USL forays into craft whiskey segment

BENGALURU: United Spirits has entered into the craft whiskey segment with the introduction of its Epitome Reserve, becoming the first Indian spirits company to foray into that category.
While craft beer has gained traction in the country over the last six years due to a mushrooming of brewpubs in cities like Bengaluru, Gurgaon and Pune, craft whiskey is made in small batches and are usually made available on request.
USL chief marketing officer Deepika Warrier said the company plans to introduce more variants in the craft category. USL, owned by Britain's Diageo, said the whiskey will be available in limited outlets of Mumbai. Goa, Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR. It is expected to cater to the uber rich and high net worth individuals and is the most premium Indian whiskey produced.
The move is part of USL's effort to focus more on premium products that fetch better margins rather than mass market ones which may have volumes but wafer thin margins. The company announced earlier this year that it will review some of its popular (mass market) brands, which could involve franchising to third parties or outright sale, to move up the value chain.