Wolfie’s Whisky, the blended scotch whisky brand co-owned by Sir Rod Stewart, has sealed a nationwide listing in Tesco.
The rock & roll tipple (rsp: £35/70cl) has rolled into over 400 stores.
The retail bow – which came just months after Wolfie’s Whisky’s launch in summer 2023 – was “a big step” for the brand, Stewart told The Grocer.
“I’m over the moon Wolfie’s is launching in Tesco and I’m planning on driving down to my local store to say hello to everyone working in there,” he said. “All my friend’s have been asking me ‘where can I get it’ and I can now point them in the right direction.”
Wolfie’s Whisky – which is distilled and distributed by Loch Lomond Group – is the brainchild of Stewart and business partner Duncan Frew, a former director at C&C Group.
The duo were introduced by mutual friends in 2020 and bonded over a shared love of whisky and football.
After two years developing the product and branding, Wolfie’s Whisky was launched online in June 2023.
After Loch Lomond was “inundated with requests from distributors”, according to Frew, the brand subsequently rolled out to the on-trade, as well as to international markets including America, Canada, Sweden and France.
Bottled at 40% abv, Wolife’s was “wonderfully balanced with flavours of warming cinnamon, fresh vanilla and baked apple”, according to Stewart.
“It was important Wolfie’s works just as well in a mixed drink as it does over ice or straight,” he added.
Frew acknowledged that as a new-to-market brand, Wolfie’s was “never going to compete with 100-year-plus established whisky brands”.
However, he dismissed any suggestion the venture was an attempt to cash in on the trend of celebrity-owned drinks brands.
“Rod is a great launch platform,” he said. “It gives a lot of awareness, but the brand needs to be credible and so does the liquid.”
The launch in Tesco would be supported with a campaign across digital and OOH, he added.
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