News Briefs for September 1, 2016

•Diageo has partnered with entertainer Snoop Dog to market its Tanqueray gin brand in a new cocktail-focused strategy. Tanqueray’s “Gin & Juice” campaign, referencing Snoop’s 1993 song, will feature cocktail recipes, incorporation of the brand into the entertainer’s shows, special events and exclusive brand content. The Tanqueray lineup includes Tanqueray Gin, No. Ten Gin, Rangpur Gin and Sterling Vodka. In Diageo’s fiscal year ended in June, Tanqueray’s net sales grew 7% in the U.S. market.

•Brown-Forman is launching a limited-edition Jack Daniel’s 150th anniversary whiskey. Featuring the same grain bill as Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7—80% corn, 12% barley and 8% rye—the new release is mellowed through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal and aged in new American oak barrels. The Jack Daniel’s 150th anniversary whiskey (50% abv) will retail at $100 a 1-liter bottle. Jack Daniel’s core label crossed 5 million nine-liter cases in the U.S. last year on 3.5% growth, according to Impact Databank.

•The Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group has opened a new hotel in a converted vintage office building in Chicago. Called the Gray Hotel Chicago, the venue features an upscale, 70-seat cocktail lounge called Vol. 39. Named for the books reclaimed from the building’s former law offices, Vol. 39 offers a drinks menu that includes a flight of six Martinis ($25) in one-ounce pours. Also on the list is a vintage Old Fashioned, made with a 30-year-old Delord Bas-Armagnac XO as well as Bourbon-barrel aged demerara sugar, angostura and orange bitters poured over hand-carved ice ($35). Drinks are mixed tableside from a serving cart, which also offers Champagnes and caviar. The menu also features six Calvados labels, including the 15-year Chateau de Breuil at $25 a 1.5-ounce pour. The beverage program is headed by Jessica Lambert, formerly of Chicago’s Sable Kitchen & Bar, another Kimpton property.

Tagged : Brown-Forman, Diageo, Jack Daniel's, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, Sable Kitchen & Bar, Tanqueray

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