Beverage Dynamics Newsletter – 3/1/13

The varietal’s exponential growth in the U.S. market has proven to be more than just a fad. Today, the moscato category is a whopping 10 million cases strong and still growing. Indeed, it now represents just under 4% of varietal wine sales in the U.S. The trend has brands and marketers wondering, just what is driving this unprecedented boom?

Kirk and Sweeneyis now available from 35 Maple Street, the spirits division of The Other Guys. The handcrafted, 12-year-old premium spirit is named after a wooden schooner best known for smuggling rum from the Caribbean during Prohibition. The rum is made in the Dominican Republic and aged for 12 years in American oak barrels.

Malibu, the rum and coconut liqueur, recently unveiled a new bottle design. The logo, typography and bottle design are all new, designed to celebrate Malibu’s spirit, according to the company. The bottle is more slender with higher shoulders, and a half-moon shaped “Malibu” appears over the palm tree logo .

Pernod Ricard has launched a new addition to its Kahlua portfolio with the debut of Kahlua Midnight , a 70-proof mix of rum and black coffee liqueur. The new product is said to be smooth and bold with a slight sweetness, according to the company. Kahlua Midnight is available for a suggested retail price of $23.99 for a 750-ml. bottle.

Pro Bev Source is a new part of the Pernod Ricard website to help distributors, retailers and on-premise operators find information, images and sales/promotional materials.

Effective July 1, 2013, a 10th change of generation will take place at glass manufacturer Riedel: Georg J. Riedel will hand over management of Riedel Crystal and its worldwide subsidiaries to his son Maximilian J. Riedel, the 11th generation family member to lead the heritage crystal house.

The parties involved have asked the court for a delay through March 19 while they try to resolve the DOJ’s concerns about the planned $20.1 billion merger.

On Saturday, February 9, Malibu Red and Compound Entertainment sponsored the Fifth Annual Grammy Midnight Brunch in celebration of the music industry’s biggest night. The event was hosted by musical talent Ne-Yo, who teamed up with Malibu to launch the new Malibu Red in 2012.