The Tasting Panel magazine

july 2009 / the tasting panel / 33 up and look for older and more complex whiskies— something scotch drinks are wont to do. Additionally, there's been a noticeable bump in sales for the core 12 Year Old expression of The Glenlivet, which Repp attri- butes to the current economic climate: "We're benefi tting from trade-down from other brands. The consumer is coming down to trusted favorite in The Glenlivet brand name." According to Dopkins, "We're tracking up 16 per- cent this year, which is huge in this crazy environment." On a newer note, Pernod Ricard recently introduced sexy Beefeater 24, a super-premium line extension to the venerable Beefeater brand that revivifi es the category while tying directly into today's passion for classic cock- tails. The superbly conceived packaging makes a striking statement on the bar. The Tough Get Going With current economic conditions seeing fewer con- sumers spending less money at restaurants and bars, the on-premise market has been under pressure. But Pernod Ricard has answered the call with renewed commitment to its on-premise presence. "There's no doubt it's been a challenging time," admits Steve Walkerwicz. "But the one thing that's been really encouraging for us is that we have remained steadfast in our commitment to stay focused on the on-premise chan- nel. We have more resources going out now, for example, than we did a year ago." This includes an aggressive schedule of 5,000-plus man- aged bar nights nationwide, at which Pernod Ricard sam- ples up to a hundred customers per event on its brands, concentrating on Jameson and Malibu. Walkerwicz calls this "building awareness by creating a forum for trial," and feels that such objective tastings are important to keeping Pernod Ricard's products competitive. Pernod's ground-breaking BarSmarts bartender educa- tion and training program (see THE TASTING PANEL's June issue, p. 58), which was started in 2007, has made an impact on-premise. "With BarSmarts, we're bringing an objective resource to the fi eld," says Walkerwicz, "helping to build mixology skills." The theory is that what's good for bartenders is good for Pernod Ricard, now and down the line. "One of the cornerstones of BarSmarts is that it's crucial to have fresh ingredients," Walkerwicz continues, "so it's also crucial to have a premium spirit as a base. If that philosophy spreads, then we should benefi t, since we have a premium and super-premium portfolio." "We have twice as many managers as last year, whose sole responsibility is to drive the on-premise business in the U.S.," reports Walkerwicz. "It would be very easy to walk away from on-premise in the current environment. But Pernod Ricard knows that this is where brands are built and where brand health must be maintained." We'll drink to that! Pernod Ricard's spirits portfolio is just one side of the story. On the wine side of the aisle, Pernod Ricard brands include Brancott Estate from New Zealand, Jacob's Creek from Australia (see p.56) and Campo Viejo from Spain, as well as the highly-recognizable champagnes from Perrier-Jouët and G. H. Mumm and domestic sparklers from Mumm Napa. Lovely Perrier-Jouët Fleur de Champagne comes in both Brut and Rosé versions. Don't forget Wine

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