What does 2024 hold for Cultural Comms' clients? To kickstart the series, we speak with Rebecca Jago, Managing Director of The Last Drop Distillers: an innovator within the world of rare and remarkable spirits, seeking out truly exceptional liquids from around the globe.
Read on for Rebecca's reflections on the year just gone; what the next 12 months holds for the business - including the launch of its oldest Single Malt to date; and the key trends she believes will shape the spirits industry in 2024...
What were the Last Drop's highlights in 2023, and how will these experiences shape the company's direction for 2024?
There were so many highlights in what was an incredible year for The Last Drop, but I’m going to call out three:
1. The first in-person Assembly meeting: we hosted all six founder members of The Assembly, for a fantastic lunch at The Connaught with friends and customers from all over the world. It was a superb event and a joy to finally bring this illustrious group together.
2. The Distillers 1of1 Auction, held at Hopetoun House in Scotland, raised £2.2 million for the Youth Action Fund. Our donation – the opportunity for someone to create their own bespoke blend with our master Blender Colin Scott – was one of many lots to break records at the event, and it was a honour to have Colin there to witness the love and respect the whole room had for him.
3. We were joined in October by our newest team member, Alice Small, who takes on the role of Global Marketing and Sales Manager. We’ve known each other for some years, working in different parts of the business, but the pull of The Last Drop was finally too hard for her to resist, and we are thrilled to have her on board.
What can we look forward to seeing from The Last Drop in 2024?
2024 is shaping up to be a very busy and fulfilling year for The last Drop. We’ve just shipped our first Irish Whiskey and 15th Anniversary special release to the US, and we will launch our 2024 collection in April/May. This will include three very special spirits, including our second rum, and our oldest Single Malt to date. Follow us on social for more news. Then, in May, we will celebrate our 15th Anniversary in the company of great friends. In terms of travel, we are busy planning visits to all four corners of the world, where we hope to see some of you on our travels!
What trends do you predict will shape the global spirits market this year?
I think we will continue to see innovation in the low and no categories, giving people more choice about what they drink and when. Collecting is still a very hot category, but we also hope that our customers will continue to open and share their bottles. With the explosion of new distilleries across the globe, I’m looking forward to tasting some of the outputs from these new brands, and seeing how they are doing things differently.
And finally, what are you hoping to achieve on a personal level this year?
I am looking forward to seeing our team really grow into a tight and effective group, with everyone finding huge pleasure in working together and driving the business forward. On a personal level, I’ll be taking the time to read more books (aiming for 30 this year) and get back into regular exercise! Oh and continuing to engage with our wonderful customers everywhere!
