Marketing

Refresh your Summer offering

We take our annual look at the on-trade promotions being run by suppliers specially for the Summer period and look at any trends developing in relation to consumer behaviour in the Summer months.

Summer sells! It’s the time of year when people happily wander into their local to select something different with which to refresh themselves. But have you got what they need?

Summer service in the licensed trade is a different beast altogether from Winter service and requires nothing less than careful planning to maximise Summer sales.

Summer is one of two times during the year when drinks volumes rise in every category. But, as Kathy Troy of market reseachers MCCP The Planning Agency explains, some drinks are more Summer-oriented than others.

“Looking at cider as an example,” she says, “The perfect cider occasion, consumers tell us, is late afternoon and early evening in the beer garden. Sales of cider can go up by up to 12% in the height of the Summer as repertoire drinkers switch into cider for beer garden days.

“July is usually the highest cider-drinking month, June and August are significant as well.”

However the new craft ciders are moving away from that sunny Summer, limited occasion for cider and providing a product and occasion much more in line with how Millennials enjoy alcohol occasions, she adds.

“These seasonal trends are disrupted a bit by Christmas. The overall uplift in the drinks market in December means that all categories get a boost including cider. And all categories suffer as ‘dry January’ becomes a huge trend.

This is the season for consumers ordering fruit ciders, cocktails, rosé wines and cool cool beers. Should you consider refrigerating your glass range for your beers, cocktails, mixed drinks and even wines?

 

Mixed spirit Summer

According to Diageo, publicans who produced new Summer mixed spirits drinks menus in outlets in the UK last year grew the spirits category there by 12% in volume and 14% in value while beer and wine sales grew 4% and 3% respectively.

New Summer menus should be on tables and bar counters by now and the Winter workover given the beer garden and patio furniture needs to involve checking, repairing and decorating where necessary. It’s also important to highlight your Summer offerings by displaying images of the finished product prominently around the bar, advises Diageo.

 

Outdoor Summer

Publicans might also consider beefing up their outdoor table service for the Summer months as customers will quite happily sit with an empty drink in front of them if the conversation is good. There’s no harm either in advising via social media that outdoor tables can be booked where all the table-booking action had been indoors over the Winter months.

“The cocktails trend in current years is one that’s well positioned to capitalise on seasonality but we don’t see many outlets doing it,” observes Kathy Troy, “There’s a real opportunity there for Irish bars to innovate but very few seem to be doing that.”

Wine has not seen the same seasonality effect, she adds, “… very minorly with variants like Rose becoming more popular in hot weather, but wine is popular all year round. This is through its roots in being paired with food”.

And as for craft beers, “Craft beer, because of the huge variation in types and the trend of food-matching, is also proving it’s a year-round product,” says Kathy.

Summer is key for sharing occasions so why not capitalise by serving your most popular spirit and mixers in a sharing jug serve.

 

BEERS

‘Stig’ navigates through Coors Light Great Rocky Mountain

Coors_Light_Logo

The Coors Light Great Rocky Mountain Game is back for its third year in a row.

The game, available on iTunes and Google Play stores, has seen well over one million gameplays with Irish gamers winning nationwide.

The interactive game allows fans make their way through the Rockies, winning prizes on their way. With over 10,000 prizes up for grabs every week including pints, six packs of Coors Light and branded merchandise, a prize is literally only just around the corner. Winners can redeem their pint of Coors Light in pubs across Ireland.

Top Gear’s Ben Collins, better known as ‘The Stig’ was in Dublin to launch the app and use his razor reactions to navigate the reward-filled game.

“I’m a big fan of gaming and I have to say the Great Rocky Mountain Game is a great mobile game” said Ben, “people often ask me the difference between gaming and real-life but the truth is that your reaction speeds need to be quick and you always need to be switched-on for both.”

Coors Light fans can register through facebook for their chance to experience the full game.

For more information please contact your local Heineken Ireland Sales Representative.

Follow us on facebook & twitter for the latest Great Rocky Mountain Game news.

 

Global beers

Global beer bands have seen a major increase in interest. Barry & Fitzwilliam currently distributes the Wells & Young portfolio, the most popular of which is Banana Bread Beer, Waggle Dance and Bombardier as well as Coopers from Australia which has gained a very loyal following over the years. A new addition to B&F’s range for the Summer is Warsteiner and Warsteiner Non-Alcoholic.

B&F now carries an extensive range of Irish craft beers & ciders due to the increased interest from both its on- and off-trade customers and it expects dramatic growth in this sector of the market over the coming months

 

 

CIDERS

Countrerpoint introduces Savanna Cider

Counterpoint is bringing Savanna, one of the world’s highest quality cider brands, to Ireland. As its name suggests Savanna is, unlike most ciders, a dry cider made from the best ‘eating’ varieties of apples including ‘Pink Ladies’ and ‘Granny Smiths’. Savanna is served in a unique chilled dumpy bottle with a lemon wedge in the neck and is now the fourth best-selling premium cider in the world with an ABV of 5%.

 

WINES

McGuigan

McGuigan wines continue to outperform the market with McGuigan now the No 1 Australian brand in the off-trade, claims distributor Barry & Fitzwilliam.

The Black Label range comprises a Cabernet, Shiraz, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Rose.

McGuigan_BlackLabel_Shirazlow

 

 

 

 

 

The range will have strong Above-The-Line marketing support for the Summer, particularly in the national press with a major emphasis on Neil McGuigan’s IWC awards as “the Best White Winemaker in the world” for the third time and Barry & Fitzwilliam will be launching McGuigan Frizzante for the BBQ season.

 

Luigi Bosca

Finca La Linda and Luigi Bosca Argentinean Wines have been added to Barry & Fitzwilliam’s wine range.

Luigi Bosca has been working in the national wine-producing industry for over 100 years. Currently led by its third and fourth generation, Bodega Luigi Bosca is one of the few wine-producing places that remains in the hands of the founding family throughout the decades and has become the paradigm of the national wine.

 

Casa Silva

Viña Casa Silva was born in 1997 following an old familiar longing to project, on a bottle of wine, the love and affection of a family for their land, the Colchagua Valley.

With Don Emilio Bouchon the first generation came to Chile in 1892 from St Emilion in Bordeaux. Since that time Casa Silva has been devoted to the production of wines, pioneering the Colchagua Valley.

“Casa Silva is among the finest producers of top class premium Chilean wines,” claims Barry & Fitzwilliam’s Managing Director Michael Barry.

 

Wave Series by Carmen

The Wave Series by Carmen is inspired by Carmen winemakers’ respect and admiration for Chile’s South Pacific Coast. Grown in valleys shaped over the years by the constantly moving and changing Pacific Ocean, the grapes going into the wines today are still influenced by the cooling currents of this ocean. These are wines dedicated to the ocean and to the fresh, pure flavours that the Chileans have achieved.

Carmen Wave Sauvignon Blanclow

Two wines come under the Carmen Wave label: a ‘Left Wave’ Sauvignon Blanc and a ‘Right Wave’ Pinot Noir.

The Left Wave, the most common wave in Chile (on which the surfer turns left to start riding the wave), symbolises Sauvignon Blanc, one of the best white varieties to be found in Chile. The Right Wave does not run much in Chile. It represents the relatively rare Pinot Noir.

Carmen Wave Series winemaker Sebastián Labbé is passionate about two things in life: winemaking and surfing so combining these two elements for him was a dream come true.

The Carmen ‘Left Wave’ Sauvignon Blanc is a brilliant pale yellow in colour. This is a light style Sauvignon Blanc with a fresh acidity that perfectly matches seafood and fish dishes.

Carmen Wave Pinot Noirlow

The Carmen ‘Right Wave’ Pinot Noir is light ruby in colour. Balanced and vibrant our ‘Right Wave’ Pinot Noir is refreshing served chilled on a hot Summer night or great served with creamy fish dishes or lamb.

Wave Series by Carmen is available from C&C Gleeson.

 

Feu! Rosé d’Anjou

  • From: Loire, France
  • Grape: Grolleau, Gamay

Nothing says Summer quite like a glass of intensely fruity rosé. Feu! Rosé d’Anjou is an off-dry Rosé from the Loire region. With red fruit flavours, a lively fresh character and a long aftertaste, it’s the perfect wine for those long Summer evenings.

Feu!low

Feu! is round and smooth with a vivacity that balances the sweetness and refreshes the palate on the finish. Bright clear in colour with salmon shades, it’s a beautiful wine to drink chilled with a Summer salad or oriental dishes.

 

 

 

 

Paul Mas Wines: The best of the Old World with a New World attitude from Jean Claude Mas

Paul Mas logo

The Languedoc is very in vogue across the world as increasing choice allows consumers to expect the highest taste and quality from both New and Old World wines.

Recognised as the 16th most-admired wine brand in the world and boasting 45 gold medals (DWWA, IWC and IWSC), the extensive Paul Mas portfolio has become a leading choice of house wine in restaurants across Ireland since Dalcassian Wines & Spirits introduced it here eight years ago.

The range includes Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon along with a superb Picpoul Prosecco and an extensive variety of Pays D’Oc country wines. Dalcassian continues to expand the selection here in response to demand. The Domaine Astruc line has been added to the 2015 portfolio.

Mas des Mas Picpoul de Pinet

This Summer Mas de Mas Picpoul de Pinet is set to really raise the bar with Irish consumers looking for something extraordinary. The Picpoul (“lip-stinger”) grapes are grown in vineyards around the small Languedoc village of Pinet. Made by one of the most highly-regarded winemakers in the Languedoc, this is a vibrant, lemony wine with a distinctive herbal freshness and subtle aromas of white fruits.

 

 

 

Lower alcohol ‘B’ by Black Tower boosts profits
Pubs and clubs can reap valuable profit margins by benefiting from ‘B’ by Black Tower, Ireland’s brand leader and pioneer in the lower alcohol wine sector.
Championing the category in growth and consumer appeal with its consistently outstanding wine taste and lighter styles, ‘B’ by Black Tower attracts lower alcohol duty allowing for competitive retail pricing and good margins.
“There’s an increasing consumer consciousness to have a healthier lifestyle, but at the same time without giving up on social enjoyment,” comments Jonathan Smith, Reh Kendermann’s Country Manager, Ireland, “B by Black Tower benefits vintners and customers alike. Customers, mindful of alcohol-associated health issues, are attracted by the added appeal of just 55 calories per 125ml glass – that’s 30% fewer calories than a standard glass of wine. And, at 5.5% ABV, it offers valuable profit opportunities and affordable pricing while giving customers the option of watching their intake at parties and events.”

B Range x3 BottleslowSales grew 21.8% in volume during 2014. Eye-catching promotions, wine styles loved by target consumers and an extensive marketing communications campaign have driven sales of the White, Red and Rosé wines.
Sponsor of the Style Bar at Ireland’s largest female-attended event, the Woman’s World Show, RDS Simmonscourt, Friday 29th – Sunday 31st May, Black Tower will be sampling thousands of target consumers at the show and announcing the winner of its ‘B’ Our Champion awards, run in association with the Irish Sun, which has captured consumers’ interest throughout Ireland.

 

SPIRITS

 Bacardi

Bacardi bottle with Mojitolo

Bacardi Carta Blanca rum is a perfect base for a host of Summer cocktails. The original light crisp and refreshing Bacardi Mojito cocktail was first drunk in the 1800s in Cuba. The original recipe, served in Havana’s greatest bars, used freshly-squeezed lime juice, unrefined sugar, bruised mint and a jigger of Bacardí Carta Blanca rum. Another favourite cocktail is the Bacardi Strawberry Daiquiri: Bacardi Carta Blanca rum served with fresh strawberries, lime juice, sugar and crushed ice, garnished with a fresh strawberry. Be inventive this Summer with seasonal fruits to create your own Bacardi Carta Blanca cocktails.

 

Bombay Sapphirelow

Bombay Sapphire

Bombay Sapphire gin has an extraordinary balance and smoothness. For this reason it’s incredibly versatile in cocktails.

When mixed with Bombay Sapphire, different ingredients bring out the different botanicals in the spirit. Bombay Sapphire has a unique production method with the botanicals being vapour-infused to bring out all the flavours. The10 hand-picked exotic botanicals are sourced from around the world giving Bombay Sapphire its beautifully complex aromatic flavours. Why not discover the ultimate gin and tonic with a refreshing Bombay Sapphire this summer?

 

2012 Rosato Icecoldlow

 

Martini

Martini vermouth is the perfect Summer aperitif. Martini Bianco is inspired by the white flowers of the vanilla plant; it’s a combination of herbs and sweet floral spices, a well-balanced blend between vanilla notes and the aromatic herbs. Martini Rosato blends deep notes of cloves and cinnamon with the lighter aromatics of raspberry and lemon, creating a spiced, refined and elegant drink. The range also includes Martini Dry and Martini Rosso.2012 Bianco Icecoldlow

Why not create a classic Martini cocktail this Summer? The Royale Bianco and the Royale Rosato are both elegant and easy to make. The Royale is made with Martini, fresh lime juice, prosecco and it’s served with ice-cubes garnished with a wedge of lime with Bianco or orange with Rosato.

 

 

The Barry & Fitzwilliam vehicle distributes a wide range of premium spirits. They include Teachers Scotch, Rémy Martin Cognac, The Famous Grouse Finest Scotch Whisky and Jim Beam Bourbon.

Barry & Fitzwilliam also exclusive distributor for The Kilbeggan Distilling Company’s range of whiskey brands. Kilbeggan has had a makeover with a totally redesigned package which has been instrumental in its current success. Summer 2015 also sees Greenore 8 Year-Old rebranded as Kilbeggan 8 Year-Old.

The Summer will see a major emphasis on the new additions to the Jim Beam range ie Red Stag, Honey & Devils Cut, as well as major promotions on Jim Beam itself.

 

Cointreau

Cointreau is the perfect partner for cocktails, renowned for livening up a Margarita, making a long drink even longer with 7UP or the stylish party Cosmopolitan cocktail.

 

Tullamore Dew
This year is shaping up to be another exciting one for Tullamore Dew with the world’s number two Irish Whiskey brand’s sponsorship of Castlepalooza Music and Arts Festival for a third year. The three-day music & arts festival takes place between 31st July to 2nd August in Charleville Castle and it continues to support local and national cultural events around its home town of Tullamore.

tullamoredewlowFor this year’s festival, Tullamore Dew will be investing significantly in ATL activity to look for acts with true character to take the limelight in front of up to 5,000 revellers on the Main Stage.
The website www.TrueCharacter2015.com has been created to serve as a focal point for the campaign where performers can upload YouTube videos of their acts to be in with a chance to win.

Entry is not only open to musicians however: Tullamore Dew also seeks actors, poets, dancers, acrobats, performance artists … so long as the act is original, imaginative, witty and true to character.
In October the brand will once again take part in the Dublin Whiskey Fest following the success of its inaugural outing last year. In the 2014 edition, Tullamore Dew launched its new signature serve, the ‘Dew n’Apple’, or ‘DNA’ for short. A mix of Tullamore Dew Original and Cidona, the mixer perfectly accentuates the soft yellow apple flavours of Tullamore Dew and is the ideal way to enjoy Tullamore Dew during these warm Summer months, distributed in Ireland by Findlater Wine & Spirit Group.

 

Sea Dog

Sea Dog
Think of Summer drinks and your mind turns instantly to white wines and cocktails like Mojitos.
But Sea Dog Dark Rum has always swum against the tide so this Summer why not do the same by calling for Ireland’s No 1 Dark Rum in a refreshing Summer cocktail?
How about a Dark & Stormy which, despite the name, is refreshing and balanced: simply fill a tall glass with ice and add Sea Dog, top with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge.
Or even try a take on the Daiquiri by combining two parts Sea Dog, one part lime juice and one part sugar syrup, then shake and strain into a Martini glass. Elegant and lively but with a satisfyingly dark core.
Sea Dog Dark Rum is a rich, dark, old Jamaican rum produced from the finest sugar cane and is fast becoming a versatile alternative in a wide range of cocktails.
But where did it come from? During the middle 1500s John Hawkins, the leader of the infamous Sea Dogs, plundered the wealthy merchant ships trading in the lawless Caribbean Sea.
He helped himself to the richest treasures the Caribbean could offer but there was one prize he cherished above any other: the fine, dark Jamaica Rum – destined for European royalty – rarely found its way past the thirsty Sea Dogs.
Sea Dog Dark Rum is distributed in Ireland by Findlater Wine & Spirit Group.

 

 

 

Rusty Dogg Rums – The bartenders’ favourite Pouring and mixable rum

Rusty Dogg Logo genericlow

Dalcassian Wines & Spirits has created its own real Carribean rum brand to challenge the leading brands in the Irish & international markets.

The Rusty Dogg range of white, spiced and coconut rums has now become one of the leading rum brands in Ireland and Dalcassian now plans to bring out a three year-old Caribbean dark rum.

Rusty Dogg Rum is made with real Caribbean rum and natural ingredients. This traditionally-crafted rum is made only with high quality Dominican Republic rum aged in oak casks.

Rusty Dogg Spiced Rum Bottle Imagelow

Rusty Dogg Coconut Rum Bottle ImagelowIts Cuban Masterdistiller Juan Alberto ensures that every drop of rum is aged for a minimum of five years.Rusty Dogg White Rum Bottle Imagelow

Delicately infused with a secret combination of vanilla pods, cinnamon, Hispaniola orange and exotic spice, this high quality Caribbean rum is a versatile product that can be sipped on the rocks and is a bartender favourite for mixing in a cocktail.

Following popular response to the launch of the Rusty Dogg Rum range at Prowein this Spring, Dalcassian will be supplying Rusty Dogg to the international market, beginning with Denmark and Sweden.

 

 

‘Mixer’ – 100% fresh fruit purees for professional exotic and tropical Summer cocktails

 logo-mixer-payoff

A dash of processed lime cordial just doesn’t hit the mark in a market where consumers expect the very highest professional standards of taste, variety – and a unique twist in their beverages.

The answer – delicious real fruit from Mixer – popular and more exotic option that can easily transform a cocktail or a spirit. The Mixer brand from Italy is 100% pure fruit, available in an impressive array of varieties.Strawberry

Mixer is the origin of fruit purees, the only shelf-stable 100% fruit puree in the market, designed with the bartender in mind. Mixer puree uses fruit that’s cropped and concentrated right at the moment of perfect ripeness.

Lime

Mixer brings wonderful variety to professional cocktail menus with a range of flavours from strawberry and banana to lychee and dragon fruit – perfect for making a wide variety of exotic and tropical Summer cocktails.

The high-quality product reduces waste, speeds up the process and prevents the disappointment of an off-flavoured, watery cocktail because of an increasingly poor and tasteless fresh fruit.Strawberry advertisementlow

 

Dalcassian Wines & Spirits has grown the Mixer brand in the Irish market from 0 litres in 2011 to an expected 60,000 litres in 2015 in response to the growing demand.

 

 

LIQUEURS

Bols

The selection of flavours available from Bols is vast and includes Bols Blue, Grenadine, Advocaat, Crème de Cacao, Cherry Brandy and many more. Among the classics, Bols Triple Sec Curacao is essential in a Cosmopolitan and Bols Crème de Cacao (brown) in a Brandy Alexander. More Bols cocktail recipes are available on www.bolscocktails.com. A new 200ml size has recently been added to the range and Barry & Fitzwilliam will be launching Bols Elderflower in the Summer.

 

Jagermeister

Jagermeister, the famous German schnapps, is a huge seller in the shooter market, particularly among trend-setters and is growing internationalJager Iced Bottlelowly. It’s a half-bitter German schnapps with a unique blend of 56 herbs and spices, ideal served chilled.

Sales are up again this year which is an excellent performance and a reflection of its place in the Top 10 spirit on-trade brands.

The 20cl size continues to do very well in the off-trade.

 

 

 

Tia Maria

Tia Maria will be heavily backed by a new TV and Press campaign focusing on its mixability.

 

Disaronno

With its distinctive square glass decanter and smooth almond flavour Disaronno’s secret recipe is said to include the pure essence of 17 selected herbs and fruits with an infusion of apricot kernel oil. It’s a very “hot brand” internationally and Barry & Fitzwilliam hopes to emulate that here – another brand which will be supported by a Satellite TV campaign, Disaronno and orange juice being the perfect mix for Summer.

 

RTDs

WKD

The WKD range will be much supported again this Summer with a combination of promotions, social media campaigns and traditional media. The new addition to the range for Summer is WKD Vegas.


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