Casamigos Sales Down 20%

So Diageo recently announced that the sales of one of their marquee tequila brands is down 20% year over year. We had heard rumblings that some of the more traditional tequila brands have been struggling over the last year or two, but 20% is crazy!

We talked recently about a Jose Cuervo campaign that they launched to fight back against people saying their tequila tasted like sh*t "(**cough cough** “Lui”). We hypothesized that it could be because they were finally feeling the pressures of the additive-free movement and people wanting better tequila since the market is now full of high quality, well made, delicious tequilas.

The fact that Casamigos is taking a huge hit in sales only seems to further confirm this notion. We also heard from people in the industry that Diageo also fired their whole Casamigos sales team, which is sad, because we don’t revel in people losing their jobs.

This same article also mentions that despite claims to the contrary, Don Julio actually saw an increase in sales of 3% year over year. So whether this truly signifies that the additive-free movement is totally totally to blame, or if its purely a product of Casamigos losing its status as the “it” brand, remains to be seen. We like to think it’s probably more of people getting hip to the idea that there are better options out there worth your hard-earned money. Either way, 20% is still a huge number and can’t be ignored!

Our Takeaway: We are in a weird time in the spirits and alcohol world. Lots of change, transition, and people becoming much more conscious of what they are drinking—if they are drinking at all! So many great brands are getting the attention they deserve due to social media, so the traditional “big guys” aren’t able to control the markets like they used to. I think a lot more brands like Casamigos, even outside of the tequila category, will need to adapt or die.

Don’t Freeze Your Spirits!

in case you missed it, Lui recently posted a video urging people to please, please, please, STOP putting your spirits in the freezer! 

Truthfully, I’m sure all of us have been guilty of doing this at some point in our lives—and for good reason at times (that $13 bottle of gin can’t possibly be drank unless it’s colder than ice, right?).

But the real truth is, if you care at all about the flavor or intended experience of the spirit you’re about to consume, putting your bottle in the freezer is one of the easiest ways to ruin that experience.

First and foremost, freezing temperatures mute all of the delicate flavors and aromas of most spirits. When you’re consuming a spirit, most people want to experience all of the flavor profiles and complexities that the spirit’s ingredients offer. In higher quality spirits or ones that have been made with high attention to detail and carefully considered ingredients, it’s even more important to not mute those defining characteristic. Simply put, keeping your spirit at room or just below room temp allows you to fully appreciate the distiller's artistry and expression of the spirit.

If compromising taste wasn’t enough of a reason to stop freezing your precious bottles, there are other reasons as well. For one, ice cold spirits have a thicker viscosity, making them harder to pour and measure out, not to mention messing with the intended viscosity changes the overall intended mouthfeel of the spirit. Lastly, freezing your bottle can also end up damaging your bottle—and who wants to do that?

If you think that freezing a bottle of tequila, gin, or vodka is ultimately going to preserve or keep your spirit fresher for your next sip, then we are here to tell you that it does not make a difference whatsoever, as long as you are storing your bottle safely.

To preserve your spirits' quality, follow these storage tips:

• Store spirits in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight and heat.

• Keep them in their original bottles with tight-fitting corks or caps.

• Consider using a liquor cabinet for optimal storage conditions.

While most spirits benefit from room temperature storage, there are exceptions:

• Liqueurs and cream-based liquors should be refrigerated after opening to prevent spoilage.

So, next time you're reaching for that bottle of tequila, skip the freezer and let the spirit shine on its own—unless it's a particularly poor quality spirit you'd rather not taste, then feel free to freeze away!

Coolest Video we saw this week:

Julianna McIntosh, better known as @Join_Jules posted this incredible Cantaloupe & Nectarine sour and we thought it was an incredible take on the sour-styled cocktail.

Jules also recently launched her own cocktail book, which I have been really enjoying reading through. There are some really awesome concepts broken down very eloquently and she makes some drinks incredibly approachable— even for folks who don’t have the most experience with cocktails.

Love the book and think you guys should check it out!

In Other News:

• Is it a Batanga or a Charro Negro? Lucas Assis breaks down the difference.

• There was a pretty scary and gnarly explosion at the Jose Cuervo distillery, the images were not pretty and very scary.

• People are apparently upset that there’s no alcohol being allowed at Sporting Events at the Olympics.