ALCOHOL NEWS ON FASTMOVING

For decades, beer connoisseurs the world over have held heated debates over which is better; a lager or a light beer. read more

In May 2018, Scotland introduced a minimum unit price of 50p per unit (8g) of alcohol, with the aim of reducing abusive drinking. Research had shown that a large proportion of very cheap alcohol consumed in Scotland took the form of heavy drinking, resulting in drunkenness and other socially unacceptable behaviour. read more

The SA branch of the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (Saapa) urges the government to follow Grieve Chelwa and Corné van Walbeek’s suggestion to review the alcohol tax regime (“SA Ranks Sixth Globally as a Nation of Drinkers”, March 4). Beer is cheaper than a loaf of bread or a litre of milk in SA! read more

Increased cannabis consumption in the US “poses a long-term risk” to the alcoholic beverage industry, according to new research from the IWSR and BDS Analytics. read more

Alcoholic beverages company Distell has selected WPP as its global partner agency.  read more

The Police Ministry oversaw the destruction of more than 148 000 litres of confiscated alcohol, one of the main contributors to crime, especially over the festive season, it said. read more

Diageo has teamed up with television network HBO to launch a limited-edition range of Game of Thrones-themed Scotch whiskies. read more

Distell creates new Libertas Vineyards structure that will focus on its premium wines — including some old favourites. read more

AB InBev has introduced an on-pack ingredients label to its Bud Light beer in the US alongside a new secondary packaging design. read more

AB InBev’s Budweiser beer in the UK will be brewed with 100% renewable electricity thanks to a new deal with solar energy firm Lightsource BP.  read more

Mexican lager brand Corona will pilot plastic-free six-pack rings which are made from plant-based biodegradable fibres, with a mix of by-product waste and compostable materials. read more

The South African economy suffered a fiscal loss of R6.4-billion (USD$492-million) in 2017 due to illicit alcohol activities, which generates an annual revenue of R12.9bn and goes unregulated.  read more

The share price of Distell Group, maker of Klipdrift brandies, Three Ships whiskies and Nederburg wines, fell 4.1% to R104.58 after the company said sales had fallen in the September quarter. read more

Johnnie Walker has created a limited-edition, 50-year-aged, triple-matured scotch whisky called the Johnnie Walker Masters’ Edition. read more

Spirits group Pernod Ricard posted a stronger-than-expected 10.4% rise in first-quarter underlying sales, helped by higher demand in China and India, and despite slower growth in its main market in the US. read more

Diageo has announced that Johnnie Walker will open a flagship store in Madrid that will house a special collection of the brand's whiskeys, and host a series of immersive experiences. read more

Pernod Ricard-owned Irish Distillers will invest over €150 million at its sites in Cork and Dublin to meet a continued rise in demand for Irish whiskey. read more

The world’s major alcohol producers can no longer ignore the pot phenomenon, as young consumers may increasingly swap beer and cocktails for joints and cannabis-infused drinks. read more

AB InBev’s Becks brand has released six limited edition for its 275ml beer bottles, as part of its “Be Kreativ” campaign. read more

Carlsberg will ditch plastic rings which connect multi-packs of its beer and replace them with glue, in a move which is set to “reduce plastic waste globally by more than 1,200 tonnes a year”. read more

US whisky imports to the country grew to over US$10m last year. The imports surged by more than 17 percent in 2016, from US$8.9m to over US$10.5m in 2017. read more

Total global alcohol consumption grew slightly in 2017, increasing by 3.5m nine-litre cases versus 2016, according to data released by the IWSR.  read more

The Select Committee on Land and Mineral Resources has adopted the Liquor Products Amendment Bill and has confirmed that it will soon come into law. read more

Grain SA charges that AB InBev has contravened one of the conditions set in its acquisition of rival beer maker SABMiller. read more

At a time when the sales of top-selling light beer brands have been contracting in the US, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (AB InBev) Michelob Ultra is redefining the ultra-light beer concept in a move that could have global implications, according to data and analytics company GlobalData. read more

AB InBev has developed a new brewing method which will reduce its CO2 emissions by approximately 5% once the technique is utilised in its entire brewery network. read more

Fake and counterfeit alcohol poses a serious risk to public health. Reports have indicated that people who have ingested fake alcohol have suffered effects that range from excessive vomiting and headaches to breathing difficulties, blindness, seizures and even death. read more

Beijing - Chinese independent oil companies are luring traders, marketers and risk managers away from dominant state behemoths, offering better pay and benefits in a hiring spree triggered by the freeing up of China's crude import trade. read more

Doctors and health specialists the world over will warn you of the dangers of excessive drinking, but a new study shows that no one can agree on what constitutes “too much”. read more

London — Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), which sold $46bn of bonds in January, is again entering the debt market to raise funds to buy SABMiller. read more

Smokers and drinkers will again be heavily taxed for their (in the eyes of the Government) bad habits. read more

Johannesburg - A liquor outlet was closed down while the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Limpopo issued fines to the value of R16 500 to non-compliant liquor licence holders during a joint inspection operation over the weekend. read more

Harare - Zimbabwe's largest beverages maker, Delta Corporation (Delta), says it recorded subdued volume and revenue performance for the quarter to 31 December 2015, on the back of depressed aggregate demand. read more

Looking at the wide array of taps at bars these days, we seem to be in a golden age of beer. The world is awash in ales, lagers, and porters, many made by small breweries, which are gaining an ever-bigger share of the market. read more

Belvedere Vodka, the world’s original luxury vodka, is thrilled to announce it has been awarded ‘Vodka Producer of the Year’ at the International Spirits Challenge 2015 (ISC), one of the worlds largest, oldest and most respected blind-tasted spirits competitions. read more

The Free Market Foundation (FMF) is set to oppose the Department of Trade and Industry’s (dti) National Liquor Policy that it says, “will effectively ban liquor sales in townships”. read more

The South African Wine Index (SAWi) has released its ranking of the top wine producers in South Africa, and the leading brand in each wine category. read more

The Department of Social Development is finalising a set of instructions to all national and provincial government departments to regulate and restrict their interaction and relationships with the liquor industry, says a departmental spokeswoman. read more

Johannesburg - There are no definite plans to ban alcohol adverts but all options to curb alcohol abuse are being considered, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Elizabeth Thabethe said on Thursday.  read more