At the end of a working day in July, in the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, a friend and I stopped at a bar underneath Grand Central Station. I hadn’t been there since before the COVID pandemic but remembered walking past there, in those dark and desolate days, when social interaction of almost any kind was prohibited. Now, in that same bar, on a warm Thursday summer evening, I was struck by the unique noise of animated conversations, the vibrancy, and the powerful social energy that often is only generated by coming together to relax and connect with each other in such places over a cocktail, [there may also have been wine and beer too!].
Since then, I’ve tried to find the right words to fully convey the amazing atmosphere and conviviality that I experienced that evening. I’m yet to fully succeed in doing so but I am sure that many, if not all, of you will relate to at least some of what I felt. And I also know that it is moments like these that are at the heart of why I wanted to join SpiritsEUROPE and become the new Director-General.
Many readers of this newsletter will know better than me the privilege of working in the spirits sector. A sector that, whatever anyone says, is fully grounded in agriculture and the terroir. A sector whose traditions and craftmanship stretches back centuries and which is now woven into the fabric of our society, our culture and communities, our economy and the environment.
Over the past couple of months, since my appointment, I’ve had the privilege of going out to meet many of the great people, companies and associations, that work in this incredible sector. And in doing so, I’ve been struck by the extent of the deep, collective responsibility that everyone feels for its future.
This shows up in so many ways from the voluntary efforts being made through the creative campaigns and initiatives to encourage responsible drinking and counter harmful consumption to the truly impressive (and, I might say, under-reported) work to improve the health of our soils that produce our raw materials, reduce the use of water and energy, and minimize our carbon footprint. I’ve also been struck by how new practices, techniques and technology are being deployed to drive the incredible innovation that’s taking place right across the sector to not only protect but build on the heritage and traditions and create new value. This not only enhances the economic contribution but also creates new opportunities for the sector to grow in the widest possible way.
Clearly, there are challenges that we need to address. I’m sure that it can, at times, feel like there is a perfect storm blowing from tariffs to trade barriers to anti-alcohol activists advocating for draconian restrictions that frankly would send us back to the kind of dark days we experienced in COVID and certainly deny the vast majority of responsible drinkers the kind of moments I enjoyed in New York this summer.
But every challenge presents an opportunity. And what an opportunity there is to tell the story of the spirits sector and the contribution it makes to our world. Having worked in other places where the contribution was perhaps less clear, with stakeholders that were more doubtful, and where there were fewer opportunities to tell the story, I am excited by just how many ways there are to promote what we do with passion and pride. And as we do so, we can not only defend but shape our future freedom to operate in both our existing markets and in the new ones that we can work together to open.
It is such an honor for me to take on this role and work with the great team at SpiritsEUROPE and all those working in or with our sector. I’ve been so impressed by the collegiate and united approach of so many that I have already met and I’m convinced that it is this that will enable us to confidently meet the challenges we face and grow from the numerous opportunities in front of us.
I look forward to working alongside you in this great pursuit.
Mark Titterington, Director General*
*In his capacity as permanent representative of Sunnega Consulting
