News Briefs for June 26, 2024
June 26, 2024•Gran Coramino, the Tequila brand from Kevin Hart and Grupo Cuervo CEO Juan Domingo Beckmann, is extending its portfolio with a Reposado expression. The newcomer is double distilled, aged for months in new American and French white oak barrels, and then blended with Extra Añejo Tequila matured in brandy barrels. It’s rolling out to select retailers nationwide, priced at $40 a 750-ml., with a 375-ml. variant also in distribution. Gran Coramino also includes Cristalino and Añejo offerings. The brand grew an estimated 29% to 70,000 cases in the U.S. last year, according to Impact Databank.
•Kentucky-based Michter’s is introducing its 2024 Legacy Collection, including Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey and Bomberger’s Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Shenk’s is at 45.6% abv and has a U.S. suggested retail price of $110, while Bomberger’s is 54% abv and sells at $120. The releases honor the legacy of the Pennsylvania-based distilling operation founded by John Shenk in 1753, which was later renamed Bomberger’s Distillery in the 1800s before becoming Michter’s in the mid-20th century.
•Freixenet-Mionetto USA is debuting a new look for Freixenet’s flagship Cordon Negro cava range as it commemorates Cordon Negro’s 50th anniversary. The redesign includes a new X logo inspired by the lettering of the original Freixenet façade at the winery entrance, located outside of Barcelona, Spain. The Freixenet crest on the Cordon Negro range has also received a design change. Since 2018, Freixenet has expanded with offerings like Ice Cuvée followed by Prosecco and Italian Rosé, and most recently its Alcohol-Removed sparkling wine. The Freixenet brand has U.S. volume of 555,000 cases, according to Impact Databank.
•Luxco, the brands house of MGP, has partnered with the estate of Babe Ruth to launch Remus Babe Ruth Reserve. The bottling is a blend of three high-rye Bourbons aged for six to seven years with an abv of 55.5%. A limited supply of 10,624 bottles, one for each of the Babe’s plate appearances, will arrive at retail this July at a minimum suggested price of $150 a 750-ml bottle. A QR code on the back label allows consumers to scan and find out what Ruth did in their bottle’s plate appearance.
•Ardbeg Vintage Y2K, a new Glenmorangie Cadboll Estate, and newcomers from Cedar Ridge and Boann are among the offerings featured in Whisky Advocate’s latest weekly roundup. The website has all the details.
•San Francisco-based Hotaling & Co. is relaunching Old Potrero 18th Century Style Whiskey, now called Old Potrero Toasted Barrel Whiskey. It’s distilled in a small copper pot still from a mash of 100% rye malt and aged in new, toasted, 24-month air-dried American white oak barrels for a minimum of six years. The 51.2% abv rye retails at $65 a 700-ml. “We are reintroducing Old Potrero Toasted Barrel Whiskey at a much older age than the original 18th Century Style Whiskey, and it continues to be the only rye on the market aged entirely in toasted oak barrels,” noted master distiller Bruce Joseph.
•Treasury Wine Estates has revamped Sterling Vineyards’ California Collection. The simplified redesign features the brand’s signature silver color with a two-tone capsule design. The collection includes a Sparkling Brut ($17), as well as a Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Meritage all priced at $12. Sterling reopened its renovated Napa Valley winery last fall.
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