Jack Daniel's Has Weighed In On The Raging Flavored Liquor Debate
Paul Varga, the chief executive of Brown-Forman, says that drinkers can expect the Jack Daniel's brand to remain "conservative."
"When you're dealing with the Jack Daniel's trademark, you're going to be extra careful," Varga said on an analyst call (picked up by the Wall Street Journal's Ben Fox Rubin). "I suspect we'll have more ideas that we'll treat just as conservatively."
Well, it depends what your definition of conservative is. As Rubin notes, Jack Daniel's just rolled out a new seasonal Winter Jack that blends the spirit with "apple cider liqueur and spices."
And there's the Tennessee Honey brand. Which, in your humble booze correspondent's opinion, is the Fall Out Boy of liquor.
According to Varga, Tennessee Honey brand has been hugely successful, and he doesn't see JD drinkers coming down with the kind of "flavor fatigue" seen with vodka (and maybe gin).
But to a certain extent, you've got to give the people what they want.