Russian Standard vodka owner Roust and Rémy Cointreau have announced the expansion of their partnership in Russia which will include the distribution of additional Rémy Cointreau brands.

Constellation Brands has purchased the remaining 50.1% of Italian wine brand Ruffino from MPF International. 

Pernod Ricard has announced a number of staff changes.

US Spirits company Fortune Brands today begun trading as Beam on the New York stock exchange, following the separation of its businesses.

Buffalo Trace bourbon owner the Sazerac Company has agreed to purchase 17 brands from Pernod Ricard‘s Corby Distillers. 

Owsley Brown II, former chairman and CEO of Brown-Forman has died after a brief illness. He was 69 years old.

Angostura Holdings has announced the departure of managing director and CEO Wayne Yip Choy, effective September 21, 2011.

SPI Group has agreed a new distribution deal with Velier, for the entire Stolichnaya portfolio in Italy.

Whyte & Mackay has announced a partnership with Russian Standard vodka owner Roust. The deal is for the distribution and promotion of the Glasgow-based company’s spirits portfolio in Russia.

Denis O’Flynn, currently managing director – Ireland for Irish Distillers, is the new managing director of Pernod Ricard UK from October 17.

Packaging company Rexam is to build a new beverage can plant in Finland.

Stella Artois is gearing up for its World Draught Masters final in Buenos Aires, having anointed a champion from its UK heat.

The Distilled Spirits Council of the US (DISCUS) and the European Forum for Responsible Drinking have issued guidelines for responsible alcohol advertising and marketing.

The board of Foster’s Group has recommended to its shareholders that an improved takeover offer by SABMiller is accepted.

The Belvédère Group and wine company Moncigale are under the care of the court after a judgement was made on September 20 by the Tribunal de Commerce de Nimes.

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

Drambuie has reported operating profits of £2.81m – up 2% on last year.

UK: Somerset Cider Brandy has been granted geographical protection.

Diageo has announced the launch of Catalyst, a stand-alone group that will focus exclusively on what it describes as high potential brands.

The UK government has urged the drinks industry to back its Responsibility Deal aimed at countering binge drinking and alcoholism.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has announced that the value of scotch exports for the first half of 2011 is up 22%

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”.

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.

Drinks International is delighted to announce that premier Italian Prosecco producer Follador is to sponsor this year's Travel Retail Awards.

The Institute of Masters of Wine has announced 11 new masters of wine.

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 Ricard has posted annual organic sales growth of 7% to achieve a turnover of €7.6b.

Beam Global has appointed Debora Boyda to the role of general manager of the Mixables Category Business Team (CBT). 

Diageo has cited ‘emerging markets’ as a reason for its positive results – including 16% growth in scotch whisky in emerging markets. 

The Glenmorangie Company has promoted chief operating officer Paul Skipworth to the post of president and managing director.

Diageo has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Turkish spirits firm Mey Içki, after receiving regulatory clearances.

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 Group has reached an agreement to acquire Australsian-based drinks operator, Flavoured Beverages Group.

The board of Foster’s Group has rebuffed SABMiller's proposed takeover bid. 

Beam Global Spirits & Wine has appointed Christopher G. Bauder to the role of bourbon category business team (CBT) general manager.

SABMiller has proposed to make a conditional, off-market, cash takeover offer for all of the issued shares in Foster’s Group. 

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has ruled that discriminatory excise tax on spirits in the Philippines is a violation of WTO rules.

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

William Grant & Sons and JF Hillebrand have signed a three-year global logistics contract.

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.

G&J Greenall, one of the UK’s major distillers has been sold to a management buy out, according to unconfirmed reports.

UK spirits and liqueur agency, Mangrove, has announced plans for expansion into the Middle East and south Asia.

Gruppo Campari has announced the acquisition of Brazilian cachaça brand Sagatiba and half-year sales growth of 14.2%.

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”).

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.

The emerging South Korean market could boost the fortunes of wine importers, according to research by Wine Intelligence.

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.

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’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.