12 minute read
SOUTH AUSTRALIA DRINKS: TOASTING TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S VIBRANT LIQUOR LANDSCAPE
Toasting to South Australia’s vibrant liquor landscape
Molly Nicholas explores the diversity of South Australia’s flourishing liquor industry, home to a rich tapestry of flavours, passionate local producers, and unique heritage.
Internationally renowned for its craft beer scene and world-class wineries, South Australia has earned its reputation as one of Australia’s most diverse drinks regions.
It is no secret that South Australia boasts a long and rich winemaking history, recognised for its world-leading wine regions, and famed for its iconic vineyards. South Australian wines have gained international recognition by celebrating the region’s diverse climate and unique grape varieties.
Often considered the historic heart of Australia’s wine industry, South Australia is responsible for almost half of the country’s wine production every year.
Angove Family Winemakers, which is situated in the thriving McLaren Vale region, was an early entrant into the market of premiumisation and organic winemaking practices, as Marketing Manager Matt Redin explains: “In the 1990s a quiet revolution began with the production of premium regional wines across South Australia, that ultimately led to the focus on premium wines from the McLaren Vale region and organic wines from across South Australia.
It is encouraging that retailers are becoming more open to alternative packaging and varieties that are better suited to our climate. There needs to be a focus on companies that have sustainability as a core objective.
-Matt Redin, Marketing Manager, Angove Family Winemakers
“The Angove family crafts a wide range of premium wines from vineyards across South Australia, with a focus on McLaren Vale and certified organic winemaking. The family are committed to sustainable vineyard management and are Australia’s number one certified organic grape grower and winemaker.”
A brand that places sustainability at its core, Redin says that the shift towards premiumisation is a great opportunity for retailers to influence sustainability as a driving force in consumer choices.
“Sustainability needs to be at the forefront of [retailers] minds as we move forward. It is encouraging that retailers are becoming more open to alternative packaging and varieties that are better suited to our climate. There needs to be a focus on companies that have sustainability as a core objective.”
South Australian winemakers are developing a resilient industry with an environmentally friendly appeal. With so many wineries focused on conserving the environment and lowering their carbon footprint, the planet-friendly approach earns many South Australian winemakers a point of difference in the industry.
Generations of excellence
The Australian wine industry is dominated by family-owned wineries, and South Australia is no exception to that. Winemakers across the region have spent decades building their legacy as trusted and dependable brands. In today’s market, just how important are heritage and family values to a new generation of wine lovers?
Based in the heart of Coonawarra, Zema Estate is a true family winery committed to its hand-crafted heritage. With a reputation for producing premium quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz based on multigenerational traditions, Zema recently injected its well-recognised labels with a new lease of life.
Director Nick Zema spoke about the impactful shelf appeal the family has uncovered with its new, contemporary branding.
“While remaining true to the core values, passion and tradition that launched Zema, we also acknowledge the need to continually move forward, improve and embrace change.
“Although our label has had minor tweaks over 40 years, this was the most significant. We recognised the need to appeal to a younger audience yet remain true to our brand and retain the trust of our existing customers. With the introduction of our new labels, this is a new point of sale for retailers to utilise when merchandising our products.”
The Patritti family, owners of two exceptional vineyards in McLaren Vale, has also stepped away from its traditionally conservative labels. Patritti, whose labels tell the story of the Patritti family, was recognised for the calibre of its Merchant Series wine labels by the prestigious International Wine and Spirit Competition when it was voted the World’s Most Beautiful in 2019.
Justin Tiller, General Manager, said: “The foundation of the Patritti brand is about authenticity and value. Those fundamentals have not changed since we were established in 1926 and have evolved in recent years by giving it a more contemporary look and feel, while always giving a respectful nod to the past. This has led to a broader customer base and a whole new generation of Patritti fans.”
Beyond the vineyards
In a state that is home to some of Australia’s best grape-growing regions, winemakers aren’t the only ones taking advantage of the high-quality ingredients on offer. Never Never Distilling combines the fruit of South Australian vines with its award-winning Triple Juniper Gin, to produce its premium Ginache Gin bursting with premium grenache grapes.
Located atop Chalk Hill in the McLaren Vale region, Never Never Distilling is the culmination of three individuals with the ambition to create Australia’s most innovative gin brand. As the brand embarks on a ‘Juniper Revolution’, its commitment to breaking the mould has earned global success.
Our drinkers are proud to know they are supporting an authentic Australianowned and operated brewery and their loyalty has seen us continue to punch above our weight in the national market.
-Michael Shearer, General Manager, Coopers Brewery
The popularity of Never Never shows the importance of individualism in Australia’s spirits category, with Co-Founder Sean Baxter explaining how the brand embodies the extraordinary spirit of South Australia.
“It’s been incredible watching the brand grow since those early days in the back of a shed in Royal Park, selling gin out of the boot of Tim’s (Co-Founder and Head Distiller) Magna.
“Our brand champions our capacity to ‘Cause a Stir’ backed up by our incredible award-winning spirits and driven by innovation in both liquid direction and technique. Through this brand evolution we have always remained authentic when it comes to who we are and what it has taken us to get to this position in the category.”
With fruit-forward gin proving popular in South Australia, Vok Beverages’ brand 23rd Street has hopped on board the consumerled trend with its latest release 23rd Street Tropical Gin.
Brian Sheedy, Vok Marketing Manager, said: “We had no interest in replicating another London Dry and wanted to make something completely different that was fruit-forward, had depth of colour, adept at cocktails and refreshing with soda. We have sold out at every event we presented it at, which told us we were onto something special.”
The Vok brand has always been famous for liqueurs and cocktails, with a diverse portfolio of brands suited to every customer and occasion. Despite increased demand seeing Vok expand its RTD cocktail offering, it was rum that stole the show this year.
“Rum is hot. For years Australian rum has been focused in Queensland, but the interest in rum and rum RTDs has hit a new highpoint across the nation. Our brand Beenleigh has moved to annual releases on all premiums and onto allocations by channel as the demand is too high for continuous supply. Australia is up and rumming,” said Sheedy.
The spirit of premiumisation
Sustainable growth of the South Australian sprits sector has reached far beyond the state’s borders, with retailers playing a vital role in raising the profile of the industry across the country. The highly acclaimed reputation of South Australian spirit producers lends itself to the sustained trend of premiumisation. Brand values and appealing packaging are just some of the elements that customers are searching for as they immerse themselves in this trend.
“With inflation and interest rates at record highs we’re seeing more volatility in the market than we ever have before”, said Baxter. “[A recent trend we’ve seen] is consumers seeking out value on shelf, but also seeking out premium spirits and special serves that celebrate an occasion more and more.
“The flavoured gin category looks to be seeking out flavours that stop people in their tracks and peak a consumer’s curiosity. Our Oyster Shell Gin has seen growth year on year and has been a popular choice for those retailers wanting to offer something unique on shelf. We strive to meet these consumer trends and support retailers in driving activations at a store level.”
Carving out a strong position for itself in the Australian liquor retail space since the early 1920s, Prohibition Liquor Co. has become one of Australia’s most highly awarded craft distillers. Over a century later, Prohibition is still unravelling the spirit of its sophisticated gins.
Marketing and Events Manager Kate Carpenter is extremely optimistic about the effects of premiumisation on storytelling brands and their position in the gin purchase landscape.
“The Prohibition brand has grown into its own space and sense of identity over the years, with a continued focus on storytelling and quality of product.
“Each product is an opportunity for us to tell a new story, from packaging to spirit, highlighting different historical stories, overlaid with a contemporary spirit presentation and production methodology. The brand stays true to its core values and to the ethos of people-centric gins, which people truly enjoy and savour the experience of drinking”, said Carpenter.
With consumer experience starting on the shelf, premium positioning plays a big part in attracting new customers. To complement Prohibition’s expansive range of premium quality spirits, Carpenter encourages retailers to offer samples as a means of drawing in new customers.
“Here at Prohibition, our products are tremendously suited to the retail environment, with iconic packaging, which sells itself on shelf and quality gin that keeps people coming back. Getting people to take a chance on the first purchase can be tricky though, so we love to support retailers with instore tastings from our experienced team – you can’t beat the impact of a tasting to get people hooked with Prohibition gins.”
Barrels of brilliance
Since the onset of the pandemic, Australians have had a thirst for locally made products. Shoppers are seeking out locally made drinks on bottle
shop shelves in the growing trend to support Australian businesses. Home to a thriving craft beer scene, South Australian breweries have a lot to offer to consumers who are hunting down hyperlocal products.
Well known as Australia’s largest independent brewer, Coopers is a staple in the South Australian beer landscape. For six generations Coopers have been custodians of a proud legacy as a traditional brewer with a fusion of modern innovation.
Michael Shearer, General Manager at Coopers Brewery, said: “Coopers was recently named the fourth largest beer brand in Australia. The report by research company Circana also showed Coopers to be the only independent Australian brewery within the top 10 list of Australia’s best selling beer brands in 2022.
“For us, this is a real vote of public confidence in Coopers, not just for being independent but also our total commitment to brewing the best beer we can that is available throughout Australia.
“Being the largest independent Australian-owned brewery is an enormously valuable point of difference for Coopers. Producing a great tasting Australian-owned and made beer in a market packed with internationally owned brands allows us to really stand out to consumers,” said Shearer.
Shearer believes that the trend towards locally made produce presents a huge opportunity for retailers to showcase the goods of South Australia.
“Our drinkers are proud to know they are supporting an authentic Australian-owned and operated brewery and their loyalty has seen us continue to punch above our weight in the national market.”
Despite its long-established roots in the Australian beer category, Coopers doesn’t just rely on its household name to keep its customers coming back for more. Quickly adapting to consumer trends earns Coopers its place as an innovator in the industry, with Shearer explaining that when consumer needs change, so does the range of products at Coopers.
“Coopers Australian Lager will soon be rolling off the line at the brewery. This signifies a major push by Coopers into the highly popular lager category, which represents more than 80 per cent of total domestic beer sales in Australia.
“Australians love their lagers, and we wanted to create a modern Australian lager that is more flavoursome and contemporary compared with the traditional lagers in the market. We feel we’ve delivered on that with Coopers Australian Lager, and we’re confident drinkers will agree when they get their first taste.”
Meanwhile, Baxter from Never Never hopes the desire for Australianmade drinks paired with the awardwinning reputation of South Australia’s drinks industry is enough to rival its international competitors.
“We’re actively trying to convert Australian drinkers of imported London Dry Gin to try something local and made here in Australia. We won World’s Best London Dry in 2022 at the World Gin Awards, so we’d like to think we’ve qualified to take a bit of ground off the big boys like Tanqueray, Bombay and Beefeater.”
From esteemed winemakers with decades of experience to the rising stars pushing the boundaries of spirit making, South Australia’s liquor industry offers incredible diversity. Authenticity goes hand in hand with Australia’s sustained love of locally made produce, lending itself well to the regions captivating blend of tradition, innovation, and natural abundance.
