Ohio Spirits Insider - February 2017

Monthly Update from the Division of Liquor Control

Market Trends Drive Growth

By: Harry Knight, Superintendent

Evaluating and understanding product trends and category growth are vital to improving the quality of the spirituous liquor inventory. We also utilize this information when determining product distribution throughout the state and arranging shelf sets in the Contract Liquor Agencies to provide a better shopping experience for the customer. In an ever-changing and innovative industry, this data provides valuable insight into the specific categories and brands of products Ohio consumers want.

We achieved record sales of more than a billion dollars in each of the past two years, with 2016 totaling $1,140,209,832. Vodka and American whiskey were the largest categories by dollar share in 2016, combining for almost 50 percent of the total dollar sales. These two categories were followed by Canadian whisky, tequila and brandy. The categories that experienced the greatest growth were Irish whiskey and brandy. Irish Whiskey is now the hottest trending category, growing at a rate of 17.1 percent, followed closely by brandy, growing at 13.2 percent in 2016.

Read complete article in PDF Version of this newsletter.

Irish whiskey is whiskey made on the island of Ireland. It is pale gold to dark amber in color, and contains 40-94.8 percent alcohol by volume. Irish whiskey has a smoother finish compared to the earthiness and smokiness common to many Scotch whiskies – this is because peat rarely is used in the malting process.

Irish whiskey has a tumultuous history. Once the most popular spirit in the world, a long period of decline began in the late 19th century, and the number of distilleries dropped from 30 to three. Recent years have shown an enormous increase in popularity, and Irish whiskey has been the fastest growing spirit in the world every year since 1990 – exports are growing by over 15 percent a year, and the number of distilleries has increased to 16 with more in the planning stages. However, only five of these have been operating long enough to have products sufficiently aged for sale.

Read complete article in PDF Version of this newsletter.

Scheduling Wireless Upgrades

RF-Works, contracted by the Liquor Enterprise to complete a wireless upgrade for all Contract Liquor Agencies, has begun contacting Agencies to schedule the upgrades. Flexibility in scheduling is greatly appreciated so that the wifi upgrades for all Agencies can be completed in a timely manner.

Once scheduled, an RF-Works crew member will call the Agency 24 hours in advance of the scheduled visit to provide an estimated time of arrival. The RF-Works crew will perform all work associated with the upgrade, including both an assessment of hardware needs and the installation of that equipment.

Read complete article in PDF Version of this newsletter.

From the Distillers’ Glass

New products, hot items, recipes and more from brokers and suppliers.

Jameson - 0281B

Nose: A light floral fragrance, peppered with spicy wood and sweet notes.

Taste: Perfect balance of spicy, nutty and vanilla notes with hints of sweet sherry and exceptional smoothness.

Finish: Exceptionally smooth.

Tullamore Dew - 9317B

Tripled distilled; blend of all three whiskeys. Named after Daniel E. Williams. He worked his way up from stable boy of the distillery to become the owner.

Original notes: Early fresh fruit leads to a definite light spike followed by some toasted wood, which evolves into a delicious vanilla sweetness in this whiskey.

12yr notes: A deep spice flavor with a robust yet creamy body cloaked in a definite chocolaty note, dried fruits and nut accompany the chocolate, giving this whiskey veritable praline note in the taste.

Jameson Black Barrel - 5071B

Nose: Rich and full, developing into the succulent sweetness of exotic fruits.

Taste: Waves of vanilla, toasted wood and spices. A fruity sweetness remains consistent.

Finish: An incredibly long finish with fruit and wood spices lingering in perfect proportion.

Always promote safe sales & responsible consumption!

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