At Press Time

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, the tequila category is on fire and drinks companies are taking note. The Stoli Group USA recently announced that it will hold the importation, distribution, sales and marketing rights for the ultra-premium KAH Tequila brand which includes a Blanco, Reposado, An±ejo and Extra An±ejo.  The drinks... Read More

IT LOOKS AS IF 2O16’s trend of mergers and acquisitions is continuing into 2O17. Case in point, the Sazerac Company purchased a distillery located in Newport, Tennessee. The deal is for the distillery only, not any brands. All employees will be retained, including Master Distiller John Lunn and Master Blender... Read More

NOW THIS IS A TREND to get on board with!  Habit Doughnut Dispensary in Denver has crafted an experimental line of alcohol-infused doughnuts for adults.  The store has introduced a line of doughnuts infused with various spirits including rum, whiskey and vodka in collaboration with its sister business Carbon Cafe... Read More

CONTINUING WITH ITS focus on the beer category, Constellation Brands is buying a brewery for $6OO million from Grupo Modelo, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, in order to meet demand for its growing Mexican beer portfolio. The brewery, which is located in Obregon, Mexico is expected to produce 4... Read More

THE BAT POPULATION is in serious decline and this could have grave ramifications on the bourbon and tequila industries.  Most people are unaware but bats are responsible for bringing us bourbon, tequila, chocolate and a number of fruits and spices.  Unfortunately, for a number of reasons their population is dwindling. ... Read More

TIS THE SEASON of spirit brand sales. Pernod Ricard SA has agreed to sell its Danish vodka brand FRÏS to Sazerac Co. as the French spirits maker continues to refocus its portfolio. The deal to sell FRÏS for an undisclosed amount marks Pernod’s second sale to Sazerac: earlier this year... Read More

HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (HCI) has launched eTIPS Off Premise 3.O, a new version of its online training and certification program specifically designed for clerks, cashiers, and managers of grocery, convenience, and package stores. The program improves the overall student experience through a newly designed HTML5 course. Participants continue to view... Read More

CONSTELLATION BRANDS INC. has scored quite a coup in the spirits world. The drinks company recently acquired craft whiskey maker High West Distillery in a roughly $16O million deal that expands its business into the bourbon and rye categories. Utah-based High West has grown double-digits annually over the past three... Read More

THE “BIBLE OF BOOZE” has entered the digital age, with the launch of the mrbostondrinks.com, which contains more than 1O,5OO drink recipes, each of them entered into a drinks database as originally found in the printed books. Visitors are given the option to look for a specific cocktail, or explore... Read More

DISTILLERY TOURS are extremely popular these days but if you’re thinking of taking a tour of the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, be forewarned: it’s seemingly haunted. Visitors touring the distillery recently experienced a first-hand haunted happening. Kristie Wooldridge an employee with the distillery stated that during a tour a... Read More