|
|
A federal judge in Blue Sky Vineyard, LLC v. Tupy denied California's motion to dismiss a dormant Commerce Clause challenge to a state law that lets California wineries sell direct to retailers but denies that privilege to out-of-state wineries, ruling the constitutional question requires a factual record and cannot be resolved at the motion-to-dismiss stage. Judge John A. Mendez did dismiss the plaintiffs' separate Privileges and Immunities Clause claim without prejudice, finding it protects citizens rather than corporations, but allowed the main Commerce Clause claim to move to discovery.
Irish Liquor Lawyer |
|
|
Sazerac has closed its acquisition of Au Vodka, the Swansea-based brand founded in 2015 by Charlie Morgan and Jackson Quinn and later backed by DJ Charlie Sloth, in a deal that values it at about £300 million ($405 million) per Reuters. Terms were not disclosed; Sazerac CEO Jake Wenz called the brand's growth in just over a decade "spectacular and rare."
news.ssbcrack |
|
|
Brewbound's latest Press Clips collects news from September 14-16, including updates on Sapporo USA layoffs, new ownership at Penn Brewery, and a Hop Valley taproom opening.
Brewbound |
|
|
Total on-premise visits fell 5% year on year in the 12 months to the end of April, dragging down beer and spirits volumes across major markets, per NIQ's REACH 2026 study of 46 countries, though the value of sales rose as consumers concentrated spending on fewer, higher-value visits. About three in five consumers still visit weekly, more than three in five are actively managing their alcohol intake, and over half say they will pay more for a better-quality drink.
Drinks Intel |
|
|
Glass-bottled shot maker Sol-ti raised $30.3 million in equity earlier this year to fund expansion in retail and foodservice.
BevNET |
|
|
France has temporarily lifted the alcohol content cap for Champagne to 15% after summer heatwaves raised grape sugar levels. A Comité Champagne spokesperson told Just Drinks the increase is not expected to affect the wines' flavor profile, quality, or style.
Just Drinks |
|
|
No beverage-alcohol category avoided year-over-year declines in the latest NIQ off-premise scans, which covered the start of the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Brewbound |
|
|
Sazerac has brought back Glenmore, the Kentucky whiskey brand tied to the distillery it acquired in 2009, releasing a Kentucky Straight Bourbon now shipping to US retailers, bars and restaurants through its distributor network, with a Glenmore Rye Whiskey due later this month. Each carries a $19.99 suggested retail price per 75cl bottle; the original Glenmore distillery was founded in 1869 and stopped making whiskey in 1992.
Just Drinks |
|
|
|
|
Summit Brewing, an early craft beer pioneer, faces a foreclosure lawsuit, according to The Business Journals, which noted that warning signs for the craft industry have been flashing for years.
The Business Journals |
|
|
DISCUS launched a digital-only campaign called 'Cocktails YOUR Way' on September 16, tying cocktails to "moderation and intentionality" through creative content, social activations, a dedicated webpage, and a partnership with mixologist Lauren O'Brien, winner of season one of Netflix's Drink Masters. Citing IARD data from May, the trade group said consumers name moderation as the single most important factor shaping their drinking behavior.
Drinks Intel |
|
|
Sonoma County is down to 58,000 acres of winegrapes after more than 2,700 acres were removed from production between October 2024 and August 2025, with open replant permits authorizing removal of another 5,000-plus acres, county officials told the Board of Supervisors. Agricultural Commissioner Andrew Smith said winegrape production and price declines dragged the total value of 2025 county crops down 10%, and thousands more acres may be removed in 2027.
The Press Democrat |
|
|
U.S. Bourbon depletions fell 2.5% to 26.8 million cases last year, per Impact Databank, though the category stays above its pre-pandemic level after peaking in 2022. Producers are leaning on new releases and experiences to drive growth, including Brown-Forman's King of Kentucky Small Batch and Jack Daniel's Heritage Barrel, Heaven Hill's revived Elijah Craig 18-year-old and new 15- and 21-year-old single barrels, and Angel's Envy's Daycap at the Distillery series.
Shanken News Daily |
|
|
Boston Beer founder and CEO Jim Koch discussed the company's innovation strategy, a new method for measuring advertising ROI and the pre-gaming positioning of its new LYTT RTD during a fireside chat at the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference.
Brewbound |
|
|
Diageo is backing Crown Royal with "Royal Rituals," a football-themed extension of its "Bring It" campaign that pairs a Sports Illustrated content series with a seven-stop Crown Royal Rig tour that began in Oxford, Mississippi on September 12 and continues to Phoenix, Kansas City, Dallas (twice), Baton Rouge, and Tallahassee. Don Julio, meanwhile, gets La Experiencia Don Julio: Hecho Por Amor, a traveling immersive tasting inspired by its La Primavera distillery in Jalisco; per Impact Databank, Don Julio moved 3.63 million cases in the U.S. last year and Crown Royal just under 7 million including flavors.
Shanken News Daily |
|
|
San Joaquin County's grape crop was valued at $272 million in the 2025 Annual Crop Report, down 14.8% from $319.3 million in 2024 and about 36% below the 2021 figure, dropping grapes from the county's No. 3 to No. 5 commodity. Lodi Winegrape Commission director Stuart Spencer tied the decline to falling wine consumption and large producers turning to imported bulk wine, and said local acreage is down roughly 35% from its peak.
Lodi News-Sentinel |
|
|
Concerns about the supply outlook have pushed sugar prices higher in recent weeks, per Just Drinks. Industry watchers are tracking Brazil's harvest closely.
Just Drinks |
|
|
Delta Air Lines is relaunching the wine list in its Delta One cabin this autumn, and all six US wines on it come from Napa Valley, with no bottles from Oregon, Washington, the Finger Lakes or other California regions after nearly 2,000 wines were evaluated. SkyMiles members took part in blind tastings for the first time, and no Canadian wines were submitted or included.
The Drinks Business |
|
|
The UK's Advertising Standards Authority ruled that two July Facebook posts from Tilray Brands' BrewDog promoting a £19.95 "bottomless beer" World Cup offer of unlimited beer for 90 minutes were "socially irresponsible" and encouraged excessive consumption, with one post also portraying alcohol as capable of changing mood or behaviour. BrewDog disagreed with the finding but said it has removed the post and will not run it again.
Just Drinks |
|
|
|
|
Artisanal Spirits Company, owner of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, posted H1 2026 revenue of £9.2m (US$12.4m), down 5%, after trade cask sales fell 43% to £1.3m. Its branded business rose 7% to £7.9m, US sales grew 8%, and global membership climbed 3% to 39,700 as of June, later surpassing 40,000.
The Spirits Business |
|
|
Heineken has launched Personalised Draught, a single tap that uses AI to blend more than 100 tailored beers from integrated barrels, offering 135 expressions ranging from 0.0% to 5% ABV based on a drinker's tastes, moods, and occasions. Users scan a QR code and set preferences on their phone, and each pour arrives with a printed label; the technology is part of Heineken Studio and can be tried at the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam and the Heineken Studio Truck, which is set to appear at F1 Mexico and the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The Drinks Business |
|
|
Bacardi rum will again serve as official spirits partner of the MTV Video Music Awards, airing Sunday, September 27 from Los Angeles with host Snoop Dogg. The company says it helped bring back the Best Dance category for the first time in seven years, and exclusive custom content featuring the rum will run during the broadcast; financial terms were not disclosed.
Drinks Intel |
|
|
|
|
Bacardi-owned Patrón has launched Agave Masters, a global education programme for bar professionals that includes a WSET-accredited course dedicated entirely to agave spirits, free to members. The programme is open to anyone of legal drinking age on a US bar team and also houses the Patrón Perfectionists competition, the Academia Patrón platform, and a new global bar-team contest whose winners attend an inaugural Agave Masters Global Summit in Guadalajara.
The Spirits Business |
