Speyside gin and vodka producer Eight Lands has expanded its team with the appointment of Josh Rosenbaum as brand development manager. Rosenbaum will be responsible for building relationships with on- and off-trade partners, and growing the Eight Lands brand both nationally and internationally. Before joining Eight Lands, Rosenbaum worked for Amathus Drinks, leading a team and looking after national group accounts and London on-trade accounts. He has worked in hospitality and the drinks sector in…
Authenticity, provenance and natural ingredients are pushing vodka back into the spotlight. And the big players are responding to changing consumer tastes with flavour innovations and lower-ABV offerings. *This feature was originally published in the April 2020 issue of The Spirits Business Once upon a time, vodka was all about smoothness and neutrality, dressed in a gorgeous bottle. Then came the wacky flavours, swiftly followed by their widespread withdrawal. And while gin took the limelight,…
US firm Brown-Forman has extended its partnership with Nordic drinks group Altia for the production of Finlandia Vodka until 2035. The partnership began in 2000 when Finnish state-owned producer Altia sold a 45% stake in Finlandia Vodka to Brown-Forman, marking the firm’s entry into the category. Two years later Brown-Forman acquired an additional 35% stake in Finlandia. In 2004, Brown-Forman acquired the remaining 20% stake in Finlandia, taking full ownership of the brand. The deal…
Potato-based Vestal Vodka has released its first flavoured expressions: Black Cherry, and Raspberry and Blackcurrant. The two flavours are based on traditional Polish fruit-based vodkas known as ‘nalewka’. They are both made by macerating Vestal’s 2015 vintage vodka. Bottled at 40% ABV, Vestal Vodka Black Cherry and Vestal Vodka Raspberry and Blackcurrant have an RRP of £22 (US$29) per 700ml bottle. Vestal Vodka is made from potatoes grown in Kaszebe in the north of Poland.…
While gin rides high, vodka sales continue to slide. But is the erstwhile frontrunner staging a comeback? The Spirits Business investigates. *This feature was originally published in the April 2020 issue of The Spirits Business Audible gasps could be heard when news broke that Tito’s Handmade Vodka leapt over Diageo’s powerhouse brand, Smirnoff, and took the title of best‐selling spirit in the US in 2019. It was the first time in more than a decade…