UK distribution of Averna, the second best-selling bitter in Italy, has gone to J. Wray and Nephew UK.
The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association has embarked on a new Responsible Retail Training Programme (RRTP) for DFS staff in stores at Singapore Changi airport.
Edrington and the Kyndal Group have announced a 50:50 joint venture to bottle, distribute and market Cutty Sark scotch whisky in India.
Stock Spirits Group PLC, the Central and Eastern European branded spirits producer, has announced its six monthly results for the period ended June 30, 2014.
Bacardi Limited has announced the immediate appointment of Kevin F. McNamara as Bacardi Limited senior vice president and chief financial officer (CFO), responsible for global financial operations.
Beam Suntory has announced the appointment of Mauricio Restrepo as the company’s chief financial officer.
William Grant & Sons has reported the installation of the custom-made spirit safe at what will become the new distillery for Tullamore Dew, its Irish whiskey brand.
The Tax Free World Association has announced Air France-KLM CEO Alexandre de Juniac will speak at the opening conference of its Cannes exhibition in October.
The George pub in Frant, East Sussex in southern England is to host the Sloe Gin World Championships on Wednesday December 10 from 1.00pm.
William Grant & Sons has appointed Kevin Abrook, currently global marketing manager innovation for whisky as its first ever global whisky specialist, innovation.
Diageo Global Travel and Middle East (GTME) managing director Doug Bagley, has announced two senior appointments to his Singapore-based team.
Charles Joly of The Aviary in Chicago is Diageo’s World Class Bartender of the Year.
The Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) has announced that the first half of 2014 saw the WSET Level 3 award in wines and spirits being run for the first time in Chinese.
The West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association (WIRSPA) has approved the incorporation of Hampden Estate Gold, Monymusk Plantation Special Reserve and Westerhall Vintage into its Authentic Caribbean Rum (ACR) marquee.
Rémy Cointreau has announced the promotion of former LVMH boss Panos Sarantopoulos as CEO of its liqueurs and spirits division.
Ambitious UK bartenders are being invited to participate in a competition to create a fresh take on Jerry Thomas’ classic ‘Gin Cocktail’.
Gonzalez Byass, the major sherry producer, has unveiled a new whisky which, it claims, is a first and could represent the beginning of a new spirits category.
Bacardi Limited has announced the internal appointments of two new regional presidents.
William Grant & Sons has unveiled a new Glenfiddich expression.
Diageo has announced the appointment of Vickie Sheriff as global communications director. Sheriff will report to Charlotte Lambkin, global corporate relations director, and be responsible for external communications and employee engagement. She starts on September 1.
Beam Suntory has announced that it will begin distribution of the Suntory Japanese and scotch whiskies and Midori liqueur in the US and Germany beginning July 1.
Baptiste Loiseau, Rémy Martin’s new cellarmaster, was in London yesterday (June 11) as part of the farewell celebrations for the retiring Pierrette Trichet.
Baptiste Loiseau, Rémy Martin’s new cellarmaster, was in London yesterday (June 11) as part of the farewell celebrations for the retiring Pierrette Trichet.
Nicci Stringfellow has been appointed brand ambassador for Brown-Forman's Casa Herradura tequila in the UK.
UK drinks industry figures gathered for the Benevolent Roof Gardens Party last week to celebrate the end of the London Wine Fair 2014. They raised more than £10,000 for their trade charity.
Brintex, organisers of the London Wine Fair, has hailed the reinvented, relocated trade show a success.
Wray & Nephew is looking for a London-based UK brand ambassador for its Jamaican rum brand, Appleton Estate.
Hite-Jinro’s soju brand, Jinro, remains the world’s best-selling spirit, according to this year's Drinks International’s million-case brands survey.
The gin category is expanding, and fast, the first grand rectifier of the Gin Guild Christopher Hayman announced at the first Gin Guild Ginposium last Tuesday (June 3).
Gruppo Campari has announced the completion of its acquisition of Canadian distiller, Forty Creek.
Another one of those low key informal briefings this time revolving around the new Johnnie Walker expression: John Walker Private Collection 2014. As has become customary, held in London’s Soho, officiated over by Diageo’s head of whisky outreach, Nick Morgan and in the hot seat a jet and train-lagged master distiller, Jim Beveridge.
Wallaces–TCB (Tennant Caledonian Breweries), formed after the completion of the acquisition of Wallaces Express, Scotland’s largest wines and spirits wholesaler, by C&C Group, has announced the following senior management appointments, reporting to chief executive, Brian Calder.
Diageo has announced special cask strength bottlings of Lagavulin and Caol Ila for this year’s Islay Festival of Malt & Music.
Drambuie the scotch whisky liqueur is up for sale, according to the Financial Times newspaper.
Bacardi has launched a super premium rum, Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron, exclusively for global travel retail.
The Gin Guild, a trade body set up in 2012 to encourage excellence in gin distillation and promote the category worldwide, has 25 new members.
Entries are now welcome for the first-ever Investec Food & Drink Entrepreneur of the Year 2014.
Vestal, the vodka made from small relatively unprocessed potatoes from single regions and bottled by vintage, is to be distributed in the UK by Maverick Drinks.
The next Vinexpo exhibition will be held in Bordeaux, France from Sunday June 14 to Thursday the 18th 2015.
Altia, the leading Nordic and Baltic wine and spirits company has come up with Danish cocktail to celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest which takes place in Copenhagen tomorrow (May 10).
Tom Walker of the American Bar at The Savoy hotel in London, has won the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition 2014.
Brown-Forman has made experienced bartender Cam Dawson its new American whiskey ambassador, working solely on Jack Daniel’s.
Quintessential Brands, owners of the London Dry gin brand Bloom, has launched of its first ‘summer limited edition gin liquor’, Bloom Strawberry Cup.
Diageo Global Travel and Middle East (GTME) has announced the launch of the John Walker & Sons Private Collection by Walker's master blender Jim Beveridge.
Edrington, , has announced the establishment of Edrington Americas, a wholly-owned sales, marketing and distribution company for the US.
Pernod Ricard Travel Retail Europe has unveiled the latest of its limited edition Single Cask Editions – The Glenlivet Kymah.
Edrington has announced the establishment of Edrington Americas, a wholly-owned sales, marketing and distribution company for the US.
Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin division of Pernod Ricard, has announced it is expanding The Glenlivet Nàdurra brand.
Pernod Ricard’s net sales for the first nine months of the 2013/14 financial year totalled €6,186 million – down 7% on the same period last year. The company says the results are in line with the first half-year and sales were stable excluding foreign exchange and group structure effects.
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.
