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How Big Beer Brands are Crafting Flavorful Drinks to Win Over Gen Z
According to Forbes, the fast-growing ‘NoLo’ movement (no and low alcohol) is driving the demand for alternatives to alcoholic beverages. It’s fortunate that we’re here with a much-loved spring mocktail for the millennials and Gen-Z’s who are generally drinking less. Data-approved! Buzz60’s Chloe Hurst highlights…
Beer and hot dogs are as patriotic as it gets. But when you open the cooler at your summer barbecue, you could be seeing fewer brews, with alternatives like spiked seltzers, canned cocktails, and hard teas stealing their space.
You can attribute this trend to the younger generation: The youngest cohort of legal-aged drinkers from Gen Z, which covers the ages from 21 to 26, are “drinking completely differently than any other generation we’ve seen before,” according to NIQ’s Kaleigh Theriault.
“They’re relatively new to their drinking, and when they are choosing alcohol, they are leaning toward those flavor-forward categories,” Theriault, an associate director of beverage alcohol thought leadership at the consumer intelligence company, told CNN.
Corona is hoping to attract Gen Z drinkers with its new “Sunbrew Citrus Cerveza” beer.
Beverages created by smaller companies are controlling the landscape. E. & J. Gallo Winery’s High Noon dominates the spirit-based cocktail category; White Claw from Mark Anthony Brands remains the top-selling spiked seltzer; and newer entrants, including punchier drinks that mix liquor with an iced tea or lemonade such as Surfside, a two-year-old brand, are rapidly gaining ground.
That’s a problem for Big Beer, which is dealing with flat sales, declining volume and a fickle generation of younger drinkers who are completely ditching the bottle or preferring anything but a regular beer.
In response, Miller Lite-maker Molson Coors Beverage Company, Modelo-brewer Constellation Brands and heavyweight Anheuser-Busch InBev are among the larger brewers expanding beyond beer and diversifying their portfolio with flavorful concoctions.
Fruit, in particular, has been a focus area because “it’s something that the consumer seems to be drawn to right now and they want to drink something really good,” Theriault said. “Those flavors offer that.”
Constellation turned to TikTok for inspiration for its newest beer, which is lightly based on the “Corona Sunrise” cocktail — a mixture of tequila, a Corona, orange juice, grenadine, plus a splash of lime juice. It has taken off on the video-sharing app, with the most-watched tutorial racking up nearly 14 million views.
Since it’s unlawful to sell a beer mixed with a spirit, Corona spun up its own version to hopefully appeal to younger drinkers: the “Sunbrew Citrus Cerveza,” which is brewed with orange and lime peels and blended with the same juices and mixed with a Corona Extra to mirror the sweet flavor of the cocktail counterpart.
“This new brew was created with the flavor-seeking Gen Z audience in mind, a group of drinkers known for their experimentation and mixing,” noted Saúl Trejo, director of brand marketing at Corona, in a press release. For now, the drink is only available in the northeastern US before possibly expanding nationwide depending on sales.
Sunbrew fits into Constellation’s portfolio with a few other Gen Z-angled beverages like Fresca Mixed and its malt-based beverages, Corona Refresca and Modelo Spiked Aguas Frescas, both of which also have fruity flavors and are selling well for the company.
TikTok has also influenced Molson Coors for one of its newest boozy beverages called “Happy Thursday.” The shtick? It’s a non-carbonated drink because “bloating that may come from carbonation is considered a top barrier” for younger drinkers and the trend of “decarbonizing” drinks is blowing up on the app.
The “smooth, bubble-free” drink comes in four fruit flavors, including strawberry and black cherry, and also meets another need for Gen Z since it’s low in alcohol content at 4.4% by volume. It also has bright packaging designed to “pop on social media,” the brewer notes.
Launched less than three months ago, sales and distribution are both growing and feedback has been “extremely positive” for Happy Thursday, the company said on its blog. The company could shed more light on its sales during its next earnings report in August.
Happy Thursday fits into the company’s strategy that began in 2019 when Molson Coors tweaked its name to encompass its growing portfolio of beverages besides beer. That now includes hard iced tea, energy drinks and its Simply Spiked lineup. Last year, it acquired Blue Run Spirits, a cult favorite high-end bourbon and rye whiskey brand, in light of US spirit sales surpassing beer sales.
“Suppliers, in order to stay relevant, have to evolve and follow where the consumer is trending — and right now the consumer wants flavor,” NIQ’s Theriault said about their pivots. “Innovation is really important in the alcohol industry and ensuring that innovation is tied to the consumer trends is what’s right for business.”
Canned cocktails and spirits-based beverages have also helped Anheuser-Busch’s bottom line in the US, especially in light of the collapsing sales of Bud Light. Its aptly titled “Beyond Beer” category is currently a $1.5 billion part of its global business and is helping attract younger, legally aged drinkers.
NÜTRL, a flavorful lineup of vodka seltzers, and Cutwater Spirits canned cocktails are two standouts. An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson told CNN that Cutwater, which has a collection of canned rum mai tais, vodka mules and tequila palomas, has “steadily grown dollar sales double digits for five consecutive years” and jumped an additional 23% in sales this year.
Still, it’s not all rosy for Anheuser-Busch, especially if a drink has the Bud Light name attached. Bud Light Seltzer sales are down 50%, according to trade publication Brewbound, outpacing a larger decline in malt-based seltzers as drinkers shift toward spirit-based drinks. The company launched a new advertising campaign in 2023 just a few weeks before the Dylan Mulvaney controversy derailed its parent brand’s sales.
Despite younger drinkers’ hesitance with buying beer and flat sales, Big Beer companies aren’t facing an existential threat. In fact, it’s the exact opposite, according to one expert.
“Young drinkers can now find just about any kind of drink in just about any kind of flavor practically whenever they want, and they get to choose from the most diverse collection of beverages that has ever existed — with and without alcohol,” Bryan Roth, an analyst for Feel Goods Company and editor of the alcohol beverage newsletter, Sightlines+, told CNN.
“These long-tenured and often historic companies are adapting to the market. What makes it particularly exciting is that consumers are more often leading the way,” he added.
The media is having a hard time nailing down the financial vibes of the youngest generation of consumers—Gen Z. You might see Gen Z described as financially unsure and insecure, knee deep in debt or even more spendy and carefree than the avocado toast generation that preceded them.
Despite the commentary, however, Experian data shows that by and large, Generation Z’s debt is increasing at the same rate as other generations’. As part of our ongoing review of consumer debt and credit in the United States, Experian took a look at the leading edge of Generation Z, who were between 18 and 26 years old in the third quarter (Q3) 2023. This analysis lays out some of the facts from aggregated Experian data, along with some context, to explain what’s happening in the wallets of younger consumers.
Gen Z isn’t falling into more debt than others, according to Experian data. Nor are comparisons to millennials at their age particularly apt, as 15 years ago the economic and credit landscape (both still reeling from the Great Recession) meant a different experience for both borrowers and lenders than what consumers face in the 2020s. Now, inflation and cost of living are contributing to increased debt balances—for Gen Z as well as for all consumers.
For some types of consumer debt, Gen Z balances are about half that of the overall consumer population. Even average student loan balances, a category you might think the youngest generation must have more of than other cohorts, is only half the U.S. average. (Think about how long and expensive grad school can be to explain the difference.)
It’s the big-ticket items, including a car and a house, that Gen Z can’t dodge. Among young consumers with an auto loan, the average balance of $20,305 is similar to the $23,792 national average. And among the few members of Generation Z who’ve recently bought their (presumably) first home, they’re carrying nearly as much mortgage debt as other homeowners.
The average FICO Score among Generation Z was 680 in Q3 2023. While this score puts them 35 points short of the national average credit score of 715, it lands them in the “good” FICO Score range, which starts at 670.
There’s no evidence, and little reason, to expect that one generation is more or less responsible with their credit than others, and that includes Generation Z. Factors that could cause average credit scores to drop are largely economically driven, and right now unemployment rates have been at or near the record low rates: less than 5% in nearly every state, and 3.9% nationwide. Unless unemployment rates somehow impact one generation more than another—extremely unlikely—there’s no reason to expect that one generation will zig while all the other zag.
However, that’s not to say the economic challenges each generation faces are the same—far from it. FICO Scores are a measure to assess risk, but not wealth.
As of Q3 2023, 86% of Gen Z consumers who have a credit score have at least one credit card, according to Experian data. And they’re beginning to use some of the credit extended to them.
Although inflation contributed to higher balances for U.S. consumers of all ages, the year-over-year increase is typically going to be greater for those starting from zero, as many Gen Zers obtaining their first credit card are doing. Even so, Generation Z’s balances grew just as much as other working-age consumers—millennials and Generation X. Consumers of any age who manage their credit responsibly can expect their credit limits to increase over time.
Gen Zers in the more populous states of California, New York and Texas carry higher credit card balances than others. And as rent continues to rise, it’s taking a larger bite of take-home income.
At least drivers have more selection in choosing their ride, as used car prices are falling, inventory levels are mostly back to normal, and dealers are offering incentives like low-cost financing for some new models.
A glance in the rear-view mirror, however, shows that car loans recently made are costing consumers more across the board. Car prices, and the cost of the attendant car loans often used to purchase vehicles, have still increased for all consumers in the past year, more or less equally across all generations.
Generation Z will need all the savings they can get, however, as auto insurance premiums continue to skyrocket. Insurance rates climbed more than 22% in the past year, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, and inexperienced younger drivers are generally the costliest to insure.
Although more members of Generation Z are pursuing the trades, more than half of Gen Z have entered the realm of higher education, according to Pew Research data. And compared with other generations, Generation Z student debt is much smaller thus far. That will change in the upcoming years, as some continue advanced degree studies, a more costly education than pursuing an undergraduate degree.
Most Gen Z borrowers planning to pursue advanced degrees have yet to enter a program or complete their graduate studies. Graduate-level education is often more expensive and can result in more student loan debt than undergraduate education, with borrowers typically not on track to begin to repay until their late 20s or early 30s.
While the average student loan balances of Generation Z are expected to increase in the future, these consumers will have more tools to manage monthly payments from the very start of their repayments, unlike other generations before them. Once fully implemented, it’s expected that a combination of income-based repayment plans and loan forgiveness programs for public service will help ease the burdens of education debt.
The way consumers spend their hard-earned money is changing for everyone, not just for Generation Z. (When’s the last time you wrote a check?) However, Gen Z is more keen than others to embrace electronic payments as well as new types of alternative credit that’s been cracked open by technological advances like buy now, pay later (BNPL) plans.
Generation Z is associated the most with BNPL, but their older brothers and sisters may be catching up. According to alternative credit provider Afterpay, three-quarters of both Gen Zers and millennials reported using buy now, pay later in the past month, versus only about half of Generation X.
Although some among the youngest consumer generation have bought a home of their own in the past couple years, mortgage payments are as high for them as they are for older recent homebuyers who likely have more discretionary income.
More likely, they rent. Some 70% of all rental households are millennials or Gen Z, according to Experian’s State of the U.S. Rental market report. Rental prices—where most young people first begin their financial journeys—are still increasing faster than the rate of overall inflation in most markets. One consequence: More young adults live with their parents or others (roommates) than they did 30 years ago, according to data collected by the Urban Institute.
As for Gen Z homeowners, many are facing additional challenges relative to other homeowners: higher borrowing costs. Nearly half are paying more than 5% annually in interest. Besides the larger monthly mortgage payments this implies, it also means that equity accumulates more slowly for these homeowners than others.
There is an upside, though. If mortgage rates fall far enough, there will be a ready-made market of Gen Zers willing to refinance their mortgages, activity that’s barely occurring today.
While mortgage rates and few homes to choose from are placing homeownership out of reach for many, regardless of age, reporting rental payments to credit bureaus could help a renter’s credit score in the meantime. As Generation Z are the generation most likely to rent, as well as most likely in need to thicken their credit file and potentially improve their credit score, having rents reported to credit bureaus is perhaps more important for those just starting on their financial journeys. Alas, adoption among property owners has been slow, and smaller landlords may not be as likely to report on time payments to credit bureaus.
If there’s one myth to bust about young people, it’s that they’re forever optimistic. According to a survey recently published by consultancy Deloitte, more than half of Gen Z report living paycheck to paycheck, and only 1 in 3 say the overall economic and social situation will improve in the coming year—a polite way of saying most don’t think things are getting better anytime soon.
Methodology: The analysis results provided are based on an Experian-created statistically relevant aggregate sampling of our consumer credit database that may include use of the FICO Score 8 version. Different sampling parameters may generate different findings compared with other similar analysis. Analyzed credit data did not contain personal identification information. Metro areas group counties and cities into specific geographic areas for population censuses and compilations of related statistical data.
This story was produced by Experian and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
According to Forbes, the fast-growing ‘NoLo’ movement (no and low alcohol) is driving the demand for alternatives to alcoholic beverages. Luck…
Crafting the Perfect Kingston Negroni: A Funky Rum Twist on a Timeless Classic
Sometimes, a cocktail bar will, on their menu, have a chart or “matrix,” a way to evaluate at a glance what the experience of a drink is going to be. This is usually a combination of two axes: one, from refreshing to boozy, and the other, from comfortable to adventurous. And with any such thing, a natural (if anarchic) question would be: What happens when we max both of these out in a single glass? What cocktail in the classic or modern-classic canon is both the most insane and the most intense?
Allow me to introduce you to the Kingston Negroni. The Kingston Negroni was created in 2009 by Joaquin Simó when he was at Death & Co. in NYC (the same Joaquin Simó, by coincidence, who a few years later would be the first to put a flavor matrix on a menu). The story goes that a liquor importer walked into Death & Co. with a new bottle of Jamaican rum, a particularly intense and funky blend called Smith & Cross, and “within five minutes” Simó had the idea of stirring it into a Negroni. Some cocktails take weeks of trial and error—particularly at Death & Co., at the time perhaps the most creative and precise cocktail bar in the country—but the Kingston Negroni was a one-shot hit. It went on the menu in Spring of 2010, was taken up by the blogs and then quickly spread across the country, by way of bartenders in Chicago and Portland and San Francisco who were enraptured by this brash and assaultive little drink.
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The reason for the cocktail’s success and its aforementioned intensity is the particular character of Smith & Cross. Jamaican Rum is, for lack of a better word, funky. People have gone to great lengths to try to explain it, and even so far as to create a word, “hogo,” to describe the unmistakable flavors of banana and rotting tropical fruit and buttered gingerbread and (sometimes) old-meat funk that is endemic to Jamaican rum. Honestly, the category gets even funkier and weirder than Smith & Cross, but in 2009 these rums mostly weren’t exported, and even today it’s a flavor most Americans have simply never experienced. Smith & Cross is a beast, the standard bearer of the category, its flavor amplified further still by being bottled at a combustible 114 proof.
Instead of shying away from the intensity of the rum, trying to soften it with lime juice or bury it in coconut, the Kingston Negroni puts the Smith & Cross front and center. It defines the nose and palate, leading the charge with a coat of botanical vermouth and a swinging mace in the form of Campari, whose acute bitter finish can be too much for some people in and of itself. A Negroni is already bold and polarizing; the Kingston Negroni takes that template and invents new dials that it can turn up to 11. It’s so flavorful it feels like it should be against the law.
As such, the Kingston Negroni has cemented itself as a bona fide modern classic and is the favorite drink of several people I know personally. It is unyielding and unique, thunderous yet somehow balanced, with the dauntless confidence of an apex predator. Try one out some time. That is, if you’re the kind of person who looks at a scale of reasonability and thinks, “what happens on that far end over there?”
1 oz. Smith and Cross (or other, high-ester, high-proof Jamaican Rum)
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. Carpano Antica or Carpano Classico Vermouth
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 10 to 20 seconds, and strain over a big cube into a rocks glass. Express the oils of an orange peel over the top, and garnish with the peel.
NOTES ON INGREDIENTS
Rum: This is a very specific drink, created specifically for Smith & Cross, which is both inexpensive and widely available. I recommend it.
As for other rums, you certainly couldn’t use a bottle of Bacardi and have it be a Kingston Negroni. If you were going to mess with the rum, you would, at minimum, need the bottle to be not just Jamaican but a funky, hogo-full Jamaican—Appleton Estates, the biggest Jamaican rum company, doesn’t have enough funk to make a full-fledged Kingston Negroni. I’d also guide you toward higher proof, like Smith & Cross, to capture the intensity of the original. Or you can just get Smith & Cross.
Campari: I didn’t try any of Campari’s competitors in this, because I love Campari and consider it strictly necessary. I’m not saying its competitors wouldn’t work, just that Campari, along with Angostura Bitters and Green Chartreuse and a small handful of others, is one of the few truly indispensable cocktail ingredients.
Sweet Vermouth: Simó specifically called for Carpano Antica, because it has the body to stand up to the other two towering ingredients. The logic is sound, and Carpano does indeed make the quintessential Kingston Negroni. In all my research on this drink, I couldn’t find anyone who disagreed.
The only thing I’d add is that I liked it just as much with Carpano Classico, the newer and less popular vermouth from the same producer. The Classico doesn’t have quite as much plummy power, but it also doesn’t have the same vanilla note, which is a note this cocktail abhors. I don’t know. I wouldn’t run out and buy a bottle of it for this, and Carpano Antica has more uses (like the splendid Vieux Carré), but if you happen to have both on hand, as I did, try it with each. Carpano Classico is leaner and so the bitterness shines more, while Carpano Antica is fuller with more to say, but talks over the rum just a touch in the mid-palate.
Variations: This, like the Negroni itself, is a very malleable template. Some people make pineapple versions. Some people make coconut versions. Some people stir it with coffee beans and add some oloroso sherry. I made all three of these, and I don’t think any of them are better than the original, but they’re all good in their own way. Happy exploring.
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Discover the 2024 IWSC Winner: The World’s Best Vodka
Maison Solignac Initiale Vodka takes home the top prize for vodka at the 2024 International Wine and Spirits Competition.
The International Wine and Spirits Competition has revealed its top scores for 2024. Earlier this summer we revealed the big winner in the realm of American whiskey. Today it’s time to take a look at what this prestigious panel of judges had to say about vodka. Out of thousands of entries, only two total expressions managed to score 99 out of a possible 100 points. And only one of those was of the unflavored variety. The distinction belongs to Initiale Vodka from Maison Solignac, just south of Cognac, France.
Despite the abundance of grapes in this renowned region of the country, the producers at Solignac opted to craft their award-winning liquid out of rye grain. They use what they refer to as an “ultra slow distillation” in small copper pot stills to come away with a spirit that’s rich in savory elements and baking spices.
In their official tasting notes, the judges at IWSC pinpointed these threads as “biscuity sweetness, honeyed warmth, and fragrant meadow notes. Balanced with subtle fennel and caramel nuances. A silky, creamy texture leads to a slow, warm finish.”
The brand takes its name from founder and craftsman Pierre Solignac, a Versailles native who learned about the bygone traditions of vodka production while living in Russia during the 1990s. Specifically, he uncovered techniques dating back to the 18th Century—long before the advent of industrial column distillation had reduced the category to the neutral grain spirit it is often known as today.
Indeed, there is nothing neutral about this velvety, 80-proof sipper that is meant to be enjoyed chilled but never frozen. The pairing potentials of something this nuanced are best explored with high grade sashimis, cured fishes, or the classic caviar presentation.
There are also hints of freshly cracked black pepper that practically demand to be echoed in edible form. We recommend leveling up your at-home tasting by procuring a professional grade pepper cannon (what else?), spicing up some smoked salmon and washing it all down with a chilled pour of Initiale. You won’t be mad that you did.
The only thing to be angry about here is that the top-rated vodka is unavailable on US shelves—as of now. Hopefully the global recognition afforded by IWSC will help encourage the formation of those distribution channels. Meanwhile, European connoisseurs can pick up a bottle for around 55 €.
Drinkers on that side of the pond also ought to keep an eye out for the Mango Vodka offering from British producer Desi Daru. It was the only other vodka release to receive a 99 score at this year’s IWSC. Judges had this to say about the fruit-flavored expression:
“Such beautifully fresh aromas of real mango. The mango character continues to shine and linger on the smooth, vibrant palate alongside the peppery vodka notes and the seamlessly integrated alcohol. Enjoy in any cocktail, or savor on its own.”
Follow along for more news and updates from the 2024 International Wine and Spirits Competition.
The rural landscape of Southwestern France, home to Maison Solignac
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Hulk Hogan Launches Real American Beer: A Bold Alternative to Bud Light
Retired professional wrestler Hulk Hogan promotes his new beer, Real American Beer. He will be visiting St. Louis in July to further advertise the beverage. Video courtesy of Hulk Hogan.
Hulk Hogan co-founded Real American Beer, which is now available in Missouri.
Hulk Hogan already sells an array of products bearing his name or likeness: Hulkmania onesies, replica championship wrestling belts, and bright yellow bandanas emblazoned with “Hulk Still Rules.”
Now, he’s selling a beer, and Missouri stores are among the first to carry it.
Real American Beer is a way, Hogan said, to bring “America back together one beer at a time.”
Hogan said he saw an opportunity to enter the beer industry when Bud Light lost consumers over a 2023 marketing partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney that sparked a boycott by conservatives upset by the LGBTQ connection, and tanked sales.
“I see this open lane right now,” Hogan said. “This open lane is saying, ‘We’re American and America’s been waiting for this beer.’”
Industry experts, however, warn that breaking into the beer market isn’t easy, and celebrity-based products often don’t have a long shelf-life. The Real American Beer marketing leans heavily on Hogan’s personality and popularity.
Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, rose to fame as a powerful larger-than-life professional wrestler in the 1980s, and frequently competed in St. Louis. He’s a 12-time world champion and has appeared in movies, TV shows, commercials, and a video game. He was inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame but was suspended for three years after recordings of him making racist comments surfaced. He apologized and was reinstated in 2018.
Real American Beer is currently rolling out to retailers, restaurants, and bars across the state before making a wider national rollout. And though consumers are turning away from beer overall, Terri Francis, Real American Beer CEO, said they believe the product can bring drinkers back to light beer.
Live in FL, MN or MO? Find Real American Beer near you with our new Beer Finder! 🍺📍https://t.co/0TvAnuAR5X
Get some, brother. pic.twitter.com/sFRngkrsIN
“There is plenty of space in the market to grow the beer industry,” said Francis, a former vice president of the investment and innovation group within Anheuser-Busch InBev. “What we would love to be able to say is that we were able to bring people back to the category.”
Dave Williams, president of Bump Williams Consulting, which analyzes the alcoholic beverage industry, said he’s heard of a few beer brands that have popped up in the wake of the initial Bud Light stumble, but none have made a notable splash in terms of size, presence or increased competition.
“It is certainly an uphill battle for anyone looking to take a brand like Bud (Light) head on,” Dave Williams said.
Bump Williams Consulting CEO David “Bump” Williams called Hogan’s “open lane” sentiment wishful thinking, given the scale needed to challenge a global brand like Bud Light. And, generally speaking, he said, celebrity products risk running aground if the brand relies too much on the personal association instead of building a solid business plan.
Real American Beer will be available in 21 states by the end of summer, Francis, the CEO, said.
Hogan said his goal is for Real American Beer to become an industry leader that will eventually grow into a beverage company with things like non-alcoholic options.
“It’s middle America, it’s NASCAR, it’s wrestling, it’s country western, it’s purple mountains majesty, it’s the American flag. It’s God, it’s country — all of the above is what America is all about,” Hogan said.
Hogan will be in St. Louis on July 19 to promote Real American Beer. St. Louis was a significant player in the rise of WWE, often hosting championship events and airing television programs like Wrestling at the Chase via the St. Louis Wrestling Club.
Hogan said he remembers wrestling at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel as “insanity.”
“All the great wrestlers would come to St. Louis once a month and if you were on the card in St. Louis it was like being in Madison Square Garden,” he said. “If you got the opportunity to wrestle in St. Louis, that meant you were really something and you made it.”
Hogan said he is excited to return to St. Louis and meet his Hulkamaniacs. And he’s glad he doesn’t have to fight anyone.
“Usually, when I’m coming there I land at the airport and I’ll go check in at the Marriott hotel or something by the airport. Then I have to work out. I have to go wrestle,” Hogan said.
“But this time, it’s almost like I’m on vacation because I don’t have to get kicked in the head, I don’t have to work out and all I have to do is meet my friends, so I’m just really excited.”
Hannah Wyman – 314-340-8330
Retired professional wrestler Hulk Hogan promotes his new beer, Real American Beer. He will be visiting St. Louis in July to further advertise…
Whether you’re looking for an under-21-friendly option for your Fourth of July barbecue, or you decided to ditch alcohol but still want a soph…
Experience the ‘World’s Most Dangerous Wine’ at Exclusive Dinner Event Near Los Angeles
Courtesy of Cuyama Buckhorn
The post-covid world has us exploring our ‘backyards’ in ways we never have before. Finding excitement in unexpected places just a hop, skip, and a jump from our homes is one of the greatest discoveries. If you’re based in Southern California and looking for a new haunt to joyride to, do not miss Cuyama Buckhorn. The 1950s revamped roadside resort stands just an hour north of Ojai and 2 hours from Los Angeles. This year they won a Wine Spectator Award and they have a new chef who hails from Mexico City with quite a pedigree. There has never been a more exciting time to venture out to Cuyama.
Courtesy of Cuyama Buckhorn
Cuyama Buckhorn—recent winner of a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence—is honored to present a truly special opportunity to connect with one of the most interesting winemakers in the world, Vahe Keushguerian, who was recently the subject of the documentary, SOMM: Cup of Salvation. Cuyama Buckhorn’s Chef Hugo Vera has designed a six-course dinner influenced by the wines to help tell the story of these special grapes. Keushguerian and his daughter, Aimee are revitalizing vines from the oldest winemaking culture in the world (more than 10,000 years of wine making) and bringing the traditions of their heritage into the modern day at their wineries, Keush and Zulal, respectively.
Courtesy of Molana Wines
In addition to growing Armenian grapes on Armenian soil, Keushguerian smuggled indigenous wine grapes out of Iran, where winemaking has been outlawed since 1979, and re-established the vines in Armenia to make Molana Winery—essentially Iranian winemaking in exile. Molana is the first Iranian wine that has been produced in fifty years, and is unlikely to ever be produced again. This is a rare chance to taste this wine, with the winemaker himself, and partake in history. To honor the collaboration between Cuyama Buckhorn and Keushguerian, Chef Vera’s menu will help tell the winemaker’s incredible story with unique Cuyama flavor and locally-sourced ingredients.
Courtesy of Cuyama Buckhorn
On Saturday morning guests are encouraged to attend a screening of SOMM: Cup of Salvation followed by a Q&A with Keushguerian.
This dinner comes amid a summer of Wine Weekends at Cuyama Buckhorn. Other recent wine dinners have featured Condor’s Hope, Marbeso, and Presqu’ile. On August 3rd, Sonja Magdevski of Clementine Carter will be the featured winemaker and September 7th, Austin Hope of Hope Family Wines will be pouring.
WHEN: July 19, 2024
PRICING: Dinner tickets are $250 per person including wine pairings. Book a room for the weekend starting at $285/night.
WHERE: 4923 Primero Street, New Cuyama, CA 93254
Cuyama Buckhorn is located 1 hour east of Santa Maria, and 2 hours north of Los Angeles.
INFO: Call (661) 766-2825 or visit cuyamabuckhorn.com to reserve
Courtesy of Cuyama Buckhorn
Lawsuit Erupts Over Controversial Ownership Claims at Nantucket Food and Wine Festival
By Thomas Lee, The Boston Globe
Chances are, there will be some kind of food and wine festival in Nantucket May 14-18 next year. We just don’t know which version yet.
That’s because two parties are laying claim to the annual event at the same date and venue. On one side, there’s Nancy Bean, who has owned the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival since 2013. The festival, which draws about 3,000 people each year, has been a popular event on the island for over a quarter of a century. The White Elephant hotel has hosted the festival for about a decade.
But in a lawsuit filed in US District Court in Boston, Bean is accusing David Gordon and the Gordon Companies in Waltham, a family-owned chain of liquor stores, of stealing her business. Indeed, the Gordon Companies have set up a website promoting the Nantucket Food & Wine Experience at the White Elephant Hotel on the same dates in 2025 as Bean’s annual event.
Compounding the confusion is a recent press release issued by the Gordon Companies in which it claimed to have purchased the event. But then the company issued another statement saying that it did not buy Bean’s festival and was starting something new.
“Most people learn by kindergarten that you don’t say something belongs to you when it belongs to someone else,” Barry Pollack, an attorney representing Bean, told the Globe.
Neither David Gordon, CEO of Gordon Companies, nor White Elephant returned calls seeking comment.
According to court documents, Bean declined a proposal by Gordon to take over management of the festival. But on June 17, the Gordon Companies issued a press release in which it claimed that it purchased the festival.
“The Gordon Companies, owners of Massachusetts’ Gordon’s Fine Wine and Baker’s Best Catering, has acquired ownership of the Nantucket Food and Wine Experience, one of the longest running food and wine events in the U.S.,” the statement said.
“The rebranded event, in partnership with Nantucket’s iconic White Elephant harborside hotel, will take place on the island from Wednesday, May 14 through Sunday, May 18, 2025, and will feature the world’s top vineyards and culinary minds during wine dinners, seminars, galas, thematic receptions, wellness events, and celebratory brunches.”
But the company soon backtracked from the claim.
On the website Gordon Companies created for its festival contains “an announcement correction.”
“The Gordon Companies have partnered with White Elephant Resorts in a deal to produce a new event titled the Nantucket Food And Wine Experience. Gordons has not purchased, acquired, or rebranded the previously existing Nantucket Food & Wine Festival which has been operated by a still operating entity which is not affiliated with The Gordon Companies in any way. The Nantucket Food And Wine Experience is also not affiliated with the Nantucket Food & Wine Festival.”
Weiss, the attorney, said Bean still plans to host the festival next May as planned. But where in Nantucket remains up in the air.
Be civil. Be kind.
Rediscovered Andy Warhol Painting Inspires Exclusive Limited-Edition Absolut Vodka
American artist and icon Andy Warhol (1928-1987) whose ‘rediscovered’ 1985 artwork could give Absolut Vodka a new lease of life.
Absolut Vodka—once fêted for its creative limited-edition bottles, often tying up art with social messaging—is at it again. This time it has rekindled an old partnership through the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
The Swedish vodka brand, owned by French drinks giant Pernod Ricard, says the new, watery blue bottle will “reignite conversations around culture and inclusivity” and bring Absolut’s legacy in the art world to new audiences.
Back in 1985, Andy Warhol became the first artist to produce artwork based on the silhouette of Absolut’s (then) distinctive apothecary-inspired bottle. Absolut Warhol became the brand’s first art advert and marked the beginning of its involvement in the arts.
Warhol subsequently recommended Keith Haring to interpret the Absolut bottle, and between 1985 and 2004 more than 550 artists subsequently created more than 850 works. The early pieces were part of a brand communication strategy associated with the glamour of New York’s Studio 54, as well as the victims of the AIDS epidemic, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the birth of IT.
Pernod Ricard bought into Absolut’s cultural legacy in 2008, when it fought off rivals to acquire the brand.
The original Absolut Warhol was painted with vibrant colors on a black background and is considered iconic by some. On the MyArtBroker website, a signed print is listed for £27,000 to £40,000 ($34,250 to $50,700).
A second Absolut Warhol painting, also from 1985, had been rumored to exist for decades before his ‘blue’ artwork was uncovered at an auction in 2020. In proving its provenance the original contract was unearthed, confirming both paintings had been commissioned. Pernod Ricard saw an opportunity to revitalize the original partnership—and the Absolut brand.
From a retail perspective, the limited-edition Absolut Warhol line launched on Monday exclusively in global travel retail (GTR) stores. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is opening an interactive, gallery-style pop-up store for the product, with other major travel hubs lined up.
The bottle brings Warhol’s rediscovered Absolut ‘blue’ painting from 1985 to life by extracting shades of blue from the work and includes an image of Warhol himself alongside his original signature.
The latest Absolut Warhol is exclusive to travel retail for two months.
Pernod Ricard—whose portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Jameson, and Royal Salute whiskies, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes—has put a big budget behind a 3D out-of-home (OOH) ad campaign in the channel and multiple retail activations at airport like London Heathrow in the U.K., Dubai, Singapore Changi, São Paulo, and others.
Only after two months of exclusivity in duty-free will the new Absolut Warhol limited-edition bottle roll out across more than 50 additional global markets (from September) in both one-liter and 700ml bottles.
In travel retail, the one-liter bottle is available, priced at a recommended selling price of $24 or €22. This is cheaper than the current online price of a standard Absolut bottle: €23.90 at Amsterdam Schiphol (checked today). In a channel where premiumization is commonplace, even the norm, Pernod Ricard may score with this accessible-pricing strategy, especially with younger legal drinking age (LDA) travelers.
According to drinks market analyst IWSR, there was flattened consumer demand for alcoholic beverages in the first half of 2023 due to belt-tightening, though spirits (excluding national spirits) were up by 1%, based on the firm’s latest Bevtrac data.
Referencing 2024, IWSR’s senior consumer insights manager, Anastasia Timofeeva, said in December: “The key will be whether real wages can grow sustainably in the next two quarters in Europe and North America, particularly for younger LDA+ and middle-income consumers—and whether the ‘natural’ positivity in China and India translates into actual consumption behavior.”
The creative positioning and competitive pricing of Absolut Warhol should give it an advantage in this economic environment. Liya Zhang, vice president of global marketing at Pernod Ricard GTR commented: “This launch will be of huge significance to the evolution of Absolut in travel retail. Through this partnership with The Andy Warhol Foundation, we can democratize art and bring it to all nationalities (and) also recruit new generations of consumers.”
Andy Warhol, John Sex (right), and masked friend at Absolut Vodka’s Party for Keith Haring at the Whitney Museum on October 2, 1986. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/Getty Images)
The foundation will also be receiving some proceeds which its director of licensing, marketing and sales, Michael Dayton Hermann, said would support its philanthropic work. He added that he was “thrilled” to see the Absolut campaign come to life and engage younger people with Warhol’s legacy “in a fresh and dynamic way.”
A short promo from Mexican director and photographer Santiago Sierra Soler is inspired by Warhol’s brush strokes and accompanied by a remixed version of 20th Century Boy by T. Rex. Meanwhile, the rediscovered painting will be showcased at Stockholm’s Sprit Museum, the home of the Absolut Art Collection, on October 17, 2024. It will be the centerpiece of a new exhibition called Andy Warhol, Money On The Wall, curated by art historian and Warhol biographer, Dr. Blake Gopnik.
Historic Beer Sign Stolen from Milwaukee Porch in Bold Theft
He left to purchase a new lock for his 250-pound historic sign, but when he returned, it was missing.
The Innovative Scotch Distillery Adopting Craft Beer Techniques to Transform Whiskey Making
The stills at Holyrood Distillery, the first Scotch distillery in Edinburgh in over 100 years.
At its core, whiskey is distilled beer. Whiskey is spirit made by distilling an alcohol, called wash, that is itself made from grains — beer.
And yet, other than selecting grains and their proportions — barley, corn and wheat are the most common — few distilleries think of themselves as brewers or approach washmaking in the same way brewers think about beermaking.
Holyrood Distillery is changing that.
Holyrood is the first new whiskey distillery in Edinburgh in over 100 years. Located in the literal capital of Scotland and the figurative heartland of malt whiskey, Holyrood is honoring the long history of the national drink while taking an innovative approach to whiskeymaking.
“Test, learn, improve, repeat.” said Calum Rae, distillery manager, in a video interview.
What that means is experimenting with beermaking techniques in making wash, including using heritage barley varieties and specialty malts, and using different yeast strains. These are things that brewers use to make beer styles, from amber lager to saison, different from each other and Holyrood is unique in seeking to understand how this will translate into aged whiskey.
“Holyrood is the home of a fresh, creative approach to Scotch,” says Rae. And the distillery is uniquely situated for this.
While Scotland is famous for making whiskey prized around the world, Edinburgh has a rich brewing history due to underground wells supplying water perfect for beer making. Holyrood is located within Edinburgh’s “Charmed Circle” which was once home to over forty breweries. So, Holyrood is perfectly placed to marry the beermaking and the whiskeymaking arts. Rae himself has a background in brewing and works with a team of distillers, many of whom were trained at the nearby famed Heriot-Watt University.
At craft breweries, a spirit of experimentation is welcomed and Rae has brought that ethos to Holyrood. “We just have a bigger feedback loop,” says Rae, talking about how the results of experiments in distilling take years to materialize, rather than the weeks it takes to see the outcome of new beer recipes.
By regulation, distilled spirit must be aged a minimum of three years before it can be called “Scotch.” To date, Holyrood has only released two expressions — Arrival and Embra — so consumers have only been teased with the fruits of Holyrood’s vast database of flavor experiments. “We are only on the very, very baby steps of the journey,” says Rae.
But eventually, Holyrood’s tasting room will also take a page from the craft beer world. Similar to brewery tasting rooms, Rae envisions a tasting room with 20 or so limited-release drams so that people can taste the cornucopia of flavors they have created. And once the whiskey is gone, it gets replaced with another flavor offering.
Rae insists that, like other whiskey distilleries, Holyrood will have a house character running through all of their drams. “We just have a lot more colors to paint with,” he says of their ability to blend from the seemingly limitless supply of spirits made from different beer recipes, fermented by different yeast strains and aged in different casks. Says Rae, “There’s room for both new and old in the world of whiskey. That’s what’s exciting.”
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Absolut Vodka Unveils Limited-Edition Bottles Inspired by Rediscovered Andy Warhol Painting
American artist and icon Andy Warhol (1928-1987) whose ‘rediscovered’ 1985 artwork could give Absolut Vodka a new lease of life.
Absolut Vodka—once fêted for its creative limited-edition bottles, often tying up art with social messaging—is at it again. This time it has rekindled an old partnership through the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
The Swedish vodka brand, owned by French drinks giant Pernod Ricard, says the new, watery blue bottle will “reignite conversations around culture and inclusivity” and bring Absolut’s legacy in the art world to new audiences.
Back in 1985, Andy Warhol became the first artist to produce artwork based on the silhouette of Absolut’s (then) distinctive apothecary-inspired bottle. Absolut Warhol became the brand’s first art advert and marked the beginning of its involvement in the arts.
Warhol subsequently recommended Keith Haring to interpret the Absolut bottle, and between 1985 and 2004 more than 550 artists subsequently created more than 850 works. The early pieces were part of a brand communication strategy associated with the glamour of New York’s Studio 54, as well as the victims of the AIDS epidemic, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the birth of IT.
Pernod Ricard bought into Absolut’s cultural legacy in 2008, when it fought off rivals to acquire the brand.
The original Absolut Warhol was painted with vibrant colors on a black background and is considered iconic by some. On the MyArtBroker website, a signed print is listed for £27,000 to £40,000 ($34,250 to $50,700).
A second Absolut Warhol painting, also from 1985, had been rumored to exist for decades before his ‘blue’ artwork was uncovered at an auction in 2020. In proving its provenance the original contract was unearthed, confirming both paintings had been commissioned. Pernod Ricard saw an opportunity to revitalize the original partnership—and the Absolut brand.
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From a retail perspective, the limited-edition Absolut Warhol line launched on Monday exclusively in global travel retail (GTR) stores. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is opening an interactive, gallery-style pop-up store for the product, with other major travel hubs lined up.
The bottle brings Warhol’s rediscovered Absolut ‘blue’ painting from 1985 to life by extracting shades of blue from the work and includes an image of Warhol himself alongside his original signature.
The latest Absolut Warhol is exclusive to travel retail for two months.
Pernod Ricard—whose portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Jameson, and Royal Salute whiskies, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes—has put a big budget behind a 3D out-of-home (OOH) ad campaign in the channel and multiple retail activations at airport like London Heathrow in the U.K., Dubai, Singapore Changi, São Paulo, and others.
“`
Only after two months of exclusivity in duty-free will the new Absolut Warhol limited-edition bottle roll out across more than 50 additional global markets (from September) in both one-liter and 700ml bottles.
In travel retail, the one-liter bottle is available, priced at a recommended selling price of $24 or €22. This is cheaper than the current online price of a standard Absolut bottle: €23.90 at Amsterdam Schiphol (checked today). In a channel where premiumization is commonplace, even the norm, Pernod Ricard may score with this accessible-pricing strategy, especially with younger legal drinking age (LDA) travelers.
According to drinks market analyst IWSR, there was flattened consumer demand for alcoholic beverages in the first half of 2023 due to belt-tightening, though spirits (excluding national spirits) were up by 1%, based on the firm’s latest Bevtrac data.
Referencing 2024, IWSR’s senior consumer insights manager, Anastasia Timofeeva, said in December: “The key will be whether real wages can grow sustainably in the next two quarters in Europe and North America, particularly for younger LDA+ and middle-income consumers—and whether the ‘natural’ positivity in China and India translates into actual consumption behavior.”
The creative positioning and competitive pricing of Absolut Warhol should give it an advantage in this economic environment. Liya Zhang, vice president of global marketing at Pernod Ricard GTR commented: “This launch will be of huge significance to the evolution of Absolut in travel retail. Through this partnership with The Andy Warhol Foundation, we can democratize art and bring it to all nationalities (and) also recruit new generations of consumers.”
Andy Warhol, John Sex, and masked friend at Absolut Vodka’s Party for Keith Haring at the Whitney Museum on October 2, 1986. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/Getty Images)
The foundation will also be receiving some proceeds which its director of licensing, marketing and sales, Michael Dayton Hermann, said would support its philanthropic work. He added that he was “thrilled” to see the Absolut campaign come to life and engage younger people with Warhol’s legacy “in a fresh and dynamic way.”
A short promo from Mexican director and photographer Santiago Sierra Soler is inspired by Warhol’s brush strokes and accompanied by a remixed version of 20th Century Boy by T. Rex. Meanwhile, the rediscovered painting will be showcased at Stockholm’s Sprit Museum, the home of the Absolut Art Collection, on October 17, 2024. It will be the centerpiece of a new exhibition called Andy Warhol, Money On The Wall, curated by art historian and Warhol biographer, Dr. Blake Gopnik.