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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High-end Effen Vodka saw success with its Cucumber flavor extension last year. getting into craft spirits," says the retailer. "People love to support local producers, that's what's driving the micro-distillers," says Gibb at Belvedere. "A few of them are doing very well, gaining traction." "We stock a lot of the micro-distilleries," says Ostrand at Stateline liquors, "and they sell well." In what seems inevitable in this era of skin- ny cocktails, the world's first low-calorie ver- sion debuted recently. Voli light vod- kas average 25%-40% fewer calories than leading brands, according to the company; each serving is no more than 81 calories. Made from French wheat and spring water in Cognac, France, Voli is distilled five times and filtered four times, and enhanced with electrolytes. Besides Voli Lyte, the line includes Lemon, Espresso Vanilla, Raspberry Cocoa and Orange Vanilla. It has a suggested retail price of $19.99. Boasting that it is the world's only vodka certified Kosher for Passover, No. 209 Vodka is produced at Pier 50 in San Francisco at the only distillery in the world built over water. To get around the prohibition against leavened (i.e. fer- mented) grains, No. 209 Vodka is made from sugarcane, and inspected by Rabbis from the Orthodox Union. Italy is better known for grappa than vodka, but that might be changing with the introduction to the U.S. market of I Spirit. Created in partnership between restaurateur Arrigo Cipriani (proprietor of Harry's Bar), Lapo Elkann of the Fiat family, Friulian distiller Marco Fantinel and Venetian entrepreneur Francesco Cosulich, I Spirit Vodka is created by distilling the high quality grains and white grapes from the Fruili DOC region. It has an SRP of price of $34.99 for 750 ml. Finding the Spotlight "Standing out in the marketplace is the big headache that everybody has," concedes Sutinen at Sobieski. "Even though vodka is one third of spirits, very seldom do retail stores give it one third of the sales space." There are a host of brands that use their packages to great advantage, from Skyy's distinctive blue bottle to the increasingly popular peekaboo-style bottles. And, when a brand can place a large group of its flavors O StateWays s www.stateways.com s May/June 2012 43 ne downside to the thriving and exuberant vodka category is standing out among the crowded retail shelves. on the shelf, it can project a striking billboard effect. "As the category gets more crowded, it's becoming more difficult for brands to stand out," believes Gibb at Belvedere. "It's important first and foremost that you have a fantastic-tasting liquid inside the bottle." After that, marketing and social media, he thinks, are more important than merely standing out on retail shelves. "It's not just the retail space, but the consumer mind- space that you have to be occupying." Still, given vodka's excellent track record and the grad- ually brightening economic picture, most of the category's players were bullish about the future. Tito's Handmade Vodka saw sales increase by 59.9% to 582,000 9-liter cases last year. "Regardless of the competition, the fact remains that vodka still dominates the market- place and continues to grow," remarks Absolut's Kanter. "I remain very optimistic for 2012 and beyond. The vodka category remains vibrant, interesting and we're taking full advantage of that," adds Gibb at Belvedere. "I don't see any- thing taking the place of vodka in the near future," posits Pinnacle's Coulombe. "The future is extremely bright." SW American Harvest Organic Spirit, from Sidney Frank Importing, is one of a growing number of organic offerings.