beers, wines & spirits news
Waitrose adds three new local craft gins to stores Subscription
New listings come as Waitrose claimed its sales of craft gin had grown by 50% over the past year
HMRC uncovers factory making ‘potentially toxic’ fake vodka Subscription
HMRC officers seized a total of 1,965 litres of suspect alcohol from an industrial unit in Liverpool
Campari sells Carolans and Irish Mist for £126m Subscription
Italian spirits group Gruppo Campari has off-loaded its Carolans and Irish Mist brands to US firm Heaven Hill Brands for $165m (£126.7m).
Buckfast Tonic Wine fans launch app to locate nearest stockist
The app, Find Me Bucky, can be purchased from the iPhone App Store and Google Play for Android…
AB InBev to source all barley for Budweiser from UK Subscription
The brewer has scaled up the amount of barley grown in the UK from zero to 50% over the past three years
Matthew Clark adds more craft lines in beer & cider update Subscription
The wholesaler has added 102 new brews to its Boutique Beers range as well as 30 new ciders
Pinot grigio added to Aldi Planeta Organico wine range
The 12% abv wine (rsp: £5.99/75cl) rolled into stores this month
Alcohol 'still being sold at pocket money prices' Subscription
The Alcohol Health Alliance found that products across the market are falling well below the 50p per unit mark
Sainsbury's applies to register Señor Del Castillo wine brand Subscription
The retailer is seeking a class 33 trademark covering still, fortified, sparkling and mulled wines
Broadland Wineries tops up range with Birds Eye View lineup Subscription
The three-strong lineup is produced by Peter Pollard of Project Wine in Australia’s Langhorne Creek
Londis' Wine Festival boosts sales by 60% across estate
The four-week promotion featured offers including half-price deals on Silent Lake and Isla Negra
Kane’s brand plan by Whyte & Mackay Subscription
Whyte & MacKay did not specify what exactly Kane’s would be, but confirmed it was exploring it as a new concept
Stock Spirits acquires £16m stake in Quintessential Brands Irish whiskey division Subscription
London-listed Stock Spirits Group has struck a deal to acquire a 25% stake in the Irish whiskey division of Quintessential Brands Group for up to up to €18.3m (£16m) in cash.
Berry Bros & Rudd sales rise to six-year high Subscription
Sales were up 17% year on year, boosted by strong en primeur sales
Lidl shines light on Hungarian wines with limited range Subscription
The range features a total of 41 wines from Hungary, Austria, Germany and France…
Timothy Taylor's launches blonde ale into off-trade Subscription
Knowle Spring Blonde Ale (4.2% abv) is poised to land on shelf in Booths over the coming weeks
Buckfast sales grow £2m as tonic wine picks up 'down south'
Sales of the 15% abv tonic wine have grown by £2m (7.9%) to £26.9m over the past year
Craft beer pioneer BrewDog smashes into Booze Top 100
BrewDog has become the first craft brand ever to appear in The Grocer’s ranking of Britain’s 100 Biggest Alcohol Brands
Spirit Cartel wins Isla Del Tesoro rum distribution rights Subscription
The Cuban rum costs almost £500 per bottle…
BrewDog loses legal battle over name of Elvis Juice beer
The Intellectual Property Office ruled the beer’s name risked “a likelihood of indirect confusion” with the late singer
Chivas Brothers sells Glenallachie distillery and brands Subscription
Pernod Ricard said the disposal was “in line with its strategy to focus on its priority spirits and wine brands”
St Peter's launches non-alcoholic Without Gold beer Subscription
Without Gold is the brewer’s second alcohol-free beer
Grocer Drinks Awards: Fancy another chance to win?
Does your brand have what it takes to win a coveted Grocer Drinks Award?
SIBA calls for transparency over craft beer ownership Subscription
Its chief executive said the buyout raised “a number of questions about genuine independence and ethics in the brewing industry”
Waitrose launches premium bag-in-box wine range Subscription
Four SKUs have rolled out, with two more to launch in late July
insight
‘Beer for her’ is a case study in how to misjudge marketing Subscription
The brainchild of a woman, Martina Šmírová, Aurosa comes in an ’elegant and beautiful bottle’, just what the lady ordered - or is it?
Craft beer is setting the agenda
Some of Britain’s biggest brands are now fighting for space against craft rivals
Britain's Biggest Alcohol Brands 2017: the battle for the booze aisles Subscription
The big guns of booze are going to war over dwindling shelf space as a wave of agile and on-trend craft brands advances
Britain's Biggest Alcohol Brands 2017: the new recruits Subscription
Five brands have been blown out of the top 100 in the past year…
Brits drink to better, pricier quality
Stella Artois has again been crowned with the number one position in Nielsen’s countdown of the top 100 BWS brands
Craft brewers must adapt fast to the world of national retail Subscription
With Sainsbury’s latest beer and cider revamp done and dusted, craft has become the new normal
Greater clarity as to what craft beer is can only be helpful
The US Brewers Association has launched a new seal of authenticity for craft brewers. Time for the UK to follow suit
Under fire: Beer & cider category report 2017 Video Subscription
Beer & cider brands are against the wall as the supers review their booze ranges scrutinising every inch of shelf space brands command. No one is safe …
Boozy lollies should beware of accidentally appealing to kids Subscription
You have to be a special kind of psychopath to realistically consider eating more than two of these and going on a bender
Boozy Britain: Why are sales up as more try to drink less? Video
British drinking culture is changing, fast. The number of Brits trying to curb their booze has surged, our research reveals
Premium, premiumer, premiumest? How marketing risks making ‘premium’ meaningless Subscription
As an act of positioning, ‘premium’ done well is genius, but what does it really mean to the nation’s lager drinkers?
Chlorinated chicken explained: why do the Americans treat their poultry with chlorine?
Pinot grigio added to Aldi Planeta Organico wine range
Cut sugar in dairy and fruit juice, PHE urges suppliers
Ugly Drinks’ fruit-flavoured sparkling water gets shakeup
Buckfast Tonic Wine fans launch app to locate nearest stockist
Over 2,500 products subject to shrinkflation over past five years
Londis' Wine Festival boosts sales by 60% across estate
Craft beer is setting the agenda
North Sea cod wins back MSC certification
Macsween lines recalled over botulinum control concerns
Mars moves into healthier snacking with first new brand in 20 years
Adverts face ASA clampdown on gender stereotypes
Greater clarity as to what craft beer is can only be helpful
Coffee giants vow to act on faecal bacteria in ice
Coca-Cola has 'no plans' to bring Fairlife milk to UK
Essex family food store forced to close after 17 years
JJ Food Service pledges to employ more women
Why are so few Brits prepared to pick fruit?
Aldi own-brand household cleaning range certified as cruelty free
