The Gibson Martini is generally made with gin (or vodka), vermouth and a few pickled onions referred to as pearl onions.

In the great debate as to how to garnish a martini – what type of olive, stuffed or plain, how many – the Gibson, known for pearl onions, has been somewhat obscured. While originally branded for the association with Gibson Gin, the Gibson is now identified for those cute little white things regardless of the booze used.

As a public service to drinkers everywhere, here is the Gibson story. Or, should I say, stories.

First, while martinis are found all over film, books and TV (think James Bond), the poor Gibson is kind of obscure. Best I could come up with was the occasional drink by Roger Sterling in Mad Men, Cary Grant in North by Northwest, a Frasier episode (Stoli Gibson with three pearl onions) and not much else.

What I find fascinating about the Gibson, are the stories about how the drink came about. I found three.

The most common one is linked to the 1930s and Charles Dana Gibson, the illustrator known for the Gibson Girl images. As the story goes, he challenged a bartender named Charlie Connolly at New York’s Players Club to create a “different drink.” The result was garnishing a martini with cocktail onions that became know as the Gibson.

Nah, I’m not buying it. Sounds like it came from some old school press agent.

The second one goes back 40 years prior to this. Mr. Walter D K Gibson is supposed to have had the first martini named in his honor at the Bohemian Club in San Francisco. Apparently, this gentleman didn’t like the way they prepared gin martinis so he specified the brand and had them add pearl onions. Also, he believed eating onions would prevent colds.

I’m not buying this one either.

The story I subscribe to came from a good barman friend and we all know that the stories told over a bar are more accurate than anything on the Internet, not to mention other sources.

As Adam D. tells it, a savvy businessman and banker in the 50’s and 60s often found himself out with clients for the proverbial three-martini lunch. Unable to function during and after the meal, he had the bartender serve him cold water so he could remain sober while his clients got shit-faced. The cocktail onion was used as garnish so his beverage could be distinguished from the others. The banker’s name was Gibson.

Now, there’s a story I can believe.

Wine and Spirits Daily had an interview with the global head honcho of Cutty sark, which is owned by The Edrington Group (Macallan, Famous Grouse, others). In the interview and a previous story, he talks of the turnaround of the brand. In fact, he predicts 5% or higher growth over the next five to ten years.

Is this hype or real?

Let’s take a close look. After all, this is a brand that has had 25 years of decline from 2 million cases in the 1950s and 60s to less than 150,000 recently.

What the brand has going for it is the recent movement to Remy Cointreau and their knowledge and focus on scotch. They should be able to push the brand as part of their scotch portfolio and have a vested interest in keeping the Edrington people happy. So check the box on leverage and clout.

A number of side benefits also come with the move to Remy. As a new brand with a full, strong portfolio behind them, they will fill distribution gaps and move into important brand building accounts.

But, wait a minute, isn’t it a bit early to declare victory on the path to a turnaround? From the data I saw, for the four-week’s performance to Feb 24, the brand grew in SymphonyIRI data by 3.2% compared to a -5% for the year.

1967 ad

What about the consumer? What are the motivations that Cutty Sark provides to get a call for it? WSD suggest that its occasional presence on Mad Men, and the retro drinking influence may be helping. That could be, but is it enough?

As I read the article, I became more and more puzzled by the empty pronouncements of success just over the horizon. I can’t figure out the basis on which young consumers are discovering Cutty Sark. Is there a cocktail or signature drink that’s driving the brand? We’re told that Cutty “was created to be easy-drinking, easy-mixing and not particularly challenging.” So is water.

Here’s my favorite quote and an example of world-class marketing BS – “For me, I’m not looking to take business {from} the Scotch category, I’m already seeing us take business in bars from the Irish category.” Really? Cutty Sark is taking business from brands like Jameson that is among the fastest growing brands in the country?

Cutty Sark is an excellent brand with an interesting history. Legend has it that it was Cutty Sark that helped to create the expression the Real McCoy. The story goes back to prohibition and I found it here.

“One man who regularly sailed between Nassau and Rum Row was Captain William McCoy, of Scots origin and living in Florida, who began running liquor in 1921 using a schooner named Arethusa. By this time suppliers and distillers were often meeting the immense consumer demand with very poor quality liquor, and McCoy decided to make his reputation by supplying high quality products, chiefly Scotch whisky. This strategy worked well, to the considerable financial benefit of McCoy, whose name entered the English language as a result of the reputation he acquired.”

“In particular, McCoy ran large quantities of Cutty Sark…”

So there you have it. A brand built on authenticity and known as the Real McCoy
 is the subject of hype and marketing BS today.

Hey, Mr. Global Head Honcho of Cutty Sark: you have a brand with a great story. Why not try to leverage that provenance instead of making empty claims?

Single malts have driven the Scotch category for more than a decade with steady and consistent growth. Brands like The Glenlivet, The Macallan, Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie seem to drive malts and, in turn, malts drive US scotches.

Blended whisky is still the backbone of scotch, but even brands like Johnnie Walker, Dewar’s and Chivas Regal can’t seem to stop the hemorrhaging of this segment.

What does this have to do with your father?

Well, back in the day, those in the booze business felt that given 1) the difficulty of overcoming the taste hurdle of scotch and 2) it’s lack of mixability — if you found a scotch drinker, then you can be sure that his/her father introduced them to it.

That’s a problem today since most fathers stopped (or never started) drinking scotch in the first place. Besides, “my father’s scotch” is right up there with Oldsmobile. So much for modern day mentorship as a motivator for drinking scotch.

Enter Dewar’s Highlander Honey, the subject of my last posting.

I gave many reasons why I see this as a success so I won’t repeat them. Scroll down and see for yourself.

However, since writing that post, I’ve had occasion to speak with Arvind Krishnan, VP Brand Managing Director, Dewar’s and to taste the product along with some friends and scotch aficionados.

First, the Dewar’s people have done a great job of blending the taste of Dewar’s with fantastic notes of honey. This stuff is not artificial tasting and, the honey and scotch combine to provide a whole new flavor. As a result, they have also combined experience and exploration – as in the experience of enjoying scotch and the discovery of how pleasant and desirable it can be.

Here are two thoughts on the flavored spirits world. The Huffington Post wrote this week about flavored vodka under the heading, Flavored Vodka Companies Continue To Debut New Flavors, But Why? You can find it here.

When you get away from the kiddie flavors in vodka, you come across serious flavored American whiskies that are growing rapidly. Just this week I read that Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey has sold close to 500,000 cases in just two years.

I predict that not only will Dewar’s Highlander Honey succeed but also there will be a host of others on the market in the not too distant future. You can bet on it.

Oh, and that taste test?

It’s best summed up by the statement one non-scotch drinker made, “I had no idea scotch could taste so good.”

Ray Foley is many things – a bartender, writer and publisher, drink creator, storyteller, entrepreneur, ex-marine – but don’t ever refer to him as a mixologist.

Anyone who has been in the booze business knows that it’s the men and women behind the bar who build brands, invent drinks and are the backbone of the business. Let’s face it; it wasn’t a suit that created the Cosmo or any other top drink, it was a barkeep.

I first met Ray back in the day at Seagram when everyone talked about the fuzzy navel and credited him with coming up with the idea. More importantly, of all the publishers and sales reps who called on me, he was among the very few who understood the business and was a key to the important on-premise trade.

In the intervening years, he has continued to reach over 100,000 bartenders in Bartender Magazine and hundreds of thousands on Bartender.com. Along with his wife Jaclyn, they’ve been running the magazine for over 30 years. Together they’ve created the Bartender Hall of Fame and run a foundation to provide scholarships for bartenders and their children.

Ray has written dozens of books, including Bartending for Dummies. A perfect title for an outspoken, take-no-prisoners, ex-Marine who hates BS and some of the changes he sees in the bartender profession. But, I’ll let you in on a secret – deep down he’s a kind and gentle man who speaks his mind but carries no malice.

Let’s take the phrase ‘mixologist’ for instance. Here’s a quote I found in New Jersey (where the Foleys reside) Magazine, “A mixologist is a person who really doesn’t know how to tend bar but has the money to get a PR agent.” He told me pretty much the same thing when I interviewed him for this posting but went on to say that he really has no argument with the phrase and much respect for the serious mixologists. But, it’s those who are all ego and no skill, that get his Irish up. So if you call yourself “The Bar Guru” or “Mr. Mojito” stay out of his way.

Ray comes from the school where a good bartender is partly a person who serves drinks and mainly a person who does so with personality and customer service.

When I was running new products and we needed a signature or other drink to make the brand take hold, I learned two important things from Ray. The first was to let the drink idea come organically from behind the bar – the bartender or (forgive me, Ray) the mixologist. In other words, let the professionals do it and keep the marketing suits out of the kitchen.

The second was, in order for a drink recipe to take hold, keep it simple. According to Ray, “Creating a drink with avocado juice and lemongrass doesn’t impress me…how many bars have those ingredients?”

Of all the thousands of people who read Booze Business, I generally think about Ray when I do a posting. He never hesitates to let me know what he thinks and generally, the emails from Ray have been helpful and positive.

Except when I use the dreaded ‘mixologist’ word.

Some appellations matter a great deal and provide the reassurance that what you’re drinking is what you wanted. While appellations generally refer to wine, let’s look at it more broadly, including spirits. A Scotch from the US, for example, wouldn’t cut it, nor would Bourbon from Scotland. Different ingredients, recipes and distillation processes. Different origins.

What about cognac vs. brandy? Simple — all cognac is brandy. But, not all brandy is cognac. Brandy can only be labeled as cognac if it is produced in the designated growing areas in the Charentes region of France. To me, the cognac appellation means that the product has heritage, provenance and a unique production process behind it.

Okay, how about Tequila? All Tequilas are Mezcals, but not all Mezcals are Tequilas. Tequila must be made from at least 51% Blue Agave and come from the tequila region of Mexico. Anything less, or outside of the tequila region is known as a Mezcal.

Which brings me to Champagne vs. sparkling wine.

Robert Klara from Adweek interviewed me last month about an ad from the Champagne Bureau USA. You can find the article here.

The champagne people, in an effort to recapture lost ground to such sparkling wine products as Prosecco, Cava, Moscato, Sekt and of course, California Sparkling Wine, have run an ad letting consumers know that only Champagne comes from France. Leaving aside the silliness of the ad’s execution, I believe they simply don’t get the consumer’s interest in bubbly wine regardless of the appellation.

They have reason to be concerned. Sparkling wine as a category outsells Champagne by more than 10 to 1, and has grown much faster over the last five years.

I’m a Prosecco fan. It’s bubbly, dry, pleasant tasting and fun. Is it a replacement for Champagne? Sometimes, but I’m also a Moët & Chandon fan. For me, the difference is mood, occasion and situation. While I might serve Prosecco at a party, only Champagne would meet the drink needs of a wedding. A sparkling wine would be great at a picnic but only Moët Vintage Champagne would be right for celebrating opening night for one of my plays (sigh, if only).

If the Champagne people want me to drink more of their bubbly and less Italian or California sparkling wine, they need to understand consumer needs and wants and align their product offerings accordingly.

After all, I’m not drinking ‘imitation’ Champagne; I’m drinking real Prosecco.

Dale DeGoff is a booze business entrepreneur and somewhat of a renaissance man. His latest endeavor moves him from behind the bar into the realm of a manufacturer. He’s been credited as the inventor of the Cosmo and, more important, is a really nice guy.

I first met Dale back in the day when he was tending bar at some great places, most notably the Rainbow Room. From that point on, he was at the forefront of what’s been described as the gourmet (or mixologist) approach toward cocktails, particularly the classics.

I suppose that’s why he’s known as King Cocktail, although I think of him as a booze business equivalent of Wolfgang Puck – a celebrity barman (but without an accent).

The man has a list of awards, including the James Beard Award for Wine & Spirits and has written a number of books about cocktails. But wait, there’s more – he’s a partner in the bar training program called Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR, get it?) and founding president of The Museum of the American Cocktail. He also tours the country with a one-man show called “ON THE TOWN! A Tribute to Bars, Speaks, & Legendary Saloons.”

You’d think that would be enough to keep him busy, right? Wrong. Dale has recently launched his own brand of bitters called Dale DeGoff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters. It’s designed to be very similar to Pimento Dram, an ingredient Dale often used, but is no longer available. He joined forces with Ted Breaux, of recent Absinthe fame, to produce it.

I think that before I go any further, we should talk about bitters and their use in cocktails. If you’re a booze maven, you probably know this but indulge me anyhow.

According to Wikipedia (my go to information resource), bitters is an alcohol beverage (DeGoff’s is 90 proof) flavored with a range of herbs and spices. He uses select botanicals and allspice, which is made from the pimento berry (not to be confused with the little red things stuffed in olives). Adding a little bit of bitters to cocktails and you won’t believe how it enhances the flavor and taste.

Check out these recipes from his website .

So, Mr. DeGoff jumps over the bar and joins the ranks of other bar personalities and companies making commercial bitters, including Gary Regan (Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6), Angostura, Peychaud and others.

Welcome to the producer’s side of the bar, Dale.

What happens when a great tasting product, but one that has been gathering dust on the shelf, tries to make it?

To tell the tale of this wannabe spirit, we need to start with its pronunciation. It’s Two-AH-Ka and it’s named for the two brothers-in-law that created it in 1938. Messrs. Tuoni and Canepa named it after themselves –TUACA, their combined names, get it?  The liqueur is said to have come from a recipe dating back to Lorenzo de Medici and the Italian Renaissance. So they say.

I first encountered the brand during my Seagram days and, despite efforts to make it happen, the brand languished as only an orphan brand could at that company. According to Sam Ellias, who worked on the brand at one point, they tried everything to make it a contender – changed the package, reduced the alcohol (to minimize the harshness) and worked hard at developing mixed drinks using Tuaca. (My favorite was the hot apple pie, consisting of Tuaca and hot apple cider.) Nothing helped the brand catch on. Throughout the 80’s, 90’s and into the 21^st century, the brand, as they say, couldn’t get arrested.

Yet, there were pockets of strength including bartenders in different parts of the country. The poor little brand was kept a secret and hidden away. (Sob.)

Enter Brown Forman in 2004. The brand starts to grow a bit, but no real traction or spotlight to build a franchise among consumers. Still a stepchild.

I have a feeling that this is about to change. Read more…

An advertising campaign that actually works?

Wine and Spirits Daily reported recently that the Southern Comfort ad campaign seems to have paid off.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you won’t be surprised to learn that. (See Aug 4, 2012 and Dec 19, 2012.)

The brand’s net sales had been in decline for years but turned around in 2012. While 3% growth isn’t necessarily a big deal, for a brand that was hemorrhaging, it’s a road to recovery.

Judging from the emails and comments I received, I’m not surprised at all that the brand turned around.

Read more…

Ad Age, Adweek and other business publications are pulsating with articles about Super Bowl ads. From the cost, to the worth, to the waste, everyone has an opinion. So, why not me?

Companies with deep pockets will ante up an average of $4 million for a 30 second spot. For some, the super bowl buys will be their entire advertising budget for the year.

In our own beloved booze business, we will see ads for Budweiser and Bud Light and I hope they’ll do better than in the past. (See Feb 8, 2011 posting) In addition, there will be ads for new products such as Budweiser Black Crown and Beck’s Sapphire. There may be as many as 3 30-second ads and 3 60-second ads. You do the math.

Aside from great seats at the game and Cheshire cat smiles from the ad agencies, are theses expenditures worth it?

According to a report from Kantar Media, far more viewers “remain riveted” to the tube, even during ads, than generally. (Really? I must be the exception.) Further, last years’ audience reach was reported to have been a record 111 million viewers.

Clearly, as a mass reach vehicle, there is nothing better than the Super Bowl. But is that all there is to advertising and brand building?

I came across a terrific article on the opinion page of Ad Age by Jonathan Salem Baskin, President of Baskin Associates. I don’t know him but his views on the Super Bowl are very similar to my own. But, he says it better. Read more…

Celebrity endorsed or owned liquor products, with a few notable exceptions, nearly always fail. So why do these products keep coming out?

This subject was first covered in an August 21, 2010 posting but the line up of recent new efforts makes it worth re-exploring.

Let’s start with those that seem to have made it.

Top of the list is P Diddy and Ciroc. The brand started life without him but, with him, it has gone through the roof. He has a following and, with an interest in the brand, his marketing has paid off. Next up is Sobieski, with a Bruce Willis connection. He licensed his image for which he received shares in the parent company. Is it Willis or the attractive price point that has made the brand strong?

Then there is Bethenny Frankle and Skinny Girl. And, let’s not forget Dan Akroyd and Crystal Head. Read more…

“Whatever’s Comfortable” is the name of the campaign by Brown Forman’s Southern Comfort brand. I blogged about it on August 4th of this year and the comments, nearly all of which are positive, keep coming.

So, I decided to revisit the ad via a conversation with Mark Bacon the Global Brand Director for Southern Comfort.

Like this blog, the feedback they have gotten from consumers has been overwhelmingly positive and is resulting in “significant increases in consumer takeaway.” I think that’s because their target consumer leans toward advertising that is real and doesn’t need the typical models they can’t relate to. According to Mark, “this ad is about it’s cool to be who you are.”

The power of the work from Wieden + Kennedy comes though not only in terms of the message but also the high production value of the ad. The strut, the dog, the shoes, and especially, the song — Hit or Miss by Odetta — with the lyrics, “I gotta be me.” I wish they had been one of my agencies. Read more…

Campari America, owners of Wild Turkey Bourbon, has come up with an interesting and fun promotion for Thanksgiving.

It’s a PR event that only that brand can own.

It seems that they have a turkey they claim is the “world’s first football picking turkey” that can predict the outcome of football games, starting of course, with the three this Thanksgiving. (Anyone following my football picking efforts this season knows that I’m the holder of that title.)
Read more…

Bevlog, the blog run by my favorite alcohol industry attorney Robert Lehrman, has an interesting posting about a new vodka product. It’s called “Chokin’ Chicken.” The TTB approved the label in early Oct. You can find the blog here.

Is it a new direction in vodka? Are we moving from candy, cake, bacon and other flavors to nomenclature designed to get attention by being over the top. You know, like the guy who thinks he can get a laugh by putting a lampshade on his head.

Probably not. This most recent example of branding “excellence” joins the ranks of other previously approved sexual innuendo brands like – Spank My Ass and Call me Sally, a red wine from California; Well Hung Vineyard, a red blend from Virginia; and Vas Deferens Ale. (You’re just going to have to Google that one.)

Fortunately, none of these brands have seen the light of day, so far as I know. Which, I suspect, will be the chicken’s fate.

I don’t know about you but I’m glad the TTB approved these names. Their job is to regulate, not act as censors. Besides, they probably didn’t get the double entendre of chokin’ chicken.

It’s your tax dollars at work.

Drambuie Liqueur has been around for quite some time gathering dust in a very limited number of liquor cabinets. At best, consumers think of it as a drink their parents or grandparents enjoyed. At worst, few contemporary drinkers have never heard of it.

The brand is independently owned and sells in the 300,000 case range – close to 400,000 ten years ago. The signature and mainstay drink is still the Rusty Nail (one part Drambuie and one part scotch on the rocks). Although, the company has worked hard at contemporizing the drink choices and has also introduced upmarket line extensions based on the age of the scotch.

There is no question but that Drambuie has a unique taste that is, according to their website, “a unique blend of aged Scotch whisky with a secret combination of spices, heather honey and herbs.”

To address the brand’s image problems, the London ad agency, Sell! Sell! Has come up with a campaign called “A Taste of the Extraordinary.” According to Adweek, the “ad features all sorts of odd characters in a surreal and foreboding landscape.” The message seems to be that “Drambuie is the favored booze of those trapped in an existential hell from which there is no escape.”

Huh? It’s just booze folks.

Nevertheless, it’s a fun ad that’s just in time for Halloween. Unfortunately, it will run in Canada and the UK. Guess they don’t know how important Halloween is for US booze sales.

What’s your opinion of the ad?

Note: If you receive this via email, you may have to view it on http://www.boozebusiness.com

Wine, beer and cocktails; millennials, baby boomers, gen x and y – who is drinking what type of alcohol in the United States?

I bet you know the answers but maybe there’s a surprise or two in this posting.

Let’s set the stage with an article from The Economist called “Thirsty Work” which answers the question of how long it takes to afford a beer around the world.  The information covers the number of minutes of work required to purchase 500ml (16.9 oz.) of beer all over the globe.
Read more…

Bond. James Bond. Since 1956, he has been drinking his famous vodka martinis, shaken not stirred, of course.
But in the upcoming film, Skyfall, Bond, has dropped his favorite libation for a Heineken. The brewer has signed a reported $28 million deal that goes beyond placement. The result is the ad below.
Read more…

Prohibition Bakery on the lower eastside of New York City (9 Clinton St) just opened a few weeks ago and is my kind of bakery. They are, according to their website, NYC’s original alcohol cupcake company.

They have a variety of mini cupcakes made with liquor, beer or wine that are just delicious. You taste the alcohol but it is balanced with the rest of the ingredients. Eat enough and you can expect to get a buzz. You may have to show proof of legal drinking age. (For some reason they didn’t ask for mine.)

The store is an entrepreneurial effort by two very smart women, Leslie Feinberg and Brook Siem, with baking, culinary, bartending experience, and with an instinctive understanding of branding and marketing.

Are you ready?
Read more…

Harvard Business Review blog had an article by Bill Lee, President of the Lee Consulting Group called Marketing is Dead. The thoughts and ideas are worth sharing.

His view of marketing is that the “traditional” definition and tools are no longer totally appropriate to this new environment. Let’s take a look at his evidence, which consists of three areas.

First, as Mr. Lee puts it, the “buyer’s decision journey” has changed from passive information coming to consumers (amidst tens of thousands a day) to interactive information gathering requested by consumers. The traditional journey, which begins with awareness and familiarity, continues, but now those decision steps are based on Internet searches, word-of-mouth, consumer reviews and other people to people efforts.
Read more…

The ad below was just released by Brown Forman’s Southern Comfort brand. It’s the first effort by Wieden + Kennedy in New York. The campaign is called “Whatever’s Comfortable” and runs on YouTube and the brand’s Facebook page. It will also run on national TV.
I’ll give you my take on it but first, have a look.

My informal and very unscientific survey revealed a mixed reaction. “I don’t get it,” said one of my participants, “What’s the message… where’s the brand sell?”
On the other hand, there were those who – like myself – thought that it’s excellent on a number of levels. He has an “everyday/everyman look” and the message of whatever is comfortable comes through loud and clear. Whether you like it or not, you have to give it an A+ on the production values – the glasses and shoes he is wearing, the dog, the other people and, above all, the music is well chose.
Oh, and about the brand sell in the ad coming at the very end, all I can say is if you’re watching this on social media, you know the brand because you clicked on it.

I came across a flow chart that I just had to share.

It comes from Wine Folly (link) and has helpful ideas about how to choose a wine.

As you go through the chart, you wander through a series of intended uses, situations, occasions and personal preferences. Such as:

Is it for personal use? If so, drinking in public? Drinking alone? Dinner? Is the dinner from a microwave? Did you like to eat dirt as a child? Are you into cults? Do you like to spray butter in your mouth? (You need a buttery chardonnay) Are you eloping? (Have a Riesling or Chenin Blanc… no idea why.)

Is it for someone else? Do you know them well? Is it an event or occasion? If it’s a bachelor (ette) party, bring whiskey or vodka. If it’s an art opening the suggestion is to bring 2-buck chuck (“they rarely have a sense of taste”). Beach BBQ? (Forget it, no glass on the beach.)

Check it out it’s fun.

Jameson, Diageo and Seagram…

Having just returned from a holiday in the Emerald Isle, I thought I would share some thoughts, especially about my favorite topic.

Jameson

Seagram had the distribution rights to this Irish whiskey for quite some time and, frankly, didn’t do much with it. With the exception of St. Patrick’s Day promotions and pushing the Irish Coffee drink, the brand went nowhere for years. I suppose it’s understandable, with millions of scotch sales at the heart of the portfolio, there was little room for this great brand. Read more…

Last month, The Manhattan Cocktail Classic came to town and at the end of June, The Bar and Restaurant Show comes to the Javits Center in NYC. Details here.

I’d like to take a close look at these events and the impact on the business. In all candor, I haven’t always been a fan of these shows but they’re changing for the better, and it’s probably time I looked at them with an open mind.

Let’s start with The Manhattan Cocktail Classic, which was on May 11^th to 15^th at a range of venues around the city (over 70 locations). I was traveling and unable to attend but from all accounts, Lesley Townsend and her team had the best event since the show began in 2009. Three reasons, so far as I can tell.

Read more…

Readers of Booze Business may recall that I began following this startup company a month ago (see April 27 posting) with the promise that I would periodically update their journey to brand development. (Their website is here.)

Their first product is Sorel (pronounced sore-el). It’s a drink that those from the Caribbean islands have been making for centuries and serve on festive occasions. Each island, and even families, has their own concoctions. Made from a variety of spices, herbs, horticulture and neutral grain spirit (NGS), JFB has overcome barriers and produced a market-ready product with a shelf price of $26.99. (Wait until you hear what retailers are saying.)

Since I first met the owners (Jack Summers, Tim Kealey and Alan Camlet) they’ve moved from planning and laying the ground work to implementation. Not, as it turns out, without some hiccups.

After months of work on perfecting the recipe to their satisfaction, the day arrives when 330 gallons of NGS appears at their facility. The “factory” is the former site of Red Hook Winery; the blending and bottling equipment is set and ready to go. Figuring out how to unload the alcohol is only part of the problem. The alcohol itself is the real concern.

Read more…

Then…

By the time I got to Seagram, Boodles British Gin was an idea whose time never came.  As the saying goes, “She was dead when I got there, Officer.”

The brand was developed in the 1950s or 60s under a license from the Boodles Club in London, founded in 1762 by the Earl of Shelburne, later the Marquess of Lansdowne and Prime Minister. The club, which is 250 years old this year, was named after its headwaiter, Edward Boodle.

Get this — the licensing fee was the gin; use of the name in exchange for free goods.

To say that the brand languished at Seagram is an understatement. The fact is, while some gin aficionados felt it was a great tasting gin, Boodles spent many years in and out of the Seagram hospice companies. The problems – real or perceived – included concerns about the square package (too wide for a back bar) and loss of identity when placed sideways. The “oodles” of Boodles taunt by some consumers added to the death rattle, particularly in light of the awful marketing on behalf of the brand.

Read more…

I write a monthly column for Spiritz magazine in India, which is the most widely read alcohol-related magazine in the country. My column is called Booze Abroad and the March issue contained a story on how the broadcast advertising (voluntary) ban for spirits was ended in the US.

While TV advertising for spirits has become widespread, it came about through the leadership of Seagram, but not without some ups and downs along the way.

The article is available on this blog with the permission of Bishan Kumar the publisher of Spiritz. To read it, simply click on the words, “Spirits Ads on TV” at the top of the column on the right.

Read more…