StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/447128
StateWays ■ www.stateways.com ■ January/February 2015 32 Bailey's Chocolate Cherry and Cherry Bombshell stages of their whiskey journey," Bajaria says. "The young consumer that's into fl avored whiskeys is always looking for something new and different, and fi nding a way to appeal to them remains at the top of our list." She also hinted that Paddy may add another fl avor in the near future. Argonaut's Fetter demurs on the subject of fl avored Irish whiskey. "Other than Fireball and Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey, fl avored whiskeys are not making much of a dent in our market," he says. Looking toward the future W ith no slackening interest in Irish whiskey and invest- ment in capacities to meet that demand, the category seems set for a bright future. Mulvihill is taking a wait and see attitude. "The demand is there for good quality whiskey, I just hope we don't see a lessening of quality to meet that demand," he says, adding, "Part of the interest for afi cionados is hunting for those rare and allocated whiskeys." Pernod Ricard is doing its part to maintain high stan- dards. The company has established an Irish Whiskey Academy at its Midleton distillery, offering half- and two- day courses to enthusiasts, Pernod Ricard employees, commercial partners, the media, bartenders and retailers. "We have an open-door policy at Midleton, where we work closely with these new distilleries and their distillers to ensure that the best whiskey is produced in Ireland," Melamed says. "We think that protecting and maintaining the quality of Irish whiskey will help maintain the category as a whole." Fisher adds, "I think it is important for people who are buying Bourbon and Scotch not to forget about Ireland. For Scotch fans there are some great Irish single malts on the market and single grain expressions for the Bour- bon drinkers. And there will be still more interesting Irish whiskeys when those new distilleries come on line." Irish Spirits Cream of the Crop T he Irish creams category has much in common with the Irish whiskey segment, and yet they differ greatly. Most creams have a base of Irish whiskey; they share that commonality. But, while the whiskey has been booming in the double-dig- its, the creams category has a more modest yet respectable growth rate of 2.3% among the top 10 leading brands, according to The Beverage Information & Insights Group. The demographic for whiskey is predominately young males; the audience for creams is mostly female. And both categories have one brand dominating. "In Irish creams, Baileys is still dominating that hand over fi st," says Joe Fisher, Spirits Specialist at Julio's Liquors in Westborough, Mass. Other brands the retailer carries include Brady's, Carolans, and St. Brendan's. "Baileys I sell year-round; the other Irish cream brands do better in the winter," Fisher says. "They fl y off the shelves during the holidays." "Baileys is the number-one selling liqueur in the world and ranked seventh among all distilled spirits sold worldwide, enjoying a 70% share of the total Irish cream liqueur market around the world," says Stephanie Jacoby, Diegeo's Director of Liqueurs. The big news for the brand is the release late last year of the new fl avor Baileys Cherry Chocolate. The modern update on the classic Irish Cream blends the fl avors of luscious chocolate and ripe cherries for a new Baileys taste experience, Jacoby says. "Cream liqueurs take up about as much shelf space as the Irish whiskeys," notes Mark Fetter, General Manager at Argonaut Wine & Liquor in Denver. He too says that the biggest-selling Irish cream is still Baileys, but adds that Carolans and St. Brendan's also sell very well. "It's a viable category that's doing pretty well for us." Imperial Brands is a newcomer to the creams arena. The company has partnered with the Irish dairy Kerrygold. The liqueur blends aged Irish whis- key, natural Irish cream and chocolate with an SRP of $19.99 for 750ml. Also new, not a cream but rather an Irish liqueur, is a line of Kennedy Irish Whiskey Infusions from M.S. Walker. Crafted in West Cork, Ireland, a select blend of malts is steeped with various botanicals. Initial varieties include Original, Limed, Honeyed, Spiced and Chillied. Suggested retail is $22 for 750ml. "Sales of creams and liqueurs generally pick up during the holidays," says Edward Mulvihill, Director of Sales and Marketing at Peco's Liquors in Wilmington, Del. "Baileys is our fl agship; but we carry a number of other brands like Brady's, Carolans and Irish Manor." "Baileys has always been a brand with strong female connection," Jacoby says. The brand's promotions are targeted at that demographic, including the ongoing "Cream with Spirit" campaign, expanded with a new holiday season TV and video spot called "Here's To Us," which invites women to come together and raise a toast. To encour- age experimentation beyond sipping on the rocks, Baileys has designed a collection of what it calls "stylish shots," pairing the cream with a base spirit and fun garnish." At Argonaut, "we see just as many men buying the Irish creams as women," Fetter says He also notes that many people enjoy a shot of Irish cream with their coffee. "Irish creams are more geared toward females, and Irish whiskey is geared more toward young males," observes Jim Detmore, Liquor buyer for Spec's Wine, Spirits, Finer Foods, a Houston-based retailer with over 150 locations. He attributes this phenomenon largely to the targeted advertising campaigns of these two segments. "Creams sell pretty well all year long," Detmore says. "But I don't see an explosion in sales with creams like I do in Irish whiskey."