Dive Summary:
- Straight American whiskey is currently experiencing a growth rate similar vodka, the largest spirit category in the U.S., with a total production volume increase of 5.2% in 2012 compared to vodka's 5.8%.
- The high demand is becoming particularly hard for smaller distilleries to handle, with Sazerac Company's Buffalo Trace Distillery warning of a coming bourbon shortage that could leave Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare and Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve temporarily missing from shelves.
- Beam Inc.'s Knob Creek is also experiencing a shortage, and the company made headlines earlier this year when a now-reversed decision to reduce Maker's Mark bourbon's alcohol content to stretch supplies and meet demand created customer dissent and spiked sales.
From the article:
... "Bourbon whiskey consumption has been on a roll, and Kentucky’s bourbon distilleries are struggling to keep up with demand," reads a company press release, warning that products like Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare may be missing from shelves for a short period.
Kris Comstock, a bourbon marketing director for the distillery, stressed that the announcement was not a "scare tactic ... We always want to be upfront with our fans." Another brand owned by Sazerac, Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve, has also become a scarce commodity of late. ...
