Burn Stewart Distillers posts profits
Burn Stewart Distillers, producer of brands Bunnahabhain and Scottish Leader, has announced net profits of £3.7 for the financial year ending December 31 2010.
Diageo strengthens ties with Facebook
Diageo has announced plans to step-up its multi-million dollar strategic partnership with social media website Facebook.
Drambuie announces annual results
Drambuie has reported operating profits of £2.81m – up 2% on last year.
Somerset Cider Brandy gets EU protection
UK: Somerset Cider Brandy has been granted geographical protection.
Diageo’s catalyst for change
Diageo has announced the launch of Catalyst, a stand-alone group that will focus exclusively on what it describes as high potential brands.
Businesses urged to make Responsibility Deal pledges
The UK government has urged the drinks industry to back its Responsibility Deal aimed at countering binge drinking and alcoholism.
Scotch whisky exports up 22%
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has announced that the value of scotch exports for the first half of 2011 is up 22%
Champagne holds breath after “earliest harvest”
Growers, cooperatives and houses in Champagne have offered ambivalent first appraisals of the 2011 vintage, following what has been described as the appellation’s “earliest ever harvest”.
CIVB appoints marketing director
The Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) or Bordeaux Wine Council, which represents Bordeaux vine growers and négociants, has announced the appointment of François Jumeau as its new marketing director.
Follador to sponsor Drinks International’s Travel Retail Awards
Drinks International is delighted to announce that premier Italian Prosecco producer Follador is to sponsor this year's Travel Retail Awards.
Eleven new masters of wine
The Institute of Masters of Wine has announced 11 new masters of wine.
Pernod finance md underlines importance of emerging markets
The importance of the so-called emerging markets such as those in China, India, was underlined by the Pernod Ricard management team in individual briefings in London today (Tuesday September 6), following the announcement of the group’s annual results last week.
Pernod posts 7% sales growth
Pernod Ricard has posted annual organic sales growth of 7% to achieve a turnover of €7.6b.
Beam appoints mixables manager
Beam Global has appointed Debora Boyda to the role of general manager of the Mixables Category Business Team (CBT).
Diageo posts strong results
Diageo has cited ‘emerging markets’ as a reason for its positive results – including 16% growth in scotch whisky in emerging markets.
Glenmorangie Company appoints new president
The Glenmorangie Company has promoted chief operating officer Paul Skipworth to the post of president and managing director.
Diageo completes Mey Içki purchase
Diageo has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Turkish spirits firm Mey Içki, after receiving regulatory clearances.
Diageo acquires additional Halico stake
Vietnam: Global drinks giant Diageo has closed a Public Offer to acquire an additional 5.07% stake in Hanoi Liquor Joint Stock Company (“Halico”) for approximately £6.4 million.
Asahi to buy Flavoured Beverages Group
Asahi Group has reached an agreement to acquire Australsian-based drinks operator, Flavoured Beverages Group.
Foster's rebuffs SABMiller bid
The board of Foster’s Group has rebuffed SABMiller's proposed takeover bid.
Beam appoints bourbon manager
Beam Global Spirits & Wine has appointed Christopher G. Bauder to the role of bourbon category business team (CBT) general manager.
SABMiller to make Foster's takeover offer
SABMiller has proposed to make a conditional, off-market, cash takeover offer for all of the issued shares in Foster’s Group.
Philippines spirits tax violates WTO rules
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has ruled that discriminatory excise tax on spirits in the Philippines is a violation of WTO rules.
Heineken buys two Ethiopian breweries
Africa: Heineken has purchased two breweries in Ethiopia for a total of US$163 million.
Hillebrand signs with William Grant
William Grant & Sons and JF Hillebrand have signed a three-year global logistics contract.
Mexico to curb "toxic" tequila
Mexico´s Tequila Regulatory Council (TRC) is working to step up operatives to curb a rising trade of fake and "toxic" blends after consumer watchdog Profeco this week announced 40% of the country’s alcohol is sold in an "adulterated" state.
British gin distiller Greenalls is sold in management buyout
G&J Greenall, one of the UK’s major distillers has been sold to a management buy out, according to unconfirmed reports.
Mangrove branches out into Asia
UK spirits and liqueur agency, Mangrove, has announced plans for expansion into the Middle East and south Asia.
Campari buys Sagatiba and posts 14% growth
Gruppo Campari has announced the acquisition of Brazilian cachaça brand Sagatiba and half-year sales growth of 14.2%.
Kirin buys Schincariol
Japanese brewer Kirin has bought the outstanding shares in Aleadri-Schinni Participações e Representações S.A. (“Aleadri”), a company that holds 50.45% of the outstanding shares of Schincariol Participações e Representações SA (Brazil; CEO: Adriano Schincariol: “Schincariol”).
Diageo to pay $16m in "illicit payments" case
US: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has found Diageo to have made “hundreds of illicit payments” to foreign government officials in India, Thailand and South Korea.
South Korean boost for wine importers
The emerging South Korean market could boost the fortunes of wine importers, according to research by Wine Intelligence.
Beam lines up directors
Fortune Brands has announced the boards of directors for Beam and Fortune Brands Home & Security, the standalone public companies to result from the planned separation of its businesses.
Bacardi leader dies, aged 93
Edwin H Nielsen (pictured), the great-grandson of Bacardi founder Don Facundo Bacardí Massó has died in Spain at the age of 93.
Africa: Diageo to invest £225m in brewing ops
Africa: Diageo’s Guinness Nigeria has committed £225million (NGN 55 billion) to expand its brewing operations. The company has said this will create 200 permanent jobs for Nigerians.
Premiumisation driving UK spirits, says First Drinks
Premiumisation is driving UK spirits volume and value growth in the on and off-trade, according to findings by First Drinks.
South Africa: KWV CEO resigns
South Africa: The KWV board has announced that CEO Thys Loubser (pictured) has resigned as company CEO with immediate effect.
Foster's appoints CMO
Foster's Group has announced the appointment of Andy Gibson to the role of chief marketing officer. Andy is expected to start in the role on November 1.
Diageo appoints new Western Europe chief
Diageo has appointed a head of its Western Europe division. From September 1, John Kennedy is to become chief operating officer, Diageo Western Europe. Kennedy is currently managing director, Diageo Ireland.
Pernod announces jobs shake-up
Irish Distillers CEO Alexandre Ricard (pictured) is to leave his post to join Pernod’s group general management team in Paris.
€5m global Vinho Verde campaign unveiled
The Vinho Verde Wine Commission (CVRVV), in Portugal, has invested €5m on a three-year global promotion.
Korean tariff on spirits comes down
Korea’s 20% import tariff on spirits come down today (July 1) as a result of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union and South Korea.
Pernod sells Georgian company
Pernod Ricard has announced the disposal, by its affiliate Pernod Ricard Europe, of its shares in Georgian Wine and Spirits LLC to JSC Marussia (Georgia).
Gallo buys Diageo winery
E & J Gallo Winery has announced an agreement to purchase Edna Valley Vineyard from Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines Company and Paragon Vineyard Company, who held Edna Valley Vineyard as a joint venture.
Ian Macleod buys Speyside distillery
Ian Macleod Distillers has purchased the Tamdhu distillery in Speyside, from the Edrington Group.
Diageo to take controlling stake in Chinese company
Chinese regulators have approved Diageo’s acquisition of an additional 4% stake in Sichuan Chengdu Quanxing Group (Quanxing) from Chengdu Yingsheng Investment Holding Co (Yingsheng).
Constellation officially becomes Accolade
Costellation Wines Australia and Europe has officially become Accolade Wines - as of June 27. Accolade brands include Hardy’s and Echo Falls.
Scotland: Diageo to invest £20m in Speyside whisky
Scotland: Diageo is to invest £20 million in its Speyside whisky facilities.
Beynat on Vinexpo 2011
Drinks International’s Hamish Smith catches up with Vinexpo CEO Robert Beynat at 2011 show.
Foster's rejects SABMiller takeover bid
Foster's has rejected a takeover bid from SABMiller. Foster's Group said that it received an "unsolicited, incomplete, non-binding and conditional proposal" from SABMiller to acquire all of the shares in Foster's via a scheme of arrangement at a price of $4.90 per share in cash.