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Boodles Gin — Then and Now

May 5, 2012 19 Comments

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.

Spirits Ads on TV

April 3, 2012 1 Comment

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.

The Fountain of Booze

March 29, 2012 No Comments

Buffalo Trace Newsletter reprinted an article from Agence France-Press (AFP) with this headline – Georgia Toasts Tourists With Alcoholic Fountain. I knocked over my coffee in the rush to book a flight to Atlanta, and then realized the Georgia in question was the country not the state.

Georgia is a sovereign state (ex-Soviet Union) in the Caucus mountain region on the border between Europe and Asia. It seems that they have been pushing hard to attract tourists to the city of Batumi, an up and coming party town on the Black Sea coast. Past attraction efforts have included wedding cake buildings, Dubai-style glass towers and an upcoming aerial tramway. The new venture is a fountain that dispenses local booze.

The Mayor of Batumi (who I picture sounding like Borat) had this to say about it, “Once a week, for 10 to 15 minutes, Chacha will flow from this fountain instead of water. Tourists will have an opportunity to taste the traditional drink.”

In case you didn’t know (I sure did not) Chacha is a clear strong liquor made from grape using the pomace — grape residue after making wine — or what I like to think of as seeds and stems. In other words it’s like Grappa.