Beverage Dynamics

Beverage Dynamics Jan-Feb 2016

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.

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www.beveragedynamics.com January/February 2016• Beverage Dynamics 51 pany sells more than 5 million cases of Crown Royal each year. "There are some amazing Canadian whiskies out there," notes Morgan, who adds, "That will be the next thing to catch the interest of bartenders and whisky geeks." "Canadian Whisky has a long, storied history and once sat atop the whiskey category in the United States. As more con- sumers come into the category, there is a great opportunity for Canadian Whisky to be rediscovered," says Kevin Richards, Marketing Director — Whiskeys and Specialty Brands for Sazerac Co. "We believe that Canadian whisky is all about the art of blending," Richards says about the brands' messaging. During education events, Mas- ter Blender Drew Mayville explains to consum- ers and retailers that distilling is a science while blending is an art. "The end result, we believe, is as compelling as the fi nest Bourbons or Single Malts," he adds. At 16.3 million 9L cases sold in 2014, accord- ing to the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS), the Canadian segment is second only to Bourbon in the U.S. market, and far surpasses malt Scotch and Irish. Volume, however, was down 1% in 2014, with the most positive growth coming from the high-end premium, up 11.2%. "We are seeing more new premium Canadian whiskies enter the market," observes Broc Smith, owner of the Sarasota Liquor Locker in Sarasota, Fla. However, he says the mainstays such as Ca- nadian Club, Seagram's and Crown Royal still dominate the segment. Primarily, an older clientele is drinking Canadian whisky, he says. "Canadian is struggling to tap into that Millennial market—which is what everybody is trying to do, of course." NATIONAL IDENTITY "Canadian is a mellow and smooth, very approachable whisky, with an entry level price point, and it's great for mixing cock- tails," says Marc Hindorff, Canadian Mist brand manager for Brown-Forman. Founded in 1967, Canadian Mist is triple distilled and aged in white oak barrels. As for messaging, the company is test- ing a new campaign called "There's no Mist to un- derstanding great whisky," which puns the brand's name. For now the messaging is digital only, but there will be in-store POS materials when the cam- paign offi cially rolls out. American whiskeys may seem to have the home court advantage when it comes to explaining the nuances of grain bills, distilling technique and mat- uration. But for many Americans, Canadian distill- eries are as close as, if not closer than, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. "With Canada as our neighbor, it's an easy trip for guests to visit our gorgeous and historical Her- itage Center, where history comes to life through- out the entire experience," says Malini Patel, Beam Suntory's VP of World Whiskies and Innovation. When talking about Canadian Club, it's described as an exceptionally smooth whisky that has set the standard for over 150 years, says Patel, who adds Canadian Club is an approachable alternative to LEADING BRANDS OF CANADIAN WHISKY, 2013-2014 (Thousands 9-Liter Cases) '13/'14 Brand Type Supplier 2013 2014 % Change Crown Royal FB Diageo 4,296 4,275 -0.5% Black Velvet USB Constellation Brands 2,015 2,050 1.7% Canadian Mist USB Brown-Forman Beverages 1,537 1,489 -3.1% Canadian Club FB Beam Suntory 1,198 1,210 1.0% Windsor Supreme USB Beam Suntory 939 896 -4.6% Rich & Rare USB Sazerac 835 870 4.2% Seagram's V.O. FB Diageo 870 820 -5.7% Canadian LTD USB Sazerac 700 685 -2.1% Canadian Hunter USB Sazerac 395 392 -0.8% Lord Calvert USB Luxco 414 370 -10.6% Total Leading Brands 13,199 13,057 -1.1% Others 2,476 2,408 -2.7% Total Canadian Whisky 15,675 15,465 -1.3% FB=Foreign Bottled; USB=U.S. Bottled.

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