Diageo has agreed the sale of 19 brands to Sazerac for an aggregate consideration of $550m, due for completion in early 2019.

Brewdog has appointed David Gates as managing director of Brewdog distilling after nearly 30 years working with Diageo.

Scotland’s leading exporter of craft beer and spirits JW Filshill International, has embarked on a two-week trade visit to China as it seeks to build on a series of export deals.

MHW the leading service provider for wine, beer, cider and spirits in the US, has expanded to Europe starting with Templeton Rye.

Former head of Reserve Brands at Diageo, Nick Temperley, has joined Edrington-Beam Suntory UK as general manager for London.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association has warned consumers to expect an increase in wine prices as businesses take an inflationary hit following the Budget announcement.

Drinks brand owner and distributor Proof Drinks has appointment Jeremy Hill (pictured, centre) as managing director.

The director general of trade body Spiritseurope has called for an urgent resolution to the outstanding issues in the Brexit negotiations before the European Council Summit this week.

Hannah Sharman-Cox, MD of Drinkup.London joined Drinks International to discuss the success of the ninth edition of London Cocktail Week.

Solera Beverage Group has launched Collection Spirits, a marketing and distribution company specialising in craft and luxury spirits in the Nordics.

Former Tanqueray global brand ambassador Stephanie Jordan has launched a specialist drinks marketing agency to help support emerging craft wine and spirit brands.

Global spirits producer William Grant & Sons has reported profit growth of 12.6% to £250.2m after tax for the year ended 31 December 2017.

AS Liviko has entered into an export contract with Spanish distributor and wine manufacturer Sogas Mascaró resulting in Crafter’s London Dry gin, Crafter’s Aromatic Flower gin and Vana Tallinn liqueurs being exported to Spain.

Cellar Trends has announced the retirement of joint managing director David Marriott and director of sales Terry Barker (pictured).

WSET School London has appointed Richard Harding as the new school principal, responsible for maintaining teaching standards, managing WSET educators and planning the annual schedule of courses.

Diageo Reserve has appointed Irish chef Mark Moriarty as global gastronomer, its new food advocacy role within the business.

Whyte & Mackay (Glasgow, Scotland) and Proximo Spirits (London, England) have announced a partnership to accelerate distribution of their combined portfolios in the UK on trade.

Bar Convent Berlin director Petra Lassahn insists that the schedule clash with Diageo World Class is “an enrichment” to the trade show.

Winner of the 2017 UK Chivas Masters cocktail competition, Rhys Wilson, has joined Chivas as global brand ambassador. 

Fields, Morris & Verdin (FMV) has added champagne agency Leclerc Briant to its portfolio, a brand which has been biodynamically certified since the 1980s.

Pernod Ricard CEO Alexandre Ricard said the company will wait to see how cannabis legalisation effects the sales of premium spirits before investing in the emerging industry.

Pernod Ricard sales for FY18 totalled €8,987m, down -0.3% on FY17 while organic sales growth accelerated to +6.0% from +3.6% last year.

Chase Distillery has formed a partnership with Jebsen Fine Wines in Hong Kong to manage the distribution of its portfolio of vodka and gin.

The Zamora Company and Old Nassau Imports have formed a new sales and marketing organization, Zamora Company USA, LLC.

Bar Convent Berlin is set to launch a new trade show in Brazil in 2019 which will be run by trade show organiser Reed Exhibitions Alcantara Machado and Reed Exhibitions Deutschland.

Diageo has reported net sales of more than £12bn and increased operating profit in its preliminary results for the year ending 30 June 2018.

Zamora has announced that it and its US importer, W. Deutsch Family Wines, have mutually agreed to terminate its arrangement for Licor 43, effective September 1.

Irish Distillers has won a trademark case with a British brewery over the name of its lager beer called Mideltone, created by Bucks Star Brewery.

Distell Group has appointed Camus Cognac subsidiary Yuanliu International Trade Co as distributor for three of its Scotch whisky bands in China.

Diageo has said it would be "premature to speculate" over rumours it is looking to relocate its global headquarters from Park Royal to a more central, west London location.

The Zamora Company has recorded a €169m turnover for 2017, the highest in the company’s history.

Zamora Company has purchased a majority stake in Chinese wine and spirits distributor Tintafina.

British pub company JD Wetherspoon is to offer more drinks from UK and non-EU producers and brewers across its 880 pubs from July 9 ahead of Brexit.

Glencairn, the Glasgow-based crystal company which sponsors the International Spirits Challenge and Drinks Inrternational’s Travel Retail Awards, claims to have broken new ground with unprecedented growth globally year-on-year.

Data and analytics company Globaldata, says there is a big opportunity for mid-range western brands to penetrate China’s giant baijiu market.

The Estonia-based Liviko Group is to represent the Rémy Cointreau group in the Baltic States.

Spanish wine and spirits business, Zamora Company has positioned itself amongst “niche” categories to achieve sustainable growth.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is hosting a ‘Brexit debate’ at this year’s London Wine Fair.

Halewood Wines & Spirits and Tsingtao Brewery have agreed mutually not to renew their longstanding distribution agreement.

Beam Suntory has acquired the remaining 50% shareholding of its South African distributor, ABV Brands, from the company founders, Ross Calow, Daniel Hawkins and Igor Boyadjian.

Tickets have been released for the seventh annual Distillers’ City Debate on Thursday 3 May 2018 in London.

AB InBev subsidiary company, ZX Ventures has purchased Atom Group for an undisclosed fee.

William Grant & Sons has appointed Doug Bagley as managing director for Asia Pacific, effective 14 May 2018.

An agreement has been made between 80% shareholder, the CHAMP III Funds (CHAMP) and 20% shareholder, Constellation Brands, Inc. (Constellation) to sell 100% of Accolade Wines to The Carlyle Group for A$1 billion.

Anheuser-Busch InBev has completed the 50:50 merger of the AB InBev and Anadolu Efes Russia and Ukraine businesses.

A senior management change at Toorank has led to the decision to retire the ‘Dutch Spirits’ brand and bring the whole group back under the Toorank umbrella.

Fever-Tree co-founder Charles Rolls has sold 2.6% of his shares in the company for £82.5m, leaving an 8.6% stake under his name.

Scottish brewing company, BrewDog has taken full ownership of the entire Draft House estate of 14 bars across London and south east England.

In the same week that the secretary of state signed a joint statement on trade collaboration, some of the WSTA team led a group of English wine and British gin producers on a trade mission, which - for the first time - was jointly funded by the UK government.

Drinks manufacturer and distributor Global Brands has reported a +16% increase in sales, taking turnover to £42m for its financial year ending 30 September 2017.