Instructors' Note: The American Whiskey Renaissance: The Rebirth of an American Spirit

TARGET AUDIENCE AND TEACHING STRATEGY FOR THE CASEThis case can be used in a number of courses including marketing, international business, strategic management, an introduction to business class, and others. The primary audience for the case is an undergraduate course, however, the case is flexible enough to serve other purposes. The case can be taught in-class or assigned as a group project. It would be helpful to require students to do some additional research into the whiskey industry, however, the case can stand alone without this additional research. Students should be encouraged to think of the future of the whiskey industry and the means by which the industry can sustain growth. Students should be encouraged to think critically about the strategic direction of the industry as a whole. In addition, the sale of liquor has some ethical considerations. Propositions made by students need to be supported by reason and not opinion. Theories of ethics can and should be brought into the discussion.OBJECTIVES OF THE CASEThe main objectives of the case are to have students explore in greater detail how a product once considered as bland can become very popular again, and to assess the probability that the product will remain popular. The case seeks to have students explore and analyze consumer trends and what makes a product suddenly become popular with consumers. Additionally, the case seeks to show the increasingly global nature of product wants and the ability of American companies to capitalize on this trend. The case can also address ethical issues as the expanding export of whiskey may be seen as unethical by some, especially given government support of the export efforts.ANALYSISThe case asks students to answer five discussion questions. Instructors using the case should feel free to add any additional questions they feel are important for their course. While the discussion questions listed at the end of the case are ones considered important by the authors of the case, they in no way are meant to represent the only way to approach the analysis of the case. Likewise questions deemed unimportant can be eliminated from discussion.Question 1: Considerable debate may occur concerning this question. While there is no right or wrong answer to this question, the depth of thought and analysis makes some answers better than others. Factors favoring an enduring popularity of whiskey include the significant influence American culture has on the rest of the world, but that influence is dependent to an extent on whiskey remaining popular in the United States as well. Different types of drinks can remain popular for some time, and innovative and effective advertising can keep demand strong. Factors which may reduce the popularity of whiskey as a drink of choice include the continuing changes in the tastes and preferences of the consumer market. There is an element of fashion to the image of drinking and that fashion is subject to trends. The problem discussed in the case concerning supply issues is also a potential problem. If supply of aged whiskey continues to run low and prices rise consumers may be inclined to switch to another drink. Predicting future demand is of course not an easy thing to do, and one cannot say with certainty what will happen to the demand for American whiskey. Overall a case could be made that the like so many changes in other drink preferences that whiskey demand will not stay as strong as it is currently. How long the popularity will remain strong is subject to speculation.Question 2: In order to continue the popularity of American whiskey, both domestically and abroad, producers must maintain the special appeal of whiskey in a market that offers may competing choices. Consumer tastes and preferences are always changing and it will take effort to keep whiskey a popular drink. All too often producers who find themselves benefiting from a favorable shift in consumer preferences assume the trend will continue. …