Summit to accelerate strong Distell growth in Americas
The limited-edition travel retail-exclusive African Range explores the cultural diversity of Africa through collaborations designers and artists
Distell, the global drinks company, will use the Summit of the Americas in Orlando to build on momentum from a “hugely successful” 2018 in the region.
Growth across its portfolio has been driven by major initiatives and increased distribution with Dufry, DFASS, Duty Free Americas and International Shoppes for a number of its key focus brands – Amarula, Nederburg and Deanston.
Distell will exhibit at the Summit in partnership with its US distributor Alexander James (Booth number: 917).
Distell Global Travel Retail Managing Director, Luke Maga, said: “Our attendance at the 2019 Summit of the Americas follows several key new listings in the Americas region for our premium wine brand Nederburg and Deanston Highland Single Malt. We’re experiencing strong momentum in the region and look forward to building on this further together with our US distributor Alexander James.”
Amarula: Conservation and innovation
Amarula has gained significant traction in the Americas thanks to new product innovations Amarula Vanilla Spice and the limited-edition African Range.
Vanilla Spice, the new premium cream liqueur, is the first in a series of range extensions to Amarula and showcases a sleek, modern side of Africa, which has resonated well with consumers in the Americas.
Also paying homage to Amarula’s African roots is the limited-edition travel retail-exclusive African Range which explores the rich cultural diversity of Africa through collaborations designers and artists.
On the CSR front, elephant conservation remains a core focus for Amarula. In August last year, over €50,000 was raised for animal conservation charity WildlifeDirect through sales of special one-liter Amarula bottles in global travel retail.
Nederburg: Winning new consumers
Nederburg, the most-awarded wine brand in the Distell Premium Wines portfolio, has seen strong Americas travel retail growth powered by the recently extended Private Collection range.
Listed with Dufry at major locations in both Latin and North America – and soon to be listed with International Shoppes – the Private Collection is helping to drive awareness and attract new consumers to the South African wine category.
Three new wines – a dry, fruity rosé; a juicy, food-friendly Chenin blanc; and a full-bodied Pinotage – were added to the travel retail-exclusive Private Collection in 2018. These joined the Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc to create a range of six “ultra-premium” expressions, Distell said.
Deanston: Solid first-year performance
Introduced to US travel retail at the 2018 Summit of the Americas, Deanston Highland Single Malt has gained a strong foothold in the market, with availability at new locations, including New York JFK and Dallas Fort Worth.
The travel retail range comprises Deanston Virgin Oak, Deanston 15 Year Old, Deanston 18 Year Old and 10 Year Old Bordeaux Red Wine Cask Finish.
Recently rebranded to reflect its community roots and handcrafted identity, Deanston’s new look includes a bespoke bottle and capsule with etchings, that celebrate its rich history as a cotton mill at the heart of its community. The malt has a wooden cork featuring a recessed Deanston coin, which harks back to the days of the cotton mill, when this was used as currency in the village.
Deanston sits alongside Bunnahabhain – the popular Islay single malt – to form Distell’s single malt line-up.
