Happy Hour: beer ice, Velvet Blade, redacted tequila
In the news this month: celebrity-backed brands and THC continue to boom, and the narrative around Gen Z's drinking gains some welcome nuance.
Welcome to our first ever edition of Happy Hour: our once-a-month roundup of the booze news, moves, stories, opinions and thoughts we’ve been paying attention to.
Willie Nelson has a bev brand, and it’s doing very well. Willie’s Remedy+ – his THC-infused ‘social tonic’ – sold out in its first month according to Brewbound, and sales continue to boom. Parent brand JuneShine has said it’s the fastest-growing product they’ve launched so far.
Big alc brands are well-aware of the threat from THC, as reported by Reuters.
Peroni has invented beer ice.
Willie’s Remedy+, launched by JuneShine Vogue investigates: what do Gen Z drinkers really want? They’re picky, but apparently novelty drinks, canned cocktails, and anything that’s TikTok-friendly is doing well.
That Vogue piece is backed up by findings from GlobalData, which says spirits-based RTDs, cocktails, liqueurs and aperitifs are more likely to be popular with Gen Z.
Many bev brands leverage celebrity partnerships, but not Tullamore D.E.W, who have declared themselves “celebrity free since 1829”.
“We may have made mistakes” says Rémy Cointreau’s departing CEO Eric Vallat, who’s overseen tumultuous times at the brand. More from his own LinkedIn here.
Casamigos now comes in cans.
Canned Casamigos “I do truly think we are moving towards an ABV agnostic future - one where people want to explore new and interesting liquids as much as get drunk,” says Botivo founder Imme Ermgasson (interview with her coming to The New Rules soon).
De-alcoholised and low-ABV wines might be about to get a whole lot better, as bev tech biz ALTR lands $5m in seed money. Its Velvet Blade technology allows for precise removal of ethanol molecules.
In total contrast to that, Buffalo Trace have just released 100-proof Sazerac Rye.
Edrington, parent company to The Macallan and Wyoming Whiskey, is facing a tough year.
Patrón plans a new redacted ad campaign that takes a stab at Mexico’s Tequila Regulatory Council.
Drinks brands and fashion labels are matches made in heaven, as noted in this Drinks Business piece. Dolce & Gabbana loves Sicilian wine; Dior Men loves Hennessy X.O; JW Anderson loves Guinness. Writer James Bayley says: “These projects are often limited in scope but broad in impact.”
We’ve been told, repeatedly, that Gen Z doesn’t drink. But according to the Financial Times, they are drinking, and they’re drinking more.
Stauning Whiskey has a new identity and packaging.
Stauning packaging refresh Cara Delavigne is the latest celebrity getting into the RTD craze, as her Della Vite prosecco brand expands into a line of canned spritzes.
Von Dutch dominated the noughties. Now it’s (maybe) releasing a line of spirits (including mushroom vodka) and hard sodas that look quite a lot like perfume.
According to Punch, tequila is the current favourite order in bars across the US (followed by gin and vodka).
And in the world of tequila, Don Julio is apparently the strongest brand – as ranked by Brand Finance, which measures marketing spend, awareness, reputation, and plenty of other metrics.
Forbes has the story of Surfside, which is set to bring in $300m this year. “We're masters of our own destiny at this point,” co-founder Clement Pappas tells the magazine.
Alc-free doesn’t have to be fun-free. GABA Labs are creating a molecule that can recreate the first drink buzz, but hangover-free. It’s due to enter the regulatory process in the US later this year.
