There was an article in the "Spirits Business" last week that gives you a pretty good idea of what has to transpire in order for brand to be on the shelf for sale
in America.
Spirits
brands continue to covet the US market, but it is one of the world’s most
difficult markets to crack
To
make it in America is not just the dream of every British rock band since the
Beatles’ invasion of 1964. Every non-US brand of vodka, gin, whisky, or
whatever, also wants to crack the most lucrative and dynamic international
spirits market on the planet. Thousands try, but few succeed.
“The
structure of the US market makes it theoretically almost impossible to break
into,” says Jacob Ehrenkrona, CEO of Reformed Spirits, owner of Martin Miller’s
gin. “Basically there hasn’t been a single European brand owned by an
independent company that has really conquered America.” When pressed, he makes
a possible exception for the Dutch vodka Ketel One, before Diageo bought a 50%
stake and took over distribution in 2008.
“Martin
Miller’s has just about managed to get a foothold in America that no one can
take away from us,” Ehrenkrona says. “We’ve made every mistake, but we’re still
there and we’re growing.” The biggest mistake he sees time and again is “to be
mesmerised by the opportunity the US represents. Most brands start in New York,
California or Florida, and then other states start demanding the product. It
becomes exciting and, all of a sudden, you get swept away by your own success
and start spending money. You spend a fortune and spread yourself too thin. That’s
the main reason people fail.”
Read More at http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2014/11/us-almost-impossible-for-indy-spirits-to-crack/
