Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/306378
80 / the tasting panel / may 2014 L uxury is not purely defined by the mere possession of cool stuff. Rather, it is properly characterized by the feelings that manifest when you are in the presence of excellence. It is the charge of sheer joy as you open a bottle of Champagne steeped in romance and history; It is the mood that is created by sinking into a high- backed leather chair amidst swirling jazz notes while savoring a glass of whisky that tastes precisely as it did when your father or your father's father enjoyed it a few decades prior; It is the sense of calm that overtakes you while lounging by a pool with a high-end vodka cocktail in your grasp. Luxury is about elevation. These are the kinds of luxurious moments effortlessly created by the labels in Pernod Ricard's Prestige Brands portfolio. The products in the collection themselves showcase the company's dedication to delivering luxury through various liquid channels. Some of the labels in the portfolio— such as Chivas, The Glenlivet and Perrier-Jouët's Belle Époque —come fully equipped with a sense of old- school refinement; others, such as Absolut ELYX, are perfect for those who like their extravagance a little more cutting-edge. "There is a level of excellence that ties all of the brands together," states Justin Kleineider, CS, CSW, Prestige Lifestyle Manager at Pernod Ricard USA. "That excellence allows for the portfolio to achieve a sense of luxury organically, and ultimately acts as an extension of what Pernod Ricard stands for." This commitment to approaching luxury at different angles is also reflective of the relationships these brands enjoy with their high-end hotel accounts, from historic icons like The Beverly Hills Hotel and the Langham Huntington in Pasadena, to sleek, mod- ern digs like the Peninsula Beverly Hills and the Mandarin Oriental on the Las Vegas Strip. "All of our hotel accounts define luxury in their own way, even within their own property," explains Fiona Canning, who, like Kleineider, is a Prestige Lifestyle Manager for Pernod Ricard USA. "And a lot of what makes the brands in the Prestige portfolio so great is the different connotations on luxury that each bottle carries. They can weave into the fabric of luxury of the accounts they are in perfectly, PHOTO: CAL BINGHAM Fiona Canning, photographed at Beverly Hills' SLS Hotel, is a Los Angeles area Prestige Lifestyle Manager, Pernod Ricard USA. Legacy brands like The Glenlivet are an integral part of the Prestige Brands portfo- lio and act as a counterpoint to sleek and stylish newcomers such as Absolut ELYX. PHOTO: JEREMY BALL TP0514_072-101.indd 80 4/24/14 11:00 PM