Palm Bay Targets Expansion In Upscale Whiskey, Tequila
May 31, 2023Known for leading imported wine brands like 3.8-million-case Cavit and 1-million-case Roscato, Palm Bay International has also built a growing spirits portfolio in recent years, which now accounts for approximately 10% of its overall business. While present in a variety of categories including Tequila, mezcal, gin, and Scotch whisky, Palm Bay’s latest spirits release comes from its brand of American whiskey, Jacob’s Pardon.
The brand is named for Palm Bay president and CEO Marc Taub’s grandfather and the Taub family’s history in American whiskey, specifically President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s pardon of Jacob Taub in 1935 for bootlegging during Prohibition. “What we were really looking for was to build a brand with a halo that stood for quality, stood for something special,” Taub tells SND.
So far, Jacob’s Pardon has released both single barrel and small batch offerings, and Taub says the brand will continue to expand in the future. Its latest launch, Small Batch #3, is an 18-year-old light whiskey bottled at cask strength of 71.25%. Roughly 3,000 six packs of 750-ml. bottles are hitting the market, with each retailing for around $195. Taub says the brand is developing a single barrel program, plus other innovations. “We’re going to be releasing what we call the Cask Collective, where we’re getting barrels from many of our different wine partners from around the world.” He points to Sherry and Barolo barrel-finished whiskies as possible directions for Jacob’s Pardon beyond limited blends and single barrel releases.
In addition to Jacob’s Pardon, Taub points to brands like Tequila Bribón and Drumshanbo gin as two highlights for Palm Bay’s spirits portfolio. Last year, Drumshanbo reached 68,000 cases, up 8%, according to Impact Databank, making it one of the leading super-premium gins in the U.S. “Drumshanbo is the most exciting piece of our spirit portfolio and giving great lift to us as we go from a wine company to a wine and spirit company,” says Taub. Drumshanbo’s latest release is California Orange Citrus. Taub says Palm Bay is seeing great adoption of the entire line of Drumshanbo gins in the on-premise. Drumshanbo’s range also includes a single pot still Irish whiskey.
“Bribón has garnered a great reputation for its value-price equation. I think it really overdelivers on the quality level,” he says, adding that the brand recently received a packaging refresh. “With this repackaging it’s certainly going to gain a lot more emphasis from our team.”
In the mezcal category, Taub notes that Gracias a Dios has been building buzz in the on-premise, with bartenders welcoming the full portfolio of mezcals. “The fact that we’re doing so many different versions of wild agave makes it interesting for the mezcal enthusiast,” he says. “It’s got a lot of depth and breadth.”
Palm Bay is also working on a new high-end Tequila, Tomasa. The brand is currently in development, but Taub says to expect a full range of offerings from the ultra-premium brand looking ahead. Other brands in the Palm Bay spirits range include Kingsbarns Distillery, Boulard Calvados, Wemyss Malts, Tommyrotter Distillery, Alexander Grappa, and Bottega Spirits among others.—Shane English
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