George Clooney’s tequila, why a latte is less likely to spill than coffee, and more beverage bites

Fire at Diageo maltings plant​​

Operations have resumed at Diageo’s Burghead Maltings in Moray, Scotland, after a fire broke out on Tuesday evening.

Six kilns escaped undamaged and returned to operation on Wednesday afternoon. The seventh – where the fire took place – has not yet returned to operation.

A spokesperson for Diageo told BeverageDaily.com, "Emergency services were called to a fire inside one of the kilns at our Burghead Maltings in Moray. The fire service controlled and contained the incident. ​

“There were no injuries as a result of the fire. The damage to the kiln appears to be minor and there was no damage to the other parts of the maltings plant, which has now returned to operation.”​

Beam Suntory vows to fight lawsuit​​

Beam Suntory says it will fight a US class action, which accuses the company of deceptive advertising​ for describing San Diego’s Jim Beam bourbon as ‘handcrafted.’

The action, filed last week in the US District Court, Southern District of California, complains that the company uses ‘mechanized and/or automated processes.’

But Clarkson Hine, senior VP corporate communications and public affairs, called the claim ‘frivolous.’

George Clooney’s premium tequila​​

George Clooney’s tequila, Casamigos, is being launched in the UK.

The brand is a joint venture with Rande Gerber (founder of the Gerber Group and Gerber Spirits) and Michael Meldman (US restauranteur). The name means ‘house of friends’ – named after Clooney and Gerber’s houses in Mexico.

The brand says it’s already the fastest growing ulta-premium tequila in the US.

Diageo’s ‘smart bottle’​​

Diageo and Thin Film Electronics have launched a prototype Johnnie Walker Blue Label ‘smart bottle,’​ which will be displayed for the first time at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month.

The bottle features printed sensor tags from Thin Film. These bring claimed benefits for the industry - via a mechanism for track and trace, and to thwart counterfeiting. Consumers can also benefit by using their smartphone to look up anything from cocktail recipes to food pairing.

Thin Film is preparing to launch high volume production of the sensor tag, and hopes to see the technology on shelves globally within nine months.

And finally…​​

A latte is less likely to spill than a coffee, according to a report from Princeton scientists in the journal Physics of Fluids.

The researchers found layers of bubbles could dampen the ‘sloshing motion’ of liquid.

“​Carrying a full cup of coffee can be precarious for a sleepy-eyed caffeine addict - who may accidentally send a wave of Java sloshing over the rim. But add a bit of foam to the top, and the trip becomes easier,” ​the scientists say in a release.

But applications may go far beyond savings hands from a scalding: the research could be relevant for safer transport of liquefied gas in trucks and propellants in rocket engines, the team says.