NEWS mw
Nelson’s Green Brier is currently
waiting for its own whiskey to mature,
but the distillery’s Belle Meade Bourbon
label—sourced from MGP Ingredi-
ents—has attracted a following for its
high rye content and specialty cask
finishes. Belle Meade Cask Strength
ranked No. 10 in Whisky Advocate’s
2018 Top 20. The company is gearing
up for this year’s launch of the core
Nelson’s whiskey, which will have been
aged for four years when bottled.
Absolut Unveils
Sustainability Campaign
Absolut has unveiled a new “Planet
Earth’s Favorite Vodka” campaign,
focused on sustainability efforts. The
push will see Pernod launch a digital
hub devoted to environmental
concerns, undertake a series of large-
scale clean-up and recycling events
across 41 cities, and donate $50,000 to
the Plastic Pollution Coalition to
reduce waste in New York. The
campaign, which also features interac-
tive billboard ads in Los Angeles, is
intended to highlight Absolut’s envi-
ronmentally conscious production
process, and help restore momentum
for the brand, which was down 6.4%
to 3.6 million cases in the U.S. last
year, according to Impact Databank.
Glenlivet Gets
Major Packaging Refresh
The Glenlivet has partnered with
actress La La Anthony and photogra-
phers Inez and Vinoodh as part of a
packaging refresh. Made with clear
glass and sporting a redesigned logo,
the brand’s new bottle is rolling out
first for the 12-year-old and Founder’s
Reserve expressions, with the rest of
the core range receiving the new pack-
aging in the coming months. Inez and
Vinoodh shot The Glenlivet’s new
campaign, which is set to debut this
spring. In addition, Anthony will
headline a series of consumer events,
as well as contribute new online video
content for The Glenlivet. Owned by
Pernod Ricard, The Glenlivet grew by
2.3% to 429,000 cases in the U.S. in
2018, according to Impact Databank.Jim Beam Establishes
Institute For Kentucky Spirits
Beam Suntory’s Jim Beam will donate
$5 million to the University of Kentucky
to establish the James B. Beam Institute
for Kentucky Spirits. Part of the College
of Agriculture, Food, and Environment,
the program will build off an existing
certificate in distillation, wine, and
brewing studies, established in 2014, to
offer courses in engineering, chemistry,
business, law, horticulture, forestry, food
science, and entomology for a rounded
education that addresses sustainable
agriculture, research and development,
and other areas beyond the pure science
of distilling. The gift is the single larg-
est philanthropic contribution in Beam
Suntory’s history.Jack Daniel’s Releases
Augmented Reality App
Jack Daniel’s is releasing a smartphone
app that uses augmented reality to
illustrate the history of the brand. The
app uses a phone’s camera to recognize
a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey.
On-screen, the bottle’s label will fold
out like a pop-up book with a series of
informative dioramas highlighting
such topics as the cave spring water
used and the distilling process, among
others. This brand activation follows a
virtual reality experience in 2016 and
the launch of the official Jack Daniel’s
podcast, “Around the Barrel,” last year.
The app is available now as a free
download on the Apple app and
Google Play stores.Bushmills Distillery
Set To Expand
The Bushmills Irish whiskey brand,
which is part of the Grupo Cuervo port-
folio, has received government approval
for a $33.7 million expansion of its
distillery and aging facilities. The
expansion includes 29 new warehouses
for maturing whiskey and a new distill-
ery at its current site to increase capac-ity. The plan is the first step in the
company’s $77 million plan to double
production capacity over the next five
years. Bushmills is part of Proximo Spir-
its in the U.S.WhistlePig Expands
Partnership With RNDC
WhistlePig is expanding its partnership
with Republic National Distributing
Co. (RNDC). The two companies will
now be linked in North Dakota, South
Dakota, Nebraska, and New Mexico,
joining Kentucky, Oklahoma, and
Michigan. WhistlePig CEO Jeff Kozak
said the company will lead with its core
range of 10-, 12-, and 15-year-old
super-premium rye whiskies in the new
markets. WhistlePig also recently
announced the release of 6-year-old
PiggyBack Rye. Bottled at 48.3% abv,
PiggyBack retails at $50 a 750-ml.New Scotch Distillery Set
To Open In July
Holyrood Distillery, the first single malt
Scotch whisky distillery in Edinburgh in
almost a century, is set to open in July.
In advance of the opening, the distillery
is selling 100 casks through The Holy-
rood Cask Programme, which will allow
buyers to customize ingredients and
preparation to shape their whisky to
their taste. Three cask types are avail-
able—a barrel (200 liters), a hogshead
(250 liters), and a butt (500 liters), at
£4,500 (roughly $5,850), £5,500
($7,150), and £10,500 ($13,650),
respectively. The cost includes flavor
consultation, whisky creation, storage
for ten years, sampling, insurance, label-
ing, and bottling.Supplier News—Wine
Mulderbosch Winery Acquired
By Third Leaf Wines
Third Leaf Wines, a new California-
based firm, has purchased Stellenbosch,
South Africa’s Mulderbosch Winery
from Terroir Capital founder Charles
Banks for an undisclosed price. The
deal—which includes the brand, theJUNE 2019 | MARKETWATCHMAG.COM | MARKET WATCH 93