Shanken News Feed

I don't normally read the industry news, but I get things forwarded to me from time to time. This struck me as an appropriate thing to share based on recent conversations about "craft" spirits and how the term is being co-opted and exploited. I'm just copying and pasting the news from my email on to the blog:

Terlato Wines has launched an artisan spirits division, forming long-term partnership agreements with two super-premium craft spirits brands—Langley’s No. 8 gin and Tigre Blanc vodka. Langley’s is copper-pot distilled at the Langley Distillery in Birmingham, England, while Tigre Blanc is produced in the Cognac region from 100% French wheat.

“The spirits business is evolving,” said Terlato Wines CEO Bill Terlato. “It’s starting to look a lot like the wine business, with mixologists, craft bartenders and consumers embracing a new category of small-production, hand-crafted, super-premium brands. Today’s consumers are actively looking for new brands and categories to discover and share, and their preference for luxury wines and craft spirits is growing well above the category.”

Terlato’s Artisan Spirits portfolio will have a dedicated sales and marketing team, and while it’s kicking off with Langely’s and Tigre Blanc, the company plans to add a host of other high-end spirits offerings from around the globe. Terlato says its spirits lineup will eventually include Scotch, Cognac, Tequila and rum entries, among others.

Basically, if you don't have an "artisan, hand-crafted" spirits division and you're a major player in the booze industry, you're missing out on serious sales!

-David Driscoll