Top 10 most read spirits stories of 2015
From the wacky and whimsical to the informative and insightful, these are the top 10 most read stories on thespiritsbusiness.com that got the industry talking in 2015.
All manner of articles generated interest on The Spirits Business‘s website last yearLast year was certainly busy in the spirits industry and we aimed to keep readers up-to-date with the sector’s breaking news, as well as trends and analysis.
Stories ranging from a pop star dressing up as a human lime to the launch of a cocktail hamper priced more than a BMW 3 Series offered some light-hearted reading. Meanwhile, debate raged over a number of contentious industry issues, such as substituting bartender tips for salaries.
Click through the following pages to discover the top 10 most read stories on thespiritsbusiness.com in 2015.
10. Restaurant bar swaps tips for $35k salary
Debate over the feasibility of making salaries a feature across the international bartending industry has been gaining pace over the past 12 months.
One of the first bars to ignite discussions was Bar Marco, based in Pittsburgh, the US, which in January last year revealed its intention to ban tips among its workers in exchange for paying them a US$35,000 salary with benefits. Workers are also considered shareholders in the company and attend bi-monthly finance meetings.
To read the full story, click here
9. Firebox releases Unicorn Tears gin liqueur
An unusual new brand name is sure to generate some clicks on our website, and new gin-based liqueur Unicorn Tears, launched by online retailer Firebox in September, is no exception.
Bottled with edible pieces of silver, Unicorn tears is said to have a flavour of “big bundles of candied orange peels” with “flying saucer sweeties and a hint of maple syrup”, along with “touches of pine-y juniper berries and cardamom”.
To read the full story, click here
8. ‘World’s oldest’ Cognac opened in Poland
In November last year, a bottle of what was thought to be the world’s oldest Cognac sold at auction was opened in Poland to commemorate a partnership between a Swiss watchmaker corporate collector Wealth Solutions.
First purchased by Wealth Solutions for US$60,000 during a Bonhams auction in 2014, the Gautier Cognac dates back to 1762. It was bottled in 1840 and features an original handwritten label.
To read the full story, click here
7. Timberlake stars as lime in Sauza Tequila ad
Pop superstar Justin Timberlake showed his commitment to promoting his Tequila brand Sauza 901 last year when he dressed up in a head-to-toe green costumed and assumed the character of Rick ‘Sour’ Vane – an angry human lime.
In a video launched as part of the brand’s #NoLimesNeeded campaign, Vane reminisces about the former glory days of limes, but argues since the launch of Sauza 901, putting limes in Tequila has gone out of fashion. The video continues to show Timberlake and other limes protesting Sauza Tequila at several bars, before caving and sitting at a bar himself sipping Sauza 901 on the rocks.
To read the full story, click here
6. Bacardi unveils new bottle design for bartenders
Bottle design is another hot topic on thespiritsbusiness.com, particularly when it comes to a complete makeover of iconic vessels. In February, Bacardi unveiled its first core range packaging update in a decade, giving the collection a “more ergonomic” design to assist bartenders.
The taller, slimmer shapes of the bottles have improved weight distribution and are said to enable bartenders to increase their speed. The names of the expressions in the core range were also changed to reflect the brand’s Cuban roots.
To read the full story, click here
5. Punk band The Pogues launches Irish whiskey
In July, Irish folk and punk brand The Pogues became the latest musicians to launch their own brand of Irish whiskey. Said to have the highest malt content of any blended Irish whiskey, The Pogues Irish Whiskey was created as part of a collaboration between the band and West Cork Distillers.
The whiskey, containing 50% grain liquid and 50% malt, was developed by distillers Barry Walsh and Frank McHardy and is distributed in the UK by Halewood International.
To read the full story, click here
4. Rolls-Royce launches £26,000 cocktail kit
Exorbitant price tags are a much talked-about feature of the spirits world, stretching across whisky, Cognac, vodka and even cocktails. Towards the end of last year, luxury car maker Rolls-Royce left more than a few mouths agape when it launched a £26,366 bespoke cocktail hamper.
Worth more than a BMW 3 Series, the hamper is handcrafted from American walnut wood and the same leather the company uses to line its car interiors – specifically cowhides from male cows to avoid the stretch marks on female cows from pregnancy.
To read the full story, click here
3. The ultimate A-Z of alcohol
At the start of 2015, drinks geeks the world-over were intrigued by the launch of a compendium of alcohol ingredients and processes. Since many such enthusiasts frequent our site, this story on the release of this ultimate A-Z of alcohol was one of the most read of the year.
Presented as an insightful infographic, the pocket guide lists the ingredients and production method of 49 different alcoholic beverages, from absinthe through to wine, and taking in everything from palinka, pisco and poitin on the way.
To read the full story, click here
2. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire comes to UK
A clear sign that cinnamon whiskey fever is spreading outside of the US, the launch of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire in the UK, somewhat surprisingly, takes second place in our list of the most read stories on thespiritsbusiness.com in 2015.
The expression, an infusion of the flagship Jack Daniel’s Old No.7 whiskey and “red hot” cinnamon liqueur, initially launched in the US in 2014 following the runaway success of flavoured stablemate Tennessee Honey.
To read the full story, click here
1. Whisky-drinking women are ‘strong-minded’
Gendered assumptions are, sadly, still rather pertinent when it comes to drinks choices and this story on opinions of women who drink whisky generated a storm of debate online.
According to research by Illicit Encounters, a dating website for married people, men believe that women who drink whisky are “attention seeking”, “strong-minded” and dominating”. Meanwhile, women were shown to believe men who drink whisky are “old fashioned”, “charming” and “cheeky”. Illicit Encounters collated the information after surveying 3,000 of its members.
To read the full story, click here
