mw NEWS
On-Premise News
Deep Eddy Expanding
Its Visitor Center
Heaven Hill has announced a nearly
$1 million investment in Deep Eddy
vodka’s tasting room and visitor center in
Austin, Texas. The expanded space will
include a new 38-foot bar, a performance
stage, and seating for up to 200 people.
Additionally, the space will feature an
“innovation bar” that displays the origi-
nal column still used to make Deep
Eddy. The investment will also add a
new bottling line to help meet the
growing demand for the corn-based
vodka. Last year, Deep Eddy depleted
1.3 million cases on 10.3% growth,
according to Impact Databank.Johnnie Walker Experience
Approved For Scotland
Johnnie Walker has received official
approval from the Edinburgh City Coun-
cil Planning Committee to move forward
with its £150 million ($195 million)
renovation project building a multi-
sensory, immersive visitor experience in
the city’s historic 146 Princes Street
building. The exhibits will span three
floors and will walk visitors through
200 years of the brand’s history, the
science of whisky making, and the flavor
variations that occur across Scotland.
The building will also house an academy
as part of Diageo’s Learning for Life
program, which provides industry train-
ing. Diageo is investing an additional
£35 million ($45.5 million) to reopen
the Port Ellen and Brora distilleries.Off-Premise News
NHLC Planning Tilton
Liquor And Wine Outlet
The New Hampshire Liquor Commis-
sion (NHLC) has announced its plans
to build a New Hampshire Liquor &
Wine Outlet in the town of Tilton in
Belknap County, New Hampshire. The
new 12,000-square-foot concept will
feature more than 3,600 SKUs of wine
and spirits, and is expected to generate$7 million in annual sales. The store,
which will closely mirror the Warner
location, will feature wide aisles, energy-
efficient lighting, and iPad kiosks for
browsing inventory and pairing sugges-
tions. Discount sections—called Price
Busters and Wine Power Buys—will also
be offered. The NHLC is planning to
break ground on the space this summer,
with the opening planned for September- The NHLC has opened 30 new or
renovated Outlets since 2012; in total,
it operates 78 locations throughout the
Granite State.
Distributor News
Johnson Bros. Opens
New Jersey Operations
Johnson Bros. has entered its 27th U.S.
market with the launch of operations in
New Jersey. Johnson Brothers’ New
Jersey business will be led by Eddy
Rivera, an E. &. J. Gallo veteran who
already serves as general manager of
Johnson Brothers New York. The
company will handle wine, spirits, and
beer in the Garden State. Rivera says
that Johnson Bros.’ experience since
entering New York in 2016 has made it
“clear that the New York/New Jersey area
welcomes and embraces more choices at
the distributor level.” Johnson Bros.
ranks fifth among wine and spirits whole-
salers in the U.S., with projected 2019
revenues of $2.5 billion, according to
Shanken’s Impact Newsletter.Supplier News—Spirits
Jack Daniel’s Receives
New TV Backing
Brown-Forman has released “We’re
Jack Daniel’s,” a new TV spot backing
the company’s core Tennessee Whis-
key. The ad expands Jack Daniel’s
previous Lynchburg-focused campaign
by bringing the distillery, its employ-
ees, and the brand’s fans together in
one commercial. Created by Boston’s
Arnold Worldwide, the ad will debut
during the NBA Playoffs on ABC,
TNT, TBS, and NBATV, and willcontinue to run on those networks
following the championship. Last
year, the core Jack Daniel’s depleted
5.25 million cases in the U.S., accord-
ing to Impact Databank.Pernod Ricard Acquires
Malfy Gin Brand
Pernod Ricard has added to its gin
range, agreeing to acquire the Malfy
brand from Biggar & Leith for an undis-
closed sum. Malfy, which has volume of
around 100,000 cases globally, is
produced in Italy and retails at around
$30. It includes an Originale gin, along
with Con Limone, Rosa, and Con
Arancia flavored varieties. Pernod
Ricard says the deal further bolsters its
position in super-premium gin, follow-
ing its acquisitions of Monkey 47 in
2016 and Ungava in 2018.
Biggar & Leith, led by industry veteran
Elwyn Gladstone, launched Malfy in- “The gin craze is a phenomenon
globally,” Gladstone told Shanken News
Daily late last year. “It has yet to really
take hold in the U.S., but it’s beginning.
Millennials are into it. I think Malfy can
be a brand that helps the category bring
in new consumers from vodka.”
Biggar & Leith’s portfolio also includes
Spytail rum. Last summer, former Prox-
imo Spirits CEO Mark Teasdale joined
Gladstone at Biggar & Leith, reuniting
a duo that helped launch brands like
Hendrick’s and The Kraken.
Constellation Takes Control
Of Nelson’s Green Brier
Constellation Brands has taken major-
ity control of Nashville, Tennessee-
based Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery
for an undisclosed sum, following an
initial minority investment in 2016.
Nelson’s Green Brier will now be fully
integrated into the Constellation wine
and spirits portfolio.
Constellation said the deal allows for
Nelson’s Green Brier to continue to
operate with its existing management
team, led by brothers Andy and Char-
lie Nelson, and its employees running
the day-to-day operations.92 MARKET WATCH | MARKETWATCHMAG.COM | JUNE 2019