News Briefs for July 1, 2021
July 2, 2021•Castle Brands has taken over U.S. marketing and sales responsibilities for Ramazzotti liqueur and Our/Los Angeles and Our/New York vodkas, effective today. The move, according to Castle Brands CEO Nick Papanicolaou, will help incubate the brands and position them for greater exposure moving forward. Ramazzotti and Our/Vodka join Goslings rum, ginger beer, and Dark and Stormy RTD in the Castle Brands portfolio. Since 2019, Castle Brands has been a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard, owner of the Italian liqueur and domestic vodkas.
•Onda Tequila Seltzer is aligning with Breakthru Beverage across 13 states. The fast-growing brand, which recently named industry veteran Jim Clerkin as chairman, includes 5% abv Lime, Grapefruit, Blood Orange, and Watermelon flavors and retails at $11 a 4-pack of 12-ounce cans. Onda will operate under Breakthru’s Trident portfolio which takes an active role in nurturing and investing in emerging brands.
•Mezcal brand Del Maguey is launching Vida de Muertos as a new addition to its lineup. The expression was inspired by the tradition of creating special mezcal to celebrate Dia de los Muertos and was made in San Luis del Rio, a village in Oaxaca, Mexico, using mature Espadín agave. It’s twice distilled and at 45% abv. Del Maguey Vida de Muertos is available beginning today at local spirits retailers throughout the U.S. and on Drizly for a suggested $50 a bottle. Part of Pernod Ricard, Del Maguey depleted 53,000 cases in the U.S. last year, according to Impact Databank.
•A whisky purported to be the oldest known whisky in the world has sold at auction for $137,500. The whisky, called Old Ingledew, received widespread media coverage this past spring when Boston-area auction house Skinner Inc. announced the bottle would be part of its Rare Spirits online auction, which ran from June 22-30. The auction ended last night with the $137,500 winning bid.
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