News Update – Page 83 – Keep It Overproof!

Downtime and uptime continue to plague beverage operations

Call it idle/lost time, productive/positive time, but the results in any case will have significant impacts on beverage producing operations that involve unwarranted expenses in machinery, materials and labor, less than desirable asset utilization and unrecoverable productive time.

Google’s EfficientNets are better at analyzing images than existing AI models

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Source: Google’s EfficientNets are better at ana lyzing images than existing AI models Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) — layers of functions (neurons) inspired by biological processes in the human visual cortex — are well-suited to tasks like object recognition and facial detection, but improving their accuracy beyond a certain point requires tedious fine-tuning. That’s why scientists at Google’s AI research division are investigating novel models that “scale up” CNNs in a “more structured” manner, which they describe in a paper (“EfficientNet: Rethinking Model Scaling for Convolutional...

In memory of Benjamin Carlotto

Posted in Industry.

Dear friends of the industry. Too often, our industry takes a toll on even the best people. Again last week. I’ve had the privilege of working with Ben for several years. He touched me professionally, as he did to many many others. Moreso, he was my friend. Not a billion dollar can make up for not having Ben with us anymore. But (y)our support can make a difference assuring Ben receives the memorial he deserves.In Ben’s memory, I would like to take a moment to ask attention for a heartwarming fundraiser initiative by Gabriel Urrutia. To Gabe: A big thank you!! Please see below....

Gordon’s Pink gin smashes one-million-case mark

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Diageo-owned Gordon’s Pink gin has broken the million-case barrier less than two years since its launch after selling 1.21m nine-litre cases in 2018, according to IWSR figures Diageo introduced Gordon’s Premium Pink Distilled Gin in July 2017, which contains flavours of raspberry, strawberry and redcurrant. Bottled at 37.5% abv, Gordon’s Pink first launched exclusively in Tesco stores across the UK, priced at £16.50 (US$21), before it was rolled out to UK bars in August the same year. Speaking to The Spirits Business earlier this week, Kathy Parker, Diageo’s senior vice president...

The Week Ahead (wk 22)

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Tuesday: Today; consumer confidence Wednesday: Earnings (Abercrombie & Fitch, Canada Goose, Dick’s Sporting Goods) Thursday: GDP data; earnings (Uber, Costco, Dell, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Gap Inc., Ulta); Spelling Bee finals; Game 1 of the NBA Finals Friday: PCE inflation data; China releases manufacturing PMI data; Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens at Disneyland Resort Source: Morning Brew Newsletter

Alibaba Weighs Raising $20 Billion Through A Second Listing

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Source: Bloomberg.com By Crystal Tse, Vinicy Chan, Lulu Yilun Chen, and Manuel Baigorri May 27, 2019, 12:46 PM EDT Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is considering raising $20 billion via a second listing in Hong Kong after a record-breaking 2014 New York debut, people with knowledge of the matter said, a mega-deal that will bring China’s largest company closer to friendlier investors at home as U.S. tensions escalate. The e-commerce giant is working with financial advisers on the planned offering, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Alibaba aims to file...

Business Intelligence: A Life Hack for Today’s CFO

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by Srin Subra and Kristen Contreras | May 14, 2019 | 12:08 PM Google next-generation CFO and you’ll find 50-odd articles, whitepapers, and blogs on the evolving role of the chief financial officer. But, there’s a nuance the headlines miss: it’s not just the next-generation’s role that is evolving, it’s the now-generation’s role, as well. The now-gen CFO can’t be just a finance executive. This is particularly true in a private equity-backed environment, where the days of a controller-style finance department are long gone. To be a real strategic partner to the business, now-gen CFOs must embrace...

The World’s Most Consumed Alcohol Is One You Might Not Have Tried. But It’s Coming to a Bar Near You

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Chinese distillers are hoping to ride the craft spirit movement and introduce baijiu to international audiences Read full article “You’re going to drink a little more than you like, and you can’t refuse,” the late Anthony Bourdain told his co-star Eric Ripert when they ventured to China’s Sichuan Province on his Parts Unknown television show. Bourdain’s statement perfectly expresses the Chinese style of drinking, and at the center of the country’s drinking culture is the national drink baijiu, or “clear liquor.” The potent grain-based spirit...

More Headlines, Fewer Bottles: The Rise of Clickbait Scotch

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The Macallan, Glenlivet, Dalmore, and other spirits companies are releasing incredibly old, gorgeously packaged, hilariously rare, and extremely pricey whiskies. Explore what constitutes “clickbait Scotch,” and what it tells us about spirits consumers. Source: https://vinepair.com On a Monday evening in late February 2019, a small group of New York-based writers went to Sotheby’s for a lavish dinner prepared by Chef Massimo Bottura, the famed maestro behind the world’s best restaurant, Osteria Francescana. This private event was ostensibly held to announce The Dalmore’s new, 49-year-old Scotch,...

Diageo exec: ‘In spirits, you need to move fast’

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“The battle of the future isn’t between big and small; it’s between those who are fast and those who are slow,” according to Diageo’s president of Europe, Turkey and India Source: https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com Speaking to The Spirits Business last month, John Kennedy addressed the issue of whether the influx of independent super-premium brands has the potential to significantly erode the market share of large players. But according to Kennedy, the speed of which companies react to trends is more important than their size. He explained: “The markets are changing so fast that if you’re on...