15 minute read
World World Whisky Day: From a curiosity to a cornerstone
“From a curiosity to a cornerstone”
How Australia has embraced World Whisky Day
Seamus May explores how World Whisky Day, now in its tenth year, has risen from humble origins to become one of the biggest occasions for the whisk(e)y business.
World Whisky Day (WWD) was first establishedby whisky writer Blair Bowman in 2012, while stilla student in Barcelona. Bowman had founded theUniversity of Aberdeen’s whisky club, and what beganwith a student society has now conquered the world– with Australia no exception.
Held on the third Saturday of every May (which is also designated as ‘whisky month’ by the Scottish government), WWD invites drinkers across the globe to raise a dram and celebrate the ‘water of life.’
Distributing drams
For the Whisky List (TWL), WWD 2022 is its first as a distributor, having operated as a whisky marketplace and website since 2018. The company is preparing for the occasion with a major shipment of Scotch single malt, as Larry Aronson, Head of Sales & Distribution, explained.
“TWL’s latest shipment from Scottish distillery Bunnahabhain, Deanston, Tobermory and Ledaig is arriving just in time for WorldWhisky Day,” Aronson said.
Despite this being TWL’s first WWD as a distributor, Aronson is assured of the significance of the occasion, saying: “It’s incredibly important. We’re seeing demand for interesting and unique bottlings from Scottish, Aussie and US distilleries growing significantly over the last couple of years, so having a day to celebrate this amazing spirit, plus planning trade and consumer activities around it is an important part of our overall distribution strategy.”
Outside of its distribution activities, TWL plans to host The Whisky Show in Sydney on WWD, as it has done for the last 10 years. The show has become a flagship event for the spirits trade in Australia, with retailer and distributor Japanese Quality WhiskySociety (JQWS) planning to host private trade tastings of its rare and unusual bottlings from Amahagan and the Shinobu distilleries.
“World Whisky Day is very important to JQWS,” said Partner and Director Nikki Knights.
“World Whisky Day encompasses all great whisky and embraces whisky lovers here and abroad, and we're seeing many retailers and customers alike getting behind this day.”
On the other end of the scale to TWL is Swift and Moore, one of Australia’s oldest distributors. It has seen the rise of the WWD occasion, and ManagingDirector Cameron Crowley explained how the day has grown in stature throughout this time.
“World Whisky Day has evolved from a curiosity to a cornerstone of whisky marketing over the last decade,” Crowley said.
“I recall right back in the earliest days of WWD, there was a good deal of scepticism about the idea.
“Was it a legitimate event to celebrate? Would the consumer care? Could an industry as broad as global whisky come together to collaborate? Well, time has told, and the answer was a resounding ‘yes!’”
Having added Tamdhuand Glengoyne to its portfolio towards the end of last year, Swift and Moore is now in possession of a small, yet comprehensive, whisk(e)y selection, something it will be hoping to showcase during this year’s WWD.
“While our assortment and selection of brand partners is very tight, we are still able to present Irish Single Grain and Single Malt (Egan’s), AmericanBourbon (George Remus) and Rye Whiskey(Rossville) and then there are the Ian Macleod single malt whiskies Smokehead (Islay), Tamdhu (Speyside) and Glengoyne (Highland),” outlined Crowley.
Alongside these brands, Crowley says Swift and Moore has a special release for WWD – an extremely rare bottling of Rosebank 30 Year Old. Now owned by partners Ian Macleod, Rosebank is known across the whisky world as a closed distillery whose legend has only grown in its absence.
Meanwhile, for Vanguard Luxury Brands, world-wide representation is an important focus for this occasion, as General Manager Danny Connolly outlined.
“We pride ourselves on having representation from ‘across the globe’ when it comes to our portfolio – we have Scotland, Ireland, Canada, United States, Australia and soon we’ll have Japan represented in the Vanguard Luxury Brands catalogue - this is by design,” Connolly said.
“It’s much more than one day for our business. The day is bigger than any one brand and is a time for each distillery and supplier to celebrate the category together.”
SouthTrade International is another distributor that sees an opportunity to connect with drinkers over WWD, as Brand Manager Andy Milne explained.
“WWD creates that moment to entice and excite those customers with something a little left of normal, or from a smaller distillery that is less well known to the customer,” he said.
There’s a clear benefit for brands and retailers looking to grow their audience or access new markets, as Milne continued: “Trying something a little different from the norm is a great way to upsell to customers whilst giving them the confidence to expand their palate.”
Milne gives the example of Old Pulteney Huddart, an unpeated whisky which has been finished in former peated whisky casks.
“It’s a great way to introduce someone to peated whisky without diving headfirst into the peat bombs from Islay,” he said.
Branding WWD a success
For brands, WWD represents a unique opportunity to connect with drinkers, as Joseph Chisholm, Brand Ambassador for Bacardi-Martini summarised.
“This occasion drives consumers to try new and interesting whiskies that they normally would not, this is key for our brands – especially with Craigellachie,” he said.
Craigellachie is one of Speyside’s more idiosyncratic whiskies, with the distillery’s production techniques leading to a weighty dram with a distinctive pineapple profile.
“Malt whiskies lead the excitement around our portfolio, so for WWD it is really important we take this opportunity to highlight the premium single malts we have on offer, including Aberfeldy and Craigellachie,” Chisholm added.
William Grant & Sons has committed significant resources to WWD, and naturally, the focus is on Scotch single malt, as Marketing Manager Kristie Asciak outlined.
“For Glenfiddich, WWD is a full programme which includes advertising; a new product launch; sampling via the Glenfiddich Whisky Wanderer and, on WWD itself, a venue take-over,” she said.
Asciak also explained how WWD has impacted the business’s longer-term planning, noting: “We leverage the month of May to drive WWD and use it as a platform to ignite shoppers’ imaginations around what’s possible with whisky.”
Campari Australia has found that WWD sales were traditionally driven by Scotch whisky, as Paolo Marinoni, Campari’s ANZ Marketing Director, told National Liquor News.
“We have seen some strong performances by the Glen Grant,” Marinoni said.
“The Glen Grant has quickly seen the month of May become one of its key periods, across all price points, as the period caters to both new whisky drinkers, as well as long-time enthusiasts.”
Other brands in the Campari Australia stable are also now beginning to benefit from the WWD occasion too.
“We are now seeing some really positive trajectories for our premium and superpremium bourbon, including Wild Turkey and Russell’s Reserve,” Marinoni said.
“Wild Turkey Longbranch was a big winner this year, as consumers use the period to experiment with premium and super-premium offerings.”
Manly Spirits is amongst the Australianwhisky-makers looking to take advantageof the WWD opportunity, having recentlylaunched its Coastal Stone range ofsingle malts.
-Vanessa Wilton, Creative Director, Manly Spirits
“WWD participation in Australia isbecoming more and more important everyyear with the increase in craft whiskyproduction in Australia,” explained ManlySpirits Creative Director, Vanessa Wilton.
“Australian Whisky is such a young,emerging category on the back of thepositive global trend of single malt whiskybecoming a ‘fashionable’ choice for the‘aspirational’ drinker.”
Wilton believes Australian whisky isat an advantage during occasions likeWWD, as it possesses a genuine sense of
place, allowing it to connect with younger Australian drinkers who place a great emphasis on authenticity.
“We believe it is a day to celebrate not only the liquid, but the rebirth and growth of our home-grown industry, making some of the finest whiskies in the world right now,” Wilton added.
“Without such an occasion, it’s much harder to get noticed among the goliaths of international whisky.”
Accelerating online
Brands, retailers and distributors all agree: e-commerce has changed the sale of whisky forever, with the pandemic only serving to accelerate the shift online.
It should come as no surprise that WWD has embraced this change, after all, the occasion originally began when Bowman found he was able to register the domain ‘www.worldwhiskyday.com’.
Connolly sees the ‘one day only’ nature of WWD as ideally suited to e-commerce, as marketing and tactical initiatives can be switched on and off with ease, whereas traditional retail tends to require a longerterm approach.
- Cameron Crowley, Managing Director, Swift and Moore
Chisholm laid out some approaches for both brands and online retailers to use in this kind of strategy, and said: “For us it is about offering something unique, this could be through a gift with purchase, offering an experience, or showcasing a new product exclusively through one particular online retailer.”
And Marinoni strikes a similar note: “Brands that tailor a message to target audiences are seeing the biggest results through greater open rates and improved click-through.”
Retailers should not overlook the importance of their landing page design with any e-commerce offering, as Marinoni continued: “The digital store front is now more relevant than ever and it is a fantastic way for retailers to bring theatre and excitement to the category through the use of digital assets, where we can tell our brand stories.”
The storytelling potential of e-commerce has not gone unnoticed by Milne either, who said: “E-commerce provides a great opportunity to tell the story and provide lots of information about our brand.”
But nevertheless, it is traditional retail that remains central to the SouthTrade International strategy.
“Bricks and mortar, however, is where the passion is sold,” Milne said.
“This is where the conversation can take place between retailer and customer and you can really understand what it is that they are looking for.”
The future of World Whisky Day
After 10 years, WWD has grown to be an integral part of the whisky retail calendar. But what will the next decade of WWDs look like?
Maruda offers some practical advice, and said: “WWD is growing in popularity each year, and with global supply issues around stock availability, and extended shipping times still occurring, make sure you plan ahead and work closely with your distributors and importers to lock in allocations and plan new product announcements.”
Moving into the post-lockdown future, Milne and SouthTrade International are hoping that events will bring greater exposure to the company’s brands.
“COVID has definitely put a spanner in the works here, but the opportunity for more events, and for customers to get together, share a whisky and a few stories is definitely the future for World Whisky Day,” he said.
-Andy Milne, Brand Manager SouthTrade International
It is this power to create community and communication that makes WWD so special, and so enduring, as Marinoni perfectly summarised: “The true value of WWD is how it gives such vibrant and varied categories a great chance to communicate the amazing breadth of whiskies that are available in the market.”
Connolly added: “WWD gives us an opportunity to talk to the brand’s storytelling, production process and liquid in far greater depth.”
Finally, Asciak articulated a bigger, bolder vision for the WWDs of the future.
“WWD is a fantastic initiative by Blair Bowman but aside from a suggestion to rename it World Whisky Month, it needs scale for growth,” she said.
“Industry-wide support from retailers, venues and brands is needed to make this a celebration and not a competition of our wonderful liquids.”
Capitalising on World Whisky Day
Brands and distributors from this story have shared some key advice for retailers hoping to capitalise on the WWD opportunity:
➤ “Ensure you start communicating with your customers at least four weeks prior to WWD to build that interest,” said Maruda.
-Kristie Asciak, Marketing Manager, William Grant & Sons
➤ “Rather than selling more, I would be encouraging retailers to help consumers explore and try something 'out of their ordinary’ and more premium… It’s a great time to help consumers discover the back stories of many of these brands and in doing so, a low value transaction for a cheaper spirit may well become a high margin premium whisky repeat consumer,” said Crowley.
➤ Whisky needs to be presented in alternative ways, beyond its traditional image, according to Chisholm: “Gone are the archaic days where whisky must be drunk straight from the barrel, we can now enjoy whisky in cocktails, with soda, on ice or neat.”
➤ Remember that this is a time for shoppers to treat themselves, rather than a gifting occasion, as Marinonisaid: “World Whisky Day is a great recruiter into whisky when we give people more information. This means more information on distillery process, how a product is aged, the benefits of the location or terroir for different whisky. Giving people an opportunity to explore and learn across brands and whisky categories is key to successful trading.”
➤ “Consider opening sample bottles for customers to trial and explore before they buy. Conversion from trial at our events has been as high as one in 10, so a small investment in a bottle of stock can drive a strong return if sampled with the right customers,” said Asciak.
➤ Bewsher advised not to forget about non-alcoholic offerings and said: “Category-focused displays that include a nonalcoholic option are sure fire ways to start the conversation around non-alc. We will continue to invest in-store through both activation and retailer training. Activation that drives trial is key in this space, we want to work with retailers that are serious about providing a solution to their consumer across all consumption occasions; regardless of the presence of alcohol. The Lyre’s team can provide specific recipe cards and point of sale solutions that highlight the non-alcoholic whisky occasion within outlets and help drive the engagement.”
➤ Wilton said it’s a good idea to focus on theming for a point of difference: “With focused events like WWD, there’s more opportunity to reach the new wave of contemporary whisky lovers, and those who would like to support local brands. Create an Australian whisky display with point of sale to highlight the growing range available. Many consumers may not realise how far Australian whisky as come, and the quality of the liquid being produced.”
➤ Educate consumers about age, according to Milne, who said: “Age isn’t always everything. As an industry, we've spun this story for a long time and customers are wise to this now. Older whiskies may be just as good as their younger variants, but it’s down to how they’re made, their cask selection and the team that put it together, not the number on the bottle.”
➤ “Think about ‘good, better, best’ when it comes to your range. If there’s one category out there that lends itself to this segmentation, it’s this one,” Connolly said.
Expanding opportunities with non-alcoholic options
Non-alcoholic specialist Lyre’s Spirit Co. is also getting involved in WWD, choosing the occasion to introduce a new product to the Australian market.“Lyre’s is pleased to say we will be launching Australia’s first ‘true to taste non-alcoholic Highland malt style spirit,” Lyre’s Regional TradeMarketing Manager, Bill Bewsher, told National Liquor News.
“Our Highland Malt pays tribute to classic ex-bourbon cask malts redolent with aromas of fresh-cut grass, apple and light spice.”
Lyre’s is keen to stress that its malts range is not designed to replace alcoholic whisky, but to complement the category, by providing an alternative that captures similar flavours and is accessible to a broad range of drinkers.
“A perfect world for Lyre’s would be for our malts to assist with the midweek duties in highballs and stirred down cocktails, allowing consumers to enjoy their favourite flavours regardless of occasion,” Bewsher concludes.
