Up-and-coming brands to watch
THREE EMERGING CRAFT VODKA BRANDS
BY KYLE SWARTZ
Vodka comprised a third of all beverage-alcohol case sales in the U . S . last year , according to the Beverage Information and Insights Group , the sister data team to Beverage Dynamics . While a majority of those sales were powerhouse products like Smirnoff , Tito ’ s , New Amsterdam , Burnett and Skyy , the sheer size of the category leaves room for smaller , craftier brands to emerge . Below we look at three .
1 ) DIXIE SOUTHERN VODKA Winner of a Rising Star Growth Brand in the 2019 Beverage Dynamics Spirits Growth Brands , this Charleston , South Carolina-based spirit grew 60 % in 2018 , from 15,000 9-liter cases to 24,000 . Savvy branding has played a big role .
“ There ’ s a trend now to be more regional than hyper-local ,” says Matti Christian Anttila , founder and CEO of Grain & Barrel Spirits , the company behind Dixie . “ The name ‘ Dixie ’ is iconic to the south . On top of that , our strategy was to put together the best supply chain and partnerships , so that Dixie represented the best overall of our region , rather than just our home base of Charleston .”
Dixie ’ s flavors also reflect southern regional . For instance , there ’ s Mint for Kentucky , Citrus for Florida and Peach for Georgia . But the brand has eyes beyond the south .
“ We embrace regional , but at their core our products are American ,” Anttila explains . “ That ’ s the first thing that drives consumers to our brand : we ’ re an American vodka .”
To that end , Anttila also points to a shift in consumer trends from premium imported vodka to premium domestic .
2 ) NUE VODKA Another winner of a Rising Star Growth Brand this year , Nue Vodka increased sales a whopping 174.2 % in 2018 , from 31,000 9-liter cases to 85,000 . This Dallas-made vodka comes from Southwest Spirits and Wine .
“ We have expanded distribution into 35 states and have adjusted our distributor footprint to further help with that expansion and presence ,” says Ronna Feifarek , VP of marketing , Southwest Spirits and Wine . “ We have invested in retail tastings and consumer events to get liquid to lips , and consumers have positively reacted to the smoothness and quality of our product , at a more reasonable price point than similar Texas vodkas .”
At around $ 12 per 750-ml . bottle , Nue is “ affordable for the Millennial consumer to purchase and get their smaller brand associations , while still recruiting middle-aged consumers that want a premium quality product at an affordable price point , but also a cosmopolitan look to dress up their back bar for entertaining friends ,” Feifarek adds .
Flavors include Grapefruit and Peach . This expanding brand recently entered 250 Publix stores in Florida , and gained new distribution in almost 250 Von ’ s , Pavilions and Albertson ’ s along the west coast at the end of August .
3 ) AMERICAN ANTHEM VODKA U . S . -based branding has become trendy in domestic vodka . Look no further than Diageo ’ s new American Anthem Vodka , launched in mid-2018 . This new product also taps into another current trend : brands with a charitable focus . American Anthem donates $ 1 from each bottle made — and that ’ s “ made ,” not “ sold ,” meaning donations occur pre-sale — split between Operation Gratitude and The Mission Continues , two nonprofits that support military personnel and their families .
“ At its core , American Anthem is about giving back to those who serve America ,” says Ryan Robertson , Diageo director of emerging brands and U . S . multicultural marketing . “ In our first year , we worked hard to lay the groundwork to become a brand that could serve as a vehicle for consumers to say ‘ Thank you ’ to members of the military and those that serve .” “ This program has forged an authentic connection that is resonating well with our consumers , who also find the price ideal for their at-home drinking occasions ,” Robertson adds . The suggested retail price is $ 14.99 per 750-ml . bottle .
“ We are a country increasingly conscious of polarization , and while it may appear as if our values have never been further apart , American Anthem taps into the uniquely bipartisan American values of pride and generosity for the people who serve our country ,” Robertson says . BD
8 Beverage Dynamics • July / August 2019 www . beveragedynamics . com