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JEFF AGDERN
VOLUME 70, NO. 08
 Volume 70 I Issue No. 07 FEBRUARY 19
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TOOL OF THE TRADE FOR HAWAII’S BEVERAGE INDUSTRY
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TOOL OF THE TRADE FOR HAWAII’S 1

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43 44 45 46 45 Drills 22 Decade
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publisher@hawaiibevguide.com
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39 Locale 2 Baby powder
41 Bumbling insect 3 Former wound
42 Uneven 4 Not Corinthian
43 Mouser 5 __ Lanka

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 NEW PRODUCT:
BINTANG BEER
Quick Facts
Country of Origin: Indonesia
Style: Tropical Pilsner
Alcohol by Volume: 4.7%
Hawaii Distributor: Paradise Beverages
B
intang is making its way
from Bali, Indonesia to the
United States, and Hawaii
is one of the first two states at
which the beer will be available.
According to Bintang,“Bintang
exports to the United States is rather
unique as it is driven by demand
mainly from US coastline surfers
that have travelled to Indonesia.”
The product has also recently
launched in the United Kingdom
and Australia. Bir Bintang, to
those unfamiliar with the beer, is a
“Tropical Pilsner” produced by PT
Multi Bintang Indonesia Tbk who,
as of the filing of the 2017 Annual
Financial Report, was 81.78%
owned by Heineken International
BV. This close relationship is
represented in the Bintang company
star logo which is identical to the
Heineken Star. (Bintang means
“star” in Indonesian.) Bintang’s
introduction into the U.S market is
a collaboration between Heineken
Americas and U.S Beverage (USB).
Due to the high volume of
production, with market share
in Indonesia being as high as
50% and Bintang being the
best selling beer since 1931 in
Indonesia, Multi Bintang operates
multiple production facilities:
one in Tangerang near Jakarta
and one in Sampangagung east of
Java. These high volumes can be
partially attributed to Bintang’s
2 HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE FEBRUARY 2019 HAWAIIBEVGUIDE.COM
highly affordable price point and
easy drinking nature. The brand
is focused on supporting and
celebrating surf, travel, and the
environment with initial partners
and supporters including: Vans
Surf, the Indonesian Consulate,
Save The Waves (https://www.
savethewaves.org/), Salvage Public,
The Liljestrand House, and the
Hawai'i Indonesia Chamber of
Commerce. Currently, Bintang
is amidst conversations with
Sustainable Coastlines about a
Summer 2019 fundraising event.
Due to the beer’s surf-centric
branding, Haleiwa Bottle Shop
will also be carrying the product.
Suggested Retail Price for Bintang
beer in Hawaii is $10.99 for the six-
pack; however, if there is enough
local demand for the product, direct
shipment of Bintang beer would
become feasible, allowing the six-
pack price to drop closer to the
suggested $8.99 price in California.
HBG Perspective:
Bintang has a flavor profile of a
pilsner? #CaptainObvious. In our
opinion, it’s a beer that tastes like a
beer that isn’t off putting, and is easy
to drink ice cold from a can. There
isn’t a lot of complexity or anything
to think about when drinking this
beer, but it does lend itself to South
East Asian cuisine, hence it will be
available at The Pig & The Lady.
However, in our opinion, many
pilsners and lagers lend themselves
to Southeast Asian Cuisine.
Momentarily, the higher-than-
preferred price point due to
shipping costs make on-premise
accounts a better prospective
buyer of Bintang because they
have greater price flexibility. As,
new can be interesting combined
with effective market advertising,
current sales have the potential to
soar. In particular we think that
Bintang would work on-premise in
establishment that:
• Have guests who have traveled
to Indonesia and are therefore
looking for something nostalgic.
• Have someone looking for
a Southeast Asian “flavors.”
This pairing has more to do with
branding than actual flavor.
• Push a “surf” or “beachy” vibe to
promote brand recognition.
So how will Bintang fare in Hawaii?
From a long-term partnership
perspective, we cannot make any
definitive predictions as the size
and duration of Bintang’s planned
campaign remains ambiguous. From
a flavor perspective, the beer doesn’t
jump out as being particularly
innovative, nor does the cost make
it a better value purchase compared
to similar products already available
in market. n

E
ach month, Hawaii Beverage
Guide Hawaii will have a
conversation with a different
local brewery to learn more about
what they are up to. In this series, we
will focus on the different and unique
production factions that make a
brewery functional, including how the
islands and the cultural smorgasbord
of people who call Hawaii home,
directly or indirectly inspire and drive
these companies. The first brewery we
will be featuring in our series is Maui
Brewing Co. (MBC), one of the craft
breweries in the state that's leading
the pack and setting the standards for
Hawaii-brewed beer. MBC currently
operates in a newly constructed campus
in Kehei, a small, beach-heavy town in
south Maui, and distributes to twenty-
three states and ten intercontinental
counties. MBC remains privately
held by its original owners, yet they
have been expanding into brewpub
locations in native Kehei, Lahaina,
Waikiki, and soon Kailua.
In 2005, Maui Brewing Co. released
their first batch of Lagers and Ales
and ever since, the Aina-forward
beer company has continued to be a
dominant force in both the local and
intercontinental craft brewery scene.
The growing company prides itself on
a beer for every season through their
“Craft Beer Way of Life” initiative;
and as such, currently produces six
styles of beer including four limited
release beers in their portfolio. MBC’s
impressively diverse roster of craft
beers range from a buttery textured,
Hawaii Aina Brewing 101: Maui Brewing Co.
A Look into Hawaii’s Craft Breweries
By: Crystal Arnold and Lance Nakano
toasted coconut-infused porter, the
Coconut Hawi Porter, which along
with the richness of the lightly browned
coconut, has a dark chocolate, heady
coffee mouthfeel, providing the
perfect “brewed” mocha experience.
The line up also includes the familiar
sweetness of a perfectly canned, locally
grown pineapple in the Pineapple
Mana Wheat, which is a beer that is
flawlessly even-bodied, combining the
tartness of a Maui Gold Pineapple
and the sweet, bitterness from wheat,
creating a heavy, yet very refreshing
beer. MBC’s craft collection expands
to two IPA’s: the Big Swell IPA and the
Double Overhead IPA, and includes
the Pau Hana Pilsner, along with the
OG Bikini Blonde Lager, the beer that
started it all.
We interviewed CEO Garrett Marrero
to learn more about Maui Brewing
Co. and what drives their passion for
making craft beer on Maui.
Hawaii Beverage Guide: What
inspired your passion for beer to the
point of creating a company out of it?
Garrett Marrero: I grew up around
good beer. When I was in San Diego,
my step-grandpa was really into beer
and he would be gifted beer from all
over the world as part of his job at an
oceanographic institute. So, I got to
try a lot of different beers at a young
age. I remember trying some of my
grandpa’s beer and being like, “Wow,
that’s really good. I like that.” I was
probably thirteen or fourteen years
old. We were a very European family,
so it was common for us to enjoy
alcohol and not abuse it, obviously.
As the beer scene in San Diego started
to grow with the opening of Sam
Adams, Sierra Nevada, and a few other
breweries, my grandpa and my step-
dad would buy the different beers that
were coming in from America at the
time, and we would drink them. Pete’s
Wicked was one of the beers that I cut
my teeth on, as well. Fast forward to
me graduating from high school. Stone
Brewing (at the time it was called a
“microbrewery” but is now known as
“craft”) opened up in San Diego and
my grandpa got one of the first kegs
of for my graduation party. I went to
college at [University of California]
Davis, which had a brewing program
on campus, and although I didn’t
study brewing in the actual school, I
enjoyed quite a few pints at the campus
brew pub called Sueworks. When on
vacation anywhere, I would always try
to drink what was new and local to the
area. When I visited Maui in 2001, not
only did I end up falling in love with
the island, but when I learned that
their local beer wasn’t actually made in
Hawaii, I saw an opportunity to create
an authentic, local Hawaiian beer. In
2005, we opened Maui Brewing Co.,
and I believe we were the first to use
the term “craft beer” in Hawaii.
HBG: How has your approach to beer
been influenced by Maui? The Terroir
if you will.
GM: Obviously, beer is high-90th
percentile water, so the local water does
make a difference. When we moved
the brewery from Lahaina to Kihei,
we had to make recipe adjustments
to get the Bikini Blonde to taste the
same because the water does change
the flavor of the beer; that alone
makes a difference in the beer. On
top of that, as much as we don’t have
waves of grain or any malting houses
or any hops fields growing in Hawaii,
we do use a lot of local agriculture to
influence our beer. We created the first
coconut beer, the first pineapple beer,
and the first POG beer. All of these
different beers that were influenced
by local agriculture is how we took
traditional styles and made them
Hawaii and made them Maui --simply
by using those local ingredients. We
also made the first breadfruit beer and
the first Maui onion beer. We’ve done
a lot of firsts here and we’re proud of
that. We’ve influenced not only beer
culture in Hawaii, but [I think] beer
culture around the world. The coconut
porter style is often imitated around
the world now, and that started right
here on Maui with us.
HBG: If you had to pick a beer or
two from the portfolio that best
represented Maui Island, what would
they be and why?
GM: I would probably say the
Pineapple Mana Wheat. That’s a beer
that we’ve been doing since 2008 or
so. It’s a simple, American wheat-style
brewed with Maui gold pineapple.
I don’t think there’s much of an
argument when we say that Maui gold
pineapple is the best pineapple in the
world. It is the sweetest, lowest-acidity,
highly sought-after pineapple, and
we’re proud to use that exclusively in
our beer. I think the pineapple being
the universally recognized symbol of
hospitality and Aloha embodies Maui,
given that it is a Maui gold pineapple
afterall.
I’d also say the Bikini Blonde Lager.
Although it doesn’t have any local
fruits, I think when you sit back and
enjoy a Bikini Blonde anywhere in
the world, you feel like you’re on the
beach on Maui. As Pete, our national
sales guy, likes to say, “We bring you
back to Maui twelve ounces at a time.”
I feel like that beer really does that.
HBG: In summary, how does Maui
Brewing differ from other local
breweries in philosophy and approach?
GM: When we talk about the other
local breweries, we’re talking about
one that existed when we started as
well --Kona Brewing Company. I
think the differences are obvious.
Maui Brewing Co.’s philosophy is to
brew locally, to have integrity, and we
believe that “liquid aloha” should be
made in Hawaii and not imported
from the mainland. But, the rest of
these breweries didn’t exist when we
opened up. I think what makes us
different is that we forged the path and
cleared the way for many of these new
breweries to open up. Whether they
know that or not, we changed laws,
we put our noses into the grindstone,
and we worked very hard to be able
to create a craft brewing industry in
Hawaii. I think these other breweries
are enjoying the benefits of a lot of
the work that we’ve done. I’m excited
to see the beer scene grow in Hawaii.
Everybody has a slightly different take
in some ways, but at the end of the
day, as long as we’re all making beer
in Hawaii, we have that commonality.
Story continued on page A-2
I know for Steve at Lanikai, he likes
to use some local ingredient in every
beer he creates, like coffee or guava;
that’s kind of his hook. Whereas, we
only use fruit when it makes sense
because not everybody wants fruit
in their beer. You look at Beer Lab,
they have an entirely different take on
brewing and they have a very niche
market as well. Everybody is doing
something a little bit different, and
we try to focus on our roots and make
beers that are palatable by many. But,
we have a wide enough array of beers
in our repertoire --arrows in the quiver,
if you will. We’ve got our funky beers,
we’ve got our big beers, and we’ve got
our more approachable, mainstream
beers. That just comes from years of
brewing experience and our ability to
take risks that other breweries can’t,
which our size and success permits us
to do. Second to that, we are Hawaii’s
most sustainable brewery. We recover
100% of our CO2. We will be grid-
independent next quarter when we
complete Phase Three of our solar
op (meaning that we will produce
100% of our electricity on-site), and
we continually work on solutions that
make us more eco-friendly and more
sustainable. We were the first brewery
in Hawaii, and tenth in the country to
put beer in cans. Today, there are over
a thousand canning craft breweries.
So, we’re definitely front-runners in
the beer scene as we forge paths that
just didn’t exist prior.
HBG: What is your philosophical
approach to creating a beer? Where
does the inspiration come from? Is
there any particular person on the
team that comes up with ideas for new
beers? How does that process work
for you guys? How do you go from a
seasonal to a canned?
GM: I think for this team, there’s no
one person that handles one specific
task. Kim is our brewmaster and
she’s ultimately responsible for recipe
development and creation, but it is
very much a team approach. We’ve
got guys like Pete Cumbo who love
the hazy IPAs and big imperial stouts,
so he likes to brew those when there’s
room in the brewhouse to do one-offs.
We don’t brew the same beer every
day, and we like to give the brewers
some autonomy to be able to brew a
multitude of styles, so that they feel
they are getting that artistic expression
of themselves in the beer. Even our
market manager, Dustin Gomes,
loves beer and developed a recipe to
brew, and it was a fantastic homebrew.
We brewed Gomes’s recipe at the
production level, and it has become a
staple for us; it’s called the Coconut
Wireless. So you see, it really is a
team approach. From the sales side,
we have to look at the marketplace
and say, “Okay, while we love our
Lahaina Town Brown and we love
our Valley Isle ESB (ESB just took the
gold medal at the World Beer Cup in
April), they’re not a sexy style on the
market and we’re probably not going
to sell a lot of it out there if we put it in
cans, so they might be better as draft-
only beers.” Basically, we have to take
into account market conditions, but
ultimately, we brew beer that we want
to drink and we know enough people
out there would want to drink, too.
We’ve built the company based on our
ability to brew a multitude of styles.
We brew our core beers, but outside
of that, we’ve got the capability to
brew everything from a one-barrel
batch to a 50-barrel batch and our
team collectively figures out what
they want to brew next. Most of the
time, I think the craft beer drinkers in
Hawaii are the ones that actually pick
what beers go to cans. We may vote on
what beers go to cans, but it’s usually
based on how quickly a particular beer
sells in the market after it was first
created experimentally. We also listen
to the people who are coming to our
restaurants and tasting room, and they
offer a lot of feedback. It’s one of the
reasons Pueo Pale Ale is going to be
a year-round beer now. We’ve had a
lot of requests for it, and we feel it’s
because of the craft beer drinkers
saying, “Hey, we want this.” And that’s
what we’re able to do.
HBG: How was the original lineup
set? I know that there is always the
offering of light-to-dark, but beyond
that, how did you set the lineup?
GM: Light-to-dark didn’t have so
much to do with it as us just wanting
to bring a new style to the world. If you
think about Hawaii, you think about
drinking a beer on a beach. A beer
like Bikini Blonde Lager goes a long
way. There’s only so much Big Swell
IPA you’re going to want to drink
when it’s 90 degrees out and you’re
sitting in the sun. We had brewed
the Coconut Porter since it was very
representative of Hawaii at the time
because of the coconut. We wanted
to launch the Coconut Porter because
it was something that was unique and
that had never been done before. We
took more into account “uniqueness”
as well as what wasn’t in the local
brewery market at the time. Given that
there weren’t many local breweries, we
had a lot of options. Bikini Blonde
Lager was the answer to, “What beer
can I drink all the time in Hawaii?”
The Coconut Porter was our answer
to “What is representative of Hawaii
and super unique?” Then you have
Big Swell IPA, which came out when
nobody in Hawaii was even making
an IPA. We had a lot of opportunities
to experiment with different things,
but those were the first three. Then,
as soon as we could secure pineapple,
we started with the Pineapple Mana
Wheat to make something that was
again unique and special to Hawaii,
but also quite crushable (something
you can drink several of when you are
out on the beach). Last to that would
be having a balanced array of styles of
beer that went well with food.
HBG: Digging into the production
technicals, what is the current volume
of production like? Are you still in a
really big growth phase in terms of
production at the Kihei facility, or
have you almost tapped that out?
GM: This year, we’ll finish somewhere
around 56,000 barrels of beer. We’ve
just expanded, and added 1000
square feet to the building, so we’ve
got the capacity to more than double
our beer production now. We would
have to add things like tanks, but our
infrastructure can handle doubling
our volume. We are also growing very
rapidly in our non-alcoholic sodas. We
have our Island Cola, Ginger Beer,
Root Beer, and recently our Tonic
Water coming out, so that’s four non-
alcoholic sodas. Then, we have our
spirits program which is launching in
the 1st or 2nd Quarter of next year
[2019], so that takes tank space because
we need to ferment to be able to distill
beverages into whiskey and gin. Then,
we have the canned cocktails, which
will be ready-to-drink whiskey-cola,
whiskey-ginger, gin-and-tonic. So,
despite having plenty of capacity for
beer, some of that capacity will be
gobbled up by these other projects.
We also partnered with Origin Coffee
and are incubating their coffee. Origin
is a local roaster, so we’ve got a coffee
roaster on-site, and we’ll be making
cold brew for both still and nitro in
cans. This year in beer, we’ll grow
somewhere around 15-17% from last
year, which is an enormous number
given the amount of people who are
currently in the industry. When a
small brewery that does maybe a 1000
barrels a year grows 15% or even 50%,
they’re growing 150-500 barrels. Even
when we grow 10%, we’d still be the
3rd-largest brewery in the state of
Hawaii. So, although our growth rates
have slowed, our production volume is
still massive. And that’s a good thing.
We’ve dedicated a lot of our focus to
sell here, and I think over 80% of our
beer is sold in Hawaii.
HBG: Does the Brewery use any
particular water filtration techniques?
GM: We have a particulate filter,
activated charcoal, and UV. We
don’t, however, do any sort of Reverse
Osmosis (RO) because RO is extremely
wasteful and you’re removing the
terroir, all of the natural minerals
that occur in the water supply here,
which you have to add back into the
concoction anyway. Your brewing salts
are really important, as well as is the
pH of your water, so if you do RO, you
have to amend so much.
HBG: For the cola, how are you going
about the flavor profile approach?
GM: We’ve worked for more than two
years perfecting the cola and each of
our sodas. The root beer started back
in 2008, and we’ve been doing that
for a long time and it’s well-known.
Since then, we’ve added these other
three sodas. Each of these new sodas
has gone through countless trials of
adjusting an ingredient here, or an
ingredient there. For the specific type
of sugar we’ve purchased and used
for each soda, we’ve had to change
our recipe due to not having the local
version of the sugar because it created
a slightly different flavor profile. All
of these ingredients affect the flavor
profile of our sodas, so when you list
them, you gotta make sure they’re right.
We have a company on the mainland
that makes an organic extract out of all
those ingredients, which allows us to
make our sodas with consistency.
HBG: What else are you sourcing
locally between the ginger and the
pineapple?
GM: Oh God, are we talking about
everything now? Beers, sodas,
everything? Chocolate, coffee, ginger,
guava, lilikoi, pineapple, all kinds of
citrus, dragonfruit, breadfruit, papaya,
poha berry; if it grows here, we use it.
We use a lot of local honey and local
vanilla, in the beers and lemongrass
and juniper in the sodas. All kinds of
stuff.
HBG: How has your lilikoi sourcing
been?
GM: It’s been tougher to get lilikoi. It’s
one reason why POG was supposed to
come back on the calendar for a can,
but we couldn’t get enough of the
local fruit to brew it in large volumes
for the cans. So, it’s going to be a
draft-only beer for us this year. That
is part of the problem of using local-
only fruit. Other breweries’ method
of incorporating flavoring extract is
very different from using real fruit.
We came out with the POG IPA and
a couple of the other breweries started
to do that (but none were produced in
Hawaii), most notably Kona; no real
fruits were used in making that beer
whatsoever. For us, we make a better
beer out of local agriculture versus
taking a jug of lilikoi extract and
throwing it into our beer. The flavor
from an extract is not even close to the
real thing; it’s just like coconut beer
that uses an extract and not any real
coconut. We hand-toast our coconut
chips and we add them to the brewing
process, and there’s nothing that tastes
like fresh, toasted coconut. You’ve got
beers out there that taste like suntan
lotion. It’s just disgusting. The beer
itself is super sweet, but it literally
tastes like someone dumped a bucket
of Coppertone into the tank. I don’t
think that’s appropriate for beer. The
idea of adding fruit to beer, for me at
least, is taking a style that is steeped in
tradition and enhancing it by adding
fruit or pulling out some nuanced
flavors by adding the fruit. It goes
beyond making juice that has a little
bit of beer character. I think there
are some fruit beers that have gone
way too far. This is why we don’t add
fruit to every beer we brew. There are
some beers where a fruit flavor makes
sense to be added into, and there are
others that it does not. That’s my
take on beer. When a flavor doesn’t
enhance the beer or create an overall
better experience when drinking the
beer, then I don’t think it belongs in
the product. It would be like a chef
adding something to a dish just to say
he added something to a dish. No self-
respecting chef is going to do that.
HBG: I like the approach of not
getting gimmicky. I feel like that’s
oftentimes what happens whenever a
concept is beaten to death. It’s either
gimmicky or it’s a one-trick-pony type
of situation.
GM: Exactly. It’s putting glitter in beer.
What’s the point? There’s no point. It
doesn’t do anything for the flavor, and
it adds plastic to the environment as
you’re going to drink that glitter, it’s
gonna come out of you at some point,
and then it’s gonna hit the water;
now you have more microplastic in
the environment because somebody
thought it was cool that your beer was
shiny. I don’t get it. I think gimmicky
is a good word for what shouldn’t be
happening. But, I also don’t want be
the old man shaking his fist at kids
speeding through the neighborhood
either. I think innovation is awesome.
The things that we’re doing in the
brewery right now, especially since we
just bought a one-barrel pilot system, is
geeking out on all kinds of stuff. We’re
pushing limits, but we’re doing it in a
way that we believe is at least paying
tribute to the essence of craft beer and
to the styles that we are brewing. We
may be heavily tweaking recipes and
ingredients, but ultimately, we’re just
brewing beer and having fun. There’s
no glitter involved and certainly none
in our beers. We also don’t use any
fruit extracts. That’s an important
thing to us. I mean, we brew with fruit;
with such a plethora of fruit available
in Hawaii, we should be supporting the
local agriculture rather than buying a
jug of POG extract.
HBG: It looks like your goal is to
increase transparency in production
and we appreciate that. There’s a
rum distillery out of Barbados called
Foursquare Distillery and their master
distiller, Richard Seale, is pushing
open transparency because in rum, it
is common to back sweeten with sugar.
Mr. Seale, like ourselves, believe that
not only have you disenchanted that
if people like something, that’s their
person, you’ve actually deceived them
prerogative; but, they shouldn’t be
in a way that will cause them to never
duped into thinking a product is
drink your product again. So, you owe
something it’s not.
respect and integrity to the people who
are supporting your brand. A good
GM: Yeah. That’s why I’ve never say,
friend of mine, Dan Kopman, the
“Don’t buy Kona.” I say, “Buy what
CEO over at Heavy Seas in Maryland
you like, but don’t buy it for the
says (I may misquote him) something
wrong reasons.” Don’t buy it because
along the lines of, “the real brand
you think you’re supporting a local
owners are the customers. We are just
business down the street. If you want
the stewards of the brand.” We created
to do that, there are several other
something that means something and
breweries (especially now) that you
we have to continue to stand by that.
can choose from. Buy it for the right
Our brand, at this point, is really in
reasons. If you like it, you like it. Great.
the hands of the people of Hawaii, and
There’s nothing wrong with that. Buy
we have to make good on the promises
what drink you like; that is why there
that we’ve made about who we are. I
is such a wide variety of selection. But
think that’s really important. It’s why
when it come to why you buy it, that’s
we’ve pushed so hard and spent more
different. A lot of people really believe
than $10 million to get to a point
in independence, local, authenticity,
of grid-independence. It’s the right
integrity, sustainability, or “one
thing to do; it’s what people expect
percent for the planet.” Whatever
of us. It’s good for the company, no
the marketing behind a product may
doubt, especially for the long-term, but
be, so as long as it is true, that’s what
imagine making 60,000 barrels of beer,
matters. If the customer wants to
all of these spirits, canned cocktails,
support a cause, they are going to drink
and coffee with zero-grid energy. No
that product because it’s aligned with
fossil fuel. That is unparalleled in the
their belief system. But the moment
industry, and I think that’s who we
someone finds out the product is
want to be. n
falsely aligned with their belief system,
 DISTILLERS 101 HAWAI’I AINA

Photo credit to Maui Brewing Co.

A-6 HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE FEBRUARY 2019 HAWAIIBEVGUIDE.COM

 A LOOK INTO HAWAII’S LOCAL DISTILLERS
D
espite Hawaii’s relatively new success in
developing spirits and its influence on the
local market, the state has always been
the ideal perfect backdrop for proper distillation.
With opulent volcanic soil, pure spring water,
an abundance of tropical fruit, tea leafs and
world famous sugar cane it’s hard to comprehend
how Hawai’i is only now discovering its voice
in regards to distillation. The variety of spirits
available throughout the state range from a sweet
potato shochu from Hawaiian Shochu Company
on O’ahu produced in a very traditional way, to
a rich buttery rum agricole form Native varitials
of sugar cane at Kuleana Rum Works on the Big
Island and a variety of rums including coffee and
coconut.
The Past
The commercial success of Hawai’i made spirits
may be a new phenomenon and a trendy in-
transit souvenir for tourist but the act of Hawaiian
spirit making can be carbon dated back to ancient
Polynesia. Õkolehao which is a highly regarded
indigenous spirit made from the root of the Ti
plant produces a natural sugary starchy ferment.
However, it wasn’t until proper distilling practices
and the introduction of sugarcane, pineapple and
cultural influences in 1790 that spirits reached
mass appeal here in Hawai’i. It was even a
personal favorite of King David Kalakaua who in-
fact owned and operated his own distillery which
produced his own variation of Õkolehao. The
tasty yet crude libation saw great success up until
the end of War World II when more palpable
spirits imported from the mainland became
popular, thus pushing the production of Õkolehao
into mere extinction. In the 1960’s Õkolehao
production reemerged through Ti Root Õkolehao
Corporation and even provided a tax break for
local producers through a mandate issued by the
state of Hawai’i before the Federal government
deemed it illegal due to: “Discriminatory taxation
of a spirit product.” In recent years the US Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
HAWAIIBEVGUIDE.COM FEBRUARY 2019 HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE A-7
By: Crystal Arnold
has legally recognized Õkolehao as a Distilled
Spirits Speciality (DSS) akin to Hawai’i much
like moonshine is to the southern part of the
country. In 2009 Haleakala Distillers released an
80 proof Õkolehao becoming the states only legal
producer of the spirit at that time and opened the
doors for other distillers in the state.
The Present
We have recently seen Hawai’i producers
distilling clear spirits of rum and vodka. Maui
has been home to Old Lahina Rum in 2003,
Haleakala Distillers who made Braddah Kimo’s
da Bomb Rum (RIP) which opened in 2004, and
and Ocean Vodka in 2005. It took till 2008 for
Island Distillers to start production on Oahu.
Then came Kauai’s Koloa Rum in 2009 and
Upcountry Maui’s Hali’imaile Distilling in 2010.
However, there was a lull in distillery openings
as the economy recovered from the Great
Recession. It wasn’t until 2013 when Hawai’i
Shochu Company and Ko Hana Rum were
founded. Subsequent openings included Royal
Hawaiian Spirits in 2014 and Kuleana Rumworks
in 2017. Most recently Koolau Distillers followed
the Paniolo Blended Whiskey route by creating a
whiskey product blended with a clear spirit, which
in the case of Koolau Distillers, is a white whiskey
instead of the neutral pineapple spirit found in
Paniolo Blended Whiskey. Coming soon to the
market will be Maui Brewing Company which
will be producing both gin and aged whiskey.
The column
Hawai’i Aina Distillers 101 will explore the
different approaches to distillation including
ingredients, techniques, and equipment to better
understand not only who is doing what but also
what fuels their passion for distilling. n
 P new
products
1 2
1. CAORUNN GIN
After a decade at the top of the premium gin
market in the U.K., Caorunn Gin has introduced
an updated bottle for the U.S. market, marrying
the spirit’s artisan roots with sleek aesthetics.
The bottle’s signature pentagonal form is
representative of the five natural Scottish
botanicals that surround the Speyside distillery
and are hand-harvested by Caorunn’s Gin
Master, Simon Buley. The decanter is now more
streamlined, ensuring an easier fit behind the
bar and on shelf.
SRP: $35
375park.com
4. TERRAPURA CHILEAN
WINES
Having bought and upgraded the TerraPura
winery in 2016, Matetic Wine Group, known
as a champion of organic and biodynamic
farming in Chile, has now given the TerraPura
line a makeover, showcasing the best of
Chile’s top wine valleys. The six TerraPura
varietal wines, all 2018 vintage and carrying a
Reserva designation, include: Sauvignon Blanc,
Chardonnay and Merlot from Curico Valley;
Pinot Noir from Itata Valley; and Carmenere and
Cabernet Sauvignon from Colchagua Valley.
SRP: $11.99
quintessentialwines.com
A-8 HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE FEBRUARY 2019 HAWAIIBEVGUIDE.COM
3 4
2. SOLOD VODKAS
New from Ukraine, in two expressions, Solod
is handcrafted vodka based on malted barley.
Its 25-day production cycle starts with a
unique water-softening method. Borrowing
technique from Irish whisky-making, this malt
vodka is twice triple-distilled; then it is filtered
through carbon, platinum, silver and birch
charcoal. Solod Alpine Crystal is classically
pure, soft and light. Solod Bavarian Dark has
a light rye bread aroma and honey notes.
Both are 80 proof.
SRP: $14.99
medcoatlantic.com
5. STERLING VINEYARDS
ALUMINUM BOTTLES
Sterling Vineyards is bringing a trio of their
Vintners Collection wines to market in
resealable aluminum bottles. The recyclable
bottles feature a brushed texture in a tall,
narrow 375ml size accented by a color cap
and base keyed to wine type: Chardonnay,
Cabernet Sauvignon or Rosé. POS support
includes a dispenser display, shelf talkers,
case cards and a plastic tote that can carry
four cans with ice.
SRP: $7.99/375ml
sterlingvineyards.com
5 6
3. MOD SÉLECTION CHAMPAGNE
Produced in the Vallée de la Marne for over
five generations, Mod Sélection Champagne
is the latest effort from musical artist Drake
and Brent Hocking (founder of DeLéon
Tequila). Mod Sélection distinguishes itself
in being Pinot Meunier-dominant, and is
produced using natural clarification and
rigorous fermentation controls. Its Mod Rosé
is one of few Champagnes produced via
the saignée method. The avant-garde bottle
décor represents a modern interpretation of
the tradition and elegance that is Champagne.
SRP: Mod Sélection Reserve $300; Rosé $400
modselectionchampagne.com
6. DUELING PISTOLS
RED BLENDS
New from Terlato, spun-off after a red-hot
start within The Federalist brand, Dueling
Pistols takes luxury California red blends up a
notch—dramatically. The duo of 50/50 blends
from highly regarded regions—Zinfandel-
Syrah from Dry Creek Valley and Cabernet
Sauvignon-Petite Sirah from Paso Robles—
present bold, structured flavor profiles based
on varietal tension, just as eye-catching
graphics capture the tension of a duel.
Dueling Pistols offers modern winemaking
with a catchy story and vintage feel.
SRP: $49.99 - $54.99
terlatowines.com

7 8
7. CAFÉ AGAVE SPIKED
COLD BREW
Coffee has already found ways to play with
rum, whiskey and liqueurs; with its agave link,
Café Agave pushes java in a new direction
spiritwise. This ready-to-drink coffee and
alcohol beverage is made with 100% Arabica
Colombian cold brew coffee, real dairy cream,
all-natural fermented agave and agave nectar.
Available in four flavors: Espresso Shot, Caffe
Mocha, Salted Caramel and Vanilla Cinnamon.
12.5% ABV; single-serve 6.3oz (187ml) cans.
Limited distribution.
SRP: $13.99/4-pack | $3.49/can
cafeagave.com
10. BOOKER’S 30TH
ANNIVERSARY BOURBON
Booker’s has released a 30th Anniversary
Bourbon celebrating the legacy of late Beam
Master Distiller Booker Noe and the founding
of his namesake brand three decades ago.
Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon features
a mingling of uncut, unfiltered 9-year-old
and 16-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon
whiskies, which together present robust flavor
with signature notes of vanilla. Bottled at 125.8
proof, under the watchful eye of 7th Generation
Master Distiller and Booker’s son, Fred Noe.
SRP: $199
bookersbourbon.com
HAWAIIBEVGUIDE.COM FEBRUARY 2019 HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE A-9
9 10
8. CONCANNON CLONE 8
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Concannon Vineyard clones are estimated to
account for 80% of the Cabernet Sauvignon
vines now growing in California. The winery’s
Clone Series honors that historic connection
by sourcing Concannon Cabernet Clones
from various premier California appellations.
The latest (second) release is the 2016
Concannon Clone 8 Cabernet Sauvignon
from Napa Valley; it joins the inaugural
release, a 2014 Concannon Clone 7 from
Sonoma’s Chalk Hill. 101 cases made.
SRP: $95
concannonvineyard.com
11. SUGARLANDS SHINE ‘COLE
SWINDELL’S PRE SHOW PUNCH’
The latest moonshine from Sugarlands Shine
comes with a twist as the distiller teamed
up with chart-topping country music singer
and songwriter Cole Swindell to create his
“Pre Show Punch.” It combines tropical
flavors with hints of cherry; bottled in the
line’s classic mason jar. It’s actually their
second collaboration, having already made a
100-proof Peppermint Moonshine. 50 proof.
SRP: $25
sugarlands.com
P new
products
11 12
9. EMPOWER COSMOPOLITAN
MARTINI
The first in a planned line of “ready-to-pour”
bottled cocktails, Empower Cosmopolitan
Martini is the based on sweet potato vodka
from a family-owned farm in Northern
California, triple sec, cooling white cranberry
and zesty lime. Empower Cocktails was
conceived by Tiffany Hall, a New York City-
based entrepreneur aiming to empower
women to be bold, confident and celebrate
life. The Cosmopolitan Martini is 25 proof
and contains 80 calories per 3 ounces.
Serve chilled.
SRP: $22
empowercocktails.com
12. HIGH NOTE ARGENTINE
WINES
High Note, owned in partnership by Winebow
and Catena Zapata’s Laura Catena, has
undergone a re-design, with realist-style label
art aiming to convey the revolutionary spirit
of Argentina. The Malbec 2017 features a
woman playing the bandoneon while the Red
Blend 2017 ($12) shows a man playing violin;
there is also a ceibo (Argentina’s national
flower) in the her hair, and an Andean condor
soaring over the man’s head. Both are
scheduled to reach market in March.
SRP: $12
winebow.com
 BRAND PROFILE

RENÉ BARBIER:
WHEN WINE IS MORE
FRESH, FRUITY DUO WORKS
YEAR-ROUND & IN MULTIPLE WAYS

BY W. R. TISH

V
ersatility in wine is usually
discussed in the context of
food—when a wine works
well with distinct types of
cuisines. But why stop there? René Barbier
is making a statement for flexibility
that goes further. The brand’s two fresh,
modern Mediterranean wines are right
every meal, it is a part of life,” notes Alie
Burnet, Brand Manager-Import Brands at
Freixenet USA. Evocative label imagery
and an affordable price point add appeal
as well.
Bending the Mold
Intent on making the most of their
In today’s market of expanding portfolios,
René Barbier’s dynamic Red & White duo are
refreshingly straightforward. Both are available
in a fridge-friendly 3L box or 750ml bottle,
each delivering a fresh, fruity, easy-drinking
style and affordable pricing.

at home at the table; pleasing crowds
for parties; and serving as a surprisingly
fruitful base for cocktails.
It starts with the wine itself—simple,
just red and white, made in Catalunya.
Both are blends—positioning them
naturally in one of the current wine
market’s hottest categories—the red
comprised of Merlot and Tempranillo, the
white combining native Spanish grapes
Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada. Even
more telling than the grapes, however, is
their style: fresh, clean, fruity and smooth.
René Barbier’s easygoing style
perfectly fits the wine’s Mediterranean
roots, “where wine is not only a part of
STRAWBERRY LEMONADE SANGRIA
4 cups (or 1 750ml bottle)
René Barbier Mediterranean White
2 Lemons, thinly sliced
1 Apple, cored and sliced
1 cup Strawberries, sliced lengthwise
½ cup Light Rum (optional)
3 cups Lemon-Lime Soda
Method: Place lemon, apple and strawberries
in a large pitcher. Pour wine and rum over the
fruit. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours.
Add the lemon-lime soda and serve chilled.
versatile wine, the team behind René
Barbier gave the brand a boost in 2016
that lets users create batches using the
by extending both Red and White into
fruits and juices they have on hand. And
a 3-liter bag-in-box format. Then a
the campaign has been supported with
package refresh gave the René Barbier’s
varied materials (neck hangers, cold-box
signature watercolor imagery a younger,
door clings) as well as print and digital
more modern look while ensuring that
advertising.
Mediterranean Red (or White) appeared
Perhaps most important of all, while
front and center.
sangria is typically considered summer
The unique aspect of the brand’s
fare, the marketing team made sure to
campaign is positioning René Barbier as
develop recipes that stretch across the
a foundation for fun and festive cocktails.
seasons. Apple Cider Punch fit right into
Centered around sangria—making for
fall; Mulled Wine made a nice choice
a natural connection to Spain—the six
over the winter. For spring the brand
recipes showcased at renebarbierusa.com
is highlighting Strawberry Lemonade
are enhanced by a “Cocktail Generator”
Sangria (see box).
Taken as a whole, the sangria-driven
René Barbier campaign is a true departure
from the usual wine marketing. But it
is hardly unusual for today’s American
consumers, who have grown accustomed
to drink recipes dispensed perpetually by
spirits suppliers. And the focus fits the
brand: “Our message is all about fun,
DIY ways to enjoy René Barbier with
your lifestyle,” explains Burnet. With the
economical, eco-friendly 3L box and the
seasonal year-round cocktails, consumers
are clearly getting the message that René
Barbier means business when it comes to
making wine fun. n

A-10 HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE FEBRUARY 2019 HAWAIIBEVGUIDE.COM

RB
RB_print ad_ Beverage Journal_8.25x10.875 FA TZ.indd 2 10/29/18 4:12 PM
 F the find

Orbium
derives from
the word ‘orb’,
the plural of Orbis
and the Latin for
circle.
HENDRICK’S GIN ADDS A
FRESH SMALL BATCH
Hendrick’s has added a limited-time
edition: Orbium. A reinterpretation of the
original Hendrick’s house style (known
for cucumber and rose), Orbium features
additional extracts of quinine, wormwood
and lotus blossom. Invention has always
been at the heart of the gin maker’s DNA
and a particular strength of Master Distiller
Lesley Gracie. Orbium represents the first
time one of her experiments has been
made available beyond sample quantities, CATOCTIN CREEK GOES
with a first release of 5,000 cases in the DOUBLE ‘BOTTLED-IN-BOND’
U.S., available initially in select bars. Catoctin Creek Distillery is celebrating a decade in
hendricksgin.com business with the release of two limited-edition Bottled in
Bond spirits: Rabble Rouser Rye Whisky and
1757 Virginia XO Brandy. As first spelled out in
AWARD-WINNING MARTINIQUE RHUM 1897, to be “bottled-in-bond,” a spirit must be
MAKES FIRST TRIP STATESIDE unblended at 100 proof and have been stored
Trois Rivières, a centuries-old rhum agricole from the Caribbean isle under U.S. government warehouse supervision for
of Martinique, is available here for the first time, launched nationally by at least four years. In fact, Catoctin Creek’s 1757
Houston-based importer BCI. Trois Rivières VSOP Réserve Spéciale, Virginia XO Brandy has been aging since 2010 in
most recently took home the 2018 Rum Trophy at the International Bordeaux red-wine casks, making it their oldest
Wine and Spirits Competition. As rhum agricole, unlike common release to date. SRP $89.99. The four-year-old Rabble
industrial rums, Trois Rivières uses freshly pressed juice from estate- Rouser Rye is already among Catoctin Creek’s most
grown sugar cane, without molasses or supplemental flavoring. The sought-after spirits, but February marks the first
rhums spend three years or more in oak casks, and leverage the warm time it’s labeled as bottled in bond. SRP: $95.99
climate to create a finished spirit comparable to a much older whiskey catoctincreekdistilling.com
or Cognac. SRP: $32.99-$64.99 plantationtroisrivieres.com
bonnete.com

SINGLE PROP RUM:

START SMALL, DREAM BIG
Single Prop Rum, a premium Caribbean
rum brought to proof with coconut
water, is not just launching their brand.
They are also launching a No Plastics
Pact to help eliminate single-use plastic
straws. Every person who signs up for
#NoPlasticsPact online will receive a
pack of biodegradable paper straws.
After the first 1,000 sign-ups, Single
Prop Rum will donate enough funds
to remove 100 pounds of trash from
our waters. Additionally, Single Prop
will be distributing their paper straws
and wooden straw caddies to select
bars and restaurants. SRP: $19.99
singleproprum.com
theobaldandoppenheimer.com

A-12 HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE FEBRUARY 2019 HAWAIIBEVGUIDE.COM

 "NOTES FROM THE BAR"
a conversation with Gabrielle Maser

WorkPlay Focus HBG

A
loha! Gabrielle here to take another look at design and how it works with bar and restaurants specifically! This
month’s focus is a project near and dear to my heart as I got to be a part of the design team. The challenge was to to
take a pre-existing co-work space and make it in to a premier craft cocktail bar. The space has some amazing benefits
passed over from the co-workspace such as a one of a kind mural painted by the leader of POWwow Honolulu, Jasper Wong
and four unique office spaces to be developed. The location is in a happening part of town, Kaka’ako, Honolulu and is
perfectly set up between all the going ons but still has a little mystery as it is on a block with no other bars or late night business.
The feel is an oasis in the middle of the madness completed by the an outside Garden Bar area already starting to bloom with
moon flowers and other herbs and plants planed for the near future.

The first challenge was to define the space and outline of the two wells and add the bar top in. The space was divided in
to the outside Garden Bar, the Main Floor, the banquettes by the bathrooms are in the Study and the four offices were given
names, themes and unique spirits to feature VIP room specific craft cocktails menus. The four rooms are the Peacock Room
featuring Agave Spirits, the Parlor featuring Absinthes and Amaros, The White Room featuring Gin and Vodka and the
Whiskey Library stocked and poured by Workplay’s own whiskey consultant. The rooms each feature comfortable seating and
can be booked out for food and beverage minimums all through the day for meetings in the daytime and cocktails at night.

6 HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE FEBRUARY 2019 HAWAIIBEVGUIDE.COM

 Once the space was laid out storage and
shelving was needed for the back bar wall as well
as to highlight the new coffee bar which is in use
starting at 7 am! This place has the best latte in
town as well as the best Manhattan! We added
in a wine cellar that fits 1000 bottles and unique
bar fixtures like a freezer drawer to host the clear
cut ice, full size mixology stations and magnetic
strips to stock tools on. The furniture was picked
to feel luxurious, Chesterfield couches are in all
the rooms and big enough for a whole group to
sit on, the bar stools are also leather and plush
with hooks under the bar for each seat as well as
charging stations for your laptop or your phone.
WorkPlay also features a large stage and very
unique lighting fixtures in each space, chosen by
the lead designer, Marshal Prather. The feather
fixtures in the White Room, the Glass globes over
the bar top and the Chinese lantern in the Parlor
give great color differences in each of the spaces
but still feel like part of the over all ambiance.

Even though you can’t tell yet the final jewel

in Workplay’s crown is the Garden Bar. The
carefully placed planters and trellis vines are
slowly coming in but mark my words, one year
from now you will feel like you are in a cool
garden oasis hidden from the hot beating down
sun and there will in fact be a bar outside for
large events. The other benefit we haven’t even
mentioned is the stage, set for amazing sound
quality and WorkPlay will be hosting live music
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays starting in late
January.

WorkPlay is a bar that has been missing

from the Honolulu scene, that classy place you
can meet a coworker at for drinks in your work
clothes and maybe mingle with other like minded
young urban professionals. Who knows you may
even get that contract signed over a libation
with a perfectly clear ice cube making it Work
but also Play. If you are visiting WorkPlay in
the day time there is parking by the hour across
the street until 830 pm and after 5 pm the 17
Redmont Construction Group parking spots are
also available to WorkPlay guests. n
About Gabrielle
Gabrielle Maser is the Owner of Interior Design
Firm G Design. www.gdesignhawaii.com Follow
her on Instagram at @gdesign

Photos credits to WorkPlay

HAWAIIBEVGUIDE.COM FEBRUARY 2019 HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE 7

 W wine buzz

SPE C IAL Romance fills the air in February. Fortunately,

it can ring cash registers too. Merchants
Valentine's wanting to stock product for amorous gifting
Day have some excellent options that do not
E D ITION compromise on quality.

DOZEN ROSES KORBEL BRUT ROSÉ

These semi-dulce wines with
timeless label appeal are
made in La Mancha, Spain,
known for consistency across
vintages, from Sauvignon
Blanc (for the white) and
Tempranillo (rosé and red).
All three feature a delicate
sweetness, making the
wines smooth, balanced
and easy to drink. Colorful
cartons and case cards
make Dozen Roses
an impulse buy.
SRP: $12.99
dozenroses.com
Korbel continues to make strategic use of eye-catching bottle wraps.
The latest limited-edition, “Lovebird,” is a 750ml of Brut Rosé bubbly with a
hot pink feather theme. The bright design pops against a white capsule and
front label, accented with a silver trim. Pleasant and crisp, Korbel Brut Rosé
is made with Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Gamay, Zinfandel and Chenin Blanc.
Korbel Brut Rosé offers bright flavors of strawberry, cherry and melon.
6,500 cases; SRP $13.99 korbel.com
Blushing Lovebird
¼ oz Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
2 oz Cranberry Juice
4 oz Korbel Brut Rosé
Strawberry Slice
Raspberries
Method: Pour Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur and cranberry juice
into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a wine glass. Top with Korbel.
Garnish with a strawberry slice or raspberry.

LOVESTORY & ROSA REGALE

From Verona, one of Italy’s most romantic cities and the storied home
of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, LoveStory is crafted by the Sartori
family—winemakers in Verona for four generations. The brand concept is
that everyone has some version of a love story to tell. The LoveStory lineup
embraces Italian wine’s classic side and modern edge. Anchored by Pinot
Grigio and Rosé, the line also includes
Pinot Noir and a refreshingly different
sparkling Soave; SRP $14-$16.
LoveStory is imported by Banfi, who
also imports a perennial Valentine’s Day
favorite: Rosa Regale Brachetto d’Aqui.
Like a red twin of Moscato d’Asti, bursting
with raspberry rather than peach, this
Brachetto is sweet, light, bubbly and killer
with dark chocolate. In multiple formats;
SRP: $22/750ml, $43/1.5L, $5.35/187ml,
$12/375ml.
banfiwines.com | rosaregale.com

8 HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE FEBRUARY 2019 HAWAIIBEVGUIDE.COM

COGNAC IN MOTION Hennessy’s “Master Blender’s” series,
representative of the trend toward creative limited

TAKING AFTER WHISKEY, THE CLASSIC editions, is composed exclusively of high-quality

eaux-de-vie that have been set aside specifically

FRENCH BRANDY IS GETTING HOT, TRADING UP

to be used at the Master Blender’s discretion.
Selection No. 3 in the series is the first from
new Master Blender Renaud Fillioux de Gironde,
AND BRANCHING OUT the eight-generation to hold the title at Maison
Hennessy, after tasting alongside his uncle Yann
Filliioux for 15 years.
BY JACK ROBERTIELLO

W
hen it’s a good year for Hennessy, it’s a good year
for Cognac. That’s been the case for some time in
the U.S., as the dominance of the market leader
only seems to grow. However, other brands are
finding ways to build on their bases and some are
breaking out with new iterations and market approaches.
That’s needed because while we’re the the mixology trend which is so strong here
world’s largest market, the U.S. drinker is not as developed worldwide. A lot of
prefers the least expensive expressions. VS cognac is poured behind the bar with
“What makes the U.S. different is the return to pre-Prohibition cocktails.”
the mix is heavily skewed toward the VS VS accounts for about 70% of U.S.
category, whereas worldwide the main volume; of that, Hennessy captures about
products that sell are VSOP and above,” 60%, Rémy Martin about 15% and Cour-
says Alexandra Albu, Sales and Marketing voisier about 10%, according to Wall
Director for Groupe Camus. “Obviously, Street’s Bernstein Research.
SUCCESS TRICKLING UP
“You can see the growth has been made
mainly by the brand leaders,” acknowl-
edges Bertrand Verduzier, International
Business Director, Cognac Frapin, but
he sees a halo effect: “More interest into
what’s inside the bottle, more interest
in how it is made, where it comes from
and what’s behind the production—that’s
where we find interest.”
As he suggests, Americans are starting
to look for education and to trade up; ac-
cording to the Distilled Spirits Council,
the combined Brandy and Cognac catego-
ries accounted for about 16% of the indus-
try’s value growth in 2017.
According to Patrick Raguenaud,
President of the producers’ association

BNIC, the U.S. market continued to
be strong in 2018, with total volumes
shipped up about 7% over the 12-month
period ending October 2018. “Consump-
tion is trending up with a faster growth
of aged categories (+13.4%) compared to
young categories (+4.2%). We are seeing
in the U.S. market the arrival of a genera-
tion of consumers interested in authentic
spirits, a generation that favors the know-
how and the expression of the terroirs.
This generation is interested in under-
standing and learning.”
Consumer interest in Cognac has
never been stronger and the growth in the
category reflects this, says Stephanie Kang,
Director, Cognac for Beam Suntory. “We’re
excited to see the future of this category,
because many trends within spirits have
not fully trickled down to Cognac to the
extent of other categories, like bourbon,”
says Kang. “More Millennial consumers
now view Cognac and other luxury spirits
as ‘approachable luxury,’ creating more
stable demand than luxury durables.”
STRENGTHS WITHIN THE CATEGORY
Beyond the luxury marketing and
nightclub scene that has long been
the brandy’s core, cocktail culture has
benefited Cognac as has consumer
demand for affordable luxury. The base
of consumers interested in Cognac has
broadened recently, says Hennessy’s
Senior Vice President for the U.S. Giles
Woodyer. “They are embracing the
category for its rich history. Cocktail
culture will remain a thriving area of
interest among millennials, and this will
play well to the strengths of Cognac,
highlighting the heritage as well as the
mixability of the spirit.”
For Guillaume Lamy, Vice President,
Americas, for Cognac Ferrand, the
Most Cognac sold in the U.S. is VS, which is
usually mixed; VSOP and XO, more apt for sipping,
are expected to gain share. Courvoisier’s trio of
age-designated Cognacs will be joined in 2019 by
a limited-time Sherry Cask offering—emblematic of
recent innovation in the category.
current trends are a payoff at just the
right time. “For 15 years or so we were
growing, mostly from the on-premise
and craft cocktail movement, and
as of today we are also doing a lot of
education with consumers.
ADDING SKUS, PUSHING LIMITS
Ferrand has continued tinkering with
their Renegade Barrel program, limited
annual releases with a twist. The first fin-
ished Cognac in Sauternes barrels, with
the second labeled an eau de vie de vin
“THERE IS STILL ROOM
FOR INNOVATION AT EVERY
STAGE OF THE PRODUCTION
PROCESS”
— NED DUGGAN, D’USSÉ COGNAC
MEET THE NEW XO:
10 YEARS OLD, UP FROM 6
Last year, the BNIC announced the first
major change in Cognac Age Designations
since 1983. As of April 1st, 2018, in order
for a Cognac to carry the designation XO
(Extra Old), its youngest eau-de-vie must
be at least 10 years old—as opposed to
the previous minimum of 6. (XOs already
on the market as of March 31st, 2018,
were grandfathered until March 31st
of this year.) The 6-year minimum will
continue to apply for Cognac designated
Napoléon, as will minimums for VS (2
years) and VSOP (4 years).
The change is not a surprise (producers
were alerted back in 2011); rather it is
designed to bring Cognac regulations more
in line with the market, where many XOs
already were exceeding 10-year minimum
age. Time will tell whether consumers feel
that they are getting more when they spend
more for the new-and-improved, officially-
older XOs.
aged in oak and chestnut barrels. The first
expression fell within Cognac rules, while
the latter does not. The limits of those
rigid rules are being explored by other
bottlers to escape the VS/VSOP/XO/up
ladder of age and price.
“We love the U.S. market because
people love to experiment,” says Ferrand’s
President, Alexandre Gabriel, who also
bottles a double reserve Cognac blend
of 7-10 and 20-year-old brandies finished
for a year in Banyuls casks. “We’re
reconnecting with old traditions that
the barrel-proof and high-end bourbon
consumer understands.”
Woodyer believes new ideas within
the category will drive Cognac into the
future, including offerings that change
the perceptions of what Cognac has
been, from higher proofs to changing
COGNAC
“MORE MILLENNIAL
CONSUMERS NOW VIEW
COGNAC AS ‘APPROACHABLE
LUXURY.’”
— STEPHANIE KANG, BEAM SUNTORY.
traditional flavors. Hennessy’s Master
Blender’s Selection series is an example.
Small producers are purposefully
diversifying their portfolios not unlike
Scotch and other high-end brown goods.
Frapin, for instance offers two distinct
XOs (Château Fontpinot and XO VIP),
as well as a bottling highlighting Grande
Champagne, and a cigar blend.
Emulating a technique applied to whiskey, Camus
“Caribbean Expedition” is produced from barrels of
four-year-old Cognac exposed to both oceanic motion
and tropical weather conditions as they sailed across the
Atlantic for six weeks from France to Barbados.
Classic Cognac cocktails include the Brandy Crusta
with its sugar-coated rim (example here by D’Ussé).
Cognac also works as a novel substitute, with
Courvoisier here replacing gin in a French 75.
Of course, Cognac has long been able
to produce releases from certain years,
estate or regions. One vintage-dated ex-
ample is Hine’s Domaines Hine Bonneuil
2008, the third expression in a collection
of single grand cru, single estate, single
harvest Cognacs.
Also just arriving: Camus XO Border-
ies Family Reserve, a single-estate Cognac
produced in the Borderies, the smallest in
the Cognac appellation, known for aro-
matic brandies. Camus also distinguishes
itself in the market by using small pot
stills and distilling on the lees in order to
extract maximum flavors.
Broadening the base at a time when
the category is surging and more con-
sumers are entering the category makes
perfect sense, especially as American
consumers are constantly looking to new
ways to enjoy their favorite tipple. “There
is still room for innovation at every stage
of the production process, says Ned Dug-
gan, Vice President, Brand Managing Di-
rector, D’Ussé Cognac. From the aging in
casks made of oak from different varietals
or origins, to finishing in casks that have
before contained other wine-based prod-
ucts, there are already a lot of options.” ■
BETTER BRANDY
GETS BIGGER
Cognac has company at the high
end. Its artisanal counterpoint
in France, Armagnac, also is
enjoying a trajectory similar to
Cognac. Vintage bottlings are a
sub-specialty in Armagnac, and
top producers like Château de
Laubade offer a range of distinct
aged expressions.
Heaven Hill, after upgrading their
Christian Brothers brand, in 2016
added 100-proof Sacred Bond to
the line, the world’s first bottled-
in-bond brandy, aimed to attract
bartender attention.
Gallo, of E&J Brandy renown, gained
an instant upper-tier foothold in
2017 with a double-move: buying
Ukiah-based Germain Robin,
California’s first luxury brandy
brand, and launching Argonaut,
a craft label with distinctive,
nicknamed brandies of varied
grapes and strengths.
Most recently, O’Neill Vintners &
Distillers teamed with bartender
Jeff Bell of PDT and sommelier
Thomas Pastuszak of The
NoMad to launch Bertoux,
another high-end brandy,
targeting cocktail culture.
 SPEAK EASY
THE ACCELERATOR
IN CONVERSATION WITH JEFF AGDERN,
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF NEW BRAND VENTURES,
PERNOD RICARD USA
BY KRISTEN BIELER
C
harged with identifying and incubating the growth brands of
tomorrow, Pernod Ricard’s Jeff Agdern spoke to us about how he
fosters entrepreneurship, the mezcal awakening and the uniqueness
of the American market.
ON MISSION &
MARKET APPROACH
BEVERAGE MEDIA GROUP: The New
Brand Ventures (NBV) division was
created in 2016. How do you operate
differently than other divisions at
Pernod Ricard?
JEFF AGDERN: Our mission is pretty
clear: We are looking to create the next
generation of growth brands for Pernod
Ricard in the U.S. Unlike other divi-
sions, we are purely an incubation and
acceleration division, and we have total
autonomy within Pernod Ricard to fig-
ure out how to unlock the brands in our
division at a trade and consumer level.
BMG: You consider most of your
brands to be craft spirits, but you do
not call NBV a craft division. Why?
JA: Our objective is to incubate and
accelerate, not to be the craft arm
of Pernod Ricard. It’s an important
distinction, because we have many craft
products in our main portfolio that aren’t
in NBV, like Longmorn. And we have
niche products within NBV like Monkey
47 Gin, which will never achieve massive
volume, but at $40 for a 375ml, it can be
a very serious value play for us.
BMG: Describe the somewhat
unconventional structure of your team.
JA: We’ve essentially created a network of
entrepreneurs inside our company. Each
brand has a business leader responsible
for strategy, resource allocation, program
development and execution, and that
person has total autonomy. It’s up to
them to test and explore ways to build the
brands they are working on.
When we have a brand that we be-
lieve is a very strong proposition, we de-
ploy a route-to-market SWAT team with
sales and key account managers through-
out the country. They are out there put-
ting energy and focus behind these brands
in cooperation with our wholesalers.
BMG: How have your distributors
adapted their route-to-market
strategy for NBV’s brands?
JA: It requires a mindset shift towards
hand-selling. Our distributors have be-
come much better at working with many
of the smaller, niche on- and off-premise
accounts—the large and chain accounts
are often not where these brands belong.
It’s amazing how our brands have taken
off at some of these specialized accounts:
As an example, at Pernod Ricard, we have
a 15 million-plus case portfolio and there
are certain retailers or restaurants where
Del Maguey is the number-one selling Per-
nod Ricard brand in that account. It really
makes a statement about that account.
ON BRANDS &
BRAND DEVELOPMENT
BMG: Half of your portfolio is
composed of brands pulled in from
the greater Pernod Ricard portfolio.
How do you determine which ones
are a good fit for NBV?
JA: We have many brands at Pernod Ri-
card that are underleveraged. Plymouth
Gin is a great example of a brand we never
had the bandwidth to really develop. We
are taking that love bartenders have for it
and translating it to consumers. As more
people come into the gin category they are
discovering Plymouth, and gravitating to
its more citrus-forward taste profile. Ab-
erlour is another example; it’s a fantastic
single malt, but kept getting pushed lower
and lower on the list of company priorities.
So, we are looking for brands in our portfo-
lio with real potential that just lack focus.
BMG: NBV’s other brands were
created by outside entrepreneurs
that Pernod Ricard has partnered
with. How has that worked?
 A CONVERSATION WITH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

JA: We look for small businesses that

have figured out what they are about and
want a partner that can help them accel-
erate. We want entrepreneurs who have
had regional success and want to move to
a national stage. We also feel very strong-
ly that brands need a sense of place; it’s
why Del Maguey and Smooth Ambler
have been so successful for us.
Our goal is to maintain what is great
about the brand while adding any missing
components. For Smooth Ambler, for ex-
ample, we went to West Virginia and tri-
pled the distillation capacity and brought
in operations expertise from Hiram Walk-
er. Yet Smooth Ambler remains the same
small, quaint, craft distillery, which is part
of its magic. Even when we have a major-
ity ownership stake, we cede management
control back to the entrepreneurs who
created the business. It’s critical for each
brand to retain its personality and vision.
BMG: Del Maguey is one of your
most exciting brands right now. Is it
your involvement or the category?
JA: It’s a combination: Mezcal grew al-
most 150% last year. The explosion of te-
quila has opened the door for mezcal, but
I also believe the growth in single malt
Scotch and high-end bourbon helped. To-
day’s premium spirits consumer is looking
for flavor and new experiences. Del Ma-
guey, led by its entry-level offering Vida,
is the market leader. No other brand offers
the variety and quality that Del Maguey
does, with 15 different variants from nine
different villages. It’s more than 75% on-
premise, so it’s been built as a bartenders’
brand, but retailers are starting to recog-
nize the opportunity too, and are building
their mezcal sections.
“The explosion of tequila has opened
the door for mezcal, but I also believe
the growth in single malt Scotch and
high-end bourbon helped.”
recognized it’s better suited in our general
portfolio as a complimentary brand. We
also thought we could accelerate Lot 40,
our 100% rye Canadian whisky. It’s fan-
tastic, but we discovered that in today’s
market, Rye is synonymous with Ameri-
can Rye and it wasn’t catching on.
BMG: You have been successful in
reigniting Lillet. What strategy worked?
JA: We completely switched Lillet away
from being a cocktail modifier to being the
base of a cocktail. Lillet makes a fantastic
spritz, which is a growing category, and
we have been focusing on some warmer-
weather markets. Lillet Rosé is growing at
400%; we can’t keep it in stock.
ON INNOVATION &
THE FUTURE
BMG: Now that the word is out about
NBV, you must field many calls from
entrepreneurs looking to partner
with Pernod Ricard.
JA: We do. I think our business develop-
ment team may have talked to 700 people
last year. We get a lot of inbound traffic
for sure, but I like to go into stores in local
markets, talk to store owners and discover
brands that I’ve never heard of before.
They could be the next exciting rum or
whisky of tomorrow.
BMG: Pernod Ricard has declared the
U.S. its priority market. Why do you
believe the American market is more
open to innovation compared to
more traditional European markets?
JA: First, the trade is always willing to
give something a try in the U.S. market.
The retail environment here—with so
many strong independents, as opposed to
Europe’s supermarket-dominated market-
place—really promotes innovation.
Second, I’d venture to say that Ameri-
can consumers drink across far more cat-
egories than European drinkers. Espe-
cially today’s younger consumer. Just look
at Scotch: There used to be a very linear
progression, with consumers starting with
blended Scotch, then graduating to sin-
gle malt and then exploring island malts.
Today, you can have a 24-year-old dive
straight in to peaty, iodine-flavored single
malt from Islay. The American willingness
to experiment really fuels innovation. ■

BMG: Have you removed any brands

that proved to be a wrong fit?

JA: Yes, we dropped two last year. We

had high hopes for Suze, a bitter French
liqueur. It’s a very historic brand in France
and bartenders love it in White Negro-
nis. We tested it in a number of ways, but
 Ming River features
elegant, international
packaging. Trader’s
Treasure cocktail by
Shannon Mustipher
(Glady’s, Brooklyn)

STARTING SOMEWHERE
The International Wine and Spirits Com-
petition (IWSC) tagged baijiu as one of
their key drinks trends for 2019, noting
that the Western world is “starting to
come around to [its] ‘polarizing flavor.’”

$100 BILLION WORTH

“Polarizing” may seem generous to
some. There are a lot of flavors on the bai-
jiu tasting spectrum, from the approach-

OF OBSCURITY
ably mild (relatively speaking) to the
aggressively intense. A particular baijiu
would fall into one of four basic styles:

 Light aroma (or fragrance) is charac-

WILL 2019 FINALLY BE BAIJIU’S BREAKOUT YEAR? terized by light body and subtle floral
notes.
BY JEFF CIOLETTI  Rice aroma is distilled primarily from
rice—vs. sorghum, wheat and other
grains common in the other styles;

W
hile said to be the world’s
most consumed spirit,
China’s baijiu has yet to
conquer the U.S. market
in any meaningful way.
“Seven years ago there
was almost no baijiu in the U.S. market,”
notes Derek Sandhaus, author of a book
on the spirit and now a partner in the
Ming River Baijiu brand. “But in that re-
ally short period of time, both awareness
of baijiu as a category and receptiveness
from both bartenders and consumers have
increased dramatically.”
Though clear like vodka, baijiu (bái-
jiú / by-joe) is unmistakably unique;
and its alcohol by volume can range
from 40-60%. When educating,
Sandhaus stresses that baijiu is a cat-
egory of drinks, rather than a specific
drink: “Baijiu can be many different
things, with different ingredients
and different styles.”
The most significant surge in aware-
ness has occurred in the past three years,
according to Yuan Liu, Senior VP of
Business Development for CNS Imports.
“More distributors and retailers are getting
involved with this category,” Liu says. “We
see this as a natural development of baijiu
outside of the Chinese communities.”
China still accounts for about 99.6%
of baijiu’s global consumption, accord-
ing to Euromonitor, representing more
than $100 billion in sales. Ming River,
launched in early 2018 as a partnership
between American and European entre-
preneurs and the Sichuan
distillery Luzhou Laojiao,
joins the likes of top sell-
er Kweichow Moutai,
Guotai and the Diageo-
backed Shui Jing Fang.
It’s priced more moder-
ately than most brands;
many top $100.
it has a light, vodka-like body, with
floral and honey notes.
 Strong aroma has pronounced body,
tropical fruit (especially pineapple)
and hints of pepper and anise.
 Sauce aroma, as it sounds, is reminis-
cent of soy sauce and rich in umami
with mushroom notes.
American consumers are most likely
to discover baijiu in cocktail form, but
both Liu and Sandhaus note that mix-
ing baijiu can demand a lot of trial and
error. Intense tropical fruit elements of
strong aroma baijiu, for instance, makes
it ideal in tiki cocktails, says
Sandhaus, while sauce aroma
baijiu plays well in “wintry,
spirit-heavy,” even dessert-
like drinks. “There isn’t a
well defined idea of how you
mix it yet,” he contends.
“I discover new things that
work with it every day.” ■
 BRAND PROFILE
WASHINGTON MAGIC
KOMODO DRAGON OFFERS CROWD APPEAL & COMPLEXITY
BY KRISTEN BIELER
P
erhaps the best thing about be-
ing a winemaker in Washing-
ton State, according to Joshua
Maloney, is the ability to craft
wines that are both serious and substantial
while also being deliciously easy to drink.
It’s exactly this sweet spot in style
that Maloney, the winemaker for Bronco
Wine Company’s 585 Northwest portfo-
lio, is aiming for with Komodo Dragon,
a red blend he has been producing for
four years.
A combination Cabernet, Syrah
and Merlot that changes every vintage,
Komodo is “friendly, fun and easy to
love,” describes Maloney, yet a wine
that “a sophisticated wine consumer
will also recognize as high-quality, with
good structure and really thoughtful
winemaking behind it.”
Maloney made wine in many diverse
regions before deciding to “plant a flag” in
Washington State. “There are pioneering,
While Komodo Dragon carries a Columbia Valley
appellation, most of its fruit comes from the Wahluke
Slope, one of the driest and warmest wine regions in
the state. Established in 2006 as an AVA, Wahluke
Slope lies entirely within the Columbia Valley.
“Few places can
achieve the mid-
palate density that
Washington wine can,
particularly at lower
price points.”
– Winemaker Joshua Maloney
innovative things I can do here that
would be cost-prohibitive in California,
for example,” he explains. And no
other region has Washington’s enviable
confluence of terroir components that
enables great wine to be made at affordable
price points.
Lab tests reveal that Washington
grapes have more tannin and color than
those from most other regions in the
world; yet the key is that these tannins are
ripe and soft. Maloney gives credit for the
tannin development to the abundance
of sunlight during the growing season.
With only six to eight inches of rain a
year, Washington wine regions never get
excess water, which gives growers a level
of control over irrigation that few places
in the world enjoy.
Pieces Come Together
While none of these single factors are
exclusive to Washington, having them
collectively is unique, Maloney attests.
And in turn, he believes the wines express
a uniqueness: “What I love most about
Washington wines in general is the mid-
palate density they possess. Many places
Komodo Dragon is packed with spiced plum and
black cherry flavors; present tannins add depth and
structure. “I maintain this is a ridiculous price for this
wine,” says Maloney. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
and Syrah; SRP: $19.
can produce wines with front and back
palate texture, but few can achieve the
mid-palate density that Washington can,
particularly at lower price points.”
Komodo Dragon’s label lists Columbia
Valley as its AVA, but roughly 85% of its
fruit hails specifically from the Wahluke
Slope, one of the warmer spots in the state
with self-draining sandy soils and cooling
breezes. “Grapes here produce wines with
abundant fruit character and full but
softened tannins,” describes Maloney. His
insights on vineyard sites across the region
came from his time with Ste. Michelle
Wine Estates. It’s also where he learned
to craft wines that could combine serious
winemaking with serious enjoyability.
“A lot of winemakers get lost in the
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY BY WASHINGTONWINE.ORG
esoteric; they forget that people need to
drink these wines at the end of the day,”
says Maloney. “My goal with Komodo
Dragon is a wine that can be consumed
every day after work, alongside burgers
and pizza, yet has a clear sense of place
and is still relevant to the experienced
wine consumer. For under $20. It would
be really difficult to create a wine like this
any other place than Washington.” ■
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY BY WASHINGTONWINE.ORG
 BRAND PROFILE
IRISH ON THE UP & UP
WITH TWO PREMIUM BRANDS,
WALSH WHISKEY DISTILLERY OFFERS
QUALITY AND AUTHENTICITY IN IRISH SECTOR
BY W. R. TISH
I
mpressive as Irish whiskey in the
U.S. has been—sales here grew over
400% from 2005 to 2015, according
to IWSR—the real excitement
may lie just ahead. While recent success
has been powered by a handful of big
brands, premiumization is transforming
the landscape, and new brands and
independent distilleries are angling for the
growing slice of the growing brown-goods
pie. Among the relative newcomers,
Walsh Whiskey Distillery is primed for
success with two lines: The Irishman and
Writers’ Tears.
Alejandro Mercado, Trade Marketing
Manager of the U.S. for Walsh, sums up
the situation in one word: opportunity.
Acknowledging that Jameson in particular
led the Irish revival and reestablished
mass-market appreciation for the
smoothness of Irish whiskies,
Mercado notes, “We are not
chasing the bigger brands.
We are aiming at the
prestige level, where you see
a lot of Scotches, but maybe
a handful of Irish whiskies.
There is room, and we have the
production values to belong there.”
Triple-distilled in the Irish tradition,
both Walsh lines stand apart from their
peers by emphasizing pot-still and single
malt in their production—no grain. And,
as Mercado points out, The Irishman and
Writers’ Tears are both rooted in real
people and a real estate.
Power Couple
Having launched their business in
1999, husband and wife Bernard and
Rosemary Walsh were well ahead of the
Irish whiskey curve. In fact, their actual
distilling operations followed success
bottling small-batch Irish coffee and
cream liqueurs. Smartly, in 2006 they
signed a long-term supply agreement with
Irish Distillers to secure Irish whiskey
stocks to their specifications. This enabled
them to start developing their portfolio
while their production facility at the 18th-
century Royal Oak estate, in the heart of
barley-growing country, was being built.
Royal Oak officially opened in 2016, but
The Irishman debuted in 2007, followed
by Writers’ Tears two years later.
Rosemary and Bernard Walsh at their new production
facility, which opened in 2016 at their 18th century
estate, Royal Oak.
Both
The Irishman
and Writers’ Tears
emphasize pot-still and
single malt in
The signature SKU, The Irishman
production
—no grain. Founders Reserve, is a blend of two
styles, single malt (70%) and single
pot still (30%), making it the only Irish
blended whiskey to contain 100% whis-
key distillates from copper pot stills and
0% grain or column still whiskey. It has
been followed by The Irishman Cask
Strength and Single Malt.
Writers Tears Copper Pot, first
distributed in the U.S. in 2015, taps more
deeply into Irish culture, with its backstory
of 19th century Irish novelists, poets and
playwrights (George Bernard Shaw, Oscar
Wilde, W.B. Yeats, and James Joyce, to
name but a few) drawing inspiration from
their favorite whiskey at local pubs. Made
from a unique old Irish pot still whiskey
recipe, this vatting of single malt (60%)
and single pot still (40%) whiskies (again,
no grain) earned accolades including the
top rating for Irish whiskey in Jim Murray’s
Whiskey Bible.
The brands are now in 45 countries
and marketed nationwide in the U.S.
through Disaronno Intl. USA. Moreover,
“People are starting to ask for more Irish
options,” says Mercado. Looking ahead,
the Irish food board Bord Bia estimates
that Irish whiskey exports will double in
volume by 2020 compared to 2015. As
this growth continues to trend upward
in value as well, both The Irishman and
Writers’ Tears are poised to deliver. n
 e w r
Som aint.i t e .
Some p whiskey.
We make
Triple distilled. Premium irish Whiskey. www.walshwhiskey.com
Please Drink Responsibly.
 INDUSTRY TREND
VERDE / BIANCO / ROSSO
ITALY EMERGES AS A GLOBAL LEADER IN THE SUSTAINABLE WINE MOVEMENT
BY JIM CLARKE
W
hen assessing progress in the
wine industry, the typical
approach is to look back, to
see how things evolved from
the past to present. A subtle but important
shift in that pattern involves the increased
importance of sustainability—and how, as
suppliers increasingly aim to think and
be “green,” their focus is as much on the
future as the past.
Today, Italian regions and producers
are taking bold steps to redefine what
sustainability looks like in both vineyards
and wineries, addressing new challenges
and finding innovative solutions to ensure
that Italian wine will thrive responsibly
for centuries to come.
While American wineries are certainly
more eco-conscious than ever, like many
industry trends, Europe’s “green” wine
wave is significantly ahead. In fact, three
countries represent approximately 90%
of the world’s organic vineyards. “Italy is
the leading country in Europe for organic
vineyards,” says Matilde Poggi, President
of the Italian Federation of Independent
Winegrowers (FIVI). “About 17% of the
vineyards in Italy are organic. Countries
like Spain and France are around 10
or 11%.” Italy’s 17% doesn’t include
vineyards under conversion to organic,
a three-year process. According to the
Italian Ministry of Agriculture, organic
vineyard acreage today is double what it
was in 2012.
The Commission also points out
that many Italian winegrowers follow
organic principles but forgo certification,
either because of the cost or lack of time;
the bureaucratic hoops that need to be
Bees in vineyards mean more wildflowers, which
entice “good” predators that naturally combat
damaging vine pests.
jumped through, either within Italy or, for
exports, with the FDA, can be too much
trouble for small farmers and wineries.
“There’s an inherent naturalness
to farming in Italy,” says Italian Trade
Commissioner Maurizio Forte, “by virtue
of having a climate with more hours of
sunlight, good air circulation, and over-
all ideal conditions for healthy grapes.
We are also fortunate to have hundreds
of indigenous grape varieties that have
had hundreds if not thousands of years to
adapt to their environment. I would be re-
miss not to point out that many wineries
pursue sustainability not only in the vine-
yards but in all phases of winemaking.”
IMAGES PROVIDED BY ITALIAN TRADE AGENCY
IMAGES PROVIDED BY ITALIAN TRADE AGENCY
SUSTAINABILITY:
A BIGGER PICTURE
While organics and natural winemaking
tend to focus on the vineyards and what
goes into the product, sustainability
is in some respects less stringent, but
overall more holistic, encompassing wine
production but also ecological concerns at
the local and global level, plus labor and
social concerns.

“We can’t deny that the problem of
sustainability must include all the things
related to energy consumption, greenhouse
gas emissions, and water management,”
says Michele Manelli, a Board member for
the Equalitas certification program, “but
that has to be all along our value chain,
not just what we do in the field.”
Organics, for example, is not con-
cerned with a winery’s carbon footprint,
but limiting or offsetting greenhouse gases
plays a substantial role in sustainability.
So, too, does worker welfare, and even
the welfare of neighbors, looking at how
vineyard and winery practices might have
repercussions for the surrounding commu-
nity. Water use, respect of local traditions
and archaeological heritage, limiting pes-
ticide use—all of these factors are taken
under consideration.
And, as with organics, Italy is
committed to leading the way in
sustainability. The Italian Ministry for
the Environment, Land, and Sea created
IMAGES PROVIDED BY ITALIAN TRADE AGENCY
IMAGES PROVIDED BY ITALIAN TRADE AGENCY
a certification program, VIVA, in 2011; it
divides these elements up into Air, Water,
Vineyards, and Territory. Federdoc, the
National Confederation of Consorzi for
all wine appellations in Italy, created the
aforementioned Equalitas program after
cooperating on a 2014 research report,
making it a concrete example of Italian
winemakers coming together despite their
diverse wine offerings and opinions.
Left: Negroamaro grapes ripening in the Puglia region.
Right: Terraced vineyards in Alto Adige.
MAKING NATURAL
OFFICIAL
W ith organic vineyard work so
prevalent in Italy, it should come
as no surprise that Italy also has a
large number of so-called natural
wines. While generally this has been
a loosely-defined category, Italy is
actually home to the first organization
to create a set of statutes for
members, VinNatur.
Founded in 2006, the organization
today has 170 members in nine
different countries, but three-quarters
of the membership remains Italian.
Aside from creating a set of guidelines
as to what constitutes natural wine
production, VinNatur uses funds
generated by tastings to conduct
research that will aid member wineries,
who by-and-large would not be able
to afford conducting similar research
individually.
“Big agro-pharma companies
have done similar studies in the past,”
says VinNatur representative Emma
Bentley, “but when the resulting
recommendation is for a product made
and commercialized by the sponsoring
body, it’s not as independent or
trustworthy as we would like.”
Addressing all these points calls for
a variety of approaches. Some wineries
install solar energy panels; others
are improving the efficiency of their
irrigation systems, or reducing the weight
of their bottles to reduce shipping costs
and carbon emissions. As a report in
the Annals of Agrarian Science put it:
“Sustainable wine growing reaches from
the vineyard to the bottom shelf in the
supermarket.”
REGIONAL EFFORT,
FROM THE ALPS TO SICILY
Climate also impacts the specific
adjustments. “In northern Italy it can
rain a lot,” says agronomist Marco Tonni
of the SATA Agronomic Studio, “and
this means you must manage the grasses
growing inside the vineyard, because
it improves the soil’s capacity to bear
the machinery. It’s also very good for
biodiversity, for the roots, for the carbon
footprint because the grasses capture
CO2 and transform it into organic
substances and sequester it in the soil.”
These improvements do not come at a
cost to wine quality, either: “Grasses are
also a way to improve the quality of the
wine because you have lower humidity
in the air, a lower problem of fungi and
botrytis, and better quality of grapes.
They mature earlier and the vines are
not too vigorous.”
 Sustainability
embraces
architecture as well;
this gravity-fed winery
has bubble skylights
to amplify natural
sunlight.

Regional sustainability efforts, like to rediscovering the ways of the past.

SOStain, developed by some of the
most well-known wineries in Sicily,
are working together with the national
organizations to innovate and adapt
ideas to local growing conditions. Water
management is more pressing there than
in the north, for example. Meanwhile, in
diverse areas, the Casa Clima project is
helping wineries themselves become more
sustainable, working with bioconstruction
materials, renewable energy, and climate-
friendly construction techniques.
Modern techniques are penetrating
even the most established of Italy’s wine
regions. Chianti Classico Consorzio
President Giovanni Manetti says the push
there dates back to “Chianti Classico
“Sustainability has to
be all along our value
chain, not just what
we do in the field.”
– Michele Manelli, Equalitas
2000” with a research project begun in the
late 1980s. Today, 30% of Chianti Classico
is certified organic, and 35% of their
members reported using alternative energy
sources such as solar power or biomass.
It’s easy to talk about modern
techniques, but really, a lot of the work,
especially in the vineyard, amounts
“We have a 16th century book from an
agronomist,” says Tonni, “advising a
noble on how to work in agriculture.
It’s incredible. There are many things
very similar to what [EU scientists] say
today. There is an incredible quantity of
information that we have from our work
today that’s very similar to 500 years ago.
It’s very beautiful.”
Whatever approach each winery or
each region takes, modern solar panels
or ancient vineyard practices, the Italian
wine industry has taken the values of
sustainability to heart. And amidst the
nation’s famous diversity, they are unified
in wanting their vineyards to prosper into
the future. ■

CERTIFICATIONS AT A GLANCE
The two leading sustainability certification programs in Italy take slightly different approaches while targeting quite similar goals.

VIVA
VIVA was developed in 2011, with the support
of the Italian Ministry for the Environment,
Land and Sea. The program breaks down their
indicators into four categories; for participants,
each is validated biennially by a third party.
Air: Focuses on minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
Water: Evaluates the consumption of fresh water as well as polluted
water generated.
Vineyards: Conducts research on the use of pesticides, including their
effects on the soils, bodies of water, and biodiversity.
Territory: Gauges the impact on the surrounding area, e.g.,
socioeconomic factors, the landscape, traffic from visitors and
tourism.
EQUALITAS
Equalitas was created by Federdoc, the
Italian national confederation of wine
appellation consortiums. They approach
sustainability in three areas of “practices.”
Manufacturing Practices: Including both
vineyard and cellar; this covers everything from soil handling, irrigation
and chemical use to bottling and winery sanitation.
Economic Practices: Monitors practices related to executive
functioning, employee management (turnover, advancement plans,
etc.), and supplier relations.
Social Practices: This branch is devoted to ensuring worker rights,
access to training, and non-discrimination practices. Outside of the
winery and vineyards, it also includes surveying the local community
over concerns and potential conflicts.
 n

HAWAIIBEVGUIDE.COM FEBRUARY 2019 HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE A-1