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/621120
Brand SPOTLIGHT www.beveragedynamics.com January/February 2016 • Beverage Dynamics 13 GUINNESS OPENS EXPERIMENTAL BREWERY TO THE PUBLIC Guinness has whisked away the cur tain from its experimental brew- ery. The brand's St. James's Gate brewery has opened The Open Gate Brewery to the public. There has been an experimental brewery at St. James's Gate for over a hundred years, the company says. Here, brewers are given license to explore new recipes, reinterpret old ones and experiment freely on new recipes. But for the first time in its history, Guinness has opened its doors to the general public and intro- duced the world to its brewers and their area of experimentation. The Open Gate Brewer y, the hub of this intimate brewing expe- rience, will welcome visitors from early December. HEINEKEN'S 'WHAT'S YOUR PLAY' PROGRAM TARGETS FOOTBALL FANS Heineken is tapping into football season with its What's Your Play? program. This portfolio retail program runs Jan. 1 through Feb. 28. It includes football-themed POS materials, digital partnerships, a Twitter-driven sweep- stakes, and cross-merchandising opportunities to inspire the LDA+ men of the world to choose Heineken, Heineken Light, Dos Equis, Tecate, Tecate Light and Strongbow Hard Ciders for their game-day celebrations. Last season's What's Your Play? program saw success with numerous shopper impres- sions and a 1% lift across the portfolio, the company said. Fans rallied behind the program to share their quick-witted plays to impress the boss, win at romance and be the champion of the game-day party BY KYLE SWARTZ 2016 ALCOHOL TRENDS ON DISPLAY 2016 ALCOHOL TRENDS ON DISPLAY AT DISCUS HOLIDAY EVENT Alcohol trends of 2016 were the theme of the annual Distilled Spirits Council Holiday Event. Everything from Jägermeister and Serpent's Bite, to Laphroaig and Macallan, showcased fresh fl avors and styles for the new year. BLENDING WHISKY EQUALS BUSINESS BLENDING WHISKY EQUALS BUSINESS Or, I should say, blending whiskey is increasingly seen as a smart way to manage stock while also getting product onto shelves. The recent whisky boom has distillery's struggling to meet demand. In response, companies have released specialty blends. These can include any number of differently aged juices — eliminating the need to wait until resting whiskies have hit age-statement years — while also providing new, premium product. CRAFT IS KING The mixology movement was in full force at the DISCUS event. Brands not known for being sippers were positioning them- selves as craft-cocktail ingredients. This included Jägermeister. EXTREME OR ENTRY LEVEL As adventurous drinkers work their way through the whisky category, brands are launching different takes on favorite expressions. Johnnie Walker Select Casks Rye Cask Finish ages in rye barrels. I found the transition from smooth scotch to spicy rye a bit bumpy. But I believed my pourer, Ryan Ross of Diageo, that the Rye Cask Finish makes for an interesting Old Fashioned.