SPI Group’s Stoli division came to Cannes with three major new product launches this year.
Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the creation of its famed Stolichnaya Vodka, Stoli Group launched a new limited edition 80th Anniversary vodka.
Debuting to the trade in Cannes, the Stolichnaya 80th Anniversary Vodka is being released in limited quantities and is presented with a unique bottle closure, a two-part front label printed on specially prepared craft paper and a unique presentation box.
The vodka includes a significant innovation, being made from wheat, rye and buckwheat, says Stoli CEO Hugues Pietrini.
The wheat delivers purity and drinkability, the rye adds a dimen-sion of taste and character and the buckwheat adds a level of creamy smoothness, he said.
The decision to launch Stolichnaya 80th Anniversary Vodka at TFWA World Exhibition reflects the importance of the channel to the brand.
“Travelers are continuing to treat airport shopping as an opportunity to ‘trade up’ and to try something new and unique. Travel retail is the perfect environment for limited editions such as Stolichnaya 80th Anniversary Vodka and TFWA World Exhibition the perfect platform to showcase this highly original collector’s item,” said Pietrini.
Stoli relaunches Stoli Gold with new packaging, recipe
Stoli Group also relaunched its Stoli Gold with a new packaging design and a new recipe.
The new Stoli Gold is intended to create greater brand awareness among super-premium vodka drinkers and reposition it as a status-led luxury brand in existing markets, while introducing the brand to new regions.
Originally conceived as Stolichnaya Cristall in 1989, the new expression features a taller and more elegant bespoke bottle shape with added neck and bottom glass embossing. It sports a metallic front label printed on both sides to reflect as a back label visible through the liquid (no back label) as well as textured label finishes.
The bottle has a cork cap and tamper evidence with metallic neck label, and a thick metal seal on the neck at the back side of the bottle.
The production process has also been upgraded with the raw liquid now produced from 100% Gubernator Dona winter wheat grown on a single estate.
Cenote Tequila joins Stoli Group portfolio
Stoli Group has also added a new super premium tequila – Cenote Tequila – to its growing spirits portfolio. Stoli Group will handle all distribution, sales and marketing for the brand, which is produced from 100% blue agave at Fabrica de Tequilos Finos in Jalisco, under the supervision of master distiller Arturo Fuentes.
The line, which will initially be available in Blanco, Reposado and Añejo expressions, is fermented in stainless steel columns before undergoing double pot distillation. Cenote Tequila Blanco mellows for three weeks before bottling. Cenote’s Añejo expression is aged in single-use American oak bourbon barrels, while the Reposado is aged in French oak casks.
“We see great potential for super-premium tequila – a category that has grown considerably within travel retail in recent years, as new and younger consumers have discovered and converted to sipping-grade tequilas. We are confident that Cenote Tequila will be an exciting new addition to our portfolio, and we look forward to introducing it to our customers in Cannes,” says Pietrini.
Cenote Tequila takes its name from the limestone cenotes that are scattered through Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, which were considered by the Mayans to be “windows to the underworlds.”
Cenote Tequila will be on shelves beginning in the first quarter of 2018.