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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Imported Vodka www.beveragedynamics.com January/February 2017 • Beverage Dynamics 21 "We want to focus on being known as the potato vodka special- ist, which is where we do most of our business," Chandler says. INNOVATION Despite the challenging environment, many import brands are forging ahead with innovations in vodka. Perhaps the most intriguing is the rollout of Oak by Absolut. The vodka is rested in three different barrels for six months and given added fl avor by a proprietary method of steeping in oak chips. "This adds fl avor nuances; the vodka is subtly smoky, with hints of vanilla and caramel, and takes on a slightly brown color," says Guastaferro. The result is a more sophisticated taste profi le with many of the properties of brown spirits. Each bottle is hand-numbered, much like a small-batch whiskey, and Abso- lut is still adjusting the process as it carefully rolls out the new product. "This could be a complicated story for bartenders and consumers," he adds. "Because we are a small producer, we can experiment and bring out a number of interesting innovations, using different base materials, distillation techniques and aging," says Chopin's Chandler, who promises that a few of these will fi nd their way onto the U.S. market in 2017. Currently available is the brand's Single Collection: small batches of vintage-dated vodkas made from different varietals of potato. Perhaps the most popular of these currently is the Sin- gle Young Potato 2011, made with early-harvested, low-starch, Denar potatoes. Vodka afi cionados in Poland are starting to col- lect them, Chandler notes. Set to debut in the U.S. this year from Marie Brizard is Shotka, a Lithuanian vodka spirit produced from hemp seeds. Lithuania has a long history of cannabis cultivation, Guillant says. "Today is less about imported, premium and luxury and more ensuring a brand represents the authenticity, heritage and crafts- manship their audience desires," says Ciroc brand director Ryan Robertson. "Consumers want to connect with the products they are choosing and with the story behind them." Ciroc's brand messaging focuses on its French heritage and grape base. The vodka is cold-fermented and distilled fi ve times, the fi fth and fi nal distillation taking place at the Distillerie de Chevanceaux, in a traditional copper pot still. "The fi nal distil- lation lends Ciroc Ultra-Premium Vodka its unique signature, delivering a distinctive fl avor with an exceptionally fresh, citrus taste," Robertson says. Unfl avored vodka is the growth driver of the category, he adds, outpacing growth in fl avors. FLAVOR CONTRACTION Like the rest of the vodka category, the import segment went overboard with fl avor proliferation. Now most producers are pull- ing back the reins and refocusing their portfolios. Simultaneously, there has been a renewal of interest in straight unfl avored vodkas. "Although fl avored vodka growth has slowed and fl avors seem to be playing a bigger role in categories like tequila and whiskey, fl avored vodka continues to play a key role in overall category consumption in the U.S.," maintains Pearson at Diageo. There is defi nitely a movement towards fruit fl avors, he notes, and "last year we saw improvement in the vodka category over- all for unfl avored vodka in the U.S." "There has been a category contraction of the fl avor seg- ment, but we didn't veer off into the overly confectionary fl a- vors," Guastaferro says. Absolut, he adds, is well-position with the number-one lemon and orange fl avors, and is refocusing its fl avor portfolio to concentrate on the eight highest-performing SKUs. Much of Absolut's business is coming from the unfl avored Blue, up 3.9% over past 12 months; overall total Absolut sales are up 2.5%. "Unfl avored is the purest expression of a brand and is