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
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One of the several superpremium-priced gins making modest inroads into the market is Nolet's Silver Dry Gin. then, like chalk and cheese," recalled Bromige. "Lately some amazing gins have come to the market, particularly in America." One of the newest debuts is Uncle Val's Botanical Gin, launched this spring by 35 Maple Street, which retails for between $35 and $40 per bottle. Named for company president Sebastiani's Uncle Valerio, the batch-distilled, hand-bottled gin has a floral, citrus nose with a lemon, juniper-driven, cucumber, sage and laven- der palate — the same botanicals as Uncle Val grows in his garden in Italy. The gin joins Masterson's Rye Whiskey as the second spirit in the fledgling company's portfo- lio. "We did a lot of homework," said Sebastiani, "the gin category is growing and we saw opportunity there." Another American-produced gin in selected distribution for only a few years is Death's Door Gin, made by Wisconsin-based Death's Door Spirits (now in a distribution and marketing partnership with Destileria Serralles). The 94- proof Death's Door is made from organic juniper berries, organic coriander and fennel seeds. No.3 Gin, a traditional London dry style from the partnership of Anchor Distilling and British company, Berry Bros. & Rudd was initial- ly launched last March in California; since then distribution has expanded to five more markets, New York, Chicago, Texas, Florida and Boston, with national distribution planned over the next year. The gin's name comes from the No. 3 St. James's Street address in London of the original Berry Brothers & Rudd shop established in 1698, and the bottle features a key used to open the door of The Parlour, one of the oldest rooms in the original Berry Brothers & Rudd shop. Anchor Distilling is also repackaging its American- style dry gin Junipero for better visibility on retail shelves and backbars. "Junipero's elegance can get lost on the back bar when set amongst other gins," said mar- keting director Porter. The new design focuses on the Junipero name with the letter J significantly called out and embossed in copper foil, according to Porter. Building on the success of its Genever 1820, Bols debuted a new expression, Bols Barrel Aged Genever, late last year. Using an archived 19th century recipe, this version is triple distilled from a malt wine of rye, wheat StateWays s www.stateways.com s July/August 2012 and corn, blended with juniper, hops, cloves, anise, licorice, ginger and other botanicals, and aged in French Limousin oak casks for a minimum of 18 months; the gray earthenware bottle is eye-catching on retail shelves and backbars. The company is busy communicating genever's points of difference from the London dry style to prospective customers. "We want consumers to think of genever less as a gin and more of a whiskey-style product," says Nadari. To get the idea across, POS mate- rials include recipes for genever variations on classics like Manhattans, Juleps and Sours. A logoed Julep cup carries the point home. Right now the distribution focus is on the major markets, and to retailers who already carry the 1820 product. Last fall saw the rollout of a new gin extension for Bacardi USA as Bombay Sapphire East was unveiled in the New York and Las Vegas markets. The new gin is the Bols debuted a new expression, Bols Barrel Aged Genever, late last year. first from the House of Bombay since Bombay Sapphire was created a quarter of a century ago. Bombay Sapphire East is a London dry style infused with Thai lemongrass and Vietnamese black peppercorn for an extra dimension of fla- vor. Rollout of Sapphire East continues in major markets around the U.S. Introduced in late 2010 were two high- end gins from Nolet's Spirits USA (the Nolet family is famously the maker of Ketel One Vodka). Nolet Silver Dry Gin, retailing between $40 and $50, has a distinctive taste, emphasizing a variety of aromatic fruits and florals. Nolet's Reserve Gin is in more limited production, carrying an ultra-premium price. Another gin showcasing unique botanicals is Caorunn Gin from Scotland. The name Caorunn translates as "rowan" in Gaelic; rowan berries are a key component in this spirit, along with highland heather and bog myrtle, as well as more traditional botanicals such as juniper, citrus and angelica. In total, eleven berries, roots, herbs and spices are infused as vapors from the still pass through a "copper berry chamber." Beefeater rolled out a line extension nationally last fall in Beefeater 24. The flavor of this new London dry gin is Anchor Distilling has redesigned the package for its American-style dry gin Junipero. 39