Edrington is prioritizing cruise as a key aspect of its global travel retail business.
The parent company of The Macallan, Brugal Rum and Highland Park is focusing on providing cruise guests unique experiences and engagements that bring its premium portfolio of brands to life.
The company’s primary goal is to premiumize its portfolio available onboard cruise ships while targeting the top bars and restaurants on these ships with new launches for Brugal, Highland Park and The Macallan. In addition to this enriched portfolio of premium expressions, Edrington has also created a variety of interesting serving rituals and food pairing initiatives for the cruise sector.
“We are so excited about the growth of the luxury industry, both from the hoteliers that are entering the market, but also the existing cruise lines that are raising their games with celebrity chefs and really fine dining,” Anette Mourier, Global Cruise Manager, Edrington, tells TMI.
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Marriage of luxury and experience
In line with Edrington’s premiumization approach, The Macallan and Ritz-Carlton have partnered to offer passengers a luxury whisky experience– The Macallan Rituals – onboard the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Currently available onboard its new yacht Evrima, The Macallan Rituals deliver a sensorial experience, allowing passengers to explore a curated range of signature serves and prestige drams, available in cocktails, neat, or ‘On the Rock’.
The pinnacle of The Macallan Rituals is Rare Expressions, reserved for guests looking to explore some of The Macallan’s most precious whisky. These whiskies are served in Lalique glassware by bartenders wearing white gloves who enhance the experience by imprinting the guest’s initials on a leather coaster to commemorate the serve. The guest will also receive a custom card with details of the dram they enjoyed, creating a lasting keepsake.
Guests enjoying a Travelers’ Exclusives experience are offered the choice of taking their dram neat or on the rocks. The serve is delivered using the Diamond Jigger. Should the guest prefer their whisky on the rocks, a flawless ice ball is created in front of them using The Macallan ice ball maker.
For guests seeking to explore The Macallan across a number of different expressions The Macallan Whisky Journey gives them the opportunity to select three different drams from The Macallan Quest Collection. Created exclusively for Global Travel Retail, The Macallan Quest Collection features a quartet of whiskies – Quest, Lumina, Terra and Enigma.
The Macallan Rituals are brought to life through a bespoke bar cart from which servers can deliver engaging and entertaining interactions. The cart incorporates a unique Diamond Jigger feature, as well as The Macallan luxury ice ball maker.
“The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has a clear focus on helping its guests create lasting memories, something which has fueled our ambition to deliver the ultimate on-board whisky experience with The Macallan Rituals. Across our serving rituals we have sought to elevate the experience at every step, delivering our iconic single malt with a sense of theater and panache which allows guests to explore, enjoy and engage with The Macallan in memorable and intimate fashion,” says Mourier.
The Macallan Colour Collection
Since the beginning of 2024, The Macallan Colour Collection, a new range of age statement whiskies which celebrate the brand’s commitment to natural color and reflect the influence of sherry seasoning, has been rolled out in the cruise industry.
The GTR exclusive Colour Collection comprises five age statement single malt Scotch whiskies. From the gold oak of the Colour Collection 12 Years Old to the burnished chestnut of the Colour Collection 30 Years Old, the range spans the radiant tones of the whisky spectrum, to showcase the natural tones derived from maturation in The Macallan’s sherry seasoned oak casks.
The Macallan Colour Collection marks the return of age statement whiskies to The Macallan’s global travel retail offering.
The Collection also features a new visual identity inspired by the brand’s heritage and spiritual home, The Macallan Estate, and highlighting its intrinsic connection to nature.
Crafted predominantly from sherry American oak casks, the Colour Collection includes a subtle touch of European oak which the company says achieves a harmonious and beautifully balanced range of whiskies.
The Macallan Colour Collection is a collaboration with U.S. graphic designer David Carson, who took inspiration from Jerez, a land of historic vineyards and fine wines where The Macallan’s sherry seasoned oak casks are crafted.
With cruise lines being 90% on- premise, the return of age statements is key to success in the channel, according to Mourier. Increasingly, cruise consumers are requesting specific age statements such as the The Macallan 12 Year Old – something which is also welcomed by food and beverage directors, says Mourier.
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Connecting on-premise and retail
Andrés Brugal, Edrington’s most exclusive rum expression to date, is another ultra premium expression that the company has brought to cruise. Only 460 bottles of Andrés Brugal sipping rum are available worldwide, with 60 exclusively sold in the U.S., and 62 bottles earmarked for travel retail.
With a view to better connecting the retail and on-premise businesses, Edrington has introduced The Macallan Flight Experience to six cruise lines.
Hosted and led by the onboard sommelier or mixologist, the Flight Experience masterclass invites guests to learn about and savor several The Macallan expressions. The masterclass also educates guests on what makes The Macallan the most valuable single malt in the world while giving them an understanding of the Colour Collection and its progression of intensity, flavor and maturity. At the end of the masterclass, guests have the opportunity to purchase the collection instore.
Mourier says Edrington is extremely optimistic about the future of cruise, as both brands and cruise lines together raise and premiumize the guest experience.
“We are excited to see how the cruise industry is starting to lead the way in F&B with restaurants and mixology becoming increasingly sophisticated for both established cruise lines and new hotel groups.”
