Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/565520
14 Beverage Dynamics • September/October 2015 www.beveragedynamics.com FYI NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS Rye whiskey, bourbon's spicy cousin, is making a roaring come- back, according to new supplier data from the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS). Since 2009, rye whiskey volumes have grown 536% from 88,000 9-liter cases to over a half million cases (561,000) in 2014. In value terms, that translates into a 609% jump from slightly over $15 million in supplier revenues in 2009 to over $106 million in 2014. This represents approximately $300 million in retail sales according to David Ozgo, DISCUS Chief Economist. "The growth of rye whiskey has been phenomenal, given that as late as 2000, rye volumes were virtually nonexistent with only a handful of brands in the U.S. market," said Ozgo. "By 2014, there were over 100 brands, and the sheer numbers tell the story. While it still represents a small share of the overall American whiskey category, its growth is skyrocketing." BACARDI ACQUIRES LEBLON & BANKS RUM Bacardi followed up its acquisition of Angel's Envy with two more purchases over the summer: Banks Rum and Leblon Holdings. Bacardi had served as a signifi - cant minority investor in cachaça brand Leblon for several years. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer, Leblon is available in more than 35 countries including Brazil, the United States, Canada, and select markets in Europe, Asia and in the Caribbean. Leblon and its dedicated team will continue to be led by Steve Luttmann. The Banks portfolio includes the brand's 5-Island Rum, 7 Golden Age Blend and various limited editions. Banks rum is currently available in the United States, Ger- many, United Kingdom, France, Japan, Portugal, Russia, Switzer- land, Denmark and Singapore. Created by Founder and Master Blender Arnaud de Trabuc, and inspired by the travels and discov- eries of legendary 18th-century British explorer and botanist Sir Joseph Banks, Banks is blended according to a secret formula de- veloped by blending rums from up to seven different origins, including Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana, Barba- dos, Panama, Guatemala and Java. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed. RYE WHISKEY INCREASES MORE THAN 500 PERCENT SINCE 2009 SERRALLÉS CELEBRATES 150 YEARS A century and a half is a long time to be in business. Destilería Serrallés recently hosted a celebration with guests from Puerto Rico, United States and Europe on occasion of the company's 150th anniversary. "Since 1865 our passion for distilling exceptional rums continues to drive our mission as well as our commitment to quality excellence and innovation that lead our founder Don Juan Serrallés to create this com- pany 150 years ago," said Félix J. Serrallés, company President and CEO. The gardens of the Serrallés Castle were selected as the venue for this summer festivity. Members of four generations representing the Serrallés family gathered earlier to take a family photo, as part of the heritage of Destilería Serrallés for future generations. The company said that the highlight of the evening was the unveiling of the Serrallés Family Reserve Rum, a limited edition a 20-year aged rum produced exclusively for the 150th anniversary. Only 1,865 num- bered bottles were produced, in honor of the year the company was founded. BROWN-FORMAN RECOGNIZES DISTRIBUTORS Brown-Forman announced the winners of its distributor recogni- tion program at its annual Distrib- utor Growth Summit in Nashville, Tennessee. These national awards are presented annually to one large (Heavyweight) and one mid-sized (Middleweight) distributor partner. Awards are based on business performance measures including volume attainment goals, distribu- tion criteria, and other brand-build- ing activities during the company's fiscal year ending April 30, 2015. Based on its year-long perfor- mance and brand-building efforts on behalf of Brown-Forman brands, the Heavyweight Distributor of the Year was presented to Horizon Beverage of Massachusetts while Wirtz Beverage of Minnesota was named Brown-Forman's Middle- weight Distributor of the Year. Each received commemorative plaques, as well as a $15,000 donation to the charity of their choice. "We are thankful for these long-term partnerships that con- tinue to contribute to the growth of our brands here at Brown-Forman," said Marc Satterthwaite, Vice President North American Region Sales Operations. BD