Welcome to the June edition of ‘bbb distilled’ newsletter. The weather in May might have been a bit of a mixed bag, but there were plenty of other reasons to smile.
New Launches – New Brands – Good press
May was the month we officially launched the delicious and unique Umami Gin from our friends at Audemus Spirits. Spirits Kiosk took the lead where we agreed an exclusive listing for the launch and the reaction so far to the gin has been amazing. The question is: can they make enough of it to keep up with demand? Umami managed to get some great press in the Metro and Bar Magazine – read all about it here.
We’re also very happy to announce that our new brand has arrived in our warehouse: VITA Vodka from Spain. VITA is an innovative vodka that is designed to be served with soda water aimed squarely at the calorie conscious consumer. It’s 100% on trend in terms of ‘wellness’ and concious drinking. It also opens up a slightly different consumer for us, at a sub £30 price point. We are already in discussions about some interesting opportunities in the on trade and we think that it’ll be a hit for the ‘at home’ consumer in the summer.
On top of VITA we have Tidal Rum hitting our warehouse next week. Tidal Rum was launched in 2019 and has been going from strength to strength since then. Tidal has a unique maritime link with sustianale ingredients that complements our portfolio. It’s a great addition to our growing selection of UK rums.
The on trade is back baby!
The on trade is back and it’s been really positive to see new listings rolling in. Our locally made Market Row Rum from Brixton, London has been doing well with listings agreed at: Pop Brixton, Rudies Jerk Shack, The Laundry, Shrub & Shutter, Sushi Revolution, Black Bear Burger and Namban Brixton to name but a few. If you are in Brixton do pop in for a Market Row cocktail!
Whilst things are not completely back to ‘normal’ we are seeing real interest in new products, an appetite for simple serves and people are wanting to engage. Hopefully, the final restrictions will be lifted in England on the 21st of June and our partners in the on trade will be able to operate in a more practical manner.
Retail continues to thrive
We’ve noticed a welcome uptick in interest and listings from online and physical retail too. Our sales of Manly through John Lewis continue to increase month on month, but it’s been great to see high quality independent retail chains such as Corks Of Cotham starting to list some of our portfolio.
No 44 launched on Spirits Kiosk with a fantastic offer of bespoke candles for every bottle sold and we welcome Dexter and Jones and Tastes of Britain as new partners listing bbb brands!
The Artisan Gin continues to make an impression and it gained listings with Specialty Drinks, Master of Malt and Gin to My Tonic in the past few weeks!
Thanks to all our valued retail partners for your continued support of our brands.
Imbibe Live!
As the economy continues its recovery and lockdown eases, we are very excited to see that trade shows are returning. The iconic Drinks Trade Show Imbibe Live will be back in September 2021 and we will be there on our very own bbb drinks stand showcasing (and tasting) our brands….. It will be great to be back at a proper physical show where we can see friends and colleagues face to face again. If you are a buyer, we’d love to see you there. You can register to attend here.
That’s all for this month. We will be back next month with a better tan and an unrestricted on trade!