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.
Stringfellow takes on Herradura role
Nicci Stringfellow has been appointed brand ambassador for Brown-Forman's Casa Herradura tequila in the UK.
Benevolent Roof Gardens party raises over £10,000
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.
London Wine Fair hailed a success
Brintex, organisers of the London Wine Fair, has hailed the reinvented, relocated trade show a success.
Appleton looking for an ambassador
Wray & Nephew is looking for a London-based UK brand ambassador for its Jamaican rum brand, Appleton Estate.
Jinro remains the world's best-selling spirit
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.
Gin Guild bullish about the future of gin
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).
Campari completes Forty Creek deal
Gruppo Campari has announced the completion of its acquisition of Canadian distiller, Forty Creek.
Wallaces-TCB announces management team
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.
Special Lagavulin and Caol Ila for Islay Festival
Diageo has announced special cask strength bottlings of Lagavulin and Caol Ila for this year’s Islay Festival of Malt & Music.
Drambuie up for sale
Drambuie the scotch whisky liqueur is up for sale, according to the Financial Times newspaper.
Bacardi launches Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron
Bacardi has launched a super premium rum, Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron, exclusively for global travel retail.
New recruits at the Gin Guild
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.
Investec Food & Drink Entrepreneur of the Year 2014
Entries are now welcome for the first-ever Investec Food & Drink Entrepreneur of the Year 2014.
Maverick to distribute Vestal vodka
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.
Vinexpo 2015
The next Vinexpo exhibition will be held in Bordeaux, France from Sunday June 14 to Thursday the 18th 2015.
Altia has Eurovision cocktail
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).
Walker wins the Bacardi Legacy
Tom Walker of the American Bar at The Savoy hotel in London, has won the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition 2014.
Dawson is new Jack Daniel's ambassador
Brown-Forman has made experienced bartender Cam Dawson its new American whiskey ambassador, working solely on Jack Daniel’s.
Quintessential unveils Bloom Strawberry Cup.
Quintessential Brands, owners of the London Dry gin brand Bloom, has launched of its first ‘summer limited edition gin liquor’, Bloom Strawberry Cup.
Diageo GTME launches new John Walker
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 establishes Edrington Americas
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 establishes Edrington Americas
Edrington has announced the establishment of Edrington Americas, a wholly-owned sales, marketing and distribution company for the US.
Chivas expands Glenlivet Nàdurra
Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin division of Pernod Ricard, has announced it is expanding The Glenlivet Nàdurra brand.
Pernod hit by unfavourable foreign exchange rates
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.
Jameson fit for purpose says Lundberg
Jameson is in a very good period right now. The momentum is there and there is room to go up, according to Jameson International brand director, Dan Lundberg.
Diego Zamora appoints Turner to Licor 43
The Diego Zamora group has appointed Matthew Turner as its global brand director for Licor 43.
Menezes announces management changes at Diageo
Diageo's new chief executive Ivan Menezes, has announced a series of changes to his executive management committee
UK chancellor freezes alcohol duty accelerator
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the UK’s chief finance minister, has frozen the controversial so-called alcohol duty accelerator on spirits and standard cider.
WSTA steps up campaign to end alcohol duty escalator
New figures show pubs in Britain are becoming increasingly reliant on wine and spirit sales, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.
Plymouth gin in Heathrow T5
Pernod Ricard Travel Retail Europe has unveiled its largest travel retail activation to date in Heathrow Terminal 5, featuring its artisanal gin brand Plymouth.
Tullamore Dew: still life
William Grant & Sons has announced that four hand crafted copper stills have been delivered to its Tullamore Dew site in County Offaly, in the Irish midlands approximately 100km west of Dublin.
Bushmills Live showcases The 1975
Bushmills Live, the music festival which is held at the Northern Ireland distillery on June 11 and 12, has secured The 1975 band as headliners.
Campari buys Forty Creek Canadian whisky
Gruppo Campari has bought the Canadian whisky producer Forty Creek Distillery (FCD), an independently owned Canadian spirits company.
Campari sales up, net profit down
Gruppo Campari has posted up sales of €1,524 million, +13.7%, (organic growth +1.7%) while the group net profit was down -4.4% to €149.8m for the for the full year ending December 31, 2013.
UK market for Scotch shrinks
The UK market for Scotch whisky declined by 3% last year.
Altia appoints Pekka Tennilä as its new CEO
Altia, the Nordic and Baltic wine and spirits company, has announced the appointment of 44-year-old Pekka Tennilä, who has been poached from Carlsberg.
Memorial services and special expression for Charles Grant Gordon
William Grant & Sons has announced at international memorial services in New York and Scotland and a special expression, for Charles Grant Gordon, the man who gave the world Glenfiddich Scotch whisky.
Diageo to restore Stitzel-Weller Visitor Center
Diageo has announced that it plans to invest an initial US$2 million to develop the Stitzel-Weller Visitor Center at the Louisville distillery.
The Pernod Ricard team were in London today (February 18) to flesh on the bones for their half year interim results which were announced last week.
Diageo World Class returns to UK
Diageo Reserve has announced that its ‘World Class’ mixology competition will be held in the UK from 28 July to 1 August.
Diageo launches lost whisk(e)y scheme
Diageo, the world’s largest premium spirits company and the largest producer of Scotch whisky, has launched an initiative to locate lost and forgotten barrels of whisk(e)y from around the world.
Teelings details its plans to distil in Dublin
The Teeling Whiskey Company (TWC) has announced its plans for a new whiskey distillery to be located in Dublin’s Newmarket Square in The Liberties, Dublin 8.
WSET wine educators of the year
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust's international Wine Educator of the Year is the Asia Wine Service & Education Centre, Hong Kong (AWSEC).
Scholarship to honour Ian Murray
William Grant & Sons has launched a scholarship to honour Ian Murray, its former prestige retail manager, who died last year after a short illness.
Walker and Dunhill come together
Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Diageo’s best selling blended Scotch whisky brand and Alfred Dunhill have joined forces to create the ‘Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Alfred Dunhill Travel Retail exclusive gift pack’.
Diageo to invest £30m in Clynelish
Diageo has announced plans for a £30 million expansion of its Clynelish distillery in Sutherland.
Friedman is Absolut’s new global travel retail director
Pernod Ricard has announced the appointment of Doron Friedman as director global travel retail at The Absolut Company (TAC).