News Briefs for September 16, 2024
September 17, 2024•Bacardi-owned Angel’s Envy is introducing a new offering within its Signature Series, Triple Oak.
The new entry is a blend finished in three types of barrels sourced globally: Hungarian oak, Chinkapin oak from Kentucky, and French oak. The 46% abv offering retails at $75 a bottle and is debuting nationally. The Angel’s Envy range also includes a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Port Wine Barrels, and a Rye Whiskey Finished in Caribbean Rum Casks. The brand grew 2% to just over 300,000 cases in the U.S. last year, according to Impact Databank.
•California-based Mission Craft Cocktails has partnered with Reyes Beverage Group in the California market. The ready-to-serve cocktail range features Old Fashioned, Margarita, Spicy Margarita, Manhattan, Espresso Martini, Cosmopolitan, and Mai Tai expressions retailing at $15 a 375-ml. bottle. The move, which furthers Reyes’s push into the spirits category, is expected to vastly expand Mission’s distribution across the Golden State. Based in Mission Viejo, California, the brand donates 5% of sales to local food banks.
•Nashville, Indiana’s Hard Truth Distilling Co. has announced four new limited releases set to hit shelves this month. The first release, Barrel Finished Reserve 2024, blends four whiskies finished in Cognac, PX Sherry, PX Brandy, and Sauternes casks, creating a 58.4% abv rye selling at $90. Next up is Double-Oaked Sweet Mash rye ($70), a 53.54% abv rye matured for more than two years in new oak before rebarreling for an additional three years in a second charred new oak barrel. Master Distiller’s Reserve 2024 Blend is a 57.5% abv blend of ryes that retails for $90. The final whiskey is Barrel Finish Reserve: Maple Brûlée rye ($90), a cask strength rye finished in barrels that previously held Bourbon and maple syrup.
•Wine importer Neil Empson, known for championing Italian fine wines in the U.S., passed away September 14 at the age of 85. A native of New Zealand, Empson founded his initial Milan-based exporter Empson & Co. in 1972, followed by Empson USA in 1991 and Empson Canada in 2000. With his wife and business partner Maria, he built a company that became a pioneer in importing Italian fine wines in the U.S., and eventually expanded the portfolio to include offerings from Oregon, California, New Zealand, and Chile. His daughter Tara Empson is now owner and CEO of the family wine business.
Tagged : Angel's Envy, Bacardi, Empson USA, Hard Truth Distilling, Mission Craft Cocktails, Reyes
