Innholdsfortegnelse for June 1-15, 2021 i Shanken's Impact Newsletter

DIAGEO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT it’s expecting organic operating profit growth to be at least 14% in its fiscal year ending in June, with net sales growth trailing only slightly behind that figure. Chief executive Ivan Menezes noted the group’s “strong competitive performance across key markets,” and said it would resume its return of capital of up to £4.5 billion ($6.37b) to shareholders, which had paused during the pandemic. Diageo said business remains “particularly strong” in North America, its largest market, led by resilient consumer demand and innovation. That momentum builds on a robust fiscal first half ended in January, in which Diageo’s U.S. sales grew by 15%. Its super-premium and luxury Tequila stable was a growth driver, with net sales for the category up 80% in North America, led by…

DEUTSCH FAMILY WINE & SPIRITS has unveiled Yellow Tail Pure Bright, a new lower-calorie and lower-alcohol wine. Retailing at $8 a 750-ml., Pure Bright includes a Chardonnay (9.6% abv, 85 calories a 5-ounce pour), Pinot Grigio (8.5% abv, 80 calories), and Sauvignon Blanc (8.5%, 80 calories). Deutsch Family plans to make “a longterm, multi-million dollar investment including in a robust digital plan, instore promotions, and online shoppable content” to back Pure Bright, and says it will also introduce a celebrity partner for the brand moving forward.…

WITH CONSUMERS INCREASINGLY GRAVITATING TO ORGANIC PRODUCTS AND “better-for-you” offerings, Polish super-premium vodka brand Belvedere, part of the Moët Hennessy portfolio, is targeting the organic market with a new range of flavor-infused vodkas. The Belvedere Organic Infusions range includes three expressions: Lemon & Basil with a touch of elderflower, Pear & Ginger with a drop of Linden Honey, and Blackberry & Lemongrass with a hint of sage (all 40% abv). They’re available now for purchase in store in Florida, Texas, and New Jersey, with New York and California following this month and Ohio in July. All will retail for $36 a 750-ml. “Belvedere Organic Infusions are not only true to our long-standing practice of using the finest ingredients, but also propel the industry forward in crafting spirits that respect and…

Eric Sklar is in a unique position to assess the intersection of the wine and cannabis industries in California. Sklar, whose family has been growing grapes in Napa for four decades, founded Alpha Omega Winery in the Rutherford district in 2005. He’s also a founding member of the Napa Valley Cannabis Association and CEO of Napa Fumé, a vertically integrated cannabis company he started in 2017. Sklar recently joined Wine Spectator’s Straight Talk series on Instagram Live to discuss the confluence of winemaking and cannabis cultivation with Wine Spectator senior editor MaryAnn Worobiec. MW: What are some of the misconceptions that people might have about the cannabis industry and what it’s like to be in it? Sklar: One of the most persistent misconceptions is that we’re awash with cash. That…

THE E.U. AND U.S. HAVE AGREED TO START TALKS TOWARD ENDING THEIR TRADE dispute over steel and aluminum, with the E.U. suspending its pending tariff hikes related to the situation, including a 50% levy on American whiskey that would have taken effect June 1. American whiskies have been under a 25% retaliatory tariff in the E.U. since mid-2018, which the bloc instituted in response to 25% U.S. tariffs on E.U. steel and 10% tariffs on aluminum. “This news couldn’t come soon enough,” said Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS). “Distillers across the United States are breathing a huge sigh of relief after bracing for a 50% tariff on American whiskey that would have forced many craft distillers out of the E.U. market.”…

CAMPARI HAS UNVEILED MORE DETAILS ON ITS NEW RARE UNIT, COMPRISING various super-premium and above brands from its portfolio, originally announced May 4. The Rare division has a dedicated marketing and sales team and will be led by Julka Villa, who will also retain her existing role as global strategic marketing spirits managing director, operating directly under Campari’s global CMO Jean-Jacques Dubau. The Rare unit, including higher-end offerings from brands like Russell’s Reserve, Appleton Estate, and Glen Grant, among others, will initially focus on U.S. markets like California, Texas, and Florida before branching out more widely. Next month, Rare will kick off operations with the relaunch of Bisquit & Dubouché Cognac, to be followed by Lallier Champagne later in the year.…

CONSTELLATION BRANDS HAS TAKEN a minority stake in La Fête Du Rosé. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, the buy was made through Constellation’s venture capital arm and is part of the company’s $100 million investment in businesses owned by people of color. The wine was created by Donae Burston, a wine and spirits industry veteran who previously has worked with brands like Dom Perignon and Moët & Chandon, among others. La Fête du Rosé—made from 80% Grenache, 14% Mourvèdre, and 6% Syrah—is sourced from Saint Tropez in France and is produced in partnership with winemakers from Domaine Bertaud Belieu. From the beginning, the brand was built to give back and has donated a portion of sales to programs that advance racial justice.…

INFINIUM SPIRITS HAS NAMED TONY Kalich as senior vice president of sales. Most recently, Kalich was senior vice president, distributor relations and sales capabilities at Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. Prior to that, he served with Diageo in positions of increasing responsibility including vice president of sales, national accounts on-premise. In his new role he’ll lead the U.S. sales organization at Infinium, whose portfolio includes Skrewball peanut butter whiskey, Templeton rye, Zaya rum, and Correlejo Tequila, among others. •Lede Family Wines has named Dina Clark as senior director of national sales. A 25-year industry veteran, Clark was most recently Midwest regional director of sales for the Boisset Collection. In her new role, Clark will oversee national sales and distribution for both Cliff Lede Vineyards in the Stags Leap District and…

AMID UNPRECEDENTED CONDITIONS OVER THE PAST year, there have been many fluctuations in market dynamics, such as the broad turn to the off-premise, a dramatic increase in the premixed cocktail category, and a consumer focus on trusted brands. But one thing that clearly hasn’t been affected by the pandemic is U.S. consumers’ love affair with Tequila. The numbers don’t lie. Last year, Tequila shipments to the U.S. surged 24% to above 28 million 9-liter cases, more than doubling in size from a decade earlier. The U.S. accounted for nearly 90% of global Tequila exports in 2020, and achieved a new milestone with 60% of shipments comprised by the higher-priced 100%-blue agave segment, an all-time high. Growth was rampant last year for each of the top five Tequila brands in the…

THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY ANnounced recently that it’s establishing a new research and innovation hub in Canada that will focus on non-alcoholic cannabis beverages. The company has hired industry veteran Paul Weaver to lead the Canadian subsidiary business, where he will focus on developing and piloting cannabis drinks in advance of federal legalization in the U.S. The development comes nearly two years after CEO Dave Burwick told CNBC the company was looking at cannabis drinks. “We’re not going to be the first one in, but we’re going to study and learn once the hard seltzer category develops,” he said at the time. “Innovation is core to what we do, beginning with craft beer, then hard cider, hard iced tea, and now Truly Hard Seltzer,” Burwick said of the new unit.…

A COMMON THEME IN THE DRINKS market during the pandemic has been consumers’ move to trusted brands. As the second-largest wine label in the U.S., E.&J. Gallo-owned Barefoot surely fits that description. The core Barefoot brand was up 12% to 17 million cases in the U.S. last year, according to Impact Databank, not including its Bubbly, Spritzers, Wine To Go, Seltzer, and Barefoot On Tap offerings. This year, Gallo tells Impact it expects further gains for the franchise, driven by sweeter expressions like its Fruitscatos range as well as its wine-based seltzer and Barefoot on Tap formats. Both Barefoot Seltzer and Barefoot On Tap recently earned Impact “Hot Brand” honors. Barefoot On Tap, the brand’s 3-liter box offering ($19), jumped 55% to 1.7 million cases last year, while Barefoot Seltzer…

WITH SPIRITS-BASED CANNED COCKtails soaring across the drinks market, it’s not only distillers that are looking to get into the action. Brewing giant Molson Coors has launched Proof Point Spirited Seltzers, a new range made with spirits and a splash of real juice. Proof Point, which has rolled out across 27 states, is debuting with four flavors: whiskey seltzer with blackberry lemon, rum seltzer with mango pineapple, vodka seltzer with lime, and Tequila seltzer with grapefruit. Each 12-ounce slim can is at 5% abv and has 100 calories and zero sugar, with a four-pack retailing around $12. Proof Point joins Coors Seltzer and Vizzy in the company’s seltzer stable.…

• SOUTHERN GLAZER’S HAS CHALlenged a Minnesota state law that prohibits out-of-state producers from granting exclusive distribution rights to wholesalers while allowing in-state producers to do so. According to Southern—which has the backing of the Minnesota attorney general and commissioner of public safety—the law, which has been in force since 1973, is unconstitutional under the dormant Commerce Clause. Southern and the state are asking for an “order for final judgment that declares the Coleman Act to be in violation of the U.S. Constitution and enjoins any future enforcement of the statute” against the company. Johnson Brothers plans to intervene in the case, however, arguing that it has structured its business around the law and will be financially harmed if it’s overturned. • IL PALAGIO, THE TUSCAN ESTATE owned by Sting…