Market Watch, April 2016

The latest list of Hot Brands from Impact Databank features an eclectic mix of successful spirits and wine brands including relatively new offerings like Jack Daniels Tennessee Fire and Viniq and estab lished players like Hennessy Barefoot Cellars and Ruffino Many are owned by industry giants but smaller players like Agave Loco Brands RumChata Michael David Winerys 7 Deadly Zins and Latitude Beverage Co s 90 Cellars have made their presence felt To earn Hot Brand honors a brand must demonstrate three consecutive years of double digit growth or growth of at least 15 percent in 2015 Special consideration is offered to top 10 brands with at least 5 percent growth in 2015 and at least 15 percent growth since 2012 and significant new products can also be included Spirits brands must deplete at least 200000 nine liter cases and wine brands have a minimum of 250000 cases Whisk e y WinnersBrown spirits continue to lead in the spirits category and Crown Royal tops the list While the Diageo owned Canadian whisky had added around 25000 cases annually from 2012 to 2014 last years launch of its Regal Apple expression 25 a 750 ml bottle ignited explosive growth With Regal Apple surging Crown Royal advanced by 825000 cases in 2015 outpacing such hot players as Titos Handmade vodka which was up 800000 cases New Amsterdam up 730000 cases and Fireball up 600000 cases Driven by millennials flavored whiskies as a whole grew by nearly 30 percent last year but trends are changing For example Brown Forman Corp s Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey 22 a 750 ml bottle slowed signifi cantly in 2015 after several years of rapid growth that propelled it to around 700000 cases However Jack Daniels Tennessee Fire 22 has taken its portfoliomates place on the Hot Brands list after surpassing 400000 cases in its second year Beam Suntorys Jim Beam Honey around 18 also has found success crossing 200000 cases in its third year But its growth has been eclipsed by Jim Beam Apple around 18 The offering is the most successful Bourbon innovation weve launched to date according to Beam Suntory vice pres ident of global marketing Rob Mason Meanwhile Sazerac Co s Fireball 16 a 750 ml bottle the leader of the flavored whiskey craze of the past five years posted a 16 percent advance to 46 million cases last year That marked a clear deceleration from 2014 when the brand showed growth of more than 15 million cases Neverthe less social media and word of mouth have helped the brand grow explosively from a base of just over 800000 cases in 2012 Sazeracs Platinum 7X vodka 1299 also hit the Hot Brands list on nearly 20 percent growth in 2015 The seven times distilled spirit is now poised to cross the million case threshold Meanwhile Agave Locos RumChata cream liqueur 1999 which is often served alongside Fireball also cooled off slightly last year despite crossing Impact Databanks latest list of Hot Brands mixes old stalwarts and some intriguing newcomersBY DANIEL MARSTELLER CHRISTINA JELSKI AND KIMBERLY CARMICHAELHOTWhos 30 MARKET WATCH MARKETWATCHMAG COM APRIL 2016PHOTO BY DENNIS PEDERSEN THELICENSINGPROJECT COMMW0416_