Irish Distillers confirms £100m expansion

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.

Rémy Cointreau cites Asia in H1 profit spike

Rémy Cointreau has attributed its positive half-year profits to “remarkable” growth in Asia and “strong” performances in the US and Europe.

Scotland: Diageo opens £10m cooperage

Diageo has opened a £10 million cooperage in Scotland.

Africa: Diageo opens $55m brewery

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

Fuller's posts half-year growth of 6%

London Pride brewer Fuller’s has announced half-year growth of 6% after registering a turnover of £128m.

Boisset buys Skalli winery

Boisset, La Famille des Grands Vins has purchased the Skalli winery and brands in the Languedoc and Rhône Valley. The financial details were not disclosed. 

Accolade sets its stall out

Accolade Wines has set its stall out, 10 months after Constellation Brands sold off its international wine division to an Australian private equity group.

Accolade receives £150m from GE Capital

Hardys and Banrock Station brand owner Accolade Wines is to receive a £150 million financing facility from GE Capital.

Mexico: Beam teams up with La Madrileña

US: Mexico-based La Madrileña is to distribute Beam’s entire portfolio in Mexico. As part of the performance-based agreement, effective on January 1, 2012, La Madrileña will be the exclusive distributor of Beam’s brands, including Jim Beam bourbon, Sauza tequila, Courvoisier cognac and Cruzan rum.

ProWein to be bigger

ProWein organisers Messe Düsseldorf, has announced that next year’s show will be bigger with the opening of an additional hall.

Asia-Pacific to become the fastest-growing alcoholic drinks region over the next five years

International Wine & Spirit Research (IWSR) says that Asia-Pacific will be the fastest-growing region for the alcoholic beverage markets over the next five years.

China falls in love with Italian wine, claims Vinitaly organiser

Veronafiere, organisers of the Vinitaly exhibition, claims China has fallen in love with its Italian wines which were in show at the recent Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair (HKIWSF).

Pernod Ricard appoints new Absolut marketing chief

The Absolut Company has appointed Jonas Tåhlin to the role of vice president global marketing. 

Screw-cap acceptance in the UK has doubled in eight years, says new report

Acceptance of screw-cap closures on wine bottles sold in the UK has risen to 85% of the regular wine-drinking population, according to a report on wine stoppers from Wine Intelligence.

Rok Stars buys Oval and unveils lofty ambitions

New US consumer goods company Rok Stars, headed by Patron Spirits co-founder John Paul DeJoria, has acquired Austrian vodka brand Oval.

Absolut signs with Lagena Distribution

The Absolut Company has entered into agreement with JF Hillebrand subsidiary, Lagena Distribution, for the management of the company's logistics and distribution.

Sogrape acquires Stevens Garnier

International wine producer Sogrape has acquired 100% of UK wine agency Stevens Garnier. The company previously owned 38% of Stevens Garnier and financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Scotland: Industry blasts minimum pricing

A minimum unit price for alcohol set out in today’s (November 1) Scottish government Bill is unlikely to reduce alcohol misuse, will threaten the £3.4 billion whisky industry and will punish moderate drinkers, according to the trade. 

Stock completes refinancing

Central European spirits and liqueurs company Stock Spirits Group is gearing up to acquire new business.

Douglas Laing announces double-digit growth

Glasgow-based bottler and blender Douglas Laing & Co has attributed its 11% growth to the strong performance of Asian markets.

Carlsberg UK's Sheps to leave

Carlsberg UK chief executive Isaac Sheps is leaving to take over leadership of the brewer’s Russian business, Baltika, and its eastern European operations.

Comedian has Joly good time in Bordeaux

The Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) has teamed up with comedian Dom Joly to produce a series of videos.

DI September goes online

The September edition of Drinks International is now online and can be downloaded as a digital magazine by clicking here.

Beam announces management changes

Beam Inc has announced a new commercial structure in its Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) region.

Alcohol Concern loses its CEO

The board of Alcohol Concern, the anti-alcohol lobby group in the UK, has announced a restructuring of its senior management following the loss of core funding with the role of the CEO becoming part time for a year alongside the recruitment of a full time director of fundraising and campaigning.

Heineken to sponsor 2015 Rugby World Cup

Heineken has extended its sponsorship of the Rugby World Cup to remain its official beer supplier and worldwide partner for the 2015 tournament in England.

Foursquare takes top gongs at Golden Rum Barrel Awards

UK Rumfest has announced the winners of the Golden Rum Barrel Awards 2011, with Foursquare Distillery of Barbados taking home two of the top prizes.

Nick Hyde is the new WSTA chairman

The Wine and Spirit Trade Assoication (WSTA) has announced that Nick Hyde, managing director of Diageo Wines Europe, is its new chairman.

C&C CEO to step down

The CEO of Magners cider manufacturer C&C Group is to step down at the end of the year.

Pernod posts strong first quarter results

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).

SABMiller and Analdolu Efes form strategic alliance

SABMiller, has formed a strategic alliance for Turkey, Russia, the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States, former Soviet republics), central Asia and the Middle East with the Turkish brewer, Anadolu Efes.

Patrón enters India with Aspri Spirits

Patrón Spirits International has teamed up with Mumbai-based agent Aspri Spirits to distribute its portfolio of tequila, vodka and rum in India.

Cert Octavian announces new MD

Cert Octavian Plc, the UK’s leading logistics and specialist wine cellarage business, has announced that Vincent O’Brien is managing director with immediate effect.

World’s Most Admired Wine Brands is published online

Drinksint.com is now home to the World’s Most Admired Wine Brands magazine supplement, a comprehensive industry poll of the world's best regarded wine. 

DIVA to distribute SA wines

French distributor DIVA (Distribution Internationale de Vins et Alcools) has created DIVA South Africa to market some of the country’s ‘premium’ wines to an international audience.

Belvedere appoints CEO, looks to clear debts

Sobieski vodka owner Belvedere has appointed Krzysztof Trylinski as chairman and chief executive officer of the group. He aims to clear the company's debt by selling two of its brands.

ISC trophies announced

The winners of the International Spirits Challenge trophies have been announced.

Russia: Roust and Rémy strengthen ties

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 acquires Ruffino wine brand

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

Pernod announces staff shuffle

Pernod Ricard has announced a number of staff changes.

Beam floats in Fortune Brands break up

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

Sazerac buys 17 brands from Corby

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

Former Brown Forman chairman dies

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

Angostura CEO steps down

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

Italy: Stoli changes distributor

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

Russia: Whyte & Mackay teams up with Roust

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.

Pernod announces new MD for Pernod Ricard UK

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

Can firm to spend £68m on new plant

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

Stella Artois anoints UK Draught Master

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