Loading...
If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view.
Sign up for Shanken News Daily | Forward to a Colleague | Visit ShankenNewsDaily.com
Visit: WineSpectator.com | CigarAficionado.com | WhiskyAdvocate.com | Market Watch | Impact Newsletter | Impact Databank
Follow Shanken News Daily on: Twitter Facebook
Colorado’s retail landscape could be changing in the near future. Last month, two ballot proposals emerged that would allow spirits, wine and full-strength beer sales in groceries—and would also allow retailers a maximum of 10 off-premise licenses, up from the current level of one license. Supermarkets are pushing a separate ballot initiative that would allow full-strength beer and wine grocery sales, but not spirits. State legislators are currently seeking a compromise among the warring parties. Those fighting the changes include Applejack Wine & Spirits, the 50,000-square-foot independent retail giant located in the Denver suburb of Wheat Ridge, Colorado.
Applejack president and CEO Jim Shpall tells SND that he’ll look to expand beyond a single location if Colorado raises the license limit. “We would adapt to the exigencies of the marketplace,” he says.
Applejack, which offers over 15,000 SKUs, has been seeing strong sales growth, led by craft beer and artisanal spirits. Wine accounts for 50% of Applejack’s total sales, with beer and spirits each accounting for 25% of the total. Within wine, Shpall has seen a trend toward higher price points as the economy has recovered, with the $7-$8 tier less prominent than in the past and the $13-$20 segment on the rise. “Wine remains strong, but craft beer is where we see the greatest change in trends,” he notes.
On the spirits side, Applejack is tapping into the thirst for new, innovative whiskies. “It’s not so much a breakdown of brand loyalty,” Shpall adds. “It’s more of an increase in diversification among spirits types, which is giving people greater opportunity to explore.”
Meanwhile, Applejack has been active in the drinks delivery market. It has partnerships with both Drizly and Minibar, but also continues to develop its own delivery system. Shpall says the rise of delivery hasn’t diminished foot traffic in Applejack’s store, whose expansive offerings still make it a destination for shoppers.
Although it’s often overlooked, the independently bottled Scotch whisky subcategory is booming. Traditionally the province of connoisseurs, whiskies sold by independent bottlers (IBs) are finding a new audience as aged distillery bottlings become more expensive and harder to find. Market Watch’s website has the full report on how the upmarket IB Scotch category is expanding its role both on- and off-premise. IBs can also be significant volume drivers, and Market Watch recently interviewed Steven Lipp of Alexander Murray & Co. about the independent bottler’s 165,000-case business—which supplies private label Scotch offerings to retailers including Costco, Trader Joe’s and Total Wine & More.
•German spirits producer Berentzen has extended its fruit liqueur range with a new Peach entry. Made with 100% single-grain wheat and natural juice and fruit, Berentzen Peach liqueur retails at $19.99 a 750-ml. and joins existing Apple, Pear and Wild Cherry offerings in the brand’s fruit liqueur lineup. The Berentzen portfolio is handled in the U.S. by New Jersey-based Vision Wine & Spirits.
•Loire Valley wines made solid gains in the U.S. market last year, with shipment volume up 12% to 1 million cases and value leaping nearly 20%, according to the French region’s wine bureau. Top white wine appellations Muscadet, Sancerre and Touraine led the way, all posting double-digit advances in both volume and value. Crémant-de-Loire sparkling wines, meanwhile surged 66% by volume, while Chinon reds increased 11% and Rosé d’Anjou benefited from the boom in rosé, jumping 33%.
•Los Angeles-based Soh Spirits has introduced a new Japanese whisky brand, Kikori, in California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii, distributed by Southern Wine & Spirits. The 41%-abv offering, which retails at $50 a 750-ml., is distilled from rice and matured in a combination of American, French and Sherry oak for 3-10 years. Billed as a lighter style than most Japanese whiskies, Kikori is slated to expand to more markets over the course of this year.
•Molson Coors has appointed Mauricio Restrepo as its new chief financial officer, effective May 2. Restrepo was previously CFO at Beam Suntory, but before that worked as a finance executive at SABMiller. He replaces interim CFO David Heed, who will return to his post as CFO of Molson Coors Europe.
•Salisbury, Maryland-based Evolution Craft Brewing Co. is extending availability of its Pinehople label. An IPA brewed with pineapple juice, Pinehople was previously offered only at Evolution’s taproom and brewpub. The 6.8%-abv brew will begin launching across the East Coast in 12-ounce bottled four- and six-packs and in kegs this April, with the Pennsylvania market also set to receive a 12-pack format. Evolution’s distribution currently spans Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., Delaware, central and south New Jersey, central Pennsylvania and greater Philadelphia.
•Hood River, Oregon’s Full Sail Brewing Co. has released Session Mashup, a new variety 12-pack featuring a rotating selection of session brews. The pack’s inaugural selection includes Full Sail’s core Session Premium Lager, Session Wheat Premium Hefeweizen and Session IPA Premium Pale Ale, as well as its Session Cream Premium Summer Ale seasonal.
•Portland, Oregon-based Cascade Brewing has named Tim Larrance as vice president of sales and marketing. Larrance, who has 23 years of industry experience, previously held area and regional management and director positions with Labatt USA, InBev and William Grant & Sons.
Get the latest edition of Shanken's Impact Newsletter, providing in-depth news and research about the beverage alcohol industry.
Subscribe today and you'll receive every issue in both print and digital format.
For a complete listing of M. Shanken Communications events or to register, click here.
Got a story idea, or general comments about this newsletter?
Contact our editors David Fleming, Peter Zwiebach, and Daniel Marsteller at:
shankennewsdaily@mshanken.com
Share this newsletter via: Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Twitter
For advertising information, contact newsletteradvertising@mshanken.com
Unsubscribe | Forward to a Friend | Manage your newsletter subscription
Copyright 2016 M. Shanken Communications, Inc.
825 Eighth Avenue, 33rd Floor New York NY 10019
Loading...
Loading...