American spirits maker Sazerac plans to introduce more brands of bourbon whisky to India, which is considered a priority market due to its large whisky consumption and growing trend of premiumisation.
India is a priority market, continue to bring bourbons – Sazerac
The company looks at India as an “opportunity market” because of its growth potential and increasing disposable income.
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“We do expect to continue to invest. India, for us, is a priority market. You will see year in and year out, we will continue to bring in more of our award-winning bourbons from Buffalo Trace distillery to India,” said Diego Bianchi, General Manager Emerging Markets & Barrel Select at Sazerac Company.
Meanwhile, the company has introduced Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from its Buffalo Trace Distillery, the oldest continuously operating distillery in the US. Bianchi said that there is a shift in consumer preference to quality, in which Weller fits that profile that the consumers are looking for. “The other interesting fact is that you have a lot more consumers coming into the category, mainly female. And Weller is a perfect whiskey for female consumers because it is softer with a smooth and complex taste profile,” he added.
Sazerac owns John Distilleries ltd, plans expansion
Sazerac owns a stake in Bengaluru-based liquor maker John Distilleries Ltd, owner of the popular single malt whiskey Paul John. Bianchi said that the relationship with Paul John distilleries is an important one. “With their expertise in the market, John distillate provides a tremendous value for Sazerac, both from a growth on Indian whiskey, but also on the Bourbon front.”
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Furthermore, Sazerac has been investing in JPL since 2017 after it acquired a minority stake. The company launched Weller in the Mumbai market and has plans to quickly expand in big markets such as Haryana, Goa, Karnataka, and Delhi. John Distillery is going to be the key partner in this expansion.
In India, the high-end premium whisky market is still dominated by scotch whisky. However, Vijay Kauthekar, Executive Vice President at John Distilleries, said that premium consumers do not stick to one category. “If you look at the last couple of years, every world whisky is growing in India, in spite of that, scotch is well-dominated. Every international whiskey which is coming from India is growing at a fascinating speed. So that shows that premiumisation is very well accepted,” Kauthekar said.
