News Briefs for June 17, 2024
June 17, 2024•Ste Michelle Wine Estates is extending Washington wine brand 14 Hands with two new wines, a Buttery Chardonnay and Sweet Red Blend. The Buttery Chardonnay retails at $15 a 750-ml., while the Sweet Red Blend—a mix of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon—is positioned at $12. Sourced from Washington state’s Columbia Valley, they’re both rolling out to select retailers nationally. 14 Hands brand director Phillip Cleveland cited “the buttery Chardonnay category’s continued growth and the sweet red category’s strong appeal to new wine drinkers” in announcing the launch. 14 Hands has U.S. volume of 1 million cases annually, according to Impact Databank.
•Suntory Global Spirits has brought Jim Beam Black back to market. The 45% abv Bourbon now carries a 7-year-old age statement and is launching across the U.S., including at ReserveBar, Total Wine, Binny’s, and other select retailers. The whiskey carries a suggested price of $25 a 750-ml. but will also be available in bottles ranging from 50-ml. to 1.75-liter. Last year, the Jim Beam brand was at 5.95 million cases in the U.S., including flavors, according to Impact Databank.
•Michigan’s Traverse City Whiskey Co. has released two new ready-to-serve Old Fashioned cocktails. The Original, as the name suggests, is Traverse’s take on the classic cocktail, bottled at 37% abv and made with the distiller’s 6-year-old Bourbon, bitters, citrus expression, and simple syrup. The second cocktail is a cherry-flavored take on the Old Fashioned, made using Traverse City’s American Cherry whiskey and bottled at 27% abv. Both cocktails come in 375-ml. bottles with the Original retailing for $30 and Cherry at $20. The pair are now rolling out across Traverse City Whiskey Co.’s footprint.
•France’s Pegasus Distillerie, maker of Shooting Star vodka and Orion gin, among other releases, has named Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke as global brand ambassador. Clarke’s appointment comes on the heels of Pegasus’ U.S. debut, with the company entering the American market only in April. In addition to Shooting Star and Orion, the company’s portfolio consists of its namesake vodka and Eau d’Or, a citrus liqueur.
Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.Tagged : 14 Hands, Jim Beam Black, Orion, Pegasus Distillerie, Shooting Star, Ste. Michelle, Suntory Global Spirits, Traverse City Whiskey Co.
