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.
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2017 Category Trends 5 Beverage Dynamics • Digital Edition Exclusive www.beveragedynamics.com 8) GIN HIDES JUNIPER The shift in gin towards local ingredients has come at the cost of juniper flavors. More gins are masking this tradi- tional flavor. Some consumers believe that "most gins are very juni- per-forward," says Ari Anderman, Tanqueray Brand Manager. And while plenty of people enjoy juniper, there are those who avoid the cat- egory because they think it's d o m i n a t e d by one pro- nounced flavor. "Heavy juniper scares people," ex- plains Mike Howard, president of Southwest Spirits & Wine, makers of Ca- lamity Gin. "You have to mask it." Calamity Gin features sweet floral tones with citrus notes and a bit of bitterness. But there's still juniper as the backbone. This is still gin, after all. "We wouldn't want anyone to think that we think we're above the roots of tra- ditional gin," Howard says. 9) BIG BRANDS SEEK CRAFT ANGLES As the craft boom continues, most big brands have upped the emphasis on their craft qualities. Phrases like "handpicked," "hand-selected," "hand-labeled," "artisanal," "super premium" and "authentic" have be- come common even for the largest of brands and the most ubiquitous of products. Other brands have highlighted their storied histories as a component similar to "craft." "Authenticity trumps craft," says Colin Campbell, New York market manager for Brown-Forman, in describing Jack Daniel's Old No. 7, which dates back to the 19th century. "Obviously we see the movement towards craft and wel- come all the little distilleries, but there's still a lot to be said about longevity." Jack Daniel's in recent years has also launched its own craft variants: Gentleman Jack, Single Barrel, Single Barrel Barrel Proof and Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select. It's a balance, then, in producing spirits for the new wave of whiskey con- noisseurs, while maintaining emphasis on flagship products, and finding ways to marry both strategies. "I remind you, all our premium whiskeys starts out as Old No. 7. The recipe never changes," Campbell says. "Most people had a little bit of fun with Old No. 7 in col- lege, but then they circle back around to it years later and see its true craftsmanship." Patrón Tequila, too, has become adept at this craft/mainstream balance in recent time. While obviously a big brand, the tequila excels at por- traying its production as "small-batch on a large scale." Everything is still done through traditional methods, just multiplied many times over, including crushing agaves with a Tahona stone. "Though we obviously don't use a don- key anymore to turn the stone," says brand rep Jessie Fink. 10) CRAFT BEER GOES GLOBAL This remains a small trend at best, but more foreign breweries are shipping craft beers into America (and beyond the usual suspects). Everybody knows about the brews of England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Belgium, France and even Japan. But craft beer is gradually growing beyond these countries a n d A m e r i c a into a global phenomenon. A u s t r a l i a n Brewery recently launched in the U.S. Chilean craft beer has made in- roads. Molyvos, the Greek restaurant in Manhattan, carries six craft beers from Greece, from both Santorini Brewing Company and Siris Microbrewery. "There's a movement overseas with young brew- ers," explains Molyvos general manager Kouiri. "It started with young winemakers who have caught up in countries that were behind the rest of the world in winemaking. Places like Israel, Malta, Slovenia, Turkey and Slovakia. Now you're seeing the same with brew- eries and distilleries. These are all new boutique places started by young people." Craft beer drinkers in America are forever looking for unique flavors. Brews from unusual countries might just be the next trend in taste that piques their interest. BD