Airport Experience® News - Food & Beverage Issue 2024

Right: Great Wagon Road Distilling Company debuted its distillery bar in partnership with HMSHost in Concourse A at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in early 2020. In addition to offering the distillery’s range of craft spirits, the bar will soon start selling merchandise as well. Photo credit: Charlotte Douglas International Airport Bottom: At Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, construction is currently underway on the Old Fourth Distillery + Kitchen (rendering shown) from Areas USA, slated to open in 2025.

who get to see and experience my brand. I’m just delighted with it. Traveling can be difficult and tiring, but when you have little gems like a distillery in an airport, it makes the experience more enjoyable. We plan to start selling swag soon as well, so people can take a little bit of Charlotte home with them.” Nelson’s Green Brier is the distillery behind the Green Room Lounge & Whiskey Bar at BNA, which opened in fall 2022 and received the Best Large Airport Bar Experience accolade at this year’s AX Awards. “Having an outpost in the airport gives us an opportunity to be one of the first and last impressions of Nashville for guests traveling through BNA. For guests flying in, it can create interest in the brand for them to ideally visit the distillery while they are in town, and for those flying out it allows our brand story to be one of the last things they engage with before traveling home,” says Erica Dahlgre, manager of hospitality for Constellation Brands, Inc. , which purchased a majority stake in the whiskey brand in 2019. “Craft spirits is a rapidly growing market, and distilleries are having to get creative to get brand recognition. I think having a presence in the airport will prove to be crucial for brands trying to stand out and leave lasting impressions on travelers.” Rhonda Kallman, founder and CEO of Boston Harbor Distillery, similarly sees an airport outpost as an important differentiator. “When I envision the future of distillery presence in airports, I see an exciting opportunity for both travelers and distilleries alike: Airports are bustling hubs of activity, filled with people from all walks of life, and they present a unique chance to introduce craft spirits to a global audience,” she says.

At Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), construction is currently underway on the Old Fourth Distillery + Kitchen from Areas USA , slated to open in 2025. “We have a unique privilege as storytellers for Atlanta, and we needed to find a way to personify the grit, perseverance and ‘never give up’ attitude that makes Atlanta so special—enter Old Fourth Distillery, Atlanta’s first distillery since Prohibition,” says Sal Mendola, director of brands and concept development for Areas USA. “As Atlanta is such an eclectic city, it’s only fitting that ownership is three folks with unique backgrounds that came together and sacrificed a lot to create something world class and bigger than themselves.”

Old Fourth Distillery + Kitchen will offer spirits flights and food pairings. “An outpost at the airport is a billboard for the brand and draws awareness to the exceptional products they’re putting out,” Mendola adds. “Beyond just distributing their products, we’ll promote the streetside location to drive business once guests are outside of the airport. Additionally, we want to be a test market for new products. If a new limited release becomes an airport favorite, there’s less risk to expanding production for the distillery.” Clinton Dugan, partner of Shortbarrel Bourbon and Old Fourth Distillery , notes that he and his team are particularly excited about introducing exclusive products tailored specifically for airport clientele. “These

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AX NEWS JUNE 2024