Reiger Revives Flagship Brand with a New Spin
J. Reiger & Co. recently announced the reincarnation of their centennial brand, Monogram Whiskey. The company plans to release it annually and in limited quantities. The 2017 edition is limited to only a 1000 bottles—of which 600 have been distributed in Kansas and Missouri, and the remaining 400 in 14 other states. Each bottle is priced at $100.
According to proprietor Andy Reiger, who revived the business in 2014, stated that the new batch does not replicate the old whiskey’s taste. Talking about the Monogram collection, he adds, "If someone gets a 2017 and a 2018 bottle of Monogram, they'll be able to compare them side by side and taste the differences.” The 2017 edition is said to exude notes varying from dark fruity and nutty to spicy and caramel, with a buttery finish.
The label has been specially designed to evoke the brand’s heritage and proof of quality.
The 104-proof whiskey is a blend of 9-year old corn whiskey and 11-year old rye whiskey. These were finished in 100-year-old sherry botas—sourced from Williams & Humbert—for 18 months. Inspired by the ‘solera’ system followed in Jerez, the resident sherry expert Steve Olson used a unique fractional blending system to craft the whiskey. The 500-liter casks were also painted black to spot leaks.
In association with Hotel Vandivort and The Order, the distillers will host a release party on April 27, this year. For $55, patrons can enjoy an educational tasting experience, with appetizers, free gifts, and more.
Pernod Ricard Plans Expansion in Myanmar
Pernod Ricard, the second-largest wine and spirits company globally, is intensifying its whisky footprint in Myanmar. Having acquired a majority stake in a new joint venture with private equity firm Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd, this partnership will focus on the production and distribution of whisky in Myanmar. This makes French Pernod Ricard the first major global producer of wine and spirits to have established a formal presence in this south-east Asian country.
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Paddy's Day Carnivalesque: US Bars Witness Increased Footfall
In the US, the Irish festival of St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated mostly in bars and restaurants, suggests a 2017 Nielsen CGA analyst report. It shows that one out of five Americans plan to spend the Paddy’s Day weekend, around 17 March, in a bar or restaurant enjoying around four drinks on average. The study says that the 21-34-year-old demographic show more intention than other aged demographics, with numbers rising to almost one in four people heading to a bar or restaurant and drinking at least five pegs. Their poison of choice, as study and trade reports suggest, is more likely to be a smooth Irish whiskey. According to the data collected from Nielsen CGA’s market analysts, Irish whiskey sales have increased 27.6% in value in the bars and restaurants in the US.
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