Stock to float on the Stock Exchange
Stock Spirits Group has announced its intention to offer shares to institutional investors and float on the London Stock Exchange. It is expected the offer will complete next month. It hopes to raise £52 million.
Pernod Ricard extends ICAP support to Vietnam
Pernod Ricard CEO Pierre Pringuet was in Vietnam yesterday to sign a multi-partite agreement extending the International Center for Alcohol Policies’ (ICAP) pilot programme in its fight against drunk driving.
Mast-Jägermeister begins transition to UK distribution control
Mast-Jägermeister has begun the transition to take UK distribution in-house after announcing plans to establish its own London subsidiary.
Cellar Trends: Cocktail boom seriously underestimated
Cellar trends has said the UK's cocktail boom is “seriously underestimated”, even by on-trade data agency CGA Strategy.
ProWein fully booked
The organiser of ProWein has announced that ProWein 2014 is already fully booked, six months before the show.
Camus to distribute Beluga vodka in China
Camus Cognac and Synergy Group have linked up to launch Beluga vodka in China.
UK on-trade withers in summer heat
A long, hot summer did nothing to boost the UK on-trade’s fortunes, the sector's volume sales having shrunk 6% in the last 12 weeks, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.
Irish PM opens Irish Distillers’ €100m expansion of Midleton
The Irish prime minister or Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, yesterday (September 4) officially opened Irish Distillers’ newly expanded Midleton distillery in Cork.
Scotch growth aided by France and Spain
Recoveries in the much-maligned markets of France and Spain helped to off-set declines in Asia as global sales of Scotch grew 11% by value and 9% by volume for the first half of 2013.
Label 5 Scotch packaging refreshed
Label 5, which ranked number nine in the world’s best selling Scotch whisky brands last year, has unveiled a new look bottle for its Classic Black expression.
Inaugural Mauritian rum festival heralds global export push
Aiming to make its mark on the global rum scene, the island of Mauritius held its first rum festival at the end of August.
US and China offset Pernod's home-region decline
Pernod Ricard grew sales by 4% during 2012/2013, thanks to the US and China offsetting a western European malaise.
Wine Vision organiser announces speaker line-up
The organiser of the international wine summit, Wine Vision, has announced the dates and line-up of speakers for its event.
Wine show London 2013 postponed to 2014
The UK wine event London 2013 has been postponed until March 2014 after “consultation” with the trade.
Confident Kiwi wine producers
New Zealand Winegrowers says wine drinkers globally are continuing to buy New Zealand wines.
Treasury reports net profit after tax of AUS$42m
Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has reported a net profit after tax of AUS$42.3 million for the full year. Earnings before interes and tax (EBITs) stood at $209.2m. Net sales revenue was up 1.9%.
SABMiller opens new Ugandan brewery
SABMiller’s Ugandan subsidiary, Nile Breweries Limited (NBL), has opened its new brewery in Mbarara, western Uganda.
Diageo and IWC secure Dundalk for distilling
Diageo and the Irish Whiskey Company (IWC) have announced that they have entered into an agreement in principal concerning the future ownership of the Great Northern Brewery site, Dundalk.
Wiener Gemischter Satz becomes a DAC
The Wiener Gemischte Satz region has become a DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus).
National Calvados Week
National Calvados Week takes place in the UK between October 14 and 20.
SPI appoints Chase as Stoli distributor
The SPI Group has appointed Chase International Inc. as its new exclusive distributor of Stolichnaya vodka and elit by Stolichnaya, in the US duty free market.
Paul Walsh appointed to USL board
United Spirits board of directors has appointed former Diageo CEO, Paul Walsh, as an additional director of the company with immediate effect.
Australia: Sparkling wine to drive growth
Sparkling wine is projected to see the most growth in Australia's wine market, according to Canadean.
Armagh Cider set for export expansion
Northern Irish cider producer Armagh Cider has secured investment to develop business in new markets including Europe and the US.
Diageo announces Distill Ventures
Diageo has unveiled what it claims is the world’s first accelerator programme, set up to encourage, nurture and mentor new and growing spirits brands.
Mauritius Rum Festival dates announced
The first Mauritius Rum Festival will take place later this month with the aim of promoting the Mauritian rum industry globally.
Campari posts sales of €698.6 million. 13% up
Gruppo Campari has posted its half term results - sales of €698.6 million. 13% up but group net profit is down 26.1% to €57.6m.
China open to dropping EU import tax
China has agreed to discuss dropping its EU wine tax, a move that would bring to an end a trade dispute that threatened European wine exports.
WSET student numbers hit new record
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has announced that latest figures show that worldwide student numbers for the academic year 2012/13, just finished, stand at an all-time high of 48,434, up 12% on the previous year.
AB Inbev grows revenue despite falling volumes
AB Inbev has announced that the first half of 2013 has seen its revenue grow 2.7%, despite volumes falling by 2.6% (compared with H1 2012).
Scotch boosted by Latin American trade deals
Fair Trade Agreements between the EU and Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama will come into force today, according to the Scotch Whisky Association.
Diageo hails North America as Asia slows
Diageo has reported steady net sales growth of 5%, despite Asia Pacific's revenues slowing and Western Europe continuing to falter.
Rémy appoints new CFO
Rémy has appointed a new chief financial officer following Frédéric Pflanz ‘s planned ascension to the CEO role.
UK drinks companies make commercial appointments
Buffalo Trace whiskey distributor Hi-Spirits has appointed John Vider to the newly-created role of commercial director.
London’s first ever winery
A boutique winery is being installed in west London with the intention of processing grapes from the likes of Bordeaux, Languedoc and the Roussillon and making wine from September.
SWA responds to minimum pricing opposition
The Scotch Whisky Association has responded to reports today (July 25) that there is major opposition from several European countries to Scotland’s yet to be enacted law a minimum price for a unit of alcohol.
Drinks writers run Ardbeg Half Marathon for charity
A group of drinks journalists are set to run a half marathon in memory of their colleague and friend Alan Lodge.
Beam switches presidents
Beam has appointed a new president for its Asia Pacific/South America business.
Grosche switches to wine producing
Richard Grosche, joint editor-in-chief of both Meininger’s Weinwelt and Sommelier Magazin, is joining the Reichsrat von Buhl estate winery in January.
Olmeca gets marketing director
Pernod Ricard has appointed a marketing director for its Olmeca tequila brand.
Quintessential unveils Essential
Quintessential Brands, the independent European spirits group has announced the formation of new company, Essential Drinks.
Diageo takes over SJF Holdco
Diageo has received approval from the Chinese authorities to buy the remaining 47% stake in Sichuan Chengdu Shuijingfang Group Company Ltd. (SJF Holdco).
Rioja DOCa appoints new president
The board of the DOCa Rioja has made a grape grower its new president, the first time in the 88-year history of the DOCa.
'Less but better' for UK drinkers
UK alcohol sales are increasing in value but decreasing in volume as a part of a consumer trend to drink less but better, according to the First Drinks Market Report.
Leon Dalloway takes Inspired by Sloane's crown
Leon Dalloway from C.O.L.D Bar in London has been crowned winner of the Inspired by Sloane's cocktail competition.
International Spirits Challenge: the results
Crème de Cassis de Dijon Gabriel Boudier was named Supreme Champion at the International Spirits Challenge awards ceremony last night.
Chateau Haut Gleon Blanc 2012 released
Les Vignobles Foncalieu’s AOC Corbieres Chateau Haut Gleon Blanc 2012 has launched, targeted at the on-trade in Germany, China and the UK.
Hite-Jinro "open" to Diageo talks
Hite-Jinro would consider selling a share of its business to Diageo, according to the South Korean group’s co-president.
Diageo executive committee change
Diageo has announced that its corporate relations director is to leave the company.
Diageo, the world’s largest premium drinks company has launched a pan-European online campaign ‘Think How You Drink’ to remind young people that drinking to excess can lead to shame and embarrassment.