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Luxco’s Michele Reina shares American whiskey insights
Creating memorable experiences with whiskey is high on the agenda for Michele Reina, brand educator for American spirits producer Luxco. With his finger on the pulse of all things related to American whiskey, he shares key observations he’s noticing in the category.
What growth have you seen in American whiskey recently?
It’s growing exponentially. If you consider Kentucky Bourbon 15 years ago, there were about six distillers making the majority of Bourbon on the market in the US. In Kentucky now, there are so many distilleries it’s crazy. There are now about 42 – but this is nothing compared with craft distilleries. Back then pot still wasn’t really a thing either. In the US, you either had a big column still, called a Kentucky still, or a hybrid still. But with the craft distillery movement, so many people started with pot stills, using different grains, working with local farmers, and making experimental batches, opting for quality over quantity.
Hundreds of distilleries are popping up all over the US; even New York has a distillery. Also, we are now talking more about what people use to make whiskey. There are way more distilleries using single-heritage corn, for example. Most of the corn used in the past was to get a high yield, but nowadays they use white corn, red corn, Jimmy Red, Bloody Butcher, and more locally grown grains by farmers, which is amazing because it helps the environment as well.
How closely is the trade looking at sustainability?
It’s extremely important. I’ve been a guy who goes against trends. Sustainability has become, for some, a trend to promote themselves rather than help the planet and protect the future. It’s great – I’ll take it in any form. Everyone is aware of sustainability. Distributors are extremely aware of how important sustainability is for a bar. If you have a product, which is labelled as ‘made from recycled glass’, that is actually a big selling point. Everyone, slowly, will get to that sustainability journey, whether through reverse osmosis or solar panels, or any sustainable actions in distilling. It’ll be a big investment – but there is potential to get a huge return on that investment. What’s important above anything is that we all take steps to be more sustainable.
What are the big whiskey trends you’re noticing?
There is a huge exploration around cask finishing. I am a big fan of cask finishing, and it’s great to have Bourbon being finished in crazy things like Tequila or mezcal casks, or Japanese liquor.
There was a time when only a few distilleries in American whiskey were doing finishes. Now, not only does every distillery have a special finish, but there are three or four to choose from. At Luxco, we were one of the first to use special finishes, for example with Blood Oath.
What I’m also seeing more and more is American single malt whiskey. Wheat whiskey, corn whiskey, and light whiskey are all categories that are also emerging. I’m always really grateful every time I do a masterclass about American whiskey because I get to help people discover these newer styles of whiskey.
And the last trend I’m seeing is the rediscovery of heritage grains. I’m excited to see more brands working with local farmers to see what can grow locally. We can bring back so many varieties and create more biodiversity for bees and flowers.
What do bartenders want from American whiskey?
What bartenders love about American whiskeys is that they’re unpretentious. They’re approachable, and it’s hard not to enjoy them. Bourbon is famous for vanilla, coconut, caramel notes, and combined with the different innovation and how brands are playing and experimenting with flavour, there’s a lot of excitement for American whiskey in the bar community. It’s just a fantastic space to work in.
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