In 1985, Linda Steiger started at Luxco as a part-time employee, and by 1987, she had been brought on as a full-time member of the Luxco family. She worked in the shop for a month before being transitioned over to the Rework department, where she would take care of numerous tasks including exporting orders, fixing anything that was broken around the shop, and most recently, hand-labeling and packaging all of the Blood Oath bottles individually.
Spirits competitions are held all over the world to recognize the best spirits in the game, and it seems that everywhere Luxco takes its brands, they come home adorned with awards. This year has told the same tried and true story as years past, with some of Luxco’s staple brands earning some of the most prestigious awards in the world.
Every spring and fall the Hielan group holds the Hielan Southeast General Manager’s Conference, recognizing significant players in their company’s operations and treating them to a nice weekend away from home. For the second year in a row, Luxco was named one of Hielan’s Vendors of the Year.
With bourbon projected to remain one the fastest growing liquor categories for years to come, the timing was perfect to give the Ezra Brooks® family a packaging update. The package update brings this bourbon’s adventurous spirit to life by offering a crafted look and feel that justifies the genuine sour mash bourbon and the fine ingredients it’s made with. As the bourbon that has always been the chosen whiskey for those with a rugged spirit and a taste for adventure, Ezra Brooks® brings new packaging to the table that reflects the values for which it stands. New labels and corked bottles with matte-finish closures will provide the Ezra Brooks® brand with the upscale look it deserves.
For decades, David Nicholson® was primarily only available in Missouri and Illinois, and had no variants of the flagship brand, 1843®. This year marks a shift in the winds for this historical brand with updated packaging, its first ever website, and an all new variety being added to the brand family, David Nicholson® Reserve.
Pearl® is making big moves in 2016 to reposition itself as the hometown hero of vodkas. As of early June, the entire metro St. Louis area has become blanketed with all new advertising and marketing materials, from billboards, to bus shelters, to on premise print materials, to custom t-shirts … the list goes on and on. This new marketing approach aims to inform the local consumer that Pearl® Vodka is a St. Louis-owned company, consequently gaining traction with the local vodka drinker and making Pearl® the hometown hero of the vodka category.
This year marks an exciting time for the Rebel Yell® brand. Not only has Rebel Yell® debuted two brand new flavors and created a limited edition label for the Sturgis® Motorcycle Rally™, they’re also soaring in sales and consumer engagement, and pushing the envelope with next-level sweepstakes that engage enthusiasts across vastly different industries.
Following a packaging update in 2014, there is a renewed energy around Exotico® tequila, and that energy is evident in the numbers. Having experienced triple-digit growth year over year, Exotico® has been chosen as a focus brand for Luxco in 2016, which will increase its case volume by almost 200% compared to last year. Having narrowed the brand’s market focus for a more measurable impact, Exotico® has chosen Chicago, Denver, and Dallas as its key markets for 2016.
Rebel Yell® is proud to introduce two new flavors to the brand’s portfolio with the introduction of Rebel Yell® Ginger Whiskey and Rebel Yell® Root Beer Whiskey. Bottled at 70 proof, Rebel Yell® Ginger and Root Beer Whiskies hit the market in April and May of 2016 respectively, offering an opportunity to gain attention from new millennial drinkers and continue the brand’s explosive sales growth with two new varieties in distribution.
Luxco’s latest acquisition is no ordinary liquor brand. VEEV® Spirits, formerly a Los Angeles-based company, was purchased in March from its founders Courtney and Carter Reum. VEEV® offers an all-natural product lineup including VEEV® Spirit, a 70 proof vodka alternative, and VitaFrute Cocktails by VEEV®, the first line of certified organic ready-to-drink cocktails.
Wearing hard hats and holding shovels, Donn, Michele, and I were able to represent our Luxco team and join this distinguished group in breaking ground on the property, marking the official launch of this exciting new venture for Luxco. We were pleased to be able to share this special moment with our colleagues in the bourbon industry as well.
