Drinks
Between
By Barbara Harfmann | Managing Editor
Season’s greetings from Beverage Industry. After a crazy year, consumers are getting into the holiday “spirit” by gathering with family and friends at home and at their favorite restaurants and bars.
To find out what folks could be drinking on- and off-premise, Bill Edwards, senior vice president of national accounts for on-premise at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, advises to “buy early and buy often” when it comes to the high demand for the fizziness of Champagne amid some supply chain challenges.
He notes that premium tequila continues to outpace value brands, and the explosion of the ready-to-drink (RTD) and ready-to-serve categories will remain hot during the holidays and beyond.
“The hottest category continues to be agave,” Edwards says. “Everything agave is on fire, including mezcal and tequila. You’ll find more bartenders swapping out standard spirits for a tequila-based spirit in classic cocktails (like the Negroni). It plays well with everyone when it comes to mixing.”
Sparkling wines, anything with bubbles, also is tickling consumers’ fancy.
In fact, Brut sparkling wines are dominating the market, accounting for 33% of global revenue share until 2021, Fact.MR states. Europe is a global sparkling wine hotspot, generating an opportunity worth $5 billion.
“Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, eCommerce sales of sparkling wine [around 20% share through 2021] have set new records owing to the surge in residential consumption of wine. Also, [an] emerging trend of consuming Champagne and wine at casual occasions will garner the future demand,” a Fact.MR senior research analyst said in a statement.
The market research firm prognosticates sales of sparkling wines to be valued at $43 billion in the United States by the end of the year. For the 2021-2031 forecast period, sparkling wines are expected to grow at a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% reaching $84.6 billion.
Demand is being spurred by an increase in disposable incomes, permitting purchases of premium alcohol beverages.
Edwards concurs that premiumization is an “affordable luxury” trend that continues across categories.
As the winter chill arrives, brown spirits, particularly bourbons, are crushing it for the holidays, particularly as consumers are trading up for more premium products and premium experiences.
With consumers paying more attention to their health, “better-for-you” options will remain popular too.
“People are drinking lighter, opting for lower calorie or low ABV cocktails,” Edwards explains. “When a restaurant or bar wants to benefit from this trend, they need to call out those attributes in their menus and marketing materials. Be overt with your marketing strategy.” BI
Making 'spirits' bright
(Video courtesy of Getty Images/Ivan Mikhaylov)
For a limited time, consumers can “snap up” MTN DEW Gingerbread Snap’d, a new gingerbread cookie flavored beverage, bottled with a dash of cheer to celebrate those on the naughty list, the company says. The new flavor is available while supplies last at participating retailers across the United States and online. Additionally, after months of fans making their guesses, MTN DEW revealed the Halloween mystery flavor — Fruit Candy Chews. The one-of-a-kind candy mashup married the citrus flavor of MTN DEW with a beloved Halloween candy flavor, the company says.
24
Counting down with wine
The holidays are here, and there’s no better way to bring on some grown-up holiday cheer than with a good glass of wine. In Good Taste released its new Wine Advent Calendar featuring 24 glasses of different varietals of wine to provide a twist on a classic holiday tradition. Twenty-four days, 24 mini bottles, and 24 opportunities to sip and explore through the holiday season, the company says. Known for their single-serve wine bottles, In Good Taste is a must-have for all the holiday celebrations to come as the company specializes in custom curated, small-batch wine collections that are delivered to ones’ doors. In addition to the Wine Advent Calendar, the company offers other gift options including a wine sampler with eight single-glass serving bottles alongside a unique virtual tasting so consumers can grow their knowledge of wine.
With a barge two years in the making, the team at Maison Ferrand announced the official opening of BARGE 166, the world’s first floating ageing cellar. Located on the banks of the Seine at Issy-les-Moulineaux, the gateway to Paris, the Freycinet barge, which dates back to 1948, has been designed to house approximately 1,500 custom 30-liter barrels. The barge will be used to create the best conditions for studying dynamic ageing, a type of ageing as old as seafaring itself that has been little analyzed until now, the company says. The barrels will be closely studied to analyze the impact of dynamic ageing in a very humid cellar with significant temperature variations.
Under the direction of Maison Ferrand’s Founder and Cellar Master Alexandre Gabriel, the Maison Ferrand team has spent the past two years preparing this barge — from finding the right barge and mooring location, to designing and completely rebuilding the superstructure. In fact, the engine was completely removed from the barge due to the amount of alcohol that will be stored on board.
In addition to ageing Maison Ferrand’s cognac and rum, Barge 166 will house collaborations with fellow spirits specialists, the first being Mackmyra Swedish Whisky. The barge also will serve as a welcome place where lovers of fine and original spirits can join the circle of Private Cask Owners. Owners choose a type of barrel and spirit from a selection of Plantation rums and Ferrand cognacs; they then will revisit the barge for tastings, follow the evolution of their spirit and decide when it will be finished and bottled. (Program is dependent on local liquor laws). Each step in the ageing process is accompanied by the expert counsel of Margaux Lespinasse, private cask manager for Barge 166.
(Images courtesy of Maison Ferrand)
For the holiday season enthusiast who loves coffee and tea, InstaBrew offers a no fuss way for consumers to get their daily dose of caffeine. InstaBrew offers pre-measured cubes of coffee or tea that can be made in one’s kitchen, away from home in a hotel room, or even camping in the woods. The back-to-nature cubes take top-quality soluble coffee or tea and infuse it with natural flavor profiles and natural raw sugar cane that include vitamins and minerals, all compacted into a single cube using eco-friendly packaging, the company says. InstaBrew is available in 12 coffee and tea flavor profiles, including Decaf, Medium Roast, Dark Roast, Espresso, French Vanilla, Hazelnut and Caramel for the coffee lover, while tea connoisseurs on your list can enjoy Citrus Blend, Tropical, Mixed Berries, Passion Fruit and Peach varietals.
