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June 20, 2008 at 12:15 am by jcamm

We are living in what many refer to as a “cocktail culture”. Cocktails have been around for hundreds of years but it seems safe to say that seldom has there been such excitement surrounding the art of mixing drinks. Evidence of this is seen in the multitude of celebrity bartenders, new drink recipes, and exotic spirits hitting the market place. Clearly, this phenomenon isn’t just a flash in the pan since the trend is at least 20yrs old. The question is, how did we get here and where will this cocktail explosion take us next?
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May 21, 2008 at 12:13 am by jcamm

Last week we discussed alternative vodka, gin, and scotch brands that provide great value for the consumer in today’s difficult economic times. I called the article “Recession Era Spirits Guide” and got a lot of flak for it. Apparently, for those of us that follow Allen Greenspan like Jerry Remy follows the Red Sox, calling our current economic climate a “recession” is a bit premature. Ok, ok, so it’s not a recession yet. But, man, it sure feels like it! I mean, I had to pay $4 for a gallon of milk last week. At these prices, I’m thinking of going “hippie” and buying stock in some cow in Vermont thereby locking in a low rate on non-homogenized raw milk. Sure my milk will taste like heavy cream and I’ll have to deal with the occasional bout of salmonella but, at least I won’t be paying through the nose.
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April 30, 2008 at 12:17 am by jcamm

In my recent travels through the Gordon’s universe, I’ve been asked multiple times about the quality of some lower tier spirit brands by customers that were looking to trade down in price but not in quality. One customer told me point blank that his habit of buying a 1.75Lt of Johnnie Walker Red ($33.99 everyday low price at Gordons!) every month was beginning to stress his wallet. He asked if I could recommend another brand that would deliver the same quality at around $20. The first thing I told this gentleman was that he could always downsize to a 750ml which would set him back $22.99. The guy looked at me as if to say, “You must be trippin’!” So, since quantity seemed to trump brand loyalty in this instance, I recommended a couple of blended scotches that held the line in quality but not in price.
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April 23, 2008 at 12:11 am by jcamm

In the first installment, I discussed, in broad fashion, the dynamics of the alcohol beverage industry in Massachusetts with the goal of explaining in Part 2, how the purchase of Absolut by Pernod Ricard was a strategically great move. Although there may be a host of issues that, at first glance, indicate the purchase was a poor business decision, the information in the first article will help to show why it was far from that.
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April 16, 2008 at 12:04 am by jcamm

The recent purchase of Absolut by French spirits giant Pernod Ricard raises more than a few questions about the soundness of the decision. At $8.9 billion, the price tag was a hefty pill to swallow even for the second largest spirits company in the world. In fact, word is that Pernod paid for the acquisition completely on credit, putting its corporate dept at close to $18 billion. Why would the owner of behemoth brands like Chivas Regal and Jameson want to mortgage half their business on a brand that may have already seen its apex, especially when they already own distribution rights to another hot selling vodka, Stoli, that occupies the same price point? Was it simply a move to keep pace with the industry giants like Bacardi and Diageo who both recently purchased significant vodka brands in Grey Goose and Ketel One respectively? Despite these apparent problems with the deal, I’m going to argue that Pernod made the right decision. Defending my position will, however, require a general background on how the beverage industry operates. This will therefore be the first in a series of two articles.
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April 8, 2008 at 12:11 am by jcamm

Ok, let’s be honest. In our weaker moments, we’re all guilty of purchasing an RTD (Ready To Drink cocktail) on occasion, right? Perhaps it was that one time when the prospect of collecting the 4 or 5 ingredients you need for a Mai Tai (where's the Orgeat at?) was just too daunting. So, you sauntered on over to the cordial/RTD section where all the undergraduates were hanging out and, although you didn’t have a Natty 30pk in your cart, did your best to make it seem like people your age shopped this aisle all the time. “Hey bro’s! Nice - a handle of Bacardi Mai Tai. Just what I need for the ice luge at my party tonight. I’ll have to grab a 30 rack of Beast on the way out, too. Later on, guys!”
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April 1, 2008 at 12:14 am by jcamm

If you've been following the spirits industry of late, you’ll have noticed that, while vodka is still riding high as the volume leader, brown spirits, especially whiskey, are seeing significant growth. As more and more young people are rediscovering the wonders of bourbon and Irish whiskey, a reorientation is beginning away from spirits whose raison d’etre is to be mixed in a cocktail.


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March 27, 2008 at 3:00 pm by nkruback

It seems that the beverage behemoth Diageo is at it again - extending brand lines left and right.  They must have hired P. Diddy to create their marketing strategy, “It’s all about the brand extensions, baby!”  Seriously, our Main St. location just took in three new products from established brands in one week!  Luckily, the items brought some quality to the table and not just a recognizable brand name.
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