The Chinese wine market has been showing a slowdown: thanks to shifting global imports, refined consumer taste and uncertain trade wars. But experts say it’s only temporary.
Wineries struggle with massive water waste during production, which is particularly hard on urban-based and small startup winemakers. The self-contained GoFermentor system wants to change that.
Scientists in Scotland have developed an ‘artificial tongue’ that can detect subtle differences between drams of whisky, which can help in the fight against counterfeit beverages.
Both large and small US wine and spirits (W&S) companies have been more progressive and competitive with work benefits and compensation than the market average, according to a talent report from ForceBrands.
US-based wedding registry and e-commerce company Zola has teamed up with Diageo to develop a line of cocktails kits and gifts for the summer wedding season.
A fire broke out late Tuesday night at a Jim Beam warehouse in Kentucky, and continued to burn into Wednesday. Early reports estimated that about 45,000 barrels of liquor were lost in the blaze.
US adults are drinking less and picking up low ABV drinks or alcohol alternatives. Cannabis is potentially the biggest market looking to snap up that audience, but can alcohol be replaced?
The first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere is June 21, and the alcoholic beverage industry in the US is ready with a bevy of seasonal launches, promotional campaigns and refreshed packaging.
The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI) has released a new report on machinery and automation trends among breweries and distilleries, who are scaling back on production goals and diversifying offerings to stay competitive.
Just as a temple or village hall in southern China will always greet you with a door guardian, so does the entrance to Moonzen brewery in Hong Kong. Indeed, the carvings inspired the craft beer brand’s name and its appearance.
Over the past decade, the beverage category has been defined by the millennial generation, driven by local craft brands. The 2020s are expected to be shaped by Gen Z, with further digitization of brands using smart technology.
A collaboration between AB InBev and Keurig Dr Pepper is bringing its Drinkworks pilot program to new markets this spring. The Drinkworks Home Bar by Keurig is now available statewide in Missouri and Florida.
Global beverage alcohol is changing drastically: quality is soaring, traditional retail is declining and categories are converging. Beer took a slight dip last year, struggling with e-commerce and a 'drink less but better' approach from young...
Craft brewers may talk the sustainability talk – but find it a lot harder to walk the sustainability walk. Tracking performance can help reveal effective ways to improve, say experts.
The craft beer industry is navigating a more mature growth pattern in 2019: a theme that was explored at the 36th annual Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Denver.
The Brewers Association (BA) released its annual growth report this week: showing craft brewery volumes have increased by 4% and now account for 13.2% of the US beer market.
Hard seltzer brand White Claw is rolling out a new ‘anti-flavor’ this week. Pure is plain with no flavor, designed to serve as a base for other drinks or enjoyed alone as a vodka soda alternative.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Consumer Federation of America (CFA), and National Consumers League (NCL) say that alcohol labeling changes proposed by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TBB) 'fall dramatically short...
A marriage between India Pale Ales (IPAs) and lager beer, India Pale Lagers (IPLs) have been a small sub-category of craft beer for the past 10-15 years. Often described as ‘strong, hoppy’ lagers, recent IPL launches are fighting for shelf space in the...
The cider industry is seeing record growth in the US, outpacing stagnant sales across general alcohol. It’s drawn in a gender-equal audience primarily made up of millennial consumers.
The Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA) is back in the US Senate with bipartisan support after first being introduced in 2015. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) are co-sponsoring the bill to “level the playing field for...
Cannabis-infused beer alternatives from Two Roots Brewing Co. are coming to California dispensaries. The Two Roots brand debuted THC and CBD options last summer in Nevada, brewed as alcohol-stripped craft beer.
Beer dominates the Super Bowl watch party, but wine, hard seltzer and spirits have started creeping into the game day spread. New Nielsen data suggests that an increase in female football fans is shifting demographics, reflected in alcohol choice for...
AB InBev announces that Bud Light will be the first US beer to feature large-format serving facts and an ingredients label on case packaging, in an effort to meet the level of transparency that consumers demand.
After the government shut down on December 22 due to disputes around President Trump’s border wall funding, the effects have been felt throughout the country. Without federal programs in place, the beer and wine industries are facing trouble with new...
By Pete Martin, regulatory director, Ashbury Labelling
While almost every packaged food is required to have a nutritional facts label, indicating the serving size and the nutritional value per serving, alcoholic drinks do not. Pete Martin, Regulatory Director at labelling compliance experts, Ashbury Labelling...
After months of legal drama and a two-week trial between Pabst Brewing Co. and MillerCoors, the two beer giants settled a lawsuit last week. Pabst had alleged that MillerCoors, who brews and packages most of Pabst’s products, was attempting to put it...
A year after it was amended to include restrictions on the placement of alcohol advertising in Australia, the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) has been attracting growing criticism from researchers who say the changes are unlikely to reduce young...
‘This is about a US craft brewery standing up against some of the largest drinks producers in the UK’
US craft brewer Flying Dog Brewery says it will continue to distribute its Easy IPA Session India Pale Ale in the UK: ignoring a ruling from an alcohol marketing watchdog which said the beer's artwork ‘encourages illegal, irresponsible or immoderate...
The World Health Organization (WHO) is tackling alcohol-related deaths and illnesses through its new program Safer. It outlines five ‘high-impact strategies’ for governments around the world to follow that can reduce the harmful effects of alcohol use.
Malaysian beer industry leaders Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd (Carlsberg) and Heineken Malaysia Bhd (Heineken) have expressed varying opinions about the implementation of the Sales and Service Tax (SST).
The UK’s advertising watchdog has upheld complaints against a series of light-hearted Facebook posts from The Scottish Gin Society, deeming them to be irresponsible. Although the posts were not directly linked to a product, the ASA says the posts should...
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) is to embark on a year-long review of the rules governing sugar claims in relation to alcoholic drinks, amid ministerial concerns of misleading messaging to consumers.
Mainstream culture has seen huge changes with the rise of social media, the internet, ecommerce and smartphones. Innovation and disruption has turned many industries upside down when it comes to retail and marketing, but to date the drinks industry has...
The US is now the largest wine market in the world, but major retailers are still struggling to succeed in ecommerce channels, lagging behind other categories in grocery.
An increasing number of brands are drawing on nostalgia as a marketing tool: but alcohol brands that try to appeal to an adult’s inner child must take care that they do not also inadvertently appeal to children today, warns the Portman Group.
SPAR has been told to stop using the description ‘everyday wine’ with one of its products, given that the term could indicate the ‘acceptability of everyday alcohol consumption’.
In Europe, an ‘alcohol-free’ drink is defined as one under 0.5% ABV. In the UK, however, an ‘alcohol-free’ drink must be 0.05% ABV or below. But the UK’s definition could change, with the government currently consulting on new regulations for low alcohol...
Current alcohol advertising regulations in Australia are failing to protect the health and well-being of adolescents, with academics claiming that it is leading to an environment that is ‘not consistent with the responsible marketing spirit’.
Online grocery offers huge potential for the alcohol category as the virtual channel accounts for just 5% of all online alcohol sales (US$1.7bn) currently but will soon explode, according to Rabobank.
The European alcoholic beverage industry has pledged to provide nutritional information and ingredient lists for drinks, responding to an invitation from the European Commission last year to develop a self-regulatory proposal.
