In a further commitment to its ever-expanding world whisky portfolio, Mangrove Global has welcomed experienced spirits ambassador and long-time whisky lover Stefanie Holt to head up the category. Joining the team as Curator of Mangrove World Whisky, Stefanie brings a host of experience in brand advocacy to the team where she will drive the strategy for whisky brands across education, marketing, and sales to the on and off trade.
Mangrove’s world whisky portfolio features a range of international spirits, including Stauning from Denmark, Abasolo from Mexico, Uncle Nearest from the USA, and Yamazakura from Japan. And its popularity is thought to be a driver of the wider category’s strength as GTR whisky volumes are expected to grow by 16% this year.
With a deep understanding of the international whisky audience, how it’s sampled, and how it’s enjoyed across the world, Stefanie knows exactly what makes a whisky drinker tick:
My job is to take new and existing whisky drinkers on a journey through our extensive portfolio. The audience for world whisky is so much more diverse than that of your standard scotch. They’re explorers. Younger, more open-minded, and there’s more women too!
Touching upon the increased diversity of the world whisky audience, Stefanie has also, in recent years, acted as a mentor for the OurWhisky Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that encourages more women working in the spirits industry and support their roles. The organisation provides valuable peer-to-peer support and mentorship to help women overcome the challenges they face in relation to gender.
The flavour of whisky is influenced by how and where it is produced – which is part of the reason why world whisky is becoming increasingly of interest to whisky fans across the UK. With local climate affecting aging, fermentation and raw material, world whiskies bring unusual and excitingly delicious flavour profiles for drinkers to enjoy And if spirits drinkers open themselves up to whiskies from around the world, Stefanie believes there is a whisky for everyone:
World whisky producers aren’t as hampered by tradition in the same way that scotch is. And so, there’s heaps of creativity being poured into these spirits. Whether it’s floor-malting rye, tropical aging, using heritage grains or being the first whisky distillery in a country/region – the variety of flavour profiles is extraordinary.
That’s another great thing about world whisky – even if you’re not a fan of traditional scotch, you will likely find something in this category that you thoroughly enjoy.
Stefanie’s appointment marks Mangrove’s significant commitment to developing the category into a curated selection of the world’s best whiskies, which are then brought to the lips of thirsty customers through the best of the on and off-trade.
Nick Gillett, Managing Director of Mangrove Global said:
When you are fortunate enough to have award winning whiskies such as Stauning, M&H and The English Distillery alongside pioneers such as Allan Katz from New York Distilling we need to support them with the resources befitting of the quality of their products.
Stefanie’s appointment marks not only our continued investment into the category of world whisky but also our commitment to adding the best talent to the company. I have no doubt she will have an instant impact and raise the bar yet further.