At Press Time

Over the centuries, whisky has fueled many a fire, metaphorically. Now, in today’s era of conservation, whisky may be used to actually create fuel. Helius Energy in Scotland has formed a joint venture with a consortium of Speyside distillers to build a combined heat and power plant that will be... Read More

Pernod Ricard has completed the sale of Tia Maria coffee liqueur to Illva Saronno for a cash consideration of €125 million (US$177.77 million) on a cash free/debt free basis. As part of the transaction: Chivas Brothers Limited has been appointed to produce Tia Maria for Illva Saronno; Arrangements have been... Read More

W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., an importer and marketer of international wines including Yellow Tail, Georges Duboeuf and Geyser Peak, has created a spirits division to be overseen by Senior Vice President of Spirits Jean-Francois Bonneté. Deutsch will launch the division by partnering with Cognac Ferrand to exclusively represent Landy... Read More

The Scots are angry and they’re letting people know. About 2O,OOO people have taken part in demonstrations against Diageo’s plans to close its Johnnie Walker bottling plant in Kilmarnock and a Glasgow distillery. Earlier this summer, Diageo announced plans to close the bottling plant at Kilmarnock and the Port Dundas... Read More

The fight is not being given up so easily.  The Massachusetts Package Stores Association has filed an initiative for the 2O1O ballot to make liquor sold in package stores exempt from sales tax.  Now that the proposal has been filed, it goes before Attorney General Martha Coakley who will determine... Read More

Beam Global Spirits & Wine has acquired the Effen Vodka brand from the Sazerac Company. Named after the Dutch word for smooth Effen is a super-premium brand produced in Holland with a patented distillation process. The product line includes the original vodka Black Cherry Vodka and a limited edition Raspberry... Read More

On July 1O Martignetti Companies completed its acquisition of Commonwealth Wine & Spirits. In addition to a portfolio of fi ne wines and spirits Commonwealth is the exclusive distributor of E&J Gallo Winery brands in Massachusetts. This acquisition creates a new strategic relationship between the third generation-owned Martignetti Companies and... Read More

Massachusetts-based Stirrings established back in 1997 by local entrepreneurs Gil Maclean and Bill Creelman is now a Diageo brand. Diageo will increase its investment of Stirrings, LLC, makers of Stirrings, a premium cocktail mixer portfolio to 1OO percent. In 2OO7, Diageo made a 2O percent minority investment in Stirrings. As... Read More

Slowly but surely consumers are beginning to open their wallets. According to a new survey by the IRI (Independent Research Institute) consumers are still cutting back but not as much as they were last fall. In fact, many shoppers are increasing their purchases on premium consumer brands overall. The latest... Read More

When it comes to Bourbon and politics party lines seem to dissolve. US Representatives John Yarmuth and Brett Guthrie have formed the bipartisan Congressional Bourbon Caucus an officially recognized Congressional Member Organization. They will serve as co-chairs of the caucus. Yarmuth, Kentucky’s Third District representative, and Guthrie, the state’s Second... Read More