THE SECRET TO SLOSHING
CALL THIS a First World issue. A study has found that a glass of beer is less likely to spill than the same glass filled with coffee because bubbles cause friction that prevent it from sloshing. Just like a collection of tiny shock absorbers, liquid foam reduces movement by absorbing... Read More
CRAFT BEER BESTS BUD
THE NUMBERS are close but Americans now buy more craft beer than Budweiser. Craft brewing is certainly still a niche, albeit a fast-growing one, but it’s become a force to be reckoned with. According to the Brewers Association, craft labels make up about 14 percent of the US beer market.... Read More
PROSECCO BUBBLES TO THE TOP
MOVE OVER Champagne, there’s a new king sparkler in town. For the first time ever, Prosecco outsold the French bubbly last year, 3O7 million to 3O4 million bottles. That’s according to figures released by the Italian wine observatory, OVSE. Price point is a huge factor as a weaker economy has... Read More
“MOTHER” GRAPE SAVED FROM EXTINCTION
IT MAY not taste like much but a rare wine grape, nicknamed “Casanova” because of its role in parenting so many of the world’s leading varieties, is one step further from extinction thanks to Swiss volunteers and a leading scientist. Once shunned, Gouais Blanc earned new respect 15 years ago... Read More
BOGUS LAFITE GETS SMASHED
PERHAPS there should be a new Chinese proverb: Beware wine bottles bearing “Lafite” on their label. A wine merchant in the Chinese city of Shenzen has held a public destruction of several hundred bottles of fake Lafite he bought at auction. At a highly publicized media event, staff smashed over... Read More
OBITUARY Philip di Belardino
Philip di Belardino, for many years a very large and beloved figure in the wine scene, died November 13 in New York City. Born in Rome and, as he liked to say, brought here in infancy without his consent, he was nurtured amid Italian wine and culture. His late father,... Read More
SCOTCH WHISKY ASSOCIATION
PIERRE PRINGUET, CEO of French drinks group Pernod Ricard, has been appointed as the new chairman. Pringuet will now work closely with Scotch Whisky Association CEO David Frost to guide the industry over the next few years. One of the items high on his agenda will be the launch of... Read More
BACARDI LIMITED
JIM GALLAGHER has been hired as Global Chief Communications Officer. In this position he will work on long-term strategic and business-related internal and external communication matters. He joins Bacardi from IMG, the global sports, media and fashion company, where he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications. Also, JACQUES... Read More
BEAM SUNTORY
PAULA ERICKSON has been appointed Senior Vice President – Global Chief Human Resources Officer. A six-year veteran of the company, Erickson has served for the past six months as Vice President and Interim Chief Human Resources Officer. She previously held leadership roles in communications while also serving on the human... Read More
BRAND AMBASSADOR of the YEAR
DAVID BLACKMORE, Glenmorangie’s Global Master Brand Ambassador has been named the 2O14 Brand Ambassador of the Year by the International Whisky Competition. Blackmore leads the brand’s Single Malt Scotch Whisky education program in the US, hosting tastings and consumer events. Working with thousands of whisky novices connoisseurs, Blackmore’s initiatives have... Read More