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Stand by your dram(Off Licence News Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) It is the fortifying drink of the Iron Ladyii and was famously supped by Madonna on a film seti - for an increasing number of women, a whisky tasting is the de rigueur way to spend an evening. It seems whisky and women are no longer chalk and cheese. The cigar and slippers image of Scotch ihas already been given a facelift over the ipast few years, with the industry spending considerable sums attracting i25 to 35-year-old drinkers. And with good reason. Although Scotch iretains one of the biggest chunks of the UK spirits market, accounting for some 35 per cent of total sales (valued at around AGBP2.5 billion), it is in overall decline. According to the latest Nielsen figures, off-trade sales of blended whisky have fallen by 2 per cent and, despite a buoyant Christmas, malt whisky sales have stayed static. But Nielsen figures also indicate that the number of women drinking malts is growing - almost a quarter of Scotch drinkers in the UK are female - and the industry is beginning to switch on to female interest in Scotland's national drink. Ian Macleod Distillers has made no bones about wanting to "shake off the old-fashioned image of Scotch whisky" and its brashest brand, Smokehead, iiheavily targetis younger drinkers. The distillery irecently teamed up with mixologists at Cargo Bar in Edinburgh to develop a range of Smokehead cocktails aimed at womeni. iThe bar's mixologist James Sutherland believes customers are moving further away from just drinking white spiritsi: "This new drive has included a large number of women drinkers who appreciate the delicate and varied flavours of whiskyi." The Famous Grouse has also heavily promoted its use in cocktails. "The single biggest challenge facing the whisky industry right now is long-term new user recruitment," says Emma Heath, marketing manager for whiskies at Maxxium UK, idistributori of The Famous Grouse. "The opportunity to broaden appeal to women is something we are very interested ini," she continues. In the ipink iWhisky liqueurs have also been big news. The Scottish Liqueur Company recently relaunched its Columba Cream, in an effort to become Scotland's answer to Baileys. But perhaps the most controversial attempt to woo female drinkers has been made by the Edrington Group - which produces Famous Grouse, Highland Park and Macallan. Late last year it rippled the water in whisky purists' glasses by iputting ia new liqueur - Amber - on trial in the US. Specifically targeted at upmarket female drinkers, the liqueur is a mix of iuber-traditional single malt Macallan with flavours of maple and pecan. Becky Brock, global innovations manager at Macallan, says iit simply saw a good opportunity. "Just because you have heritage and history doesn' mean you have to stop trying out new things," she says. "We wanted to broaden our footprint and bring ithe Macallan brand to customers who wouldn' normally drink whisky." Though it's too early to say how Amber will be received, or when it might be available in the UK, one Scottish company has already released a product aimed squarely at the female market. Strawberry Kiss, the flagship product of the Edinburgh-based Leith Liqueur Company, has caused something of a stir since its official launch in 2006, not least because of its lurid ipink colour. The liqueuri - created by Norman Brown, who has some 25 years in the drinks trade including a stint at Thresher, and John Smith, a former master blender at Glenmorangiei - mingles fresh strawberries with single malt whisky. "It seemed natural, given the colour, that we aimed it towards womeni," says Brown. "The industry is stuck in its ways and slow to developi, it needs young companies like ours to come along and shake it up a bit. Women increasingly have the spending power, so it's important the industry doesn' ignore them." That said, Brown has been keen not to distance himself too far from the Scotch whisky cradle and sought the opinion of some 40 iexperts, including Glenmorangie's master distiller Dr Bill Lumsden. According to Brown, of those iwho tried Strawberry Kiss, all of them liked it. "We certainly didn' set out to upset the industryii. Our experience meant they took us more seriously," he says. The smokiy, peaty ones And it seems you don' have to sell a shocking pink whisky or creamy liqueur to appeal to women either. Sarah Bottomely, who handles the marketing for Glengoyne Distillery and, incidentally, is one of a growing band of women working at high levels within the Scotch whisky industry, says it's naiive to assume women will always go for lighter whiskiesi: "Glengoyne whiskies lend themselves to women because they are light and aromatic, but in my experience women enjoy a range of whiskies just like meni." Annabel Meikle, whisky taster at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, agreesi: "You don' need maple syrup and ribbons to attract women to whisky, ias with newcomers to any drink it just needs the fear factor taken out of iti.i In my experience women have a more discerning palate than most men and will go for a Laphroaig over a light, young whisky. "The key is not to alienate but also not to actively pander to women. Retailers need to make female customers feel comfortable about asking for whisky, and show them that there is no right or wrong way to drink it. Above all, you can no longer assume that a woman who enters your shop is buying whisky for her grandfather, father or husband." Copyright 2007 Off Licence News. Source: Financial Times Information Limited - Europe Intelligence Wire. |