BIN

Inside

2 INDUSTRY INSIGHT 36 BRAND PROFILE

By Alan Forester, CPA, Attorney 360 VODKA
18 4 WHAT’S BREWING 38 NEW PRODUCTS & PROMOTIONS
ARTS & CRAFTS…AND
IMPORTS, OH MY! 40 CATEGORY FOCUS
An impressive armada of import HISPANIC PRODUCTS
and craft beers continue to HOLIDAY SHOWCASE
underscore global changes in Culturally relevant marketing and
the beer industry. packaging is as vital to what’ inside
the bottle when it comes to keeping
15 BRAND PROFILE sales and spirits high.
CLAUSTHALER PREMIUM
NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER 52 INDUSTRY EVENT
TALES OF THE COCKTAIL
16 TECHNOLOGY PROFILE
LET'S TALK TWITTER 54 INDUSTRY NEWS
It's digital age word of mouth.
62 POUR OF THE MONTH
18 COVER FEATURE FINEST CALL MIXERS
LHASA BEER
Tibet’s premiere beer makes its way 64 BRAND PROFILE
to the US and unites Asian mystique, MAKERS MARK
the European lager tradition, American
brewing experience, and 66 CATEGORY FOCUS
philanthropic action in a single bottle. THE FRENCH EVOLUTION
Value and innovation strengthen
28 MARKETING FOCUS France’s hold on the U.S. drinks
BOTTLE MAKEOVERS market.
Packaging overhauls are now
4 de rigueur for spirits brands

™
1
developing a twitter strategy Bottle
Taller
Twitter may be practically instantaneous, but the fruits
statuesque
of your tweeting may take weeks to be apparent.
bottle shape
be consistent. Tweet daily, at different times during the
day. This increases your exposure to followers and will help 2
you literally get a hang of it. Logo
be balanced. Tweeting about things you do/sell/offer is Logo printed
fine, so long as you aren’t overdoing it. Mix in RTs of interest- on solid
ing other tweets; seasonal/topical observations; @replies to color band
questions/comments of followers. stands out

observe. Watch how others tweet, and see what gets

RTed and/or @replied to. Grow your network gradually. Com- š
mit to spending time each day or at least each week to finding
new followers. Doing it massively (i.e., following 1,000 before
you even have 100 followers) will appear suspect. And think
of expanding your network not just by searching with wine and
spirits in mind, but also exploring regional Twitter people and Befo
topics—local followers are simply more likely to walk in your
re
door.
After
be someone. Yes, you are a business but the most suc-
cessful businesses on Twitter project a personality, not merely

40 16
products and services. One vital caveat: if you are tweeting
as a business rather than as an individual it is probably a good
idea to have one person do the tweeting in order to develop a
consistent tone. 28 36
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
BY ALAN FORESTER, CPA, ATTORNEY
WWW.ABCLAWYER.COM 800-464-1040
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 WHAT’S BREWING
Arts & Crafts…and
Imports, Oh My!
An impressive armada of import and craft beers
continue to underscore global changes in the beer industry.
W
hen it comes to beer, ale, stout
and other brews that make
taste buds hop, what was once
novel, niche and even considered a little bit
elitist a generation ago is now part of the
category’s mainstream.
Some of the world’s beer giants have
drafted some of the ambitious smaller craft
and import players into the big leagues,
while others are looking to the playbooks of
the most successful independent brews for
ideas and inspiration. However, in the large
playing field at the arena staged this year at
Caesar’s Palace, the shared goal among
brands large and small is to score points with
restaurants, bars and retailers on the front-
lines and with consumers in the endgame.
And Speaking of
What’s Brewing…
Sub-premiums and crafts are using this
opportunity to take center stage in a cele-
bratory way, at the 2009 NBWA show.
While major players such as Miller/Coors
will no doubt have a presence, the small guys
are taking advantage of wearing their big
hearts on their sleeves.
NBWA President Craig Purser is partic-
ularly passionate when it comes to the line-
up of speakers at this year’s show. “We are
excited about Jim Koch leading off a lineup
of dynamic speakers who will be addressing
more than 3,000 men and women in the
beer industry,” said Purser. “Through his
entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and deter-
mination, Jim has helped shape the craft
beer industry in this country, which invigor-
ates the entire American beer industry. It’s
4 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E
great to think that there are more than 1,500
brewers and nearly 13,000 labels of beer
available in the U.S. today.”
Adding a bit of All-American flair to
the proceedings is Hall of Fame baseball
player Johnny Bench and business expert
Jason Jennings, both of whom will speak
during the General Session. There will also
be two landmark panel discussions, “It’s Not
Your Father’s Beer Business: How the World
has Changed” and “Because Alcohol is
Different,” interactive discussions that bring
the major changes in the beer industry into
its proper and fast-changing context.
“It’s Not Your Father’s Beer Business,”
taking place on Wednesday, September 23
features an illustrious group who will go into
depth on the hows and whys of consumer
pattern shifts in the beer industry. They
include Don Blaustein (who most recently
served as president & CEO of Heineken
USA), Victoria Horton (President of the
California Beer & Beverage Distributors
Association), Aldo Madrigrano (President
of Beer Capitol, Inc., a Milwaukee beverage
distribution business), and Beer Business
Daily editor/publisher Harry Schuhmacher.
More than Just Foam
Rising to the Top
Like many industries, size is everything when
it comes to what consumers are looking for.
However, the paradigm is shifting to the fact
that bigger doesn’t at all mean better when it
comes to sales. A generation ago, people
were loyal to brands they immediately recog-
nized. Today, consumers with a broader and
more global frame of reference are opting fo
8
the harder-to-find and hand-crafted over the
big brands made in large quantities.
“Our expectations for the NBWA this
year are to meet with our key distributor
partners and share our vision for 2010 as well
as new projects and brands we will be
launching in the coming months,” states
Harry Snyder, Vice President of World
Brews. “(The industry is) no longer just
Regular or Light Beer. The many wonderful
Imports from around the World and the fan-
tastic American Craft offerings have made
many of these brands a hand-sell.”
Here are some recent statistics to consid-
er with regards to the Beer category that
reflect the mindset, observations and strate-
gies of attending professionals like Snyder:
• Overall beer volumes are down 4.1%.
• Bud Light volumes down 8.6%, losing an
entire share point, driving prices up 67 cents
per case.
• Budweiser is down 13.8%, losing an entire
share point, elevating prices 78 cents a case.
• Miller Lite is down 11.5%, losing 0.6 share,
with pricing up 79 cents per case.
• Corona Extra down 4%, flat share, but with
pricing down 74 cents a case.
• Heineken down 12.8%, share 0.2, with
pricing up 34 cents a case.
• Only Coors Light went up this year by 1.1%,
gaining 0.4 share points at 35 cents a case
higher pricing.
• The top six mega-brands are losing about
250,000 case equivalents every sell day.
“Sub-Premium” companies like Boston
Beer (producers of Sam Adams), meanwhile,
 WHAT’S BREWING continued
are hedging their bets by increasing prices
during economic downturns. According to
Boston Beer CEO Jim Koch,
keynote speaker at the 2009
NBWA Trade show, when
things get better, a company
is sitting pretty with a big fat
margin. It is a calculated
risk that has paid off, not
only for good old Sam
Adams, but with craft beers
and sub-premiums, which go
into the arena—even with higher base
prices—with more going for them, including
higher perceived value, better quality, an arti-
sanal cache and the notion that since liquor is
an affordable luxury, a savvy consumer is bet-
ter served spending a little more money on a
much higher quality product.
Perhaps for this reason, imports and craft
beers are slowly but surely taking flight at
larger supermarkets and mass retailers the
way they did a few years earlier at specialty
retailers. Imports rose 2.8% this past July,
which is quite an acceleration from being
slightly down year-to-date. Crown Import’s
volumes, for example, were up 8.8%
although pricing was down 2.8% due to
more promos and more Modelo Especial
cans in the mix.
The image of beer itself has been elevat-
ed, from game day staple to cocktail party
classy, thanks to effective public relations—
planned or otherwise--that shift consumer
perceptions of how and where beer can be
enjoyed. Across the country, savvy chefs
and brew pubs have bridged the gap between
fast food and fine dining, using beer/food
pairings and recipes integrating beer as pri-
mary vehicles. Even a non-sporting event,
such as President Obama's beer sum-
mit on June 30, show that sales can
be helped by media frenzy. Dan
Wandell from IRI pointed out
that “brands involved (Sam
Adams Light, Blue Moon,
Buckler NA and, yes, even Bud
Light) and their brand families received a
boost in sales.”
Among NBWA show participants,
from beer makers to decision makers, the
major event of the past summer was that the
6 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E
entire American craft beer segment gained
significant momentum, with sales balloon-
ing. Wandell noted that this
sub-category, “has picked up
an extra sales holiday in the
aftermath of the beer sum-
mit, as its sales and veloci-
ty…are better than the
strong Memorial Day results
it posted.”
The Brewers Association,
meanwhile, reports that
despite the economy, craft volumes were up
5% in the first half of 2009, compared to being
up 6.5% in the first half of last year. While
this is a slowdown, the inde-
pendents are still outpacing
the rest of the beer category
and, indeed, much of alcohol
beverage business.
The U.S. now has 1,525
breweries, the highest num-
ber in 100 years according to
the Brewer’s association,
thanks to a mix of factors
that include craft brewing
innovations, changes in con-
sumer habits and a collective
shift in paradigm that opts for quality over
quantity.
A World at their Feet
and Their Fingertips
Though many of the exhibitors from the
U.S. and around the world are using interna-
tionalism in a variety of creative ways to
generate excitement for their brands and
products at the show, it is important to take
a look at how they are reaching out to con-
sumers in much the same way, using upscale
and cultural events to broaden their
base.
Heineken USA, the exclu-
sive USA importer for
Heineken as well as the
Tecate, Tecate Light, Dos Equis,
Sol, Carta Blanca and Bohemia
brands from FEMSA Cerveza of Mexico,
is using its 18th turn as a US Open
Tennis Tournament sponsor to elevate
its cache through both charitable out-
reach and upscale VIP events.
8
For example, the “Heineken with a
Heart” event, which took place Aug. 25 at
the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis
Center, brought together New York area
business leaders, tennis greats and celebrities
together for an evening of socializing and
fundraising. Heineken USA also introduced
the new Heineken Light Lounge for this
year’s tournament, where fans could pur-
chase ice cold Heineken and Heineken
Light while engaging in several interactive
promotions.
Newcastle Importers, exclusive US
importer of Newcastle Brown Ale, America’s
No. 1 imported ale, meanwhile, unveiled its
third trimester “On the Road
with the One and Only”
retail promotion in partner-
ship with Spin Magazine,
where a lucky consumer
would win the opportunity
to go on tour for one week to
document life on the road
with up-and-coming band
Shout Out Out Out Out.
“Music is a big part of
our consumer’s life and a
week on the road with a
unique band like Shout Out Out Out Out is
an opportunity our consumers won’t want to
pass up,” commented Colin Westcott Pitt,
Brand Director Newcastle Brown Ale,
Heineken USA. “The program offers us a
great way to connect with our loyal con-
sumer base, draw new consumers to the
brand and provide our retail partners with
the tools to increase their sales of high mar-
gin Newcastle Brown Ale.”
The NBWA show also proceeds
Oktoberfest, the annual celebration of beer
culture from Germany, The Netherlands and
other spots in urope. Wisconsin’s
Leinenkugel kicks off their Oktoberfest
season with a newly designed label bearing
a rich fall theme, evoking the per-
fect pairing for crisp autumn
evenings visually, while the
beer’s traditional German
Marzen-style flavor
accomplishes this for taste.
Available in late-August
through October each
 WHAT’S BREWING continued
year, Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest beer is
brewed with Munich, caramel and a blend of
2-row Pale malts.
“We began brewing Oktoberfest in 2001
in honor of our great-great grandfather who
came from Germany and started
Leinenkugel’s in 1867,” said Jake
Leinenkugel, president of the 142-year-old
Upper Midwest brewery. “Oktoberfest has
grown into a seasonal favorite and the hand-
crafted brew’s nationwide popularity contin-
ues to grow year after year.”
St. Pauli Girl Beer, meanwhile, tapping
into the same seasonal spirit with its
“Celebrate Oktobeerfest” fall retail promo-
tion, jam-packed with an array of point-of-
sales goodies and chain grocery program.
Off-premise, the brand will create a sexy
atmosphere through its St. Pauli Girl mer-
chandising items starring 2009 St. Pauli Girl
spokesmodel Katarina Van Derham and fea-
turing St. Pauli Girl Lager and Special Dark
graphics. Retailers can enhance
Oktobeerfest displays by promoting added-
value coupons off the combined pur-
chase of St. Pauli Girl and any beef
or chicken item. Comedic grilling
experts Mad Dog and Merrill will
complement Oktobeerfest sav-
ings booklets via an online pur-
chase discount off their latest bar-
becue cookbook.
Dan Zimmerman, Brand
Manager, B&I Overseas Trading,
Inc, importers of Lithuania’s
Svyturys beers, observes that com-
patibility between different foods and
8 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E
beers can make a huge difference in sales, quality beer while following stringent envi-
especially as the rise of premium imports ronmental standards. .
such as craft beers on the market,
consumers have been inundated
with choices.
“Beer covers such a wide segment of the adult
“Much of the joy of beer drink- beverage industry that there is really no bad
ing is making new discoveries,”
Zimmerman says. “I think that (we
time to be in it if you are willing to make the
are now living in) a true golden age necessary adjustments in your business model
in beer for consumers in the U.S. as
far as selection and quality. For this
to accommodate the current economy. ”
reason, pairing beer with food has – Dan Zimmerman, Brand Manager, B&I Overseas Trading, Inc.
become a very important part of the
marketing strategy for the craft and premium Modelo Especial is taking its sophisticat-
segments. In fact, our Svyturys Traditional ed image in a different direction back toward
Collection, highlighted in a sampler six- elegant entertaining with a promotion fea-
pack of our three most essential beers, is turing Grupo Modelo expert brewmaster,
marketed in just that way. With our tag line, Cesar Martínez Guzmán. This campaign
‘Brewed for Food,’ we have made a focused
marketing effort to position the brand
directly at the upscale import buyer.”
Though some importers see the econo-
my as a catalyst for change in the beer world,
Zimmerman feels Svyturys has not had to
change its approach much because the com-
pany has always targeted a more sophisticat-
ed consumer. “Beer covers such a wide seg-
ment of the adult beverage industry that
there is really no bad time to be in it if you
are willing to make the necessary adjust-
ments in your business model to accommo-
date the current economy,” he says.
According to Daan Bastijn, CEO of Cesar Martínez Guzmán, Grupo Modelo expert brewmaster with
Bavaria USA in Atlanta, Millennial con- Shelly Miles, host of “San Antonio Living”
sumers (21-35 years old) have demonstrated launched in Texas, features Guzmán offering
that they are inclined to identify with more up serving suggestions on local lifestyle-
unique, less mainstream brands like imports themed programs and at on-premise
and crafts, helping grow the overall category accounts, where he sampled the new brews
consumer base. with local print media reps and consumers.
“In order to stand out among the Thanks to its early success, the campaign
crowd, a brand has to have a more will be extended into other U.S. markets in
compelling value proposition,” the remainder of 2009.
says Bastijn. “Consumers are Sapporo Breweries, meanwhile, vigor-
looking for authenticity in the ously engages in marketing activities. Along
story behind the beer and Bavaria with its regular beers, which have been
has such a unique and intriguing widely embraced sicne 1984, the U.S. oper-
story. While it is the second ations place emphasis on its innovative and
largest brewery in Holland, it’s premium beer products, such as Yebisu Beer,
still 100% family-owned. The standard Sapporo Black Label, happo-shu
Swinkels family has been brewing (low malt) brands Hokkaido Namashibori
Bavaria for seven generations, and and Sapporo Sugomi and genre-pioneering
is still committed to brewing the highest productslow-alcohol beverage Draft One,
8
 WHAT’S BREWING continued
Umai Nama and W-DRY in pursuit of bitter-
ness and clear aftertaste.
Independent Brewers and
Drinkers Get Crafty
You know what was once niche has gone
mainstream when a special web site has been
set up to bring hardcore craft beer enthusi-
asts together with brands that were once a
chore to locate. BeerPetitions.com, a new
website launched this summer, aims to
empower craft beer drinkers to centralize
their beer demands online so that local retail
establishments will know the beer brands
their customers want to purchase.
“BeerPetitions.com is a great resource
for general beer drinkers and purveyors of
extreme craft brands,” says Luke Livingston,
social media expert and author of industry-
leading BlogAboutBeer.com. “The general
public is now able to collectively organize to
convince distributors to bring wide-reaching
beers such as Yuengling lager to a new state,
while extreme craft drinkers can petition a
specific retail shop or bar to experiment with
a rare beer brand that is already available
through a distributor.”
Adds BeerPetitions.com founder
Brandon Turman, “In addition to empower-
ing purchasers, this simple tool will also help
craft breweries, craft distributors, and retail-
ers better understand the changing tastes
and demands of their local consumers.”
Whole-cone hops used to make Fresh Hop Pale Ale.
In Colorado, Great Divide Brewing Co.
is busy creating craft beers as storied as they
are flavorful. At press time, the company’s
brewers were in the midst of creating the
10 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E
brewery's biggest annual spectacle: pouring
thousands of pounds of fresh (as in “just har-
vested a few days ago”) whole-
cone hops into their kettles and
then shoveling them all back “In addition to empowering purchasers, this
out again to make Fresh Hop
Pale Ale, which brewers
simple tool will also help craft breweries, craft
describe as, “a celebration of the distributors, and retailers better understand
harvest as heady as a
Thanksgiving feast.” Also in
the changing tastes and demands of their local
the works was the limited batch
Hibernation Ale and a newly
consumers.
introduced group of Stranahan's
Whiskey-barrel-aged beers,
which this year will include a barrel-aged
Hibernation in addition to barrel-aged rendi-
tions of Yeti Imperial Stout and Old Ruffian
Barley Wine.
Great Britain’s BrewDog (brew-
dog.com) is generating its own British
invasion by bringing its most ambi-
tious brew to the United States –
the Atlantic IPA, the first com-
mercially available, genuine sea-
aged IPA in over two centuries.
The idea for this well-travelled new
brew came about when company co-
founder James Watt received an 1856
“Brewers Handbook” as a gift, which
contained an original IPA
recipe and provided inspiration
for Atlantic IPA. As a modern
homage to traditional Indian
Pale Ales, the Atlantic IPA
spent two months aging aboard
Watt’s mackerel trawler in the
North Atlantic. The incredible
journey involved a tense barrel-
rescue-mission, beatings from
force ten storms, 60 foot waves
and encounters with killer
whales—all of it which can be
viewed on YouTube and tasted within its
malty flavor, with hints of biscuit, toast,
caramel, pirate ship oak, salt, tobacco, honey,
pine and vanilla.
Packaging: From Six-Pack
to Sophisticated
Though Christmas is months away, Bend,
Oregon artist Tracy Leagjeld had fresh snow
in mind when she was commissioned by
8
Deschutes Brewery to design the label for
Jubelale, the brewery’s annual holiday brew.
”
– Brandon Turman, founder, BeerPetitions.com
This year’s design is perfectly suited to
what’s inside the bottle, as Brewer John
Abraham describes this year’s holiday brew
as having, “a spiced nose, with hints of cit-
rus, brown sugar and pine. Flavors of
chocolate, molasses, dates, nutmeg,
cinnamon and cloves stand out
against the caramel backbone
from the 1,400 pounds of medi-
um and dark crystal malt.”
Mexico’s Dos Equis, mean-
while, has had a lot of fun as well as
a sharp blast of brand equity with its
successful Most Interesting Man campaign.
It is now taking this playful push in a
seasonal direction with its Most
Interesting Tricks Halloween pro-
gram that attracts consumers
with a variety of unconvention-
al display enhancers including a
Dos Equis branded steamer
trunk, framed portraits of the
Most Interesting Man and Dos
Equis’ Most Sacred Magician
Tricks, along with eye-catching
pole toppers, price cards,
basewrap and cooler decals.
“We have created this fully-
integrated Halloween program to drive dis-
play activation, purchase and trial of Dos
Equis Lager and Ambar beer by appealing to
the trickster in us all,” said Breege Murphy,
Channel Marketing Manager, Heineken
USA. “The program includes all of the ele-
ments consumers will need to invigorate
their Halloween entertaining and provides
our retail and on-premise partners clever and
mysterious Halloween themed merchandis-
 WHAT’S BREWING continued

ing and POS materials to provide added value to their customers and
improve their own bottom line’’
Corona Light is making a fashion statement of its own with a tall, slim
12 oz. can accessorized with a comprehensive marketing campaign.
Introduced in select warm weather markets such as California, Florida and
Arizona earlier this year, the new Corona Light can is now going nation-
al. While the can undoubtedly has an appealing, sleek new look, Jim
Sabia, executive vice president of marketing for Crown Imports, draws
attention to it practical side.
“The new tall can package enables premium light beer consumers to
trade up and enjoy the refreshing taste of Corona Light in a
more convenient form,” he says. “We are putting signifi-
cant support behind the new can package to extend the
already strong appeal of the Corona Light brand via a con-
temporary tall can package that is already generating
impressive trial at retail.”
The new marketing campaign features the serene and
iconic Corona beach scene, captured in and framed by the
top of the new can, as well as a 15-second spot that
launched in mid-August during preseason NFL games on
ESPN and the NFL Network, and continues through regu-
lar season NFL games on CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN.

“Green” Beer…Not just for

St. Patrick’s Day Anymore!
San Diego-based Karl Strauss Brewing Company is not just putting time
into creating its latest batch of finely crafted artisanal beers, but partner-
ing up with another firm to protect the environment in the process.
Greenhouse, a firm focused on revolutionizing the home ethanol market
with the world’s first home ethanol system (called a Microfueler), is con-
verting Karl Strauss beer waste into clean e-fuel for use in the San Diego
community.
“We ran a pump from one of our fermenting tanks filled with yeast
directly into the Greenhouse truck. It went smoothly and it will be an easy
process going forward,” Explains Shawn Steele, Karl Strauss Quality
Control Manager. “Instead of having to dispose of the spent yeast and
beer waste ourselves, Greenhouse picks it up and takes it down the street
to covert into clean ethanol.”
“Karl Strauss has been a leader in San Diego’s craft beer industry for
twenty years and we’re proud to be partnering with Greenhouse to lessen
our environmental impact,” adds Chris Cramer, Karl Strauss CEO and co-
founder. “We love that we get to support a local company while doing
something good for the environment.”
The increasing consumer demand for “eco-friendly” beer makes this
year’s NBWA event a perfect time for Bavaria Beer to debut its website,
www.bavariagreen.com. The site details many of the sustainable practices
that Bavaria has used for decades to reduce the brewery’s impact on the
environment. “The (founding) Swinkels family thinks in terms of gener-
ations, not financial quarters, and continues to brew the highest quality
beer while following stringent environmental practices,” says Bastijn.
“We believe we have a unique consumer proposition and an ideal brand
solution for a glaring gap in the current beer market. The NBWA event
12 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8
 WHAT’S BREWING continued
is an ideal forum for communicating this
message.”
Back in Colorado, New Belgium
Brewing continues its mission to blend
together artisanal beer production with phi-
lanthropy and environmental sustainability.
Most recently, New Belgium
launched a series of innovative social
media campaigns, which have suc-
cessfully grown the brand's online
“ Wine is an incremental sale for the
community and strengthened brand beer wholesaler, and when the beer
presence in popular social networks.
With the help of Backbone Media, a season is soft the wine selling season
local marketing agency, New Belgium
began its journey into social media is strong.
with a comprehensive audit of its
online brand presence.
“Before we could develop an effective
strategy, it was critical to determine where
people are talking about our brand, what are
the popular topics, and who the influencers
are," states Adrian Glasenapp, Branding
Activities Manager at New Belgium. “In
addition to the audit, Backbone developed a
real-time social media monitoring dashboard
for New Belgium to identify trends and
engage in the online conversations about
their brand.”
What Else Goes Best
With Beer?
…Wine, according to Dawn Manning,
Owner of Chateau Diana, a company that
sells wines to beer wholesalers. And when
you consider the growth in popularity of
wine, teamed with increasing sophistication
in beer selection, this kind of endeavor
makes perfect sense.
“Major breweries and distributors have
recognized that wine sales are increasing at a
faster rate than beer sales,” explains
Manning. “Wine is an incremental sale for
the beer wholesaler, and when the beer sea-
son is soft the wine selling season is strong.
With wine there is no internal battle to com-
pete with their beer brands. Furthermore, if a
beer wholesaler goes into an account and
writes orders for beer, water and or energy
drinks, why should they leave the account
leaving money on the table for the wine
wholesaler to pick up. Selling a wine brand
allows them to sell a higher profit per case.
14 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E
This inspired concept was devised by
New York City-native Tom Manning.
Looking for other distribution methods in
New York State for selling wine in grocery
stores, he developed a low proof wine that
could be sold to small neighborhood stores
”
– Dawn Manning, Owner of Chateau Diana
and supermarkets. He felt that the beer dis-
tribution network provided the best coverage
and greatest opportunity for growth. The
idea took flight, thanks to the support and
visions of Simon Bergson and Bill DeLuca at
Manhattan Beer, and thanks to this Chateau
Diana is well on its way to having its brand of
wines filtering through to the consumers via
beer wholesalers through out the US.
“In today’s economic climate, everyone is
looking for alternative ways to grow their
profits,” details Manning. “Participating in
the NBWA show allows us to showcase our
brands and make members aware of this excit-
ing profit opportunity. We hope to gain more
beer wholesalers to add to our distributor net-
works. One of Chateau Diana’s key selling
points from the business-to-business perspec-
tive is that we are family owned and operated
much like the beer distributor network. We
can respond immediately to the needs of both
our customers and their consumers.”
8
To bring this success within reach,
Chateau Diana offers its beer distribution
partners a proprietary wine training program
(“Chateau Diana Wine 101”) and food pair-
ing charts that keep selling wine simple.
Manning reasons that if a beer wholesaler can
sell the mirco-brews, pack and sizes they
do, wine should be and often is natural
progression for them. Furthermore, all of
Chateau Diana’s employees are well
versed in the program and make training
distributor partners an integral part of
their jobs.
“Wines are no longer seen as pre-
tentious, or for wine snobs only,” says
Manning. “We strongly believe that
wine can and should be available to
enjoy everywhere from a burger joint to
sports arenas. The beer wholesaler has the
ability to reach the C & D accounts on a
weekly basis. This allows the beer wholesaler
to monopolize those accounts with both beer
and wine giving the customer a one-stop
vendor. We recently released a 6-unit/1.5
liter bag-n-box wine under our Black Oak
label.”
The boxed wine last four weeks once
opened, compared to bottled, which lasts
only four days. Our brands range from $5-
$19.99, and Chateau Diana provides a vari-
ety of flavor profiles. I
Though beer’s status as a fine food is a fairly
new idea, brewers like Leinenkugel introduce
average consumers to the concept via classic,
time-tested recipes like the following:
Leinenkugel’s
Oktoberfest-Infused Beer Brats
1 dozen brats
1 dozen brat buns
Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest, to cover
1 medium large sweet onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
2 ounces butter
Place brats in a Dutch oven with sliced onions, peppers
and butter, cover the brats with Leinenkugel’s
Oktoberfest. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until
brats are cooked. Remove brats and set aside remain-
ing beer mixture. Grill brats until golden brown and
return to beer mixture until ready to serve. Serve brats
on fresh brat buns with your favorite toppings (sauer-
kraut, onions, peppers, ketchup, mustard).

Clausthaler Premium
Non-Alcoholic Beer
NEW LOOK, SAME AWARD-WINNING TASTE
C
lausthaler, the award-winning, pre-
mium non-alcoholic beer, debuts
new packaging that sports a
refined, new look. Lighter and cleaner in
appearance, the modern packaging design
reinforces the brand’s premium positioning
and better reflects the brew’s crisp and
refreshing taste.
The re-design includes a new label,
packaging and POS. Available in off-prem-
ise and on-premise accounts throughout
the United States, Clausthaler is import-
ed from Germany, and brewed in the
authentic pilsner style. It is the leading
non-alcoholic beer in Europe.
“Clausthaler has been a U.S. mar-
ket leader in the non-alcoholic brew
category since its introduction here
in 1982,” said David Deuser, VP of
Sales, Binding Brauerei, USA,
importer of Clausthaler. “The new
packaging stands-out at retail and
immediately communicates the
brand’s premium position to long-
time fans as well as new consumers.
It is also an indication of our com-
pany’s commitment to the brand
and category,” he continued.
“Today’s consumers continue to
be health conscious and educated
about responsible drinking.
Clausthaler’s new image is aligned with that
contemporary lifestyle,” said Deuser. “We
have an active designated driver program with
Clausthaler, and sponsor events and festivals
across the country to help reinforce the
responsible drinking message.”
Clausthaler appeals to sophisticated beer
drinkers who want the refreshing taste of an
BRAND PROFILE
imported beer without the alcohol.
Anytime, anywhere, consumers may enjoy
the rich, full bodied flavor of a true German
beer without the alcohol.
Clausthaler has won numerous Gold
Medals in the NA category at the World
Beer Cup competition. Just this year,
Clausthaler Classic and Clausthaler Golden
Amber were awarded the top prize in the
non-alcoholic beer category in the World
Beverage Championships. This organiza-
tion was founded in 1989 with the estab-
lishment of the Chefs in America
Awards Foundation and its professional
Board Members gather weekly to con- ose is produced. Clausthaler Premium is
duct taste tests on a myriad of foodser- cold-fermented with perfectly normal beer
vice and retail grocery products. yeast that has been individually cultured for
The judging was conducted the brand. The yeast can only produce a
“triple blind” in Northern tiny amount of alcohol (similar to what may
California by a panel of On- be found in a glass of orange juice) but it
Premise Beverage Buyers. The produces plenty of the full-bodied, flavor-
Chef du Jury was famed Maître du some taste that characterizes a good brew.
Goût (Master of Taste) Jesse Clausthaler is available in ‘Classic’ and
Sartain. ‘Golden Amber’ and is imported by Binding
“ Clausthaler has all the attributes of a choice
German beer: pleasant taste, a bouquet of hops, a
firm head and a full body.”
– Jesse Sartai, Maître du Goût
Sartain said, “Clausthaler has all the attrib- Brauerei, USA, based in Norwalk, CT,
utes of a choice German beer: pleasant taste, a 203.229. 0106. The company imports a
bouquet of hops, a firm head and a full body.” portfolio of high-quality beers from
Clausthaler is brewed under a patented Germany and the Czech Republic, includ-
process based on the German Purity Law of ing Radeberger Pilsner, Krusovice, and
1516, ensuring that little fermentable malt- Tucher, among others. I
 TECHNOLOGY PROFILE

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16 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8
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resttaurants can tweet on topics
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any be balanced. Tweeting about things you do/sell/offer is businesses
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article:
e: “Twitter
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tweetable
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cation.
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What do do you
you already
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products and services. One vital caveat: if you are tweeting & howow can you let people know
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what sort of things should yoyou
consistent tone.
 GOOD BEER.
GOOD KARMA.
TIBET’S PREMIERE BEER MAKES ITS WAY TO THE US AND UNITES
ASIAN MYSTIQUE, THE EUROPEAN LAGER TRADITION,
AMERICAN BREWING EXPERIENCE, AND PHILANTHROPIC
ACTION IN A SINGLE BOTTLE.
M
any groundbreaking craft beers and porates the use of Tibetan barley in the for-
mulation, helps provide added income to
importers have enlightened the beer the Tibetan farmers who are generally very
poor and often still use yaks to pull their
category by giving consumers and plows. From the Tibet Lhasa Brewery
trade buyers an ever-expanding portfolio of Company, the highest commercial brewery
in the world, to U.S. bars, restaurants and
choices: country of origin, brewing styles, dining room tables, our aim is to bring the

recipes, and flavors. However, Dzambuling beer aficionado, savvy restaurant buyers and
retailers a tasty lager that they can not only
Imports—U.S. purveyors of Tibet’s Lhasa enjoy, but also feel really good about pur-
chasing because it benefits people who are
Beer--is taking that approach to new heights. less fortunate.
Adding to Lhasa’s cache is that it is an
Beer industry veteran George Witz, presi- the product that no other brand in the mar- entirely new beer specially formulated for
dent of -Northern CA-based Dzambuling ketplace has: Lhasa Beer is contributing a the U.S. market by award-winning master
Imports, has both watched and participated portion of its profits to help support the brewer Alan Kornhauser. This incarnation
in this trend for many years. His past man- well-being of people who are less fortunate of Lhasa Beer is produced with 30 percent
agement experience includes sales and mar- than the consumers who will enjoy it. Witz of the malt content coming from the husk-
keting campaigns for a large variety of notes that 10% of net profits from U.S. beer less native Tibetan barley—a world’s first in
brands and beer producers. Some of the sales of Lhasa will be poured back into the commercial brewing industry. The
launches he was deeply involved with Tibet in the form of philanthropy, which result is an easy drinking beer with medium
include: Amstel, Budweiser Light, and will both help the Tibetan people preserve hop bitterness, nicely balanced by the full
Pilsner Urquell, and he worked with van their rich cultural heritage and also help bodied, but not heavy all-malt flavor. Its fla-
Munching and Company in Heineken’s them with responsible and positive eco- vor is highlighted by the renowned floral
early days of development in the US. nomic and social development. bouquet of Saaz hops, regarded as the most
Naturally, Witz is keenly aware that a The purchase of this beer, which incor- elegant and refined of all aroma hops.
product with a unique background and
attributes can not only bring an added
dimension of pleasure to one’s beer-drinking
experience, but also dramatically accelerate
a brand’s potential for success in a very com-
petitive landscape. With this in mind, the
company set into motion a plan to intro-
duce a beer to the U.S. market that could
appeal to far more than just the senses.
Recognizing this was a pivotal moment in
his career, Witz is ready to take on the chal-
lenge of introducing an unknown new prod-
uct with great potential into a highly com-
petitive marketplace.
Lhasa Beer has much going for it,
including an interesting provenance in
that it comes from Tibet, the highest
inhabited land area in the world. Lhasa is
also a super-premium lager and a purist’s
beer, made exclusively from Himalayan
spring water, barley, hops and yeast.
However, there is an added dimension to
 COVER FEATURE continued
HE’S GOT THE WHOLE
WORLD IN HIS HANDS…
In the beginning, after several months of
research and networking, the company
tapped Kornhauser and gave him a clean slate
to create a Lhasa export recipe that would
resonate with discerning American beer con-
noisseurs and foodies. The company felt that
his track record of 35 years of brewing experi-
ence and the credibility of being a repeat and
multiple gold medal winner at the Great
American Beer Festival in Colorado made
him the ideal person to set the standard.
“The company was looking for some-
Brew kettles.
body to go to Tibet to help them formulate
a beer that incorporated the use of Tibetan with a favor profile American drinkers are almost universally ales, as opposed to
barley,” recalls Kornhauser. “The brewery I could identify with. For the American mar- the more difficult-to-make lagers, preferred
was working for at the time was in the ket, you need a beer that not only can be by 90% of American beer drinkers. Imports,
process of being purchased, so I was in a enjoyed on its own with friends or while meanwhile, represent the best of both
good place to get involved with this ambi- watching a game, but that would also pair worlds as they offer the style of beer most
tious project. Since I had experience brew- well with a variety of foods. Our goal was to consumers want with more sophistication
ing in all facets of the industry, including create something flavorful but not so over and refinement than mainstream beers.
brewing for Pabst in China, I was also famil- the top that it would not compete with the “One thing that makes Lhasa different
iar with working at Asian breweries.” flavor of the food itself.” from others is that it was designed expressly
“Alan’s role in developing Lhasa for for the more sophisticated American con-
export is pivotal, especially since he’s always ON TOP OF THE WORLD… sumer with a palate for a more refined
been on the vanguard of craft brewing,” says LOOKING DOWN ON lager,” said Witz. “Lhasa is a true original
Witz. “He is well respected in the industry, (A BEER) CREATION because it is a European style lager that is
with a rich and diverse brewing background As consumers, retailers and restaurateurs made in Asia.. Statistics tell us that not
ranging from large scale production to become better travelled and more cosmo- only do American consumers favor
award winning beers for fine craft breweries. politan, they are exposed to both an European-style beers over Asian ones by far,
He has built a great reputation for his inno- increasing number of imported beers as well Asians also hold the same view. Lhasa is
vative work in brewing and acquired a as craft brands. Furthermore, all industry really a “fusion beer” which marries the best
wealth of experience through his contribu- growth in the past five years has either been of both worlds by combining subtle qualities
tions to a variety of brewing companies and in the craft or import sub-categories. As a of its style, ingredients and place of origin,
organizations that we knew would be valu- veteran player in the beer game for mass as well as a higher purpose.”
able when developing Lhasa.” brands, imports and craft beers, Witz knows Like some of the best wines from around
Kornhauser, meanwhile, expresses that that personally and professionally Lhasa is the world, Lhasa boasts a blend of ingredi-
as a brewer, developing and refining Lhasa’s in a unique position to capture a solid share ents formulated in such a way that the best
recipe been a fun project and he is very of intersecting markets. characteristics of each component come out
pleased with the way the beer turned out. Today, craft beers are about a third the in the final product. Seventy percent of
“Prior to our going to Tibet, we knew volume of imports. They are generally Lhasa’s malt content is traditional hulled
that Carlsberg, the international brewing regional, produced in smaller volumes, and barley originating from Australia, as hulls
conglomerate, had taken a large equity
stake in the Lhasa brewery. They had
invested in a major upgrade of the produc-
tion processes and equipment, so we knew
that it was going to be an excellent facility,”
Kornhauser explains. “This made things a
lot easier in terms of developing a beer that
could be considered uniquely Tibetan in
character but still be a European style lager

20 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8

Tibetan worker at the brewery. Bottling line inspection.

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F O O D & B E V E R A G E
 that are critical to the brewing process as the
filtering mechanism (see “We Barley Knew
You”). The waxy hull-less barley, native to
Tibet, makes up the remaining 30% of the
malt blend. The water, meanwhile, is
sourced in the Himalayan mountains from at
least 12,000 feet in elevation. This is key, as
Tibet is still an agrarian society, almost
entirely unindustrialized, and therefore, has
not experienced ground water contamina-
tion found in industrialized countries.
It was also important to Kornhauser that
the brewing process took into consideration
the requirements of German Beer Production
Purity Standards (“Rheinheitsgebot”), which
permit only four ingredients in beer: water,
barley, yeast and hops. The use of additives,
preservatives, or adjunct grains such as rice or
corn are not permitted.
“We were attracted to the unique natural
elements offered to us in this part of Tibet Tibetan hulless barley.
that other beer production areas closer to sea Photo credit: Jeff Roe
level could not offer us,” explains Kornhauser.
“Consumers are looking for that difference, WE BARLEY KNEW YOU!
no matter how subtle. Just as there is a differ- The barely that sets Lhasa Beer apart from other craft and imports is an indigenous Tibet two-
ence in taste among bottled waters between row husk-less barley. When integrated into the overall recipe for Lhasa, it imparts a flavor and
brands that simply purify water from the tap body that results in a different beer than brews made entirely from six-row barley strains used
vs. water bottled at a geyser or another natu- in commercial beer production, according to Kornhauser.
ral source, what water is used in the produc- “Tibet is far the world’s largest per capita producer and consumer of barley,” he points
tion of a beer can have a profound influence out. “It also has by far the greatest genetic variety of barleys. In Tibet alone, there are more
on taste and overall quality of that beer.” than 3,000 distinct land races of barley, with well over 90% of them being of the husk-less
“We are the only company that has variety. In a single farmer’s field there can be several hundred different strains of hull-less bar-
commercially brewed with this hull-less bar- ley growing side-by-side.”
ley,” emphasizes Witz. “It is important to This bio-diversity has historically proved to be of great importance and benefit in Tibet,
note that most Asian beers are considered as in any given year if one strain of barley would not do well because of weather, insects,
‘adjunct beers’ because of other fermentable or disease, the other resistant strains could compensate and a strong food was always guar-
ingredients used such as corn or rice in their anteed. Though the potential for a great beer lies in the heart of the barley singled out by
recipes to derive what is needed to create a Kornhauser, the recipe needs to be balanced with a hulled variety to ensure he will get a
finished product.” beer rather than a thick, opaque soup.
To bring about that ideal result, as well as benefit the community in Tibet that cultivated
Though Witz admits that he literally
this unique barley, Kornhauser needed to create just the right proportions of hull-less and
had to go to the ends of the Earth and get a
hulled barley to ensure the final beer product has both dimension of astringency as well as
little help from his friends, including the
a very smooth and clean flavor profile that makes it a great match for food.
master brewer, he confidently affirms risking
“The type of barley found in Tibet barley gives body and flavor to the beer which contributes
it all to develop Lhasa was worth it, espe-
to the crisp, clean taste but it diminishes the astringent flavors which can come from the husk,”
cially given that the presence of craft beers
says Kornhauser. “Lhasa ends up being a beer with a clean palate-cleansing quality that makes
and imports have changed the way people it go exceptionally well with a large variety of dishes. It won’t fill you up or numb your palate
drink and market beer. from being excessively bitter, sweet, or heavy.”
Adds Witz, “Sometimes less is more. For daily dining, we found during development that
WHERE IN THE WORLD more than 90% of craft beer consumers prefer a brew with the whispered sophistication of
IS LHASA? a fine lager over the louder shouts of stouts, or bitter bite of the IPAs. Though drama queen
Thanks to Lhasa’s built-in versatility, Witz beers with highly specific flavor or body have their place, the subtle-but-distinctive sophistica-
expreses he has every confidence that this tion of Lhasa is a great beer literally formulated with the right balance of barley to please
breakthrough beer will fit in at restaurants many palates.”

22 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8
and bars of every description, especially at
accounts where cooking with beer and
food/beer pairing trends are currently in
vogue. He also projects that off-premise
accounts that have supported popular
food/spirits trends to move product are also
rich with potential. Beyond that, he sees
that Lhasa has an opportunity with both
kinds of accounts to establish its brand iden-
tity beyond current niches into a singular
product and experience onto itself, just as
Belgium beer Stella Artois and other
European brands have done.
“We see ourselves, based on how and
where we are made, as sort of a
European/Pan-Asian-Fusion beer,” he says
playfully. “We are not tied to any one specif-
ic culinary identity. In the Asian realm,
we’re like the chef at P.F. Chang who can
pull together a banquet with Chow Mein,
Pad Thai, sushi, Filipino lumpia (spring
rolls) and Korean barbeque, and have it all
mix harmoniously. Not only that but
because of Lhasa’s clean flavor and balanced
structure it works with pretty much as well
with any kind of cuisine, Asian or other-
wise. The food and beer pairing movement
is so pervasive, and we’ve got such a lovely
beer on our hands that I am confident that
people will gradually discover how well this
beer will harmonize with a variety of differ-
ent spices, sauces and flavor combinations.”
From Witz’s observations, the success of
Asian beers in America prior to Lhasa’s
debut has had a lot to do with the fact that
most of the beers’ fan bases did not necessar-
ily come from their place and culture of ori-
gin, but among people from all backgrounds
savvy about world cuisine and always on the
lookout for new taste experiences.
“Go into any Thai, Japanese, or
Chinese restaurant and see if most people
you see there are in fact Thai, Japanese, or
Chinese,” challenges Witz. “What you will
find are restaurants filled with a diverse
cross section of the American public.”
In the earlier years of his work for differ-
ent beer companies, Witz got feedback from
American consumers who mentioned that if
they were eating Greek food, for example,
they should have a Greek beer. If they went
24 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E
out for Thai food, then a Thai beer would Getting to the top of the sales heap in one’s
be a natural and often the only possible genre is possible, as long as the team carrying
choice. Simply put, Heineken is not found the brand message forward is well-prepared
only in Dutch restaurants. The same thing and well-equipped for the task. Of course a lit-
goes for the Belgian and Czech craft beers tle word-of-mouth doesn’t hurt, either.
whose sales have been on fire lately. “People drawn to craft beers and imports
As today’s owners and consumers are are also some of the most socially conscious
more familiar with a wider variety of foods, fla- and well-educated consumers out there. We
vors and textures, there is a
lot more fusion going on
with recipes and food prepa-
“Our goal in developing the flavor profile
ration. Simultaneously, of Lhasa was to not be just a Pan-Asian
Witz observed beer choices beer – but also a European style lager
in the marketplace expand-
ed much more dramatically. that becomes a breakout brand because it
“Our goal in developing the
flavor profile of Lhasa was to
goes well with a variety of cuisines.”
– George Witz, President - COO, Dzambuling Imports
not be just a Pan-Asian beer
– but also a European style lager that becomes are presenting them with a product which
a breakout brand because it goes well with a shares their same values,” says Witz. “Our
variety of cuisines. biggest challenge is getting our on- and off-
premise clients educated on thinking outside
SCALING THE HIMALAYAS the proverbial bottle in terms of reaching out
To climb the hard road to success it is neces- to these consumers based not only upon the
sary for a brand to be well equipped with a product’s quality and image but also its inten-
clear identity. Fortunately that is not a prob- tion and the real effect generated from its
lem for Lhasa as its social mission is fully purchase.”
integrated into its business model. “Our target market is made up of people
Furthermore, the company has an ongoing who appreciate quality and flavor, but also
contract for the purchase of carbon credits to pay attention to the effect their purchase can
render the product the energy equivalent of a make in the world,” adds Kornhauser.
domestically produced beer, so it is naturally “Unlike consumers whose brand selection is
positioned as a socially responsible product. based simply on the value element (low cost,
As the company sees it, even if launching mass-produced beers), the market we’re
a new product can be considered a risk in going after is more driven by values and is
today’s world, the strength of the brand’s iden- interested in exploration and experimenta-
tity will carry it a long way towards success. tion with products from around the world.
8
 Malt whisky’s shining light.
THE 50.
The Dalmore has the oldest maturing stocks of
any Single Highland Malt whisky and, with
spirit dating back to 1868, it’s no wonder
that our fifty year old has excited connoisseurs,
gourmets and collectors across the world.

‘A rare experience for the lucky few who

can afford it.’ John Hansell

Gold (Best In Class), International Wine & Spirit

Competition 2009. Best Overall Bottle Design,
International Review of Spirits, 2008.

1974. THE 40.

After 30 years of slumbering maturation, Filled to cask on 13th February 1965
The Dalmore 1974 was transferred to and sampled annually to confirm its
a single, immense Matusalem butt progress, some four decades had to pass
from Gonzalez Byass. Limited to only 948 before our Master Distiller would
beautifully presented bottles. release this peerless malt.

Rated 97, Beverage Testing Institute 2009. Rated 98, Beverage Testing Institute 2009.
Gold Medal, San Francisco World Spirits Double Gold Medal, San Francisco World
Competition 2009. Spirits Competition 2009.

THEDALMORE.COM

© 2009 The Dalmore and The Stag Device are registered trademarks of Whyte and Mackay Limited. The Dalmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky 40 year old 40% alc/vol (80 proof), The Dalmore 1974 42% abv (84 proof),
The Dalmore 50 year old 52.8% alc/vol (105.6 proof). www.thedalmore.com. Imported by Shaw-Ross International Importers, Miramar, Fl – www.shaw-ross.com. Drink Responsibly.
 COVER FEATURE continued
The notion of helping others help them-
selves is appealing.”
Witz points out that the initial Lhasa test
marketing in the Pacific Northwest and Gulf
states, Texas and Louisiana, have demon-
strated that the brand has great potential as it
has appealed to many different kinds of con-
sumers. “It is important to keep in mind,
even only as far back as I have been in the
beer business, the profile of what people
drank a generation ago has changed a great
deal from what people buy and enjoy today”.
The Lhasa team also notes that because
cation at on-premise clients. The company
is also building a team that’s hitting the street
for educating and product sampling among
consumers, as well as finding audiences
through a variety of events that involve food
and lifestyle trends.
“We’re looking to be more targeted than
brands that may be fishing everywhere for
fans” Witz details. “We’re the beer sponsor
for the upscale Concourse D’Elegance in
Seattle which benefits uncompensated chil-
dren’s care at Seattle Children’s Hospital and
Evergreen Healthcare Medical Center. We
and guitars with beer branding on them, that
we’ve got the added motivation to put our
name on fresh, new ideas that are about some-
thing bigger than ourselves. Success is really
about showing up, getting out on the street and
into the sale points. We have to demonstrate
our commitment to building the Lhasa brand
in order to carry it over the top.”
Lhasa Beer will gradually become avail-
able nationwide as the rollout progresses over
the next year. It comes in a 12- ounce bottle
in 6-packs, and 24-bottle cases, with a bright,
colorful label. Thanks to its stylish and aes-

Lhasa Beer pairing suggestions: Slow Roasted Pork

Kobe Beef Burger

Seared Scallops

Grilled Shrimp Pasta Stirfry

with Citrus and Asparagus

large chain retailers have generally been sup-
portive of product fundraisers to raise money
for say: typhoon victims in Thailand or
groups like Susan B. Komen (Breast Cancer
Awareness), there is a lot of potential for suc-
cess by collaborating with causes especially as
Lhasa has its own commitment to a cause
integrated with its business model. Witz adds
that the demographics of California, are per-
fectly suited for a cause oriented product like
Lhasa, especially in upscale areas where
social responisibilty is an important consider-
ation in product choices and where lifestyle
trends are often first established.
To bring potential success to fruition,
Witz pointed out that Lhasa’s marketing plan
for the coming year is a real hands-on propo-
sition, involving wait-staff training and edu-
have also signed on as a beer sponsor for
a number of charity golf tournaments.
Though the local charities behind
these events are the focus, exposure like
this offers us the opportunity to con-
nect with other philanthropically
inclined and trend-setting people who
will get word of mouth going. In our
promotions, we’re going to become that
break-out beer by being proactive and help- thetically pleasing packaging, demand is
ing others which will in turn help us.” also created for Lhasa logo items and point-
“We’re not breaking down target markets of-sale materials, including apparel, in-store
by gender, age or ethnicity,” Witz concludes. displays, bar signs, neons, back bar displays,
“Instead, we are looking for people from all sandwich and menu boards.
walks of life who appreciate a fine beer but also Suggested retail price is $8.99 per 6-
share the value of compassion for others and an pack. For more information on Lhasa
understanding that everything in the world is Beer go to www.lhasabeerusa.com or call
interdependent. We’ve seen so many surfboards 1-877-GO-TIBET. n

26 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8
 2 * #
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a re ds
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P
Last spring, frat boy actor Seann William Scott led a band of 52 competi-
tors on an adventure race across Scotland. The event, sponsored by the
Scottish liqueur, Drambuie, followed Bonnie Prince Charlie’s (also known
as the creator of the sweet spirit’s recipe) flight from the British crown
over 260 years ago. The thrill seekers raced Zapcat powerboats, mountain
bikes and off-road buggies. “It was the perfect lads’ weekend,” says the
company’s CEO, Phil Parnell. And, since it reintroduced the historic brand
to young people around the world, it was also a marketer’s dream. Except
that when the winning team posed with Drambuie’s traditional squat brown
bottle there was a problem: the spirit looked like it was meant for an older
demographic. “We needed to change the packaging,” says
Parnell. “We had no choice but to be radical.”

28 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8
 ™

Recently the brand introduced a taller, rounder bottle with high, scalloped
shoulders and a new logo of interlocking D’s. The red cap has been replaced by
a fancier black closure and wrapper. And instead of dark glass, the bottle is clear
so you can actually see the amber colored spirit. The back label now features š
cocktail suggestions to encourage people to drink Drambuie with more than just
whisky or ice. “Trying to make ourselves relevant was important,” says Parnell.
But “it’s not a two-minute fix. We’re not going to keep changing it.”
Nobody would blame you for not recognizing some of your old favorite
bottles. From Baileys to Mount Gay Rum to Tres Generaciones Tequila to
Svedka Vodka, over the last few years quite a few big names have given their
packaging a makeover. Some of the changes are subtle, like the addition of a Before
beveled edge, an extended neck or an updated logo. Others are more striking,
creating an ambitious new look from scratch. A design can take months and
even years as a company weighs the many options to find the perfect bottle
shape, label and box. ›
While brands have always tried to stimulate sales with redesigns, an eye-
catching bottle is now more important than ever as an unprecedented selection
of spirits fight for the attention of drinkers. Not to mention that classics now 2
have to compete with stylish upstarts like Domaine de Canton, Maestro Dobel Bottle
Diamond Tequila, (rĦ)1, St-Germain, TY KU and Crystal Head, which have un- Taller, rounder bottle with
traditional and impressive packaging. After high, scalloped shoulders;
clear glass showcases the
But updating a brand comes with some serious risks. Any time “a product amber-colored spirit
has become less effective the first thing people say is ‘what should we change? 1
How can we make it look trendier?’” says the preeminent graphic designer, Mil- Closure 3
ton Glaser, who has decades of experience and created the I Love New York Red cap has been Logo
logo, Brooklyn Brewery’s packaging and the Trump Vodka bottle. For Glaser, the replaced by a fancier New logo of
decision to redesign comes down to intuition. But he warns “you have to worry black cap and wrapper interlocking D’s
about losing the audience you have before you can acquire a new audience.”
Alienating loyal customers is a surefire way for a brand to lose its credibility and
when shoppers are so used to the old packaging that they can’t even find the new
bottle on the shelves, then a spirit company is in serious trouble.
The other potential problem with a redesign is that consumers often as- ™
sociate a change in packaging with a change in content. And “if you promise a
change and it doesn’t occur, then where are you? And if you make a change and 1
it’s not the one the public wants you suffer for it,” says Glaser. “All of these can Bottle
be the life or death of a company.” Taller
statuesque
To avoid making this tough decision, up until recently, many brands were
bottle shape
content to use an off-the-shelf bottle that they wouldn’t change for years. But
with the rise of pricey vodka and premium spirits in general, packaging design 2
has become hugely important. Already, many expensive whiskies, Cognacs and Logo
Champagnes come in custom-ordered crystal decanters and presentation boxes. Logo printed
Now companies, both big and small, are revamping their whole product lines. on solid
color band
stands out

O Upscale Presentation
š
This past spring Mount Gay began repacking its line of rum in new more upscale
bottles. (The changeover is expected to be finished by the end of next year.)
The brand’s Extra Old Rum was the first to be given a facelift. Since 1992 the
company had used a plain, tall, round bottle, which featured a large off-white Befo
label. The Extra Old Rum is now packed in an impressive oval bottle that has re
a cork and a smaller black label. Yet Mount Gay insists it is about more than
After
 BOTTLE MAKEOVERS

just packaging. “This introduction is not about a bottle redesign, it’s about
re-inventing the brand as a whole,” brand director Eric Maldonado said in a
statement at the time of the launch of the new bottle. “At the end of the day,
the bottle and packaging cues speak to the long heritage of the brand and the
premium quality of the liquid inside.”
The Dalmore Scotch Whisky has also taken a step away from its traditional
look towards a more contemporary design while still embracing its history. The
newly designed bottle has placed an added importance on its iconic royal stag,
gifted by King Alexander III in 1263. “We have sought to de-clutter our de-
signs and make a powerful visual statement using the stag,” points out David
Robertson, head of brand for The Dalmore. “The branding is also embossed
Before and foiled, adding a more premium touch to our look and feel.”
Even value spirits are getting new packaging. Martini & Rossi, which has
just introduced a sparkling rosé to its portfolio, also has a new, elegant look.
™ The cuvée bottle now features a newly lengthened neck and redesigned sil-
1
ver label, giving it a timeless look. In the fall of 2007, Martini & Rossi also
Bottle
debuted a premium bottle for its vermouths, as well as crown cap closure for
Broader shoulders
their Prosecco.
with wider
bottle base Svedka, the modestly priced Swedish vodka, unveiled a new statuesque
bottle just over a year ago, which replaced a broader, plainer bottle that had
2 been used since its inception. “The Svedka packaging hadn’t had a facelift in
Label 10 years, and the time was right based on the brand’s dramatic growth trajectory
Smaller label both on- and off-premise,” says Marina Hahn, chief marketing officer, Spirits
replaces wrap- Marque One (Constellation Brands), which owns and imports the brand. Not
around band
a small consideration. “Vodka is the most cutthroat category in the store,” says
š Michael Binstein, owner of the Chicago area Binny’s Beverage Depot chain.
“You can’t afford to have lackluster packaging.” Svedka’s new bottle also sup-
ports the brand’s overall strategy of positioning itself as a premium spirit at an
affordable price, which has definitely driven sales. “Svedka is breaking into the
After big leagues,” says Binstein. “It’s turning into a Goliath.”
Svedka isn’t the only vodka guising itself up to attract shoppers. Stolich-
naya introduced a new taller and thinner bottle this past winter. And Karlsson’s
1 2 ™ Gold Vodka, which has been around for just two years, has also already made
Bottle Glass a packaging switch. When the brand launched it used a medicine-like bottle.
Pronounced Clear glass shows After Karlsson’s ramped up production last year they had Hans Brindfors, (he
shoulders exude off color of whisky
“masculine” feel
created Absolut’s famous bottle) come up with a new look. Karlsson’s bottle
is now round, tapered on the top and bottom, and mirrors the shape of the
vodka’s key ingredient potatoes.

O Vintage Style
Some of the redesigns are so fitting it’s hard to remember that they’re new. High-
land Park now comes in a hefty flask-like glass bottle with an embossed logo and
a wide-neck with a cork stopper. The old-timey packaging looks like it dates
back to the founding of the distillery in 1798. But it’s actually a lot younger. The
company created the bottle just a few years ago and it began appearing on store
shelves in the fall of 2006. It replaced a dull conventional bottle that the brand
had been using for about five years. “We lost our way in our packaging,” admits
Jason Craig, the global controller for Highland Park. While the old bottle got low
marks the single malt was winning big awards around the world. “The clothing
was wrong for the spirit within,” says Craig. He wanted the new packaging to look
authentic and be evocative of the whisky’s long history but not look too new or
shiny. The design is based on a miniature bottle that dates back to 1905, which
Craig found in the back of a cupboard at the distillery. And the font for the label’s
After logo was taken from the distillery’s 140-year-old front gate. Not only is the new
30 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8
Before š
 Formerly AV Brands, Inc., we are proud to introduce our new name. . .

ARGENTINA ITALY MEXICO SOUTH AFRICA

Quara Belmondo Don Roberto Tequila Amarula Cream
Septima Ca’Montini La Arenita Tequila Durbanville Hills
Luna di Luna Obikwa
CHILE SPAIN
Piccini Two Oceans
Caliterra Legaris
Santini
Carmen Scala Dei UNITED STATES
Umberto Fiore
The Spanish Quarter Artesa
FRANCE Valiano
Terras Gauda Ridgeline
Léon Beyer Voga
Viña Pomal
GERMANY Zaco
Devil’s Rock
Imported and distributed by Aveníu Brands.

Reflecting our heritage as a Codorníu company, our commitment to our trade and
distributor partners, and our mission to market wines and spirits that truly reflect
their origins, AV Brands is pleased to announce our new name: Aveníu Brands.

W W W. A V E N I U B R A N D S . C O M
 BOTTLE MAKEOVERS

packaging more aesthetically pleasing but it has also helped to boost sales. “The
proof is in the pudding,” points out Craig. From 2006 through 2008, the brand
almost doubled its global sales and tripled its profits.
One reason it has been successful is that single malt drinkers tend to
do their homework and actually read the labels and the info on the boxes.
™ “It’s a small niche market,” says Michael Hyatt, president of Baltimore’s
Wells Discount Liquors, which has been open since 1937. And “by and
large they keep up with it.”
Flask-like bottles are popular for other whiskies, too. For about 12 years,
the lowland distillery, Auchentoshan, used a simple clear wine-like bottle.
The company introduced a new slender oval bottle at the end of last year.
“It definitely needed a change,” says Robin Coupar, senior brand manager
of single malts at Skyy Spirits, which imports the whisky. The classy bottle
speaks to the distillery’s long history of producing whisky and is embossed
with three pot stills, since Auchentoshan is the only Scottish single malt to
Before have a third distillation. While the brand’s new bottle looks traditional it is
also meant to have a contemporary feel. “We wanted to make it relevant to
a younger emerging malt consumer,” adds Coupar. For the label the company
chose a modern clean font and a set of “strong contemporary colors,” includ-
ing burgundy, gray and blue.
1 š
Closure
Cork closure replaces
O The Subtle Look
old screw cap
› Even Johnnie Walker is trying to modernize – a little. The updates have been
After “more evolutionary than revolutionary,” admits Bill Topf, vice president of
2 3
Bottle Label marketing at Diageo. “We don’t want to make any big changes.” In 2004
the ubiquitous Black Label bottle was tweaked slightly. If you look closely
New oval shaped bottle Smaller black label
you’ll notice one of the changes, the so called ‘Striding Man,’ now faces right
instead of left. Then three years later the box was given a makeover. “Our
carton didn’t have the shelf standout,” Topf points out. That same year the
1 2 company also introduced a new bottle for its Gold Label, which was originally
Label Bottle introduced in 1995. “We wanted to make it more contemporary,” adds Topf,
Famous Yeoman was given More squared shape than so the bottle is now made of clear glass instead of brown glass, which shows
makeover to look younger previous bottle
and slimmer
off the color of the whisky. It also has a slightly more “masculine” feel with
stronger shoulders. And to meet an increasing demand for the whisky, after
the redesign the company introduced 1 L and even larger 1.75 L bottles of
š
Gold Label, which joined the 200 ml and 750 ml bottles it already offered.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the blend’s signature square bottle. It
was originally chosen over 100 years ago not because of how it looked but
because it was easier to pack in a crate and wouldn’t move around as much
in transit. And the famous angled label was used because that way you could
fit more text without making the font tiny. “They were being efficient,” says
Topf. And “it turned out to be iconic.”
Two other spirits icons, Beefeater and Plymouth Gin, have also both mod-
ernized their bottles. In June 2006, Plymouth traded in its old round bottle
™ adorned with a large image of the Mayflower for a sleek square Art Deco
bottle with a smaller label that emphasizes the brand’s name. Don’t worry
pilgrims, the famous vessel is still featured on the face of the bottle. The de-
sign was inspired by a bottle that the brand used for the Australian market in
the 1930s. “The idea was to make a connection with Plymouth Gin’s success
in that period when cocktail culture was at its peak,” explains Simon Ford,
Pernod Ricard’s director of on-premise portfolio specialists. Pernod’s other fa-
mous gin, Beefeater, released an updated bottle in February 2007. Not only
did they keep the square bottle shape but it’s now even more of a square than
its predecessor. The label was also streamlined and the famous Yeoman was
After 32 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8
Before
 BOTTLE MAKEOVERS

given a makeover. He’s a little more fit and his silver beard is now a more youthful
brown. Aaron Bernstein, co-owner of Washington, DC’s Calvert Woodley, likes
the new Beefeater bottle. “It sets it off from surrounding bottles,” he says. “When
it’s different everybody looks at it.”
When Hpnotiq first launched in 2002, the bottle was known for its striking
blue color. Now under the domain of Heaven Hill Distilleries, Hpnotiq has un-
dergone a subtle makeover. The bottle shape and color remain the same yet to
make it more user-friendly, the natural, exotic fruit juices in the recipe are played
up on the front, where a silver swirl takes the place of cluttered letters, while
the back tells customers how to best use the liqueur. Tapping into the new look,
™ Hpnotiq also has a creative ad campaign that matches; the tag line for their trade
š is “We’re not ashamed to admit it. We’ve had a little work done.”
But some of the changes in package design aren’t intended for consumers at
all. “Before you even cross the bar, some bottles are more friendly to bartend-
ers,” notes Chad Solomon, a drinks consultant and co-founder of cocktail cater-
Before ing company Cuff & Buttons. A number of companies, including Drambuie and
Stolichnaya, have introduced new bottles that are easier for bartenders to grab
and pour. “A consumer is never going to see that,” Solomon points out.
The consumer will see many of the other changes. For a number of brands,
1 new packaging is part of a larger campaign to move out of a bar’s well and into the
Bottle view of drinkers. And it’s no accident that some of these new untraditional bot-
Unique diamond shape tles won’t fit in the speed rail below the bar. “A lot of these bottles are designed
bottle; less rounded than to sit on the back bar and get guests’ attention,” says Solomon. They also feature
older version
labels and distinctive bottle shapes that are recognizable from six feet away.
A redesigned bottle also often means that store owners will have to do some
2
Label rearranging. If a brand makes their bottle taller or wider it may no longer fit on
its old shelf. When that happens Bernstein says the bottle is often moved to the
Brighter vibrant green
label emphasizes Hornitos roomier and more desirable top shelf. “I have to believe they knew that was going
branding over Sauza logo After to happen,” he says. Agreed. Q

1
Bottle
New silver swirl
logo replaces Jerald O’Kennard, director of the Beverage Testing Institute in Chi-
busy letters. cago, has much expertise in determining which spirits bottles are
New logo features
successes and which are flops. Here are his reasons for why bar-
cleaner type
tenders and retailers need to pay attention to the look of a bottle:

There’s no one thing that determines whether a package is successful or

not. Whatever it looks like, it needs to convey the essence of the product and
reinforce its image. When a bottle captures a product’s history and mission,
then it stands out and creates interest among consumers.

While bartenders care most about the quality of a liquor and how it
translates to making cocktails (rightly so), if they are showing off a bottle to
customers they want to look good doing it. It’s secondary but if it’s an eye-
™ catching package, it seals the deal. Packaging is even more important now
that the marketplace is so crowded.

Fancy designs aren’t always the most practical. In the name of creativity a
Before designer might not realize that the handle, for example, is on the wrong side
making it difficult for a bartender to pour. Or it’s too big, and it takes up two pre-
cious spaces on the backbar. If a bottle is inconvenient for a bartender and they
don’t want to use it, you’re lost. You can’t build a brand without a bartender.

After 34 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8
 DESIGN RESPONSIBLY
Banbury Cross offers a mix of striking photography, innovative graphic and web page
design, astute product marketing campaigns and attention to detail at some of the most
competitive prices on the market! Let us help make your business into a work of art.

Z Z Z E D Q E X U \ G H V L J Q  F R P s              s             
 BRAND PROFILE

Green’s Rich New Sheen

360 Vodka achieves the industry
“gold standard” using eco-friendly practices.

W
hen it launched back in 2007, 360 Vodka got a lot of
attention for their ambition to be recognized as the
“world’s greenest vodka” by producing it in the U.S.’s
most energy efficient distillery.
The idea of a sustainable vodka in itself
was a hit, and it was quickly embraced in
markets in all 50 states. Retailers and con-
sumers were anxious to experience a smooth
tasting vodka that was brought to life leav-
ing the smallest carbon footprint on
earth…a rarity in any industry. Since its
launch, 360 Vodka was championed by
nightclubs, restaurants, bars and retailers
and garnered a strong reputation as a high
quality vodka that could readily go head to
head with the biggest names in vodka from
around the world.
Though creating a quality vodka
through green means is an admirable goal
and a lofty achievement, however, there is
that matter of reconciling its manufacture
with quality and taste. While trade and con-
sumer demand for eco-friendly spirits is defi-
nitely there, the makers of 360 Vodka recog-
nized that an ultra-premium taste, consisten-
cy and versatility needed to be the final
result of green production to complete that
equation.
During the course of 2007, 360 Vodka’s
multi-faceted goal was validated with their
first gold medal from the Chicago Beverage
Tasting Institute and a second from the pres-
tigious San Francisco World Spirits
Competition. As the summer progressed,
360 Vodka went on to garner a third gold
medal from the Los Angeles Wine and
Spirits Competition, which also awarded the
emerging and sustainable luxury ultra premi-
um vodka as the best overall vodka.
“We are thrilled to be recognized by such
respected organizations and competition
judges for our taste and quality,” affirmed Ed
Pechar, Chairman of the Earth Friendly dis-
tilling Company. “We are very proud of our
environmental achievements, so winning a
triple crown this year for the superior taste of
360 Vodka confirms what we’ve always
known: great taste does not have to be sac-
rificed for eco-friendliness.”
Like many great vodkas that are taking
part in the up-and-coming Mixology
Culture that has taken both the spirits
industry and public’s imagination by storm,
360 Vodka now has a Brand Ambassador.
Graham Kimura, a mixologist for more than
13 years, is taking 360 Vodka’s act on the
road, demonstrating it works in a myriad of
new cocktail creations and classics.
“I am not surprised that 360 Vodka is
winning so many awards, and I predict that
they will win many more,” said Kimura. “360
360 WASABI-TINI Vodka is such a smooth and silky spirit, and
with its impressive commitment to the envi-
ronment, I was honored to join the 360 team
and showcase this outstanding vodka across
America.”
2 oz. 360 Vodka
360 Vodka retails for approximately
1/4 oz. Wasabi Puree
$19.99, and is widely available at retailers
(made fresh)
across the country. For more information,
1/2 oz. Ginger Syrup visit the www.vodka360.com web site for
1 oz. Sour Mix more info on the company’s environmental
Splash of Lemon-Lime Soda and mixology-driven vision. I

36 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8
 2009 San Francisco World
Spirits Competition
— Distinguishes 360 Vodka among the world’s best spirits by awarding
360 Vodka a gold medal.

2009 Los Angeles International

Wine & Spirits Competition
— In one of the largest most prestigious competitions of its kind,
360 Vodka named “Best of Vodka.”

2008 Growth Brand Rising Star

— 360 Vodka was one of only twelve “Rising Star” awarded spirits brands in 2008.

2007 Beverage Testing Institute

— 360 Vodka awarded the gold medal by world-class sensory evaluations experts.

From coast to coast, the experts all agree.

360 Vodka is the #1 best tasting vodka in the U.S.
We took home the gold — for great vodka. No wonder. 360’s quadruple-distilled for
a smooth finish and optimal eco-efficiency. Revolutionary bottle, made of 85% recycled
glass. Labels made of 100% PCW paper, and printed with water-based inks. Green and
Gold never looked so good!

© 2009 Earth Friendly Distilling Co., Weston, MO 40% alc./vol. (80 Proof) Distilled From American Grain Vodka360.com Drink Responsibly. Drive Responsibly. Exist Responsibly.
 NEW PR
PRODUCTS
ODUCTS & PROMOTION
PROMOTIONS
NS
1 Parrot
Parrot Bay E EXPANDS
XPAN D S WITH T TWO
WO N NEW
EW FLA
FLAVORS
AVOR S
1 Parrot Bay is adding two new flavo ors to its line of flavored
flavors
rum. Parrot Bay Strawberry is wildd strawberry rum filled with
hand-picked berry flavor
flavor,, while Pa
Parrot
arrot Bay Orange is a zesty
2 orange rum with sweet, fresh and juicy flavors. Both new
flavors are available in 50ml, 750ml,ml, 1L and 1.75L sizes.
Visit
V isit www
www.captainmorgan.com
.captainmorgan.com

2 Panther
Panther R Rock
ock W Wine
ine Companyy L LAUNCHES
AU NCH E S
M
MOTOS
OTOS L LIBERTY
I B E RTY C CELLARS
E LLAR S
Motos Liberty
Liberty,, a new wine brand from Panther Rock Com
Com--
pany
pany,, has made its national debut.. Decked out with a carefree
motorcycle-themed label, California-made
nia-made Motos Liberty is
available in two white wine varietals,
tals, the 2008 Pinot Grigio
and the 2008 Chardonnay
Chardonnay,, and th
three
hree red wines, the 2007
Merlot, 2008 Pinot Noir and 20088 Cabernet Sauvignon.
PARROT
PARROT BAY
BAY Contact: 707-265-4050 or visit www.motosliberty.com
www
ww.motosliberty.com
is ad
adding
dding two new
flavors
flavorrs to its line of 3 Smirnoff
Smirnoff E EXPANDS
XPAN D S ITS L LINE
INE
flavored
avored rum
fla
WITH T WO N
TWO EW FLA
NEW AVOR S
FLAVORS
4 Smirnoff has added two new fruitss to its diverse line-up of fla
fla--
vored vovodkas.
dkas. Smirnoff Pear captures
ures the flavor and aroma of
a freshly
f hl picked pear,, while
k d pear h l Smirnoff
noff
ff Pineapple consum--
l gives consum
3 ers a fresh and zesty pineapple taste. Both new flavors will be
available in 50ml, 375ml replica, 750ml, 1L, and 1.75L sizes.
Visit
V www.smirnoff.com
isit www .smirnoff.com

4 Cabo W Wabo
abo S SPORTS
PORTS A N NEW
EW L LOOK
OOK
After more than 10 years on the market, Cabo W Wabo Tequila
abo Tequila
makeover,, giving the
has received a makeover he brand a fresh, new look.
The vibrant new design features clean lines and clear glass to
color,, brilliance andd quality of the hand-crafted
showcase the color
100% Blue W Weber
eber Agave tequila. The four styles of Cabo
Wabo,
W Blanco,, Reposado
abo, Blanco Reposado,, Añejo and
an Uno,, will showcase
nd Cabo Uno
the new packaging and will be available nationally..
ailable nationally
Visit
V www.cabowabo.com
isit www.cabowabo.com

5 Jefferson’s R RELEASES
E LEAS E S ITS
PRESIDENTIAL
PR E S I D E NTIAL S SELECT
E LECT B BOURBON
OUU R BON
Louisville’ss renowned Sti
In 1991, Louisville’ Stitzel-Weller
itzel-Weller Distillery closed
its doors. Seventeen years laterlater,, Trey
Trey Zoeller of McLain &
5 6 Kyne stumbled upon a reserve bourbon,
Jefferson’ss Presi
is now bottling as Jefferson’
urbon, which the company
Presidential
dential Select. This rich
spirit, aged for 17 years, is now available
ailable in extremely limited
quantities to select markets and retail etail outlets.
Visit
V www.castlebrandsinc.com
isit www .castlebrandsinc.com

6 George D Duboeuf
uboeuf L LAUNCHES
AU NCH E S
NEW
N EW L LINE
INE O OF FVVARIETAL WINES
AR I ETAL W INES
Les VVins
ins George Duboeuf has released
eased Patch Block, a new
Languedoc
line of varietal wines from the Lannguedoc region of France.
The wines, priced under $10, are blends of several patches
or ‘blocks’ of vineyards that each offer distinct qualities. The
Chardonnay,, Pinot
varietal line includes Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
Noir,, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvig
Noir Sauvignon,
gnon, each available in
750ml and 1.5L bottles, and will soon include V Viognier
iognier
and Rosé. V Visit www.duboeuf.com
isit www.duboeuf.com
m
38 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8
 Good Taste, En Español
The paradigm involving Tequila and other south-of-
the-border spirits has shifted, thanks to this decade’s
emphasis on the creation of “premium” and “ultra-
premium” designations. Producers and purveyors
familiar with the demands of Hispanic markets
know the marketing, packaging and promotion have
to be just as finely crafted.
Although the crossover appeal of Latin
American spirits and beers is no longer a question,
companies big and small acknowledge that the main-
tenance of a strong foundation among Hispanic-
American consumers will ensure overall business will
continue to grow. Various appeals to general con-
sumers (including the mixology movement, evolving
foodie culture and ultra-premium spirits’ cache as an
“affordable luxury”) are effective. However, to keep
the attention of the base demographic, purveyors
and distributors acknowledge that you have to get
the final customers where they live--literally, cultur-
ally and emotionally.
 THE WORLD’S #1
PREMIUM TEQUILA

DISFRUTE CON MODERACION. DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

www.cazadores.com
©2009 CAZADORES IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK AND THE DEER DEVICE IS A TRADEMARK.
IMPORTED BY TEQUILA CAZADORES U.S.A., SEAL BEACH, CA. TEQUILAS –EACH 40% ALC. BY VOL.
*IWSR 2008
CATEGORY FOCUS
Home is Where
the Heart Is
Although times are changing throughout the
spirits industry in terms of how all markets
enjoy and purchase product, many distribu-
tors and purveyors notice that Hispanic
American consumers still have their
moments where they like their drinking
experiences traditional and simple.
“As a supplier, we are very proud of our
tequila portfolio,” states Aaron Burns, who
spearheads the Emerging Brands division of
Bacardi, which includes Cazadores and
Corzo tequilas. “Corzo is designer in nature
and meant to be a step up from premiums,.
Cazadores is in the category’s mid tier, and
perceived by its target market of Mexican-
Americans as the Jack Daniels of tequila, the
one consumers look at and say is a man’s
tequila that is meant to be enjoyed straight.”
While Burns acknowledges that Mexican
Americans and new arrivals in the U.S. in
recent years have become more acculturated
to American lifestyle and culture at a much
faster rate, thanks in part to technology like
web pages and social networking. For these
consumers, however, nothing will ever dis-
place the value they put on heritage, famil-
iarity and authenticity to their culture.
“This would encompass Cazadores
because these people really associate a prod-
uct with its roots,” affirms Burns. “Though
some of Cazadores’ contemporaries have
repackaged themselves and made themselves
a little more designer, it is important to us to
keep Cazadores rooted in the masculinity,
authenticity and boldness within the tequila
42 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E
itself. (In terms of flavor profile), we are clos-
er to a man’s whiskey than a spirit used to
make a cosmopolitan.”
In recent years, Beam Global has
emerged as a powerhouse for tequilas ranging
from Sauza at one end of the spectrum and
Hornitos and Tres Generaciones at the other.
With the fairly recent addition of Cien Anos
to the family, Beam Global is now in a
unique position to appeal uniquely to the
well-defined Hispanic market.
According to Tequila brand manager
Antonio Portillo, Cien Anos has successfully
established its niche as a quality tequila by
and for Mexicans and Mexican-Americans
who know and love their tequila. As one of
the best selling brands in Mexico over the
past decade, Antonio says it is no surprise
that its transition into the U.S. Hispanic
market has been as smooth as its Reposado
served neat.
“It is very much a grass roots tequila
brand,” explains Antonio. “Fans of Cien
Anos find that the tequilas, and especially
the Reposado, represent the true flavor of
Mexico. While the sales among the general
American market can be diffused into other
categories such as Whiskey and Vodka, for
Mexican-Americans, tequila represents their
spirit. Doing this, we get businesses and con-
sumers focused on the fact that Cien Anos
represents the authenticity consumers are
seeking out in a tequila to make their own.”
“Tenampa Azul is already a major brand
in Mexico, and the fastest growing 100%
Agave tequila in the Mexican market,” says
Scott J. Schiller, Marketing Manager at
Proximo Spirits, which also represents ultra
8
 CATEGORY FOCUS continued
premium Gran Centenario and Maestro
Dobel. “Since Tenampa Azul was just
launched in the United States, many con-
sumers have already been looking for it
based on their personal knowledge or rec-
ommendation from relatives who live in
Mexico. Our main marketing effort has
been focused on distribution and informing
accounts that Tenampa Azul Silver and
Reposado are now available in the US in
the sizes of 750 ml, 1 Liter, and 1.75 Liter.”
Scorpion Mezcal’s U.S. representative
Barbara Sweetman, meanwhile, has a little bit
more of a challenge as she has found that most
Hispanic-American consumers are not as
familiar with Mezcals, a agave-based first
cousin to Tequila produced outside the desig-
nated Tequila production region in Jalisco,
Mexico. She has found the remedy to this
problem can also be a great sales tool, especial-
ly when it comes to Mexican-Americans
wanting to learn more about their ancestral
country.
“We have found that education is most
important to introducing what is the oldest
North American spirit category,” says
Sweetman. “By getting people interested in
the history and culture behind Mezcal, we
have been able to reach more people in all
cases. Our growth and the trend toward
Hispanic audiences trying Mezcal has been
increasing annually.”
Other specialty tequilas and related
spirits, such as Oro Azul, 3 Amigos,
Muchote, Cava Don Anastacio, Capaz
Tequila, Caballito Cerrero are hinging their
low-key marketing on authenticity, evi-
denced by relatively simple packaging,
emphasis on Mexican agave and production
techniques and other appeals to people’s
passion for their culture. As smaller produc-
ers, they aim to capture potential long-term
fans seeking a connection to their roots
rather than make large, quick volume sales.
A Fiesta of Flavor
Just as restaurants, retailers and general con-
sumers across America have become more
cosmopolitan in the way they prepare, pres-
ent and eat a variety of cuisines, Mexican
and Hispanic Americans are becoming
more adventurous in the way they approach
cuisine and cocktails—even from their own
culture—in daily life and Happy Hour.
“Some interesting recipes have recently
been created by top mixologists using
Scorpion Mezcals and food products, as well
as pairing Mezcals with foods and incorpo-
rating the spirit into recipes,” observes
Sweetman. “For example Mezcal and avoca-
dos have been brought together in all kinds
of interesting ways. Dale DeGroff and
Junior Merino have both created excellent
recipes using Scorpion Mezcals in avocado
cocktails. A restaurant in Denver did a (sold
out) Scorpion Mezcal Dinner, each coarse
paired with a Mezcal and using a different
aging of Scorpion Mezcal in the recipes.
The last corse was Chocolate y Churros,
using Scorpion Mezcal Anejo 5 Year in the
vanilla ice cream and in the hot chocolate.”
Antonio Portillo, explains that Beam
Global and Cien Anos in particular is show-
ing its awareness of the foodie movement
and increasing popularity of home enter-
taining through its recently launched
“Mercado” program that draws cultural con-
 CATEGORY FOCUS continued

nections between the tequila and the dishes
prepared and enjoyed on different mile-
stones and holidays throughout the year.
“With the Mercado program, we offer
recipes for food and drink that add new
dimension to how our consumers prepare
and enjoy different kinds of dishes through-
out the year,” he says. “This has similarities
to our Hornitos program, where we do some-
thing similar for general consumer markets,
making that important connection between
food and tequila, such as brand ambassador
Eddie Perales’ food and cocktail recipe pro-
gram at the L.A. restaurant Malo to kick off
the Mischieve campaign this summer.”
Cien Anos’ mixology program taps into
traditional cocktails and their updates, such
as the Paloma and a variation of the Bloody
Mary, called “The Bloody Maria,” made
with Cien Anos, which (Antonio) points
out is hugely popular in Mexico. The bal-
ance of Cien Anos’ mixology program, nat-
urally, taps into other Cien Anos recipes
that originated in Mexico or are based on
classic recipes.
To do well in a category, Bacardi’s Burns
finds that for brands like Cazadores, the best
strategy is to give the consumer what they
want. Mexican-American consumers, from
his experience, primarily drink tequila
straight, or in a traditional cocktail like a
Paloma, their promotions for the Mexican-
American consumer is centered around the
Paloma. For example, several times a year,
Cazadores merchandises co-packs with
Squirt grapefruit soda.
Chaya Tequila, on the other hand, is
taking a daring step, by teaming up with
trend-setting restaurant group Chaya
Brasserie. At the Chaya Downtown loca-
tion in Los Angeles, which boasts an
upscale clientele that includes Hispanic
professionals, head mixologist Mary
Thompson has created special signature
recipes offering a special nod to the city’s
multi-cultural culinary roots.
Word of Boca:
The Role of Marketing,
Labeling and Pricing
For ultra-premium tequila powerhouse
Patrón, the strategy of spreading word of
mouth via the highest profile tastemakers
and events continues to help the entire
brand exceed expectations for the entire
portfolio. Whether the audience is general
or Hispanic, events such as a K-Swiss
Fashion Show, a G-Shock watch promo-
tion with Kanye West and Gen Art’s
Summer Cocktail Soiree have all conveyed
a consistent message: if you appreciate the
best tequila, serve it to your guests.
At Bacardi, even with Corzo as a wor-
thy competitor to Patrón, Burns explains
that campaigns targeted at Mexican-
American communities are based on loyalty
to their roots and how they associate the
Cazadores brand as part of their culture.
“There will be investing in our Paloma
strategy both on- and off-premise at our
Mexican “lifehouse” accounts that primari-
ly cater to Hispanic Americans,” says Burns.
“The economy is affecting Cazadores, and
the Mexican American consumer has trad-
ed down somewhat over the past twelve
months to lower-priced mid range brands.
(We believe) that brands that cut their
prices to hold on to consumers will have dif-
ficulty returning to the brand equity and
original price points they had before the
economic downturn.”
Preiss Imports’ portfolio of Hispanic
products is complex and hits all corners of
Latin America, Henry Preiss believes mar-
keting should be kept simple to the point
that the products and their versatility speak
for themselves. What the products are and
what they represent culturally and from a
culinary stanpoint should be left up to the
consumer.
“As we see it, Latin American products
that make up our portfolio are desirable

Hot Damiana!
As temperatures outside cool off and holiday entertaining heats up, bartenders of all
stripes are looking for that hot new spirit sure to have their guests talking. This year could
be the year of Damiana Liqueur, a light herbal-based liqueur from Baja California, Mexico
made with the damiana herb that grows locally and has been used by locals for generation
thanks to its alleged medicinal properties and aphrodisiac effects.
Though this goddess among liqueurs is just hitting shelves across the U.S., mixologists
and retailers are noticing it is flying off the shelves and into cocktails and home bars faster
than anybody could have expected. It is poised to be this year’s hottest new liqueur.
Inside a frankly sexy bottle that evokes an Incan goddess rests a brilliant electric gold-
en green liquid almost suggestive of Absinthe. However, similarities of the spirits end
there. This fluid is exotically spicy and aromatically fresh, with its hints of ground nut-
meg, vanilla, cinnamon bark, ginger and white pepper. .
While this spirit will no doubt make for an appealing shooter, bartenders are discov-
ering it as a “secret ingredient” for a variety of cocktails from classics to their own cre-
ations. The Damiana Margarita, for example, has been popular for years in the Los Cabos
area of Mexico, and Mexican margarita folklore says that the very first margarita ever
made was made with Damiana Liqueur. Now that it has been made widely available via
American Spirits, it is only a matter of time before mixologists use it to jazz up the classics
as well as make their own provocative new creations.
 CATEGORY FOCUS continued
products for use in classic and creative cock-
VIVA EL SABOR! tails and as such are approachable by all,”
Recipes that translate tradition into affirms Preiss. “Chinaco Tequila, quite sim-
a modern mixology context
ply, is one of the very best and the original
Proud Mary ultra premium Tequilas available, while our
Slice of Meyer Lemon muddled Ypioca Cachaca comes from the largest
or .5 oz. Lemon Juice estate producer in Brazil and is a brand
1 teaspoon chopped or
respected among Brazilians. Don Cesar
muddled fresh Dill Weed
1.5 Tablespoons chopped or Pisco, with eight years running worth of
muddled pealed cucumber gold medals earned at the Sheraton Lima
3 dashes Tabasco Sauce Peru Pisco Competition offers customers an
3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
Ultra premium spirit at an affordable price.”
Dash Salt
Dash Pepper Preiss notes the creative team have
3 oz. Tomato Juice decided to scale back on gift pack promo-
2 oz. Scorpion Mezcal Silver tions, as these customers want substance in
today’s world, and not a lot of puffery. Even
Shake| Pour | Garnish: cucumber spear,
chili salt rim with the resources Beam Global has on
hand, meanwhile, effective marketing is all
CAZADORES Paloma about getting back to the products’ roots
1.5 oz. Tequila Cazadores Blanco and addressing the people’s roots.
4 parts grapefruit soda
1 part fresh lime juice
With Angel Bendito Tequila and other
2 parts club soda (optional) tequilas in Aguirre Tequila Imports’ portfo-
lio, company president Ernesto Aguirre says
Pour over ice | Garnish: salt-rimmed glass that his focus has been to get target markets
across the board to break out of the old ways
Pena Spice
1.5 oz Tres Generaciones Reposado to enjoy Tequila (shots, lime, salt) and
.5 oz Agave Nectar expanding consumer’s horizons ways to
2 oz Fresh Lemon Sour enjoy their brands in ways that put Hispanic
Juice from 1/2 lime
culture in a variety of interesting contexts.
8-10 Blueberries
4-6 pieces Cubed Pineapple “We are advertising at select Angels
3 fresh Mint Sprigs baseball games in the stadium scoreboards,
1/2 Jalapeño and on Angles Radio during those same
games,” says Aguirre. “As a result, we are
Muddle | Shake | Strain over ice | Garnish:
mint sprig doing great with Angel Bendito Tequila, we
have a restaurant program that has really
worked great for the brand to bring momen-
tum to our grass roots appeal. We invented
the Angel'rita for the restaurants and that is
really having an impact on volume.”
“We value the impact all brands in the
Beam Global portfolio are making on both
the Mexican/Hispanic Community and
general community, and each brand has its
own unique role and identity,” says Antonio
Portillo. “We’ve updated the packaging of
Tres Generaciones to represent its status as
an ultra premium tequila. With Hornitos,
we changed the packaging two years ago to
reflect its status as a brand with modern
appeal and ties to tradition. For both, we
48 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E
CAZADORES PALOMA
updated our communications and advertis-
ing strategies to fit with today’s market both
within and outside the Hispanic
Community. We have deliberately changed
nothing about its appeal or message.”
The core of Tres Generacions’ market-
ing is recognition of the brand’s “Three
Dons” of the Sauza family who generation
by generation made tequila as a category
what it is today. It has been used as a start-
ing point for The Coa Award (named for
the tool used to harvest agave in tequila
production), a highly effective arts-driven
campaign saluting current and future gener-
ations of Hispanic-American filmmakers
and artists. At the New York Film Festival
this summer, actor/filmmaker John
Leguizamo received the award for his artis-
tic career achievements as well as philan-
thropic contributions.
At Proximo, Schiller expresses the col-
lective belief among his peers that the
tequila portfolio’s products speak for them-
selves. For this reason, he says Proximo has
never tried to entice a consumer otherwise.
As Tenampa Azul has been lauded by F. Paul
Pacult as, “The best value in all of Tequila,
buy by the case and don’t look back,” the
focus remains on simply producing the best
100% agave tequila at the best price.
Says Schiller. “On top of all (the prod-
uct’s) heritage and recent accolades,
Tenampa Azul has a very fresh and modern
image, reflected in our new packaging
designed to highlight (its) Mexican her-
itage. Festivals and target market events, as
well as charities are a primary way we can
achieve this objective while educating and
introducing consumers to our products.”
Tequila Capaz is getting its message
across through appearances that appeal to
Mexican Americans and general tequila con-
noisseurs alike. These events include compe-
titions and festivals hosted by TEQUILA
100% Magazine, Galeria Alternativa, Spirits
of Mexico, HotMixology.com (T.V./Web),
and charity events benefitting organizations
such as the Orange County Culinary
Olympics (autism and juvenile diabetes) and
Jump for the Cause (breast cancer).
8
 NEW, REDESIGNED PACKAGE.
SAME DISTINGUISHED TASTE.
THE ULTRA PREMIUM
TEQUILA THAT LEAVES
NOTHING TO CHANCE.

Hand-harvested, handcrafted, and estate

bottled the same way since 1870.
Produced at the legendary Casa Herradura.
Named “Distiller of the Year”
by Wine Enthusiast 2007.
Our solid commitment to excellence speaks for itself.
Winner of 16 gold medals for
taste and quality.

FORTUNE FAVORS THE RESPONSIBLE DRINKER.

Alc. 40% by Vol. (80 proof). Imported by Brown-Forman, Louisville, KY ©2009
 CATEGORY FOCUS continued
Thinking Outside
la Botella y la Caja
“We supply a rich assortment of tools to
make classic Latin cocktails from muddlers
to glassware,” says Preiss. “We have a great
in-house graphics team doing menus and
table tents etc. For Chinaco Tequila, we are
developing a number of display pieces from
bar mats, glassware, electric signage and
restaurant chalkboards. They are all made
in a very discerning way to show and
enhance the quality and authenticity image
of the brand.”
Scorpion Mezcal’s creative team as well as
their California distribution company Pacific
Edge Wine & Spirits (pacificedgesales.com),
are focused on having a little bit of fun with
its visual marketing using Hispanic culture
and pop culture to generate excitement for
the spirit. Even with some wit, however,
Barbara Sweetman understands the overall
impact should have a level of sophistication
and elegance.
“We have upgraded our bottle look to
incorporate the use of metallic lettering on
the labels, but we also have kept the little
somberito (hat) on the bottle,” she says. “We
find that consumers really like these ele-
ments, and it lends an authentic look to the
bottle. However, there is a scorpion in each
bottle, and even with that our Mezcals taste
amazing. Our bottle IS our special packaging
down to its built-in POS (point of sale), the
Scorpion. Some staff at our on-premise
accounts save the scorpion in the bottle and
raffle it off when the spirit is used up.
Additionally, we celebrate the zodiac sign
Scorpio (Oct 23rd-Nov. 22nd) with
Scorpion Mezcal promotions, and many con-
sumers buy for gifts because of this aspect.”
Tequila Rose, for example, is a solid
Nobelita
2 oz Casa Noble Organic
Crystal Tequila
1 oz organic orange juice
3 oz Pom Pomegranate juice
Squeeze of lime
Shake | Pour | Garnish: fresh pome-
granate seeds, lime
50 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8
stand-in for Irish cream and other compara-
ble European liqueurs, with its selection of
strawberry, java (coffee) and cocoa flavors
and lovely companion gift packs for the
Holiday season. This alone gives it a strong
niche appeal, especially with female con-
sumers and mixologists at upscale Mexican
restaurants looking for creative new drink
components. However, the new pyramid-
shaped bottles and sharp labels add an extra
dimension of intrigue. Casa Noble, mean-
while, has shrunken their authentic
Mexican blown glass decanters into three
miniature samples, packaged in a regal blue
box perfect for hostess gifts and party favors.
The package, originally intended as a b-to-b
premium between wholesalers and accounts,
was such a hit that the founders transformed
it into a gift of affordable luxury.
Adam Rios of BreakAway Spirits, which
imports Tequila Capaz and Tequila 55, notes
that while packaging is important for mid
range and premium tequilas, it is what is
inside the bottle that keeps customers com-
ing back, no matter why they gravitate
toward a particular brand.
Says Rios. “When more people are edu-
cated on “tequila” as a whole, we feel that
we don’t have to work as hard to sell our
products. Educating the consumer is half
our work. Both of our brands are selling
equally well, and yet Capaz’s Anejo seems
more favorable to the consumers who know
their tequilas. Tequila 55 sells more for pres-
entation while Tequila Capaz more for pric-
ing. However, we can say with confidence
that both are great tequilas.”
Living La Vida
“Verde” (Green)
Tequila Alquimia, meanwhile, is not just
using a green approach to win Hispanic-
American consumers, but basing its appeal
and claims of quality on it.
“Earlier this year, we proudly announced
that we just received the results of this years'
Chicago Beverage Institute's International
Review of Spirits,” says Dr. Adolfo Murillo,
President and CEO of Tequila Alquimia.
“We were just awarded three gold medals, one
each for our Anejo, Reposado, and Blanco.
From this and the equally prestigious San
Francisco World Spirits Competition, over
the past two years, Alquimia Anejo won
three gold medals and one silver. Alquimia
Blanco won two gold medals and one silver.
Alquimia Reposado earned a gold and a sil-
ver. For us, in addition to the status and
recognition, these industry awards are very
important to us and our marketing in that
they help us continue to promote our work in
the teaching of organic agriculture. Our
recent USDA Organic Certification will also
help to validate our project.”
Damiana Margarita
The original Mexican Margarita
1oz. Damiana Liqueur
1-1/4 oz. Premium Tequila
2 oz. Margarita Mix
Shake | Pour
 NÚmero 1 en México.*
#1-selling Tequila in Mexico

The people who live in tequila’s homeland La gente que vive en la tierra del tequila sabe
know the spirit better than anyone, and they mejor que nadie de calidad y selecciona lo
choose to drink what’s authentic and true to más auténtico y verdadero de sus orígenes.
its origins. 100 Años. 100 Años.

t 100 Años case volume +65% YTD**

t Available in 100% Blue Agave
t 1.75, Liters, .750ml, .375ml

*IMPACT 2008 **(Nielsons 52 Weeks ending 7/27/2009 Total US FDL)

DRINK RESPONSIBLY. Sauza® 100 Años Tequila, 40% alc./vol. ©2009 Sauza Tequila Import Company, Deerfield, IL
 CATEGORY FOCUS continued
To Mix
Or Not To Mix?
The green movement in spirits is also in
tune with Tenampa Azul’s positioning,
according to Proximo’s Schiller. He points
out that consumers respond well to the fact
that the product attracts its following by
virtue of its 100%, hand harvested agave,
earth friendly harvesting and growing meth-
ods, and amazing quality and flavor. To
attract new consumers to Tenampa Azul,
Schiller explains that the company creates,
“unique experiences through hosted tequila
Either Way, seminars and dinners that create a wonderful
way to experience and learn about tequila
from the ground up.” One of Proximo’s
You Want other bestsellers is Rosangel by Grand
Centenario, which fuses the award winning
The Best. Gran Centenario Reposado with real
Hibiscus flowers, and then aged for addition-
al two months in port barrels, making for a
tequila that offers a light, natural sweetness.
Henry Preiss believes in the importance
of working with a great number of mixolo-
gists across the USA is the most effective
way to address the demand among con-
Highest Rated Silver Cachaça* sumers to drink greener and smarter.
Highest Rated Gold Cachaça* “Recently a promotion we ran at Blue Mesa
Grill Restaurants in Texas featured a drink
Top Three Highest Rated RTDs**
Beverage Testing Institute made from fresh blood orange juice,
Chinaco and St. Germaine.
From Beam Global’s perspective, the
green appeal has been just as important to
niche markets as well as general markets.
Antonio Portillo points out that in terms of
ORGANIC CACHAÇAS being green, they are working very hard to
& RTD CACHAÇA get the message to the Hispanic-American
COCKTAILS base that Cien Anos has always done things
in an environmentally friendly way.
Available From At Aguirre Imports, packaging carries a
3DFLÀF (GJH green appeal in a way that echoes Hispanic
Wines & Spirits 52 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E
*2007 **2008 International Spirits Review
handcraft traditions that go back genera-
tions. “We now mention at every tasting
event that all of our bottles are and have
always been crafted out of 100% recycled
glass,” says Aguirre. “Our standard packag-
ing has always done very well for us, during
the holidays all our brands are given as gifts
as is, due to our unique ‘no two bottles are
identical’ packaging. Tequila Canicas still
uses a traditional Tequila decanter in hand
blown glass with the marbles inside, For
Angel Bendito, we have a limited edition
ceramic bottle fo holiday gift giving.”
Challenges Brewing
While tequila and other spirits have much
to celebrate, the picture is a little less rosy
for beers made in Mexico and other parts of
Latin America. Hispanic beers initially
enjoyed consistent growth, thanks to the
fact that between 1990-2008, there was a
growth in population among persons of
Hispanic ancestry. However, because of
reasons tied to the current economy,
Hispanic beers, along with large volume
production beers (Budweiser et al) have
fallen sharply.
While the Pew Research Center projec-
tions show that 82% of all U.S. population
growth from now until 2050 will come from
new immigrants. However, if trends continue,
and immigration if immigration slows, partic-
ularly from Mexico, there will be no growth
in the numbers of children and families. "In
fact," writes Nielsen in a recent study, “(this)
key market segments will decline in absolute
numbers from year to year, and will cause the
U.S. population overall to age even faster
than has been projected.” I
8
U.S. DRINKS CONFERENCE 2009
“The Insider’s Guide to the U.S. Beverage Alcohol Market”
NEW YORK CITY * OCTOBER 13 & 14
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t With U.S. distribution consoli- - On-Premise
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options for new suppliers? - Off-Premise
t What are the steps I need to t Trends & Research
take to enter the U.S. market?
t Audience Q & A
t How much money do I need to
spend, for what period of time,
and how to allocate to key Chris Adams Bruce Levine Mike Holden
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VP Sales Strategies
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 INDUSTRY EVENT

1 2

At this year’s 7th annual Tales of the

Cocktail, held July 8th-12th, the spirits
industry descended upon New Orleans for
non-stop seminars, spirited dinners and,
of course, more than a few cocktails.
4 5

6 7 8 1 Jim Meehan of PDT in NYC with Tales of the

Cocktail founder Ann Tuennerman and “Mr. Cocktail” Paul
Tuennerman after snagging the awards for World’s Best
Cocktail Bar and American Bartender of the Year 2
Beefeater master distiller, Desmond Payne, welcomes
revelers at the Beefeater reception held at The Roosevelt
Hotel 3 New Orleans brings together Beam master
mixologists Jason Crawley (Australia), Philip Raimondo (USA),
Wayne Collins (UK/Europe), Bobby “G” Gleason (USA) and
Andy Gemmel (UK) 4 Aaron Rodonis, Bacardi brand master,
leads a Bacardi Belief session during the Birth of the
Daiquiri event 5 Hendrick’s brand ambassador, Charlotte
9 10 Voisey, with Modern Mixologist, Tony Abou-Ganim, at the
Spirit Awards 6 Steve Olson and Andy Seymour get in on
the action at Diageo’s Cocktail Hour 7 Dale DeGroff regales
the crowd at the Spirit Awards 8 Charles Gibb, president
and CEO of Millennium, at the Seven Deadly Sins party
9 Suzanne Freedman, director on-premise, Pernod Ricard
USA, shares a cocktail with Plymouth Gin master distiller, Sean
Harrison, at the Bartender’s Breakfast 10 Beefeater 24
brand ambassador, Dan Warner, serves up “Beefeater
Raspberry Collins” at The Roosevelt welcome reception
11 12 13 11 Julie Reiner accepting the award for Brooklyn, NY’s
Clover Club, deemed the World’s Best New Cocktail Bar
12 Francesco Lafranconi, Southern Wine & Spirits’
director of mixology, BarSol Pisco’s Diego Loret de Mola
and William Slone, of Beverage Media, at the BarSol spirited
dinner 13 Philip Raimondo and Bobby “G” Gleason, Beam
Global master mixologists, pour at Hornitos’ Mischieve in
the Garden of Agave party

54 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Frank Moreno, General Manager-Tortilla Jo's with
Cameron Coulson, Manager-Tortilla Jo's.
ANGEL BENDITO TEQUILAS
BRING A HEAVENLY TOUCH
TO TORTILLA JO’S SUMMER
BAR MENU
Over the course of the summer, Tortilla Jo’s
proved itself to be one of the happiest places
on earth for emerging tequila brand Angel
Bendito and its importer, Ernesto Aguirre.
Tortilla Jo’s, a Patina Restaurant Group
eatery based at Downtown Disney, is widely
known for its unique tequila program that
showcases lesser-known ultra premium
brands. Though General Manager Frank
Moreno notes that many tequila companies
vie for a coveted slot where their products are
featured exclusively for five to seven weeks,
Angel Bendito made the cut, in part because
of Aguirre’s assertiveness and great packaging.
“Ernesto found us, and we thought the bot-
tles were beautiful,” said Moreno. “However, it
was the taste of the tequilas, and the Blanco in
particular, that kept our attention.”
From mid June through early August,
Moreno engineered a promotion where the
Angel Bendito Blanco was integrated into
the house margarita, all three varieties were
offered in tasting flights and Angel Bendito
shot glasses were given to guests with pur-
chase of a full shot of their choice of the
tequilas. During the promotion, 56 cases of
Angel Bendito were sold at Tortilla Jo’s.
On September 1, Aguirre rewarded
Frank Moreno and his team for their loyal-
ty and efforts. At the special ceremony, he
proclaimed them Angel Bendito’s 2009
Restaurant of the Year 2009, with a black
ceramic bottle customized with Tortilla Jo’s
logo on it. For his commitment to the
brand, Frank Moreno received a customized
Angel Bendito Tequila Three-Year Anejo,
which he affirmed was, “an unexpected but
very nice surprise.”
56 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E
SPIRITED FRIENDS OF BIN
HIT THE (MALIBU) BEACH FOR
A GOOD CAUSE
Blue Ice Vodka, Tequila Angel Bendito
and newcomer Deleon Tequila, along with
several of Southern and Central California’s
most acclaimed wineries (including Kaena,
Kenneth Volk, Laetitia, L'Aventure, Malibu
Solstice Vineyard and Rosenthal Malibu
Estate) paired themselves up with scrump-
tious bites from Los Angeles’ top destina-
tion restaurants (such as STK, Casa Escobar
Malibu, Charlie's Malibu, Michael's
Restaurant and Moonshadows) to bring
forth the seventh edition of The Malibu
Wine Classic benefitting Childhelp
(www.childhelp.org), dedicated to the
treatment and prevention of child abuse.
Tori Spelling, Tommy and Sandi Tang and
Mariel Hemmingway were among 1,000
local foodies who braved the heat to support
the charity and enjoy the area’s most glam-
orous picnic.
VEEV AÇAÍ SPIRIT
EXPANDS DISTRIBUTION
VeeV, the World’s First Açaí Spirit, is meet-
ing growing demands from the US on-prem-
ise marketplace by expanding its availabili-
ty nationwide. Being the first spirit infused
with Brazil’s super-berry açaí, VeeV is now
available at all locations of Bubba Gump
Shrimp Company, Del Frisco’s and
Sullivan’s Steakhouses, RUI (Restaurant
Unlimited), Restaurants-America, and Lazy
Dog Café.
VeeV continues to be one of the hottest
new brands in the spirits industry with year
over year growth in excess of over 500%
since its launch in 2007.A truly green
brand, VeeV is the only certified carbon
8
JIM BEAM® KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY. 40% ALC./VOL. ©2009 JAMES B. BEAM DISTILLING CO., CLERMONT, KY.
BEVERAGE TESTING INSTITUTE, INC. – 2008. PROFESSIONAL TASTING – CHICAGO, IL.
INDUSTRY NEWS

neutral spirits company worldwide,

donating $1 per bottle sold to the
Brazilian Rainforest to secure the
HOTMIXOLOGY’S UNIQUE
safe harvest of açaí.
MULTI-MEDIA PLATFORM
VeeV is a column distilled base
GAINS NATIONAL AUDIENCE
wheat spirit infused with açaí, and
WITH NEW TV SERIES AND
blended with prickly pear and
CONSUMER MAGAZINE
Acerola cherry. Technically a
Throw cocktail platform, brand integration,
liquor (60 proof), VeeV mixes like
cable distribution, original content and
vodka, only with a smoother fin-
online strategy into a chilled television
ish. It retails at $34.99 for 750ml.
package and shake until frothy. Serve up
For more information, please visit
with a sprinkle of talent and a twisted host.
www.veevlife.com.
The result? Hotmixology, a break-
through television program that celebrates
KOZ: GREAT WINE AND haute home cocktailing.
ALL THAT JAZZ… Hotmixology has partnered with Dish
Grammy nominated saxophonist Dave Koz
Networks and Direct TV via distribution on
has transformed his passion for pairing fine
the IONW Network following the success
wine and fine music into a harmonious part-
of Hotmixology.com. This October,
nership with Whole Foods Market and
Hotmixology will join their exciting line-up
respected winemaker Chris Condos of Napa
of lifestyle programming including food,
Valley-based Vinum Cellars to create a line
travel and style features like Taste!, The
of mid-priced wines bearing his name.
Weekend Guy, Explore and Bringing It
Koz’s new orchestra consists of limited
Home and have a reach of 27 million+
edition 2007 Red Blend ($16.99; 48%
households nationwide.
Syrah, 21% Grenache, 21% Mourvedre,
To complete a unique multi-media con-
and 10% Petite Sirah), 2008 Sauvignon
cept blending together the best aspects of a
Blanc ($16.99; 50% fermented in French
television series, on-line (hotmixolo-
Oak Barrels and 50% in Stainless Steel
gy.com) and magazine journalism, this
tanks) and a 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet
November, Hotmixology Magazine will be
($29.99). A portion of the proceeds from
hitting the shelves and cocktail tables of
the sales KOZ Wine will go to the Starlight
aspiring home mixologists and spirits affi-
Children's Foundation, providing aid to
cionados everywhere. Based on the vision of
seriously ill children and their families.
Hotmixology.com founder Dave Elger, the
KOZ Wine was launched with Whole Foods
magazine can be described as a cocktail of
prior to Dave Koz’s highly-anticipated
practical information, innovative entertain-
August 23 Smooth Jazz concert appearance
ing ideas and spirited fun for home-mixolo-
at the Hollywood Bowl and was further pro-
gy and entertaining enthusiasts.
moted with in-store bottle signings at select
In its pages, Hotmixology Magazine will
branches of Whole Foods in Southern
be covering the lifestyle of cocktails, spirits
California.
and wine, repositioned in a modern con-
KOZ Wines are distributed by Kiwi.
text, for the way people live and entertain
today. According to the vision of Elger, it
will not just be a companion magazine for
an innovative television show about spirit-
ed spirits, wine and beer. Its mission will be
to take drama, color and fun of cocktails
and memorable celebrations and—literal-
ly—put it all into the hands of the reader.
Writers and editors will be combing the
world of mixology and the world to find the
best bars, bartenders, cocktails and food
pairing ideas and bring them all within
reach.
For more info, call (303) 562-6772 or
Dave@Hotmixology.com.
58 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8
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 POUR OF THE MONTH

POUR OF THE MONTH

Downtown Dining:
Mary Thompson, Mixologist
CHAYA’S CHARISMA
Though Chaya’s roots wind back to a successful restaurant empire in
Japan owned by the Tsunoda family dating back nearly 400 (!)
years, Executive Chef Shigefumi Tachibe has been keeping that lega-
cy alive and interesting in Los Angeles for more than a quarter centu-
ry with a mix of Asian and European culinary flourishes that defy such
pat labels as “fusion” and “Franco-Japonais.” The latest addition to
Chaya’s L.A. family is Chaya Downtown, boasting a hip, urban fla-
vor that separates it from its siblings as well the masterful Chef de
Cuisine Kazuya Matsuoka. Its airy loft-style space across from the
city library, meanwhile, is at once an escape from the city pulse and
a celebration of it.
Though there are many excellent happy hour options throughout
Downtown, ace mixologist Mary Thompson and the rest of the Chaya
team make sure that every hour, from the start of lunch to closing, is a
happy hour. This is especially true during Summer, when the mercury
rises as do offerings of fresh seafood, local produce and Thompson’s
wellspring of creativity. Though Thompson’s bar prides itself on using
the freshest ingredients for its cocktails, she also insists on having Finest
Call on hand for the restaurant’s popular non-alcoholic “Quencher du
Jour,” which keep Chaya’s guests refreshed and talking about what
magic she and her bar will whip up next.
“We have crafted Quenchers with Finest Call’s Peach, Apricot,
Mango, Raspberry, Passion Fruit and Strawberry,” Thompson says.
“While we sell about 30 Quenchers per day during the lunch rush,
the fact that there are so many great flavors means that we can keep
our guests ordering more as we can easily rotate the flavors and
change up the recipes. The Finest Call mixers are also great to have

62 BIN 2 0 0 8 • I S S U E 8

on hand for non-alcoholic cocktails for guests under 21,
non-drinkers and pregnant guests.”
To make the Chaya Downtown Quencher du Jour,
Thompson explains she will add an ounce of that week’s
INTRODUCING
Finest Call flavor to Chaya’s signature Arnold Palmer, made
with house-made lemonade and Tropic Star Organic Tropical
Iced Tea. While she also likes the fact that these special
drinks gives Chaya’s servers the power to increase their
checks (as Chaya charges about 50 cents more for the
Quenchers than standard soft drinks), Finest Call also
improves profitability in other ways without compromising on
Chaya’s high standards.
“Finest Call allows us to offer flavor and quality at the low-
est cost, especially when you compare it to pre-packaged
purees which don’t have as long of a shelf life,” Thompson
adds. “However, it performs at a level that exceeds our
expectations and the guests’.”
Though Chaya Downtown offers L.A.’s hardest working
residents a sexy happy hour from Monday through Saturday,
its strongest draw is still the cheerful food menu and sushi bar.
The ingredients are fresh, the textures and aromas are allur-
ing and sauces and condiments are applied with a delightful-
ly spare touch. It is Thompson’s goal to make sure all bever-
ages that come from the bar follow suit, and thanks to Finest
Call in part, they do.
Chaya Downtown is located at: City Nat'l Plaza, 525 S.
Flower St., Los Angeles, CA 90071 (213) 236-9577. I
   
    

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©2009 Captain Morgan Rum Co., Norwalk, CT.
 BRAND PRO
PROFILE
OFILE

Blazzingg thee
Blazing
BourbonTrail
B b Trail
ouurbon
For 50 Years,
Years,
e
rMaker’ss Ma
Maker’ Mark
ark Has Defined
America’
America
America’ss True “Spirit”
True Spirit
By Alia Akk
Akkam
am

B
ack in the
he 1950s, when Bill Samuels, els, Jr.,
Jr., president of Kentucky’
Kentucky’s
cky’s
ffamed
amed MMaker’s Mark
aker’s Mark bbourbon,
ourbon, was was inin middle
middle school,
school, hehe only
only
missed one day of school. The reason? To To join his family ly in
witnessing
w itnessing tthe
he pproduction
roduction ooff ttheir first
heir first bbarrel
arrel ooff bbourbon.
ourbon. A Att tthe
he ttime,
ime,
Maker’
Maker’ss Mark was simply a hobby of hiss father’ father’s; s; Bill Samuels had ad no
idea that what
h t started
t t d outt as a mere pastime t
time would ld grow to
t become
b me an
American icon. n. particular tto attract this demographic. phic. In-
stead, he thinks the brand has benefited ted great-
ly from the country’s cocktail renaissance. ssance. It
When one ask asksks Samuels, Jr Jr.. why he country,”
cou Jr.. notes. “When
untry,” Samuels, Jr n Mom has
h as aallowed
llowed consumers who might h have
ave been
been
Maker’ss Mark,
thinks Maker’ Marrk, now part of the Beam wasn’tt
andd Dad started the company theree wasn’ skeptical of bourbon in the past to sample mple it in
Global Spirits & Wine Wine portfolio, has re re-- a bourbon
b connoisseurship; we had to crecre-- new,, surprising ways.
new
mained on top of the bourbon category category,, he ate an environment first and then n stick Stephen Dennison of Z’s Fusion n in LouLou--
won’tt tell you it’s
won’ it’s because
b of any smart mar
mar-- a brand
b inside the culture. My father
her had
fath isville, KY, KY, says
s that Maker’s Mark is the res- res-
keting tricks. “W“Wee manage to stay focused tremendous
mendous amounts of faith in bourbon
trem b ttaurant’s
aurant’s top
top seller at the bar. “There here are
are a
andd disciplined,”
di i li d ” hehe says. “W “Wee stay connect
connect-- that
hat tasted
tha d good.”
good.”
d” lot of bourbons that are a high proof and high
ed with our friendss and fans and depend on aaggression
ggression aandnd lack
lack thethe light
light sweetness
sweetness of of
Maker’s
M aker’s MMark,”
ark,” he
he says.
says. “You
“You ddon’t
on’t eeven
ven have
have
them to get the memessage
essage out to the world.” Thanks
Thanks To
To The
The Cocktail
Cocktaill ttoo aadd dd ssimple
imple ssyrup.”
yrup.” M Maker’s Mark
aker’s M ark aalso
lso llends
ends
message
And, the messa age is clear: Maker’s
Maker’s Mark, Samuels,
muels, JrJr.. acknowledges that to today’s
day’y’s bour
bour--
known for its squat,
squuat, square bottles sealed iitself
tself well
well to
to cocktails
cocktails made
made atat Z’s,
Z’s, including
including a
bbon
on ddrinker
rinker iiss ““not
not tthe
he oold
ld lline
ine one
one ooff tthe
he
in red wax (the creative
creative packaging was the ““Tobacco
Tobacco M Manhattan”
anhattan” w which
hich iinfuses
nfuses M Maker’s
akker’s
11930s
930s and
and 1940s.”
1940s.” TThe
he average
average aage
ge ooff M
Maker’s
aker’s
Samuels,
brainchild of Samue els, Jr.’s qual--
Jr.’s mother), is a qual Mark
M ark wwith
ith black
black cherry
cherry pipe
pipe tobacco.
tobacco. “It“It has
has
Mark
M ark ccustomers
ar ustomers hashas dropped
dropped by by 2255 yyears
earrs aand
nd
product
ity pro duct that has
haas not wavered for half a the character of a Manhattan,nhattan, but because we
hee says
h says tthe
he ccompany
ompany hhasn’t
asn’t ddone
one aanything
nything iin n
century.. Made with
century wiith yellow corn, red win- win- Maker’ss Mark, wee get that natural bit of
use Maker’
ter wheat, malted barley and water from a ssweetness
weetness youyou gget
et ffrom
rom vermouth”,
vermouth”, Dennison
Dennison
ppoints out.
spring-fed lake, Maker’s
lake Ma aker’s Mark is the epitome
aker
bourbon,
of Kentucky bourb bon, America’s
America’s only true
Maker’ss Mint Jule
M
Maker Julep
ep
Undoubtedly,
spirit. Undoubtedl ly, it also helped pave the
Fresh mint
Fresh The
The Future
Future Of
Of
way for the other bo bourbons
ourbons that comprise to to--
day’ss now-popular B
day’ Bourbon T Trail.
rail. 2 tbs. simple syrup M aker’s M
Maker’s ark
Mark
1-1/2
-1/2 oz. Maker’s Mark
1- Given the rising ng popularity of Mak- Mak-
Splash
S plash of distilled water er’s
er’s Mark at the bar, bar, one might
The N
The New
ew Kid
Kd
Ki Powdered
Powdered sugar think a logical
ogical next step for the
OnT
On he B
The lock
ck
Block brand would
ould be diversifying its
After Prohibition, bourbon was met with Mix together simple syrup
M portfolio.
portfolio. Yet
Yet Samuels,
Samuels, Jr.Jr. disagrees:
disagrees:
resistance. Maker’s
Maker’s Mark struggled to shed m
muddled with mint, Maker’s “Ninety-five
ve percent of the reason
the spirit’s
spirit’s unfairly
unfairly tarnished reputation. M
Mark water..
and distilled water Maker’s
Maker’s Mark
Mark has
has managed
managed to to bebe
wasn’tt until 1980,
It wasn’ 19880, when the W Wall
all Street Fill
F ill glass with crushed ice successful
successful is
is that
that we
we haven’t
haven’t gotten
gotten into
into
Journal ran a piece on Bill Samuels, that the and
an
nd pour mixture over top. vodka
vodka and line extensions.
e We
We listen to
instant
brand garnered inst credibility.. “It really
tant credibility Sprinkle
S prinkle top of ice with our
our customers.
customers. Our
Our little
little niche
niche isis tight
tight
put us to work an and
nd moved premium bour bour-- powdered
owdered sugar.
po sugar. Garnish and
and we’re
we’re very
very fortunate
fortunate these
these folks
folks like
like
bon in the fine metropolitan
meetropolitan centers of the w a mint sprig.
with Maker’s Mark”. Q
Maker’s
64 BIN 2 0 0 9 • I S S U E 8