How can you sell something that is intangible? What does it mean to taste “liquid gold”? Alcohol is a sensory experience, much like perfumes. The first is that tastes are subjective and unique to each consumer. Next, it’s difficult to describe flavour profiles accurately on paper. For decades, luxury alcohol brands have sold based on prestige and their own brand’s centuries-old premium heritage. With the rise of competing brands — each with its own manufacturing excellence and a shifting demographic of alcohol consumers — brands have to adapt to fit into the lifestyle of their new modern consumers.
Take Royal Salute as an example. Royal Salute launched a series of cocktails to target a new group of alcohol consumers, like Generation Z or Millennials. These drinkers prefer a sweet tipple rather than hard liquor.
Create an Experience
Part of creating a holistic experience includes educating the consumer and creative collaborations that highlight the brand’s offering — from exclusive decanters to fashionable motifs.
Paying homage to French art de vivre through the country’s most prestigious châteaux, Maison Martell unveiled the L’Or de Jean Martell – Réserve du Château de Chanteloup. Martell created an exquisite crystal decanter in collaboration with Maison Baccarat. Maison Martell and Maison Baccarat hone in on their brand’s French luxury and craftsmanship to deliver a combination of richness and French refinement. For a complete sensorial experience, Martell then brought guests to the L’Or de Jean Martell’s cellar where guests were privy to the aging process in barrels crafted from 300-year-old oak, sourced from France’s most ancient forests.
Royal Salute, on the other, has expanded into fashion, partnering with celebrated British designer Richard Quinn to create the Royal Salute 21 Year-Old Richard Quinn Edition II, a limited edition. The collaboration is the marriage between fashion creativity and luxury Scotch whiskey blending. It makes it a truly collectible bottle.
The bespoke blend of rich fruity notes, elevated with hints of spice and gentle smoky characteristics is then housed in Royal Salute’s signature flagon, which has been adorned with three striking designs by Richard Quinn, each showcasing the designer’s characteristic bold style and love of colliding patterns. Collaborations between renowned designers and maisons can create a creative synergy, which in turn increases the sales of the brand as well as the alcohol.
Cocktails Craze
Royal Salute’s website has branched out to include a comprehensive how-to guide on cocktail-making that inclusive of recipes and ingredients. This includes everything from the Jubilee Fizz — a celebratory Champagne cocktail with delicate notes of British elderflower, lemon and peach to The Platinum Punch —a twist on the classic English punch with Lillet rosé, cooled rosehip tea and raspberry syrup.
The Macallan’s new cocktail range pays homage to classic flavours while embracing new contemporary twists. The Old-Fashioned mirrors the simplicity, elegance and timelessness qualities of The Macallan and doesn’t compromise on the label’s quality and exceptional whisky making. The Boulevardier represents elegance, refinement and innovative flavours.
It is also worth noting that brands like The Macallan, Royal Salute and Martell are usually consumed during high-end celebrations but are now incorporated as part of food pairings and highball cocktails.
Read more: Craft Cocktails Refine the Art of Mixology
Food Pairings
Whisky is being marketed as a savory dish accompaniment. Martell Noblige’s Lunar New Year offering saw its rich and complex flavours pair well with light appetizers such as smoked salmon, bruschetta, or crostini with mild toppings to complement the cognac without overwhelming its taste. Luxury alcohol brands that offer curated food-pairing experiences differentiate themselves from their competitors by creating a unique, new selling proposition. Luxury alcohol brands can also capitalise on an increasing interest in culinary experiences and elevated gastronomy. Food pairings and alcohol tastings can be part of a sensory experience that involves multiple senses. These include taste, smell and sight.
Read more: Celebrate the Lunar new year with these auspicious drinks
The conclusion of the article is:
While consumer preferences have changed, alcohol branding is still the same. It’s just the way that brands market their products has evolved. Mixing spirits and preparing cocktails was once considered blasphemy by spirit purists. But now, it is a necessity as brands strive to differentiate themselves from their competition and cater to the needs of the modern consumer.
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