Bacardi has set up a $3m fund to help bar owners and bartenders make ends meet during the global coronavirus lockdown.

Guinness producer Diageo has launched a £1m St Patrick’s Day fund to help bars pay their staff during these difficult times.

AB Inbev has drawn down the entirety of a $9bn loan facility from global banks as it bids to ride out the coronavirus outbreak.

Inver House Distillers, the Scotland-based spirits arm of International Beverage Holdings has reported a 28% increase in turnover for the year ending December 2011.

Pernod Richard is raising the stakes in scotch whisky after a week in which it hosted a ‘Capital Markets Day’ of presentations up at its flagship Glenlivet distillery on Speyside.

Diageo, the world's leading premium drinks business, has announced that it has reached agreement with Ypióca Agroindustrial Limitada to buy cachaça brand, Ypióca, and certain production assets.

The Champagne Bureau has reported increased shipments in 2011. Total shipments worldwide rose from 319.5 million bottles in 2010 to 323 million in 2011.

The Diego Zamora group has reported that its Licor 43 brand finished 2011 with sales of 500 000 cases worldwide, 4.2 million liters, which represents an increase of more than 25% over 2010.

Gruppo Campari plans to build a US$44m bottling facility at the Wild Turkey distillery in Kentucky, US.

US consumption of imported sparkling wine will reach new heights in 2012 due to the increased penetration of prosecco and cava, says Wine Intelligence. 

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard has confirmed it will spend €100m on the 2012 expansion of its Midleton Single Distillery, the site where Jameson is produced.

Diageo subsidiary East African Breweries Limited (EABL) has opened a $55 million brewery in Moshi, Tanzania. 

Pernod Ricard has announced net sales (excluding tax and duties) of €1.987 million for the first quarter of 2011/12 (July 1 – September 30, 2011).

Diageo has announced plans to step-up its multi-million dollar strategic partnership with social media website Facebook.

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. 

Africa: Heineken has purchased two breweries in Ethiopia for a total of US$163 million. 

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.

Bacardi Brown Forman Brands has launched a new vodka under the Eristoff brand.

Drinks International and Euromonitor International have published the Millionaires Club 2011. The report lists spirits brands that sell over one million nine-litre cases. A record 172 brands feature in this year’s edition and figures are based on 2010 sales volumes.

Ian Macleod Distillers has purchased the Tamdhu distillery in Speyside, from the Edrington Group.

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).

Scotland: Diageo is to invest £20 million in its Speyside whisky facilities.

Diageo subsidiary East African Breweries (EAB) has purchased all of SAB Miller’s 20% shareholding in Kenya Breweries (KB). The transaction is worth US$225 million. The deal is subject to EAB disposing of its 20% shareholding in Tanzania Breweries – by way of public offer through the Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange.

Canada: Brick Brewing Company has acquired the Canadian rights to the Seagram Coolers brand from Corby Distilleries. The transaction closed upon signing.

Brown-Forman has sold its Fetzer wine business to Concha y Toro for US$238 million. The transaction is expected to close in April 2011.

Diageo has struck an agreement to acquire Turkey's "leading" spirits company, Mey Içki.

Nemiroff has reported strong growth in 2010. The Ukrainian vodka brand said sales volumes rose to $473.6 million – $56.8 million (13.6%) up on the previous year. The company said the largest growth areas were Ukraine and Poland.

Cognac has reported record-breaking shipment figures for 2010. The region reported the value of 2010 shipments to be €1.86 billion.

Jameson has reached three million nine litre case sales (MAT ending October 31). According to the brand, growth in the US, Jameson’s largest export market, contributed to its milestone success, with one million cases sold.

Central European Distribution Corporation (CEDC) is to purchase the global rights for Kauffman vodka.

Pernod Ricard New Zealand has announced the disposal of its Lindauer wine brand. The company has also announced the sale of several other New Zealand wine brands from Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay together with their related inventories and assets.

Global drinks giant Diageo has opened the doors of its new £40 million distillery in Speyside, Scotland.

Pernod Ricard has sold its shares in Ambrosio Velasco to Diego Zamora for €33.1 million (excluding debt).

India: United Spirits has crossed the milestone of 100 million cases for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010.

Chile: Vinos de Chile has assessed earthquake damage and reported limited damage, though this amounts to a loss US$250 million.