Mallya readies platform for 10% preferential allotment to Diageo – Whyte & Mackay future still up in the air
May 19, 2013 Nearly six months after signing a landmark deal with Diageo, liquor baron Vijay Mallya, is preparing the stage to make the 10% preferential allotment in his flagship United Spirits to global spirits major Diageo. This move follows the tepid response to...
Liquor bill blocked at Missouri legislative session’s end
May 19, 2013 A contentious liquor bill that had been the topic of intense lobbying at the Capitol this session didn’t make it to a vote before the session’s end today. Lawmakers wrapped up at 6 p.m., with the bill aimed at regulating the link between alcohol suppliers...
Liquor Board in Washington issues first draft of rules for pot industry after prohibition
May 17, 2013 Entrepreneurs looking to get in on the ground floor of Washington’s legal marijuana market now have a blueprint. The state Liquor Control Board issued the first draft Thursday of rules for the system of licensed, regulated and taxed cannabis that voters...
South Africa harvest at record high
May 16, 2013 Wine production in South Africa is expected to reach an all-time high this year after the 2013 grape harvest outstripped expectations to reach nearly 1.5m tons. Overcoming a late and slow start to the growing season, every region except Robertson...
CARICOM defends intention to take rum issue to WTO
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries say they will continue to oppose subsidies being granted to UK-based Diageo, one of the world's biggest producers of rum, because of the impact the subsidy is having on rum producers in the Caribbean. CARICOM Secretary General...
National Transportation Safety Board urges lowering drunken driving threshold to 0.05
May 15, 2013 - States should cut their threshold for drunken driving by nearly half – from 0.08 blood alcohol level to 0.5 – matching a standard that has substantially reduced highway deaths in other countries, a U.S. safety board recommends. That’s about one drink...
Campari Q1 results disappointing – US spirits business positive highlight with organic sales up 7.6%
Poor results in small first quarter 2013 mainly due to the 'one-off' destocking in Italy " Contribution after A&P: € 115.1 million (-1.6%, organic change -13.8%, 36.5% of sales) " EBITDA pre one-offs: € 57.1 million (-20.0%, organic change -26.6%, 18.1% of sales)...
Moet Hennessy launched its third winery in China, expected to produce the best quality red wine in China
Moet Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of the French luxury group LVMH, has launched a new winery in Deqin county, in Yunnan province, and officials said the company is planning to boost its presence further in China. "China is expected to stay as our largest...
Caribbean calls for ‘amicable solution’ in rum dispute with US producers
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) has reiterated the need for an amicable solution to the rum dispute with the United States. The Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat in a statement following the meeting of regional trade...