Market Watch, Summer 2020

46 MARKET WATCH MARKETWATCHMAG COM SUMMER 2020 PHOTO BY TOP WILL BYINGTON añejo offerings with sipping appeal that we believe is on par with Cognac or Scotch says Campari America director of white spirits Bernadette Knight Of Camparis two Tequila labels Espolòn in particular has contributed to massive growth for the company the brand surged past the halfmillion case mark in 2019 on growth of 301 following a trend of strong double digit growth over the past six years according to Impact Databank Behind the bar Tequila is moving past the mainstay Margarita in favor of drinks that better showcase the spirits versatility While the Margarita does still play a role for many brands its makeup is being tweaked Were still using a cocktail approach to grow awareness for our Blanco Tequila but were not going with a classic Margarita were instead trying to elevate the Margarita says Katherine Foley brand manager for Infinium Spirits Los Arango Were introducing a couple of signature cocktails that are lighter and more aromatic as opposed to especially bold or juicy Los Arango relaunched in 2018 and was taken nationwide earlier this year Currently producing just under 1000 cases the brand plays at the higher end with its Blanco Reposado and Añejo expressions retailing at 40 60 a 750 ml Brown Forman owned El Jimador 28 a 750 ml is also looking toward simpler cleaner Tequila serves Weve shifted our strategy now focusing on simple craft cocktails with fresh juices clean ingredients and accessible garnishes says El Jimador brand manager Chrissy Wallace She points to such drinks as the Bloody Maria and Paloma as key serves moving forward Pushed at a slightly lower price point than its portfoliomate Herradura El Jimador reached 678000 cases last year on growth of 94 Elsewhere popular whisk e y based cocktails are serving as an entry point for aged Tequilas behind the bar Mixologists like reposado and añejo Tequilas because they can stand on their own says Herraduras Simmonds Those expressions give them more flavor notes to play with which come from the barrels and they do particularly well in an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan giving those drinks a new flair The brand is currently partnered with cocktail delivery service Cocktail Courier while elevated Margaritas are a point of focus for the summer months Simmonds notes that the brand is eyeing the introduction of an Añejo based Old Fashioned in the future With some 73 million cases depleted in 2019 according to Impact Databank No 1 Tequila brand Jose Cuervo is also now lending credence to aged Tequilas as both sipping spirits and crucial cocktail components Were seeing new drinking habits emerge as people begin to use Tequila beyond Margaritas and look for more complex high quality expressions to replace traditional brown spirits like Bourbon or rum says Lander Otegui senior vice president of marketing at Proximo Spirits which handles Cuervo in the U S The brand debuted the first ever añejo within its 100 blue agave Tradicional lineup in April the 33 expression was aged for more than 12 months in new American oak barrels and then finished in a combination of second and third fill Irish single malt whiskey barrels from Old Bushmills Distillery for up to four months This new expression Tradicional Añejo debuts stateside as both Irish whiskey and Tequila soar and were seeing usage in more classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned and the Negroni Otegui adds Brands are now offering more unique Margarita iterations Herradura offers a Habanero Margarita above while Cabo Wabo top markets such takes as the Chipotle Cabo Añejo Rita