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Unite the Union has called off three further strike days at Diageo's Cameronbridge grain distillery in Scotland's Lowlands, which employs around 200 people, after one day of action this week; the union called it "a gesture of goodwill" to facilitate talks, while an overtime ban at the site continues. The dispute centers on job cuts at Cameronbridge under Diageo's global restructuring, with both sides agreeing to conciliation at ACAS.
Drinks Intel |
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U.S. brewers and distillers have been nearly locked out of Canada for a year and a half, a significant blow given Canada ranks among their top export markets, Agri-Pulse reports.
Agri-Pulse |
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Coors Distributing Co. LLC asked a Colorado state judge Wednesday to stop a beer brand supplier from ending its decades-long contract with the wholesaler until arbitration takes place. Coors argued the exit poses a "real risk" that other suppliers will terminate their own agreements with the distributor.
Law360 |
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In early October the FTC settled its Robinson-Patman Act price-discrimination case against Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, with the distributor paying zero dollars in penalties, Fingers reports in a podcast interview with Institute for Local Self-Reliance researcher Ron Knox. The settlement requires a cease and desist and, going forward, obligates Southern Glazer's to pay small independent retailers 1.5 times any pricing difference if it keeps offering better deals to large chains like Total Wine and Kroger.
Fingers |
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Spirits priced at $25 and over in control-state retail fell 2% by volume in the first eight months of the year, beating the full-strength category's 2.6% decline, per Impact Databank. Campari's Espolòn led the top 10 super-premium brands with a 16% gain, followed by Diageo's Johnnie Walker up 9.9%, while Bacardi's Grey Goose grew and Suntory's Maker's Mark held roughly flat.
Shanken News Daily |
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Incoming National Beer Wholesalers Association chair Luke Dahlheimer told the group's Annual Convention in Orlando that as distributors broaden their portfolios beyond beer, they should remember "beer is the trump card." He urged wholesalers to play the "whole deck" as they expand into other categories.
Brewbound |
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Republic National Distributing Company filed a revised WARN notice on October 9 covering 206 employees at its Louisville facility on Blankenbaker Pkwy, extending the potential layoff date to on or around October 16 while a proposed sale of its Kentucky assets moves through approval. RNDC, working through Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the sale of its remaining assets, has not guaranteed the buyer will retain the current workforce and has also announced reductions in other states, including Colorado.
whatnow |
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US sales of Irish whiskey fell to 4.5m cases last year, down from 4.8m in 2024 and a 2022 peak of 6.1m, pushing producers toward other markets: Powerscourt says Nigeria will be its largest market this year, Royal Oak's The Busker is now the top-selling Irish whiskey in Japan, and Great Northern's John Teeling has signed a partnership with Chinese brewer Tsingtao. Teeling expects India, where Jameson will sell over 1m cases this year, to become Irish whiskey's biggest market within a decade.
The Spirits Business |
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Delta will serve Blanton's bourbon, Hugo Spritzes, Palomas, and non-alcoholic cocktails to Delta One business-class fliers, part of a $1 billion fleet investment, making Delta the first airline to partner with the single-barrel brand. The menu rolls out first on transoceanic flights from Los Angeles International Airport and expands to Delta's full global network by early next year.
VinePair |
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Great Jones Distilling Co., the first whiskey distillery in Manhattan since Prohibition, closed its 28,000-square-foot Broadway visitor center this month after five years, with owner Proximo Spirits citing a review of beverage industry trends, market conditions, and company strategy. Great Jones will keep selling its whiskey online and in retail stores; its buildout cost $21 million, according to Engineering News Record.
New York Post |
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The Supreme Court denied cert in Wilson v. Miller, Ohio's appeal of a 6th Circuit decision that found the state's wine retailer shipping law discriminatory and unconstitutional. Wine-Searcher's Blake Gray covered the decision in a piece featuring the Irish Liquor Lawyer.
Irish Liquor Lawyer |
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Provi, a B2B digital marketplace for the beverage alcohol industry, has named Matthew Tucker chief executive. Founder Taylor Katzman, whom Tucker succeeds, becomes executive chairman.
citybiz |
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State Auditor Diana DiZoglio is calling on Massachusetts to scrap its century-old, population-based cap on on-premises liquor licenses, saying a report from her office found the wealthiest municipalities issue about 58% more bar and restaurant licenses per resident than the least wealthy. The report estimates ending the quota could add 490 restaurants employing 9,500 people and $809 million in annual sales, and notes a Boston license sold for $600,000 in 2023; the state Senate has included a repeal measure in its version of an economic development bill.
Yahoo |
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Off-premise retailers still make up most adult non-alcoholic (ANA) sales, but the on-premise and e-commerce channels are growing about twice as fast, according to a recent NIQ report.
Brewbound |
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US off-premise non-alcoholic sales reached $1.08bn in the year to June 27, 2026, up 14.6%, per NIQ data presented by Dry Atlas co-founder Victoria Watters at Club Soda's London summit. Zero-ABV beer led with an 80.8% share, but non-alcoholic spirits including RTDs jumped 40.7% to take a 7.5% share, with RTDs within that segment up 61.5%.
The Spirits Business |
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Rep. James Gallagher (R-CA) asked US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in an October 8 letter to prioritize India and Vietnam as export markets for California wine and to restore access to Canada, citing declining domestic demand. Gallagher also called for reviews of US labeling rules that let wine marketed as "American" contain up to 25 percent undisclosed imported product, and of duty drawback provisions he says make imported bulk wine more attractive than California grapes.
IndiaWest |
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A coalition of bodega owners, grocers and business groups, joined by Assemblymember Amanda Septimo, is backing a proposal to let New York bodegas and supermarkets sell wine and liquor, which are currently limited to roughly 4,000 licensed liquor stores while those businesses can sell only beer. The state's independent liquor stores oppose the change, and supporters say the effort remains a proposal needing more discussion in Albany.
ABC7 New York |
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Penfolds, owned by Treasury Wine Estates, lost 32 per cent of its brand value this year, falling to US$776 million, the steepest drop among the 10 Champagne and wine brands in Brand Finance's Alcoholic Drinks 2026 report. Changyu fell 22 per cent to $641 million, while Moët & Chandon held the top spot with a 12 per cent rise to $2.3 billion.
Inside FMCG |
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The federal government told the U.S. Supreme Court that Alaska acted within its rights in trying to forfeit an 83-year-old bush pilot's $95,000 plane after he flew a six-pack of beer to a dry village. The government argued the state can confiscate "instrumentalities of crime" and that the forfeiture was not excessive.
Law360 |
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Beverage-alcohol price increases trailed overall inflation in September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index, as gasoline prices surged and broader inflation stayed stubborn.
Brewbound |
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Of the 8.3 million proof gallons of bourbon the US exported in the first half of this year, 5.9 million (71%) shipped in bulk, according to US Customs Service data cited by the American Whiskey Association, whose CEO Michael Bilello calls bulk "an important commercial channel" rather than a niche. Operators including Sasma and scotch distillery Tomatin point to opportunity in Asia, Africa and Latin America, with India's UK free trade agreement set to cut bulk scotch import tariffs, though prices for Bottled-in-Origin scotch are expected to fall only 8% to 10%.
Drinks Intel |
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Smurfit Westrock worked with AB InBev and agency JKR on a seven-bottle paper-based packaging concept for alcohol-free Corona Cero, built around a "7 Days, 7 Moments" idea of one bottle per day of the week. The design was developed through Smurfit Westrock's Design2Market process for global rollout; the companies cite 61 million new consumers entering the no-alcohol category across the largest beer markets between 2022 and 2024.
midlandco.com |
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Operators including Sullivan's Steakhouse, Shucking Good Hospitality and North Italia are using value-priced bar and happy-hour menus to pull diners back in, per Restaurant Business. Sullivan's Happy Hour started three years ago at a $10 tier and has since added $15, $20 and, at the end of August, a $25 tier, while North Italia launched an aperitivo-inspired program in mid-September with $8 zero-proof cocktails, $10-$12 wines and spritzes, and $12-$14 cocktails.
Restaurant Business |
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Beer sales need an early start to the holiday season to reach their 2026 projection, Circana EVP of BevAl Scott Scanlon wrote in the firm's latest weekly scans report.
Brewbound |
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Constellation Brands has bought SpikedAde, a spiked sports drink brand, the VinePair Podcast reported. The hosts discussed the "health halo" around alcoholic beverages and the target demographic for spiked "Ade" drinks.
VinePair |
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Bushmills is holding a record £217.9 million in whiskey stocks, its largest aging inventory on record, after weaker demand pulled turnover down to £52.3 million in 2025.
Vinetur |
