Sometimes, polar opposites exist within the same continuum ... a practical example of this thought is Angel's Share which receives reverence and respect whilst it’s polar opposite, the Devil’s Take, is completely ignored by profit atheists!
Angel's Share affects distillers costs while the Devil’s Take destroys bar profits. The differences and outcomes are wide reaching and devastating!
The Angel's Share
According to Oak & Eden, "The Angel's Share is the whiskey lost to evaporation during the aging process... This whiskey that evaporates into the air and perfumes the storehouse was dubbed the angel's share in medieval Ireland and Scotland. They believed the whiskey that disappeared into the air was meant as an offering for the angels."
So, how much is really lost during the aging process?
While climate may be seen as the most influential one, there are other factors at play that affect the evaporation rate, such as:
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Air circulation
- Air pressure
- Barrel storage
- Cask size
- Cask fill level
"Generally speaking, spirits tend to evaporate more quickly while they’re young, and then slow down as they age. So, at the very beginning of a whisky’s time in the cask, the angels’ share will be around 3.5% to 4% every year. As it ages, the whisky will now evaporate at much lower rates. By the end of its maturation period, a 20-year-old spirit might lose 40% of its volume", according to The Glenlivet.
UKV International says, "On average in Scotland, 1-2% of whisky is lost to the Angel’s Share per year. This figure is different for countries with warmer climates, for example, in India, the rate of evaporation is around 12% per year... If a whisky is stored for 25 years, it could lose up to 25-50% of its volume in Scotland".
The Devil's Take
The Devil’s Take, on the other hand, occurs downstream and is the process of alcohol transfer loss from bottle to serving glass at the Point of Pour. The Devil’s Take is widely agreed by industry experts such as Barmetrix and Bevinco to represent losses on average of 3-5 mL (1/10-1/6 Oz) per 30 mL or 1 Oz serve!
So how does one account for Angel's Share and the Devil’s Take?
Distillers are a fairly canny lot... every production loss, irregularity, and imperfection are quickly noted and accounted for. As spirit ages, Angel's Share accounts for increasing costs. The total costs to bottle (including storage, processing, bottling, and packaging) is then divided by total net volume produced, resulting in higher cost and wholesale/retail sales price... (Marketing, transport, taxes, and margins excluded).
Bar operators, on the other hand, receive a certain amount of bottled sprits and alcohol into stock which deplete via sales an amount weekly. The difference between POS recorded sales and remaining stock on hand is the Devil’s Take, representing alcohol drips, leaks, over pours, freebies, and shrinkage!
Bars do not charge more money to guests/consumers for the arising alcohol wastage/loss. Of course, if bars were to increase the price of every drink served by the comparable amount of alcohol over-poured or wasted, shouldn’t incensed consumers demand greater accountability in the way alcohol is dispensed?
The Devil’s Take is broadly explained away by bar management as “a cost of doing business” rather than the consequence of poor practice and execution at the Point of Pour.
If Distillers-owned bars would find ways to account and reverse engineer the Point of Pour process to reduce or eliminate a preventable loss…we believe they would! Acceptance of the Devil’s Take is not futile as practical, cost effective solutions are available to overcome this large problem.
Explore the Perfect Pour System solution which addresses liquor wastage from the liquor bottle to the serving glass.
