Taste above all else: Jameson

Our second stop of the day was a visit to the Old Jameson Distillery. The Distillery acts as a recreation of the distillery that James Jameson had created in 1780. The expert guide brought us around the exhibit telling us the story of Jameson allowing us to get an inside peak at what goes into the process of making the whiskey and selling it domestically and abroad.

Before we began making our way through the tour, we had first met with Jamie Thompson, who is in the process of working in an international marketing program through the company, mostly working for Irish Distillers, whom is owned by Pinod Ricard. Jamie had brought us up to date as to what the company is doing as far as targeting their main audience, how many cases they have sold through the year and what their goal is, and some history behind the company's beginning and where it is heading now with the program he is apart of.

It was described the target market for Jameson is the twenty-five to thirty-five year old males who are sociable and laid-back. A few key factors that helps Jameson stick out in the market are the fact that they are provided a fresh and unlimited amount of water from a river in the proximity of the distillery that still produces today in Cork. Jamie let us in on a little secret when he told us that one hundred percent of the color of the whiskey comes from the barrel. The barrel also accounts for fifty percent of what it taste like. They highest quality, locally sourced ingredients and the craftsmanship of coopers of five generations, really gives Jameson a history that their customers love.

Jamie mentioned some of their competitors, which we all found interesting. They consider brands such as Scotch whiskey and the American whiskey competitors, but find ways for them to stick out in the market. Bourbon is very "rock and roll" in relation to Jameson, and also Scotch tends to be a bit stuffy. I had never thought about it like that, but when he had explained that Guinness is a bit more commercial compared to Jameson, it was clear that the brand truly wants to stick with small business and help them and vice versa.

I am sure I wasn't the only one to find the fact that they share barrels with beer and wine brands also, each barrel having the flavor of a previous substance gives the whiskey and the other drinks a more rich flavor, then those brands who add "fake" honey and other flavors.

Before this trip, we have all seen and heard about Jameson, but learning that it is the number one selling Irish Whiskey in the world was incredible. Jamie talked about their two main markets being in America and Africa, and the different places that he has worked as an ambassador for the brand. The brand has sent him to places such as London, and I believe in addition to that, Germany, and truly sets up this distribution network that gets the products into homes, bars, and shelves. Jamie and his colegues are in charge of talking to bar tenders and teaching them quick facts that they can rattle off to those who ask about what THEIR favorite drink is. This in term brings the bars more revenue and Jameson and the bartender win.

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