Following several months of UK-wide research with bar owners, managers and bartenders, the company has launched a publication to help operators “make the most of spirits in the on-trade”.
The publication, like Carlsberg’s Crafted Handbook and Tapster’s Cask Ale Guide, will carry analysis and insight about the spirits segment.
Some 60 new products brought into the company’s portfolio will feature in the newly launched magazine, along with Carlsberg’s existing range.
Overview of the spirits market
An overview of the spirits market will also be given in the issue, leading on insight, opinions and the latest trends as well as interviews with those in the on-trade and spirits producers.
Tom Sandham, founder of Thinking Drinkers and Spirits editor, said: “It is no longer enough to stock a house or premium option for each spirit. Each category must be approached in a unique way to accomplish a good range to meet multiple touch points, including taste profiles and price points.”
It is now necessary for bartenders to tell customers stories about the drinks they are consuming to get across a brand’s heritage and the way it’s made, he added.
“It’s also important that the bar managers try every single product they’re ordering in,” he continued.
“Before selecting brands from categories – even the ones that aren’t as fashionable as gin – a tasting is essential as consumers are looking for quality. Remember that every spirit has its purpose.”
Alongside the magazine launch, Crown Cellars has also revealed new spirits category themes, which identify vodka, blended whisky and Tequila as key spirits choices under the banner of ‘category reappraisal’.
US whiskey
Gin and US whiskey will be housed under the heading of ‘noise and news’, as a result of their abilities to capture consumer interest.
Rum will be categorised under the ‘next big thing’ banner because continues to “win fans on both sides of the bar with its diversity and versatility across cocktail and mixed drinks menus”.
Crown Cellars’ spirits category manager Katie Hewitt said: “We’re passionate about genuinely delivering what our customers want and we can only do this when we truly understand both our customers and the category.”
Carlsberg director of third-party brands Paul Waller said: “Customers are at the heart of everything we do. We’re proud to build our offering on insight directly from the industry and the bar-owning and tending community.”