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StateWays ■ www.stateways.com ■ January/February 2015 30 A new player with a long pedigree is Irish Mist. Campari America's whiskey-based honey liqueur of the same name spun off a straight whiskey brand. Irish Mist Whiskey was launched in select markets in 2014, with an SRP of $28.99. The whiskey is a blend of four-year-old liquids that have been triple- distilled and aged in American oak casks. Irish has had an uptick in sales, reports Joe Fisher, Spirits Specialist at Julio's Li- quors in Westborough, MA. "It's still not a barn-burner, competing with Scotch, Bourbon or American whiskeys in gen- eral. But it defi nitely has had an increase." 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 various brands, with only limited promotional support. That's start- ing to change. Stills rising I n Ireland, a number of companies are breaking peat on construction of new dis- tilleries. 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 Director 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 in- crease that signifi cantly over time. The distillery, says Pfenning, "is a testament to being a fam- ily-owned company, which invests in its brands for long term." The grand opening was commemorated with a spe- cial 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 distill 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 ex- pansion of its facilities at the Midleton distillery. "The expansion 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 distillery 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 ma- tured in Sherry, Port, Madeira, white Burgundy and Cab- ernet 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 infl uence and distribution channels. The 2 Gin- gers is the fastest-growing 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 cock- tail, the Irish Boxer, which leverages the growing cider category. Kilbeggan grew 43% in dollar value and 40% in volume, according to Beam Suntory. "We carry every label we can because Irish whis- key is growing in Texas like it is in the rest of the country," notes Jim Detmore, Liquor Buyer at Spec's Wine, Spirits, Finer Foods, a Houston-based retailer with over 150 locations. About 70% of that business is currently from Jameson. How- ever, Detmore thinks that with the prolifera- tion of new expressions, especially the pot still whiskeys, it will win over more single malt drinkers. "As Scotch prices continue to sky- rocket, some consumers will switch over to Irish whiskey," he predicts. Broadening Irish appeal S ome observers believe that the Irish cat- egory is widening its range of expressions and variants to suit more palates and fi t more drinking occasions. Consumers delve into the category via straight-forward, easy-drinking whiskeys then geek out on the more sophisti- cated offerings. And mixologists and home bartenders are shaking up the spirit in more cocktails. "Irish whiskey is sweet and smooth, with easy drinkability that invites the adventurous to explore the category," says Pfenning at Tullamore Dew. "And the complexity of a brown spirit keeps them in- trigued." The brand's mar- keting focus remains on its biggest segment—men in the 21-30 age range. "However, a lot of women becoming in- terested in brown spirits and 2 Gingers Greenore Single Grain Teeling Single Malt Irish Spirits