Local brandy joins the party
Potstill spirit revamps its outdated packaging
For good measure, South Africa’s luxury brandy is finally shedding off its Cinderella image – that of being stuck in obscurity and outdated packaging in spite of its world-class quality.
The local spirit is revamping its image to take on the ever-flamboyant cognacs by seeing off its eye-sore, staid packaging, which looked like it was caught up in a time-warp of the commando and carefree hippie days of the 1970s.
Brandy Foundation executive director Christelle Reade-Jahn concurs that local luxury brandy, also called potstill brandy, is joining the party in more sultry wrapping. “When you look at the packaging of Uitkyk, Tokara, Avontuur, Oude Molen XO and also Edmund Oettle’s 24-carat gold flake brandies, there is certainly a move towards creative, aspirational packaging around our products,” Reade-Jahn says.
She says packaging is most definitely one of the key tools to position the local brandy next to cognac, and to showcase the country’s ultrapremium spirits as “aspirational”.
Brandy must take its cue from the vibrant emergence of the craft gin industry which has also showed how impactful packaging can be, according to Reade-Jahn.
Dr Caroline Snyman, Distell’s Southern Africa marketing director, says premium SA brandy has consistently been recognised as an outstanding quality product, but now had to step up to match its world-class acclaim.
Snyman says while Uitkyk XO’s new packaging aims to achieve this, spirit drinkers can certainly expect more packaging changes in premium brandy within the Distell portfolio.
For their part, cognac brands constantly seek ways to remain innovative. Recently, Hennessy has partnered with artists to decorate their packaging to show how art, luxury and cognac collide. A typical example is the brand’s collaboration with Milan-based artistic duo “Carnovsky” to create an eclectic wrap for the Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilège.
To showcase local brandy’s march to the future, Uitkyk wine estate recently released an elegant 10-YearOld Grand Reserve potstill brandy (R495), all resplendent in an eye-catching bottle and pack. Put next to some of the renowned cognacs, it should stand its ground with ease – not only because of its attractive packaging but also on its sublime taste. Uitkyk winemaker Estelle Lourens has created a flawless spirit that is exquisitely full of flavours of vanilla, coconut and tropical fruit. No wonder it gave other international XO brandies and the French the run for their money at the 2016 Global Spirits Masters, winning gold.
Meanwhile, South Africa has produced another winner – following in a series of similar feats by local brandy – in Oude Meester Demant, which was declared the World’s Best Brandy at the 2017 World Drinks Awards in London last month.