USA: MillerCoors releases “hard iced tea”
Chicago-based beer giant MillerCoors has launched a range of hard iced teas under the name of Easy Tea Co. The iced teas are said to have a “crisp citrus flavour” and a less sweet taste than normal teas, with an alcohol content of 5% by volume. The drinks hit shelves at the beginning of August, […]
Ireland: Mark Anthony buys stake in Glendalough Distillery
Mark Anthony, the Canadian wine and spirits firm, has bought a stake in Irish start-up Glendalough Distillery for €5.5 million ($6.1 million), according to a report in the Irish Independent. Based in County Wicklow and promoted as “Ireland’s first craft distillery”, Glendalough Distillery produces a range of spirits including whiskey and poitin alongside “seasonal botanical” […]
UK: Diageo reports organic volume and net sales growth
Diageo, the leading spirits firm, has announced its preliminary results for the financial year ending 30th June 2016, showing net sales and volume up on an organic basis compared to the previous year. Overall, net sales declined in absolute terms from £10.813 billion ($14.25 billion) to £10.485 billion ($13.82 billion), reflecting Diageo’s disposal of the Gleneagles and […]
Keeping it ‘real’ with ‘locally sourced’ and ‘no additive’ claims
Insight by Gama Compass™ MANCHESTER – 14th July 2016: ‘Fresh’, ‘locally-sourced’, ‘quick’, ‘no flavour enhancers’ and ‘additive-free’ are some of the key claims associated with products described as ‘real’ or ‘authentic’, while drinks concentrates, coffee and tea are among the most significant product categories for ‘real’ claims in new launches, according to Gama’s latest look at […]
Australia: Treasury Wine Estates divests non-core US brands
Treasury Wine Estates, the Australian-based wine group, has announced that it has divested 12 non-core brands within its US portfolio. The firm, which owns Wolf Blass and Blossom Hill, said that the brands were sold at approximately book value and represented around one million cases of non-core Commercial wine. The name of the buyer was […]
Brazil: Heineken to close plant in Bahia
Heineken, the Dutch beermaker, has announced that it will cease operations at its plant in Feira de Santana (Bahia), Brazil. According to Heineken Brazil, “the decision was taken based on viability studies and on the need to drive the company’s operations to the next level of excellence, while maintaining its financial sustainability”. The company said […]
USA: Milestone Brands acquires American Born Moonshine
Spirits company Milestone Brands has announced the acquisition of the American Born Moonshine brand from Tennessee-based Windy Hill Spirits. Patrick Dillingham and Sean Koffel founded Windy Hill Spirits in 2013 with the vision to create a moonshine honouring both the tradition and rebel spirit of American moonshiners and bootleggers, according to a coimpany statement., American […]
Gama Innovation Award: Beauty Aloe Beer
Gama Innovation Award – Product MANCHESTER – 27th May 2016: This month, the Gama Innovation Award – Product goes to a new player on the emerging functional beer scene that features the ‘beautifying’ benefits of aloe vera: Beauty Aloe Beer. Launched by Spanish firm Alimentos Para El Siglo XXI, Beauty Aloe Beer bids to appeal to female drinkers […]
Ireland: Pernod Ricard divests Paddy Irish Whiskey
Pernod Ricard has announced that its affiliate Irish Distillers has completed the sale of the Paddy Irish Whiskey brand to the US spirits firm Sazerac. The global wine and spirits company said that the deal, which was concluded for an undisclosed sum, was in line with its strategy to simplify its portfolio for growth and would also facilitate, among […]
Tradeshow Insight: Alimentaria 2016
In April, Spain once again became the focal point for the world’s consumer goods firms as Alimentaria returned for its latest edition at Barcelona’s Fira Gran Via. Now into its 40th year, Alimentaria hosted a total of 140,000 visitors from 157 countries (16 more than in 2014), indicating, in the show’s words, “its international pulling […]