News Briefs for March 7, 2024

•Champagne shipments to the U.S. plunged last year following the pandemic boom, with value down 15% to 800 million euros ($872m) on a 20% decrease in volume to 27 million bottles (2.3m cases), according to the Comite Champagne. Shipment volume remains 5% higher than pre-pandemic. Like other categories, Champagne has seen destocking slow shipments, along with inflation that has impacted consumer spending.

•Pernod Ricard’s Smooth Ambler has re-released Old Scout 7, a high-rye Bourbon from the brand. The 49.5% abv Bourbon is aged for seven years and made from a mashbill of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley. The whiskey is now available in select retailers in California, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North and South Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and West Virginia for a suggested price of $65. Smooth Ambler had U.S. volume of 12,000 cases last year, according to Impact Databank.

•Diageo-owned Guinness has partnered with actor Jason Momoa for a new ad campaign, “Lovely Day,” created by Momoa’s production company On the Roam. The ads, starring and co-directed by Momoa, are running now on social and digital channels and will debut on TV on March 11. The campaign shows off Momoa’s love of Guinness and even stars his mom in one of the ads. The campaign will run through the rest of the year with a variety of new content starring Momoa.

•Compass Box Scotch whisky has appointed James Saxon as whiskymaking director. Saxon has been a key member of the brand’s whiskymaking team since 2019, working beside founder John Glaser, who recently announced he’s stepping back from executive duties but remains a shareholder. Saxon has led the creation of Compass Box offerings like Flaming Heart 2022, No Name, No. 3, Vellichor, and the Extinct Blends Quartet, among others.

•Brown-Forman has announced the 2024 Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby bottle, featuring artwork from Wylie Caudill. The 1-liter bottle features Woodford’s flagship Bourbon with new art each year celebrating the Derby. This year’s edition carries a suggested price of $55 a bottle and is now available to pre-order through ReserveBar with retail availability on the way. According to Impact Databank, Woodford Reserve reached 1.42 million cases last year, up 11.1%.

Tagged : Brown-Forman, Compass Box, Diageo, Guinness, Pernod Ricard, Smooth Ambler, Woodford Reserve

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