BLANCO TEQUILA IS WHITE HOT
WHEN IT COMES to drinking tequila in the US, the long-dominant “Gold Standard” has become a thing of the past. Production of Blanco tequila is on the rise as American tequila drinkers demand the unaged agave spirit for sipping or use in mixed drinks. Blanco tequila consumption in the US... Read More
THE BEER INSTITUTE
JAMES A. MCGREEVY III has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of the trade association that represents America’s brewers, beer importers and industry suppliers. He joins the Beer Institute from the American Beverage Association (ABA), where he was Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. McGreevy will lead the Beer... Read More
The Presidents’ Forum of the Distilled Spirits Industry
MAX L. SHAPIRA will take over for Jeffrey O’Neill as Chairman of the national trade association representing distillers and importers. Shapira, President of Heaven Hill Distilleries, has been a long-term member of the organization. The association also welcomed two new members to Presidents’ Forum: Jonathan Yusen, President and Managing Director... Read More
BACARDI LIMITED
Michael J. Dolan has been appointed as Interim Chief Executive Officer for the drinks company. He has been a member of the Board of Bacardi Limited since 2OO9, and most recently served as Chairman and CEO of IMG Worldwide, a global leader in sports, fashion and media. Previously, he was... Read More
National Beer Wholesalers Association
Lester Jones will join the National Beer Wholesalers Association in the position of Chief Economist. Jones has more than 2O years of experience in research, survey methodology and applied economics. He most recently served as Chief Economist at the Beer Institute, where he developed and executed significant research initiatives. In... Read More
NEW CHAMPAGNE SPECS
CHAMPAGNE REGULATIONS just got a little stricter. Growers will not be able to spend more than 3O% of their sales revenue on pesticides and fuel if they are to meet new environmental standards set by the region’s wine council, the CIVC. The organization is seeking to bolster Champagne’s environmental credentials... Read More
THE OPERA STAR AND THE WINE SCAM
THESE DAYS it seems as if everyone from professional athletes to movie directors is in the wine game. But no matter who you are, or how much money you have, you’re still a potential target for fraud, perhaps even more so because of the notoriety. Opera star Andrea Bocelli was... Read More
CALIFORNIA’S DEVASTATING DROUGHT
MOTHER NATURE is not in a good mood these days. The entire state of California is suffering from “severe drought” conditions, or worse, for the first time this century, according to the US Drought Monitor. 1OO% of the state is now classified as being in one of the three worst... Read More
USA IS THE BIGGEST WINE MARKET
IT’S OFFICIAL: we love wine! The United States became the world’s biggest market for wine last year, beating France into second place for the first time as consumption slid in the country long seen as its natural home and Americans developed a greater taste for it. US consumers bought 29.1... Read More
THE SUMMER OF BEER
BEER HAS CERTAINLY seen its share of struggles over the last few years but nothing rejuvenates like the summer. In the 15 weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day in 2O13, beer and malt beverage sales topped $11 billion, making it one of the largest selling categories of all food... Read More