High-end Effen Vodka saw success with its Cucumber flavor extension last year.
built over water. To get around the prohi- bition against leavened (i.e. fermented) grains, No. 209 Vodka is made from sug- arcane, and inspected by Rabbis from the Orthodox Union.
Italy is better known for grappa than vodka, but that might be chang- ing with the introduction to the U.S. market of I Spirit. Created in partnership between restaura- teur Arrigo Cipriani (proprietor of Harry's Bar), Lapo Elkann of the Fiat family, Friulian distiller Marco Fantinel and Venetian entrepreneur Francesco Cosulich, I Spirit Vodka is created by dis-
tilling the high quality grains and white grapes from the Fruili DOC region. It has an SRP of price of $34.99 for 750 ml.
Finding the Spotlight
"Standing out in the marketplace is the big headache that everybody has," concedes Sutinen at Sobieski. "Even though vodka is one third of spirits, very seldom do retail stores give it one third of the sales space."
O
There are a host of brands that use their packages to great advantage, from Skyy's distinctive blue bottle to the increasingly popular peekaboo-style bottles. And, when a brand can place a large group of its flavors on the shelf, it can project a striking billboard effect.
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ne downside to the thriving and exuberant vodka category is standing out among the crowded retail shelves.
"As the category gets more crowded, it's becoming more difficult for brands to stand out," believes Gibb at Belvedere. "It's important first and foremost that you have a fantastic-tasting liquid inside the bottle." After that, marketing and social media, he thinks, are more important than merely standing out on retail shelves. "It's not just the retail space, but the consumer mind- space that you have to be occupying."
Tito's Handmade Vodka saw sales increase by 59.9% to 582,000 9-liter cases last year.
Still, given vodka's excellent track record and the gradually brightening economic picture, most of the category's players were bullish about the future.
"Regardless of the competition, the fact remains that vodka still dominates the market- place and continues to grow," remarks Absolut's Kanter.
"I remain very optimistic for 2012 and beyond. The vodka category remains vibrant, interesting and we're taking full advantage of that," adds Gibb at Belvedere.
"I don't see anything tak- ing the place of vodka in the near future," posits Pinnacle's Coulombe. "The future is extremely bright."
s
American Harvest Organic Spirit, from Sidney Frank Importing, is one of a growing number of organic offerings.
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28 • Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • May/June 2012
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