StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
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and the innate quality and drinkability of the liquid. "Jameson is driving a lot of the growth in the cate- gory," opined John Cashman, global brand ambassador for Cooley Distillery. But that is good for the category as a whole, he believes. "They are able to open up new doors that we never could, and people are peeping in to see what else is behind Jameson." Consumers who are lured by the brand's advertising to drink Jameson will go on to try other Irish whiskeys, believes Cashman. "Jameson's ad campaign, the 'Hawk of Achill,' has added fuel to the fire," noted Broc Smith. Owner of Sarasota Liquor Locker in Sarasota, FL. Smith stocks quite a few Irish whiskeys beyond the Jameson line, including Bushmills and Black Bush, Redbreast, Tullamore Dew, Powers and Michael Collins, among oth- ers. "Younger customers are buying Irish whiskey, because they are smooth and approachable," reports the retailer. "Currently, we are seeing a lift from the males 25- plus demographic who have the disposable income and Michael Collins released a 10 Year Old sin- gle malt Irish whiskey last year. Cooley Distillery is now offering this impressive lineup of Irish whiskies, including The Tryconnell, Kilbeggan, Greenore and Connemara brands. want to try something new or unique," according to Kate Laufer, director of public relations for Sidney Frank Importing. The Michael Collins brand has seen a tremen- dous increase in sales over 2011, and is up over 50% year- to-date, said Laufer. She also points to the cocktail trend as contributing to Irish whiskeys' popularity. There's consumer cross-over, declared Briese at Diageo. "We're seeing occasions that were oriented around beer are now including whiskey, groups of guys going out for an evening. There's more of an openness to spirits in general among millennials." A lot of that change, she attributes to the persuasive power of marketing and advertising, the increased spending across the category. But Briese also believes retailers and bartenders need to educate customers more about the category. Some con- sumers are ready be ready to be steered to Black Bush or single malts like Bushmills 10-, 16-, and 21-year old. "There is a generational switch," posited Cashman, "where the present generation doesn't want to drink what their parents drank." Ireland's mild climate produces a StateWays s www.stateways.com s January/February 2012 soft mild whiskey, that appeals to younger drinkers as well, says the brand ambassador. Cooley's core business is represented by four distinct styles. "All of our brands experienced significant growth this year," noted Cashman. The biggest seller is Kilbeggan, a blended dou- ble-distilled whiskey, which is sold in over 50 countries. Connemara is a peated single malt, unusual in Irish whiskey nowadays, but peat was traditional 100 years ago. The Tryconnell is a heritage brand from the 18th century, which gets its name from a long-odds winning racehorse; it's an unpeated single malt. The unusual single-grain Greenore is made from corn, matured in first-fill Bourbon barrels. "With those four styles, we can appeal to just about every palate," assured Cashman. "No matter what style or what country you like whiskey from, there's something from the Cooley portfolio to suit you." At Yankee Spirits' three stores in Massachusetts, the Irish shelves carry 17 different brands and a total of 28 expressions. Most popular is Jameson. "It's off the charts," said partner Tom Tesauro. The brand was up 56% through the first 10 months of 2011, he reported, adding that Bushmills is showing good growth as well. Part of the popularity the retailer ascribes to the revival of brown goods. That Irish whiskey is very mixable is also a plus in Tesauro's book. Marketing has made the spirit appealing to younger consumers, he said: "It's hip to drink Irish." Marketing Magic on that front. I Launched two years ago, the "Legendary Tales of John Jameson" campaign continues to perform very well for the brand, according to Hartunian, which will continue to leverage that. The most recent spot was the "Hawk of Achill," in which the legendary founder fights a mythic bird over his whiskey. "We signifi- cantly increase our marketing investment each year behind the brand," noted Hartunian. Tied into the Legendary Tales ad cam- paign is a newly debuted digital initiative, called Jameson1780.com, which invites users With very limited promotional activity, Powers gained 11% in the latest fiscal year, according to the company. 25 rish whiskey's hip image is the result of successful advertising and marketing campaigns waged by the major players in the category. There have been a number of new developments