小眾龍舌蘭酒品牌的走紅之道
????然而,能夠成功的高端龍舌蘭酒品牌數(shù)量也許相當(dāng)有限。食品飲料行業(yè)研究機(jī)構(gòu)Technomic的數(shù)據(jù)顯示,龍舌蘭酒的銷量一直處于溫和增長(zhǎng)狀態(tài)——2011和2012年分別為6.4%和3.8%,稍高于烈性酒行業(yè)3.2%的增幅,但低于伏特加(5.8%)和威士忌的增長(zhǎng)速度,而伏特加和威士忌的增長(zhǎng)則一直伴隨著層出不窮的新口味。 ????雖然我們不應(yīng)認(rèn)為很快就會(huì)出現(xiàn)花生果醬口味的龍舌蘭酒,但許多新的高端龍舌蘭酒品牌已經(jīng)開(kāi)始在口味上做文章,以便和其他龍舌蘭酒區(qū)別開(kāi)來(lái)。一旦局限于杯口沾鹽的小酒杯和加了碎冰的瑪格麗塔酒,龍舌蘭酒釀造者的任務(wù)就是讓飲酒者感到更純粹、更濃郁、更強(qiáng)烈——簡(jiǎn)而言之就是更美妙。 ????霍金的DeLeón龍舌蘭酒讓這種純粹感倍增。這種酒不含化學(xué)成分(許多龍舌蘭酒都加了焦糖或其他化學(xué)物質(zhì),以改變口味或甜度),完全以藍(lán)色龍舌蘭草為原料?;艚鹫f(shuō)用來(lái)釀酒的是墨西哥最純凈的水。其他釀酒廠都用抽水機(jī)抽水,霍金說(shuō)他的釀酒廠則直接從當(dāng)?shù)氐娜谔烊蝗壑幸?。釀造時(shí),霍金的龍舌蘭酒只蒸餾兩次。他相信消費(fèi)者受到了其他品牌的誤導(dǎo),進(jìn)而認(rèn)為三次、四次或五次蒸餾意味著質(zhì)量更高,但實(shí)際情況正好相反,霍金說(shuō):“那樣做只會(huì)讓龍舌蘭酒失掉它的味道,更像是把酒精吞下肚。”蒸餾后,霍金會(huì)把龍舌蘭酒放在老葡萄酒桶里陳化。由于每只酒桶的釀酒年份不一樣,這樣做會(huì)讓每桶龍舌蘭酒都有一種只屬于自己的煙熏風(fēng)味。 ????由此釀造而成的DeLeón龍舌蘭酒已經(jīng)享譽(yù)釀酒界。2010和2011年,在瑞士舉辦的世界飲品大賽(World Beverage Competition)將DeLeón龍舌蘭酒評(píng)為頂級(jí)烈性酒。奢侈品評(píng)論網(wǎng)站Robb Report把陳年DeLeón龍舌蘭酒稱為“哈利斯科高原出產(chǎn)的最非凡的陳年酒之一”。(霍金也承諾說(shuō),通宵暢飲他的龍舌蘭酒后,人們?cè)谛褋?lái)時(shí)會(huì)“感覺(jué)良好”,而且還能照常去健身;此外,將其他較差的龍舌蘭酒一飲而盡后,飲酒者的整張臉都會(huì)縮成一團(tuán),但DeLeón龍舌蘭酒則不會(huì)這樣。) ????但DeLeón龍舌蘭酒的最與眾不同之處可能是“克制”,人們通常不會(huì)把這一點(diǎn)和龍舌蘭酒聯(lián)系在一起。霍金不僅拒絕了《明星伙伴》的邀請(qǐng),原因是擔(dān)心這樣做會(huì)讓他的品牌成為一個(gè)噱頭(道格?埃林曾對(duì)本刊表示:“把一個(gè)品牌交給創(chuàng)意人士,而且還要讓(別人)為所欲為,這是很難邁出的一步”),他還把自己的經(jīng)營(yíng)策略定為從小規(guī)模開(kāi)始,逐步緩慢增長(zhǎng)。他希望借此讓這個(gè)高端品牌長(zhǎng)期延續(xù)下去。 ????霍金對(duì)本刊記者說(shuō):“在釀酒行業(yè),標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的發(fā)展計(jì)劃是大批量生產(chǎn),盡可能地銷售并設(shè)法創(chuàng)出品牌。我們則真的嚴(yán)格保持小批量生產(chǎn),把重點(diǎn)放在品牌上。如果沒(méi)有貨真價(jià)實(shí)的東西,抱著打造高端產(chǎn)品的信念進(jìn)入釀酒行業(yè)是一件非常嚇人的事?!?/p> |
????But there may be a limit to how many premium tequila brands can succeed. Sales of tequila have increased moderately -- 6.4% in 2011, 3.8% in 2012 according to Technomic, a food and beverage research company -- at a rate that slightly outpaces the spirits industry (3.2%), but which trails behind those of vodka (5.8%) and whiskey, categories that have grown with the proliferation of flavor-infused products. ????While you shouldn't expect PB&J-infused tequila soon, many of the new premium tequila brands have played with the flavor in an effort to set their tequilas apart. Once confined to salt-rimmed shot glasses and slushy margaritas, tequila-makers are on a mission to make the drinking experience purer, richer, stronger -- in short, fancier. ????With DeLeón, Hocking is doubling down on purity. The tequila contains no chemicals (many add caramel or other chemicals for flavor and sweetness) and is made from 100% blue weber agave. It is distilled with what Hocking claims is the purest water in Mexico. While other distilleries pump in their water, Hocking says his tequila draws its supply directly from three natural spring wells located on the DeLeón land. He distills the tequila only twice -- brands have fooled consumers, he believes, into thinking that three, four, or five times distilled means higher quality, but in fact it's the opposite: "That's just stripping it down and you're moving toward rubbing alcohol," he says. DeLeón then ages its tequila in old wine barrels, a method that gives the spirit a smoky flavor unique to the particular barrel's vintage. ????The resulting product has earned DeLeón high marks from the spirit industry. In 2010 and 2011 it was recognized as a top spirit at the World Beverage Competition in Switzerland, while the Robb Report, a luxury review site, called DeLeón's a?ejo (aged) variety "one of the most extraordinary a?ejos to come out of the Jalisco highlands." (Hocking also promises you'll wake up "feeling good" and gym-ready after a night of partying with his tequila; and do none of the puckered-up grimacing that usually follows a shot of other, lesser tequilas.) ????But where DeLeón has perhaps most distinguished itself is a property you don't often associate with tequila: restraint. Hocking didn't just turn down Entourage, which he feared would turn his brand into a gimmick (And Doug Ellin tells Fortune, "It's a hard leap for a brand to hand over to creative and let [someone else] do whatever they want with it"), he has also charted his business strategy to start small and grow slowly, a combination that he hopes will keep his premium brand around in the long term. ????"The textbook plan in alcohol is to put out a ton of cases and see how much you can sell and if you can make a mark," Hocking tells Fortune. "But we kept it really tight, small production, focused on the brand. Entering this business with something that's supposed to be high-end is a very scary proposition if you don't have the goods to back it up." |