June 9th, 2025: Cachaça production and other news
Cachaça labels and producers growth, Karuizawa Distillers' new distillery, Brown-Forman, Cognac industry news, Indian whisky consumers, collectors and more...
Good morning from Padua, Italy.
Remember I said Monday mornings are never too good for news? That is because few things happen on the weekends. However, today I probably have my longest Monday morning press review ever. It is mostly news from last Friday and I don’t know where to start from.
Here is my decision:
The number of cachaça producers increased in 2024
More than 1,200 new cachaças and 49 new producer were registered in Brasil in 2024. Here is news by Saulo Tafarelo on CNN Brasil:
Brasil registra aumento no número de cachaças e de produtores da bebida
This growth probably followed the 2023 export record, but last year’s export volumes actually dropped by 22,7%.
You can find some interesting details in the article, including the link to the Anuario da Cachaça 2025, with in depth data about the industry. I’m pasting the direct link here for you (“exportação” at page 27).
New openings
Karuizawa Distillers announced opening of Furaliss distillery in 2028
After its foundation in 2019, Karuizawa Distillers opened its first distillery, Komoro, in 2023. The new project, Furaliss distillery, has just been announced and the plan is to open in 2028 in Furano City, Hokkaido. You can read the details in Shay Waterworth’s article on Drinks International
Performances and production
Brown-Forman faces tough months ahead
Many newspapers are writing about Brown-Forman recent sales performances. The most accurate article I found is probably by Dean Best on Just Drinks, you can read it here, if you are interested in the company’s situation:
Five things to learn – Brown-Forman shares slide after FY results
What is going on in the Cognac industry
Cognac is not having its best moment, as we already read last week (June 2nd press review here) and here are some (not very happy) updates from leading brands:
Crise du cognac : plan social chez Courvoisier, 27 emplois menacés à Jarnac
(by Olivier Sarazin on Sudouest.ft)
(by Alexandre Abellan on Vitisphere)
Consumers
Knowing the new generation of Indian whisky consumers
Digital interaction, authentic experiences and storytelling seem to become crucial features for the new generations of whisky consumers in India. An article by Swati Chaturvedi on the Indian online newspaper News18 gives us a portrait of Millennials and Gen Z discovering whisky in the country:
Whisky 2.0: How Digital Touchpoints Are Shaping the Tastes of Young Consumers
This is good to know for the British producers, after the recent UK-India agreement (you can refresh your memory here). On this topic, I would like to recall the excellent reading by Commercial Spirits Intelligence about what the agreement really means.
This is one of my favorite blogs here on Substack. Martin Purvis and Duncan Mcfadzean are doing a great job sharing data about whisky and whiskey (I’m a paying subscriber and I still have some discounted gift subscriptions to give. If you are interested, just send me a direct message).
Acquisitions (and it is not about distilleries or brands this time!)
WGSN takes IWSR
International Wine and Spirits Research (IWRS), one of the most well known data provider operating in the drinks industry, has come under new ownership: the global trend forecasting company WGSN.
The news is reported by Global Drinks Intel:
I just hope that nothing will change in the release of their periodical reports ;)
About collecting, a curious reading on Forbes
The owner of the oldest known bottles of whisky, rum, cognac, and armagnac
Mark Littler wrote a nice article on Forbes about Mr Nguyen Dinh Tuan Viet:
He Owned The World’s Oldest Rum And Cognac. But One Bottle Was Missing
Mr Viet is a Vietnamese collector with a special love for the oldest spirits on earth (and Guinness records). He has just added the oldest complete bottle of Scotch to his collection, which already includes a 1696 Cognac by Jules Robin and a 1772 Rhum Ancienne Année.
That is even older than the famous Harewood House rum opened in London by Suckhinder Singh a few years ago (here is an article by Matt Pietrek on Cocktail Wonk about the tasting. Hi Matt!).
I found Lirrler’s article a nice dive into the collectors preferences and interests.
I guess that’s all for today, see you on Wednesday!