Celebrating 10 Years of Magnus Cigar Blend Whiskey

Summary

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Bloomberg Businessweek Podcast: Celebrating 10 Years of Magnus Cigar Blend Whiskey

Date: April 14, 2026
Hosts: Carol Massar & Tim Stanovec
Guest: Ali Anderson, CEO of Craft Company

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Episode Overview

This episode celebrates a decade of Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Whiskey, featuring a conversation with Ali Anderson, CEO of Craft Company—a leading name in premium spirits. The conversation covers evolving trends in alcohol consumption, shifting consumer preferences amid economic uncertainty, and the art of positioning premium brands in a saturated market. The episode also offers candid insights into the current spirits landscape, specifically focusing on whiskey and the unexpected rise of gin.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gen Z and Alcohol Trends (01:48–04:46)

• Buzzball Craze: The hosts discuss an emerging trend noted by The New York Times: high-alcohol drinks like Buzz Balls gaining popularity with Gen Z, despite broader narratives about younger generations drinking less.
  • Carol Massar: "People don't want to drink anymore. But there's also the high alcohol buzz balls that are taking over Gen Z." (02:30)
• Changing Habits: Ali Anderson shares personal anecdotes and broader consumer insights, confirming the Buzz Ball trend and noting that drinking hasn't disappeared but has become more intentional.
  • Ali Anderson: "Consumption isn't going away. Gen Z is drinking. ... What we're seeing is shifts in the way that we drink. People are drinking more intentionally, they're doing it around events... prioritizing experiences over just tons and tons of volume." (04:01–04:45)

2. Shaping the Craft Company Portfolio for Today’s Consumer (04:46–06:34)

• Product Adaptation: The rise of RTDs (Ready-to-Drink cocktails) and Ready-to-Pour options is discussed as a growth area, with the importance of listening closely to consumers’ evolving demands.
  • Ali Anderson: "The key, like, what is the lesson in this? It's to be really flexible with what you offer, but not to go after everything. Very intentional about what you go after." (05:24–05:46)

3. Premium Spirits in a Crowded Market (06:14–07:38)

• Positioning Premium Brands: Ali explains how Craft Company handles branding for high-end lines like Joseph Magnus, emphasizing authentic quality and differentiation over resting on the 'premium' label alone.
  • Ali Anderson: "Premium isn't dead, but that lazy kind of premium is. ... You've got to have the goods to back it up. ... Are you differentiating what your story is, your process, your place? Are you tying it to a special occasion?" (07:02–07:33)
  • Memorable Moment: When Emily and Tim react to the $119 price tag for the Magnus bourbon:
    Tim Stanovec: "Oh, okay, okay." (06:55)

4. Consumer Sentiment and Economic Pressures (07:38–09:09)

• Polarization in the Market: Ali discusses how high-end and entry-level spirits perform better than those in the middle price range, reflecting broader trends of economic polarization.
  • Ali Anderson: "What we're seeing in the data is polarization. ... A whiskey like this, right? $100 and up, that's not struggling as much as the ones in the middle. ... At the bottom, maybe $29 and below, [they] are doing fine too." (08:12–08:33)
• Pricing and Value: In response to consumer sensitivity, Craft Company has released premium-aged spirits at surprisingly accessible prices.
  • Ali Anderson: "We've done with one of our brands ... copper craft 9 year straight bourbon whiskey. A couple of years ago, a nine year would be well over $50. We've said we're going to bring that down to $37.99 because we know that consumers are looking for that rare combination of value and quality." (08:37–08:59)

5. Surprising Growth: The Gin Renaissance (09:09–09:44)

• Unexpected Trend: The fastest growth in their portfolio is currently in gin, even outpacing expectations driven by consumer interest in martinis and other classic cocktails.
  • Ali Anderson: "One of the things we're seeing tremendous growth in is gin." (09:26)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Ali Anderson on Gen Z's Reality: "Buzz Balls is real. It's so real. And it's a genius idea." (04:00)
• On the Evolution of 'Premium': "Premium isn't dead, but that lazy kind of premium is." (07:02)
• Hosts Sample Magnus Whiskey Live: "So this, that's not. Gen Z's not buying that. This kind of bourbon, this is a different." — Emily (06:57)
• On Market Polarization: "A whiskey like this, right? $100 and up, that's not struggling as much as the ones in the middle." — Ali Anderson (08:12)
• Gin's Resurgence: "One of the things we're seeing tremendous growth in is gin." — Ali Anderson (09:26)
• Lighthearted Cheers: "Yeah, cheers." — Emily (09:54), followed by the rest of the studio.

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Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |---------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:48 | Hosts introduce topic; Gen Z and "buzz balls" | | 03:15 | Ali Anderson joins; company background | | 04:01 | Ali on Gen Z drinking trends | | 04:54 | Adapting portfolio—rise of RTDs | | 06:34 | Strategies for positioning premium brands | | 07:38 | Economic pressures and consumer sentiment | | 08:12 | Market polarization; pricing strategies | | 09:26 | Surprising growth in gin sales | | 09:53 | Wrap up—studio toasts and closing remarks |

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Conclusion

This lively episode provides a thorough look at ten years of Magnus Cigar Blend Whiskey and the shifting landscape of the spirits business. Ali Anderson shares front-line insights on demographic drinking trends, the importance of storytelling and substance in premium branding, and why gin might just be the surprise winner of the spirits world in 2026. The discussion is informal and engaging, offering both fun tasting-room banter and valuable market analysis—perfect for industry watchers and spirits enthusiasts alike.

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Transcript

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Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio news.

[Tim Stanovec]

You're listening to Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Massar and Tim Stanovec on Bloomberg Radio.

[Carol Massar]

Do you, Emily, know what the buzzball is?

[Emily]

No, I don't.

[Carol Massar]

Okay. The New York Times has a story today. It's about buzz balls. It says it's the high alcohol drink taking over Gen Z. Oh, is this

[Emily]

like this is a cannabis drink?

[Carol Massar]

No, it's no. 15% alcohol by volume, more than double over the average beer.

[Emily]

See, that's interesting because I feel like in the zeitgeist, as Tom Keene would say, is that Gen Z is drinking less and so they wouldn't want something that I know, higher alcohol.

[Carol Massar]

That's why this is so surprising.

[Emily]

Something cannabis related or like a low abv. But that's surprising. And sales are taking off.

[Carol Massar]

Sales are taking off, apparently. So there's two different narratives happening, right? People don't want to drink anymore. But there's also the high alcohol bus balls that are taking over Gen Z. At least according to the New York Times.

[Emily]

Well, it's Friday, so we're wrapping up the week, Tim, with a little A little toast, a little cheers.

[Carol Massar]

That sounds good.

[Emily]

Whiskey. We actually have joining us, Ali Anderson and she spoke to you and Carol just a few months ago, right, Tim?

[Carol Massar]

Yeah, we talked a lot about tariffs a few months ago. That was when she was joining us from a distillery. Ali is CEO of craft company. They've got a great portfolio that includes more than two dozen spirits and liquors. Think bourbon, gin, rye, ready to drink cocktails and more. They also do co packing for other brands. Ali joins us from Alexandria, Virginia. Good to have you on the program. How are you?

[Ali Anderson]

I'm doing well and thank you for having me. Good to be with both of you today. It's Friday. We have a lot of reasons to toast.

[Carol Massar]

We do, we do. We always have a lot of reasons to toast.

[Ali Anderson]

Yeah, we do.

[Carol Massar]

Hey Ali, last time we spoke with you was, was in November. And I think what, what we always like to talk to you about is this real time view of what the consumer's buying, how the consumer is doing, how your customers are doing. We're in a different situation right now with this war with higher energy prices. And I'm just curious if you're seeing any real time data about any difference in spending with what they're buying.

[Ali Anderson]

What we see is that consumption is not disappearing. You were talking about Gen Z earlier. Got a Gen Z daughter and I'm constantly canvassing her on, you know, at college. What are you drinking? And I'm going to tell you anecdotally that Buzz Balls is real.

[Carol Massar]

It's real.

[Ali Anderson]

It's so real. And it's a genius idea. Right? But you know, it's that consumption isn't going away. Gen Z is drinking. In fact, I think a lot of us are drinking. I know the Gallup poll said 54% of adults drink. But what we're seeing is shifts in the way that we drink. People are drinking more intentionally. They're doing it around events. They're alternating alcohol with non alk. They're maybe doing it especially Gen Z in these smaller, more curated social settings or they're doing kind of daycap type occasions that favor maybe more lower proof, a little more sessionable, more flavor forward. And they're really prioritizing experiences over just tons and tons of volume.

[Emily]

I mean, how does that influence what portfolio companies you're or what companies you're working with in the portfolio?

[Ali Anderson]

Well, I think what it changes is we have to listen really, really closely to the consumer. For example, we have RTD's, we have a line of that we're really known for Whiskeys and spirits. But we've also got RTD's, the ready to drink.

[Carol Massar]

RTD's ready to drink.

[Ali Anderson]

Yeah, Ready to drink the premixed cocktails.

[Emily]

Yeah.

[Ali Anderson]

And you're also seeing Ready to Pour, which is on the more spirit forward side. So you're seeing that be a consistent growth engine across the spectrum. Now we're really focusing on spirits, but what we do is we go, okay, we've got a variety of people coming into our social house, our distillery, and saying, what do we want to have? Some people just want to have RTDs, some people want to have that, you know, that great big bourbon. Some people are looking for something a little more refreshing, a little more gin, you know, vodka forward. So I think the key, like, what is the lesson in this? It's to be really flexible with what you offer, but not to go after everything. Very intentional about what you go after.

[Emily]

So we have some of the Joseph Magnus spirits here in the studio with us. Thank you for that. And then this one, we've poured the Murray Hill Club bourbon whiskey blend. This is what. I'm going to take a sip. Yeah, we're going to drink it.

[Ali Anderson]

Are you, Are we going to take a sip? I have some too. Can I, can I show you?

[Carol Massar]

Oh, yeah. Yes, this is, it's 5 o'. Clock. It's close to 5 o'. Clock. Ali, it's fine.

[Ali Anderson]

We're going to call it. I'm in D.C. yeah, we're calling it.

[Emily]

All right, we'll do a toast out.

[Carol Massar]

So, so as you guys are drinking this, I'm Ali, I'm going to ask you the question about this, these brands and how you position them in a really, really crowded category because like I said, you also do co packing you. You know, people might be drinking alcohol that you distill not even know that, that you're distilling it because you're doing it for, for other brands. But how do you position these?

[Ali Anderson]

Well, with something like Magnus, which you guys are enjoying right now, it's, you know, it's very premium. Like premiumization was kind of the trend and the buzzword really, for the past 10 years. What we're seeing now is a ceiling. With that, you can't just be expensive and you know, Joseph Magnus, it is expensive. You're drinking 119 bottle of really exquisite bourbon.

[Tim Stanovec]

Oh, okay, okay.

[Emily]

So this, that's not. Gen Z's not buying that. This kind of bourbon, this is a different.

[Ali Anderson]

Yeah, I want their job, if that's what they want, tuning. But I think the Lesson here is that premium isn't dead, but that lazy kind of premium is. Like you can't just put out a brand and say we've got premium whiskey. You've got to have, you got to have the goods to back it up. And what is that? Right, that's, that's the technique you're using. That's for sure. The, the liquid you're, you're using. But are you differentiating what your story is, your process, your, you know, your place? Are you tying it to a special occasion? Those are the kinds of things that we prioritize when we're talking about our premium portfolio.

[Emily]

Well, we're always trying, I feel like on this show we're always trying to kind of learn about the consumer and the economy through CEOs like you, because you do have a unique kind of viewpoint here. We were talking earlier about consumer sentiment hitting like record the lowest on record. Yeah. Higher inflation, kind of crimping Americans there. I mean, are you seeing kind of the way that people buy, maybe they're buying just, just one premium spirit as opposed to kind of going all out. Are you seeing any kind of signals of consumer stress?

[Ali Anderson]

Well, for sure, what we're seeing in the data is polarization. So you're seeing a whiskey like this, right? $100 and up. That's, that's not struggling as much as the ones in the middle. And then you've got the ones at the bottom, maybe $29 and below that are doing fine too. There's a lot of growth there. So you know, for example, we've done with one of our brands has come out with an age stated it's copper craft 9 year straight bourbon whiskey. A couple of years ago, a nine year would be well over $50. We've said we're going to bring that down to $37.99 because we know that consumers are looking for that, that rare combination of value and quality and how can they get that for, for a great price? And like that University of Michigan study was saying, or that report was saying, what we're seeing is that really near term crunch, that near term sentiment. When you pull that out and look up, I think on the longer term we expect to see some recovery even with whiskey.

[Carol Massar]

What are the areas in terms of the types of drinks that you guys create? What are the ones that are selling the best right now and where there's the most area for growth? Like we said, you do gin, rye, ready to drink cocktails more. What's the biggest growth area?

[Ali Anderson]

This has surprised us. I will even say we pay pretty close attention to the data. And one of the things we're seeing tremendous growth in is gin.

[Carol Massar]

Wow.

[Emily]

Martinis.

[Tim Stanovec]

Okay.

[Emily]

Yes.

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[Emily]

Now martinis are in.

[Carol Massar]

You guys, you guys heard it here first. I guess it's not surprising to you, Emily.

[Emily]

No, I do like a martini. Ali Anderson, Craft CEO. A craft company CEO. Thank you so much for joining us on this Friday. And thank you for the, for the

[Carol Massar]

bourbon and cheers, Emily.

[Emily]

Yeah, cheers.

[Tim Stanovec]

Cheers.

[Emily]

Cheers, Tim.

[Carol Massar]

All right, we got to save this too for next time.

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