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William Grant & Sons Bar Week event

Each year as part of Sydney Bar Week, William Grant & Sons Australia hosts a huge event to showcase its brands and assets.

This year the immersive evening was held at Cruise Bar, Circular Quay, with brand and ambassador teams revealing how William Grant & Sons is evolving its on-premise activity to meet the ever-changing needs of the Australian consumer.

Highlights included 16 Monkey Shoulder ambassadors from across the globe helping to launch the giant Monkey Cocktail Mixer truck, the Sailor Jerry Airstream with live tattoos, the Hendrick’s Airstream and The Glenfiddich double decker whisky bus.

The team presented findings from Hive Research, which show spirits are growing twice as fast as total liquor, with $124million growth annually. Meanwhile, premium spirits are growing twice as fast as total spirits, with $94 million growth annually

Malt whisky, gin and premium blends are responsible for 80% of growth in the $60+ RRP category.

And 54% of Australian spirits growth in the last MAT was driven by innovation, with half of that growth from gin category.

The research also identified five key on-premise trends for the next 12 months:

  1. Ice theatre – think stamped cubes and unique shapes.
  2. Draught cocktails – the new wave of cocktails on tap offer speedy delivery without compromising quality.
  3. Cocktail simplicity – cocktail menus are moving towards fewer choices and less ingredients, with 45% of consumers believing it is important to have less choice to make life easier.
  4. Elevated garnish – looks matter as much as taste, with 18-35 year olds spending five whole days a year browsing food and drink images on Instagram.
  5. Sustainability – plastic straws were just the beginning – 65% of people agree that a company can take specific actions that both increase profits and improve the economic and social conditions in the communities where it operates.

Here’s a gallery of photos from the amazing night: