BBC Spirits has appointed Irish travel retail drinks agent and distributor Duty Free Global as the company’s partner in the global channel.
BBC Spirits is an importer, distributor and creator of premium spirits whose brands include Etsu Japanese gin, Hinotori Japanese whisky and Goalong Chinese gin and whiskey.
Duty Free Global Founder Barry Geoghegan said: “The whole team at Duty Free Global are delighted to commence our partnership with the exceptional portfolio of BBC Spirits.”
Commenting on a recent visit to the BBC Spirits headquarters in Bordeaux, France, Geoghegan added: “We were incredibly impressed by the quality of the liquids, branding and huge category knowledge.”
He described BBC Spirits President and Owner Bogdan Tanasoiu as “one of the world’s biggest advocates of Asian spirits and the possibilities of products from Japan in particular (and more recently China) in becoming global brands”.
“We receive in the global travel retail channel huge requests for top-quality brands from these countries and to work with the best specialist in this subcategory is indeed an honour. We look forward to sharing these great liquids with our global travel retail friends in Cannes very soon.”
“At BBC Spirits, we are eagerly looking forward to opening a new chapter for our brands in collaboration with the Duty Free Global team,” Tanasoiu said. “After five years of sharing our passion for Asian Spirits with strong domestic partners, we believe it is now time to let them shine in the travel retail industry.”
Tanasoiu and BBC Spirits Sales Director Europe, Africa, Middle East Romain Paillon will join the Duty Free Global team at TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, 1-5 October (Green Village J35).
Etsu – which means pleasure in Japanese – was developed by the Asahikawa distillery in Hokkaido following an ancestral Asian recipe. The gin features spring water from the Taisetsu mountains. Orange and yuzu peels, along with other spices and herbs, are macerated for 22 hours before distillation.
The Etsu range includes The Original, Pacific Ocean Water, Double Yuzu and Double Orange.
Hinotori whisky takes its name from the Japanese word for phoenix, echoing the rebirth of the Hekinan distillery founded in 1949. The range includes a 5 Year Old Blend, Goldorak Peated and Goldorak Blended.
The Goalong single malt whiskey line-up includes 5 Year Old Bourbon Cask, 5 Year Old Malt Bourbon & Brandy cask and an expression aged in five different casks. Goalong gin blends 20 local spices and herbs, including green tea, coriander, cinnamon and Sichuan pepper.
As reported, Duty Free Global has become the new exclusive partner of The Moodie Blog.
The Moodie Blog, written by The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie and themed ‘Up close and personal in travel retail’, was first published in September 2006 and has become an industry institution since.
New blogs appear regularly, often attracting many thousands of views. The posts, alternatively humorous, poignant, opinionated and critical where necessary, are Martin’s personal take on travel retail, reflecting his passion for the people and places he encounters during his extensive travels. 
