Johnnie Walker has taken first place in Brands by Value, a list of the world’s 50 most valuable drinks brands.
Pernod Ricard’s CEO Piere Pringuet has spoken out about Havana Club’s flat half-year sales growth, branding its performance “disappointing”.
The Spencerfield Spirit Company has launched a Perthshire Raspberry edition of its Edinburgh Gin brand to the UK.
Pernod Ricard has launched a new expression of its Martell cognac to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Martell Cordon Bleu. Cordon Bleu Centenary limited edition has launched in Asia duty free.
Pernod Ricard’s super premium gin, Beefeater 24, is now available in 50 markets worldwide.
Altia Plc is buying the Xanté Company and the Xanté spirits brand from the Swedish Tilander family.
Diageo has completed the acquisition of the Meta Abo Brewery in Ethiopia for US$225 million.
UK: Grupo Codorníu has made four appointments. Carolyn d’Aguilar and Susannah Bearne move internally to roles in the marketing department while Jake Crimmin and Tom Barton join the UK sales team.
Billed as its super-premium expressions, Beam has released Teacher’s 25 Year Old and Teacher’s Highland Single Malt to global markets.
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte achieved its highest volume sales in 2011, says the brand’s Caroline Defaut.
The rise of craft beer in the US can benefit Peroni Nastro Azzurro, says the lager's global brand director Andrew Walker.
We’re all interested in ‘what’s going to be next?’ Well I returned recently from New York where, courtesy of Pernod Ricard/Irish Distillers I witnessed the launch of Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel. Apparently the brand kicked off in the US in Brooklyn so the new limited edition ‘dialled up’ Jameson was launched there and at the moment it is only available there...
UK: Diageo GB is re-positioning its Bell’s blended scotch whisky brand via a £1.35m TV ad campaign.
Online spirits retailer Master of Malt has released Rumbullion, an “old-fashioned“ rum under its Professor Cornelius Ampleforth brand.
Pernod Ricard's new intenational brand development director says that it's number one Irish whiskey brand, Jameson, is on course to meet it's forecast of hitting 1.4 million cases in the US within the next year.
International wine producer Sogrape has acquired 100% of UK wine agency Stevens Garnier. The company previously owned 38% of Stevens Garnier and financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Beam Inc has announced a new commercial structure in its Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) region.
Drinks group Sazerac has unveiled a line of flavoured vodkas under its Wave brand for the US market.
Martell’s new look for its VSOP, which was recently launched in the Singapore and Malaysia domestic markets, is now being rolled out throughout the world.
Constellation Brands has purchased the remaining 50.1% of Italian wine brand Ruffino from MPF International.
Diageo, through its Johnnie Walker brand, has launched a social media project to get communities involved in either technology, arts or business projects.
Martini has set its sights on recruiting a younger generation of consumers with a new global campaign entitled Luck Is An Attitude.
SPI Group has agreed a new distribution deal with Velier, for the entire Stolichnaya portfolio in Italy.
Pernod Ricard is pinning hopes of further growth on the US, central and South America to undermine Diageo’s position as the number one drinks company in the world.
Pernod Ricard has unveiled Absolut Gustafson at the TFWA in Cannes, a new limited edition for global travel retail.
Diageo has announced plans to step-up its multi-million dollar strategic partnership with social media website Facebook.
Japanese whisky brand, Nikka, has named the second finalist of its international cocktail competition, The Nikka Perfect Serve.
Absolut Vodka, part of the Pernod Ricard group, has revealed that its annual sales value and volume grew by 6% during the period July 1 2010 to June 30 2011.
French vodka brand Poliakov has extended its line in the European on-trade to include a ‘red fruit’ liqueur.
Bacardi USA has announced plans to trial a new gin, Bombay Sapphire East, in the US on and off-trade.
Diageo has launched a global, multi-media marketing campaign for its Captain Morgan rum-based brand.
UK: Glenfiddich has launched the 2011 Glenfiddich Malt Mastermind competition. The aim of the game is to find the “trade’s most passionate malt enthusiasts”.
Scotch brand Highland Park has introduced Earl Haakon, the third and final bottling of its limited edition Magnus Series.
Bacardi Brown Forman Brands has launched a new vodka under the Eristoff brand.
Pernod Ricard has announced a joint venture with Tequila Avión to produce and promote the ‘ultra-premium’ tequila brand Avión.
Pernod Ricard brand Olmeca has announced a partnership with tequila ambassador and Mexican restaurant-bar owner Tomas Estes.
Diageo has launched a £15m global campaign for its Tanqueray gin brand.
Campari's Italian aperitif brand Aperol is going from strength to strength according to its owners.
Scotch whisky Auchentoshan is looking for entries to The Auchentoshan Switch, a cocktail competition that offers bartenders transatlantic internships.
Rémy Cointreau has completed the sale of all the shares in Piper-Heidsieck-Compagnie Champenoise to the EPI Group (Européenne de Participations Industrielles).
Brown-Forman has acquired the Maximus vodka brand from Altia. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
A de Fussigny Cognac has announced the launch of four new vintage expressions at Vinexpo in Bordeaux.
Australian winery Brown Brothers has appointed Rachel Herrig as brand manager to “drive the brand’s development in the UK and Ireland”.
Diageo has launched a Johnnie Walker campaign at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. The Step into the Circuit campaign is centred around the brand's Formula 1 sponsorship.
Diageo GTME, the global travel and Middle East division of the world’s largest drinks company, has unveiled its latest initiative to grab a greater slice of the travel retail alcoholic liquor market.
Portugal: The Blandy Group has regained control of the Madeira Wine Company (MWC) from Symington Family Estates. Symington will still retain a minority share in the business, but intends to concentrate on its Cockburn port brand, which it purchased last year.
New World brands continue to dominate the global wine sector and now constitute 13 of the top 15 wine brands, according to a recent study.
Finlandia vodka, part of Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands, has unveiled a new global packaging design dubbed ‘melting ice’.
Swedish vodka brand DQ has re-launched to the UK, following the restructuring of parent company Nordic Spirit.
Canada: Brick Brewing Company has acquired the Canadian rights to the Seagram Coolers brand from Corby Distilleries. The transaction closed upon signing.
In his inaugural column for Drinks International, Branson takes a wider look at the overall non-alcoholic spirits sector to identify which brands will thrive and which won’t survive.
