|
|
Trump ordered import bans on Canadian alcoholic beverages, motorcycles and dairy goods, taking effect September 29, and directed federal agencies to stop buying Canadian products through government purchasing channels until Ottawa grants American businesses equal market access. The move follows Canada's retaliatory tariffs of 15% to 50% on roughly $20 billion in US goods, which took effect after midnight Tuesday, against US tariffs of 50% on about $20 billion in Canadian imports.
wionews |
|
|
Pernod Ricard's sales in the three months to the end of September fell 0.9% to EUR2.23bn (US$2.5bn), a slight improvement on fiscal 2026's 2% dip but a ninth straight quarter of at-best flat results, with China down 25% and the US down 10% in value. India jumped 19%, quarterly volumes rose 6%, and the company said an IPO of its India division is the subject of "preparatory steps."
Drinks Intel |
|
|
|
|
The Supreme Court denied certiorari in Wilson v. Miller, declining to resolve a circuit split over out-of-state wine retailer shipping laws: the Sixth Circuit struck down Ohio's restrictions while the Seventh Circuit upheld Indiana's, so a resident of Union City, Ohio can buy wine from California and New York retailers while a neighbor across the Indiana line cannot. Courts remain divided over how Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association v. Thomas applies to the three-tier system, with the Third, Fourth, Eighth, and Ninth Circuits treating physical-presence requirements as essential features and the First, Sixth, and Seventh Circuits requiring concrete evidence of a nonprotectionist interest.
Irish Liquor Lawyer |
|
|
MGP Ingredients will rebrand as Sempreon on November 2, a corporate identity change meant to unite its three divisions: branded spirits, distilling solutions, and ingredient solutions. The company's Nasdaq ticker changes from MGPI to CASK.
Drinks Intel |
|
|
|
|
At its AGM on 15 October, Treasury Wine Estates CEO Sam Fischer reported a "positive" fiscal 2027 first quarter, with Penfolds depletions ahead of plan in China and stronger Power Brands depletions in the US and Australia, while confirming plans for further brand and asset sales to be signed by the end of the first half. Treasury has raised about AUD50m (US$34.9m) from its consolidation programme so far, including the September sale of sparkling business Seppelt and this week's sale of the Rosemount, Ingoldby and Secret Stone brands, and its strategic review of the US business is ongoing.
Drinks Intel |
|
|
|
|
Atlas Distributing has added Constellation Brands' beer portfolio in Berkshire and Franklin counties in western Massachusetts, following Martignetti's acquisition of Girardi there. Atlas is an Auburn, Massachusetts-based independent distributor in the blue-and-gold network.
Brewbound |
|
|
Italian prosecutors have asked that Campari Group chairman Luca Garavoglia stand trial over alleged complicity in tax evasion tied to the 2018 merger of holding companies Alicros and Luxembourg-based Lagfin, saying they found €5.3 billion in undeclared capital gains on which a €1.29 billion exit tax went unpaid. Lagfin, controlled by the Garavoglia family and holding 50.3% of Campari's ordinary shares, settled with the Italian Revenue Agency in December 2025 for €405 million in instalments, but Garavoglia could still face trial because Italian law separates financial and criminal investigations.
The Spirits Business |
|
|
|
|
Constellation is investing $100 million in the American beer supply chain, a move that could aid Idaho barley and hop growers.
Post Register |
|
|
A 181-page report from Massachusetts Auditor Diana DiZoglio calls for ending the state's population-based caps on local liquor licenses, finding they create artificial scarcity for restaurant owners and ignore seasonal population swings. Per the report, more than two-thirds of Massachusetts residents live in communities where licenses are artificially constrained.
WBUR |
|
|
The Brand Collective is relaunching Poland's Żubrówka vodka in the United States under a new long-term exclusivity agreement. The Miami-based company is targeting what it calls significant US growth for the brand.
Wine Industry Advisor |
|
|
|
|
California wine sales have fallen more than 20% over five years, pushing grape prices down and taking roughly a quarter of the state's vineyards out of production, SF Chronicle wine reporter Jess Lander told LAist's AirTalk. To move a high-end surplus, some bottles that normally sell for around $150 are now going for under $30 under a different label.
LAist |
|
|
Sales of spirits priced at $25 and up fell 2% through August in control states, less than the 2.6% decline for full-strength spirits overall.
Vinetur |
|
|
Stone Brewing's original owners, Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, are taking over the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido a month before its scheduled closure, running it as an independent restaurant under a new name. Koch said on Instagram the pair will carry forward the restaurant and gardens at 1999 Citracado Parkway.
CalMatters |
|
|
California's 2026 wine grape harvest is finishing as much as six weeks early, and brokerage Ciatti says the crush could be the smallest in 30 years. The market is squeezed by excess supply and tight credit.
Vinetur |
|
|
Summit Brewing's loans have been acquired by a new lender, replacing BMO Bank. The St. Paul, Minnesota brewery said the deal gives it a pathway to a recapitalization and long-term growth strategy aimed at strengthening its balance sheet.
Brewbound |
|
|
Gundlach Bundschu, a California winery run by the same family since the 1850s, entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, per Law360. The outlet attributes its path to bankruptcy in part to untimely expansion.
Law360 |
|
|
Adelaida Vineyards, which traces its first wine to 1981 and says it was among Paso Robles' first 10 wineries, has a court-ordered October 15 deadline to find a buyer or cease operations and liquidate, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The winery filed for Chapter 11 in December 2024 with roughly $16 million in debt, most of it from a $12.7 million judgment; court filings estimate a sale value of $3.8 million to $6.7 million versus $1.4 million to $2.8 million in liquidation.
Hoodline |
|
|
At its 2026 distributor meeting, Duvel USA laid out a plan centered on building up and refreshing its current brands while adding a handful of new ones where needed, including a focus on light beer and growth in hard seltzer. The meeting skipped any major innovation reveal, unlike 2025, when the company introduced Quirk THC Seltzer.
Brewbound |
|
|
El Niño is moving up vineyard timelines in both hemispheres and piling further strain on an already soft bulk wine market, according to Ciatti Company's October global market report, released Thursday.
Vinetur |
|
|
Napa Valley winegrowers are committing $2.5 million to a three-year public-private effort against red blotch, a costly vineyard virus. The work will study early detection, transmission, practical controls and clean plant material.
Vinetur |
|
|
Carlsberg is moving beyond beer in Germany, pushing into alcohol-free drinks, cider, ready-to-drink products and soft drinks. Weak volumes and strong regional competitors are driving the shift.
Vinetur |
|
|
Bushmills recorded its second consecutive annual revenue decline in 2025, with inventories reaching 217.9 million pounds, more than quadruple its yearly sales. Pretax profit climbed to 9.8 million pounds.
Vinetur |
|
|
Tampa-based Fintech has acquired a Boston data analytics firm to expand its data capabilities in the alcohol industry.
The Business Journals |
|
|
Kegged wine remains a small format in the on-premise, with suppliers pointing to lingering consumer perceptions of lower quality and the complexity of reusable-keg distribution as barriers, Drinks Intel reports. US supplier Free Flow Wines, which ships to all 50 states and counts California, Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina and Texas as its highest-volume markets, says venues can convert to pour wine on draught for as little as $250 per tap, while France's Ecofass says demand is strongest in markets like the UK and Northern Europe that already have kegged beer and cider networks.
Drinks Intel |
|
|
A KAM Insights survey of 2,000 UK consumers found 53% of adults, about 29 million people, drink low- and no-alcohol products at least monthly, up from 40% three years ago, with the share who never drink low-and-no falling to 24% from 34% two years ago. The report also tied the shift to lighter overall drinking: 7% now consume 15-plus units a week, down from 16% in 2021, while GLP-1 users, now 7% to 10% of UK adults, cut alcohol by an average 29%.
The Spirits Business |
