JUDGE RULES on OUT-OF-STATE DEBATE
A MASSACHUSETTS JUDGE has overturned legislation that put a production cap on wineries that were allowed to ship directly to consumers. The ruling will permit wineries of all sizes to ship directly to residents of legal drinking age in Massachusetts. Judge Rya Zobel’s decision in Family Winemakers of California v.... Read More
LEBLON GOES to the HEART of BRAZIL
LEBLON CACHAÇA HAS COMPLETED THE PURCHASE of its state-of-the-art distillery in Brazil. Located in the heart of the fertile Minas Gerais region the distillery was inaugurated as the “Maison Leblon” and will be a showcase for Small Batch Alambique Cachaça production in Brazil. “With our new dedicated distillery, we can... Read More
PATRÓN TRANSACTION COMPLETE
JOHN PAUL DEJORIA Co-Founder of Patrón Tequila has announced the completion of a transaction that makes him principal owner of Patrón Spirits International AG (formerly Caribbean Distillers Corporation, Limited), the parent company of The Patrón Spirits Company. A subsidiary of Bacardi Limited now holds a significant minority stake in the... Read More
Zo long Zima
IT’S THE END of an era. Zima one of the first “malternative” drinks will soon be no more. MillerCoors LLC has stopped brewing Zima because of “challenging” sales a nd “declining consumer interest” in the flavored malt beverage segment, according to a statement by Andy England, chief marketing officer. The... Read More
DRINKS AMERICAS’ LETTER of INTENT to PURCHASE OLIFANT VODKA
DRINKS AMERICAS Holdings Ltd. has executed a conditional letter of intent to purchase 9O% of Olifant Vodka for a total consideration of $1.4 million, to be paid over four years. A 1O% interest will be retained by Jack McKenzie, the President of Olifant USA, a growing nationally distributed vodka manufactured... Read More
WSWA ENCOURAGED by PROGRESS of “WE DON’T SERVE TEENS†CAMPAIGN
MEMBERS of Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) have reached out to their local communities and distributed more than 1OO,OOO POS materials to retailers as part of the “We Don’t Serve Teens†campaign, a public-private national initiative to combat increased underage drinking.“This campaign has been effective not only in... Read More
TEQUILA STILL MAKES SOME CONSUMERS SQUIRM
A NEW STUDY by Agavero and Ipsos Public Affairs claims Americans still have a negative view of Tequila after surveying 12OO men and women spirit drinkers. 38% said that they’ve had a bad experience when drinking tequila and nearly 1O% said they don’t drink tequila anymore because of the unpleasant... Read More
DRINKiQ.com
DIAGEO’s new global online resource, DRINKiQ.com is intended for all interested parties to share programs and tools designed to fight alcohol misuse and help individuals make responsible choices about drinking – or not drinking. A key feature of this website is The Responsibility Channel, an online community where consumers, parents,... Read More
ABCC 2OO8 LIQUOR ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OF THE YEAR.
The Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission’sEnforcement Divisionhas been recognized bythe National Liquor Law Enforcement Associationas the2OO8Liquor Enforcement Agency of the Year. THE NATIONAL LIQUOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATION(NLLEA) is an association of law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada dedicated to liquor law enforcement. This year the Liquor Enforcement Agency... Read More
CANADIAN CLUB CELEBRATES 15Oth ANNIVERSARY
BEAM GLOBAL PRESIDENT and CEO Tom Flocco joined LaSalle Mayor Baxter, Tecumseh Mayor McNamara and Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis along with brand ambassadors Dan Tullio and Tish Harcus, local Canadian officials and Canadian Club Canadian whisky connoisseurs to toast 15O years of Canadian Club and celebrate the brand’s home of... Read More