Letter from Georgia Lennon CEO, The Drinks Association

Letter from the CEO

The Drinks Association works to make a positive difference to the Australian drinks industry, both as a dynamic partner of its members and through its support for the entire supply chain.

That holistic commitment means 2019 will be an exciting year for retailers. Drinks Trade – a collaboration between The Drinks Association and Hip Media - is preparing to launch a new website that aims to keep the retail sector better informed about news, product releases and events.

A new, more user-friendly website is also on the way for Drinks Guide. Drinks Guide contains product listings of current suppliers and distributors within the Australian drinks Industry.

Whether you’re looking for a particular product or brand, want to know who supplies it or how to contact them, Drinks Guide helps you find the details you need.

The Drinks Association is also a proud advocate of diversity and inclusion in the Australian drinks industry.

The drinks industry’s diversity encompasses differences in ethnicity, gender, language, age, sexual orientation, religion, socio-economic status, physical and mental ability, thinking styles, experience, and education. We believe that the wide array of perspectives that results from such diversity promote innovation and business success. Managing diversity makes us more creative, flexible, productive and competitive.

The Drinks Association Council focussing on Inclusion and Diversity in the workplace is working to further consolidate the industry’s reputation as a destination of choice that attracts and retains the best talent. The Council has some exciting plans for the year ahead that I can’t wait to share with you in the coming months.

The Australian Drinks Awards will also continue to evolve in 2019. The awards had a stronger trade focus in 2018, adding Fan Favourite, Emerging Brand and Most Distinctive Brand Awards under beer, cider, wine, spirits and RTD categories. The winners were determined via a survey of 4000 consumers and are an excellent gauge of how customers are viewing the products on your shelves.

The supplier awards were also expanded - in addition to Supplier of the Year, a Supply Chain Management Award and Most Improved Supplier of the Year were added. These were determined by Advantage Group’s Industry Trade Benchmark Survey, which provides favourability ratings and qualitative retailer feedback from the off trade, on premise, wholesale and outlets channels.

The Most Improved Supplier Award was introduced to recognise suppliers who have successfully set and executed a plan of improvement and have been recognised by retailers for improving their professionalism and delivery across the entirety of their commercial relationship.

The Supply Chain Management Award was introduced to place increased focus on the vital connection between suppliers and retailers in supply chain engagement beyond just the hard service level results.

In 2019, we will be exploring the opportunity of introducing an award recognising those suppliers working effectively with trade in the area of category management.

We look forward to receiving your input into the 2019 Advantage Group Industry Trade Benchmark Survey. The survey is an opportunity to have your say on the suppliers and brands that are putting in the effort to build strong partnerships.

The year ahead is set to be an exciting one, filled with rewards, innovations and challenges. The shift in Australian consumer demographics has had a huge impact on consumer consumption patterns. Additionally, the shift in when and how people are consuming drinks has significantly impacted consumer consumption.

Whoever understands the customer and consumer best will win. The Drinks Association will be there to inform, connect and strengthen our industry as it evolves to meet those challenges.

I look forward to The Drinks Association contributing to another successful year for the drinks industry in 2019.

GEORGIA LENNON Chief Executive Officer, Drinks Association Australia

CREDITS

PUBLISHER The Drinks Association

www.drinkscentral.com.au

All enquiries to: The Drinks Association Locked Bag 4100, Chatswood NSW 2067 ABN 26 001 376 423

The views expressed in Drinks Trade are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily those of the magazine or The Drinks Association. Copyright is held by The Drinks Association and reproduction in whole or in part, without prior consent, is not permitted. Other Drinks Association publications include: Drinks Bulletin drinksbulletin.com.au Drinks Guide drinksguide.com.au Drinks Yearbook

EDITORIAL

PUBLISHING EDITOR Ashley Pini ......................... ashley@hipmedia.com.au EDITOR Melissa Parker........................................ melissa@hipmedia.com.au DIGITAL EDITOR Alana House .............................. alanah@drinks.asn.au DRINKS CURATOR Ben Davidson.......................... ben@hipmedia.com.au PHOTOGRAPHER Ryan Stuart CONTRIBUTORS Brett Heffernan, Sam Reid, Simon Strahan, Simone Allan, Jo Hargreaves, Stuart Gregor, Alec Wagstaff, Fergus Taylor, Julie Ryan, Sharon Wild, Ralph Kyte-Powell, Meira Harel, Morgan Dunn and Bob Campbell MW.

DESIGN

SENIOR DESIGNER Racs Salcedo ........................ ryan@hipmedia.com.au

ADVERTISING

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Tim Ludlow .............. tim@hipmedia.com.au

Produced and contract published by:

ACCOUNTS: accounts@hipmedia.com.au 169 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point NSW 2060 Ph: 02 9492 7999 | www.hipmedia.com.au | facebook.com/ drinksmedia ABN: 42 126 291 914

Editor’s Note

Ah summer! Road trips and school holidays, scorching temperatures and the beach, sunscreen and speedos, emails on auto-respond, long days, cold beer and chilled wine – what is not to love?

We hope that the best trading season of the year was a profitable one and with 2018 well and truly behind us, we look forward to bringing you the best stories and up to date news in the year ahead.

Welcome to the first 2019 edition and the annual, highly anticipated Hottest 100 Brands announced in time for Australia Day (page 42). With the input of industry professionals at the coalface, combined with IRI data, we predict the big brands for 2019, whilst also alerting you to other movers and shakers worth keeping an eye on.

Fancy a cold red wine with your beach barbecue? This edition’s Tasting Bench section took a look at chilled reds instead of summer whites to mix things up a bit (page 62). We loved the number one wine, Richland Pinot Noir 2017, because it tastes great chilled and because it retails for $11 a bottle. Now there is true summer holiday value.

This was our first Tasting Bench in my hometown of Melbourne and we recruited a stellar Melbourne-based panel featuring Ralph Kyte-Powell, Meira Harel, Morgan Dunn and Sharon Wild. Thank you to each and every one of you, you all did a sterling job.

The venue for our Tasting Bench is also worth a mention. Michael Bascetta, co-founder of Worksmith and his community manager, Rachel Dougherty generously offered up their dynamic hospitality co-working space for our use. I was extremely impressed with Worksmith and all that it represents. It really is a hub for the food and liquor industry and plays an integral part in building networks for its members. The second venue is set to open in Melbourne’s CBD and I am convinced it will not be long before this great concept travels interstate as well.

If there was a spirit that conjures the essence of summer I can’t think of a better one than tequila - think Tequila Sunrises and salty Margaritas. The big news is, on the back of celebrity endorsement and a greater consumer understanding of the nuances of Mexico’s national drink, tequila is rising out of the dens of shooter iniquity and transcending into a very respectable drink indeed. Drinks Trade had the secretly groupie-esqe opportunity of interviewing George Clooney and Rande Gerber on their tequila, Casamigos, (page 30) and also spoke to many more tequila aficionados for the tequila feature on page 25.

Over the past couple of months there has been some exciting trade events and collaborations taking place. We have featured some of the best in The Eye on page 66. They include Bombay Sapphire’s collaboration with the National Gallery of Victoria on Escher x nendo / Between Two Worlds exhibition and Johnnie’s Walker’s winter wonderland White Walker launch at Sydney’s Icebergs among others. 2019 already sees creative and innovative trade activity raring to go including at this year’s Australian Open. Piper Heidsieck will host a Champagne House on Grand Slam Oval and Canadian Club will host the Canadian Club Racquet Club pop-up bar at Birrarung Marr overlooking the Yarra River.

Finally, The Drinks Association has an exciting new development just launched and that is the new website for its members. Make sure you check it out. CEO, Georgia Lennon, describes all the benefits in her new year welcome letter on page 7.

Drinks Trade exists to bring you all the news, facts and information you need to enhance your liquor businesses. If you have any suggestions email me at melissa@hipmedia.com.au I welcome any feedback.

Melissa Parker Editor

Drinks Trade would like to correct statistics published on page 79 in the Oct/Nov edition - Champagne Lanson produces four million bottles per year globally (8th largest international premium brand of Champagne according to IWSR) and its Organic Green Label, 50,000 bottles. Lanson Père et Fils uses 30 per cent of reserve wines in its blend from ten different vintages and half of the crus are Premier and Grands Crus.