Spirits of the season

Single malts, Japanese malts, gins, Prosecco, and amber wines to vary your drinking palate this New Year

As interest in craft cocktails continues to grow with consumers becoming more discerning, spirits brands will need to implement different tactics to remain competitive in a crowded market

According to Jeanine Ghosn, managing director for Gabriel Bocti sal, there are two peaks in the consumption of spirits during the year; summer time and the end of year festivities. Many parameters combine to make the year-end even more interesting. “People go out more, which entails a growth in our trade,” she says.

The increase in the number of tourists and expats as well as the festive mood triggers more consumption, not only in entry-level spirits, but in superior and premium ones as well. “Versus normal days, we double our sales during this phase,” Ghosn adds.

According to Roy Diab, marketing manager for Fawaz Holding sal, "there are a lot of offers on the market during the festive season, but the search for differentiation is now a bigger part of the game." Joe Atik, business manager, wines and spirits at Ets Antoine Massoud, states that whisky is a year round consumption product, whereas vodka and other white spirits follow seasonality. Ziad Karam, corporate relations director MENA, GTME for Diageo, says that towards the festive season, consumers tend to try new spirits/ variants in order to enjoy a different experience.

Whisky supremacy

"Single malt is by far the season's trendiest spirit this year. This rush has influenced the deluxe whisky category that has been affected positively," says Marc Azkoul, ontrade unit manager for Neo Comet - KFF Food & Beverage. Single malt whiskies have been stealing the spotlight for over three years now and the spirit promises even brighter results. Brands such as Glenfiddich have doubled their sales compared to last year, Ghosn says.

According to Diab, the main reason behind the rise of single malt whiskies, is consumer-driven. "Consumers want to differentiate and trade up from their current behavior with blended whiskies," adding that this has been supported by distributors who are supplying a multitude of brands/products that cater to various taste palates. According to Ghosn, single malts have rejuvenated the image of whisky and made it more appealing to the younger generation, who were previously more interested in vodka. In general, drinkers are either connoisseurs who appreciate the singularity of the taste or consumers seeking the trendiness and the prestige associated with this spirit. But Atik confidently states that the trendiest spirits of this year are the Japanese malts. "Nikka whisky range is the rising star," he says. “However, many believe that this trend will not shadow the single malts.”

V for Vodka

Besides whisky, vodka is one of the most widespread spirits, especially among the younger generation. Atik asserts that there is no dominating trend for vodka. "Vodka is still growing with the biggest market share in the horeca channel after whisky, considering the entire Lebanese market and excluding national products such as arak," he explains.

An alien wine

"Wine is not to be forgotten since it still has the lion's share of the market, whether in its local or foreign categories," says Azkoul. The new generation of smaller wineries adopting a more natural approach to produce wines is currently on the rise, says Roberto Galli,

head sommelier of Harry’s Bar in Beirut. Micro Lebanese wineries such as Atibaia, Château Marsyas, Domaine des Tourelles, and Domaine de Baal, make this category even more interesting, Atik says. In Galli’s view, we might witness a varietal wine trend as more people are into tasting the single-grape instead of a blended wine.

But it is the orange wines or amber wines that have been very ‘à la mode’ in Europe for the past five years that are gaining momentum. With Russian origins, these wines were strongly improved in Italy and consist of a macerated white wine variety. Galli remarks that on international wine lists, amber wine is turning into a new category. “The wine looks scary but when you start sipping you will appreciate its taste,” he comments. The wine is very versatile: sweet on the nose and dry on the palate. However, Galli concedes that the wine would not be easily accepted in Lebanon. "Most Lebanese are Bordeaux drinkers although Burgundy has made a great effort to introduce a new variety."

Sweet wines & liquors

Sweet wines are there for those who appreciate them but with little commercial appeal as of yet. According to Atik sweet wine consumption is related to suggestive selling in the restaurant or to food, matching with cheeses or desserts.

Some wineries such as Domaine des Tourelles are trying to develop their liquor production and add more variety to their spirit portfolios. Atik says that these wineries are exploring liquor manufacturing as they manage a large piece of land with different crops. "This is artisanal and the purpose is not commercial," he continues.

Sip a cognac or a gin

When it comes to cognac, Galli says that it is appreciated in Lebanon in the same way it is favored in Europe. The only difference is that the Lebanese have a cognac at the end of their evening whereas whisky is the main spirit.

Marie-emmanuelle Febvret, brand ambassador for Thomas Hine & Co, says with houses like Hine, sipping cognac is becoming much more fun than it used to be. Hine, with its British roots, has been the sole supplier to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II since 1962. With ‘H by Hine’ for example, the brand reinvents aperitif by mixing it with tonic or ginger ale on ice. “Try storing your H by Hine in the freezer and enjoy it frozen with oysters, tuna carpaccio, or pata negra ham. Brilliant,” she reveals. According to Febvret, consumers in the very best cocktail bars in Paris, London, New York or Taiwan, are both young and true connoisseurs who have been collecting Hine vintages for decades. However, some believe that gin is the cooler kid on the block these days. "Gin has taken over the summer season and has become even more popular," Atik remarks. Super premium gins such as Hendricks are becoming more and more popular as an alternative drink, says Ghosn.

According to Diab, gin, in both premium and super premium segments, is growing, following a global phenomenon. "Lebanese bartenders are in the know and are very much exposed to a diversity of products and global bartendering networks, who exchange ideas and discoveries. Cocktails, where gin has always played a key role in the ingredients, are picking up again," says Diab.

On the same note, Karam notes that there is a growing trend in the consumption of high-end rum and tequila such as Zacapa and Don Julio.

Prosecco: talk of the town

Italian wines, especially Prosecco, are drawing the lines of a new trend. "Five years ago, no one used to drink Prosecco, but the fashion has been changing lately," Galli says. In half a decade, it might even take over from Champagne in a similar manner to the trend that has happened in London. "The UK represents the number one market for Champagne but Prosecco is booming," Galli continues.

Despite most people associating Champagne with celebrations, Prosecco is its lighter and easier relative. Ghosn acknowledges that the popularity of Prosecco is narrowly related to its more affordable price. "Consumers want something sparkling but cannot afford Champagne," she says.

I love mixology

The drinking culture in Lebanon has metamorphosed during the last five years. Consumers are increasingly demanding cocktails versus the traditional straight spirits although this depends on where they are consuming their drink, the quality of the spirit used and the professionalism of their bartender. "This has brought great value to the industry through the creation of a new pillar built around fine drinking, mixology, higher mixology and serving standards," Karam says. He adds that this has been a key focus area for Diageo, which created a global platform called ‘Worldclass’ to drive creation, development and growth of a high standard fine drinking and mixology/ cocktail industry. Diageo-trained ‘World Class’ TM bartenders adopt an informative approach to consumers and provide them with unique mixology options to try cocktails, mixed using reserve quality spirits and served in an innovative manner.