11 American Whiskey Trends in 2022
“ What concerns me is the distillery that has not mastered their base product and then use barrel finishing to mask imperfections .”
– David DeFazio , cofounder of Wyoming Whiskey
some years ago .
“ They ’ re a lot of fun , barrel finishes , but you can fall down a rabbit hole with that stuff ,” says Paladini of Penelope . The company ’ s recent cask finishes include grenache and rosé wine . “ As a company , you ’ ve got to be different , but there are different scales of that . I think finishes work better as limited releases . If that goes well , then you introduce them as a core expression .”
Echoing his concerns is David DeFazio , cofounder of Wyoming Whiskey .
“ What concerns me is the distillery that has not mastered their base product and then use barrel finishing to mask imperfections ,” he says . “ That does the industry a disservice . A ‘ sherry bomb ’ finished whiskey that masks mistakes — that ’ s a Band-Aid . Consumers who pick up that bottle , it ’ ll make them turn away from the category .”
However , for distilleries that have already fine-tuned their base spirits , DeFazio sees finishes as a natural extension .
“ Now they ’ re looking for a barrel that can enhance their product ,” he says . “ They want to show off a level of sophistication that the distillery has , and a point of differentiation . People today are looking for something different . These distilleries are saying , ‘ If you already like our base whiskey , pick up this double barrel release to see what Oloroso does to our whiskey ’.”
Nicole Austin
6 ) Premiumization and Innovation
Barrel finishing and innovation are part of a bigger trend that has fueled the modern whiskey boom from the beginning . That is : premiumization . Consumers are willing to pay up for pricier bottles .
“ Customers are telling us that that ’ s what they want ,” says Nicole Austin , general manager and distiller at Cascade Hollow Distilling Co ., maker of George Dickel Tennessee Whisky . “ People have a taste for affordable luxuries to treat themselves . And something like a nice spirit fits right in that . So I think that part in particular , premiumization , is going to continue to grow .”
This “ treat yourself ” mentality has only grown during the challenging years of the pandemic . Affordable luxuries have helped us endure this difficult time .
Interesting , premium innovations have also driven growth in the industry . “ As a former liquor retailer , we learned firsthand that new products are the lifeblood of retail ,” says Jay Erisman co-founder and distiller at New Riff Distilling . “ But there ’ s a difference between truly
Jay Erisman innovating and just pushing SKUs on retailers . That ’ s not innovation .”
7 ) The Whiskey Boom Continues
Burying the lede here for whatever suspense is possible , but the consumer enthusiasm explored above has likely already given away this 2022-defining trend . Ask around the industry , and everyone — everyone — predicts more good times ahead for American whiskey .
“ I think we ’ re still in the meat of it ,” says DeFazio . “ It certainly seems like whiskey — bourbon in particular — has hit the mainstream . Educated consumers and tastemakers led the initial charge . We ’ re past that stage now . Those initial people have folded in their friends , who have picked it up and liked it and it ’ s spreading .”
“ It also seems to that investment from major suppliers has not slowed down ,” he adds . “ We ’ ve upped our own production , based on our bullish view of the future .”
To his point , leading distilleries around the country have invested many millions in operations in recent years . Both Buffalo Trace and Woodford Reserve are currently amidst expansions that will double production . Beyond its new visitor center , Heaven Hill also invested $ 106 million in production , including new barrel warehousing , a bottling line and equipment upgrades . The craft side of the industry also sees sunny skies ahead . “ I don ’ t see any signs of things slowing down ,” says Hletko , former president of the Board of Directors for the American Craft Spirits Association . “ I think we ’ re going to continue to grow for a while . We ’ re still below the high-water mark for whiskey volume in America . That mark was set 50 years ago , and with 50 years of population growth , I think whiskey volume can continue to go up .” “ Calendar year ’ 22 should be a great year for craft
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