News Briefs for August 9, 2024
August 9, 2024•Former Market Watch Retailer of the Year Jack Farrell of Minnesota’s Haskell’s retail chain passed away July 27 at the age of 82, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. After acquiring the one-store Haskell’s in 1970 with partners including former Minneapolis Lakers star George Mikan, Farrell built the business into a 10-store chain that became a destination for fine wine consumers. Farrell championed wine on local TV and radio appearances and visited wineries around the world to build the selection at Haskell’s to 8,700 wine SKUs, representing 56% of the chain’s revenue, which rose to the mid-eight figures. For his work in developing Haskell’s into a fixture in the Twin Cities retail market, Farrell earned Market Watch Retailer of the Year honors in 2019.
•The Balvenie single malt Scotch has announced the Fifty Collection, a new trio of whiskies set to be released over the next three years. The first whisky in the collection is bottled at 52.3% abv and sourced from a single European oak cask filled in 1973. The Balvenie Fifty First Edition carries a suggested price of $53,000. Globally, 125 bottles will be available with 14 allocated to the United States. Next year’s Second Edition will blend in an American oak cask from 1973 and, finally, the Third Edition will add an American oak cask filled in 1974, completing the trilogy. Last year, the Balvenie, part of the William Grant & Sons portfolio, was at 88,000 cases, according to Impact Databank, making it the fifth-largest single malt Scotch brand in the U.S.
Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.
