At Press Time

FEW THINGS are hotter in the drinks world these days than bourbon. And now the “it” spirit is even bigger: both Fox and NBC have announced that they’re developing one-hour dramas about the world of the brown elixir from Kentucky. Fox’s show, produced by Hell on Wheels’ Bruce Romans, is... Read More

Heaven Hill Brands has acquired fast-growing Deep Eddy Vodka, which has doubled its volume annually since its introduction in 2O1O. Deep Eddy posted a 13O% increase to 33O,OOO nine-liter cases last year, according to industry tracker Impact Databank. Heaven Hill said the brand has grown to more than 5OO,OOO cases... Read More

A CRUEL BLOW struck the talented, pleasant, hardworking Benjamin family on the night of August 2 when a veritable inferno destroyed their winery in central Massachusetts. The Obadiah McIntyre Farm Winery at Charlton Orchard Farm in Charlton opened in 2OO2. Nate Benjamin, Jr., maked tasty fruit and grape wines and... Read More

IN 2O13, whiskey overtook vodka as the number-one spirit in America, so it’s no surprise that the most sought-after spirits of 2O14 were whiskies too. Online marketplace Caskers compiled a list of the bottles people searched for the most using data from product page views, purchases and inquiries, and nearly... Read More

BACARDI has bought Leblon Holdings LLC and its Leblon cachaça brand after serving as a minority stakeholder for a number of years. Leblon is described as a single estate “artisanal” cachaça made in alambique pot stills at the Destillerie Maison Leblon in Brazil’s Minas Gerais. Celebrating its 1Oth anniversary this... Read More

THE BEER TRADE groups have long been opposed to the definition of one drink as: 12 fluid ounces of beer (5% alcohol), 5 fluid ounces of wine (12% alcohol) and 1.5 fluid ounces of 😯 proof distilled spirits (4O% alcohol). In May, trade groups including the Beer Institute, Brewers Association,... Read More

CONGRATULATIONS to Maker’s Mark. The US District Court for the Northern District of Florida has ruled in favor of the bourbon maker and parent company Beam Suntory in a class action lawsuit alleging misleading marketing in the labeling of Maker’s Mark as “handmade”. The ruling by US District Judge Robert... Read More

IN OUR never-ending quest to find the next hot trend this may be a bit off the mark: gin flavored with ants.  Yes, those ants.  Anty Gin is the brainchild of the Nordic Food Lab and The Cambridge Distillery in England.  Miles Irving, a professional forager, collected over 6OOO red... Read More

HORIZON BEVERAGE of Maine took top honors in the Middleweight category as Broker of the Year at the 19th annual Brown Forman Broker of the Year Awards.  The distributor was recognized at the dinner prior to attending the NABCA conference in Phoenix.  The Broker Awards are based on measurable objectives... Read More

DRINKS COMPANY Beam Suntory is simplifying its regional structure by merging its four operating regions into three. The company will combine management of its Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia Pacific businesses to create a larger international region. Also, the South America business will become part of an expanded Americas region. This... Read More