Vodka liqueur maker targets Scots students

A SPIRITS producer that says one of its flagship products has proved a hit with Scottish university students after its launch in the on-trade last year has revealed ambitious plans to treble its UK business.

London-listed Stock Spirits, one of the largest producers of branded spirits in central and eastern Europe, has identified four products for an accelerated roll-out, including Keglevich, the biggest fruit vodka-based liqueur brand in Italy.

The company said sales of Keglevich were already growing in Scotland “and are now in significant national distribution through student unions, bars, nightclubs and social clubs across the country”.

Stock Spirits said the product had “proved particularly popular with young adults, following sampling at music concerts – including Rock Ness – and through working with the Northern Services group of student unions. Keglevich is now stocked and served in the majority of major bars in Scottish universities.”

The drive to treble sales over the next two years will also include Limonce, the best-selling Limoncello brand globally and in Italy, Polish vodka Zoladkowa de Luxe and Stock XO Brandy.

Following the introduction of the brands into the UK in 2011 by the former commercial agent Pinnacle Drinks, Stock’s UK sales of Limonce are up 133 per cent in the six months to June this year compared with the first half of 2014. Sales of Stock XO grew 65 per cent.

Stock Spirits said yesterday it had identified the UK and Ireland as an “exciting” growth opportunity, and instead of continuing to use Pinnacle Drinks as a commercial agent had brought the function in-house.

Steve Howard, one of Pinnacle’s founders, has joined Stock as commercial director.