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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The Three Olives portfolio of vodkas grew to sales of 1.43 million cases, and Three Olives Dude, introduced last year, was one of the brand's strongest performers. Among the fledging subcategory offerings are Prairie Organic Vodka, from Phillips Distilling, and American Harvest Organic Spirit, from Sidney Frank Importing. Indeed, a spokesperson for Sidney Frank explained the American Harvest is already finding real trac- tion in the markets it's in. Diageo's Moon Mountain Vodka is made from organic grain in small batches using copper pot stills; the brand recently hit sales of 14,000 cases. "There is definitely viability in the organic spirits category for expansion and more players," proffers H. Joseph Ehrmann, brand ambassador for Square One Spirits, a pio- neer in the organic arena. The Square One brand continues to grow year over year due to the quality of the product rather than its prove- nance. "We are not out there screaming that we are organic, we're screaming that we make great spirits first and foremost," Ehrmann contends. Made with 100% organic American rye and pris- tine water from the Teton Mountains, Square One's portfolio consists of the original, Cucumber, Eden (a botanical infusion) and Basil. "The ultimate message is that by starting with organic ingredients, and an organic-certified process, you are inherently in a better space to produce a quality spirit." The only EU and U.S. certified-organic distillery in Sweden, Kanon Organic Vodka is being distributed in key U.S. markets. At the 16th-century Gripsholm Distillery, Kanon is made from 100% organic wheat sourced directly from local farmers and fermented with naturally occurring yeast. The distillery is powered sole- ly by wind and water-generated energy. The Kanon bot- tle is made from recycled glass. In a similar vein, is Fair Quinoa Vodka, the world's first Fair Trade Certified vodka, according to the Paris-based Finlandia added a Redberry flavor to its above- premium portfolio of vodkas last year. company. The vodka is made from organically farmed quinoa grain from a co-operative of 1,200 independent farmers in the Andean Altiplano of Bolivia, which is shipped to the Cognac region of France, where it is fermented and distilled. The brand's tagline is "Think Human, Drink Fair." Following in footsteps of the restaurant indus- try's farm to table movement, micro-distilleries have been springing up across the country like mushrooms after rain. Call it the "ground to glass" trend, these locavore spirits have an appeal for consumers. "Anything local tends to sell well," concurs Pearson at Crown Liquors. The store stocks Indiana Vodka made right in Indianapolis, 18 Vodka distilled in Indiana, as well as Death's Door from nearby Wisconsin. "Quite a few of our customers are Ultimat Vodka Screwdriver Leading Brands of Vodka In The Control States (9-Liter Cases) Brand Supplier 2010 '10/'11 2011 % Chg Smirnoff . . . . . . . . . . .Diageo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,187,495 . . . . . .2,164,197 . . . . . . . . .-1.1% Absolut . . . . . . . . . . . .Pernod Ricard USA . . . . .1,155,122 . . . . . .1,167,665 . . . . . . . . .1.1% Pinnacle . . . . . . . . . . . .White Rock Distilleries . . .541,335 . . . . . . .914,977 . . . . . . .69.0% Aristocrat . . . . . . . . . .Heaven Hill Distilleries . .668,310 . . . . . .690,532 . . . . . . . .3.3% Burnett's . . . . . . . . . . .Heaven Hill Distilleries . .626,295 . . . . . . .673,481 . . . . . . . . .7.5% Grey Goose . . . . . . . . .Bacardi USA . . . . . . . . . . .566,246 . . . . . .573,394 . . . . . . . . .1.3% Taaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sazerac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .444,516 . . . . . .489,995 . . . . . . . .10.2% Svedka . . . . . . . . . . . . .Constellation Spirits . . . .379,429 . . . . . .449,347 . . . . . . .18.4% Skyy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Compari America USA . .436,302 . . . . . .431,666 . . . . . . . . .-1.1% Nikolai . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sazerac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .406,085 . . . . . .425,674 . . . . . . . .4.8% Total Leading Brands Others Total Vodka in the Control States 7,411,135 7,582,225 14,993,360 Source: Beverage Information Group Data from NABCA data. 42 StateWays s www.stateways.com s May/June 2012 7,980,928 7,759,791 15,740,719 7.7% 2.3% 5.0%