Welcome to The WC — your weekly shot of awesome.
Today, we’ve got:
- India’s whisky scene is bigger than you think
- The economics of olive trees
- One more way you might die
- The next billion-dollar sport
- Memento mori
Table of Contents
India on the Rocks
The largest consumer of whisky globally isn’t Scotland, Ireland, the US or even China. It’s India.
Annually, India “now accounts for almost one in every two bottles of whisky sold in the world. The planet’s most populous country also recently leapfrogged France to become the world’s biggest market for Scotch.”
Further, seven of the top ten whisky brands are made in India, partly due to historically high import tariffs.
Most of the stuff stays in India, but an upper echelon is emerging that’s suitable for export. And while some whiskies there are made using strict Scotch rules, others imbue a local flavor.
For example, “Godawan #1 is finished in a cask seasoned with rasna and jatamansi, two botanicals traditionally used in ayurveda and perfumery.”
We’re leading an investor field trip to Tequila Mexico in February. Maybe we should check out India’s whisky scene next.
The economics of olive trees
Now for another pricy and tasty liquid.
Since summer 2022, the price of olive oil has done this.
Says Kyle Holland, noted vegetable oils analyst, “The issues contributing to prices trending at near all-time highs are largely poor weather and a severely dry growing period for much of the Mediterranean, but most importantly in Spain, which is a major producer and exporter of olive oil.”
It’s got so bad that chainsaw-wielding thieves are roaming the Spanish, Greek, and Italian countrysides cutting down olive-laden branches and, sometimes, entire trees.
As someone who lives in Spain, I can confirm this.
Undeterred, we’ve got 3/4 an acre and are considering planting perhaps twenty-five olive trees on a patch of it.
Should it go well, perhaps we’ll make it more of a thing, but here’s the math just for fun.
- 25 one-year-old saplings at $4 each – $100
- Drip irrigation system with timer – $200
- Compost + labor – free but time-consuming
They start producing fruit after 3 – 5 years and are considered mature after 10.
So, how much can you make from 1/8 acre of olives based on historic wholesale prices?
No one’s going to retire off this, but it’s not too bad for a productive hobby that’s also aesthetically pleasing.
PS: You can cheat by buying trees that are already three years old, and the price increase is only about $6 per plant. Probably worth it.
Maybe reconsider your travel plans
“It is only a matter of time before something catastrophic happens.”
That’s the upshot of an under-the-radar air traffic control crisis.
A combination of fatigue, lack of training, and understaffing mean that the skies are more terrifying than ever.
“Controllers are making mistakes left and right. Fatigue is extreme … The margin for safety has eroded tenfold. Morale is rock bottom. I catch myself taking risks and shortcuts I normally would never take.”
The stats are alarming.
99% of US air traffic control facilities (that’s 310 out of 313) do not have enough certified controllers for basic safety standards. We’re now more than halfway through 2023, and some controllers already have racked up more than 400 hours of overtime.
Overall, America’s aviation infrastructure is short 32,000 air traffic controllers, pilots, and mechanics.
Time to get these guys on the case.
Is women’s volleyball setting up for a spike in popularity?
We pay an alarming amount of attention to the growth of underserved and up-and-coming sports.
- Stefan dug into investing in rugby
- I did a retro on the Women’s World Cup (and got loads of hate mail)
- And pickleball is still not a spectator sport
Up next? Women’s volleyball.
Some surprising stats:
- There are three separate pro volleyball leagues either live or planned to launch through 2025.
- League One Volleyball, a youth club volleyball biz, raised $35 million in a Series B round.
- There are 408k members of USA Volleyball, and it’s growing nearly 10% YoY.
- Volleyball participation among high school and university students has grown 40% since 2017, making it the fastest-growing high school sport in the USA.
- Women’s volleyball is the third-most watched sport on the Big Ten Network after football and men’s basketball.
- A tripleheader of women’s volleyball matches in September drew 641k viewers.
I don’t know if women’s volleyball is the next…whatever…but I sure wouldn’t bet against it. And I’d certainly prefer to watch it rather than pickleball.
Put your mortality into perspective
Feeling good about yourself? Memento mori, amigo.
Time for a drink.
That’s all for this week; I hope you enjoyed it.
Disclosures
- Our friends at Solenic Medical sponsored this issue
- We get a few cents if you click on affiliate links
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