American whisky set to rock Indian tipplers

A country sold on Scotch whisky, India is gradually warming up to the taste of American whisky as well. Little wonder then that Beam Global Spirits and Wine has chosen India as the second launchpad in Asia for its super-premium brand, Maker's Mark. Japan is the only other market where the product is available.

The American whisky market in India stands at 12,000 to 15,000 cases and is roughly valued at Rs 45 crore annually, says Harish Moolchandani, the chief executive and managing director for Beam Global's business in India and the Indian subcontinent.

American whisky, therefore, comprises a meagre fraction of the 100,000 cases of imported spirits sold in the country, according to official figures provided by the All India Distillers' Association (AIDA). The unofficial figures are, obviously, much higher "" close to 700,000 cases, says V N Raina of AIDA. Almost 80 per cent of the imported spirits in India is still Scotch whisky.

Nevertheless, the American whisky market is growing annually at 25 to 30 per cent. US-based Brown-Forman's Jack Daniel's is the market leader in this segment. However, Beam Global's Jim Beam, which is a bourbon whisky, has already captured 20 per cent of the market since the time it was launched in mid-2006. The product has shown a 50 per cent growth and sold more than 4,000 cases, according to Moolchandani.

Maker's Mark would be priced between Rs 3,200 and Rs 3,500 a bottle, almost 30 per cent higher than Beam's other premium whisky, Jim Beam Black.

Maker's Mark would be promoted through below-the-line activities. However, the product will be available mostly at fine dining restaurants and up-market lounges and night clubs in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, says Moolchandani.

Says Ray Radford, who has been in charge of marketing Maker's Mark for many years now, "Beam makes only about 650,000 bottles of Maker's Mark every year, and every bottle is sold. Naturally, even in India, we will not try to position the drink as a mass product. However, the sweet taste of corn in the whiskey could go down well with the Indian palate, which has been historically sensitised to the taste of Scotch."