1970's JD shortage?
Posted:
Sun Feb 20, 2005 7:18 pmby angelshare
While chatting with my dad yesterday, he said he vaguely remembered a JD shortage 25-30 years ago. He guessed that, sometime between 1976-1979, VA ABC stores, at least locally, had few if any bottles on the shelf and store personnel were saying that the future availability was uncertain. He couldn't remember a specific explanation. Obviously, whatever the issue was got resolved, to say the least.
Anybody know of/remember such a phenomenon? Was there ever a time in the last 50 years that JD was in peril somehow?
Posted:
Sun Feb 20, 2005 8:57 pmby cowdery
His memory is correct, though it was earlier than he recalls, more like the 50s and 60s. The Motlow family didn't have enough capital to expand enough to meet demand, which led eventually to the sale to Brown-Forman. Demand was outstripping supply and they were on allocation, much as Maker's Mark is now, but I believe the situation for Daniel's was worse. The problem was simply the production cycle. Even when they were able to expand capacity, it still takes a minimum of four years to get additional bottles into the pipeline.
One solution was the creation of the Tennessee Squires. The strategy was to keep consumers loyal to the brand even if they were having trouble getting it, so they started this "club," with regular mailings and various free trinkets.
Posted:
Sun Feb 20, 2005 9:08 pmby cowdery