Washington, D.C., 08/11/2021 - WSWA is pleased to announce Tamarelo was crowned the Cordial & Liqueur category winner of the 2021 virtual Brand Battle tournament. Tamarelo is the first American made tamarind liqueur. Based in California, Tamarelo was crafted to introduce Americans to tamarind, a fruit enjoyed by many around the world. The liqueur can be enjoyed on its own or incorporated into your favorite cocktail. Tamarelo will represent the category in the Brand Battle Championship on September 14.
Audience members had the opportunity to vote for their favorite brand during yesterday’s virtual competition. LS Cream was named the People’s Choice winner of the Cordial & Liqueur battle. This award-winning cream liqueur is inspired by one of the most iconic beverages from Haiti, known as “cremas.” The founders, both of Hattian descent, proudly use their family recipe to craft this liqueur.
Yesterday’s battle marks the final category of the expanded 2021 Brand Battle. Brand Battle provided a unique stage for 46 craft and emerging brands to present their products, while allowing industry experts and enthusiasts to learn more about their favorite product category trends as presented by SipSource. WSWA heard from many of the contenders post-battle about the value this competition provided for their brands after a tough year. Getting their name in front of leading distributors who provided genuine feedback and insight on how to be successful in the U.S. marketplace was invaluable to brand representatives and the hundreds of other suppliers who tuned in to learn more about the current state of the industry.
As with all other categories, Dale Stratton, a SipSource analyst, presented on the current trends in cordials and liqueurs during yesterdays’s event. According to SipSource data, cordials and liqueurs are doing very well in the marketplace, outperforming total spirits when looking at 12 month rolling data. Stratton also shared data showing that this category is growing significantly in the on-premise as well.
The six brands representing Cordial and Liqueur were dynamic and innovative. However, Tamarelo wowed the judges with the quality of the liqueur and the story of the brands creation. Tamarind, while enjoyed by many around the world, is not as well-known in the U.S. Tamarelo hopes to change that.
“Tamarind is consumed by 90% of the world. Nearly seven billion people have been loving this flavor but it's still almost invisible in the United States,” said Keven Faul, Founder and CEO of Tamarelo, in a post-battle media briefing. “As more people have become exploratory with their food and their palate, the bridge to tamarind is really through other cultures. In the on-premise, consumers are able to go in and be introduced to this flavor through those cultures that are already very familiar with it. We all want more exotic flavors. We also want to feel like we're on vacation when having a cocktail, and this spirit is the perfect combination of all those things.”
The 2021 competition will conclude on September 14 as nine brands represent their categories on the Championship stage. Register for the Championship here. To watch all past competitions, visit wswa.org.
About 2021 WSWA Brand Battle Tournament
WSWA will be holding the 2021 Brand Battle Tournament virtually and has extended the event series for craft, start-up and small production wine and spirits into a bracketology-style tournament. Brand Battle will showcase rising brands with unique stories, packaging and flavor profiles in an engaging digital environment while panels of wholesaler judges provide valuable, thought-provoking insight and feedback to competitors across eight different product categories. Whether you are interested in competing or viewing the competition, you are sure to walk away with greater knowledge of the industry and see hot emerging trends and products.
To learn more, please visit www.wswa.org/brandbattle.
About Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America
WSWA is the national trade association representing the distribution tier of the wine and spirits industry, dedicated to advancing the interests and independence of distributors and brokers of wine and spirits. Founded in 1943, WSWA has more than 380 member companies in 50 states and the District of Columbia, and its members distribute more than 80 percent of all wine and spirits sold at wholesale in the United States.
To learn more, please visit www.wswa.org or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.
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