News Briefs for June 3, 2022

•Beam Suntory and the James B. Beam Distilling Company have launched Hardin’s Creek, a new line of limited edition whiskies set to be released annually. The line kicks off with two whiskies, Jacob’s Well and Colonel James B. Beam, both at 54% abv. Jacob’s Well is a 15-year-old blend of a high-rye Bourbon and a more traditional mashbill that carries a suggested price of $150 a bottle. The Colonel’s whiskey, retailing for $80, is made by distilling the mash to a lower proof, highlighting flavors from the fermentation process, before aging for two years and bottling.

•The Kraken rum, part of the Proximo portfolio, has entered the RTD market with three new canned cocktails. The line—all at 5% abv and available in 4-packs of cans—includes Kraken & Cola, Kraken & Ginger Beer, and Kraken Rum Punch, and is now available in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin for around $13 a 4-pack. The Kraken has hovered just under the 400,000-case mark in recent years, according to Impact Databank.

•Spritz Society, the wine-based sparkling RTD brand, has added a new flavor, Peach, amid a period of distribution expansion. The new flavor, like the rest of the brand’s portfolio, comes in at 6% abv and 120 calories per 8.4-ounce can. It’s now available in 4-packs via the brand’s website and will hit retail shelves in July. Spritz Society’s 5-flavor portfolio is distributed in California, Florida, Texas, Illinois, and Massachusetts, with more further expansion coming soon.

•Tom Cole, former president and CEO of Republic National Distributing Company, has joined e-commerce platform Thirstie as an investor and member of the company’s advisory committee. In this role, Cole will provide Thirstie with assistance in building industry partnerships and other support as the platform continues to develop. Cole comes to this new role with decades of industry experience and also serves as the chairman of the board of directors for WSWA and as a senior advisor to RNDC’s board.

•Seattle, Washington’s House Wine has launched two new rosé products, celebrating the company’s fifth year in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign. First up is Rainbow Sparkling Rosé in 750-ml. bottles, a new packaging of the company’s popular canned sparkling rosé. The wine is at 11.6% abv and retails for a suggested price of $13. The second new release is Rainbow Rosé Frozé Pouch, a 6% abv freezable wine slushy that retails for $4 a 296-ml. pouch. House Wine has committed to donating a portion of proceeds from its three rainbow rosés—the two new releases and the canned sparkling rosé—to the HRC, which is the U.S.’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group.

Tagged : Beam Suntory, Hardin's Creek, House Wine, James B. Beam, Proximo, RNDC, Spritz Society, The Kraken, Thirstie

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