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
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/811452
StateWays | www.stateways.com | March/April 2017 41 U.S.," says Robbat at Anchor Distilling. In 2004, the company was the fi rst to export a 20-ft. container load. Barsol has also pioneered the use of modern technology in Peruvian wine-mak- ing. The brand's portfolio includes a puro of each of the seven allowed grape varietals, as well as a mosto verde. "We have been instrumental in educating American consumers about the differ- ences and nuances of pisco," she adds. Barsol has produced a feature-length fi lm about pisco, which debuted at the Napa Valley Film Festival, and which it hopes will stream on Netfl ix. The brand has been executing a series of private screenings with key trade partners in major markets (accompanied by pisco cocktails, of course). CACHAÇA "Cachaça is showing about the same growth as pisco," says Bolton at Hi-Time. The spirit got a boost from the Olympics in Brazil, he adds. Says Finch, "We have customers come in look- ing for cachaça who have tried a Caipirinha at a bar and want to recreate it at home." Zachys carries one cachaça, which is shelved with the rum. That's because cachaça is similar to rum; both have sugarcane as the basic ingredient. But whereas rums are usually made from molasses, cachaça is produced from fermented fresh sugarcane juice. Cachaça is only made in Brazil, where most of it is con- sumed. While it is usually a white, unaged spirit, some artisanal versions are aged in wood. "Cachaça is no longer just for making Caipirinhas," says Mark Zatta, marketing coordinator for Niche Import Co., whose portfolio includes CanaRío Cachaça. "Mixologists are constantly looking to explore and innovate craft cocktails; lead- ing them to less-mainstream spirits such as cachaça." For exam- ple, they are substituting cachaça for rum in traditional cocktails like the Daiquiri. CanaRío Cachaça is produced at the Fazenda Soledade distillery founded in 1827. The brand, Zatta says, has seen an increase in sales over the past few years. "We certainly saw cachaça get a spotlight through the World Cup and the Olympics over the last couple of years. But we fi nd it to be still one of the lesser-known categories," Robbat says. Anchor Distilling Company's portfolio includes Ypióca Cachaça. "We see a huge opportunity there for education," she adds. POITIN "At Peco's, poitin is about as popular as pisco," Mulvihill says. Whiskey is a big category, he explains, and customers are inter- ested in trying new expressions. But white spirits like white dog and poitin require hand-selling. Peco's Liquors stocks three ex- pressions of Glendalough poitin: Premium, Mountain Strength, both clear, and Sherry Cask Finish. This last has an amber hue and has proven the most popular, at least initially. Hailing from Ireland, poitin (pronounced poteen or pocheen) means small pot (still) in Gaelic. Its history dates back to the sixth century, and Uisce beatha is considered the precur- sor to whiskey. The English King Charles II outlawed distilling in Ireland in 1661, and until it was legalized in 1997, poitin was considered Irish moonshine. Now a few brands are available in the U.S. market, such as Bunratty and the newest entrant, Mad March Hare. "Poitin is the other side of Irish whiskey," says Dónal O'Gal- lachóir, brand manager for Glendalough. The spirit is enjoying popularity in craft cocktail bars in Dublin and other major Irish cities, he says, and is on the cusp of a growth spurt. Glendal- ough was the fi rst craft poitin in the U.S. market, across 14 states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. O'Gallachóir con- ducts educational seminars and is working with bartenders in America. He cites the rise of traditional Irish bars like the Dead Rabbit in New York City as helping to popularize poitin. There is movement off-premise as well, O'Gallachóir says. "If a re- tailer carries mezcal on the shelves, you will likely see a bottle of poitin there too." SHOCHU AND SOJU These two Asian spirits, distilled from grains—including rice, barley, wheat and buckwheat—as well as sweet potatoes and brown sugar, are often confl ated by American consumers. Soju