Spirits That Move You
Top-Selling Spirits Keep the Blitz On Sales and Profits

There is a lot more to stocking a bar than determining the latest listing of top sellers. If it were that simple, every bar could reap the benefits of stellar sales simply by perusing the latest “Adams Wine & Spirits Guide.”
    In reality, a venue’s offerings in the way of spirits are influenced by any number of factors, including the customer base, the theme of the establishment, the season of the year — not to mention the budget and good old-fashioned bias on the part of owners and bar managers.

Know Your Clientele, and More
    At the Voodoo Lounge in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Barmuda Corp’s Patrick Snyder does indeed pay attention to what is selling well in other venues and entertainment destinations beyond his own midsized market, yet top 20 status alone is by no means a guarantee that a given brand ultimately will be poured for his largely college-age clientele.
    “People know what they want, and they want you to be able to give it to them,” says Snyder, the director of restaurant operations for the Midwest hospitality and entertainment company that includes venues offering everything from sushi and fine cuisine to upscale lounges, sports bars, music and comedy  clubs.
    “You really need to know your clientele and what works for you and for them.”
    In addition to global sales rankings and sheer brand gravitas, Snyder weighs at least three other factors in buying his company and his customers into a given spirit. First, he takes the measure of the brand from a profitability standpoint to see if he can sell the product at a price point similar to the ones he already has. Secondly, any vying spirit must pass a taste test –– something that usually represents the “fun part” he says. But even if it draws a pass on the first two, it also must have marketing legs as well.
    “If I haven’t seen it on TV or a magazine, especially one that goes to my demographics, I am not interested.”
    David Wallack, owner of the renowned Mango’s Tropical Café in Miami Beach, listens to his customers and his bar staff in stocking spirits for his retro-Cuban cabaret, cafe and bar venue –– one that hosts more than a million customers each year.
    “What I do is I invite a lot of people to the best party in town with the best entertainment and see what they would like,” Wallack says. “Miami and South Beach are the most tropical nightclub settings in the Northern Hemisphere. We are rum, and then we go from there.”
    And the likelihood that Wallack will carry a product is assured when the demand is there.
    “If I have someone who wants it and a bartender who wants to sell it … I tell them, ‘Let’s rock and roll.’”
    Even the most careful compilation of top-selling spirits can’t replace the judgment of an individual owner or operator who understands his or her market. How do the spirits in your establishment stack up against the world’s top movers and shakers? Read on and find out.

Vodka
    In the ever more crowded vodka category a few brands consistently stand out. Among the Adams Fast Track brands that have achieved double-digit growth and sales of 100,000 cases in recent years are Skyy, Grey Goose, Ketel One, Frïs and Ketel One Citgoen.  Other vodka brands bulleted for success on-premise of late include Boru, Seagram’s Vodka, Three Olives, UV Vodka, Level, McCormick (Flavored) Vodka, Cîroc, Polar Ice and Pearl Vodka. Established brands not to be overlooked include Smirnoff, Stolichnaya, McCormick Vodka, Barton Vodka, Skol Vodka, Aristocrat Vodka, Burnett’s Vodka and Belvedere.

Gin
    For most of the 20th century, gin was the preferred base spirit for the Martini. Although it has been eclipsed by vodka as the world’s top-selling white spirit, gin nevertheless has held its own as a bartender favorite that is threatening a comeback among discerning patrons. Along with Martini standards such as Beefeater, Tanqueray, Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin, two other winning gins are Plymouth Gin and Bombay Sapphire, an Adams Established Growth Brand.

Rum
    In the chronicles of rum, Bacardi remains the top-selling brand in the world by far, with sales in the hundreds of millions of bottles worldwide. Other rum brands are netting profits aplenty on-premise as well, with Cruzan Rum and Appleton making Adams Fast Track Brands list of late and Captain Morgan and Mailbu holding their places on Adams Established Growth Brands list, with sales of at least 400,000 9-liter cases in 2004.

Whiskey
    The latest figures on whiskey sales from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States tell the comeback story of this brown spirits category that includes scotch, Irish whiskey, bourbon, and American and Canadian whiskey. Some 45 million 9-liter cases were sold globally in 2005 with iconic brands and a few newcomers as well leading the charge. Maker’s Mark bourbon and Jameson Irish Whiskey continue to be standouts, making a recent list of Adams Fast Track Brands, while Dewar’s Scotch made a similar Adams Rising Stars listing.
    In fact, Johnnie Walker is now the top-selling scotch brand in the world, with Dewar’s holding the same distinction in the United States.
    With a revamped marketing strategy and expanded target demographics, Canadian Club is a market staple with promise for increased sales in the coming year. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey continues to be ranked high on the Adams Established Growth Brands year after year, along with Southern Comfort bourbon, Johnnie Walker Black scotch, Crown Royal and Wild Turkey bourbon. Two additional Adams Comeback Brands are Jim Beam bourbon and Chivas Regal scotch, both of which posted strong sales in 2004 after slight sales declines in 2003.

Tequila
    Tequila sales have proliferated in the last two decades as proprietors and patrons alike have discovered some of the top brands that Mexico  has to offer. Patron in particular has posted phenomenal sales success, making Adams Fast Track Brands list in 2004 along with El Jimador. Still, Jose Cuervo, a perennial Adams Established Growth Brand,  remains the world’s most popular and best-selling tequila.
    Other tequila brand standouts include Sauza, El Tesoro, Tequila Corralejo, as well as Castillo, another Established Growth Brand, and Corazon, an Adams Rising Stars brand along with tequila-based ready-mix Tarantula Azul. Cabo Wabo’s laid back image and pure quality taste give it a sales edge, as well.

Cognac, Brandy, Liqueurs
    A number of top brands in the Cognac, brandy and liqueurs categories also stand ready to lift a venue’s sales. Hiram Walker’s introduction of Pomegranate liqueur is on-trend and innovating the category. Adams Fast Track Brands include Jägermeister, Cointreau and Tuaca, with Hpnotic gaining Rising Stars status in 2004 and Courvoisier  garnering a place on Adams Comeback Brands list.
    As Established Growth Brands, such spirits as DeKuyper, E& J Brandy, Hennessy (Cognac) Baileys Irish Cream, Paul Masson Brandy, Remy Martin (Cognac) and Grand Marnier also continue to be money in the bank for operators.                              NCB