Jacob's Creek winemaker Bernard Hickin has said the 2012 Australian vintage is "the best in 20 years". 

The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, based in Chico, California, is to build a second site in western North Carolina scheduled to open in 2014. 

Yellow spot is the latest single pot still whiskey from Irish Distillers.

The Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) has reported that a late frost has damaged more than 10% of Austrian vineyard area.

Speyburn Highland single malt 10 year old and Speyburn Bradan Orach have been repackaged. The distillery has also launched a members club for whisky fans called Clan Speyburn and a new website.

A museum for wine and spirits is to open in Stockholm this month.

UK: Charles Heidsieck champagne is to move to a "fine wine-orientated partner" in the UK. Distribution is to shift from First Drinks Brands to Liberty Wines from June 1, 2012 .

Islay single malt whisky Laphroaig is to launch a Diamond Jubilee commemorative edition.

Heaven Hill Distilleries is to launch a limited edition 20 year old bourbon.

Hungarian bartender Gabor Onufer has won the Bols Around the World cocktail competition.

Belvédère’s Polish vodka brand Krupnik recorded the largest growth of any spirit or liqueur brand in 2011, pushing it into the top ten of the world’s best selling vodkas, according to The Millionaires’ Club 2012.

UK distributor First Drinks is to invest £2m in marketing the Green Mark vodka brand in the UK.

Danny DeVito has partnered with Design Spirits UK for the launch of his eponymous limoncello brand this month.

AB InBev UK today announced the June launch of Stella Artois Cidre Pear to the UK on and off-trade.

Islay single malt Bowmore is launching a new expression in the UK - Bowmore Small Batch Reserve.

Meantime Brewing Company is to open “London’s biggest new brewery since 1936”. The new facility is to quadruple Meantime’s beer production capacity to 100,000 hectolitres and will host a visitor’s centre and shop.

Panache Beverage is to launch its vodka brands in Canada. Wodka Vodka and Alchemia Infused Vodka are to be represented in Canada by OBH Wine and Spirits.

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

Languedoc-Roussillon-based wine brand Abbotts & Delaunay has set its sights on the UK market following launches across global markets.

UK: Accolade Wines has launched a range of Ready to Serve (RTS) drinks under the Hardys, Banrock Station and Stone’s brands.

Seven Islands Vintage is described as a luxury single malt scotch whisky bringing together the best of India and Scotland.

Czech brewery Budweiser Budvar has announced record levels of exports amid volume growth of 5.5% and net profit increases of 9.2%.

Concha y Toro is the World’s Most Admired Wine Brand for the second year running, according to a survey by Drinks International.

Heaven Hill Distilleries is to open a bourbon tourist experience in Louisville, Kentucky.

Beam is to launch a White Peach Margarita under its premixed cocktail brand Skinnygirl.

English sparkling wine Nyetimber has revamped its packaging in time for the UK’s summer of celebrations.

UK: Chivas Brothers has signed a five-year partnership deal between its scotch brand Royal Salute and the royal gun salutes at the Tower of London. The first of which will be for the Queen’s Jubilee in June.

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

Beam is to purchase Pinnacle vodka and Calico Jack rum from White Rock Distilleries for $605 million.

The Manchester Drinks Company’s RTD line, MyCocktail, is set to be extended with the UK launch of frozen pre-mixed cocktail pouches.

InterLoire, the interprofessional body for Loire wines has announced that 18 wines from AOC Touraine and Vins de Pays du Val de Loire 2011 vintage have been selected as “Ambassador wines” for the Sauvignon Blanc de Loire project this year.

Guala Closures has received recognition for off-setting CO_2. 

Sazerac has launched two new flavour editions of its Wave Vodka brand to the US market, called Wave Baja and Wave Lemon Lime.

US: Beam is to launch a rye whiskey under the Knob Creek brand this July.

Diageo is to create a £30,000 whisky inspired by Formula One driver Jenson Button.

Belgian beer company Duvel Moortgat has announced the launch of a marketing campaign that will see the back labels of its Vedett beer bottles given over to its consumers’ artwork and blogs.

Pernod Ricard USA has extended the flavoured range of its Seagram's Gin brand with the addition of Pineapple Twisted.

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

Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy has rolled out its flavoured vodka Belvedere Bloody Mary to the UK market.

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

US: Pernod Ricard has launched a new flavour of its Absolut vodka.

Ian Macleod Distillers is to reopen Speyside distillery Tamdhu. The company purchased the distillery in 2011, after it was closed in 2010 by previous owner the Edrington Group.

US-based Rok Stars has appointed Dynamic Group Development Corporation distributor of Oval Vodka in central and South America.

Heineken has announced the winners of its Limited Edition Design Challenge, a competition to find the front and back label designs for a million of its bottles.

Chivas Brothers has launched the limited edition Royal Salute Diamond Jubilee to the global off-trade.

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.

Pernod Ricard UK has unveiled an initiative titled ‘Building Premium Wine Brands’, to bring growth back to the UK light wine sector.

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

Mount Gay Rum Distilleries and UK distributor First Drinks have appointed Miguel Smith as European brand ambassador for Mount Gay Rum.

Diageo GTME Americas has launched two new products under the Johnnie Walker brand. Johnnie Walker Platinum Label and Johnnie Walker Gold Reserve will launch in the Americas first, followed by a global roll-out in travel retail in the first half of 2012.