SAN FRANCISCO – Snap-E-Tom tomato cocktail was a product of the Pioneer Ortega company, and later Heublein, and today owned by Del Monte. Made with chile peppers, onions and tomatoes, it was a Bloody Mary mix that advertised itself as the Big Brother of the Bloody Mary, Bloody Thomas. Snap-EMORE HERE
RUTHERFORD, California – Inglenook’s vineyards and brand are now one again. Movie and winemaker Francis Ford Coppola has purchased the storied California brand Inglenook to go with his farm in Rutherford, California. Coppola purchased the farm, but the brand was separated from the actual land in the 1970s. The InglenookMORE HERE
A new book by Dan Backer and Lance Watson taps brewing history to detail the can designs of nearly 500 beer brands. The book, published by Chronicle (Amazon link at right) shows major and minor brands. Like other Chronicle books, it is handsomely produced at is quite authoritative. It isMORE HERE
At one time, Pabst Blue Ribbon was a great brand. Through bad marketing (or no marketing), it declined. Then, some college kids found out it tasted just as good as Bud. And they renamed it PBR and it became hip again. Of course it was a bit more complicated thanMORE HERE
Some items from the headlines, and files: We happened to notice that the Plymouth brand has been getting an “Old Fashioned” bit of exposure in the new Bacon & Blue ad for Wendy’s. The ad is getting some great airtime, pleasing us Mopar fans to no end. I believe itsMORE HERE
There is an interesting parallel going on in Scotland and Puerto Rico. The Diageo brands Captain Morgan and Johnnie Walker are both in the throes of being moved, and both are against the will of locals. Captain Morgan is an interesting case; critics have pounced on the fact that itMORE HERE
Here’s a word relationship that won’t be on S.A.T. tests. As Schweppes is the top brand for tonic water, Canada Dry is the top brand for ginger ale. We thought about the legacy of Canada Dry when we found a small brochure about Canada Dry in our STUFF. The littleMORE HERE
As celebrity culture has become more trashy, so has the risk for the consumer and luxury brands associated with those stars. The most recent example? The Hennessy cognac brand owned by Paris-based LVMH Group. Think of this. Your historic brand, the leading cognac brand in the world, is associated with theMORE HERE
KILMARNOCK, SCOTLAND – Great brands are associated with a place. This is true even more with alcohol other products that have elastic demands. The place of manufacture adds to the allure of the brand, and that helps build a market for it. You differentiate your liquor product not only byMORE HERE
There is something very 1970s about The Club pre-mixed martinis. Is it the idea that it is somehow too difficult to mix vermouth and gin? Or that it is too hard to find a cup, and you can use the top to drink it? That’s the question we asked ourselvesMORE HERE