South Africa’s whisky trends on track with rest of world

The FNB Whisky Live Festival, which took place from 2 to 4 November 2011 in Cape Town and 9 to 11 November in Johannesburg, has once again cemented its reputation as being the largest, liveliest and most entertaining whisky event of its kind both in South Africa, and globally.

The event attracts large numbers of visitors and brands. Whisky writer Dave Broom called the festival “the benchmark for spirit shows globally, the innovator” and a show that “continuously smashes all barriers to entry into the whisky world, making whisky exciting, fun, youthful and sexy”.

According to the organisers, the ninth FNB Whisky Live Festival – which showcased more than 180 different whiskies – has lived up to its reputation. “Although this show has never been a numbers game and more about the quality of the experience, we are thrilled to report that nearly 18 000 visitors attended the festival. When you consider that many South Africans are feeling the financial pinch as a result of the economic downturn, this excellent turn out speaks volumes about the growing popularity that whisky is enjoying in South Africa,” says Karen Chaloner, co-organiser of the festival.

Since its launched in 2003, the FNB Whisky Live Festival has succeeded in breaking away from the conventional exhibition style show to showcase a fresh take on the world of whisky, and in doing so, constantly attracting newcomers to the festival and the whisky category as a whole.

“In our ongoing efforts to appeal to and make whisky more accessible to a wider audience, it’s encouraging to see that the number of younger attendees, festival newcomers and women has shown a marked increased across the different cultures that make up our country,” adds Sian Neubert, co-organiser of the festival.

“It’s not that younger adults and women never appreciated whisky and its heritage before – it is the initial taste before you discover your preferred flavour palate and the perceived rules like having to drink whisky in a tumbler, with only a few blocks of ice, which has provided the largest barrier. By throwing away the rule book, and showcasing the versatility of whisky, we have unlocked a fascination, passion and growing interest of this golden liquid amongst female and the 25-35 year old age group.”

Bernice Samuels, FNB’s chief marketing officer, adds: “Whisky is a drink to be enjoyed, and we were thrilled to see the diversity of guests and the general public who are keen to learn, see, taste and experience more. We have seen the appeal of whisky broadening significantly with each year of FNB’s sponsorship, as more and more South Africans seek out the premium lifestyle that whisky drinkers enjoy. We look forward to its continued growth in years to come.”

Another strong trend that emerged was that visitors displayed a more responsible approach to drinking, which was reflected by the increase in sales of the designated driver ticket – up 50% in Cape Town and 70% in Johannesburg.

“We’re delighted that visitors are coming in their numbers, and that they’re doing so responsibly. It’s clear that the festival offers a truly ‘edutaining’ experience, even for those who don’t take part in the tastings, but who come to enjoy the spectacle that’s on offer.”

The success of the FNB Whisky Live Festival can be largely attributed to the fact that it delivers an experience that is relevant, innovative, exciting, engaging, unintimidating and fun to the consumer.

“It’s extremely experiential – you get to see, taste, smell, experience the world of whisky in a sophisticated, eclectic mix of the whisky lifestyle. Each year we try to innovate and create new and exciting experiences for visitors and this year was no different,” Neubert adds.

“This year we introduced a number of new interactive zones including the Compass Box Art of Blending Zone, the Macallan Aroma Zone as well as new look Pick n Pay Canape and Whisky Tasting Zone, all of which made for a highly educational and interactive show allowing consumers to walk away enriched and inspired by the interaction with the whisky brands and a desire to learn more.”

Chaloner notes: “We are constantly inspired by the industry’s creativity and this year, the whisky brands have certainly not disappointed. The various brands on show desire to engage directly with their consumers on a more personal, intimate level and this saw an increase in unique tasting rooms – adding a new, innovative and exciting dimension to the festival.”

Aimee Kellen, Glenmorangie’s brand manager, says: “The FNB Whisky Live Festival proved, as before, to be a wonderful opportunity for us to interact directly with our consumers, and to meet the people who love our brand. Our private tasting room gave Karen Fullerton, the Glenmorangie Global Ambassador, and Niel Hendriksz, Moet Hennessy Portfolio Manager, a platform to directly engage with just over than 300 people.”

The success of this year’s FNB Whisky Live Festival is mirroring global whisky trends – with eight out of Scotch Whisky’s top 10 export markets growing in value over the first six months of 2011, according to new figures published by The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).

South Africa is now the seventh-largest importer of Scotch whisky by value in the world, growing at 24%.

“International and local whisky players were again impressed at the high level of technical knowledge displayed by visitors to the show,” says Neubert. “South African whisky drinkers are interested in the nuances of each whisky, in its history and its future, something that sets them apart from visitors to other whisky events.”

Andy Watts, master distiller of Three Ships and Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky, comment: “There is definitely an increase in the quest for knowledge and the consumers both young and old know what they like and are definitely more educated on all aspects of whisky.”

Representation from all over the world continues to highlight how important South Africa is to the rapidly-growing whisky market, and indicates that South Africa is a market not to be ignored. “The level of attendance from global representatives was outstanding,” says Chaloner.

“A shift from standard whisky to premiumisation due to the increased level of knowledge, understanding and appreciation of this fine craftsmanship has translated into an increase in whisky value sales year-on-year.

“This is one of the few drinks categories which has such a breadth of flavours to explore from sweet sherry to salty iodine thus re-emphasising there is definitely a whisky for everyone.

“We are overwhelmed at the response to the show every year, but what we found most rewarding this year was the unquestionable passion and the commitment from visitors and the whisky industry alike. This is the best encouragement that we could ever hope for, and we’re already excited about our preparations for next year’s event, which will be the 10^th FNB Whisky Live Festival in South Africa,” concludes Chaloner.

The 2012 FNB Whisky Live Festival will take place from 7 to 9 November 2012 in Cape Town, and from 14 to 16 November 2012 in Johannesburg.