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/551867
Straight Vodka www.beveragedynamics.com May/June 2015 • Beverage Dynamics 25 "I'm a big vodka fan," exclaims Craig Allen, owner of All Star Wine & Spirits in Latham, N.Y. That's one reason he carries 220 different kinds of vodka, in- cluding a few oddball fl avors like bacon or peanut butter & jelly — which he con- cedes don't sell a lot. In fact, the retailer is culling many of the slow-selling fl avors from his shelves. "We're seeing a move toward the unfl avored vodkas," reports Allen. Of those, Reyka and Tito's are sell- ing strongly. "Flavors are a great way to create the big brand billboard on the shelf, but the majority of sales are from the straight vodka," observes Broc Smith, owner of Sarasota Liquor Locker in Sarasota, Fla. Younger legal-age customers are being captured by the fl avored whiskey cat- egory, while more mature palates are going for quality spirits, says Smith. He cites Grey Goose, Chopin and Belve- dere as dominating the higher end of the vodka spectrum. "There's a fi nite amount of space on liquor store shelves, especially for unusual fl avored vodkas that consumers aren't al- ways so sure what to do with," points out Greg Cohen, vice president of corporate communications for Patron Spirits, which includes Ultimat Vodka. "But there will always be a market, and it continues to grow, for high-quality, sophisticated un- fl avored vodkas." FLAVOR IN FAVOR Not everyone is down on fl avored vodka, of course. "When you exclude confectionary fl avors, which are in free fall and down 17.6%, fl avored vodka is, in fact, incredibly buoyant and growing at 9.6%, according to Nielsen," says Umberto Luchini, vice president of marketing for Campari America, whose portfolio includes Skyy Vodka. "The category has shifted away from confectionary and gimmicky fl a- vored vodkas back toward vodkas with a more sophisticated taste profi le, like our own Skyy Infusions," he adds. The VP says that the Infusions line has continued to outperform the fl avored vodka cate- gory every year since its launch in 2008. "We don't see consumer interest in premium fl avored vodkas decreasing," asserts Gerard Thoukis, senior director of marketing for New Amsterdam Spir- its. "Millennial consumers love to exper- iment with different drink choices, and we've offered new fl avored vodkas each year that cater to their constantly-ex- panding palates." Nonetheless, he adds, "Consumers are continuing to enjoy straight vodka, as evidenced by the fact that New Amsterdam Vodka continues to grow double digits, year-over-year." "The speed at which vodka producers " A lot of customers are moving back to regular vodka versus the fl avors. People are returning to the old favorites" — Jim Rilee, district manager and buyer for the Bottle King chain are introducing new fl avors has certainly slowed; however, consumers still enjoy flavored vodka," says Tracey Clapp, vodka marketing director for the Sazerac Company. "Some fl avors are received better than others and those with broad appeal survive the longest. Palate fatigue among consumers is no secret." But, she adds, straight vodka consumption ap- pears to be healthy. Sazerac's contender is Platinum 7X Vodka, so named because it is distilled seven times for a smooth taste profi le and clean, crisp fi nish. THE PROOF IS IN THE BOTTLE "After a period where consumers were educated that 'good' vodka was tasteless, now they are starting to enjoy neat con- sumption of vodkas that have pleasant taste and mouthfeel," says Jonas Tahlin, managing director for Absolut Elyx. The super-premium brand touts its single-es- tate wheat sourced from Rabelof Castle in Sweden and its handcrafted copper still, calling Elyx "liquid silk." "I think people are more discerning about what's in the bottle," comments Rilee at Bottle King. And he notes that customers are trading up. "Premium and better are gaining the most traction." "Consumers are increasingly looking for quality vodkas," Thoukis says. New Amsterdam touts the fact that it is dis- tilled fi ve times and triple fi ltered to com- municate that quality. Provenance is certainly a popular trend in vodka right now, says Cohen at Patron. He makes the point that Ultimat is the only vodka made from wheat, rye and potato, which gives it a unique fl a-