The Hindu Business Line : Mason & Summers pours out 2 more whisky brands

MR RAMESH Vangal's spirits business is gathering steam. Mason & Summers Alcobev Ltd, part of the Vangal-managed Katra Group, has bolstered its brand portfolio with the introduction of two more whiskies - Glen Drummond, a locally bottled Single Malt Scotch Whisky, and Royal Crown, a Scotch blended grain-based Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) offering.

The nine-month old Mason & Summers - Katra acquired this operating distillery in Scotland, which belonged to Scotch major Inver House, as part of a strategic relationship with the latter - had earlier launched Wild Horse Whisky, a regular priced IMFL product, and later extended the brand to brandy and rum flavours.

The Wild Horse brand averages monthly sales of about 50,000 cases, the company officials said.

The company claimed that Glen Drummond - an eight year-old matured offering - was the first locally bottled Single Malt Scotch Whisky in India. It had the initial launch in Kolkata, where it retails at Rs 1,550 per quart. The price will be calibrated according to the local factors as the brand extends into other markets.

The company officials claimed that the country's consumption of Single Malt was on the upswing as consumers at the premium end exhibited discerning tendencies and knowledge gaining instincts in their drinks intake.

Mason & Summers is also set to uncork Royal Crown, a deluxe priced IMFL whisky, pitched against Seagram's Royal Stag. "It has a scotch and grain blend along with formidable packaging qualities, which should make the brand a compelling value proposition," the company officials claimed.

They refused to detail further on the brand as it is still in the midst of the launch plans.

Mr Kaushik Chatterjee, a former Seagram honcho, heads Mason & Summers as Chief Executive. Mr Arun Barik, also from Seagram, and Mr Ashish Mishra, an ex-Bacardi official, head the company's manufacturing and marketing functions. The start-up entity today has a headcount of 90 with almost 25 of them drawn from Seagram.

It must be mentioned that Mr Ramesh Vangal steered Seagram into the country and held a strategic minority stake till a few years back when he decided to exit following a takeover by the French drinks giant Groupe Pernod Ricard.

The new company has sewed up a network of eight bottling units across the country, which is located in key States such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. And as its business gathers momentum, Mason &Summers has roped in Contract Advertising, Bangalore, to handle the creative duties, and the maiden campaign is expected to break towards January end.

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