Wemyss Malts has released Darnley’s View Spiced Gin to Europe and selected Asian markets, with the US to follow.

The organiser of South Africa’s famous Nederburg Auction, has announced that US economics professor and ‘wine economist’, Mike Veseth, will make a keynote speech on Saturday September 29 at Nederburg in Paarl.

Inver House Distillers, the Scotland-based spirits arm of International Beverage Holdings has reported a 28% increase in turnover for the year ending December 2011.

Despite challenging Portuguese economic conditions, Vinho Verde exports are on the increase and will become more competitive in the global market place, according to the Vinho Verde Commission (CVRVV).

The Macallan 64 Year Old Lalique Cire Perdue is world’s most expensive whisky sold at auction – that’s official.

Sales of Captain Morgan rum will one day catch up with Bacardi, according to Diageo.

Vergelegen, one of South Africa’s best wine producers, has unveiled a new wine, DNA.

Morrison Bowmore Distillers has granted Campari America exclusive US distribution rights for its McClelland’s scotch range.

Halewood International has expanded the distribution of its Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer brand into the US and Canada.

Concha y Toro, the largest wine producer in Latin America, is committed to developing and improving the Californian wine producer, Fetzer, which it bought from Brown Forman in March 2011.

Gruppo Campari has announced group pre-tax profit of €52.8 million for the quarter ending March 31, 2012. 

Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands has announced a £2m first-year investment for the launch of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey in the UK.

Rémy Cointreau's consolidated turnover for the 2011/12 financial year was €1,026.1 million, an increase of 13% (up 15.6% organically) compared with the previous year.

Diageo has opened a US$5m Captain Morgan visitors’ centre as part of of its new distillery in the US Virgin Islands.

Following its €95m purchase of Cooley Distillery, Beam will phase out the supply of third-party brands to concentrate on building its core Irish whiskeys: Kilbeggan, Tyrconnell, Connemara and Greenore.

Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Brazil-based arm AmBev and E. León Jimenes which owns 83.5% of Cervecería Nacional Dominicana (CND) are to form a 'strategic alliance' in the Caribbean.

Pierre Ferrand Cognac's orange liqueur, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao - created in collaboration with cocktail historian David Wondrich - has been rolled out to the US.

The US is to officially recognise cachaça as a spirit from Brazil. The sugar cane spirit is currently labelled Brazilian rum in the US.

Pernod Ricard USA will launch Malibu Melon Margarita in May, an addition to its off-trade-focused Malibu Cocktails pre-mixed range.

The scotch whisky category belied global economic instability in 2011 by growing sales value 23% to a record £4.2billion.

Campari America has joined the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS).

Pernod Ricard has announced the launch of Malibu Sunshine, a citrus edition of the rum and coconut liqueur.

The Champagne Bureau has reported increased shipments in 2011. Total shipments worldwide rose from 319.5 million bottles in 2010 to 323 million in 2011.

Beam Inc., the new owners of Cooley’s the Irish whiskey brand, says it has signaled its intent to build the Kilbeggan brand in the US by importing the largest case shipment ever of the blended whiskey for the St Patrick’s Day (March 17) celebrations this weekend.

Chivas Brothers is to launch a limited edition golf pack for its Ballantine’s 17 and 21 year old blended whiskies.

Danny DeVito’s Limoncello is about to be rolled out to international markets, following its US launch in 2011.

Italian drinks company Davide Campari-Milano has reported a group net profit for 2011 of €159.2m, up from €156.2m in 2010.

US: Beam has expanded its Skinnygirl range to include wine, a range of flavoured vodkas and a Piña Colada.

Travel Retail operator World of Patria International has reached agreement with Chase Distillery to offer its range of spirits and liqueurs.

Chivas Brothers has launched two 17-year old Ballantine’s expressions under the new line, Signature Distillery Editions.

Angostura has crowned US bartender David Delaney Jr as the winner of the 2012 Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge.

Consumers in Australia’s top two export markets are abandoning its wines for cheaper alternatives leaving producers wondering if Asia will grow big enough to compensate for US and UK declines. By Graham Holter

Gruppo Campari plans to build a US$44m bottling facility at the Wild Turkey distillery in Kentucky, US.

Irish Distillers has announced its St Patrick's Day plans for Jameson.

Diageo has delivered 3% volume growth and 7% organic net sales increase for the six months ended December 31, 2011.

Beam Inc, the US-based global spirits company, has reported full-year net sales increases of 8%.

Annual sales of cognac are worth €2 billion thanks to a surge in XO and VSOP sales in the Far East, says the Cognac Bureau (BNIC).

The Edrington Group has launched a limited edition of its Cutty Sark 25 Year Old to global travel retail.

Beam, the US-based global premium spirits company, has announced that Arthur Aroney will join the organisation as managing director of Emerging Markets for its Asia Pacific/South America (APSA) region.

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.

There has been a seismic shift in the Chilean and Argentinian wine industries, according to some leading experts.

French wine is the favourite of regular wine drinkers in the UK and China and the second preference in Germany, says Wine Intelligence.

Chivas Brothers is introducing a new look for its Plymouth gin brand, re-positioning it above Beefeater 24, as a “super premium-plus”.

Bacardi Limited is planning a raft of activity to celebrate its 150th birthday. Besides parties and commemorative gifts, the company is to launch a $2,000 limited-edition decanter of "rare" Bacardi rum.

Diageo has completed the acquisition of the Meta Abo Brewery in Ethiopia for US$225 million.

US consumption of imported sparkling wine will reach new heights in 2012 due to the increased penetration of prosecco and cava, says Wine Intelligence. 

The 2012 Pre-mixed Drinks Challenge was Drinks International’s fourth examination of the category and our most wide-ranging yet.