Bar Convent São Paulo to launch in 2019
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 reports increased sales in preliminary results
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 and W. Deutsch part ways for Licor 43
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 wins legal case with brewer
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 and Camus Cognac enter China distribution deal
Distell Group has appointed Camus Cognac subsidiary Yuanliu International Trade Co as distributor for three of its Scotch whisky bands in China.
Diageo says new HQ search is "premature"
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.
Zamora Company sees record turnover in 2017
The Zamora Company has recorded a €169m turnover for 2017, the highest in the company’s history.
Zamora Company buys major stake in Chinese distributor
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 breaks new ground
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.
Liviko takes on Rémy Cointreau brands
The Estonia-based Liviko Group is to represent the Rémy Cointreau group in the Baltic States.
Zamora Company targets niche markets
Spanish wine and spirits business, Zamora Company has positioned itself amongst “niche” categories to achieve sustainable growth.
WSTA Brexit debate at London Wine Fair
The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is hosting a ‘Brexit debate’ at this year’s London Wine Fair.
Halewood and Tsingtao part company
Halewood Wines & Spirits and Tsingtao Brewery have agreed mutually not to renew their longstanding distribution agreement.
Beam Suntory acquires ABV Brands
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.
Distillers' City Debate tickets released
Tickets have been released for the seventh annual Distillers’ City Debate on Thursday 3 May 2018 in London.
AB InBev acquires Atom Brands
AB InBev subsidiary company, ZX Ventures has purchased Atom Group for an undisclosed fee.
William Grant & Sons makes Doug Bagley MD
William Grant & Sons has appointed Doug Bagley as managing director for Asia Pacific, effective 14 May 2018.
Accolade Wines sold to Carlyle Group for A$1bn
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.
AB InBev and Anadolu Efes merge Russia and Ukraine business
Anheuser-Busch InBev has completed the 50:50 merger of the AB InBev and Anadolu Efes Russia and Ukraine businesses.
Toorank drops 'Dutch Spirits' brand
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 chairman sells £82.5m shares
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.
BrewDog acquires Draft House chain
Scottish brewing company, BrewDog has taken full ownership of the entire Draft House estate of 14 bars across London and south east England.
WSTA takes British wine to HK
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.
Global Brands sales increase +16% in 2017
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.
Henkell confirms purchase of 50% of Freixenet
As reported in the February issue of Drinks International, Henkell the German sparkling wine company, has finalised the deal to buy 50.67% of Freixenet SA’s shares.
Diageo acquires aperitif Belsazar
Diageo has announced the acquisition of Belsazar GmbH, a premium aperitif from Germany’s Black Forest for an undisclosed fee.
Heineken loses legal battle in Greece
Macedonian Thrace Brewery (MTB) has welcomed the success in its long-running legal battle with Heineken and its 98.8%-owned Greek operating subsidiary, Athenian Brewery (AB), for anti-competitive market abuses in Greece.
Coca-Cola launches alcohol brand to survive
Coca-Cola’s plans to release an alcoholic beverage in Japan in 2018 is a survival strategy according to big data experts.
Maxxium UK to become Edrington-Beam Suntory UK Distribution
Maxxium UK has announced that it is to change its name to Edrington-Beam Suntory UK Distribution Limited, from April 1.
WSTA annual conference wins award
The Wine and Spirit Trade Association’s annual conference has been recognised by the European Association Awards ceremony in Belgium.
William Grant & Sons has appointed a managing director for Latin America
William Grant & Sons has appointed Enda O’Sullivan as managing director to Latin America, overseeing the hoped for growth of the company’s brand portfolio.
New chapter for Tales
Tales of the Cocktail is now under new ownership bringing to an end a controversial period for the New Orleans festival.
Jameson shines in Pernod Ricard financial results
Sales of Jameson Irish whiskey have increased 12% in the first half of the 2018 financial year to become Pernod Ricard’s joint largest whiskey brand in terms of volume.
Drinktank 'ground-breaking' for on-trade
The drinks industry’s first global intelligence network, Drinktank, has been set up to change the way brands work with the on-trade.
Diageo gets consumer insight in Africa
Diageo has paired up with consumer insights company Join the Dots to further understand the consumption trends in Africa.
Subramaniam to lead Bacardi in Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa
Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held spirits company, has announced the internal promotion of Vijay S. Subramaniam to managing director - Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa (AMEA).
Pernod Ricard extends responsible drinking campaign
Pernod Ricard has renewed its partnership with the Erasmus Students Network on raising awareness of responsible drinking for students within Europe.
Diageo sales up 1.7%
Diageo, the world’s largest premium spirits company, has announced its interim results for six months ended December 31, 2017.
WSTA nominated for European Association Awards
The Wine and Spirit Trade Association has been shortlisted for two European Association Awards, which will take place on February 23 in Brussels.
Tesco renews partnership with WSET
Tesco has renewed its role as gold level corporate patron of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET).
IBWSS business topics announced
Business speakers at the International Bulk Wine and Spirits Show will cover private lable strategies and maximising profits over two days in London this February.
Millennials still key to UK market
While UK Millennials are drinking less than their parents, they remain a significant market for alcohol producers, according to GlobalData.
De Kuyper to market Beam Suntory brands
De Kuyper Royal Distillers has announced that it is to cooperate with Beam Suntory in marketing its brands in the Netherlands.
WSTA chief hails decision to freeze UK alcohol duty
Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association has praised the decision made by chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond to freeze UK wine and spirits duty.
Stoli appoints Cellar Trends as UK distributor
The Stoli Group has announced the appointment of Cellar Trends as the exclusive distributor for its portfolio in the UK, effective January 1, 2018.
Toon Blij steps down from Dutch Spirits
Dutch distiller, Dutch Spirits, has announced the retirement of founder and owner Toon Blij from his role as CEO who will be replaced by Andy Mallows, former managing director.
William Grant & Sons reports +£200m profit in 2016
Global premium spirits business William Grant & Sons has reported profits of £222.1m after tax for the year ended 31 December 2016.
De Kuyper acquires Cherry Heering
De Kuyper Royal Distillers has acquired Cherry Heering, one of the oldest cherry liqueurs in the world, from its brand owner Peter F. Heering.