Hamish Smith upicks the data from the American whiskey category of the CLASS Report.
Perhaps we’re not at the giddy, boozy heights of the twenty tens when a wave of bourbon washed through these shores, but American whiskey remains one of the big five spirits in the UK’s best bars. Some, but not all, of the fundamentals of its success have changed. Yes, stirred-down-and-brown isn’t quite as hot as it was, and Don Draper, well the same, but once you’ve had an Old Fashioned, a Whiskey Sour or a Manhattan, it’s not an experience easily undone. When you’ve had that measure of the good stuff slide up next to your beer, every subsequent bottle feels a little incomplete. American whiskey is bar whiskey, full stop.
But which brand do the best bars favour? Sazerac’s Buffalo Trace, said our sample, and by a little way. A quarter said the Hi-Spirits-distributed brand was their bestselling, with 40% suggesting the bourbon was among their top three. The flagship brand from the 200-year-old Buffalo Trace distillery has the all-round credentials – its liquid is rated and it’s competitive on price. As one respondent put it: “Buffalo Trace is the most popular shot. It’s our beer and bourbon deal and it’s the go-to for most bourbon classics.” That’s a lot of reasons.
The more oaky, high-end profile of Woodford Reserve has always been popular among the UK’s best bars, despite the brand being a little rung up the cost ladder. For some it’s a premium point of difference for their bar, for others it’s an upsell opportunity. Either way, it’s the choice in 15% of our sample of the UK’s Best Bars and a top-three choice in a third.
Maker’s Mark, with its wax seal and crinkle-cut label, remains one of the most recognisable bourbons in the UK. Price vs quality, it’s hard to beat too, and it’s vanilla-caramel profile makes it an archetype of the sweeter-rounder end of the market. Owned by Suntory Global Spirits and distributed in the UK through Edrington UK until next year, Maker’s Mark was found to be the number one bourbon in 11% of bars and, interestingly, it was one of the supporting cast in 35%.
Jack Daniel’s, a Tennessee, not bourbon, has chameleon qualities – it is both happy to sit among the other American whiskeys, but separates itself too by its bar call. It points to an interesting split in the bestselling stats – it is often the house, but not often the choice for American whiskey cocktails, such as the Old Fashioned or Whiskey Sour. Jack is the best seller in 8% and a top-three American whiskey serve in a quarter of those polled.
In fifth is Michter’s, for whom never cutting corners has become its angle. These production credentials bear out – bartenders love the stuff and in Speciality Brands it has a fitting UK home. 7% said it was their bestseller – mostly the hotel bars in our sample – but it’s a premium upsell in a further 12%. We almost didn’t need to ask bartenders which brand excites them most – the answer was always going to be Michter’s.
Whistlepig, similarly known for its quality, was another name that came up again and again.
Campari’s Wild Turkey, meanwhile, was the bestseller in 6% and part of the supporting set in a further 11% of cases, while the Spirit Cartel-distributed brand had the same number of house listings but was less likely to be the second or third choice. It’s a similar story for a third brand at this entry-level price point, the Heaven Hill-owned, Proof Drinks-distributed Evan Williams, which was a bestseller in 5% of our polled bars.
Its stablemate Rittenhouse is the only rye specialist in the list and therefore isn’t dominating the volume contracts – it is, however, the second-choice American whiskey in 10% of bars. Diageo’s Bulleit, meanwhile, seems not to have made much headway – only 9% of our bars counted it among their top-three American whiskies.