Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/116044
W elcome to the Artisanal Group, a new sales division within the Southern Wine and Spirits portfolio specially created to meet an emerging demand in the marketplace for authentic craft and small batch spirits. The brands and products in this book are quite unique: All have all been made with passion, and many hail from family-owned microdistilleries that have embraced "grain-to-bottle" approaches to produce their spirits. They commonly use organic ingredients, employ innovative distillation techniques and accentuate the importance of terroir. They are challenging and changing the face of our industry one sip at a time. All too often, such brands of quality go unnoticed, lacking advocates in the market. The brainchild of Jack Brennan, a titan of the California wine and spirits trade, the SWS Artisanal Group was established to shine a spotlight on such special spirits. We hope that the Artisanal Group will give these brands an opportunity to share their stories with an audience of craft spirit purveyors who can, in turn, present them with intelligence and finesse to their discerning consumers. The products in this portfolio are represented by a new breed of specialists steeped in the craft spirits culture and mixology trade. These guides are equipped to assist their customers in everything from bar service and product selection to the development of profitable drinks programs. We believe we've put together an outstanding product portfolio. Yet we recognize that our work has just begun, which is why we invite you, our customers, to help us improve the selection: Please let us know if you see any omissions in our product selection that we might address as we seek new and interesting additions to the catalog. Thank you for your patronage as we pursue this new endeavor dedicated to the showcasing of small batch and craft spirits. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Steve Mabry and Tim Hirota VPs of the Artisanal Group of California 2