers are now routinely
consume other alcoholic beverages.
Wine and spirits
In recent years, wine and
spirits have been in direct
competition with beer
for consumer’s discretionary dollars.
And just as
flavor
creativity was once
the forte of soft drink companies,
vintners and distillers have learned
from these bottlers and introduced
new products and brand extensions
featuring chocolate, cream, fruits
and artificial flavors. These products
have captured the attention
of both male and female
beer drinkers, which has
resulted in significant volume
being shifted out of the beer
category. And while the larger
beer companies have struggled
to get social media programs to
work for them, wine and spirits
and companies have tuned into
lifestyle marketing and are fully
engaged in the use of social media.
Wine and spirits have also added to
their mainstream advertising effort
with an increased weight and presence to reach late prime time and late
night television viewers.
Pricing
Price increases by the major brewers
once an irregular event have become
a never ending string of annual and
in some cases semi - annual occurrences. Some of the most recent
increases were particularly ill timed
coming during the worst part of the
recent economic crisis. There is little
doubt these increases have hurt sales.
In addition, as the price gap between
mainstream domestic beers, imports,
crafts and spirits has narrowed, consumers were silently encouraged to
try other products. Nevertheless, the result of these prices
increases in the short term
has been to enhance top line
sales revenue and have resulted in
increased operating profits and
increased stock share prices even
as sales volumes have declined.
Continuing to raise prices often
above the CPI index will likely be
an unsustainable long-term strategy.
Higher prices have no doubt contributed to young people’s drinking
habits. Many of them looking for a
quick buzz have made the switch from
beer to liquor and wine. The practice
of
“pre-gamming” at a
friend’s house
with liquor
or wine prior
to going out for
an evening saves
lots of money
on a bar tab.
This practice
proves the economic theory
about price and
value is alive and well.
Localism
Consumers are increasingly knowledgeable about who makes their
beer and where it is made. This
newfound emphasis on “localism” is
becoming more widespread as many
consumers reject products made
by large monolithic out of state
brewers, who also may be owned
by foreign corporations. These
facts are not lost on local craft
brewers. They are quick to point
It'sABOUTbeer
out, if they can, their use
of local ingredients and
their participation in
the local economy.
Their jobs
are local
and their
profits stay
local. Both
points resonate well with
consumers
who want to
identify with
and support a local business and its
products.
It is not all gloom
and doom for
Big Brewers
The largest domestically based brewers are not sitting back and taking
what comes to them, but continue
to be proactive in an effort to
recapture lost volume and share.
❱None of these breweries are waiting for the economy to improve
or for the market to return to them.
They are being innovative with new
product development, or through
acquisition of popular and successful
craft brewers.
❱They will likely become more
proactive and use their considerable
advertising muscle as a means to promote their own quality stories.
The large brewers
are
beginning to
counter the
claims their
beers are
poorly
made, and
are explaining the
recipes they use were
originally developed
to fit particular
taste preferences
of the
time. As consumer tastes continue
to change, the major brewers are
adapting with innovative
new product offerings.
Notable products are
Coors Third Shift Lager
and Blue Moon as well
as ABInbev’s Budweiser
Black Crown and Shock
Top. They appeal to consumers who
are looking for a particular taste
profile and/or a particular
alcohol level.
❱ The large domestic
brewers are once again on the
offensive and promoting their
unique product propositions and
the benefits of their beer versus
those of wine and spirits.
Amongst alcohol beverages,
beer will always be
the beverage of
moderation.
❱ They are and should do more to
promote their numerous brewing
locations as local businesses and local
employers. They need to do more
to tout the economic benefits they
provide both to the local and as well
as the national economy in terms of
taxes paid, but also in the number
of good paying jobs they
provide.
❱ Not only the largest
brewers but corporate
America in general needs
to work on promoting the
generosity of their charitable foundations. Citizens should know the
amount and types of charitable work
being done by these
companies.
❱ It is important for
the largest brewers
and craft brewers
to continue to seek
common ground
on industry wide
issues. None
of the brewers are immune to neo–
prohibitionists who remain active
in pursuit of their goal to restrict
alcohol availability, limit marketing
practices, or place additional legal
restrictions on the industry such as
dram shop legislation.
In spite all of big beer’s current
problems, the beer business and
all of its three tiers remain a great
business to be a part of. The
industry is still about having fun
and making a positive impact on
society. It is a business in which
hard work, attention to customer
needs and creativity can lead to
personal success. There may not
be another business or industry in
which so many people have so many
likes, dislikes and opinions about
the products they produce, sell, buy
and consume.
Just like in baseball, teams have
their slumps, but the beer game, as
a whole is alive and well. n
AL HORTON retired after 27 years with Bob Hall
LLC, a beer distributor in Upper Marlboro, MD.
He is currently an Adjunct Business Instructor
at Anne Arundel Community College. Please
direct any comments, criticisms or suggestions
to [email protected]
Brandawareness
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
By Al Horton
O
ne of the many nice things about
this time of the year is the release of
a great variety of fall and winter seasonal
beers. One of the best of these seasonals is
Pumpkin Ale from The Saint Louis Brewery,
the brewers of Schlafly Beer. From the first
sip, you will think you have found pumpkin
pie in a bottle.
Pumpkin beer is not a new idea as it was
routinely brewed by America’s earliest settlers. During the Colonial Period, malted
grain was not readily available so colonial
brewers relied on pumpkin and squash for
fermentable ingredients. Current day pumpkin ales are much more refined as Schlafly
and other brewers have a variety of grains to
choose from when brewing their beers.
With a reddish copper color and a tannish head, Schlafly Pumpkin Ale is both a
visual and sensory delight. The ale radiates
a pumpkin pie aroma resulting from a combination of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg
spices. This homey aroma morphs perfectly
into a taste profile
that highlights
those ingredients.
Any tendency
t o w a r d c l oy i n g
sweetness is balanced by the use of
just the right amount
of Marynka hops and a
hefty 8 % abv. alcohol level.
The body of this ale is provided
by an interesting combination of pumpkin,
and squash, and an abundant use of Pale,
Crystal, Munich, Wheat and Chocolate
malts. The result of this combination is a
soft mouth feel and an easy drinkability.
It is not too late in the season to try a
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale and while you’re at it,
pick up a couple of six packs to hold onto for
Thanksgiving. After all, what could be more
American than a beer that tastes and smells
like homemade pumpkin pie?
“I would
rather sit on
a pumpkin,
and have it all
to myself, than
be crowded on
a velvet cushion.”
Henry David Thoreau –
(American poet and philosopher)
AL HORTON retired after 27 years with Bob Hall
LLC, a beer distributor in Upper Marlboro, MD.
He is currently an Adjunct Business Instructor
at Anne Arundel Community College. Please direct any comments, criticisms or suggestions to
[email protected]
Dockside
Exhibit Hall
Booths starting
at only $615
March 9-10, 2014
Ocean City, Maryland
Open to the Trade Only
No One Under 21
800-626-2326 x 2
www.oceancitytradeexpo.com
Connecting
Hospitality
buyers and sellers
since 1974
BRANDPROFILE
Building Strength on Strength
Svedka’s New Look and Flavor Innovations are
Helping Penetrate the On-Premise Market
BY KRISTEN BIELER
M
ost brands on the planet would
trade places with Svedka. Since
its creation in 1998, the Swedish
vodka has only known steady—
often explosive—growth, becoming the
second largest imported vodka brand in
the U.S. It has universal appeal, with a
consumer base split evenly male/female.
While many vodka brands rely on flavors
for growth, Svedka maintains an enviably
strong 80-proof business, with close to 93%
of business coming from the unflavored
base brand. And the world’s most important
vodka market—the U.S.—consumes 90%
of Svedka’s 4 million-plus annual cases.
Yet there was one area Svedka hadn’t
accessed as well as the brand team at Constellation believed it could: on-premise. As
of this summer, that has changed, largely
thanks to Svedka’s two new flavor extensions—Orange Cream Pop and Strawberry
Colada. “These flavors have been extremely successful in penetrating the on-premise,”
shares Diana Pawlik, VP Marketing, Svedka. “Bartenders love the novelty they offer,
and have been creating some really fun
drinks. They have also served as a portal
of entry for the base brand. We weren’t on
bartenders’ radar before.”
SVEDKA FLAVOR LINE
SVEDKA WAS BUILT
ON FINDING HOLES
IN THE MARKETPLACE,
STARTING WITH
BEING A BUDGETPRICED IMPORT.
The marketplace is certainly not short
on flavored vodkas, but Svedka’s offerings
represent something new. “Like Corona or
Malibu we don’t have a seasonal strategy
for these flavors and they are selling really
well into the fall,” says Pawlik.
Svedka was built on finding holes in
the marketplace. “Svedka’s founder saw a
white space: There were low-end domestic
vodkas, and high-end imported vodkas, but
no low-end imported options,” she explains.
Svedka was an instant success. It didn’t hurt
that everything Swedish is perceived as highquality, fashionable and pure.
Today, the vodka market is a very different—and much more crowded—place. All
the more reason Svedka seeks to stay ahead
of the curve with its new package. The new
look for the entire flavor line, which debuted in Spring 2013, is sleeker and bolder
in color with a metallic silver closure and a
transparent view strip on the back. The flavor formulations have also been fine-tuned
to deliver richer, brighter taste profiles.
Watch for more innovation as well: “We
look at what is happening all around us—
in gum, yogurt, beverages, at Starbucks—
all things with critical consumer appeal,”
says Pawlik.
But don’t expect dozens of flavors
from Svedka. The brand’s identity remains
a high-quality 80-proof vodka that represents tremendous value for the price. “The
bottom line for us is that quality equation,”
says Pawlik. “Our flavors allow us to have
a fuller conversation with our customers
now, but our reputation is based on our
80-proof vodka.”
The brand innovates in non-flavored
ways, too: 275,000 cases of July 4th-themed
1.75ml bottles were allocated before being
released. “Svedka is all about partying—it’s
about being together as a group, which
these bottles illustrate,” says Pawlik.
Look also for Svedka’s new advertising
campaign which is curiously taglineless. “We wanted to create a vibe through
the ads, and leave it up to the viewer
what the tagline should be,” Pawlik
notes. “The brand conjures Swedish
simplicity—‘cheap chic’—and the bottle is
the celebrity.” n
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www.BeverageJournalInc.com November 2013 Beverage Journal 13
NEWPRODUCTS
&PROMOTIONS
LATEST FROM CROP: ORGANIC
SPICED PUMPKIN VODKA
When the air turns crisp, there’s almost
nothing that says fall more than pumpkin.
The latest offering from Crop Organic
Vodka is Spiced Pumpkin, featuring notes
of roasted pumpkin and baking spices and
a touch of sweetness. Like all other Crop
expressions, Spiced Pumpkin is produced
to strict USDA organic standards.
BELL WINE CELLARS—ARTISANAL
WINES FROM NAPA & BEYOND
Anthony Bell established Bell Wine Cellars in
Napa Valley to make limited-production wines
by applying Old World winemaking to sundrenched New World grapes. The extensive
portfolio today includes Cabernet Sauvignon,
Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Petite
Sirah, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc from
regions such as Napa Valley, Lake County and
Sierra Foothills in California and also from
Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
cropvodka.com
SRP: $30
THE LATEST FROM
WILD TURKEY IS SPICED
Wild Turkey Bourbon has introduced Wild
Turkey Spiced, from the “Island of Kentucky.”
Designed to be a masculine trade-up for
spiced rum drinkers, Wild Turkey Spice
features bold Kentucky Straight Bourbon with
island spices added. Associate Master Distiller
Eddie Russell created a mixable, yet sippable
spirit, enjoyable alone, but also great mixed
with cola or in creative cocktails. 86 proof.
broncowine.com
DRINK SOME LUXURY WITH
SANTERO MOSCATO ROSÉ ROYAL
Santero Moscato Rosé Royal offers luxury.
This is the first Moscato with 11.5% ABV
and 55 grams sugar. The liquid comes in a
crystal bottle with a massive bottom that, after
refrigeration, keep Rose Royal cool for up
to an hour without ice. This is a delicate
sparkling wine with a fragrant bouquet and
vibrant fruity notes and just-right sweetness.
islandofkentucky.com
SRP: $22.99
DIRTY SUE OLIVE JUICE
MAKES A BETTER DIRTY MARTINI
Dirty Sue was created by L.A. bartender Eric
Tecosky with the goal of offering a better
olive juice for mixing. Finest quality olives
from Spain’s Sevilla region are used and the
brine is twice filtered. It makes the perfect
complement to gin or vodka when mixing
up a classic dirty martini, or use it to add a
twist to a Bloody Mary.
dirtysue.com
SRP: $6.99
SRP: $28.99
SKINNYGIRL WELCOMES
NEW VARIETAL WINES
Skinnygirl Cocktails has introduced four
new wines. Prosecco is a limited-time,
seasonal offering; Chardonnay and Pinot
Grigio are the latest white wines; and
Cabernet Sauvignon is the first red in
the lineup. The Skinnygirl portfolio now
has 20 products including vodka, wine
and ready-to-serve cocktails. All of the
wines are 100 calories per serving.
facebook.com/skinnygirlcocktails
SRP: $19.99/Prosecco
SRP: $11.99/Pinot Grigio & Chardonnay
SRP: $13.99/Cabernet Sauvignon
rich is always a good thing
layer cake wines...just that and more.
handmade in:
australia
italy
california
argentina
spain
For sales and distribution information visit vintagepoint.com
©2013 One True Vine, LLC.
Facebook: LayerCakeWine LayerCakeWines.com Twitter: LayerCakeWine
®
NEWPRODUCTS
&PROMOTIONS
KOKUMI TOKUBETSU JUNMAI
SAKE, GOLD MEDAL WINNER
FROM JAPAN
Kokumi Tokubetsu Junmai Japanese Saké
was a 92-point gold medal winner at the
2013 World Saké Challenge. “Kokumi”
is the sixth taste, translating roughly as
“heartiness,” while “Tokubetsu Junmai”
indicates the use of highly-polished, very
special saké rice. This saké, driven with
savory and umami notes, pairs perfectly
with tempura, sushi and sashimi.
CASA DRAGONES OFFERS
PERSONALIZED BOTTLES
Casa Dragones Tequila is now offering
personalized bottles for any special occasion.
Each bottle is hand-inscribed by a calligrapher
with the recipient’s name on the label.
This customization option makes for a very
memorable gift option for weddings, birthdays,
holidays, corporate gifting and more.
facebook.com/casadragones
broncowine.com
BÄRENJÄGER INTRODUCES
TWO NEW INNOVATIONS
Bärenjäger has released Bärenjäger Honey &
Tea, a blend of pure honey and tea liqueur;
and Bärenjäger Honey & Pear, a combination
of honey liqueur and Williams pear brandy
from Germany. The two extensions join
a portfolio which also includes Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur and 2012 launch
Bärenjäger Honey & Bourbon. Both new
additions are available nationally in 1L,
750ml, 375ml and 50ml sizes.
sidneyfrank.com
SRP: $28.99/750ml (both types)
REFINED, YET REBELLIOUS:
ARTA TEQUILA
From birth to bottle, Arta Tequila
controls how the 100% Weber Blue
Agave is grown, and how the tequila
is produced and bottled. Unique
in being produced on one estate
in tequila’s birthplace of Jalisco,
Mexico, the tequilas are consistent
award-winners benefiting from
triple-distilling and above-minimum
aging. Check local availability.
[email protected]
HOLLY NOG ARRIVES
IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Midwest Custom Bottling, makers of RumChata,
have released Holly Nog. Egg nog lovers can
enjoy this premium spiked egg nog made with
wine and real Wisconsin dairy cream—egg nog
was sometimes made with wine or Sherry before
the American Revolution. Holly Nog’s wine base
allows it to be sold in wine-only licensed stores
as well as liquor stores and dairy aisles.
facebook.com/drinkhollynog
SRP: $9.99
RELAX WINES ARE
EASYGOING & GROWING
What started as an award-winning
Riesling has grown into a full
line of wines. Relax Wines are
approachable, everyday wines,
available nationally. The flagship
Riesling is joined by Cool Red,
Pink and Pinot Grigio. Each bottle
is brightly colored to stand out on
shelves and crafted to pair well
with what’s for dinner tonight.
artatequila.com
relaxwines.com
SRP: $35.99/ Silver
SRP: $45.99/ Reposado
SRP: $55.99/ Añejo
[email protected]
IndustryInterview
Crisp and Mejia:
when we went about starting Craft
Wine & Spirits and [representing]
small distilleries, we needed both
of those strengths. None of these
guys have any marketing strategy
to go out into the marketplace.
Crafting Success With
Craft Wine & Spirits
BY Ted Durgin
C
raft Wine &
Spirits opened
last year with a mission to provide
high-quality, full-service distribution of fine wine, specialty beverages, handcrafted spirits and
beverage-related supplies to restaurants and retailers throughout
Washington, D.C. The company
is the brainchild of principal owners Shannon Crisp and Raul Mejia, who together have more than
25 years of brand development experience across the Mid-Atlantic
region. Both men found that they
have a shared passion for seeking
out wines and spirits with unique
character.
Consequently, their product offerings have grown in just over a
year and a half to include such interesting labels as the Alaska Distillery’s Purgatory Vodka, which
is the first spirit in the United
States to be made from hemp
seed; the intriguingly named Fat
and Juicy Bloody Mary Mix; the
Hawaiian rums of the Koloa Rum
Company; and Black Elk’s line of
Moscato, chardonnay, and Shiraz
wines.
Crisp and Mejia now have their
sights set on the Maryland market. The Beverage Journal recently
sat down with the dynamic duo.
What follows is our chat:
BEVERAGE JOURNAL:
how did you two hook up?
So,
SHANNON CRISP: Raul and
I have worked together in some
form or another for many years.
Raul was with Republic National
Distributing in Washington, D.C.,
and I was one of his suppliers
with Remy Cointreau. We always
joked, “Hey, what if we did this
on our own one day?” Five years
later, here we are! Before, we were
sitting on opposite sides of the
desk. Now, we are going at this
together.
BJ: So, what are your individual
strengths? And how do you divvy
up the responsibilities?
RAUL MEJIA: We’re co-presidents of the company. With me
being with Republic National for
14 years, I had the knowledge of
being able to run a distributorship and to be able to get people
out there and get product into the
stores. And Shannon with his
knowledge of running the brands
over at Remy Cointreau, he knew
all about marketing strategy. So,
SC: I think when we boil it
down, where we have really taken
off is the fact that we realize this
is a relationship business. That’s
what it was years ago, and that’s
what it still is today. If people like
you, they will buy from you. They
will work with you.
BJ: You mentioned the small
distilleries. Could you talk about
your product line?
SC: These are American and European craft distillers. That’s who
they are, and that’s who we represent. We’ve gone out with our
business model to give these very
creative and talented and small,
independent business owners a
voice in the D.C. and Maryland
markets, and it’s been successful.
The trade has really responded to
the message.
BJ: You are indeed representing
people and brands from outside
the market … in some cases, from
far outside the market. Do they
have some preconceived notions,
possibly even some misconceptions, about the Maryland and
D.C. beverage markets that you
have to clear up? If so, what are
they?
RM: The one good thing with us
is because we are dealing with a
lot of small, brand-new distilleries
IndustryInterview
this industry to
draw on. There are,
of course, bumps in
the road whenever
you open any new
business. But we
knew what we wanted to build, and
that’s been able to
get us to where we
are.
that have been around for, maybe,
eight years at the most, they really
do NOT have any knowledge of
the market. All they really know
is that D.C. and Maryland and
this whole area are booming, especially with regards to the restaurant industry. So, they want
to get into this marketplace, and
we’re able to help them out and
educate them on what’s going on.
SC: We work in strong partnership in tandem with our distillers
to let them know what the opportunities are within our market
and how to make an impact with
regards to quality and craftsmanship versus pricing and promotion.
BJ: Here’s a question for both of
you. At the very beginning of this
whole odyssey, was there some advice that was given to you that has
really stuck? Was there someone’s
counsel you sought that proved to
be especially helpful?
SC: [laughing] We were looking
for that person, but he or she did
not poke their heads out! I really
have to hand it to Raul. He has
been “ear to the wall” and “shoulder to the grindstone” in making
things happen for us.
RM: I think the advice that we
seek is our own. Shannon and
I have the years of experience in
BJ: What has been
the most rewarding
part of this whole process?
SC: The creativity, and the ability to be flexible. There’s no, “Well,
this is how WE do it, and this is
how IT works.” We’re not trying
to reinvent the wheel in regards to
distribution in the market. But
we’re putting rims on it. We’re
going out there with a different
approach to brands, warehousing,
and customer interaction.
RM: For me, it’s been getting
in touch with the marketplace.
When I was with Republic, I was
sitting behind a desk many, many
days doing reports and talking to
suppliers. Now, I’m able to actually get out and talk to the retailers and restaurateurs and really
find out what is needed out there.
That’s greatly helped us in terms
of being able to figure out which
direction we want to go with certain products that we are bringing
in. And one thing that we decided
early on? We do NOT have desks!
We don’t want to be stuck behind
a desk anymore.
BJ: So, what is coming up in the
fourth quarter this year for your
business that has you excited?
RM: We’ve been very lucky in the
past year and a half-plus. We’ve
been able to educate a lot of people here in the D.C. markets. Now,
what we want to do in this fourth
quarter is go out and educate the
Maryland markets and show what
some of these great, little distillers
are able to produce. It’s not just
Diageo or Pernod Ricard. Those
are the guys I represented for many
years. They do a great job. But
at the same time, there are other
products out there.
BJ: For someone reading this
who might want to get out from
under the desk, too, what advice
would you have for them?
SC: It’s important to do what
you love. If you’re tired of working a 40-hour-a-week job and are
overwhelmed with e-mail, you
open up your own shop … and
you’ll work 80 hours a week now!
But if you go this route, be flexible
and don’t overwhelm the consumer. Everything in our portfolio, we
love dearly and are really proud of.
We bring in a very few select suppliers. You never want to have a
book that’s the size of “War and
Peace.” Offer quality products at a
quality price.
BJ: If we were to chat two years
from now, what are your metrics?
Where do you want to be in order
to feel like you are successful?
RM: Our biggest goals for one
year and two years down the road
is really to be able to say, “We’ve
been able to get some brands out
there that would never have had
that exposure.” Right now, there
is a great boom in the craft brewery segment. We want to be that
distributor that can do the same
thing for craft distillers in this
market area. n
EDWARD "TEDDY" DURGIN is a graduate of
UMBC. In additional to his freelance journalist
duties, he is an entertainment reviewer. You
may contact Teddy at [email protected].
BRANDPROFILE
‘Anna’ Redefined
Spain’s Most Famous Cava Takes Off in the
U.S. Market with New Look
BY KRISTEN BIELER
S
pain’s best-known Cava—Anna
de Codorníu—is enjoying a
significant boost in the U.S.,
thanks to a packaging redesign
and new marketing campaign. We sat
down with Aveniu Brands Marketing
Director Melanie Pyne, to learn more
about the brand’s future.
The Beverage Network: Anna de
Codorníu is most recognized Cava in
Spain—where do you see potential in
the U.S. market?
MAKING ANNA DE CODORNÍU
C
odorníu practices sustainable
agriculture in three distinct areas
of Spain, matching each variety
with the most suitable conditions. The
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir used in Anna
Brut and Anna Brut Rosé are sourced
primarily from their vineyards in Costers
del Segre. This region has a continental
climate, which produces grapes with
optimum concentration and intensity.
Each plot is harvested and vinified
separately using the traditional method
(first introduced in Spain by Codorníu in
1872). The free-run juice becomes young,
aromatic base wine. After yeasts and sugar
are added to start a second fermentation
in the bottle, the bottles are stored in
Codorníu’s cellars (which were declared a
National Historic Artistic Monument) for at
least nine months, developing complexity
and depth of flavor.
Melanie Pyne: Anna de Codorníu
is poised to grow in the U.S. market with
the launch of a new, modern packaging change October 1st. The current U.S.
distribution base of Anna is increasing,
particularly in key markets such
as Texas where the brand enjoys
FUN
strong distributor focus.
TBN: What was the motivation
behind Anna’s recent package
redesign?
FACT
Founded
in 1551,
Codorníu is
the oldest
family
business in
Spain and the
17th oldest in
the world.
MP: We are trading in our
traditional label for a brighter,
more contemporary look. We
maintained the white color (and
pink for the Brut Rosé) and a clear
identification of Anna, but with the new
“wrap” material. The packaging has
performed well in research testing and
has generated excitement within our
wholesale network.
TBN: Anna’s target demographic
is “sophisticated moms, age 25–54.”
What about the brand appeals
specifically to this group?
MP: Female consumers strongly influence purchasing choices in the U.S. Anna’s bright, vibrant fruit appeals to their
sense of taste and relaxed entertaining.
Anna is well-positioned to emerge as a
premium sparkling wine, ranking high on
style points, but also with the message
that bubbles make any day a celebration.
TBN: What consumer and
trade programs do you have
planned?
MP: Our integrated marketing
campaign—“Anna, what are you
celebrating?”—was developed
to encourage brand discovery,
awareness and purchase of Anna
de Codorníu. Our consumer
and trade programming is
designed to build core consumer
loyalty through a limited edition holiday
pack, local major market activities,
social media activation and select digital
marketing alliances.
TBN: At $14.99 SRP, Anna is more
expensive than most Cavas, yet still
represents great value. Do you see
competition coming more from other
sparkling wines like Prosecco and
even Champagne?
MP: With the rise in popularity for sparkling wines like Prosecco, consumers are
introduced to Cava for their accessible
flavor profiles and favorable price points
that fit their more-casual lifestyle. Anna
can only benefit from these consumption
and quality-to-value trends.
L I MI TE D E DIT ION
2013
u
o
y
e
r
a
t
a
h
w
?
g
n
i
t
a
r
b
e
l
ce
“ . . . my candidate for the
world’s best value sparkling wine.”
- Ed McCarthy
Wine Review Online, author of Champagne for Dummies
A NNA
Distributed in Maryland by Southern Wine & Spirits
★★★
★★★
★★★
CAMPAIGN FUNDED WITH AID FROM
THE EUROPEAN UNION & SPAIN.
★★★
Please drink responsibly. Imported from Spain by Aveníu Brands, Baltimore, MD | www.aveniubrands.com
brandprofile
A Vodka to Which Health-Conscious
Consumers Can Show Their Devotion
By Ted Durgin
D
evotion is gaining quite a following for being the world’s
first gluten-free and sugar-free family
of vodkas. Just ask Michael Calleja,
COO and Vice President of Sales
for Devotion Spirits Inc. During a
recent interview with the Beverage
Journal, he noted, “When we started,
our target market was like everyone
else -- men and women, age 21 to
34. We put a lot of emphasis on
our demos around the country. We
asked all of our agencies to send pictures. What we began noticing as
we starting getting the product into
people’s mouths at liquor stores and
on-premise places was a large array
of people over the age of 40, 50, 60
and even 70 years old purchasing our
brand because of the whole sugar-free
aspect. So, while our target demographic was always 21- to 34-year-olds,
we started to hit a very large area of
people that we weren’t even considering. Not only that, but we have also
developed a large following in the
alternative lifestyle community. At
the end of the day, gluten free and
sugar free affects everyone.”
Devotion Vodka comes in such flavors as Blood Orange, Coconut, and
Wild Cherry and is made at a stateof-the-art distillery in Middletown,
Wis. It is six times distilled from
100 percent high-grade U.S. corn
and multi-filtered. The company
teamed up with Allen Flavors, maker
of Arizona Iced Tea and the No. 1
privately owned f lavor company in
the country, to develop a process
of eliminating sugars as a flavoring
agent in the vodka. In lieu of sugar,
Devotion uses what is known as “an
essence process” along
with natural f lavor compounds to ensure all of its
f lavored vodkas are created without any of the
unnecessary sugars that
other mass produced vodkas use.
Calleja stated, “There
is a huge war against soda
in New York and L.A .
where governments are
trying to crack down on
the amount of sugars put
into sodas. We believe we
are capitalizing on that
by getting ahead of the
marketplace and ahead of
our competition. We’re
getting into places such as
Houlihan’s, Applebee’s,
and Whole Foods mainly
because of the sugar-free
and gluten-free aspects of
our product.”
In addition, the company utilizes a unique
process of de-ionizing its
water to ensure the highest quality water source.
Calleja states, “ The reason we de-ionize our water is because
Allen Flavors won’t put their name
o n a ny t h i n g t ha t d o e s n ’ t have
de-ionized water. It’s basically hospital-grade water -- zero impurities. For
our plant, we took it one extra step
and actually purchased a de-ionizing
machine.”
Customer s are drawn to the
attractive bottle, as well. The design
developed around founder Andrew
“Drew” Adelman’s daughter, Nicole.
“He’s devoted to her,” said
Calleja. “He calls his
daughter ‘Angel.’ That’s
why you see wings on the
bottle. Then, there are the
two hearts on the bottle.
One is an outside ‘window’ heart and the other
is inside. It’s basically his
heart inside of her heart.
So, the whole design has
real meaning behind it.”
Calleja and Adelman are
hoping there is real meaning behind the brand’s
recent expansion into the
M a r y l a n d -Wa s h i n g t o n
a re a . “ We st a r te d i n
California, then brought
the brand to New Jersey,
and we had a strong footing in Massachusetts also,”
Calleja stated. “When
we started to connect the
dots between New Jersey
and Massachusetts with
Connecticut and New York
City and Pennsylvania, we
started bleeding down into
the market of Maryland
and D.C. We are in about
18 Applebee’s in Maryland and D.C.,
and we’ve really started seeing the
growth of Devotion’s Blood Orange
Vodka. You guys in Maryland love a
drink called the Orange Crush, and
we fit right into that drink profile.
The vodka market is very powerful in
Maryland, and we’re showing great
returns on our investment since we
launched about four months ago
there.”
marylandscene
Howie Aaronson, Cairo Liquors; promoting Ty-Ku Sake on
World Saké Day.
SWS TASTINGS
& PRODUCT LAUNCHES
Rod McIntyre, Southern Wine and Spirits; presenting the Isle of
Jura Superstition Scotch at the First Friday event in Frederick,
which benefited the Interfaith Housing Alliance, Inc.
Ken Driscoll, A Hardy USA; Benedicte Hardy, Owner of Hardy
Cognac; and Jennifer Hein, Southern Wine and Spirits; showcasing the new Hardy Organic Cognac.
Mariam Razavi, Fine Wine Specialist, Southern Wine and Spirits;
recently met up with Vincent Avenel, Export Director, Domaine
Faiveley; for a luncheon and tasting of Champagne Pol Roger.
marylandscene
HARFORD COUNTY
WINE FESTIVAL
The Harford County Wine Festival was attended by thousands and featured hundreds of wines from around the
world. The Harford County Wine Festival will donate a portion of this year’s proceeds to Harford County Toys for
Tots.
Here are (l-r) Bruce Wills, Old Bridge Cellars; Lisa Bourgeois, David
Levenstein, both with Southern Wine and Spirits; and Marcie Levenstein volunteering at the event.
Attendees enjoyed tasting a variety of the wines at the event.
Winemaker Bruce Clugston, Wine Men of Gotham,
and his daughter Romy
are interviewed by Harford
County’s local radio station, 970 WAMD at the
festival.
Attendees enjoying a beautiful day filled with gourmet foods, desserts, local music, and wine.
DISTRIBUTED BY INTERBALT: (855)SANTERO OR (301)793.1818
PEACH PINEAPPLE PASSIONFRUIT STRAWBERRY COCONUT MANGO
SANTERO FLAVORED MOSCATOS
marylandscene
DIAGEO
HOLIDAY MEETING
The Charmer Sunbelt Group’s (CSG) Mid-Atlantic Division gathered at M&T Bank Stadium recently for the unveiling of Diageo’s holiday
programming. Guests were introduced to dynamic innovation items, festive cocktail recipes, and inventive selling concepts. Following
supplier presentations, Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Rice treated the group to a motivating speech.
GRIDIRON GALS
FOOTBALL KICKOFF PARTY
Over 150 football fanatics gathered to enjoy the opening Baltimore Ravens vs. Denver Broncos game at The Greene Turtle in Arundel
Mills. Attendees enjoyed Ciroc and Crown Royal cocktails with creative names like “Ray Berry” (a Ciroc Red Berry cocktail) or “Maple
Manning” (a cocktail made with Crown Royal Maple). Proceeds from the event were donated to benefit the Tyson Reedy AML Leukemia
Fund.
NOW
AVA I L A B L E
IN A 375mL.
BOLD IN EVERY BOTTLE.
# dusse
dusse.com
/dusse.cognac
@dussecognac
@dussecognac
E N J OY R E S P O N S I B LY.
© 2 0 1 3 D ’ U S S É A N D I T S T R A D E D R E S S A R E T R A D E M A R K S. I M P O RT E D B Y D ’ U S S É S P I R I T S,
C O R A L G A B L E S, F L . C o g n a c – 4 0 % A LC . B Y VO L .
marylandscene
RUM & REGGAE
FESTIVAL
Roughly 400 attendees were at the
2013 Rum and Reggae festival in
Federal Hill. Hosted by Little Havana, guests enjoyed live music and
sipped on Bacardi, Brugal, Leblon,
Mount Gay Black Barrel, Captain
Morgan Black Spiced Rum as well as
the new (limited time only) Captain Morgan, finished in Sherry Oak
Casks.
MARYLAND DISTRIBUTOR
Reliable Churchill LLLP - 7621 Energy Pkwy Baltimore, MD 21226 (410) 439-5000
marylandscene
ONE-EYED MIKE’S
10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
One-Eyed Mike’s celebrated its 10year anniversary with a toast lead
by special guest Alexandra Marnier
Lapostolle (President at Marnier
Lapostolle Inc—makers of Grand
Marnier). Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake also made an appearance to
commemorate the achievement.
Guests enjoyed tasting the new
Grand Marnier Raspberry Peach, the
second flavor in the brand’s signature
collection. Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake have some fun taking photos in Grand Marnier
branded sunglasses at the event.
Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle beams at a cake
shaped like the iconic Grand Marnier bottle.
Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, Gran Marnier; and Mike
Maraziti, One-Eyed Mike’s; toast to 10 years of success.
RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE
SIZZLING CELEBRITY GOLF CLASSIC
Ketel One Vodka was once again the sponsor of the annual Ruth’s Chris Steak House Celebrity Golf Classic held to benefit the Leukemia
and Lymphoma Society. Woodholme Country Club hosted the event and was awash in Ketel One … Ketel One Oyster Shooters, Ketel
One Bloody Marys, Ketel One Citroen Lemonade, Ketel One Arnold Palmer’s, and Ketel One Oranje Crushes.
DONATION MADE TO
FIDELITY CHARITY
GIFT FUND
The Reliable Churchill Alliance Division team recently met for dinner at Jimmy’s Famous Seafood.
A $2,000 donation was also presented to benefit
the Fidelity Charity Gift Fund and was accepted by
the Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Rice.
www.BeverageJournalInc.com BALTIMORE
IS CRUSHING IT
Finlandia promotion models recently
descended on M&T Bank Stadium
at a recent Raven game and invited
football tailgaters to try the Finlandia
Grapefruit Purple Crush at the PressBox Purple Zone located outside of the
stadium.
marylandscene
DAN AYKROYD’S
CRYSTAL HEAD VODKA
Actor, comedian, and businessman, Dan Aykroyd recently visited Republic
National Distributing Company’s Jessup offices to talk about and promote
his ultra-premium Crystal Head Vodka.
Dan Aykroyd visits Republic National Distributing Company for a
promotion of his Crystal Head Vodka.
Dan Aykroyd signing a bottle of Crystal Head Vodka.
Dan Aykroyd with his Crystal Head Vodka.
Chilean Heritage
From Vina Santa Carolina...
Please ask your
Southern Wine & Spirits
representative for details!!
OUR
LATEST
BEST BUYS
Packed in Wood
No Up-charge!
www.carolinawinwbrandsusa.com
MARCH 2013 ISSUE
JUNE 2013 ISSUE
JUNE 2013 ISSUE
marylandscene
Models handing out Jameson shirts and
beads for one of the many promotions
around the Maryland area celebrating Half
Way to Saint Patrick’s Day.
HALF WAY TO SAINT PATRICK’S
WAS SEPTEMBER 17TH
Patrons of Looney’s Pub celebrate Half Way
to Saint Patrick’s Day with Jameson.
Delia Foley’s on Charles Street in Federal Hill celebrates Half
Way to Saint Patrick’s Day with Jameson.
Bartenders at Looney’s Pub North celebrate
Half Way to Saint Patrick’s Day on September
17th by serving up Jameson.
IRISH MIST
TOASTS 40TH
Bobby Kulp, Jake
Ward, and Danny
Coker, owner of
Bartenders in Baltimore; celebrate
Danny’s 40th
birthday at one of
the top Irish Mist
accounts on the
East Coast.
Jameson celebrates Half Way to Saint Patrick’s Day on September 17th.
ABSOLUTE ORIENT
APPLE AT RYLEIGH’S
Absolut promotes its new flavor, Orient
Apple at Ryleigh’s Oyster in Federal Hill.
RED BULL
FLUGTAG
Red Bull Flugtag challenges the
brave and brainy to design, build
and pilot home-made flying
machines off a 30-foot high flight
deck in hopes of soaring into the
wild blue yonder…or more often,
plunging into the waters below.
Flugtag, which means “flying day”
in German, pushes the envelope
of human-powered flight, but
competitors need more than airtime to reach the podium. Teams
are judged on three criteria: flight
distance, creativity of the craft,
and showmanship. The Red Bull
Flugtag took place on a rainy
Saturday afternoon recently in
National Harbor.
Fans toast Red Bull Blue Edition cans during Red Bull Flugtag
in National Harbor on a recent rainy Saturday.
The Retailer™ BV
Now with Business View to quickly give you
vital information to help you run your business
Serving small business liquor store owners for
over 15 years.
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www.BeverageJournalInc.com POS Solutions LLC
Inventory Automation and Point of Sale Systems
www.possolutions.com 1.800.518.2559
[email protected]
Hardware, Software, Installation, Training
CAIN
VELASQUEZ
TWO TIME MMA
HEAVYWEIGHT
WORLD CHAMP
EXPECTATIONS WERE
MEANT TO BE SHATTERED
It takes a bold spirit to combine
Cognac with exotic orange
essence, Asian Calamansi citrus
and five different spices.
Drink with Style. Drink Responsibly.
©2013 Marnier-Lapostolle Inc., NY, NY. GM TITANIUM™. 40% Alc./Vol. (80°).

November 2013 HOLIDAY - Beverage Journal, Maryland and

Transcription

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