National Liquor News August 2019

AUSTRALIA’S LEADING LIQUOR INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

vol. 38 no. 7 - AUGUST 2019

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Editor’s Note

W

elcome to the August issue of National Liquor News.

The biggest news over the last couple of weeks has undoubtedly been the proposed $16 billion deal that would see Asahi become the biggest brewer in Australia, and would also mean that more than 80 per cent of Australia’s beer market would be owned by Japanese companies.

The deal, which will be reviewed by the ACCC, sees Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) divest Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), its Australian subsidiary, to Asahi Holdings Group. The deal includes CUB’s recently acquired craft breweries 4 Pines and Pirate Life.

The ACCC’s review may see Asahi have to sell some brands in order for the deal to go ahead, which is what happened to ABI when it bought SABMiller. If the deal goes ahead it would see CUB have its fourth owner in eight years after SABMiller bought Foster’s Group in 2011, and then ABI bought SABMiller in 2016.

You can read about the acquisition on page 13 and we will continue to bring you updates in coming months as the deal progresses.

On the cover this month we’ve got Beam Suntory’s latest foray into the RTD category, which is heavily influenced by the Japanese highball culture and aims to bring refreshment and innovation to Australia.

The Koyomi Highball comes in three flavours and was driven by Beam Suntory Director of Innovation Kay Oh, who said after six years away she returned to Australia to see more Japanese influence in the high street and thought this would bring an opportunity for a highball-style drink, you can read all about it on page 14.

On the wine front, Andrew Graham has taken a look at what it is about the rosé category that has got suppliers dubbing phrases like “the explosion of pink drinks”, the “rush for blush” and a year ago, and in these very pages we tagged it as the rosénado.

However you want to describe it, the current appetite for rosé is impossible to ignore. In the year to January 2018 the category grew by 60 per cent YOY (by value, according to IRI figures) making it the best performer in the wine industry.

Globally, sales are still growing strongly too, up more than 30 per cent since 2000, with most of the growth apparently fuelled by millennials. You can read more about rosé from page 28.

The NLN Tasting Panel this month also tasted a range of rosé, and you can see which wines ranked well over pages 44 to 47.

Speaking of millennials, more and more we are seeing this group of legal aged drinkers turning towards ‘healthier’ alternatives, so on page 18 we’ve put together a what’s what of some of today’s hottest non-alcoholic products.

Meanwhile, Charlie Whitting has taken a look abroad and has spoken to a number of suppliers about American spirits and beer, as well as taking a look at the international and imported beer categories, and why they are an essential part of any retailer’s offering. You can read these articles beginning on page 34.

We also have the regular contributions from Retail Drinks Australia, Spirits and Cocktails Australia, Alcohol Beverages Australia as well as NZ Winegrowers and Wine Australia, as well as a peek inside the new premium retail banner offering from Independent Liquor Group (ILG), Fleet Street.

You can keep your feedback coming through djackson@intermedia.com.au, we are always keen to hear your feedback, look at issues concerning you at the moment, and making sure we make this mag work for you.

Cheers, Deb Deborah Jackson, Editor 02 8586 6206 | djackson@intermedia.com.au

top reads 28 16 34

Rosé Report: Have we hit peak pink?

ILG launches new Fleet Street banner The American Dream NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS IS THE OFFICIAL TRADE PUBLICATION OF RETAIL DRINKS AUSTRALIA.

4 | AUGUST 2019 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

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CONTENTS

34

21

28 16 18

Contents August Wine

Spirits

10 Wine News: All the latest releases and wine news 22 Wine Australia: A look at the 2019 vintage across Australia’s wine regions 23 New Zealand Winegrowers: Celebrating 200 years of New Zealand wine 28 The Rosé Report: Andrew Graham reports on the ‘rush for blush’ 44 Wine Tasting Review: All the results from our rosé tasting

14 Beam Suntory: Koyomi brings refreshment and innovation to Australia 15 Spirits: The latest releases, news and promotions from the spirits category 24 Spirits & Cocktails Australia: Introducing the World Spirits Alliance 34 Authentic America: American beers and spirits offer many opportunities for Australian retailers

Brews

16 Retail Spotlight: ILG launches its new premium banner, Fleet Street 17 Shopper Insights: Norrelle Goldring dives into the world of Big Data 18 Non-alcoholic Drinks: A selection of the latest and greatest alcohol-free products to hit retailers’ shelves 20 Leasing: Marianna Idas of eLease Lawyers discusses how to exit a lease early

12 Brewing: What’s new in the world of beer 38 International Beers: Charlie Whitting investigates how best to champion these global stars 42 Beer Tasting: We taste a selection of new release beers

6 | AUGUST 2019 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Retail Focus

21 Retailer Profile: We catch up with Scott Thomas from Liquor Legends Anglers Inn in South Australia 25 Alcohol Beverages Australia: Sydney suffers thanks to draconian lockout laws, says the ABA 26 Retail Drinks Australia: Julie Ryan discusses the challenges of managing employee mental health 50 Shop Talk: We talk shop with Fogarty Wine Group and Ashby Liquor Super Store in Western Australia

Regulars 8 News: The latest liquor industry news for retailers around the country 48 Events: An exclusive peek at last month’s launches and parties

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NEWS

BWS searching for new Director BWS is actively searching for a new Director after the Woolworths Group confirmed the appointment of Guy Brent as Managing Director of FoodCo and Metro.

Brent is moving from his current role as Director of BWS and transitioning into his new role.

Steve Donohue, Managing Director, Endeavour Drinks said: “I’d like to thank Guy Brent for his contribution to the success of BWS and Endeavour Drinks over the last five years.

“Guy has provided outstanding leadership to the BWS business and has built it into a high performing, well-recognised brand in the Australian drinks market. In his time with the business, he has led the team to build a strong customer and team first culture, with a particular focus on empowering leaders in our stores.

“We look forward to Guy’s ongoing contribution to the success of the Woolworths Group in his new role as Managing Director for FoodCo and Metro.”

Woolworths also confirmed that Kate Beattie had been appointed as Interim Director of BWS, and she will be responsible for leading the team while the search for a new Director is undertaken.

Beattie’s career spans the financial services, engineering, retail and technology sectors and she has been Finance Director for Endeavour Drinks since November 2017.

Donohue added: “Kate will lead the team to drive forward FY20 strategy, while also leveraging shared capabilities across Endeavour Drinks.”

Alistair Gray will step in as Acting Finance Director for Endeavour Drinks, while Kate moves across to BWS. The changes are expected to be in place by September.

Commissioner appointed to Port Hedland The Western Australian Government has appointed Commissioner Fred Riebeling to the Town of Port Hedland, a move that the Liquor Stores Association of WA (LSA WA) has applauded.

Following the Commissioner’s appointment, LSA WA has called for a renewed, sensible debate around the alcohol restrictions and strategies currently engulfing the region.

CEO Peter Peck, says that the appointment is a positive move forward and will support the successful implementation of the Banned Drinkers Register (BDR) trial.

The BDR concept, which has been well received by government, industry and stakeholders, focuses on problem drinkers with an appropriate treatment strategy that will enable health professionals to help them or others affected by their behaviour. It will also aim to reduce anti-social behaviour with a more focused approach.

“The BDR trial is an effective tool to prevent recidivous offending and will block people from buying alcohol.

It has no bearing on those who comply with the law,” Peck said.

“Sledgehammer measures including a complete ban on all liquor as championed by Port Hedland Mayor Camillo Blanco are never going to work. They are simply illogical and impractical.

“In a time where WA Tourism is starting to recover we need to show leadership, we need to foster good workable relations with all stakeholders and not fall into a state of panic,” Peck added.

Peck stressed that LSA WA supports the responsible consumption, service and purchase of alcohol but “it shouldn’t come at the expense of those who comply with all the laws of the land as opposed to those who break them”.

LSA WA will be aiming to meet the new Commissioner of Port Hedland to offer a briefing on the merits of the BDR.

Alcohol Beverages Australia appoints new CEO Alcohol Beverages Australia has announced Andrew Wilsmore as its new Chief Executive Officer, replacing Fergus Taylor who left the role in April.

Wilsmore will bring over 20 years’ experience in the retail, hospitality, tourism and agricultural sectors with him to the role, having most recently worked as Head of Risk and Reputation at Endeavour Drinks Group.

Prior to that he has had several senior roles in policy and public affairs at Winemakers’ Federation, National Farmer’s Federation and the Australian Hotels Association.

Speaking about his appointment, Wilsmore said: “I am excited to join Alcohol Beverages Australia at this time to work with the team and the Council to reach our strategic objectives.

“The recent appointment of Kerri Osborne, a highly experienced media and communications professional, to an already capable team demonstrates how strongly our industry believes it has a great story to tell about the significant contributions we make economically and Andrew Wilsmore socially. I’m looking forward to ensuring our important voice is heard.”

Chair of Alcohol Beverages Australia, Bryan Fry, said that after a robust recruitment process Wilsmore’s appointment was roundly endorsed by the pan-industry Executive Committee.

“Andrew brings extensive experience in the alcohol beverages industry and is known for his stakeholder engagement and policy skills,” Fry said.

“We are delighted to appoint someone with his energy, commitment, understanding of the issues and communication style. Andrew will spearhead the Alcohol Beverages Australia’s strategy by being a proactive voice for our industry which includes over half a million people who rely on a healthy and vibrant industry for their employment; as well as responsible drinkers throughout Australia who enjoy alcohol in moderation as part of a balanced lifestyle.”

Wilsmore begins his new role on 12 August and everyone at Food & Beverage Media wishes him success with ABA.

8 | AUGUST 2019 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

NEWS

Robert Hill-Smith receives 2019 Maurice O’Shea Award Robert Hill-Smith has received the prestigious Maurice O’Shea Award at a Gala Dinner, held in conjunction with McWilliam’s Wines and the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference (AWITC), held at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide.

Named to commemorate one of Australia’s most iconic winemakers, Mount Pleasant’s Maurice O’Shea, the award is given in recognition of the incredible service and contribution people or organisations have made to position Australia as a world leader in winemaking, cultivation, innovation and technology.

The award recognises Hill-Smith as an industry leader and specifically called out his work fostering the next generation of the Australian wine industry through the Working with Wine Fellowship.

In addition, his commitment to preserve, protect and enhance the environment, develop wine export opportunities and establish the Yalumba Nursery to support the industry with clonal and varietal diversity, were also recognized.

Upon accepting the award Hill-Smith said: “I accept this honour realising my name now sits alongside many incredible people who have served our Australian wine world with style, persistence and success. To say that I am humbled by this prestigious award and more than a little embarrassed is an understatement.

“The great people I have worked alongside at Yalumba have played a huge part in supporting my family and its various endeavours. The Maurice O’Shea Award is a generous and respected initiative by the six generation McWilliam family and I thank them genuinely for this recognition.”

Robert Hill-Smith

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ABAC welcomes quick resolutions to code breaches The Advertising Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) recorded six breaches in the second quarter of 2019, mainly in the placement and social media areas of compliance, with the 2019 Quarterly Report showing all breaches have been rectified.

In detailing the key points and breaches in the quarter, ABAC Chair Harry Jenkins AO said each was rectified quickly and that it also highlighted the importance of alcohol marketers using ABAC’s Alcohol Advertising Pre-vetting Service.

“ABAC’s role is to promote and regulate the responsible advertising and marketing of alcohol products in Australia and, where breaches do occur, to rectify those breaches quickly and work with advertisers, marketers and social media platforms to ensure they do not reoccur,” Jenkins explained.

“Breaches can be unintended, often due to smaller alcohol producers or alcohol marketing partners, such as graphic designers or social influencers being unaware of the standards. However, this is still concerning as every player in the marketing chain needs to be aware of their obligations and act responsibly. When a breach occurs ABAC works with the marketer to bring them up-to-speed and remove the offending ad or materials, thereby gaining a valuable understanding of how to market alcohol responsibly.

“More recently, we’ve seen inadvertent breaches in the social media realm, where ongoing confusion and the limitations of the platforms have come to the fore.

We are working with Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, both in Australia and internationally, to address concerns we have raised with them.

“This quarter saw six breaches of the Code,” said Jenkins.

“While any breach is disappointing, the rapid turnaround in addressing ABAC’s rulings by all marketers is welcomed. In each case, marketers acted promptly to comply with ABAC’s determinations by modifying or removing material and undertaking system reviews to ensure compliance.

“In none of the content breaches this quarter or, in fact, over the past two years, had the marketing or packaging been pre-vetted by ABAC. This really does underscore the importance of advertisers making use of ABAC’s Alcohol Advertising Pre-vetting Service.”

CHECK OUT THESHOUT.COM.AU NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 9

WINE NEWS

Trentham’s The Family range gets a makeover Trentham Estate’s ‘The Family’ range of Italian varietal wines has received an extreme makeover, stepping up its look from the traditional, to the trend-setting and modern.

The collection has been a favourite with consumers since its release in 2005 with just three wines in the range – Pinot Grigio, Moscato and Nebbiolo – and other than a small refresh of the packaging in 2015, The Family range’s aesthetic has remained much the same for the best part of 15 years. The relaunch of the range brings the packaging up to date, capturing the on-trend attitude of Trentham Estate’s winemaking process,

the history and heritage of the family behind the wines and incorporating Italian cues that truly represent the wine’s full-bodied personality.

And the new vintage of wines themselves are also looking great, according to Anthony Murphy, Trentham Estate’s Co-owner and Chief Winemaker.

“The wines that are coming out under that new label – the Prosecco and new Vermentino look excellent, also the Nero d’Avola and soon-tobe released Nebbiolo look really good from the 2018 vintage. So we’re really excited about the new fresh look and new wines.”

Taylors launches augmented reality labels In celebration of its 50th anniversary, family-owned Taylors Wines has undergone a total portfolio refresh, updating its Estate, Jaraman and St Andrews labels.

And to take the refresh one step further, the family has also launched the new Taylors Wines mobile app and augmented reality (AR) to take the Taylors wine drinking experience beyond the bottle.

The app is available through the App Store and Google Play, and it takes drinkers on a journey back through the 50-year history of the Clare Valley winery through an AR animation feature.

Mitchell Taylor, third generation Managing Director and Winemaker, said that while the redesign enhances the premium cues across each range and provides greater consistency across the entire portfolio, it’s the mobile technology that really stands out.

“This is an exciting new step into how devoted drinkers engage with Taylors Wines,” he said.

“While the redesign honours each of the ranges’ original designs, we’ve taken the update one step further into the future through the use of AR. “The new application will give Taylors wine drinkers the opportunity to learn more about our family, our winery and the wine they are enjoying. And we have some exciting plans to further develop the app experience in the future.”

The mobile app, developed in collaboration with digital agency Talkin’ Things, allows wine drinkers to unlock the AR experience using the ‘scan feature with any bottle of Taylors wines. Upon scanning and recognising the bottle, the application automatically initiates the animated AR feature of Taylors history.

In addition to the label scanning feature, purchasers of The Legacy 2014 (Taylors new super-premium Cabernet blend) will be able to access the ‘verify’ feature to ensure the wine is authentic and unopened. The feature uses a unique NFC chip installed on the screw cap to communicate with the smartphone.

“We’re very excited to be one of the few Australian wineries showcasing this new technology to enhance both the experience and security of our wines, and we look forward to expanding how wine drinkers can engage with Taylors Wines further through this powerful application,” Taylor said.

10 | AUGUST 2019 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Peter Dillon and Jonathon Mattick

Handpicked Wines buys second Tamar Valley vineyard Handpicked Wines has expanded its Tasmanian portfolio, buying Native Point Vineyard on the east bank of the Tamar Valley, which follows its purchase of Auburn Road Vineyard in June last year.

Handpicked has a close relationship with the vineyards having purchased fruit from Native Point Wines for the past five years. The 33-hectare property joins Handpicked’s other vineyard holdings – two in the Yarra Valley, one in the Barossa Valley and one on the Mornington Peninsula.

Director of Winemaking Peter Dillon said: “The acquisition of Native Point is an important part of our commitment to winemaking in Tasmania. We have always loved the quality and distinctive character of Pinot Noir produced on the gentle slopes down to Swan Bay and we will continue the progress made at Native Point, building on Tim and Sheena’s hard work.”

The existing vineyard is five hectares and Handpicked has plans to at least double that, taking advantage of its location as one of the few vineyards on the east bank of the Tamar River and being one of the warmest sites in the valley.

Senior Viticulturist Andrew Butler said Native Point would be one of the first Handpicked vineyards to begin the process of organic certification.

“Cattle are currently grazed on the property to help maintain the nonvineyard areas and sheep will be introduced to assist in weed control in the vineyards. As with all our properties, additions of organic matter in the form of mulch, compost and manure will improve soil microbial activity and water holding capacity, leading to healthier and more resilient vines,” Butler said.

The site currently has Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling planted with new plantings of Gamay and Pinot Noir clones planned for next year.

The first Tasmanian Riesling from Native Point has been flagged for 2020, while Pinot Noir from the vineyard may make its way into Handpicked’s traditional-method sparkling, the first of which is slated for release in time for Christmas 2020.

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BREWING

Mismatch and Hills Cider take sales internal The Hills Cider Company (THCC) and Mismatch Brewing Company (MMBC) – both part of one of the industry’s leading cellar door and production facilities LOT.100, recently completed in the Adelaide Hills – have announced they’re moving on from long-term distribution partners Samuel Smith & Son (SSS).

In a joint statement, the companies said the decision has been made to “bring further levels of support for their customers” and is “one rooted in mutual respect”. The split from SSS came into effect on 1 July.

“In today’s ever fragmenting market both businesses collectively reached the conclusion that the needs of a beer and cider business and fine wine were vastly different,” reads the statement.

“The language to inform and grow customers was unique to both segments. As such the parting of ways will be done to give both businesses opportunity to concentrate on their core functions and to exponentially grow within these spheres to further exceed consumer expectations and desires.”

As a result of the decision, both Hills Cider and Mismatch Brewing will be expanding their employee base – “with additional cider and beer sales specialists around the country”.

This is in line with a stated aim of more than doubling domestic production and spreading their distribution further around the country.

“The decision is difficult as there is immense mutual respect, with both the SSS business and their partners championing quality first while making inroads into sustainable practices,” comments Tobias Kline of THCC and MMBC. For further information and orders going forward, customers are urged to contact their relevant State Business Development Manager.

BrewDog eyeing new Australian beers The long-running efforts of Scottish craft brewer BrewDog to build and open a brewery in Australia look like coming to fruition soon, and Co-founder Martin Dickie said, he is looking forward to what that will mean for the beers he can brew.

The new brewery at Murarrie will house a 25-hectolitre system which will enable BrewDog to work on some one-off brews as well as make more of its core range available in Australia. Dickie told TheShout that over the next few months the brewing equipment will be moved in followed by the taproom and that he was hopeful it will all be open by the end of 2019.

And once the brewery is open Dickie said he was particularly looking forward to being able to work with fresh Australian hops, especially having tried a number of local beers.

“It’s quite difficult to get Australian hops in the UK and then you’re always at the risk of someone else’s supply chain in terms of being sure that they’re incredibly fresh at the end of it.

“So being able to work with Australian hops and really understand the full potential of those is exciting,” he said.

“We’ve heard amazing things and while we haven’t made many beers with Australian hops, we really love the ones that we’ve tried. And so we’re really excited to do that and also work on some of the barrel aged beers. We do a lot of whiskey and Bourbon barrel aged beers so hopefully we’ll get to work with some great Australian spirit barrels, but also, and what we’re probably more excited about, is being able to start to using wine barrels in our beers as well, which is something we’ve done twice.

“But it was always very difficult to get good quality fresh wine barrels in the north-east of Scotland,

12 | AUGUST 2019 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

which is not really known for its wine industry. So we’re really excited to be able to experiment again with ingredients and things that we’ve never really been able to get before; we’re really looking forward to that.”

As a result of a brewery with capacity to allow experimentation, such as the one they are building at Murarrie, Dickie said it means BrewDog would definitely be looking to extend the range of beers it has here, as they understand the local market more.

“Having a tap room as well means we’ll be able to showcase lots of one-offs and specials, and, it really is about finding what the BrewDog balance is in Australia.

“The beers that we’re brewing in America differ slightly in terms of what are the more popular ones in America versus the ones in the UK and you can imagine that will be equally the case in Brisbane.

“We’ve got a very large recipe book over the last 12 years, but, we’ll have Punk, we’ll have Pony, we’ll have Lost Lager. And then it’s a case of ‘okay, what else do the people locally in Brisbane want to drink?’

And we’ll build our strategy around what’s popular.”

BREWING

4 Pines releases first Nitro Stout in bottles In an Australian first, 4 Pines Brewing Company has released a Nitro Stout in a bottle.

Using the same Stout recipe since it was first brewed in 2009, the Nitro Stout contains no widget, just an infusion of nitrogen in the bottle which produces a creamy head after being poured vigorously into a glass.

A dry Irish Stout, the brew presents almost black and bears a generous tan head. Aromas of coffee, chocolate and caramel are matched with a full-bodied mouthfeel, a smooth finish and a rounding bitterness.

The introduction of nitrogen aims to recreate a similar experience to how the beer was originally served at the Manly brewpub, poured or pumped from cask. The nitrogen bubbles are smaller than carbon dioxide bubbles, resulting in a beer that feels less carbonated. Nitrogen is also a large component in the air we breathe, so the bubbles in the head don’t feel the need to escape into the air as quickly, producing a thicker, creamier head.

The 4 Pines Nitro Stout is best refrigerated for at least 24 hours before being poured hard and fast into the glass.

It is available now around the country at RRP $22 per six-pack of 330ml bottles. It is 5.1 per cent ABV and 40 IBU.

Coopers to launch XPA in cans Coopers Brewery is set to release its new XPA (Extra Pale Ale) into a can format with plans to make it available to major liquor outlets across Australia by mid-August.

The move comes after XPA’s successful on-premise launch recently. The XPA was launched in kegs and attracted a strong response from consumers at the Great Australasian Beer Spectapular (GABS) in May and this was followed by an on-premise rollout in hotels through June.

Coopers Marketing and Innovation Director, Cam Pearce, said it was the positive consumer response that helped the brewery make the decision to go ahead with the can format: the XPA will not be available in bottles.

“The decision to only release XPA in cans reflects increasing consumer preference for this form of container,” Pearce said

“Coopers already offers Coopers Original Pale Ale, Session Ale and Mild Ale in cans, along with its lager beers Coopers Dry, Coopers Premium Lager and Coopers Premium Light.

“We are currently considering further expansion to this range.”

XPA will be sold in distinctive purple 375ml cans with first shipments leaving the Regency Park brewery in early August.

XPA is a beer style that is becoming increasingly popular with Australian consumers and sits between an American Pale Ale and India Pale Ale. Coopers uses the American hops Simcoe and Lemondrop during the brewing process, and the brewery says this provides “bright citrus undertones with aromas of grapefruit, lemon and a hint of mandarin”. The beer has an ABV of 5.2 per cent and 37 international bitterness units.

ACCC will review Asahi’s CUB deal The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has told TheShout that it will begin a public review of Asahi’s proposed $16bn deal to buy Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), once a submission is received.

The deal, which was revealed last month, would see Asahi become the biggest brewer in Australia, and would also mean that more than 80 per cent of Australia’s beer market is owned by Japanese companies.

An ACCC spokesperson said: “The ACCC has been notified of this proposed transaction by the parties involved. We will begin a public review once we receive a submission.”

CUB’s CEO, Peter Filipovic, said he was looking forward to growing the business with Asahi.

“We are a great Australian business, with iconic brands, world-class breweries and great people.

These have made us the market leader in Australia and we look forward to growing the business and the beer category with Asahi.

“Not only will we continue to brew our famous beers such as VB and Carlton Draught in Australia, but we’ll join a company that has fantastic beers such as Asahi and Peroni.

“We look forward to continuing to be a vital part of the Australian community that we’ve served for more than 180 years as we grow the business with Asahi.”

Peter Margin, Executive Chairman, Asahi Beverages added: “This is an exciting proposition for our business, and will support our vision to be

the first choice in beverages.”

The deal represents the latest investment by Asahi in growing its presence not just in Australia, but globally. In 2016, the company bought Peroni, Grolsch, Meantime plus a number of Eastern Europe brands including Pilsner Urquell from AB InBev (ABI), as part of ABI’s purchase of SABMiller.

The ACCC’s review may see Asahi have to sell some brands in order for the deal to go ahead, which is what happened to ABI when it bought SABMiller. If the deal goes ahead it will see CUB have its fourth owner in eight years after SABMiller bought Foster’s Group in 2011, and then ABI bought SABMiller in 2016.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 13

COVER STORY

Koyomi brings refreshment and innovation to Australia Beam Suntory’s new Shochu RTD, Koyomi, is strongly influenced by Japanese culture.

B

eam Suntory’s latest foray into the ready-to-drink (RTD) category is heavily influenced by the Japanese highball culture and aims to bring refreshment and innovation to Australia.

The Koyomi Highball comes in three flavours and was driven by Beam Suntory Director of Innovation Kay Oh, who said after six years away she returned to Australia to see more Japanese influence in the high street and thought this would bring an opportunity for a highball-style drink.

“When I left Australia six years ago, every restaurant on a street corner was a Thai restaurant. Now, it’s Japanese restaurants highend, middle-end and sushi train, and I thought ‘that is interesting’.

“Then I thought about what our core space is typically and what consumers say they want from their drinks. An important factor is having something super-refreshing and that immediately took me back to my days in Japan and the drink that is big there is called Chuhai.

“Chuhai is a shortened version of a Shochu Highball and Chuhai in a can is quite a large portion of our core industry in Japan.

“I thought it would be great if we could provide a drinking experience of Japan in a refreshing highball format and in popular Japanese flavours. It had to be with Shochu and it had to be unique both inside and outside.

So putting all that together is essentially the thought behind Koyomi.”

That concept of being unique on the outside is reflected in the eye-catching can designs, which will help Koyomi to stand out on shelves and Oh said there is “a lot of Japanese-ness hidden in the can designs”.

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“I thought it would be great if we could provide a drinking experience of Japan in a refreshing highball format and in popular Japanese flavours. It had to be with Shochu and it had to be unique both inside and outside. So putting all that together is essentially the thought behind Koyomi.”

– Kay Oh She added: “I had a very firm view about what I wanted to be in the can designs and for each one the lead flavour is hidden within the design.”

The three flavours are Blood Orange and Bitters, Mandarin and Grapefruit and Yuzu and Lime. As Oh explained the thinking behind the flavours was very important and they were chosen to reflect the direct Japanese translation of Koyomi, which means calendar.

“But,” Oh adds, “as with any Japanese word, there are a lot of hidden meanings, indirect meanings, or insinuated meanings, and Koyomi to me is super-Japanese in a way that you have a really deep connection to flow of time. Flow of

time, meaning seasons, mood and colours.

“In Japan there are four clear seasons, that is one thing, but the second thing is that they say ‘this is the cherry blossom season’ or ‘this is the persimmon season’. For me that is Koyomi.

“So what I wanted to do was to express that deep connection and flow of time, through different flavours. The white can, which is Yuzu and Lime is more crisp and refreshing. For me, that is an expression of a much warmer time.

“Then you’ve got mandarin, and Japanese love mandarin and that tends to become a little bit colder but without being too cold and you’ve got a little bit of a warmer citrus note.

“Then when was I thinking about cold, I wanted something a little bit warmer, sweeter, but without being too sickly and to me that is Blood Orange. It was about those kinds of conceptual elements to express the flow of time, which is basically the name of the brand.”

Oh said that while there is work to do on educating Australian consumers on Shochu and drinking occasions, because of the range of flavours and its refreshing nature Koyomi is a versatile drink that can be consumed on different occasions.

“Chuhai in Japan is mostly drunk with meals, so there is obviously the food occasion, but you can also use it as a cocktail. I recognise that not a lot of Australian people will know what Shochu is, so it is certainly our mission to educate and help consumers understand what it is all about.”

The Koyomi Highball will come in 250ml cans, each of 4.2 per cent ABV. Available with an $18 RRP per four pack and the three flavours will be available at all leading liquor stores from August 2019.

SPIRITS

Independent retailers dominating online whisky sales Independent retailers are dominating the online whisky space over the supermarket chains, according to a new report from The Whisky List.

The report illustrates the success independent retailers are having recently in selling whisky digitally against the chains, countering the belief that it is impossible for indies to compete with the supermarket buying power.

Although variances inevitably exist on an individual retailer level, the report shows that at aggregate levels FY2018/19, independent retailers far outperform chains across three key areas: product exclusivity, access to new products and price.

According to the Whisky List’s Indies vs Chains 2019 Report, there were 2361 whiskies exclusive to independent retailers, compared to 156 for the chains. Additionally there were 1167 new whiskies available at indies first, compared to 67 for the chains.

The report also showed good news on the price front with 1702 whiskies with the lowest price at independent retailers, compared with 256 at the chains.

“Supermarket chains captured 73 per cent of all alcohol sales in FY18/19 in Australia,” The Whisky List said.

“Despite facing such mighty competition, online independent retailers are expanding dramatically into the Australian liquor industry, with more stores open than ever.

“Their dominance in the whisky niche specifically is arguably due to the points of difference they offer as compared to chains. Indies (as an aggregate) stock a more diverse range from both overseas and Australian whisky producers with both exclusivity deals and access to more new releases from the brands, all while remaining highly competitive on price.”

The Whisky List also announced results for the value of tracked sales from its website, with 93 per cent of users purchasing whisky from independents over chains, valued at $846,000.

When surveyed, users of The Whisky List voted 85 per cent in favour of “prefer purchasing from an online independent bottle shop vs supermarket chain”.

Lark Distillery launches its second Wolf Release Australian Whisky Holdings’ (AWH) Lark Distillery has launched pre-sales of its limited release malt whisky, The Wolf Release.

The release marks Lark Distillery’s second collaboration with Victorian craft brewery Wolf of the Willows, following the first limited release in 2018.

Four Lark Distillery ex-whisky casks were hand selected and sent across the Bass Strait to Wolf of the Willows, where they were filled with Imperial Smoked Porter and left to age.

After being decanted, they were sent back to Lark Distillery in Tasmania and filled with single malt whisky, maturing for seven weeks and picking up considerable influence from the beer.

Jonnie Edwards, distiller at Lark Distillery said: “We came into the Wolf 2.0 project with a lot more confidence after seeing how successful the first release had been. The challenge now was to take this collaboration to the next level and ask ourselves, ‘How do we improve?’

“Once we had these casks filled, I tasted them every second day – it’s amazing how quickly the beer integrates with the whisky. Being able to watch the spirit develop and change constantly is a rewarding testament to how special a collaboration like this really is.”

The whisky is described as packing “a punch with a bold mouthfeel and big smoked porter influence, with chocolate orange and stewed fruits on the nose and apple custard with buttered pastry on the palate. The finish is big and earthy, with chocolate shorrtbread, campfire smoke and dried fruits”.

Limited to just 687 bottles at 54 per cent ABV, The Wolf Release was officially launched on 24 July.

Nikka Coffey Malt launches in Australia Asahi Premium Beverages has launched its Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky in Australia, following the launch of Nikka Coffey Grain, Coffey Gin and Coffey Vodka last year.

After launching in 2014 Nikka Coffey Malt has attracted a lot of attention, particularly after being named as Japanese Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray’s 2018 Whisky Bible. The whisky was also awarded a trophy at the International Spirits Challenge 2017 and gold medals at the International Spirits Challenges in 2015 and 2014.

“We are pleased to see the Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky enter Australia, it is a versatile spirit which can be enjoyed neat, or as a base spirit in numerous cocktails,” Naoki Tomoyoshi from Nikka Whisky International Headquarters said.

Distilled from 100 per cent malted barley, Nikka

Coffey Malt, is the result of a unique distillation process in ‘Coffey’ type column stills, which are normally used for grain whisky production.

As such, this unique 100 per cent Coffey malt is categorised as a grain whisky, and offers a surprisingly rich texture with deep oaky notes.

Invented by Aeneas Coffey in 1830 in Scotland, the Coffey Still is a very traditional type of a continuous still, which retains the flavours of the ingredients and also creates a distinctive texture.

The whisky is described as featuring “aromas of rich spices and candied citrus, Nikka Coffey Malt offers a robust dense texture with notes of cinnamon, clove and lemon, and a long finish with a blend of rich oak, tobacco and mild chocolate”.

Nikka’s Coffey Malt Whisky (700ml, 45 per cent ABV, RRP $130) is available at select premium venues and stores.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 15

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Graham Campion, Owner of the Commodore Hotel and Paul Esposito, CEO of ILG

ILG launches new Fleet Street banner The Independent Liquor Group is harnessing premiumisation with its new Fleet Street banner offering, Andy Young was at the opening of its flagship store.

I

ndependent Liquor Group (ILG) has officially launched its new Fleet Street banner group, opening the flagship store at The Commodore Hotel in McMahons Point.

A second store has also opened at Bella Vista, while three more stores will soon open at Collaroy, Mona Vale and North Avalon.

The aim is to have 12 premium Fleet Street bannered stores up and running over the next 12 months.

ILG CEO Paul Esposito told National Liquor News that the new banner is a high-end offering that will target the premiumisation trend, and that the group is aiming to open more stores in the coming weeks.

“This is our first Fleet Street store in the ILG system and it will be one of many,” Esposito said.

“This is a concept that was in the ILG system for some time and we’ve been looking through Board reports and asking ‘what is the Fleet Street concept?’. It was always going to be a premium offering. So at a Think Tank Board meeting recently, I thought let’s bring this to life.

“All the suppliers are talking about premiumisation and retail needs to move that way as well. So it was a concept that was developed in that way.”

Esposito said that feedback from both suppliers and customers has already been positive with people saying the store has a good feel about, a good ambience and people feel the warmth when they walk in. He added that one

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“This is a brand that we want to evolve and make sure that we have the right people and the right stores for this.”

– Paul Esposito of the main focuses for the Fleet Street concept was around making stores comfortable and in particular, shoppable.

“What we need to do today is to make sure that people come back into stores, instead of just ordering online and shopping in that way,” Esposito said.

“We want to bring people in stores and I think a concept like this invites people in.

“From the consumer perspective this is really targeting premiumisation. Often you walk into a bottle shop and there is just a small section that is premium so with this we are targeting those shoppers who want to try something different and something premium.

“It’s more about giving the consumer a shoppable experience. Just because it is premium, doesn’t mean we are inflating the pricing. The focus is more about the premium brands, at a reasonable price, bringing people back from online and bringing them into stores.”

Esposito also said that ILG will work carefully to ensure that the right stores are selected for the Fleet Street concept, but added that the group has already been approached by retailers in New South Wales as well as other states, who are keen to adopt the banner.

“What will determine a Fleet Street store is their mix of business, and we will go through and look at that and make sure that mix of business is right for this concept.

“Everything we are doing is around the medium to top-end product and everything is based around premiumisation. And part of that means that we will be working with our partners to ensure it’s not just one brush fits all. It’s got to fit in the local area and fit their needs as well.

“We have had some interest from other states about the concept, as well as from other banners saying ‘this is what we want to move into’. So it’s exciting, it’s a new space for ILG. “This just gives us another offering that we can take to market for the right stores. We have Bottler which is our drive-through, Super Cellars is for the freestanding store and this is now our premium offering.

“We are a bit more protective of this, this is a brand that we want to evolve and make sure that we have the right people and the right stores for this.”

Esposito told National Liquor News that ILG is hoping to have five more Fleet Street stores open in the next five weeks.

SHOPPER INSIGHTS

Big Data decoded Big Data has numerous retail applications, and here, Norrelle Goldring overviews them.

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ccording to Wikipedia, the term ‘Big Data’ has been used since the 1990s, and 2002 is considered the beginning of the ‘digital age’ with the move to digital storage and away from analogue storage on devices such as tapes. But what is Big Data, and how can it best be used in a retail context?

What is Big Data?

Big Data typically refers to large datasets computationally analysed to reveal patterns, trends and associations, including relating to human behaviour and interactions. Datasets are increasing rapidly with the advent of mobile devices, The Internet of Things (IoT), and other data capturing mechanisms such as sensors, cameras, microphones, beacons and wireless sensor networks.

Originally associated with the three concepts of volume (large amounts), variety (format variety including numeric, text, images, video), and velocity (frequently updated), current definitions of Big Data refer more to the use of predictive analytics, user behaviour analytics and other advanced analytics methods.

A 2011 McKinsey Global Institute report characterises the main components and ecosystem of big data as being techniques for analysing data (A/B testing, machine learning, natural language processing); technologies such as cloud computing and databases; and visualisation such as charts and graphs.

How can Big Data be used in a retail context?

Big Data has ‘seamless’ and omnichannel applications. Google research suggests that 98 per cent of Americans switch between devices in the same day. Retail data gives retailers and brands the ability to extract insights across devices and touchpoints in order to create seamless campaigns and offers across multiple channels including in-store, web, live chat, email and mobile. A study by Aspect as far back as 2014 suggests that retailers who adopt omnichannel strategies have 91 per cent greater year-on-year customer retention rates.

Some of the uses of big data in retail include: Demand: by understanding customer habits, retailers can understand which of their products and services are most in-demand in real time (top sellers are also an indication of broader trends) and which ones they

should potentially stop offering. It enables monitoring and prevention of out of stocks, and smarter purchasing and ordering from suppliers including setting automatic quantities, as well as seasonal items and cross-selling opportunities and time of day/week offers.

Prediction: trends to inform popular products, and particularly spend which is collected through loyalty programs and credit card transactions as well as IP addresses and user logins. Analysis of spend patterns enables predicting of future patterns as well as the ability to customise offers, and the identification of which customers are most likely to be interested in which offers and thus likely uptake. Other data such as the weather, concerts, political events etc. can be analysed to predict demand for liquor types.

Customer journey analytics: by understanding touch points, customer device preferences, and online browsing behaviour including social media, retailers can understand where customers look for product information, where customers are being gained and lost, and the most effective channels to reach them.

Personalisation: create individualised customer recommendations and offers based on their purchase history. Tailor merchandising, deals, and marketing campaigns. As the IoT increases, more retailers may equip stores with sensors which enable offers and new product information to be proactively sent to local passers-by with the app installed on their mobile device.

Market analysis: such as competitor catalogues to identify newly launched products, and the most in-demand or promoted products.

Customer profiling: identifying customer lifetime value, which customers have the highest value and which other types of customers are most likely to replicate this profile.

How it looks in the real world Starbucks: can predict the growth potential of every individual new store by looking at metrics such as location, traffic, area demographics and customer behaviour. Insights from their 90 million transactions per week was used to develop innovations such as a tailored digital rewards scheme that becomes more intuitive the more data it gathers.

The Weather Channel: partnered with haircare brand Pantene and US drugstore chain Walgreens in order to anticipate when air humidity would be at its highest, enabling a targeted campaign to prompt women to prevent hair frizz. This resulted in a 10 per cent increase in Pantene sales at Walgreens for two months around the campaign, and Walgreens

saw a four per cent sales lift across the total hair care category during that same period.

Amazon: possibly the originator of recommending items for customers based on past searches and purchases, they have generated 29 per cent of sales through the recommendations engine, which analyses more than 150 million accounts.

And in liquor: Heineken: has been using Big Data for a number of years in a variety of ways, ranging from knowing where in a Walmart store a six-pack was picked up, to smart social media campaigns and a smart beer bottle that dances to the rhythm of music at parties.

On-premise: Israeli start-up Weissbeerger has developed analysis via sensors in brewing equipment that are transmitted to a computer via Wi-Fi, and then visualised on an app used by bar owners. Algorithms analyse which beer should be on a discount and at what period, resulting in an increased profit of up to 80 per cent. Insights include which brands are more popular on what dates and what times of day specific beers are most consumed, allowing for smarter ordering and promotions.

Considerations and challenges Big Data isn’t all ‘beer and skittles’, however.

One question for companies embarking on the Big Data journey is determining who should own Big Data initiatives, particularly those impacting the whole organisation.

The other is obviously private and data breaches, of which there are numerous recent examples. One of the more famous privacy examples was the Target USA example in 2012 of targeting pregnant mothers before they share their baby news, which resulted in a father finding out his teenage daughter was pregnant before she had told him.

What now?

Get yourself a CRM system, if you don’t already have one. Start collecting customer data. Get a retail software analytics platform or provider to help you if necessary. If you have the resource, hire a data analytics and/or research person or team to mine and interpret it and tell you what you should be doing, to whom, where.

Most importantly, begin with the end in mind.

Rather than trying to boil the proverbial ocean, determine what areas you most want to optimise or improve and work on those. The most effective big data strategies identify business requirements and objectives first, and then tailor the infrastructure, data sources, analytics, resources and suppliers to support the objective.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 17

NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS

Lyre’s Vermouth Rosso

Holsten 0.0

Peroni Libera

Every Lyre’s spirit looks, tastes and sashays around the palate just like the original. And yet, the absence of giggle juice enables revellers to remain clearheaded, of good cheer and in fine fettle to pursue whatever tickles their fancy the following day.

Holsten 0.0 is a traditionally brewed, full-flavoured beer, with the alcohol gently removed before bottling. With only 40 calories, Holsten has the lowest calorie content of all non-alcoholic beers in the Australian market. Bright gold in colour, with a lingering head, hop-driven flavour and a crisp premium Pilsner finish, this is the perfect beer for health-conscious consumers.

Peroni Libera taps into the growing consumer trend to live a more balanced lifestyle by launching the world’s most stylish zero alcohol beer. Brewed using a customised fermentation process and dedicated yeast strain as well as Nostrano Peroni maize and triple hopped to produce a citrusy hoppy, fruity, fast ending beer, with a crisp and refreshing finish, consistent with the Peroni beer range.

RRP: $39.99 per 700ml bottle Distributor: Swift + Moore

RRP: $11.99 per six-pack, $36 per carton Distributor: Premium Beverages / Coopers Brewery (SA only)

Website: Lyres.co

Website: Holstenzero.com

RRP: $14 per six-pack Distributor: Asahi Premium Beverages Website: Peroniitaly.com/

Born Free We’ve compiled a selection of the latest and greatest alcohol-free products to hit retailers’ shelves.

18 | AUGUST 2019 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS

Erdinger Alkoholfrei

Coopers Ultra-Light

Seedlip Garden 108

The perfect product to win over your lost millennials audience. Erdinger has quickly emerged to become one of the top recovery drinks for endurance athletes in Europe due to its isotonic properties.

The non-alcoholic drink from Erdinger is not only a real energiser but also low in calories, with just 82 kcal per 330ml bottle, and made exclusively from natural ingredients. With its naturally high content of B12, this beer is the perfect supplement for a vegan lifestyle. Your chance to reach out to a whole new group of consumers.

Big on flavour. Light on alcohol. Coopers Ultra-Light has all the hallmarks of a great premium beer. It has a rich golden colour and a full malty flavour with one important difference: an alcohol content of only 0.5%. Coopers Ultra-Light is made using only the finest Australian malted barley, hops and yeast, with no added sugar.

Seedlip is a nature company on a mission to solve the dilemma of ‘What to drink when you’re not drinking’. Three unique and complex blends – Spice 94, Garden 108 and Grove 42 – simply served with tonic or mixed to create sophisticated nonalcoholic cocktails. Seedlip is sugar-free, sweetener-free and contains zero calories.

RRP: $8.30 per six-pack, $31 per carton Distributor: Premium Beverages / Coopers Brewery (SA only)

RRP: $50 per 700ml bottle Distributor: Think Spirits Website: Seedlipdrinks.com

Website: Coopers.com.au

RRP: $3.49 per bottle, $15.99 per six-pack, $51.99 per carton Distributor: Beach Avenue Wholesalers Website: Baw.com.au Facebook.com/ beachavenuewholesalersptyltd/

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 19

LEASING

How to end your lease early?

Marianna Idas, the Principle Solicitor of eLease Lawyers, discusses the steps involved with ending a lease early.

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tenant is bound by the terms in the lease and that includes the length of the lease. If you want to end your lease early you can do one of the following: 1. Negotiate an exit with the landlord; or 2. Assign the lease

Negotiate an exit from the lease You can only exit the lease early with the landlord’s consent. If you do not obtain the landlord’s consent then you will be in breach of the lease.

An example of how to approach this is as follows: 1. Contact the landlord and explain the situation as to why you would like to terminate the lease early. It is advisable to try and do this over the phone or in person.

2. U nderstand the costs that will follow generally due to your termination of the lease. Costs can include: a. The landlord engaging an agent to find a new tenant; b. Advertising fees for the premises; c. L awyer fees for drafting a new lease and surrendering the old lease; d. A ny incentives for the new tenant to secure a new lease; e. D ifference in rent from what you pay and what the new tenant will pay till the end of the lease; f. Fees associated with chasing you for any unpaid rent or other breaches under the lease; and g. Make good costs – costs to take back the premises as agreed in the lease which can include removing all your fixtures, fittings and stock in trade.

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3. Negotiate with the landlord a payout fee, taking into account the above points.

4. Have a lawyer prepare a Surrender Form to be registered (if required) to remove the lease from the title.

5. Have a lawyer prepare a Deed of Surrender which is a legal document that allows you to relinquish your claim on the premises. This deed provides certain conditions eg: a. How much you will need to pay to terminate the lease; b. Any make good obligations before the date of surrender; c. Return of your bank guarantee/security deposit; d. Release clauses to ensure that you and the landlord release each other from any legal claims arising out of the lease after the surrender date; e. Cost payments for preparing the deed eg each party pay their own costs in relation to preparing and negotiating the deed. It is advisable for both parties to engage a lawyer to review or draft the surrender document; and f. Stamp duty. It is important to obtain your accountant’s advice on tax and other stamp duty issues.

If the landlord does not agree to release you from the lease, then you can try and assign the lease to a third party.

Assign the lease Prior to transferring the lease to another party you must first obtain the landlord’s consent, unless your lease states otherwise.

The lease will dictate what you need to do in order to obtain the consent from the landlord.

Steps for an assignment can include: 1. Seek permission from the landlord and

provide any relevant documents to assist the landlord in making its determination eg documents from the new tenant showing professional references, business history and financial documents.

2. Request an updated copy of the disclosure statement from the landlord to give to the new tenant. Each state has further criteria in relation to the disclosure statement which should be reviewed.

3. The landlord must respond to your request to assign the lease within a certain timeframe. In some states the landlord can only refuse consent in situations such as: a. If the permitted use of the premises changes; b. The new tenant has business skills less then you; c. The new tenant has inferior finances as compared to you; and d. You have not complied with the procedure for obtaining the landlord’s consent as set out in your lease.

4. The new tenant agrees to assume the rights and obligations of the lease as if they were the original tenant.

Once all parties agree to the assignment then the landlord’s solicitor will prepare a Transfer of Lease document (depending on the state) and a Deed of Consent to Assignment. This document usually requires the new tenant to give the relevant security and guarantees. We would recommend that in this document you ensure that your obligations under the lease are released from the date of assignment.

Depending on which option you choose to end your lease, it is crucial that you understand your rights and obligations and obtain legal advice before signing any document or vacate your premises.

RETAILER PROFILE TAG

Liquor Legends Anglers Inn We catch up with Scott Thomas the Venue Manager of Liquor Legends Anglers Inn in South Australia.

Q How did you get into liquor retailing?

SCOTT: I’ve been involved in the industry for around seven years now. I fell into it by accident when a good mate asked if I would be interested.

After having years of both wholesaler and retailer experience, it was appealing and I certainly haven’t regretted the move to this point. It provides the same challenges as most industries as retailing is the same regardless of what the product may be.

Q What are the top performing categories in your store?

SCOTT: As we are in a country location and are a holiday destination our strongest category is beer.

While the locals tend to stick to the traditional brands, during holiday season our ranging changes dramatically as we see the city folk tend to be more open to new and innovative products.

The usual issues occur with beer where margins are continually squeezed and make for a very competitive environment locally. In saying this, we still have an extremely strong RTD category and have also made significant inroads to the more lucrative wine category, with constant range changes and a good everyday pricing model. Obviously we push towards the more profitable categories where possible and I certainly have more time for the suppliers that provide this. They almost certainly get floor space when they can provide good pricing, margin and reasonable buy-in offers.

Q What are the benefits of being a part of the Liquor Legends banner group?

SCOTT: We made the move to Liquor Legends almost three years ago from a significant player in South Australia. We were approached in the early days of them entering the SA market and their innovation stood out compared to the traditional players. To date I couldn’t speak highly enough of their energy, drive and support to ensure that the independent stays relevant and competitive against the big boys. The membership system is second

to none, with the customer seeing real benefit in what it offers. We have extended this throughout the hotel which has assisted us to maintain and grow our position locally. The ‘spend/get’ initiative is brilliant and provides us with another tool to bring people in and maintain them. This also allows us to get new and unusual products into the consumers’ hands which is imperative considering the amount of new product that hits the streets regularly.

The membership allows us to tailor marketing promotions around the customer giving them actual benefit and return. Supplier marketing competitions provide no real benefit, but we have been able to drive real growth around products as we have been able to automatically enter consumers into a local draw whereby the consumer knows this in not a million to one chance, but based on the local population who choose to shop with us. A quick example is a particular beer product that we could never get traction with but once we offered the local consumer the opportunity to win a local prize we were able to increase our sales three-fold.

This only comes with the Liquor Legends systems and support

Q What are the main challenges you face as a liquor retailer in the South Australian market?

SCOTT: The main issue is staying relevant in the industry against the major players who have significant advantages against the independent.

Trying to move away from a price-based model to an innovative, consumer relatable model is paramount for survival. With online now starting to make an impact, it’s all the more important to aggressively pursue this as the consumer ultimately makes the decision as to how they get their product. It’s also important to be wise in your decision making, with suppliers constantly trying new products and offering incentives to get them on your floor. The cost of carrying dead products is a massive problem and while we need innovation to ensure the consumer comes back, it’s important

Scott Thomas to ensure whatever is being released actually has some significant opportunity behind it. A classic example would be wine in cans, which effectively is now dead really before it even began. Another investment from the retailer that never really gave the return promised. As far as consumer marketing goes, I find that the competitions seem to provide no real value to us or the consumer; unless the consumer can see and feel attached to whatever they have entered into, it’s really money wasted.

Suppliers need to engage at the retailer, local level to ensure they have a chance of success.

Obviously this is becoming increasingly challenging for the supplier as they cut costs by reducing on the road sales people and look for other alternatives to go to market.

Q How do you see the liquor retail market evolving in the future?

SCOTT: As we see the consumer constantly dictating how and what they will do, it’s important as retailers that we listen and give them what they require. If we were to just continue down the same path of a simply price-driven model we would all be eaten up and the consumer would suffer as choice would be diminished. This has clearly happened in other industries where the consumer wasn’t offered enough choice and options and ultimately these sectors. Liquor is no different to any other type of retail, it needs to innovate and invest in new technologies to stay ahead of the game. Too many groups seem to be sitting on their hands expecting it all to remain the same, hence the attraction to Liquor Legends who are constantly on the bleeding edge of technology and invest in their stores to ensure that they have a competitive advantage at all times. As far as marketing in general terms, the laws will continually evolve and eventually limit us with what we can and can’t do, so what we do now is all the more important to ensure that the independent survives whatever will inevitably be presented to us in the future.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 21

WINE AUSTRALIA

A snapshot of vintage 2019 Peter Bailey, Manager Market Insights Wine Australia, takes a look at the 2019 vintage across Australia’s wine regions.

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ustralia is the seventh largest wine producer globally, producing four per cent of the world’s wine. Wine is the only agricultural product that is fully value added within Australia and our winemaking takes place in 65 regions spread across the country.

Our fine wines begin in the vineyards across our wine regions and they play a vital part in understanding the effects of supply and demand and the overall status of our sector.

2019 national vintage Unlike many other alcoholic beverages that can be produced year-round, wine grapes are harvested once a year and – as they cannot be preserved – have to be transported quickly from the vineyard to the winery to start the process of transforming the juice into the wine.

This harvest period is generally referred to as the vintage, and the vintage shown on wine packaging corresponds to the year in which the grapes were harvested.

In 2019, difficult weather conditions were widely reported during the growing season and led to early predictions from some analysts that the harvest would be 10-20 per cent down on the 2018 vintage.

However, despite predictions, Australia this year crushed an estimated 1.73 million tonnes of wine grapes – just one per cent below Australia’s 10-year average.

This is a good sized crop that will ensure Australia can continue to supply its export and domestic markets comfortably, and further reinforces Australian winegrowers’ ability to deliver consistent wine grape harvests and mitigate the effects of difficult weather conditions.

While many regions did suffer significant losses in terms of the tonnages – including the Barossa, Adelaide Hills and Clare Valley – overall tonnes crushed were not generally as low as originally feared.

The biggest gains in tonnes crushed were in the Limestone Coast regions (Coonawarra,

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Padthaway and Wrattonbully), which produced much larger crops than their low-yielding 2018 vintage, while the warm inland regions (Riverland, Riverina and Murray Darling–Swan Hill) had very similar crops to last year.

Across Australia, the effects of heat and dryness were mitigated by good canopy management and irrigation regimes, while the drier season reduced disease pressure, and the lower yields were offset by exceptional colour and flavour in the resulting wines.

Red varieties generally fared better than whites in terms of yield, with the red crush up by 16,224 tonnes (two per cent) compared with 2018, while whites were down 66,949 tonnes (eight per cent). Most varieties showed only small changes overall, except Chardonnay, which was down by 47,975 tonnes (12 per cent) to 356,250 tonnes – its lowest crush in the past five years. This brought its share of the national crush down to 22 per cent, in line with its share of exports in 2018.

The Prosecco crush saw a near 50 per cent average annual increase, from 2189 tonnes in 2015 to 9936 tonnes in 2019. This has seen it jump from 17th largest white variety in 2015 to 10th in 2019. This growth in Prosecco production is mirrored in the domestic market, where sales of Prosecco have increased by more than 100 per cent in the past two years and it is now the 11th largest varietal/wine style by value in the off-trade retail wine market.

Shiraz remained the dominant variety with 418,364 tonnes – accounting for 44 per cent of the red crush and 24 per cent of the total crush – despite its crush being down by two per cent compared with last year. Shiraz accounts for 29 per cent of exported Australian wine and exports grew by five per cent in volume in 2018.

The largest percentage increase in the average price paid for wine grapes was in warm climate reds, which increased by 26 per cent to $592 per tonne despite an increase of five per cent in tonnage. Warm climate whites increased by nine per cent to $361 per tonne. Cool climate

reds and whites both increased by 3 per cent to $1530 and $1096 per tonne respectively.

Over the past four years, the percentage increase in average value for warm climate grapes has exceeded that of cool climate grapes, regardless of relative differences in crush. This is reversing a trend from 2009–2014, where yearon-year percentage decreases in warm climate prices were greater on average than those in cool climate prices, and is a reflection of a return to a balanced supply and demand for our wines.

Artificial Intelligence shows where Australia’s vineyards are Last month, we released findings of an R&D investment to understand not only how many hectares we have under vine but also the locations of the plantings.

Consilium Technology undertook the research using a machine learning algorithm that scanned more than five million hectares of satellite imagery and identified a total reported area of 146,128 hectares. This compares with the 135,133 hectares reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in the last vineyard survey conducted in 2015.

While it is not possible to directly compare the numbers given the different methods, the updated figure points to a moderate growth in plantings over the three years, reflecting the balance between supply and demand in the Australian wine sector currently.

The results of the National Vineyard Scan go much further than an overall vineyard area figure. The locations of all the vineyard blocks detected have been mapped, providing information that can be used for vineyard management, biosecurity, emergency response management and many other purposes.

For the first time, the total length of vine rows is also known: there are 463,718km of wine grape close vine rows in Australia – enough to wrap around the earth 11 times.

This information has applications in estimating yield and assigning resources to vineyard management tasks.

NEW ZEALAND WINEGROWERS

Bartul Soljans from Soljans Estate Winery An historic shot of Villa Maria’s Sir George Fistonich

200 years of New Zealand wine New Zealand has a rich history of winemaking and in 2019 is celebrating its bi-centennial, as Natalie Grace, the Manager – Australia for New Zealand Winegrowers, discusses.

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he 25th September 1819 was a momentous day for the New Zealand wine industry, the first planting of grapevines in the country. The industry has since grown to become a $1.8 billion export earner and over the past 30 years has helped re-shape how New Zealand is perceived around the world.

This September, New Zealand Wine is proud to be marking its vine bi-centenary at the historic Waitangi Treaty Grounds in the Bay of Islands.

A momentous recording While extolling just how young New Zealand is in terms of the wine world, wine writer Matt Kramer recently pointed out that in ‘wine time’, New Zealand “only started last week”. He’s not wrong when comparing to the viticultural history of our Old World counterparts, though the gap closes nearer to home with Australia’s first plantings just 31 years ahead.

Reverend Samuel Marsden, Chaplain to New South Wales (1765-1838), was the driving force behind the establishment of Anglican mission stations in New Zealand in the early 19th century. His work and that of his missionaries

helped build up a relationship of trust with Māori chiefs, paving the way for the acceptance of an official Crown presence in New Zealand.

In his diary, Marsden prophesied, “New Zealand promises to be very favourable to the vine, as far as I can judge at present of the nature of the soil and climate. Should the vine succeed, it will prove of vast importance in this part of the globe”.

He records on 25 September 1819 the day he planted grapevines in the rich grounds of the Stone Store, Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands.

These pioneering vines were the very first to be planted into New Zealand soils.

It is not known what variety(ies) nor the exact position in the grounds of the Stone Store where the vines were planted. However, the fact that the planting is recorded for posterity in the Marsden diaries makes New Zealand one of very few countries in the world where the exact date of the planting of the first vines is known.

New Zealand’s first winemaker The first recording in the historical accounts of wine in New Zealand is connected with James Busby. Busby, the Crown’s Resident in New Zealand, lived in what is now called the Treaty

House at the Treaty Grounds in Waitangi.

Busby was the architect of the Treaty of Waitangi and is regarded as the first winemaker in New Zealand.

In 1840, the first New Zealand wine review was written by a naval officer and explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville. When visiting, he was disappointed to find Busby not in residence, but tasted a wine made by Busby. On board his ship, Astrolabe, Dumont d’Urville wrote in his journal, “with great pleasure I agreed to taste the product of the vineyard that I had just seen. I was given a light white wine, very sparkling, and delicious to taste, which I enjoyed very much”.

There are some old gnarly grapevines still growing directly behind the Treaty House. The curators believe that those vines have grown from cuttings taken from vines originally planted by Busby at the Treaty Grounds. To commemorate the bi-centenary, New Zealand Winegrowers will be hosting an industry event including a ceremonial re-planting at the historic Stone Store, followed by a regional wine tasting and dinner on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds on the 25th September. Follow the New Zealand Wine story at https://www. nzwine.com/en/media/200-years/.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 23

SPIRITS & COCKTAILS AUSTRALIA

The World Spirits Alliance Alec Wagstaff, the CEO of Spirits and Cocktails Australia, talks about the newly formed international association that will represent the views and interests of the spirits industry globally.

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orking in a great industry such as ours and dealing with people who love a social occasion and matching the right drink for the right crowd, it’s sometimes easy to forget that our industry has strong critics, indeed some who question our right to even exist.

In my three years at Spirits & Cocktails Australia I have yet to come across a person who does not acknowledge that along with the great benefits alcohol brings there are issues that need to be addressed, issues arising from excess alcohol consumption and from underage drinking. Generally, industry people are happy to commit to solutions they believe will work, but get very frustrated with proposals which restrict choice, increase costs but do nothing to address real problems.

It is very important that the practical views of people in the industry, such as liquor store owners and their suppliers, are heard by those who are trying to come up with solutions.

Having said that, it is not easy for business people to keep across everything that is happening that may affect their businesses.

That’s why trade media such as National Liquor News, and the great online resource TheShout, have such an important role in keeping the industry aware of what is happening.

In the same way trade associations such as Spirits & Cocktails Australia and the newly

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formed Retail Drinks Australia have important roles to bring policy issues to the attention of members and to listen to how they will impact on their business and to effectively be a collective voice so that policy makers take account of those views.

The debate about alcohol policy is not restricted to Australia – in fact recently it featured at the General Assembly of the United Nations. It’s just as important for our industry to be heard at forums such as that, and that’s why the global spirits industry last month formed the World Spirits Alliance (WSA), an international association that will represent the views and interests of the spirits industry globally.

WSA members represent producers of products as varied as Baiju from China, Tequila from Mexico, Brazilian Cachaça, Indian IMFL, Cognac and internationally traded whiskies like Scotch Whisky, Irish Whiskey and American Bourbon. As well as Spirits & Cocktails Australia, the companies and associations that form WSA’s membership include: Spirits Europe, Asia Pacific International Wines and Spirits Alliance, Cámara Nacional de la Industria Tequilera, Scotch Whisky Association, Association of Canadian Distillers, Pernod Ricard, Diageo, International Spirits and Wines Association of India, Japanese Spirits Liquor Makers Association, Brown-Forman, Distilled Spirits

Council of the US, Spirits New Zealand, Rémy Cointreau, Beam Suntory, Campari, and Edrington.

The WSA will be the industry’s representative partner in front of international organisations including the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN), and its members will continue to work towards the elimination of tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and discriminatory taxes; fair, transparent and evidence-based regulation; ‘adequate’ excise tax structures; ‘proportionate’ evidence-based public health measures for distilled spirits; and ‘ambitious’ strategies to combat illicit alcohol.

And getting back to the UN, in September 2018 the General Assembly agreed a declaration in part: “Encouraging economic operators in the area of alcohol production and trade, as appropriate, to contribute to reducing harmful use of alcohol in their core areas, taking into account national religious, and cultural contexts; (c) Take concrete steps, where relevant, towards eliminating the marketing, advertising and sale of alcoholic products to minors”.

So, when Australian drinks retailers check the ID of customers, as they do every day, they are also doing their bit to take up an invitation from the UN to be part of the solution. Who would have thought?

ALCOHOL BEVERAGES AUSTRALIA

Sydney Suffers Thanks to Draconian Lockout Laws

Kerri Osborne, the ABA’s Media and Communications Manager, says the NSW government’s review of Sydney’s lockout laws have not come soon enough.

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he re-election of Gladys Berejiklian in the NSW government elections in late March has put the Liberals in the driving seat of the economy. Along with infrastructure developments, she announced a review of Sydney’s controversial lockout laws by a cross-party parliamentary committee.

For many of us in industry, this couldn’t have come soon enough. While the Premier says that the lockout laws have seen decreases in antisocial behaviour, she says that “after five years of operation, it makes sense for us to now take stock and examine whether further changes should be made”.

The ABA took the opportunity to submit our views on them and the need for change.

While the submissions are still being processed, they remain confidential, however, the media has reported that to date 80 per cent of the submissions are in favour of abolishing them or winding them back.

The views of business owners, publicans, musicians, DJs, and local residents are among the more than 270 submissions to the inquiry, which will hold public hearings in New South Wales Parliament over three days in August.

In our submission, which will be eventually be made public, the ABA focused on the evidence associated with harm and advocated for evidence based regulations and policies which target specific at-risk groups as the most effective way of changing behaviour associated with alcohol harm. We argued policies and regulations that affect all people are not effective at curbing underage consumption and binge drinking. We also talked about the effect the lockout laws have had on the economy in general, which is documented and publicly available.

Good reasons to relax the law There are some compelling reasons that the lockout laws should be significantly wound back: • The data on alcohol consumption in New South Wales shows that people’s attitudes and behaviours in relation to alcohol consumption are changing and, for most of the population, people are drinking in moderation1.

• 83.4 per cent of the NSW population are either drinking in moderation or abstaining from alcohol altogether.

• The proportion of people exceeding the lifetime risk guidelines declined by 15.3 per cent between 2010 and 2016 from 19 per cent to 16 per cent.

• The University of Sydney’s research showed that lockout laws do not have an effect in reducing violence in Sydney’s CBD2 and that the BOSCAR research was based on some incorrect correlations on nondomestic assaults which may lead to ‘an incorrect conclusion’ in facets of their research.

• Since the lockout laws came into force, the Sydney night time economy has declined – 176 licenced venues since 2014 have closed, and a recent report from Deloitte3 found that Sydney’s night time economy is underperforming – the potential economic value of Sydney’s night time economy could be as much as $43.3 billion – $16 billion more than it is today.

•T he lockout laws have impacted on tourism as well – Sydney no longer has a reputation of an international city with a vibrant nightlife. Lonely Planet says: “Compared to other international cities,

Sydney shuts pretty early, and the lockout laws haven’t helped. Still, you’ll find a few pubs outside the lockout zone open to 5am to 6am at weekends.”4

ABA Recommendations Our submission calls for a range of measures to stimulate the night time economy that include family friendly activities such as using parks for night markets, light shows, late night cinemas, concerts, live music, improving the awareness around CCTV, food venues such as food-trucks and food markets, extended hours on museums and art galleries, cultural events and public transport. At the same time, we called for more police presence on the streets and a central authority to be set up to manage the night time economy, to be responsible for regulations, safety and vibrancy.

Central to that would be to remove the blanket freeze on liquor licences and introduce regulations that allow for lockout law style measures to be imposed on any venue that is proven to be ‘at risk’.

We are confident that ideas suggested in our submission would radically improve the economy, while still ensuring safety of its citizens, free to celebrate living in one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

1 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2017. National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2016:detailed findings. Drug Statistics series no. 31. Cat. No. PHE 214. Canberra: AIHW 2 https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/lockout-laws-haven-tcurbed-violence-in-cbd-new-research-20190617-p51yi4.html 3 Deloitte, ImagineSydney Play (2019) 4 https://www.lonelyplanet.com/australia/sydney/in-location/ drinking-and-nightlife/a/nar/39fb3152-566c-46cb-892a6b9ceb01fccc/362319

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 25

RETAIL DRINKS AUSTRALIA

Is your workplace mentally healthy?

Julie Ryan, the CEO of Retail Drinks Australia, talks about the challenges of managing employee mental health.

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ith both a national inquiry by the Productivity Commission and a Victorian Royal Commission at a state level, the issue of mental health has never been more prominent. It only takes a brief glance at the statistics to see that the impact of mental health on Australian workplaces and the economy more generally is staggering. According to the Commonwealth Government’s National Mental Health Commission, mental ill-health costs around four per cent of GDP or about $4,000 for each Australian taxpayer. In total, mental illhealth costs the national economy more than $60 billion. Further to this, Beyond Blue has previously found that one in five Australian employees has had to take time off work due to feeling mentally unwell.

While the issue of mental health does not discriminate across industries, the retail liquor industry faces some particularly unique challenges. Whether it’s employees dealing with disgruntled customers who have been refused service because of RSA-related concerns or dealing with other outward displays of aggression, a liquor store can be a very stressful work environment. It is a sad reality that retail liquor employees also face the very real possibility of having to respond to an armed robbery which crime statistics show are on the rise. According to Victoria’s Crime Statistics Agency, the incidence of robberies across the state had increased by

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“One of Retail Drinks’ major priorities in this new financial year is developing mental health plans and support for our independent members.” – Julie Ryan 6.4 per cent over the last 12 months for the year ending March 2019, from 2,511 to 2,671.

While the everyday work environment of a liquor store can be a catalyst for mental health issues, this is not the only aspect of the industry which can be deleterious for employee mental health. The high proportion of casual and part-time employees and the often-insecure nature of retail working hours can be a cause of significant financial stress which may, in turn, lead to other mental health-related problems.

This is especially relevant for younger workers who make up a large proportion of the industry’s workforce and face financial challenges such as saving for a mortgage or further education. At the other end of the

spectrum, the nature of insecure work is also relevant for older workers considering whether or not they have adequate financial resources to sustain themselves in their retirement.

Given the predominance of mental health issues in the retail liquor industry, it is critical for employers to have the necessary infrastructure in place to be able to respond to mental health issues if and when they arise.

Employers play a central role in ensuring that positive mental health outcomes are a key priority within their businesses, both in terms of their management and prevention. In order to manage mental health effectively, both employers and their staff must be equipped with the right tools and strategies which must also be carefully tailored to their individual work environments.

The challenge of managing employee mental health is particularly acute amongst small business-owners, who again account for a significant proportion of the retail liquor industry. Unfortunately, many of these businesses are not adequately resourced to provide staff with training and informational resources on mental health. That’s why one of Retail Drinks’ major priorities in this new financial year is developing mental health plans and support for our independent members, including crisis management toolkits, to assist with improving mental health outcomes across the industry.

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THE ROSÉ REPORT

t i h e w e v a H ? k n i p k a e p

The rosénado is continuing its spin with an explosion of pink drinks hitting the market, leading consumers to rush for the blush, as Andrew Graham reports.

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en Culligan, the Marketing Director ANZ at Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) calls it “the explosion of pink drinks”. At Kollaras & Co, it is called the “rush for blush” and a year ago, and in these very pages we tagged it as the rosénado.

However you want to describe it, the current appetite for rosé is impossible to ignore. In the year to January 2018 the category grew by 60 per cent YOY (by value, according to IRI figures) making it the best performer in the wine industry.

Globally, sales are still growing strongly too, up more than 30 per cent since 2000, with most of the growth apparently fuelled by millennials.

Fascinatingly, the French are some of the biggest rosé drinkers, consuming more pink wine than they produce.

For all the positivity, however, it must be asked – is the rosé boom now plateauing?

Latest IRI figures to June 2019 indicate that the rosé segment value has increased by just 20 per cent, the lowest growth since 2016.

Still, with value growth outstripping volume growth (20 per cent vs 17 per cent), it’s hard to argue with the excitement around the rosé segment.

According to one of the key drivers of the modern Australian rosé revival, Leanne De Bortoli of De Bortoli Wines, “we ain’t seen nothing yet”.

“We believe the popularity of rosé will be an ongoing trend as consumers continue to seek lighter wine styles and food friendly wines,” she said.

“Rosé is appealing to the mainstream wine consumer for both men and women. It is not seen as a fad but rather as a serious wine style, as it should be.”

The rosé revival Leanne De Bortoli should know about rosé fads – back in 2010, De Bortoli and husband Steve Webber effectively kick started the modern Australian rosé revival, launching the Rosé Revolution marketing campaign.

What set apart the Rosé Revolution was the focus not on the deep coloured, full-flavoured, often sweet pink wines historically popular in Australia, but on pale, dry and savoury rosé styles.

It certainly paid off for De Bortoli, the La Bohème Rosé is now one of the most popular $15-$20 rosé releases in the country, new De Bortoli Rosé Rosé won a global award for its packaging, and De Bortoli has just released a brand new La Bohème Cuvée sparkling rosé.

But it hasn’t always been sunshine and strong savoury rosé sales at De Bortoli. When La Bohème was first released even the winery sales and marketing staff were convinced it would end up being sold off at cellar door.

Harvesting at the Koch Willandra Vineyard

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 29

THE ROSÉ REPORT Feeling French

“As a result of what has been called the ‘rush for blush’, we anticipate the arrival of two new fantastic rosé brands over the next year.”

– Georgia Kollaras, Kollaras & Co

Flash forward a few years and this ‘pale and savoury’ style is now the new driver of quality internationally, to the point where wines that are not light coloured and dry are seen as unfashionable.

The big winner, of course, are the wines from the original home of pale premium rosé, Provence.

While making up just six per cent of global rosé production, Provence rosé remains the quality standard. It has the historical context, the volume and the clearly defined personality to be the biggest champions of a global rosé boom.

It hasn’t hurt that Provence is synonymous with the uber-wealthy French Riviera film towns (and the connected film industry) like Cannes and Nice to propel things along either. It’s now at the point where celebrity-endorsed French rosé is a thing, with wines on the market like John Legend’s LVE wine, or Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Château Miraval.

Further, Provence has the terroir too, as Craig Underhill of importer and retailer DiscoverVin explains.

“Our most popular rosé has been a Provençal wine called Domaine de la Croix Irrésistible Cotes de Provence,” he said.

“Of the many thousands of Provençal rosé producers, this is one of only 18 classified producers.

“Once consumers taste it they can see the class of this rosé with a softness on the palate, an elegance and balance, and an avoidance of the ‘harsh’ finish that can be seen sometimes from warmer sites.”

Beyond Provence, the umbrella effect has helped lift the profile of all French rosé too. At Kollaras & Co they’re banking on pale wines from another hotspot, Bordeaux, as Georgia Kollaras explains.

“As a result of what has been called the ‘rush for blush’, we anticipate the arrival of two new fantastic rosé brands over the next year,” she said.

“One of those brands will be a stunning salmon pink rosé from Bordeaux, and the other is top secret at this stage, so you’ll just have to wait and see. What I can promise is, National Liquor News will be the first to hear about it.”

Premium local pinks What’s also notable is the increased premiumisation of rosé, and a move towards taking the segment more seriously in the winery.

30 | AUGUST 2019 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Caroline Mooney, the Owner and Winemaker at Bird on a Wire Wines has produced a stunning, full-flavoured dry rosé in 2018, so is well qualified to comment on premium rosé.

“There’s a great drive amongst the Australian rosé scene for making wines with structure beyond just primary fruit, acid and alcohol that has been evolving for some time,” she said.

Championing some of the more involved production methods has been a key driver of this increased focus on structure and complexity too, as Mooney observes: “Making rosé using 100 per cent whole bunch Pinot fermentation is something I’ve always loved.

“It’s a pretty extravagant way to make rosé and not always a favourite of the accountants due to the work involved in managing these kind of fermentations.

However it can be delicious.”

Mount Pleasant Winemaker, Adrian Sparks, notes also that it is attention to detail that delivers fine rosé.

“Choosing the right grape varieties that provide the most amount of flavour, hand picking and gentle pressing with an early free run cut I believe is key, minimising colour and phenolic pickup.

“Then allowing some time on lees for texture and bottling dry provides a great drink.”

A pink tide floats all boats Fascinatingly, it’s not just Provence lookalikes that are winning either.

Indeed the original rosé, now dating all the way back to 1942, Mateus, is still the number one product locally in the $8-$12 segment enjoying 6.7 per cent growth (IRI figures). A subtle packaging tweak has no doubt helped, with Brand Manager Erwin Magat believing that the more contemporary look “reinforces its lifestyle positioning and connects with younger consumers”.

What’s more, the rosé explosion has translated into other innovative wines too.

At TWE, pink wines are seen as a key segment of growth, and not just in traditional styles and formats.

TWE’s Squealing Pig Rosé is the number one rosé in Australia according to IRI figures, growing at 79 per cent. But it’s the recent additions to the range that are viewed with the most excitement, as Culligan explains.

The McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant vineyard

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THE ROSÉ REPORT

TWE’s Squealing Pig Rosé Gin

The Mount Pleasant Lovedale vineyard

De Bortoli’s Rosé Rosé

The McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant vineyard

The McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant vineyard

“Consumers, both male and female, are discovering that rosé is no longer sickly sweet, it is now refreshing and sessionable, as well as being superb for food pairing and relevant the whole year round.”

– Bronwyn Lindsay, Accolade

“Squealing Pig has launched not a new wine, but a gin with a wine twist,” he said.

“Capitalising on both the strength of rosé and gin – with gin being the fastest growing category of any alcohol – the label has merged categories to create Squealing Pig Rosé Gin. “Available in late August, the approachable new gin is crafted with 10 botanicals and a dash of Squealing Pig Rosé wine, and is the first gin sold in Australia to contain Pinot Noir rosé wine.”

Admittedly, this fusion product may not impress lovers of pale, savoury rosé, but it does give a clue to the popularity of the segment. Rosé is viewed by many as a lifestyle choice (and an alternative to beer and cider) with a much vaunted appeal towards millennial drinkers to lure the biggest drinks producers.

TWE, too, is banking on rosé in cans, with a new Squealing Pig Spritzed Rosé released in 250ml cans late last year. TWE’s comprehensive Usage and Attitudes Study suggested that while ‘refreshment’ drives 30 per cent of drink choices, wine only makes up 1 in 10 of those decisions. Thus, the convenience play of fizzy pink wine in cans could produce significant results.

Rosé drinkers into the future Convenience or not, what is interesting about rosé is the perceived gender bias, which doesn’t reflect who is drinking pink wine. Underhill observes it frequently.

“Once upon a time you would have talked about marketing directed to ladies,” he said.

“But now we are finding that there are plenty of men drinking ‘brosé’ and just enjoying it for what it is, a smart, crisp, enjoyable wine.”

St Hallett have gone one step further and addressed this bias with the packaging on its brand new 2019 St

32 | AUGUST 2019 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Hallett Rosé, as Brand Manager Bronwyn Lindsay, notes.

“Having a gender neutral label was important to us because the St Hallett rosé is enjoyed as equally by males as it is by females because of its crisp, fresh, dry finish,” she said.

“Consumers, both male and female, are discovering that rosé is no longer sickly sweet, it is now refreshing and sessionable, as well as being superb for food pairing and relevant the whole year round.”

The secret to selling rosé, however, is more than just addressing gender issues, it’s about what universally draws drinkers to the best wines, as Underhill explains.

“I think that just as with any wine product people are looking for authenticity, quality and value for money.”

Looking ahead, he sees another element too.

“Consumers are increasingly looking at organic/ sustainable products.

“Currently 60 per cent of Provence vineyards are said to be in conversion to sustainable production and aiming to be 100 per cent within 10 years. I think this will be a big factor in driving rosé and indeed all wine sales in the future.”

Finally, if you’re wondering why rosé has become so popular, the team from Flametree Wines (which makes a Pinot Noir rosé that is unusual for Margaret River) put it best.

“No longer is rosé wine seen as a run off product, as excess wine that can be sweetened with the addition of sugar and sold off cheaply.

“So if you have not been converted to this amazing style of wine or if you are haunted by previous bad experiences of overly sweet rosé, it is time to reevaluate your thinking. Rosé is definitely a serious style once again.”

AUTHENTIC AMERICA

The American Dream From globally renowned brands and styles to one of the most innovative craft scenes in the world, American beers and spirits offer many opportunities for Australian retailers, as Charlie Whitting discovers.

Michter’s distillery

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AUTHENTIC AMERICA

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he American brewing and distilling scenes are some of the most influential and innovative in the world. American brands of beer and whiskey regularly sit at the top tables in terms of volume sales, while the global craft movements in both brewing and distilling can largely trace their origins to the States. Last year, the number of breweries in America went past 7,000, while there are around 2,000 distilleries.

American brewers and distillers are often the major trendsetters within their craft movements, first to break boundaries, explore new recipes and ingredients, and even create new styles. Added onto this is the cocktail culture of America that has produced many of the world’s best-loved classics and continues to deliver new ideas and trial different spirits.

All of these trends are happening in Australia as well, but when we look abroad for further creativity, we generally think American.

“In Australia, we often look to the US for inspiration on how to mix our spirits to best showcase their unique flavour profiles – from simple refreshment cues when mixed with ginger ales and fresh lime to the breadth of classic cocktails that can be produced from American Bourbon and whiskey,” comments Emma Fogarty, Senior Brand Manager at SouthTrade International. “At SouthTrade we are working with our on-premise customers to create the best versions of American cocktail favourites, such as the Sazerac, the Old Fashioned and the ‘Southern Sour’, featuring Southern Comfort Black 40%.”

Southern Star from SouthTrade

Advice for selling American spirits and beers - Don’t be afraid to premiumise your American range with craft options.

- Craft beer drinkers will be familiar with American craft beer brands, and spirit drinkers will be familiar with premium American spirits or looking to try something new and exciting in a category they love (e.g. Bourbon).

- For those not familiar with American products, try educating through tasting session and sampling, call out new SKUs with in-store point of sale, and drive sales with manager specials, particularly leveraging key events.

- Use social media and marketing channels to further educate potential customers about the range options in your store.

(Provided by Thirsty Camel)

Quality and diversity Australians are rightly proud of their locally made products, so for American products to cut through successfully they need to exhibit other on-trend qualities like authenticity, premium credentials and innovation. Handily, many American spirits and beers are steeped in all three. As the reputation for Bourbon has grown globally, for example, people are starting to talk about its flavours in similar tones to those used about single malts. By stocking products that speak to customers on these terms and then ensuring that those messages are conveyed effectively, retailers can see interest and profits grow from stocking American.

“Premiumisation is a massive factor,” says James France, Managing Director of Vanguard Luxury Brands. “No one would have dreamed of paying more than about $40 for a bottle of Bourbon 10 years ago. We now see Michter’s growing rapidly and retailing at three times that price. We will see more of this, and we will also see rye crossing over from a bartender favourite to a consumer staple.”

“There’s an exciting reappraisal happening for American whiskey,” adds Jon Prew, Senior Brand Manager at SouthTrade International.

“No longer is Bourbon seen as the cheaper,

American spirits in a Thirsty Camel outlet

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 35

AUTHENTIC AMERICA sweeter cousin to Scotch whisky, but the breadth and depth of flavour and techniques are really shining through.”

A good place to start with American products is with those that have strong emotional or historical ties to the country.

Bourbons, for example, have long been held as an especially American spirit, and Australians drink more American-made whiskey per capita than any other country on earth, including Americans (IWSR, World Bank). In addition, there are other beer and spirit brands that are as American as apple pie. However, if the Australian scene has been diversifying over recent years, America has been doing so on an even larger scale and there is scope to explore other, less ‘American’ spirits being distilled to high standards by American producers.

“Bourbon is certainly the spirit of America, but there are some other cracking spirits coming out from the USA including gins, single malt whiskies and vodkas,” says Prew.

“Tito’s Vodka, which hails from Austin and is corn-based, has notably taken top spot in both volume and value sales of any spirit brand in the USA, sending shockwaves to some of the more snooty French and Scandinavian brands.”

The same situation applies on the beer side of things. There are beer brands so synonymous with America that bottle shops would do well to stock and to promote alongside typically American events like Thanksgiving or Independence Day. But to ignore the enormous scope of craft beers on offer would be a mistake. Some American craft breweries are as synonymous with the entire craft movement as more mainstream brands are with America as a country. Both can complement each other, attracting different customers seeking different occasions.

“Like any beer audience, American beer consumers are varied, with two styles of American beer making an impact in Australia – easy drinking, contemporary styles, and craft,” explains Glenn Mitchell, Retail Promotions Manager at Thirsty Camel. “The easy drinking brands (Miller, Budweiser, Coors, etc.) are connected to American popular culture, particularly sport, making it relatively easy for beer brewers to initiate trial. Whereas craft drinkers are looking for something new and different, often with a specific flavour profile.”

Laird’s Apple Jack 86 from Vanguard

Fresh is best While spirits benefit from time spent in the bottle (as long as they are stored correctly), beers generally have more stringent ‘Best Before’ dates. Hoppy beers are particularly vulnerable to a fade in flavour over time and, given the American brewing scene’s obsession with putting as many hops as possible in their beers, this means that you need to undertake due diligence with your suppliers. Ideally, your beers will have been transported as quickly as

36 | AUGUST 2019 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Pouring a Southern Comfort

AUTHENTIC AMERICA possible and in a chilled environment. Check with your suppliers to ensure you’re getting the freshest beer possible.

“The challenges of shipping products across the Pacific are the same as shipping any product long haul, increased freight costs result in increased landed product costs, essentially making cheap or low-value products in one country (e.g. mainstream American beers) much higher cost in Australia, presenting a product positioning and marketing challenge,” says Mitchell. “The other issue relates to product quality, beer particularly has a limited shelf-life, which spending up to 12 weeks in transit effects, as well as temperature fluctuations, although this is being counteracted with refrigerated shipping.”

Selling the States While there is already a strong consumer base for purchasing American spirits and beers, there is always more that can be done to further leverage these products. When it comes to all brands, but particularly more mainstream ones with clear connections to the States, challenging your focus onto major American events (see box out) is a great way to take advantage of moments when our minds turn across the Pacific Ocean. In-store promotions and social media marketing can have powerful results at these times of year.

For more craft and premium products, it

comes down to education. Craft customers are generally knowledgeable about their products, but regardless of how much they know, they are always thirsty to learn more and to try more. If you can ensure that you and your teams know about the products you are selling and can keep the offer fresh and on-trend, these craft fans will continue to be keen to shop with you. Educating staff, encouraging tastings and keeping in touch with your suppliers to better understand your products are all great ways to keep ahead of the curve and bolster your relevance even further.

“Look at the market and the trends, both in America and Australia, and make decisions based on this knowledge,” advises Mitchell.

“Start small, grow your range as customer interest grows, and don’t be afraid to rotate products (e.g. Craft Beer of the Month).

Leverage key events and work with your supply partners to best do this. If you operate a dual (on- and off-premise venue) consider promoting American product in-venue to stimulate trial with a retail purchase incentive for on-premise purchased to drive sales back through your bottle shop.”

Ultimately, American products have built up strong connections and appeal to customers, and producers in the States are continuing to grow their categories and to raise the bar on innovation and intrigue. As such, they are worth watching and stocking.

“In Australia, we often look to the US for inspiration on how to mix our spirits to best showcase their unique flavour profiles.”

– Emma Fogarty, SouthTrade International American dates for the diary

Halloween: 31 October 2019 Thanksgiving: 28 November 2019 Superbowl: 2 February 2020 NBA playoffs: May to June 2020 Kentucky Derby: 2 May 2020 Independence Day: 4 July 2020

A fresh cocktail made with Michter’s Bourbon

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 37

IMPORTED AND INTERNATIONAL BEERS

A GLOBAL BREWING BOUNTY International beers cover a gigantic spectrum of possibilities for retailers.

Charlie Whitting investigates how best to champion these international stars.

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ustralians have long enjoyed the surge in craft beer volumes, but it is important to remember that so many of the brewers creating these new concoctions were inspired by time spent abroad. They explored and enjoyed the varied and exciting array of beers available around the world. Indeed for many Australian drinkers, the international scene was the original route to interesting and premium alternatives as far as beer was concerned.

The international brewing scene is vast, offering retailers more choice than ever. From huge national brands to regional family businesses to small, inventive craft brewers, there are more beers available in the world than you could ever hope to try. And with well-travelled consumers looking to broaden their drinking horizons, there is no reason why retailers shouldn’t be stocking some of these beers.

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Where to start Scouring the globe for beers to import would be a monumental task for any retailer, so instead it’s best to start with the obvious.

European countries are steeped in brewing heritage. Home to numerous well-known brands, many of these countries can also lay claim to be the original source of many of the world’s most popular styles. Belgium, Germany, the UK and Denmark are all countries worthy of consideration.

Additionally, the United States has led the craft beer boom from its infancy and is now home to more breweries than any other country on earth, while Mexican beers have also made a big impact. Or if you’re looking closer to home, the south east Asian and Japanese brewing scenes are also well worth exploring further these days.

“The big European breweries once held

dominance in the international space,” says Cam Pearce, National Marketing Director of Coopers Brewery. “However, in the past decade there has been an accelerating shift towards the Americas (39 per cent volume share of international) and Asia (13 per cent volume share of international). Increased immigration from these regions, along with adventurous domestic consumers eager to introduce new and undiscovered beers to their peer group, has been driving this shift.”

It is worth consulting with your regulars or investigating the local area to see if there is information you can gather about which countries might be best suited to your customer base.

Knowledge of geographical preferences could alter your decisions about what to stock, while insights into preferred styles might see you making more informed decisions about where you look for international beers and what you look for.

IMPORTED AND INTERNATIONAL BEERS “If the retailer happens to be in a region that has a large UK population then they may want to include a larger range of UK beers, like Fullers,” says Michael Queale, General Manager of Empire Liquor. “I think it’s important to also develop a niche in one area of the beer market, perhaps it might be in dark beers or stouts, or possibly pilsners might be a speciality, because while it is good to be able to offer a full range to cater for all styles and tastes, in reality this may be difficult to manage.”

Stay fresh Brewers often talk about the importance of the freshness of their beers, with plenty of debate about best before dates and labelling happening here and abroad. Given the vast distances imported beers travel to reach our shores, making sure that you are receiving them in top condition and then ensuring that you keep them that way should be even more of a priority. Stock rotation and staff training should be major focuses.

Some international beers opt not to ship their beers vast distances and to instead brew under licence here in Australia, which can dilute the core tenets of the brand for some customers, but ensures a fresher product. A balanced and open approach is best.

“While some consumers prefer beers produced in their country of origin, it is important to note that beers shipped from the other side of the world generally do not arrive in optimal condition,” explains Pearce. “A few months on the ocean and a crossing of the equator means imported beers are often affected by time and heat.

“In order to maintain freshness and consistency of supply, Coopers brews international beers such as Sapporo and Carlsberg under licence.

The beers are brewed under the strict supervision of the international partners, which means retailers and consumers can be confident they are getting the freshest and best possible version of the product.”

While the freshness of the product is important, it’s also important that your range is fresh in terms of brands and styles as well. Consumers looking for international beers will obviously have their favourites and there are tried and tested brands that continue to enjoy growth. However, there is also a considerable thirst for different styles, new and limited releases, as well as beers from hitherto unheard-of breweries.

“The challenges we see them (retailers) facing are in managing the large number of new products and styles being released while maintaining the right balance of tried and tested ‘core range’ brands,” says Queale.

“In the past decade there has been an accelerating shift towards the Americas and Asia.”

– Cam Pearce

Enjoying a Carlsberg

International Beers make up 17.2% of total beer category

third largest segment

It is the (after Classic and Contemporary Beer)

twice the size of the whole Craft Beer segment

It is more than

It has been in

slight volume decline (-2.3%) but generally flat in value growth

(Provided by Lion – IRI MAT to March)

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 39

IMPORTED AND INTERNATIONAL BEERS Heineken is distributed by Lion

Kirin is distributed by Lion

“The challenge for the retailer is to make the distinction between the ‘local’ imported and the ‘true’ imported beers and market/price accordingly.

The other key component is for retailers to educate the consumer as to various styles, limited releases, regions, food pairings, etc. Most suppliers/importers should be able to provide this information.”

Given the desire for knowledge and exploration within the international beers category, education is a crucial facet of the selling process. Having staff members who have tried and tasted the beers, who know the varying characteristics of styles and the unique heritage of brands, and have had their passion for beers nurtured by management is one of the most valuable promotional bonuses any retailer can have.

At Berry Bottle Shop in Berry, NSW, Owner Justin Lill hosts tastings for his staff and ‘top’ customers almost every Friday afternoon to educate and inspire.

“For our beers definitely training is key,” says Michael Lonard, Sales Manager for NSW at BidBeer.

“Belgium, UK, Germany, Czech Republic are the birthplace of many if not all beer styles we enjoy today. Of course, they have evolved overtime and with the advent of craft brewing have turned the styles into something completely different from the original (British IPA vs US IPA is a good example).

However, through staff education they in turn can educate the consumer about quintessential beer styles and examples of those styles.”

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Selling the world As well as energised and educated staff members, there are other approaches that retailers can take to bring international beers into the spotlight more.

Many international beers are global titans in their own right, with plenty of promotional potential for retailers to utilise. Speaking to suppliers about what they can offer you can result in considerable support, whether it’s providing a more premium feel or taking advantage of an event that the brand might be sponsoring.

“Displaying the brands in a premium way is critical so that shoppers feel like it’s worth spending a few extra dollars on in-store,” says Serge Costi, Marketing Manager at Lion. “Also, many of the global brands have access to great sponsorships that simply aren’t available to local brands. Heineken and the Rugby World Cup is a great example of this.”

Prominent positioning can work well, especially if it is done in a way that brings brands and themes together in the eyes of the customer, whether that’s based around geography or style. Providing customers with a range of Japanese beers, for example, that showcases bigger trusted brands alongside more adventurous craft options creates a focused yet diverse offer. Taking your customers on a visual, virtual journey around the world of beer can be a rewarding experience. Conversely, it’s possible to use international beers to spice up existing sections of

Berry Bottle Shop Advice from Justin Lill, Owner of Berry Bottle Shop in Berry, NSW. Challenges: Multiple suppliers and invoices, small stock allocations and customers rarely sticking to one brand.

They just want to taste the next newest on the market.

Upcoming trends: Cloudy IPAs and fresh fruit sours. More innovative can design and ‘try anything’ for beer flavours.

Advice: Be brave, try everything and experiment.

Customers love the cachet of limited releases.

IMPORTED AND INTERNATIONAL BEERS

Birra Moretti pairs perfectly with pasta Empire Liquor distributes Fuller’s

your beer range, adding some pizzazz to your mainstream offer or some exoticism to your craft beers.

The key is to carry brands that have a strong consumer awareness and proposition, otherwise reliance on price will only dilute the value proposition of the entire category.

It is important to range a wide variety of brands of different origins and styles, but many can compete with mainstream brands and offer superior margins and sales value.

As well as theming the physical layout of your shop, international beers also allow you to theme your year. Almost every country in the world has a date or three that celebrates itself, giving retailers the chance to get involved. Whether it’s St Patrick’s Day for Irish beers, Independence Day for American beers or even the Ashes series for English beers, the possibilities for collaboration are gigantic and should be embraced, planned and promoted well in advance.

“At a brand level, retailers should align with any significant international dates that align with the country of origin and bring these to life in-store or in catalogue,” advises Costi. “For example, it could be Cinqo de Mayo for Mexican beers, the Superbowl for American beers or the Tokyo 2020 Olympics for Japanese beers next year. And then, of course, International Beer Day is a great day for beer in general but especially so for international beers.”

The international brewing scene is colossal in its volume, scope and diversity. Select styles and countries of origin that suit your customer base, and then make sure that your range is representative within those parameters. By educating your staff and communicating with your suppliers, your international offering can become a serious selling point.

“Belgium, UK, Germany, Czech Republic are the birthplace of many if not all beer styles we enjoy today.”

– Michael Lonard

A pint of Guinness Draught

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 41

BEER TASTING TAG

Josh Quantrill

Cameron Flett

NSW Sales Manager, Capital Brewing Co

Manager, Warners at the Bay Bottle Shop

Rosemary Lilburne

Lou Dowling

Craft Beer & Cider Specialist, The Oak Barrel

Co-owner, PNV Merchants

Joe Wee

James Atkinson

Owner, Noble Hops

Beer Writer

Liam Pereira

Charlie Whitting

Venue and Events Manager, Batch Brewing

Editor, Beer & Brewer

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The Panel

This issue we zero in on Red, Amber and Brown Ales

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THE BREW REVIEW Style: Gose The rose and hibiscus flowers added to this refreshingly tart gose from Bad Shepherd have resulted in a brilliantly red beer, attractive both in colour and flavour. While there’s not a huge amount going on aromatically, it nonetheless displays a slightly salty and slightly sweet flavour profile that balances itself very well.

FOOD MATCH: Scallop ceviche Badshepherd.com.au

Green Beacon Red’s Dead ABV: 6.5% Style: Red IPA Dark red with a big tan head, Green Beacon’s RIPA displays huge malt aromas semi-balanced by piney hops. The flavour profile is almost portlike, with a big, bold malt character and a lot of booziness. The warming alcohol profile combines with a medium bitterness and a lovely red currant aroma that emerges as you dip your nose in the glass for each sip.

FOOD MATCH: Beef ragu Greenbeacon.com.au

42 | AUGUST 2019 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

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Green Beacon 3 Bolt Pale Ale ABV: 4.2% Style: Pale Ale The nose tends towards caramel, apricot, sherbet and a hint of tropical fruit (mango and guava).

Rounded mouthfeel, soft body and a light finish. This is a good beer, but perhaps could’ve been fresher – at no fault of the brewery.

Hop aromas have dropped off slightly and it seems to have lost a bit of its punch, with the more malty flavours coming to the fore.

FOOD MATCH: Salty beer nuts Greenbeacon.com.au

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ABV: 4.2%

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Bad Shepherd Rose & Hibiscus Gose

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In this issue our panelists tasted the latest new release beer and cider. Here are the results.

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Hemingway’s Brewery Doug’s Courage XPA ABV: 5.6% Style: XPA Gold in colour with a fine head, this XPA comes all the way from Cairns brewery, Hemingway’s, is a quaffable little number.

Pleasant biscuity malt is balanced by citrus hop notes and hints of mango.

It’s very hop-forward, with a strong grapefruit bitterness that split the panel on what exactly puts the ‘X’ in XPA. Style disputes aside, we can confirm its enjoyability.

FOOD MATCH: BBQ ribs Hemingwaysbrewery.com

Tinnies Tropical XPA ABV: 4.2% Style: XPA Contract brewed by Brick Lane Brewing for Coles Liquor, Tinnies’ Tropical XPA isn’t going to push any boundaries but is nonetheless light, drinkable and refreshing. Displaying a soft fruity palate, a tropical fruit bowl nose, but a fairly thin body and a low bitterness, it’s perfectly pleasant and unobtrusive.

FOOD MATCH: Thai green curry Liquorland.com.au

ABV: 5% Style: Amber Ale Pours a hazy, rich, burnt orange hue – an altogether appealing colour in the glass. Overall, Exit Brewing’s Amber is an assertively hoppy amber ale, with piney hop aromas backed up by a slight candied citrus hit. Burnt caramel and coffee are evident on the palate, and it finishes nice and bitter.

FOOD MATCH: Pizza Exitbrewing.com

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Vale Tropic Ale ABV: 4.2% Style: Tropical Pale Ale An easy drinking, thirst quenching and thoroughly uncomplicated beer.

Mango skins, mandarin, lemon and grapefruit aromatics are backed up by a similarly citrusy palate. Light mouthfeel, but good balance with a low bitterness and a soft finish.

Don’t overthink it, just enjoy it.

FOOD MATCH: Seafood Valebrewing.com.au

4 Pines Keller Door Honey Imperial Stout ABV: 9% Style: Imperial Stout A rich tan head emerges on top of a dark brown liquid, with a red hue when held to the light. The honey is evident on the nose; combined with the beer’s rich malt character, it’s reminiscent of treacle.

Surprisingly given the rich nose and flavours, the mouthfeel isn’t over thick or roasty for an imperial stout – this Keller Door release from 4 Pines hides its not insignificant ABV very well.

FOOD MATCH: Choc chip cookie 4pinesbeer.com.au

Style: Citrus Saison A fantastic, bright colour with an appealing bead and thick frothy head. The phenolic clove and spice aromatics are perfectly to style, with loads of lavender and citrus hinting at the composition of this beer.

The flavours are also classic saison, though the citrus fruit added to the brew may have played a part in upping the zesty-ness of flavours in 600 Above, remarked on by a few of the panel. “An example of saison that could be used as a measuring stick for the future,” wrote one panelist.

FOOD MATCH: Fresh crusty bread and a cheeseboard Holgatebrewhouse.com

ABV: 5.5% Style: Session IPA A vibrant and appealing shade of light gold in the glass, the nose on this ‘East Coast’ Session IPA is pleasant, showcasing fresh grassy notes, citrus, and hints of pineapple, mango and tropical fruits. Tropical and citrus juiciness is backed up by a reasonably firm hop bitterness and a touch of piney resin, but it’s by no means thick or overpowering – in fact, the beer finishes nice and clean, with an aftertaste that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Good for a session? You betcha.

FOOD MATCH: A bag of salt and vinegar chips Redhillbrewery.com.au

Pikes Beer Company Double IPA ABV: 8.2% Style: Double IPA This beer has a distinctly dark gold to hazy orange colour. The nose presented the hallmark characteristics of a double IPA: floral, passionfruit, stonefruit and mango, giving way to a piney and resinous backbone. On the palate, the hop attack continues, with excellent bitterness balanced by a slight sweetness and all the dank qualities you’d expect.

Despite the intensity of the flavours, one panelist described the mouthfeel as “soft”. Get this one when it’s fresh.

FOOD MATCH: Soft chicken tacos with pineapple salsa Pikesbeercompany.com.au

ABV: 4.8% Style: Red Ale Reddish in colour, this is a hop-forward ale with plenty of grapefruit, citrus, and dried fruit on the nose and pine and grapefruit – with low sweetness – on the palate. Hops win over the malt, and there’s a low amount of bitterness. For a lower ABV red, it definitely earns its ‘Session’ label.

FOOD MATCH: Gruyere Philterbrewing.com

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Red Hill East Coast Session IPA

Philter Red Session Ale

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Holgate Brewhouse 600 Above Citrus Saison

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Style: Cider While it’s a little thin on the palate compared to some of Willie Smith’s more complex ciders, Bone Dry displays some delicious fruit character while remaining (as the name would suggest) pretty damn dry. The nose is funky with notes of cinnamon and mulled wine. Be careful though; it’s an easy drinker, despite the sizeable 7.2% ABV. FOOD MATCH: Apple pie Williesmiths.com.au

Exit Brewing Amber

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Willie Smith’s Bone Dry Cider

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BEER TASTING

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BentSpoke Brewing Co Red Nut ABV: 7% Style: Red IPA Ruby red in colour with a light haze, in visual terms at least, this redhead lives up to its name. On the nose, the hops strike first, but when you take a sip, the malt comes into play as well and lends a smooth and subtle caramel sweetness.

After taking a few sips, we started to notice a very slight alcohol warmth too. Very well balanced, Red Nut’s big, piney hop character matches the malt backbone perfectly – but if we had to pick a side, we’d say that the hops just come out on top.

FOOD MATCH: Cheese toastie/jaffle Bentspokebrewing.com.au

Willie Smith’s 2018 Yarlington Mill ABV: 7% Style: Traditional Apple Cider The panel was impressed by this 2018 Yarlington Mill cider. Pouring an appealing marmalade hue, a fleshy fruit character is evident on the nose, backed up by toffee apple and slight spicy aromas. The palate is more of the same, also lending a stewed apple quality that immediately brought to mind a classic Sunday roast. The traditional Yarlington Mill apple variety provide a drying tannic quality that increases its overall complexity.

Warming flavours linger.

FOOD MATCH: Roast pork with crackling Williesmiths.com.au

This tasting was originally conducted for the Winter Issue 49 of Beer & Brewer.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 43

WINE TASTING

THE ROSÉ REVIEW

THE PANEL

1. Daryl Fisher, General Manager, Fisher Fine Wine

3. Andrew Stubbs, Manager, Vine Wine

2. Renée Foster, Communications & Marketing Manager, Moppity Vineyards

4. Nigel Burton, CEO, Burton Premium Wines

5. Andrew Graham, Online Communications Manager, The Wine Collective 6. Amy Hayes, Wine PR Consultant

THE PANEL’S PICKS T aylor Made Pinot Noir Rosé Region: Adelaide Hills VIN: 2018 LUC: $18.28

Rogers and Rufus Grenache Rosé Region: Barossa VIN: 2018 LUC: $15.59

“Very complex, crunchy, refreshing and well balanced.”

– Renée Foster Distributed by: Taylors Wines

“Lovely savoury nose, delicate flavours of wild strawberry. Lively and refined with a pleasant finish.”

– Amy Hayes

La La Land Rosé Region: Victoria VIN: 2017 LUC: $10.54

“A really well made rosé with layers of complexity, roundness and a savoury edge.” – Andrew Stubbs Distributed by: Red+White

Distributed by: Samuel Smith & Son

THE SYSTEM 95-100 Classic: an exceptional wine

90-94 Outstanding: a wine of remarkable character

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85-89 Very good: a wine with impressive qualities

WINE TASTING LUC $16 AND OVER B ird in Hand Pinot Rosé Region: Adelaide Hills VIN: 2019 LUC: $16.56 “Pale pink, savoury, spicy, peppery nose. Good fresh palate, red fruits, crunchy acid, good length. Refreshing finish.”

– Renée Foster “Lovely aroma, raspberry cassis, great palate, grippy acid finish but all in balance.” – Daryl Fisher

Distributor: Bird in Hand

T empus Two Copper Series Shiraz Rosé Region: Hunter Valley VIN: 2019 LUC: $16.13 “Pale candy pink, redskin and musk nose. Floral and confected. Sweeter style, quite short.” – Renée Foster “A bit closed, floral, confectionary, flappy, not much fruit, but interesting.” – Daryl Fisher

Distributor: Australian Vintage Limited

C hâteau Tanunda Grand Barossa Dry Rosé Region: Barossa VIN: 2018 LUC: $16.56 “Heavenly nose following through to some beautifully layered red fruit flavours. Long creamy finish. Lots going on here to enjoy and savour.” – Amy Hayes “Has a complexity to it beyond fruit.” – Andrew Graham

Distributor: Crush Fine Wines

“There were fewer oxidised wines this year.

It’s good to see more freshness.”

– Andrew Graham P ierre D’Amour Rosé Region: South Eastern Australia VIN: 2018 LUC: $19.95

S toneleigh Wild Valley Pinot Noir Rosé Region: Marlborough VIN: 2018 LUC: $17.99 “Bright salmon, raspberry citrus swirl, touch of sulphur, candied fruit, spice, a touch short.” – Renée Foster “Rockmelon, peaches, tropical fruit, tight, complex, good length.” – Daryl Fisher

Distributor: Pernod Ricard Australia

“Looking at this snapshot of rosé, I think there is a great opportunity in the market for retailers to be offering up the juicier and confected wines when customers are looking for good BYO options, particularly if matching with food with a lot of chilli heat as they play really well together.” – Amy Hayes

“Elegant nose, lots of cherry, strawberry and hints of green apple on the palate. Pretty acid line but would love more fruit on the back palate.” – Amy Hayes “A solid drinkable style if a little inoffensive.”

– Andrew Graham

Distributor: Calabria Family Wines

M aschio dei Cavalieri Rosé Spumante Extra Dry Region: Italy VIN: NV LUC: $21.17 “Pale salmon, fine bubbles, almond and marzipan nose, creamy citrus, refreshing but simple.” – Renée Foster “Closed and tight, strawberry, creamy mouthfeel, short finish. A bit sweet.” – Daryl Fisher

Distributor: Kollaras & Co

THE SYSTEM 95-100 Classic: an exceptional wine

90-94 Outstanding: a wine of remarkable character

85-89 Very good: a wine with impressive qualities

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 45

WINE TASTING LUC $12-$16 ockfigher’s Ghost Single Vineyard C Sangiovese Rosé Region: McLaren Vale VIN: 2018 LUC: $14.87 “Raspberry, strawberry, good nose, greenness. Complex and tight, good length.” – Daryl Fisher “Salmon hue, bright, tight raspberry fruits, fresh acid, lovely finish.” – Renée Foster

Distributor: Agnew Wines

“There were fewer sweet wines and more wines with balance and length. Would love to see more layered complexity in the wines (which the best wines had).”

– Renée Foster xBB Rosé by Broadsheet and Brown Brothers B Region: Victoria VIN: 2018 LUC: $13.98

amburlaine Organic Wines Rosé T Region: Central Ranges VIN: 2019 LUC: $12.66 “Pale salmon pink, fresh subtle strawberries, raspberries and cherries. A lovely rounded palate, layered with fruit, spice and citrus. Good length and well balanced.”

– Renée Foster “Musk, subtle strawberry, perfumed. A bit simple and short.

Clean and crisp.” – Daryl Fisher

Distributor: Tamburlaine Organic Wines

“Confectionary, lovely flowery nose, perfumed. Balanced, bit flabby on finish, crisp and clean.” – Daryl Fisher “Pale salmon, strawberry, fresh red fruits, bright palate, crisp raspberry notes, and redskins on the long finish.”

– Renée Foster

Distributor: Brown Family Wine Group

Mateus Rosé Region: Portugal VIN: NV LUC: $12.99

a Maschera Rosé of Granaxia L Region: Barossa VIN: 2018 LUC: $13.98

“Dark pink, bold berry nose, slightly effervescent, deep balanced fruits. Refreshing and clean.” – Renée Foster

“Bubble gum, perfumed, confectionary. Dry, good balance and good mouthfeel.” – Daryl Fisher “Pale salmon pink, subtle fruits, grapefruit, kiwi, raspberry and spice. Delicate palate but layered. Fresh, clean and savoury.” – Renée Foster

“Green capsicum, stalky, raspberry, strawberry.

Good fruit on palate. Soft acids.” – Daryl Fisher

Distributor: McWilliam’s Wines Group

Distributor: Samuel Smith & Son

“Diverse colours and flavours due to the mix of varieties.

First time saying that more didn’t raise quality for me.”

– Nigel Burton

aylors Estate Pinot Noir Rosé T Region: Adelaide Hills VIN: 2017 LUC: $15.48 “Barnyard, sulphur, leather, straw, complex palate, good balance.” – Daryl Fisher “Copper salmon hue, bright, tight raspberry fruits, fresh acid, lovely finish.” – Renée Foster

Distributor: Taylors Wines

THE SYSTEM 95-100 Classic: an exceptional wine

90-94 Outstanding: a wine of remarkable character

46 | AUGUST 2019 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

85-89 Very good: a wine with impressive qualities

WINE TASTING LUC $12 AND UNDER B rokenchack Tru-Su Rosé Region: Eden Valley VIN: 2019 LUC: $10.80 “Pale candy pink, red fruits and cream, full palate with bold berries, spice and cream. Crisp, high acid, good finish.”

– Renée Foster “Green peaches, tropical fruits, great punch of pineapple.

Good balance, tight finish.” – Daryl Fisher

Distributed by: Brockenchack Wines

“The Australian rosé has outperformed the imported rosé this year.”

– Daryl Fisher

T wo Rivers Rosé Region: Hunter Valley VIN: 2019 LUC: $11.83

Y alumba Y Series Sangiovese Rosé Region: South Australia VIN: 2019 LUC: $10.75

“Musk, lychee, red apple, rockmelon. Balanced, not much length, citrus finish.” – Daryl Fisher

“Bright red apple flavours with some signs of residual sugar, pleasant finish.” – Amy Hayes

“Pale pink, cherry, strawberry and bright red fruits. Well balanced and clean. Good natural fruit sweetness.”

– Renée Foster

“Dry, red fruits, a lot of sugar.” – Andrew Graham

Distributed by: Inglewood Wine Merchants

Distributed by: Samuel Smith & Son

“The wines in this selection were quite

T rentham The Family Sangiovese Rosé Region: Murray Darling VIN: 2018 LUC: $10.21

polarising, they veered towards both ends of the flavour spectrum with varying degrees of success. A lot of the wines did have those

“Refreshing savoury style with good acid and a long finish.”

– Amy Hayes “Lean, lacks some fruit.” – Andrew Graham

more strawberry and cream, confection-esque characters but when balanced with some good acid, was appealing.” – Amy Hayes

Distributed by: Bacchus Wine Merchants (VIC, NSW); Terrific Boutique Wines (QLD); Empire Liquor (SA); Dave Mullen Wine Agency (WA)

M cGuigan Single Batch Project Dry Rosé Region: South Australia VIN: 2018 LUC: $8.17 “Pale salmon, bright, tight nose, savoury notes, and creamy, savoury, herbal palate. Lacking a little freshness.”

– Renée Foster

J acob’s Creek Barosé Region: Barossa VIN: 2017 LUC: $11.07 “A more complex and textural style with decent weight.”

– Andrew Graham

“Closed, rockmelon, floral, citrus, a little bit flabby and chewy.” – Daryl Fisher

“A bit grubby on the nose but some really pleasant strawberry flavours on the palate with a creamy finish. Plenty of really lovely acid to lift.” – Amy Hayes

Distributed by: Australian Vintage Limited

Distributed by: Pernod Ricard Australia

THE SYSTEM 95-100 Classic: an exceptional wine

90-94 Outstanding: a wine of remarkable character

85-89 Very good: a wine with impressive qualities

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 47

EVENTS 1. MJØLNER BARTENDER TO REPRESENT AUSTRALIA AT DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS

Alex Boon from Mjølner in Melbourne will represent Australia at the 2019 Diageo Reserve World Class after beating hundreds of bartenders from across the nation at the 2019 Australian grand final on 9 July. Boon will head to Scotland on 24-26 September to compete against 55 other nations for the title of Global Bartender of the Year 2019. The Dolphin and Scout Bar in Sydney played host to the grand final, as the top 20 were put through their paces at a twoday event. They were judged on quality, presentation, service and taste by a panel of industry experts in three challenges: the Talisker Time and Place Challenge, the Ketel One Vodka Better Drinking Challenge and the Tanqueray No. Ten Gin at Home Challenge.

The finalists also had to take part in the Showdown Challenge, also known as the speed round, making at least six cocktails in six minutes. Boon created an incredible 10 cocktails in six minutes.

1

Alex Boon and last year’s Australian and global winner Orlando Marzo

3

2. Jacob’s Creek cooks up a pop-up for Masterchef Australia fans Jacob’s Creek once again set the table for its pop-up MasterChefinspired cooking and dining experience, giving diners the opportunity to test their cooking skills before enjoying a three-course meal with perfectly paired Jacob’s Creek wines. The Kitchen Collective was an intimate, bookings-only experience on the Bennelong Lawn overlooking the Sydney Opera House that ran from 17 July to 5 August, with all profits going to MasterChef Australia’s charity of choice, SecondBite.

National Liquor News and TheShout, along with other media and influencers, were invited along to a test run of the experience ahead of its launch. Chefs Daniel Wilson and Stuart Toon taught us how to cook a stunning entree and then our cooking skills were put to the test in a pressure cook off against other teams. Our confit vanilla king salmon with pesto was judged and we were the winning team. It was a great night for a great cause.

2

The Bombay Sapphire English Estate gin

3. Bombay Sapphire launches English Estate gin

Bombay Sapphire unveiled its Limited Edition: English Estate in Australia at an event held at The Barber Shop in Sydney on 1 July. The gin has been infused with three new botanicals inspired by the English countryside that Bombay Sapphire calls home: rosehip, toasted hazelnut and Pennyroyal mint. A range of cocktails had been created by the team at The Barber Shop, using the limited edition gin and Artisan Tonic Water. Cocktails included a martini and a gin and tonic. During the event, Australian speed painter Sarah Rowan live painted a piece of art inspired by the new gin.

48 | AUGUST 2019 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Pernod Ricard’s Kristy Farrell and Katherine Candy

EVENTS

4. Biggest ever Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival

Tasmania’s Huon Valley played host to the biggest Mid-Winter Festival to date. Presented by Willie Smith’s Cider Makers and Events Tasmania, this outdoor pagan wassailing festival was moved from Willie Smith’s home to Ranelagh Showgrounds to accommodate the record 20,000 people that descended on it. The festival started on Friday 12 July with the burning of ‘Big Willie’, a two-storey wicker man, and continued until Sunday 14 July. Morris dancers, live music, storytelling and a wassail to ‘wake up’ the apple trees featured among the entertainment over the weekend, as well as a sculpture competition and several costume competitions to celebrate the ‘tatters’ costumes that people had worn to the festival.

5

4 4

Revellers at this year’s Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival

Revellers at this year’s Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival

The Fleet Street store will include monthly Brewery features.

Retailers, suppliers and media attended the opening of the Fleet Street

5 5. ILG LAUNCHES NEW PREMIUM BANNER

The Independent Liquor Group (ILG) officially launched its new premium banner group called Fleet Street, opening the flagship store at The Commodore Hotel in North Sydney, last month. A second store is already open at Bella Vista, while three more stores will soon open at Collaroy, Mona Vale and North Avalon. The aim is to have 12 premium Fleet Street bannered stores up and running over the next 12 months. The new banner is a high-end offering that will target the premiumisation trend. “This is our first Fleet Street store in the ILG system, and it will be one of many,” Esposito told National Liquor News. “This is a concept that was in the ILG system for some time. It was always going to be a premium offering. All the suppliers are talking about premiumisation and retail needs to move that way as well. So it was a concept that was developed in that way as well.”

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS AUGUST 2019 | 49

SHOP TALK

Shop Talk We talk shop with Peter Howse from Fogarty Wine Group and Brad Crouch from Ashby Liquor Super Store in Western Australia.

Meet...

PETER HOWSE, Business Development Manager, Fogarty Wine Group

BRAD CROUCH, L-R: Peter Howse and Brad Crouch

Q About us: PETER: I have worked in the hospitality and liquor industry for the past 25 years starting my career working at The Hyatt Regency Perth before moving to London to take on the Catering Manager role at The Lansdowne Club in Mayfair.

I then moved back home where I started working in my local Vintage Cellars store. After four years with Vintage Cellars I moved to the supplier side and began my first rep role with Accolade Wines. After nine years with Accolade Wines an opportunity came up in March 2018 to work at The Fogarty Wine Group and be part of a new sales force in the market. It’s been exciting to be part of a progressive wine company this past year with a team and business that is growing and celebrating success.

BRAD: Ashby is located 3.5km from Wanneroo.

The Ashby Bar and Bistro and The Ashby Liquor Super Store were the brainchild of respected hotelier David Strom and his business partner and developer John Wilson. The premise is constructed on an old Paul Conti vineyard and was completed and opened in June 2015. I was fortunate to come on board when the building was nearing completion and have enjoyed the challenge of building the business. I started in the liquor retail business in the 80s in Bunbury with Peter Jeffree and the Con’s Liquor stores, after the sale of these businesses I relocated to Perth to again work with Peter and Bruce Cullam in the building of Con’s Case Place, at the time the biggest independent liquor store in Western Australia. This was subsequently sold in 2005 to become the first Dan Murphy’s store in WA.

Q How are you finding the current market?

PETER: The market is challenging at the moment with sales being inconsistent from week to week.

Also, the pressures put on retailers with the cost of doing business increasing and reduced margins due to aggressive competition, limits their buying

50 | AUGUST 2019 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Store Manager, Ashby Liquor Super Store

power and willingness to carry excess stock. It seems to get more challenging year after year.

BRAD: I feel the market at the moment is at its most challenging in the last 20 years.

Competition, the discretionary spend on alcohol being down through lifestyle choices and economic uncertainty all combine to make a very challenging time.

“I love the banter, the buzz you get when a customer tells me how much they enjoyed a wine, spirit or craft beer recommendation.”

– Brad Crouch Q What are the biggest challenges you are facing?

PETER: The biggest challenge in my role is the overcrowding of growth categories. All wine companies seem to have a new rosé or a new Shiraz coming out each week. The other big challenge is the increase in virtual/home brand wines; brand loyalty is quickly forgotten for price and quality.

BRAD: There are several challenges that we face everyday, and way too many to put into words. I think the ones that I find I am continually working on are how we continue to engage with our customers and engage with new customers. How do we attract the next generation of customers?

The challenges of advertising and engagement on

social media. How do we hold their attention on our offering? How do we build store loyalty with the next generation?

Q What deals or promotions are working for you at the moment?

PETER: When I first started as a rep, pallet deals where the norm but now in the current market, smaller deals that the retailer can access multiple times over the course of the promotion seem to work. Also, consistency with price and promotion is a win/win for retailer and supplier.

BRAD: ‘Two for’ buys on wine are really working well for us at the moment. One for now and one for later is our sell line, we run this over a large selection of wine price points. We have also had great success with our ‘Eight from your State’ craft beer offering where customers can choose one core range beer from 12 WA independent craft breweries at a discounted price point. The craft beer aficionados really love the opportunity to mix things up.

Q What do you enjoy most about the job?

PETER: What I enjoy the most about my job are the people. Over the many years I have built some fantastic working relationships and great friendships.

I enjoy working with retailers when we both achieve a positive outcome, this is rewarding. And drinking and talking about premium wine is a big positive about my job.

Building brands in the market place is also enjoyable.

BRAD: I love building relationships with our customers and my younger work colleagues.

I love the banter, the buzz you get when a customer tells me how much they enjoyed a wine, spirit or craft beer recommendation. Also sharing and instilling passion and knowledge with my work colleagues and then watching them share that information with our customers.

F D OF IR % B L 10 RLYECIA EA SP

e re ag fo ck be a B rp 0E ou 02 g y N2 kin NL oo de b co en e h th r w te be uo m Q pte Se

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PACKAGE ONE AUSTRALIA’S LEADING LIQUOR INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

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THE 2018 ANNUAL INDUSTRY LEADERS FORUM

JEFF MCWILLIAM, CEO MCWILLIAM’S WINES

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The Henkell brand is a sparkling success in Australia, outperforming the market and delivering growth of +7.9%*.

To capitalise on the strength of Henkell we are delighted to introduce Henkell Blanc de Blancs, a premium cuvée created from only the best white grapes. It displays a fresh, elegant, well rounded taste profile with a complex yet approachable palate.

Australia

SINCE STEPPING INTO THE ROLE IN MID-2016, DO YOU FEEL YOU’VE SETTLED IN AS CEO? I’ve had a year now to settle in and with the assistance of a great leadership team and talented people across all areas of the business I’ve been able to have a transition that’s not only been fun but a very rewarding experience.

We are lucky to work in such a dynamic industry and having people around you like the teams we have at McWilliam’s gives us the ability to react and respond in a way to build and deliver brands that people love.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR MCWILLIAM’S IN 2017?

One standout for the year would definitely be our relocation from Chullora to our new home in Pyrmont. It’s really revitalised the team to be in such a dynamic precinct like Pyrmont/ Darling Harbour and being so close to new up-and-coming culinary hubs like Barangaroo is invaluable for our on-premise team.

It was also where McWilliam’s established its first Sydney operation in the 1940s which is an extra special coup for our family.

STRONG GROWTH: Blanc de Blancs is still an emerging sparkling style in Australia, but is already showing strong growth of 21%.*

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A TRUSTED BRAND: An opportunity for loyal Henkell consumers

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For more information, please call your McWilliam’s Wines Representative or our Customer Contact Centre on 1800 800 584

McWilliam’s has always been considered a great innovator in the wine industry and we work hard to find new ways to excite consumers and give a wider offering to our customers. We also work with some fantastic brands overseas that have a similar mindset and for 2017 we’ve been able to introduce two great wines from our distributor partner Henkell.

We introduced a fusion of fashion and function in November with Henkell Blanc de Blancs. Offered in a stylishly white painted (not sleeved) bottle, this elegant wine is more than just a pretty face. Henkell Blanc de Blancs is a premium offering created from white grapes sourced from famous European wine growing regions. And through French processes and German engineering, Henkell Blanc de Blancs is a high quality premium sekt that is ideal as

COMPLETE SUPPORT: An integrated marketing campaign including

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*Source: IRI Data and Wine Intelligence

BACARDI-MARTINI AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

For more information, please call your McWilliam’s Wines Representative or our Customer Contact Centre on 1800 800 584

facebook.com/HenkellAU

WITH INNOVATION AND NPD SO IMPORTANT TO MCWILLIAM’S, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE NEW PRODUCTS LAUNCHED IN 2017?

instagram.com/henkellau

an aperitif or an excellent accompaniment to a light dinner.

The other wine that we have introduced is the Henkell De-alcoholised sekt, a wine that has been 20 years in the making for the Henkell Group. It took them many years to finesse the process in which they make a high quality sekt and then remove the alcohol while still retaining the fresh fruit flavours and characters from the winemaking process without the alcohol. We’ve thought this was a great innovation with the shift we’ve seen towards people being more health conscious and with that, considering their alcohol intake. We feel this is a premium offering for those who want to enjoy the pleasure of drinking sparkling wine without alcohol.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAVE FACED IN 2017?

There has been a lot of change for us throughout 2017 but we’ve come through it as a team really well and finished with strong results. I really value how hard the teams across the business have worked to keep the McWilliam’s portfolio top of mind within the market and I’m excited to build on this drive for the year to come.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE MAJOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR MCWILLIAM’S IN 2018?

I think there are some big trends globally that we at McWilliam’s are looking to build upon but also local trends that we feel have great potential for growth. Firstly, the rosé trend is alive and well and for those looking for a more luxurious option, Champagne rosé is really taking off.

We are putting particular focus on Champagne Taittinger Prestige Rosé which has been made with 15 per cent still Pinot Noir sourced from Grand Cru vineyards lending itself to the elegant forest fruits taste and striking pink hue. This, in conjunction with the Chardonnay-dominant style of the house makes for a refreshing wine that is something quite special.

We are also introducing Mionetto Prosecco to Australia in time for summer for on-premise and select independent retailers. We’ve seen

that the Australian culture of dining has become more and more European in style and in turn the aperitif is becoming more integrated within a meal. Prosecco has been a longestablished aperitif in the Italian market and with Mionetto’s elegant and refreshing flavour profile makes it the perfect way to start a meal or your evening.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIG WINE TREND FOR 2018?

I think the movement of sparkling wines becoming more than just an occasion-based wine into something that can be enjoyed every day is a great opportunity for some of our distributor brands in 2018 (Champagne Taittinger, Henkell and Mionetto). People are embracing celebrating simple pleasures and everyday moments with great wine instead of hiding them away for just the right occasion, and sparkling wines are the perfect fit for this.

They come in so many different styles and price points that make them accessible for everyday and every taste.

86 | FEBRUARY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

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WHAT WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR ASAHI PREMIUM BEVERAGES (APB) IN 2017?

We had an extremely busy year with a number of highlights that filled the 2017 calendar.

Vodka Cruiser continues to go from strength to strength and we launched a number of variants under the Vodka Cruiser originals campaign which gained enormous traction on social media. We also welcomed Vodka O, VDKA 6100, Tequila Blu and Spice Box to our portfolio when we purchased the Artisan Spirit Merchants (ASM) brands. This has been a great inclusion into our portfolio with Vodka O giving us a platform to build a strong spirits portfolio.

We then followed up in October with the inclusion of Peroni and Grolsch which continues to build on our premium international beer portfolio. Peroni is a fantastic brand that will assist our growth in the on-premise channel. In October we were also announced joint winners at the 2017 ALIAs as Off-Premise Supplier of the Year. As you can see, it has been a big year at Asahi.

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR OPPORTUNITES FOR APB’S BEER PORTFOLIO IN 2018?

To order contact Asahi Premium Beverages on: 1800 090 378

BACARDI-MARTINI AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

We want to keep the growth momentum going in both premium international beer and craft beer – so our approach is very much about improving category performance so that we all benefit.

In craft beer, we believe that there is a tremendous opportunity for us all to improve category performance. The choice offered by the expansion of craft beer is mind-boggling.

While some consumers revel in this choice, others are quite confused by the plethora of offerings. The opportunity for suppliers and retailers is to help consumers navigate the category and choose something that meets their needs. We believe that the opportunity for retailers in 2018 will be to consolidate their craft beer offerings, making sure they have a full range of the leading products and top selling craft beer brands – including APB brands of Cricketers Arms and Mountain Goat of course. Some retailers are already

successfully doing this and seeing healthy stock turns and return on investment. And it doesn’t need to be boring – there is always a role for seasonal or local rotations to keep the offering looking fresh for regular customers.

In premium international beer we all see a lot of focus on price as a way for retailers to attract customers. APB now has five brands that can command a premium in the market with Peroni, Asahi Super Dry, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsh and Estrella Damm as our super-premium offerings. In 2018 we will be working with retailers and on-premise operators to ensure we increase category value for all. Initiatives include investing in unique packs and promotions and ensuring marketing improves consumer demand without the need for significant price levers. There is no one quick fix to realising healthy market prices, but focus needs to be on creating overall value for consumers, so prices are a secondary consideration.

IN WHICH AREAS DID YOU SEE THE MOST GROWTH? The consumer trend of seeking better quality beer continues to drive our premium international beer brand’s performance. The Asahi brand continues its strong growth momentum, up 32 per cent MAT (IRI September 2017) and craft beer continues to perform as the ‘new premium’ category with Mountain Goat up 36 per cent and Cricketers Arms up 20 per cent. We are also pleased to see continued strong growth of both Woodstock (plus five per cent MAT) and Vodka Cruiser brands (plus six per cent), driven by our continued brand renovation and NPD. In particular, we are excited about the growth potential of Woodstock Easy Roller, our new refreshing twist on Bourbon, pairing Woodstock Bourbon with a delicious ginger beer mixer.

WHAT CHALLENGES DID APB FACE IN 2017?

We have grown our portfolio substantially during the 2017 period with the inclusion of Peroni, Grolsch, Pilsner Urquell, our new spirit brands and some NPD, and such rapid growth

“We want to keep the growth momentum going in both premium international beer and craft beer.” presents challenges with portfolio management and ensuring that we have established the appropriate communication and training programs to assist our staff with selling a larger portfolio. We will always face regulatory challenges, and the burden that imposes on our operations. The forthcoming introduction of the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) in NSW is an example of where we had to deploy a number of internal resources away from our core business as well as employ external expertise to assist us with the new legislation.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIG TRENDS FOR CRAFT BEER IN 2018?

The trend towards easier drinking craft beers, while well established, will continue to drive growth for retailers in 2018. Beers like Mountain Goat Steam Ale, Mountain Goat Summer Ale and Cricketers Arms Scorcher Summer Ale all play to this trend. Ensuring these offerings are readily available both on- and off-premise will enable retailers and on-premise operators to trade up as many customers as possible to these higher dollar margin offerings.

Another trend worth noting is the rise of mid-strength craft beer. We have been pleased by the popularity of our recently released Cricketers Arms Session Ale. It is a triple hopped full flavoured refreshing ale with ABV of 3.5 per cent available in a 375ml can. There have been a number of similar beers in this space, which again provides retailers with the opportunity to trade consumers up from other lower value options.

54 | FEBRUARY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

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Shane T Williams E: stwilliams@intermedia.com.au M: 0431 857 765 D: 02 8586 6205 General Manager Sales – Liquor & Hospitality Group