PHOTO COURTESY OF BEAM INC.
s the adage goes, people drink in good economic times and bad. It seems especially true for the American whiskey category, which according to Beverage Information Group grew an impressive 3.0% to 15.7 million 9-liter cases in 2011. [In the control states, American straight whiskey gained a more robust 4.5% overall.] Prosperity will eventually return, but the question remains, will American whiskeys con- tinue to successfully compete with other spirits on the world stage? "We're excited about the growth potential for the American whiskey category," says Chris Bauder, GM of U.S. Whiskies at Beam Global. "Consumers continue looking to expand their spirits repertoire, and with all of the bourbon innovations we are seeing, they are dis- covering the fantastic quality, versatility and different tastes available within the category. There is a level of pride among the category's pioneers, including Bill Samuels and Fred Noe, in the fact that their products stand up to Scotch and Irish whiskies in the minds of consumers and that this uniquely American spirit is
BY ROBERT PLOTKIN A StateWays www.stateways.com September/October 2012
THE POPULARITY OF BOURBON AND AMERICAN STRAIGHT WHISKEY CONTINUES TO GROW, WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW EXPRESSIONS, BOUTIQUE BOTTLINGS AND FLAVORED OFFERINGS.
getting unprecedented demand from whiskey drinkers across the world."
Gable Erenzo, ambassador for the craft producer Hudson Whiskey and Tuthilltown Spirits Distillers, takes a more global view. "We're absolutely bullish about the growth potential of American whiskeys. Though there is significant competition in the category and increasingly more craft producers are vying for the same niche market share, there remains a huge piece of the pie to be shared here in the U.S. The rapidly maturing Asian and South American markets are creating huge potential for American whiskey. Some brands will make it, others will not, but American whiskey is here to stay, and there is a big world out there thirsty for what we produce."
ROBERT PLOTKIN is a judge at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and author of 16 books on bartending and beverage management including Secrets Revealed of America's Greatest Cocktails. He can be reached at www.AmericanCocktails.com or by e-mail at robert@barmedia.com.
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