Inside the Industry
Inside the Industry
As innovative distillers challenge tradition, gin is evolving in exciting and unexpected ways. Whether hailing from surprising origins or possessing a less-Juniper-forward flavor profile, today’s gins lend themselves to experimentation with creative cocktails.
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Inside the Industry
The future is calling, and it’s talking about wellness and self-care. The generation that follows the Millennial cohort, Gen Z (defined by Pew Research as born between 1997 and 2012) includes young adults now of legal drinking age. Unlike previous generations, these younger drinkers are more likely to embrace moderation.
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Inside the Industry
She may stay away from the kitchen at home, but her passion for cereal chemistry and food science is part of a serious recipe for R&D at MGP.
Meet Tanya Jeradechachai.
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Inside the Industry
American Whiskey is popular far beyond its roots. With good reason, as U.S. distillers begin to offer more spirits from the fast-growing premium and super-premium category in export markets. But there’s more to the international love affair with U.S.-crafted bourbons and ryes.
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Inside the Industry
A new year, and the spirits market begins what global market intelligence firm Mintel forecasts as a three-year “recovery period” from the impact of COVID-19. The pandemic accelerated trends in alcohol consumption that will continue to shape consumer demand in 2022.
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Inside the Industry
In the craft distilling community, innovation often pays tribute to time-bound processes and mash bills. The American Single Malt Whiskey revival does that, with a twist, sometimes looking to inspiration from Scotland, Ireland and Japan. But it remains distinctly American, further enhancing the nation’s reputation for fine whiskeys as craft distillers create a product distinctive from traditional bourbons and ryes, according to drinks market research firm IWSR.
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Inside the Industry
Craft distilleries constantly innovate to stay relevant in the crowded spirits category. Case in point: Ready-to-drink cocktails.
Gone are the days when hyper-sweet concoctions dominated the category. Craft distillers in recent years recognized that premixed, canned cocktails were an excellent outlet to introduce their brands and showcase quality spirits. The opportunity remains solid with the popularity of cocktails-to-go and consumers’ desire to drink premium spirits at home, trends that boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Inside the Industry
Super-premium spirits were hot at the dawn of 2020. Then, a little thing called a pandemic forced consumers to stay home. Unable to spend on travel and other experiences, they experimented with cooking and cocktails, turning to online shopping for their alcohol, including high-end spirits.
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Inside the Industry
The lore surrounding American whiskey has captivated an eager market. Especially the notion of “craft,” with carefully created mash bills, skillful blending and unique barrel finishes. And there are famous stories about fermentation and distillation -- every aspect of the whiskey-making process -- passed down across generations.
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Inside the Industry
No question. 2020 was a rough year for U.S. craft distillers. The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a one-two punch: Not only were their tasting rooms forced to close, so were bars and restaurants, causing on-premise spirits consumption to plummet. Still, some craft distillers are considering expansion, even if their 2021 will be something of a reset. Their optimism is based on expectations for pent-up consumer demand and new opportunities born out of necessity during the pandemic: Direct to Consumer sales; cocktails-to-go; and scaling operations as a cost-savings measure. DISCUS refers to these kinds of developments as “market modernizations” that will help boost the industry’s recovery.
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