I've always been a fan of the K&L Spirits Journal blog which gives a unique insight into the retail market as well as some general philosophizing on the booze industry.
Lately though, K&L Northern California spirits buyer David Driscoll has taken it to a new level. When presented with price hikes for some whiskey brands, he dramatically lowered prices on others brands from the same company to the consternation of the distributor and other retailers. Check out these great posts and then peruse the rest of the blog.
- David Driscoll says he will fight the price hikes by lowering prices on other prominent whiskeys;
- How the spirits companies react; and
- The Market Reacts.
For extra bonus fun, read about how I totally punked K&L when David was visiting the Los Angeles store.
Agreed, one of the best things to read if you have any interest in the spirits business.
ReplyDeleteGood Stuff.
ReplyDeleteSKU, it would have been great if you had taken Ken Tanaka with you as your co-punker. KT could have demanded only the "best" Japanese malts. You could have demanded the top American selections and a fake brawl (regarding which one Jim (Murray) considers the absolute best) could have followed.
ReplyDeleteAnd you might have mentioned to DD that you think Kilchoman Machir Bay sucks and isn't authentic enough for you (while you're holding a bottle of JD or Jose Cuervo) and that you much prefer Diageo products in general. Maybe that should wait for the Boiling Point episode though.
I read it every day (and it usually is updated that frequently or even sooner). David provides a refreshing insider perspective that has been invaluable in my whiskey journey.
ReplyDelete