Speciality spirits: A shot in the arm
There are several names that pop up more than most when tackling the issue of responsible drinking. Shots, and the category's major brands, bear the brunt of naysayers' protests.
Along with the growth of cocktail culture, this is one of the major reasons for the category being in a period of consolidation after its early boom period. It is certainly an issue that the industry needs to address.
Shots' star shone very brightly following the massive success of After Shock, launched in 1997. Five years ago, the brand had a huge 52 per cent share of the shooters market, a dominance that it has since lost. In its wake trails a slew of rivals: Corky's, Sidekick, Jägermeister and Sourz are all garish brands designed specifically to be drunk in short form and targeted at younger drinkers.
The Publican's Brands Report reveals some interesting ebbs and flows in the shots category.
After Shock remains in the 61-70 bracket of the top 200 drinks brands. Another Maxxium-owned shot, Sourz, shows a steady rise from the 2006 Brands Report to the 111-120 bracket. Corky's can be found in the same division.
The brand owners are understandably keen to defend the reputation of this Portman Group-worrying category.
Janette Peat, brand manager for After Shock and Sourz, says: "Everyone these days is mindful of taking a responsible attitude. We consult the Portman Group heavily to ensure we are marketing in a responsible way.
"We have been criticised in the past, but going forward we are going to do whatever we can."
Andrew Bond, Corky's creative manager, adds: "Over the past two years we've taken the opportunity to totally review our promotional activities. We now spend more time promoting the personality of the product.
"We are a signatory to the Portman Group and are involved in the forums it undertakes. We agree that the industry needs to work together on not promoting bulk-buying of shots by an individual. We do a lot of research in the on-trade and there is a good indication that most people have taken this on board. I don't think another piece of legislation will improve the situation.
"The strongest movement on this will be from inside the industry."
Peat believes that there is still strong potential for shots, saying: "The shots category is still in growth. Our shots are as widely distributed now as they have ever been."
Evidence of this potential is the new range of After Shock flavours to be launched in September, specifically to target students at the start of the academic year.
There are a number of factors which could improve shots' image (see box), below. Firstly, there is a general shift to using them as a base for long drinks. Several recent initiatives aimed at creating a premium image, or promoting shots as a more of a social drinking format, also represent a move in the right direction.
Such moves will need to continue if shots are to shake off some of their less savoury associations.
Mixing it up and being sociable
- Corky's is about to launch its third Mixologists Handbook, which details ways to use the spirit in cocktails
- Sourz is promoting a serve with lemonade or cranberry, says brand manager Janette Peat.
- Jägermeister, likewise, is known for its -'Jägerbomb' long serve, a shot with Red Bull
- Maxxium has its 'Sourz Towers', units with a tap containing the titular spirit that can be brought to tables for groups of customers to share among themselves
- Jägermeister makes tap machines available to pubs. These hold three bottles of Jägermeister and filter the liquid through at minus 10 degrees: a techie solution for a spirit intended to be served as a chilled shot.
