NEW BRANDING TAKES SOUTHERN COMFORT BACK TO ITS ROOTS
Southern Comfort has revamped packaging and new positioning, with it being marketed as “The Spirit of New Orleans,” a nod to the brand’s connection to the colourful city for 140+ years. It has a new label, and now includes a robust 100 proof (50% ABV) expression specifically developed for the UK on-trade. The bottles have been made taller and slightly narrower and will retain their longstanding iconic fluted shoulders plus the signature of the creator, M.W. Heron.
Kevin Richards, Senior marketing director at Sazerac, the brand owners, comments, “We believe the new packaging reinforces the brand’s authentic whiskey and New Orleans roots. New Orleans was an integral part of Southern Comfort’s positioning for decades. We’re excited to reinforce that critical connection into the future. Like Southern Comfort, New Orleans is adored for its uniqueness and spirited character.”
BULLEIT FIRES AHEAD WITH 10-YEAR-OLD EDITION
Diageo Reserve has extended its range of Bulleit premium American Whiskeys with the launch of Bulleit Bourbon 10-Year-Old. The 45.6% ABV whiskey, the latest addition to Bulleit’s premium portfolio capitalises on the rising popularity of bourbon amongst UK consumers. The category has grown 4.4% in value.
Nick Temperley, Head of Diageo Reserve GB, commented, “Bulleit is making gains in both the on and off-trade and outperforming the category – up 54% in volume. We are confident that Bulleit 10-Year-Old will add to the popularity of the Bourbon category, providing a fantastic base for a number of seasonal serves such as the Smoked Maple Old Fashioned.”
HUDSON LAUNCHES 70CL BOTTLE
William Grant & Sons UK brand, Hudson whiskey, has launched a 70cl format across its Baby Bourbon and Manhattan Rye expressions in the UK.
After ten years at the forefront of craft distilling, Hudson, the first American whiskey distillery in New York since prohibition, is introducing the bigger bottle size in response to demand for a larger format from the UK on-trade.
Ralph Erenzo, one of the two founders at Hudson whiskey comments, “We are changing to a bigger bottle, but we haven’t changed our process. We still make whiskey grain-to-glass at the Tuthilltown Distillery in the Hudson Valley. Everything was, and still is, done by hand. It’s been quite a journey, from regular folks making whiskey to award winning distillers.”
Staying true to its craft and entrepreneurial nature, the brand will leverage the existing US 75cl bottle, under filled to 70cl to meet EU standards. The underfill method reflects how the brand previously bottled Hudson Baby Bourbon in a 35cl format using the US 37.5cl bottle when it first launched in the UK four years ago.
Due to the exclusivity of the liquid, Hudson is only available in a small selection of top whisky bars, hotels and restaurants, and premium whisky specialists in the UK. Hudson Four Grain will remain in a 35cl format for the foreseeable future.