Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, producers of Jameson, is set to introduce Redbreast 15 Year Old Irish Pure Pot Still whiskey as a permanent expression within the range in key international markets including Ireland, USA, France and Germany.

Scotch whisky distillers have welcomed a vote by the Scottish Parliament Health & Sport Committee to remove minimum pricing from the Alcohol (Scotland) Bill.

The number of brands meeting the criteria of The IWSR’s Elite Brands has fallen from 22 in 2009 to just 10 in 2010. Ukrainian vodka Nemiroff has taken the top spot.

Indian distiller Amrut is to launch its first ‘Intermediate Sherry Matured’ whisky. The product will be a limited edition of 275 cases.

Jamaica: J Wray & Nephew, owners of the Appleton Estate Jamaica rum brand, has announced the expansion of several roles within the international division.

Gruppo Campari has signed an agreement to acquire Carolans, Frangelico and Irish Mist from William Grant & Sons for €128.2 million.

The results of the International Cider Challenge 2010 are in. This is the first year of the competition and it attracted over a hundred entries. Drinks International recruited a panel of cider experts to blind taste the ciders, which were then awarded trophies and medals.

Chivas Brothers has launched a winter version of its Beefeater gin brand.

Diageo has launched a new flavour of its cream liqueur brand Baileys.

UK: Champagne GH Mumm has launched a campaign to reinforce its links with food. The Pernod Ricard brand is to partner selected restaurants as part of a UK-wide marketing campaign to celebrate its traditional links with gastronomy.

The Foster’s Group (Foster’s) board of directors has rejected an offer for its Treasury Wine Estates. Foster’s received an “unsolicited expression of interest” from an international private equity firm to acquire the wine assets of Treasury Wine Estates. The proposal involved a cash consideration of between $2.3billion and $2.7billion for 100% of the assets.

Bacardi Global Travel Retail has launched a new expression of its Martini vermouth. Martini Gold is a collaboration between Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana and the Martini brand.

Old Forester has released the 2010 expression of its vintage-dated “Birthday Bourbon”. The drink was released in honour of George Garvin Brown, the founder of Louisville-based Brown-Forman and Old Forester. First launched eight years ago to commemorate Brown’s Birthday on September 2, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is a limited-edition bourbon which is released annually.

Scottish Labour’s Alcohol Commission has rejected the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) proposal for minimum pricing.

Pernod Ricard Espana has completed the sale of its shares in Ambrosio Velasco to Diego Zamora for a total price of 32.4 M€ in cash.

Foster's Group has announced that Angus McKay, chief financial officer (CFO) has submitted his resignation and will depart Foster’s towards the end of this year. McKay joined Foster’s in 2004 from Fonterra Australia and was finance director, Foster’s Australia, Asia and Pacific, before taking up the CFO role in January 2008.

Jean-Dominique Comolli has resigned from the board of directors at Pernod Ricard.

International Beverage Holdings is celebrating 49 awards in various international drinks competitions, including 13 awards in the International Spirits Challenge.

The Glenglassaugh Distillery Company has launched a range of “Spirit Drink” products. The aim is to give malt whisky fans the opportunity to sample the evolution of the spirit that will eventually become whisky.

The not-for-profit Amarula Trust has committed to a further three years of financial support to the Amarula Elephant Research Project (AERP) under Prof Rob Slotow of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Glenmorangie has launched a new whisky in its Private Edition range. The Glenmorangie Finealta, pronounced ‘Finalta’, is Scottish Gaelic for ‘elegant’. It is a recreation of Glenmorangie based on a recipe dating back to 1903.

Diageo has announced the appointment of Lord Mervyn Davies of Abersoch to its board, effective September 1 2010. He is to be appointed as a non-executive director and his responsibilities will include membership of the audit, the nomination and the remuneration committees.

Australia: Former police chief commissioner Christine Nixon has stepped down from the Foster’s Group board.

Russia: Moscow is to ban sales of vodka between 10pm and 10am, according to reports.

Bushmills master distiller Colum Egan has announced the names of the nine contenders who will represent their countries in the international finals of its competition.

Beam Global Spirits & Wine is to push its Maker’s Mark brand in travel retail. A new campaign, created to enhance the travel experience, aims to raise awareness for Maker’s Mark amongst passengers and encompass advertising, in-store education, secondary displays and exclusive travel retail gift packs.

Bacardi Limited has appointed Stefan Bomhard to the role of regional president of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). He is to be responsible for this area’s commercial operations.

Carlton & United Breweries and Asahi Breweries have extended a long-term exclusive licence for Carlton to sell and market Asahi Super Dry in Australia.

UK: Constellation Europe’s Banrock Station brand is to launch special edition wines to help preserve the British bee population.

New Zealand/UK: NZ based ready to serve cocktail company VnC is to launch in the UK. The company has signed a distribution deal with Whyte & Mackay to launch into the UK market.

Highland Park has launched the third bottling from the distillery’s Orcadian Vintage Series - a 1970 Vintage.

UK: Russian Standard Vodka has launched an on-pack music promotion. Consumers will have the chance to win free tickets to music gigs as part of the Russian Standard Vodka Originals brand campaign.

Islay: Bruichladdich distillery has started to produce gin. The Islay distillery, usually associated with peaty whisky, began making its first batch of gin today (3 August).

Mount Gay rum has launched a new 'rare cask selection', called 1703.

An attempt by AB InBev  to register the Budweiser trademark  as a Community Trade Mark within the EU has been rejected by the European Court of Justice.

Stock Spirits has launched a 21 year old  single malt Czech whisky. The company believes it to be the only Bohemian single malt in the world.

Bacardi has announced two new board directors, Francisco V Carrera-Justiz and Theodore C Walker, who were elected at the company’s AGM in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Beam Global Spirits & Wine, the premium spirits business of Fortune Brands has announced plans to divest three of its German-market local brands. Kuemmerling bitters, Fûrst Bismarck korn/schnapps and Jacobi 1880 brandy are to be sold to Henkell & Co, the second largest distributor of wine and spirits in Germany.

Graham Beck, the name behind one of South Africa’s best-known wine brands, has died aged 80.

Diageo has signed up rock band Killers frontman Brandon Flowers to help celebrate Guinness’s Arthur’s Day.

Pernod Ricard has created a new brand company for its wines and made several organisational changes to its overall structure.

The Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc in Bordeaux is to release the official list of new properties classified as ‘Cru Bourgeois’ on Sept 15.

LVMH has appointed a new CEO for Maison Moet et Chandon.

Pernod Ricard has announced the disposal, by its subsidiary Domecq Bodegas, of Spanish wine brands Marqués de Arienzo and Viña Eguίa. The sale also includes the related Bodega and 358 hectares of vineyards and lands.

As part of a previously-announced review of its wine operations, Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines has announced that it has sold its Barton & Guestier Bordeaux business to French Wine concern Castel Freres SAS. The sale includes brands, inventory and land, including Chateau Magnol.  The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

A collaboration between Peter Oberleithner (design, photography) and Karl Mayer of the Education and Research Centre for Viticulture and Pomology (technical texts), this new book is a detailed and beautifully photographed examination of how a wine is produced, beginning with the propagation of a vine and ending with bottling.

Diageo has announced the winner of its global bartender competition World Class. Erik Lorincz from the Connaught Bar at The Connaught, London, was crowned champion at a ceremony in Athens, Greece.

Not content with adding one new whisky to an award winning range, Angus Dundee Distillers has released three new expressions of its Glencadam Highland Single Malt.

South African premium winery Journey’s End has seen a huge upturn in sales in the first half of 2010, reporting sales growth of 500% over the period.