WORLD WHISKY DAY - LIQUID GOLD

The growing excitement around whisky and whiskey is a movement that bottle shops can and should stand at the forefront. Charlie Whitting explores how World Whisky Day can be the perfect launchpad for bottle shops.

When we talk about World Whisky Day (WWD), it is not just a global celebration of a spirit, it’s also a celebration of a global spirit – a drink with links across the planet. Whiskies and whiskeys can take you to the snowcapped Highlands of Scotland or the sweltering hills of Kentucky, from lush Irish meadows to dramatic Japanese vistas all the way home to Australia, where the craft distilling industry has been making huge strides in recent years.

Similarly, the image of a whisky drinker has evolved and grown. It is no longer just a drink that one sips in front of a roaring fire at the end of the evening – although that is certainly a delight. People are enjoying whisky in long drinks, stylish cocktails, high energy flavoured shooters and more. The spirit is enjoying a wide-ranging renaissance and WWD is testament to that growth. And with this variety, there are a plethora of opportunities to explore for retailers when it comes to this increasingly important date in the diary.

“The great thing about it is it encapsulates whisk(e)y from all over the world and is a great reason for both on and off-premise accounts to build an event off the back of, especially since it’s a Saturday this year in Australia,” says Stuart Reeves, Brand Manager for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey at Brown- Forman. “WWD is one of the biggest days of the year outside of Christmas and Father’s Day for whisk(e)y gift giving, something for retailers to keep in mind.”

EDUCATION AND EVENTS

Days like WWD are notched in the diaries of enthusiasts but could easily pass unnoticed by the uninitiated. On what could be a weekend full of other distractions, retailers need to think of promotions they can put in place which will stand out to whisky lovers and catch the eye of other passing trade. Events allow you to set a fixed date more firmly in people’s minds, and with the right promotional approach, they can build as the date approaches.

While the offer of a whisky tasting might be alluring to most consumers, in order to make that lasting impression, people need to leave your bottle shop with something more – memories. A category as rich and broad as whisky – with all the pages written about its taste, its heritage and its provenance – makes information a sure-fire way to increase customer involvement. If your venue and your website can become the go-to place for people seeking information about whisky during WWD, then it can retain that reputation for the rest of the year.

“Education is key – and shoppers are looking for more information in this category,” says Richard Dumas, Shopper Marketing Manager at Pernod Ricard. “Time in-store is short however so messaging needs to be concise and give clear reasons to purchase. Digital can play a strong role here as well.”

It is worthwhile getting in touch with your suppliers to see what assistance and guidance they can offer when it comes to hosting an event that will educate and inspire your customers. The aim should be to have every person leave the store knowing something they didn’t know about whisky before or having found a style or brand that speaks to them in particular. Suppliers can also provide important lessons and advice for your team as they seek to improve their knowledge and understanding of these spirits.

“A lot of the fun within the Scotch and Irish category these days is around discovery, as for even the learned whisky drinker there are a myriad of brands in both of these categories which require the consumer to be educated and immersed to appreciate the nuances of the brands,” explains Reeves.

“For North American, which Australians perhaps are already quite aware of, a focus would be around educating consumers on how to consume it and putting forward serve suggestions on how to drink American whiskey which will help to expand the education around the versatility of Bourbon, rye and Tennessee whiskeys with different mixers. “In 2019, the wealth of differing ambassadors from all the brands is immense and retailers should be trying to use these ladies and gentlemen as much as possible as a great resource for their respective brands.”

A bottle of whisky can be a significant investment for customers compared to some other spirits and it is this, coupled with the mystique and grandeur that accompanies many bottles, that can prove off-putting and daunting for some. WWD offers an opportunity to demystify these spirits through explanatory messages, and retailers should tackle this head on with instore messaging, posters and drinks ideas.

Tutored tastings can help to break down barriers around the spirit itself, but there are other ways to bring whisky to a wider audience. One could do worse than detailing the spirit’s part in some of the world’s most famous cocktails, as well as highlighting the interesting impacts it can have elsewhere as well – an Islay Old Fashioned or a Bourbon Mojito could spark some interesting conversations and experiments at home. There is also plenty of room for examining whisky’s relationship with food through pairings and masterclasses.

“There’s a whisky out there for everyone, sometimes people just need some help to break it down into layman’s terms,” says Colin McGregor, Operations Director of Camperdown Cellars in Sydney. “The use of water to make whisky more approachable can be a revelation to some customers.”

However, when it comes to whisky education, the messenger can be as important as the message. Staff that lack knowledge, interest or understanding will do little to convince customers of anything. They will require as much inspiration and education as anyone else if they are to share the story of whisky with enthusiasm and expertise, so it is important to give them the tools and the desire to talk to customers about the products and the day itself.

“If you have a team member with a clear passion for whisky, or spirits in general, give them some responsibility to curate the range,” advises McGregor. “Their passion will enable them to sell anything. Also, whisky review books help with scoring and descriptions to back up your sales talk. Utilise your supplier assets and support to educate your team on their portfolio either in-store or separately off-site.

“Experienced store managers should educate their team on the basic differences and leverage your suppliers to help with this. Having your team members write out tasting notes helps solidify that knowledge. Task them with researching one product a week.”

In an age when Australia boasts a growing number of its own distilleries, getting an actual distiller to host one of your events has never been a more real possibility, while brand ambassadors can also host events that bring a wealth of information and personality to your store, whether it’s educating your team or inspiring your customers.

OLD AND NEW

If ever there was a time to be focusing on special releases, limited editions and the like, it would be WWD. Distilleries around the world will be getting involved in the day and attention will never be more focused on the spirit. Therefore, it is worth preparing for WWD by talking to your suppliers to see if there is anything particularly special that you might be able to get in stock, whether it’s a new launch or an aged whisky, and to then find out as much as you can about it to make that sale an even more special experience for the customer.

“There is also greater awareness and education in whisky than ever before by the general public, so what is more important than ever is the retail experience one has with the store representatives themselves, some products do very much require a hand-sell and a story to be told,” adds Reeves.

Similarly, if you were thinking of revamping or expanding your whisky range, WWD is a great time to experiment with new options. Want to introduce an Australian craft whisky offer? Why not bring some in during the WWD build-up so that you can garner opinions from knowledgeable and passionate customers, as well as adding an extra reason for other people to get involved in the celebrations?

WHY NOT WORLD WHISKY WEEK?

Saturday 18 May is the official date for this year’s WWD (it falls on the third Saturday of May each year), but that doesn’t mean that you need be constrained by one day. The sheer number of distilleries around the world and sheer variety of styles the category offers mean that one could spend a day focusing on each kind and still overrun a week.

“(Retailers) should engage with suppliers in the category early and plan how to bring this to life in-store,” says Dumas. “Ideally take a category approach – rather than brand by brand and keep the messaging simple.”

If you can stretch WWD to encompass more days of the week, then it can also provide greater hitting power for any promotional activity in the build-up, as you can reveal what you’ve already done to highlight what’s coming next. It is important to showcase what you will be doing well in advance – through your websites and in-store promotions. However, regular updates closer to the time on social media and from staff recommendations in-store can keep these dates fresh in people’s minds and alert other last minute attendees.

“Organise social media posts in the lead up, in-store signage and whisky displays on counter hot spots and whisky designated areas,” says McGregor. “It’s key that your suppliers get proactive with tasting stock and POS to support.”

Whisky is a spirit that is associated with a host of different drinking cultures, flavour profiles and events. A celebration like WWD is a chance for retailers to highlight its quality and diversity to converted and unconverted alike.