Realignment in the UK spirits industry is continuing with distribution moves for three key brands. Guinness UDV and Pernod Ricard are still absorbing the Seagram brands which is leading to changes throughout the market. The Drambuie Liqueur Company has taken the opportunity to shift its key brand out of the Guinness UDV portfolio and signed up Bacardi-Martini as the new UK distributor from July 1. Drambuie's UK sales director Dominic Carter said: "Bacardi shares our aspirations and we feel it will give our brand the focused attention it needs. It has achieved notable successes in the UK particularly during the critical pre-Christmas period." Drambuie is keeping the consumer marketing of the brand in house and is planning a new TV campaign for the brand in the autumn. Guinness UDV commercial director Jonathan Stordy said: "At under 50,000 cases per year, Drambuie is one of the smaller brands in our portfolio. We had a successful partnership over the last 11 years and the brand is growing in value at 6% a year in 2001." Kyndal Spirits also announced this week it would be taking the whisky liqueur Glayva and Isle of Jura malt whisky in house from August. The two spirits were part of the JBB (Greater Europe) portfolio Kyndal acquired in a management buyout last October. Since then Maxxium has handled the sales, marketing and distribution. Kyndal chief executive Brian Megson said: "We believe it makes commercial sense for the two brands to be handled directly by our sales force. We want to take back control of some of our brands and devote time and resources to them." {{DRINKS }}

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