American Whiskey
American Whiskey
All this puts Fitzpatrick ’ s role as an educator at Warren American Whiskey Kitchen more in demand . “ Consumers are looking to be directed ,” he says . “ They ’ re looking for people like me to tell them what ’ s new , what ’ s hot , what ’ s good .”
At Julio ’ s Liquors in Westborough , MA , owner Ryan Maloney does a lot of sampling on the store floor . “ It ’ s a lot easier to have somebody taste it than to explain what it tastes like ,” he says . “ Every palate ’ s different , everybody likes different things . That ’ s why there ’ s Coke and Pepsi .”
A DIVERSIFYING INDUSTRY Maloney says women have long been participants in his store ’ s whiskey events . “ We ’ ve always had quite a few women involved in whiskey here , but I think that ’ s becoming even more prevalent ,” he says . “ I think the demographic is spreading by both age group and gender .”
In fact , Daniel Rivas , general manager at Bank & Bourbon in Philadelphia , has heard that women age 25 to 35 are the most sought-after whiskey demographic today by marketers . “ If there ’ s one thing I ’ ve found over the last several years is you ’ re seeing a lot more different types of people who are enjoying whiskey ,” he says .
Adds Mariena Mercer Boarini , master mixologist — North America , for Wynn Resorts , “ There was always an old stereotype of what a whiskey drinker is or was , and I think we ’ ve all come to the conclusion that everyone loves whiskey .”
As one might expect , younger consumers seem especially open-minded to trying that latest style or expression . “ We ’ re seeing younger Gen Zers coming in and looking to try different things ,” Rivas says . “ They ’ re a little bit more experimental in terms of being open to trying new product .”
Diversification is occurring among distillers as well . Products from minority-owned , female-run Uncle Nearest have been winning awards and exploding in popularity . Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey scaled to the fourth spot on Drizly ’ s list of top-10 American whiskey SKUs in 2023 , up from number nine just the year before . It took just two years for the company to secure distribution in all 50 states and D . C ., along with international distribution .
“ And we aren ’ t slowing down anytime soon ,” says Kate Jerkens , the company ’ s chief business officer . “ As an independently owned company , everything we have done has challenged the norms of our industry .”
SHIFTS IN STYLES The increasingly diverse consumer base for American whiskey impacts the demand for different styles . “ A whiskey drinker today may have their go-to brand twice a week , but they like to try two new things twice a week , also ,” says Allen Katz , director of mixology and spirits education for Southern Glazer ’ s Wine & Spirits .
Thomas Mooney , founder / CEO of Westward Whiskey in Portland , OR , says he ’ s noticed a significant change in demand in just the past year , with long-term popular products like his Original suddenly taking back seat to his 125-proof cask strength . “ All of a sudden , the mix of what we ’ re selling is completely upside down versus going into this year ,” he says .
In New Hampshire , Roy says the demand for barrel-proof options is among the interesting innovations in American whiskey he ’ s seen this year , along with barrel finishes and unique flavor profiles . “ We even saw a cookie dough flavor ,” he says .
For Agnes in Minnesota , ryes have come on strong . “ It seems like they ’ re doing ryes a lot better , and there ’ s some really unique taste profiles out there with them ,” he says .
This summer , excitement also was building around the Tax and Trade Bureau ’ s ( TTB ) pending release of an official definition of American single malt . Maloney is excited about what that means for the category . “ I think we may start seeing American single malt being a player ,” he says . “ Do I see it as big as bourbon and rye ? No , probably not . But some of the bigger players will put more money into it .”
Fitzpatrick believes larger brands such as Jack Daniel ’ s and WhistlePig getting into the single malt game has been one of the most significant developments in the past year . He ’ s also seeing wheat whiskeys , such as Old Elk in Fort Collins , CO , become more popular .
“ Wheated bourbon has always been a popular sub-category , but now I ’ m seeing more and more people playing with wheat . It ’ s just a smooth grain that makes for a soft , easy whiskey . People are responding to that just because it ’ s so easy drinking .”
Josh Judd , general manager at Seven Grand in San Diego , is seeing American single malts starting to gain traction with consumers . The brand that represents the segment ’ s potential to Judd is McCarthy ’ s . “ They ’ ve really perfected it over the years ,” he says .
Local whiskey distillers are also pulling out all stops to take a piece of this growing category ’ s market share . In Ohio , Canepa says the state ’ s 60 distilleries are working hard to cultivate a loyal fan base by offering tours and
Allen Katz , director of mixology and spirits education , Southern Glazer ’ s Wine & Spirits .
Thomas Mooney , founder / CEO of
Westward Whiskey .
www . cheersonline . com Fall 2023 • 23