Oops there goes gravity, back to reality…

Back to normality after 48 hours of madness that was the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes. And my thoughts about it? Well, I was very impressed.

Those reading this who know me well may be surprised at this. I’m an old fashioned leftie who wears my Socialist credentials with pride. I still describe myself rather anachronistically as a Bennite. And Cannes is about as far away from equality and fairness as it’s possible to get.

And it’s true, I do find it hard to reconcile the millions of dollars invested in yachts with the extreme poverty across the world, and I do not feel comfortable with ostentatious displays of extreme wealth while thousands are homeless in the flood regions of Pakistan.

But I am no Karl Canute, either, no grumpy old Marxist sitting on the beaches of Cannes waving a lager bottle as I vainly try and hold back the waves of conspicuous capitalism. It would be hypocritical, rude and indefensible to accept the free gifts, the great parties and the expenses-paid lifestyle of a drinks writer and then mock and insult it. I accepted a long time ago that some people are very, very rich and want to buy very expensive things. Get over it.

And indeed, I encourage it. If millionaires across the world want to spend $150,000 on a bottle of premium whisky, then some of that money trickles back to the hard working folk in Keith, County Clare and Kentucky. Every bottle of $150,000 spirit sold helps to justify keeping an uneconomic distillery on a remote Scottish island open for another few months. I call that redistribution of wealth – from each according to his ability to each according to his needs and all that. Works for me.

But the reason I was impressed in Cannes wasn’t because of expensive bottles of Cognac, flash boats, or amazing parties. It was because it reinforced my view, and that of The Spirits Business, that overall the world of spirits is in a very good place indeed.

As new markets open up across the world, there are two distinct trends within spirits. On the one hand the drinks giants are investing heavily to extend their reach and take a large slice of the global drinks market. This is a good thing. These companies are spending money in territories to educated consumers in different drinks categories, and  even the smallest company will benefit in some way from that.

They are creating high quality brands which are familiar to the consumer and are of comfort to them.

And because of their size they are able to work with governments in new territories to ensure that the highest standards of spirits production are adopted and enforced. Look at the work that the Scotch Whisky Association has done in China for proof. We should recognise and support this work.

But there’s another trend at work, too, very much in evidence in Cannes and one that is key to what The Spirits Business should be about going forward. As the big companies reach further afield they leave opportunities for smaller niche products. As the big boys pursue a policy of globalisation, smaller producers can live side by side with them by emphasising their heritage and provenance. We’ll come back to this theme again and again, but small producers with boutique high quality products can reach out to small independent bars and offer them a greater choice.

So it wasn’t the most expensive bottle of spirits ever sold in retail that impressed me in Cannes. It wasn’t the diamond-encrusted super Cognacs or deluxe whiskies. It wasn’t the massive investment in new brands from the world’s biggest drinks producers.

No. What I take away from Cannes is meeting a Venezuelan rum producer promoting a drink with a history stretching back to 1796. It was meeting a company from Mongolia who produce a vodka. It was reacquainting myself with Stoli vodka and finding that the original high quality drink is still in its original packaging. It was meeting Swedes, Russians, Guatamalians, Mexicans, French and Americans, all with niche spirits and all with a place in Cannes.

And for me and best of all, it was to see the likes of Glengoyne, Glencadam, Tomintoul, and Tullamore Dew all proudly flying their flags on the international stage.

The point of this is that our industry will always be dominated by drinks giants such as Smirnoff, Bacardi, and Johnnie Walker. But at the same time there is more choice than ever before, and bars across the world have an opportunity to offer customers unusual and exciting new products from smaller, boutique producers.

The world of spirits is changing rapidly and the number of different brands is mind-boggling. To survive a good bar has to keep up. But there would seem to be an almost bottomless pit of great drinks with fantastic back stories.

It’s the job of The Spirits Business to search out the very best of them, and I can think of no greater challenge for a drinks editor than that.

Yes I came away from Cannes impressed. And very excited. Strap yourself in and get ready – the next few months are going to be one hell of a roller coaster ride.