Page 76 - IAADFS Summit 2023 Special Edition

INSIDER

Strong brands propel MONARQ Group to expansion and record business

MONARQ Group continues to go
from strength to strength, growing its
business in the Americas, and expanding its
team to meet this rising demand.
“2022 was our best year ever and 2023
started equally strong. Our organic growth
has been strong throughout all categories,
channels and markets,” MONARQ Group
founder Robert de Monchy tells TMI.
“We have been growing double digits
since the inception of MONARQ in 2006
and have become the leading independent
player in the region.”
MONARQ has expanded its team in
multiple departments to help cover all of
the markets in the region where MONARQ
operates.
“In the last few years, we have MONARQ featured two bottles of Shirakawa 1958 Japanese Whiskey with an MSRP
invested in our CRM and order-processing of US$30,000 per bottle at the DFS Masters of Wine & Spirits event in Macau.
systems, while at the same time we
expanded our Customer Service team starting April 2023. Starboard has also Irish Gin, Saigon Baigur from Vietnam and
as well as supportive roles such as listed the full range of Uncle Nearest for Condesa Gin from Mexico City. Last but
Compliance. We have also expanded both all their locations onboard Carnival Cruise certainly not least, we started working with
our Regional and Marketing Team, which Line as well as Royal Caribbean Cruise Bollinger Champagne, a brand that needs
also includes a digital marketer and a trade ships. This just goes to show that the brand no further introduction.”
marketer,” says de Monchy. is showing real momentum across all De Monchy says the iconic
“Our commercial team, based out of channels,” says de Monchy. Barbancourt Rhum from Haiti recently
the Miami office as well as in St Maarten, “We welcomed Uncle Nearest underwent a packaging upgrade.
Mexico and Chile, covers all domestic Premium Whiskey to our portfolio, which “The brand is performing very
markets and duty free channels throughout honors the world’s first-known Afro well, both in the domestic markets of the
Latin America, the Caribbean as well as American master distiller, Nearest Green. Caribbean and Latin America as well as
USA Duty Free.” The brand has been the most awarded USA Duty Free. The brand is listed at DFA
MONARQ will also be moving its American Whiskey or Bourbon for the last stores and on Carnival Cruise Line’s latest
Miami office to a much larger space in four years.” and largest ship, Celebration.”
Coconut Grove in the next few months. MONARQ has also added to
“It’s quite an amazing spot which we its portfolio in a number of strategic DFS Masters of Wine & Spirits
are currently renovating,” de Monchy. categories, says de Monchy. MONARQ is excited to feature some
De Monchy says its recent growth “We have looked at the Sake category highly rare bottles of Japanese whiskey
has been led by the success of the United for many years but were not happy with the at DFS’ wine and spirits event, says de
States duty free and the return of cruises to brands that came along, until about a year Monchy.
destinations throughout the region. ago. We now represent SOTO Sake as well “We are participating in the super
“Over the past years there have as Heavensake and are pleased with the exclusive DFS Masters of Wine & Spirits
been many bright spots as our business performance of these two amazing brands, event in Macau, where as part of the Gala
got stronger throughout all markets and which both fit right in our portfolio, being dinner there they will be the opportunity
channels in the region from Bermuda in the premium and innovative. to purchase two bottles of the ultra-rare
north to Argentina and Chile in the south. If “During the last year, we also bottles of Shirakawa 1958 Japanese
you ask me to pick one particular highlight, expanded our gin portfolio towards ‘World Whisky. The Shirakawa distillery operated
I would say the USA DF channel including Gins’ and recently added three exciting for nearly six and half decades before being
cruise ships. This channel has almost fully new gin brands: Drumshanbo Gunpowder demolished in 2003. Some barrels of the
recovered, and MONARQ is seeing very Shirakawa, distilled in 1958 were preserved
strong growth here.” after being aged for many years in barrels,
MONARQ is targeting these cruise these were first transferred to clay pots and
ships with its Uncle Nearest whiskeys, later to stainless steel tanks. The team at
which the company brought into its spirits Tomatin Distillery, whose parent company
portfolio last year Takara Shuzo Co. discovered this lost
“We are excited to be launching Uncle liquid, is now releasing a very limited
Nearest on all Royal Caribbean Cruise number of bottles of The Shirakawa 1958,
ships, in all their bars and restaurants, with an MSRP of US$30,000 per bottle.”

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