News Briefs for January 2, 2024

•Tennessee-based Ole Smoky has launched two new offerings under the Popcorn Sutton brand, in a tribute to the legendary moonshiner. The first is a 100 proof blend of straight Bourbon whiskeys blended from barrels sourced from Tennessee and North Carolina. The other newcomer, Popcorn’s Likker, is derived from Sutton’s original moonshine recipe. It’s distilled from a blend of cane and grain and bottled at 100 proof. Ole Smoky is producing the new entries at its Newport, Tennessee facility, and they’re on shelves at the company’s four distillery locations. Ole Smoky’s namesake brand has U.S. volume of over 1 million cases annually, according to Impact Databank.

•“When it comes to winery sales, the economy is kind of like a thermometer,” says Rob McMillan, founder and SVP of Silicon Valley Bank’s wine division. “When times are good, average companies can sell. When times aren’t good, nobody wants to buy those. So the things that are moving now are really good companies, and they seem to be selling to big companies.” There were a number of major deals with implications for the industry as a whole last year. Wine Spectator takes a look at the highlights.

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