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 2015 • Beverage Dynamics 29 Irish Spirits Irish has had an uptick in sales, re- ports Joe Fisher, Spirits Specialist at Ju- lio's Liquors in Westborough, MA. "It's still not a barn-burner, competing with Scotch, Bourbon or American whiskeys in general. But it defi nitely has had an in- crease." Tullamore Dew is selling well, as is a new product, a Poitin (or white Irish whiskey), from newcomer Glendalough. What's held Irish whiskey back in the past, posits the retailer, was that only a few distilleries were putting out the var- ious brands, with only limited promo- tional support. That's starting to change. STILLS RISING In Ireland, a number of companies are breaking peat on construc- tion of new distilleries. Depending upon whom you talk to, a baker's dozen or more projects are planned over the next couple of years. "Our biggest news is the grand opening of our new distillery, which opened in September and brought Tullamore Dew back home to the town of Tullamore in Ireland," says Category Marketing Direc- tor Lisa Pfenning. Parent company William Grant & Sons invested over $15 million in the facility; initial capacity will be 1.5 million cases per anum, with scope to increase that signifi cantly over time. The distillery, says Pfenning, "is a testament to being a family-owned company, which invests in its brands for long term." The grand open- ing was commemorated with a special bottling of Phoenix whiskey, a small batch of just 2,014 bottles. The new plant is currently distilling pot still and malt liquids, and expansion is in mind to eventually dis- till grain whiskey, according to Pfenning. Tullamore Dew will be releasing some new expressions in 2015, she adds. For its part, Irish Distillers recently fi nished an expansion of its facilities at the Midleton distillery. "The expan- sion was the biggest in our history," Bajaria says. The company is also planning to improve its bottling plant at Fox & Geese. Breaking ground on a new distill- ery in Dublin is The Teeling Whiskey Company. The company was founded by Jack Teeling in 2012; his family has a heritage in the whiskey business dating back to 1782. Late last year, the company introduced its third release, Teeling Single Malt, which bottles whiskeys aged up to 23 years and matured in Sherry, Port, Madeira, white Burgundy and Cabernet wine casks. "Our new Teeling Single Malt proves Irish whiskey can have big, bold fl avors that appeal to single malt drinkers without losing its distinctive Irish identity," says Jack Teeling of the premium release. "The rise of new and proposed distilleries speaks to the demand for Irish globally as it continues to make its place within the whiskey segment," says Mara Melamed, Senior Brand Manager for Whiskey at Beam Suntory. "We are the Beam Suntory family now, and that's been great for us." The diverse Irish portfolio will benefi t from Suntory's global in- fl uence and distribution channels. The 2 Gingers is the fastest-grow- ing Irish whiskey, says the brand manager; from its Minnesota pub origins, the brand went national in 2014. Kilbeggan is benefi ting from the Best Kept Secret in Whiskey campaign and a signature "Whiskey is contributing almost all of the value growth of the total spirits category, and Irish is also showing the biggest growth rate within the whiskey category." — Sona Bajaria Irish Whiskey Brand Director at Pernod Ricard LEADING BRANDS OF IRISH WHISKEY (Thousands 9-Liter Cases) 12/13 Brand Supplier 2012 2013 % Chg Jameson Pernod Ricard USA 1,607 1,871 16.4% Bushmills Diageo 220 210 -4.5% Tullamore Dew William Grant & Sons 95 110 15.8% Cooleys Irish Whisky Beam Inc. 13 45 ++% John Power Pernod Ricard USA 43 40 -7.0% Concannon The Wine Group 11 25 ++% Paddy Irish Whiskey Pernod Ricard USA 4 19 ++% Redbreast Irish Whiskey Pernod Ricard USA 17 17 0.0% Black Bush Diageo 13 12 -7.7% Michael Collins Sidney Frank Importing 10 10 0.0% Total Leading Brands 2,033 2,359 16.0% Others 84 91 8.3% Total Irish Whiskey 2,117 2,450 15.7% (++%) Greater than 100%. Source: The Beverage Information & Insights Group. To learn more go to www.bevinfostore.com