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.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/446939
32 Beverage Dynamics • January/February 2015 www.beveragedynamics.com W hat do consumers know, or think they know, about imported Japanese prod- ucts? According to a number of sake and Japanese whisky experts, misconcep- tions about the category are plentiful and confusion is rampant. Since retailers are the gatekeepers who often introduce consumers to sakes and Japanese whiskies for the fi rst time (or at least the fi rst time off-premise), it's important to understand the misplaced assump- tions about Japanese products when educating consumers – especially given rising sales numbers in the category. Sales of sake were up 1.8 percent in 2013, rising from 1.90 million cases to 1.94 million according to Beverage Information & Insight Group data. Led by Takara Sake and Sidney Frank's Gekkeikan, the category is showing continued growth off-premise after years of on-premise success (though that success was largely limited to Japanese bars and restaurants until recently). Meanwhile, sales of Japanese whisky have risen more than 40 percent over the last year in the control states (the only markets for which data is available), led by Suntory's Yamazaki and Hibiki brands. Hibiki alone has risen from 31,000 cases in 2012 to 112,000 in 2013. While admittedly a small sample size, both brands will undoubtedly receive increased marketing from the new Beam-Suntory. W BY JEREMY NEDELKA Crossing the Pacifi c Japanese whiskies and sakes gain visibility thanks to increased selection and education. SAKE'S LONG HISTORY "The House of Gekkeikan was founded in 1637 by the Okura family and has been brewing sake over 14 generations, making it one of the oldest family-oper- ated businesses in the world," says Yoshi Yumoto, vice president of Gekkeikan at Sidney Frank. Despite nearly 400 years of innovation, sake still faces hurdles to expanding in the U.S. "We have seven breweries in Japan and one in California, which allows the delivery of fresh sake to most of the world," Yumoto says. "However, many people don't realize that sake only has a shelf life of two years, much of which can be spent simply in the time it takes to export to America." The variety of sakes available on the market also allows the category to compete against much of the beverage alcohol in- dustry. Gekkeikan's portfolio, for example, includes 15 sakes and plum wines, includ- ing at least one offering in each of the four main sake categories. "For more traditional sakes from Jun- mai, Ginjo and Daiginjo, wines would be a direct competition," Yumoto says. "For the specialties such as Zipang (sparkling sake) it could be an alternative to Champagne and prosecco. Draft sake is a great substitute for beer occasions, and sake is a fantastic base for classic and contemporary cocktails, tak- ing share from the spirits business as well." RETAILERS GO TO SCHOOL ON SAKE "Education is an integral part of our strat- egy, and TY KU strives to ensure that retail partners are educated and informed on all aspects of sake," says Davos Brands vice chairman Guillaume Cuvelier. "Our entire team is Level 1 Sake certifi ed through our master sake sommelier, which allows us to train our wholesalers and retailers, as well "Sake is a better pairing beverage than white wine for many foods since it contains a high amount of amino acids." — Guillaume Cuvelier Davos Brands vice chairman