Drinks – Page 4 – Keep It Overproof!

Suntory acquires 10% stake in Macallan owner

Japanese drinks group Suntory has bought 10% of the shares in Edrington, the owner of whisky brands including The Macallan, Highland Park and The Famous Grouse, for an undisclosed sum. The two companies have worked together since the early 1990s. Suntory is a shareholder in The Macallan and distributes several brands from Edrington portfolio in markets including Japan, Germany, Canada and South Africa, and through joint ventures in the UK, Spain and Russia. Edrington and Suntory co-own whisky and Cognac distributor Edrington-Beam Suntory UK, formerly known Maxxium UK. In a statement, Edrington...

Are US consumers ditching wine for hard seltzer?

Following reports that wine consumption is starting to tail off in the US, further data has revealed that hard seltzer could be taking its place. White Claw Hard Seltzer Natural Lime (PRNewsFoto/White Claw Hard Seltzer) Around one in three adults in the US (77 million) consumed wine at at least once a month in 2019, down from 88 million in 2015, according to a survey from Wine Intelligence. And when it comes to the demographics, it is 21-34 year-olds who are most likely to report drinking less wine. In a survey of around 2,000 consumers, just under 4 in 10 (39%) said they had reduced...

Why Canopy Growth has delayed its cannabis drinks launch

Canopy Growth Corp has been forced to delay the launch of its first cannabis drinks. Canopy Growth CEO Bruce Linton As shares are marked down and product launches are delayed, the future is hazy for Canada’s biggest cannabis growing firm. Canopy Growth, whose largest shareholder is drinks giant Constellation Brands, has postponed the launch of a line of cannabis drinks as it hasn’t been able to scale its production to commercial levels yet. The grower had planned to launch its first cannabis drinks across Canada in January, but chief executive David Klein said it had only been able...

Burgundy 2018: Key points from a surprising vintage

A vintage that defied expectations and delivered a number of pleasant surprises especially in an area most weren’t expecting, the 2018 Burgundies provided an engaging week of tasting and discussion. It’s fair to say that the occasionally grey, windy and rainy conditions of London in mid-January were rather different to the prevailing conditions in which the 2018 vintage was formed. A mild winter started the year, followed by a cold snap in February turning to a good dose of rain into March, which would prove useful as rainfall dropped off dramatically throughout the summer months. Temperatures...

China’s elite show preference for wine over baijiu

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

According to the latest Hurun Chinese Luxury Consumer Survey 2020, drinking among high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) in China has grown 13% with 88% of them enjoying various forms of drinks and with an ever-growing preference for wine. The survey interviewed 483 HNWIs in China. Their average total net asset value was 46 million RMB, with 51 of them holding over 1 billion RMB in assets. The interviewees were 36 years-old on average with a gender composition of 55% male and 45% female. Interestingly, when considering a gift for men, wine had taken-over from high-end baijiu as the third most favourite...

Burgundy 2018: whites prove a ‘pleasant surprise’

Much touted as a ‘red’ vintage (which it undoubtedly is), the biggest and most pleasant surprise has been the quality of the white Burgundies from 2018. Going into this week’s tastings, there was ever expectation that there were going to be good red wines. Merchants have consistently mentioned that recent visits to their suppliers last year usually included some sort of pleased or excited reference to the 2018 red wines still in tank or bottle awaiting their moment. The other big storyline that emerged from the 2018 harvest was the sheer size of the white wine harvest (not...

Burgundy 2018: Smaller AOCs coming into their own

As Burgundy week progresses, it is becoming increasingly clear that the 2018 vintage has produced some attractive and very appealing wines from the often overlooked villages of Mercurey, Marsannay, the Hauts Côtes and elsewhere. The theme of ‘overlooked’ or ‘forgotten’ Burgundian AOCs that have been left behind a little in the rush for the more famous vineyards is not entirely new of course. Better winemaking and newer producers have been turning these villages round for many years but a vintage such as 2018 with ripe fruit and tannins really helps set the seal...

The Benevolent plans for ‘revolution’ in 2020

Michael Saunders, the chairman of drinks trade charity The Benevolent has revealed significant plans for the group’s evolution in the year ahead. Saunders shared details of the changes at The Vintners’ Company Annual Lunch in London on 10 January. He said The Benevolent was at a crossroads and whilst the existing support of over 1000 individuals was a success, far more is needed to reach the 600,000 people working in the UK’s drinks sector. Ross Carter, chief executive of The Benevolent since July 2019, has been tasked with creating “a new benevolent”, one that...

Chardonnay Masters 2019: the results in full

We bring you a full report on the Chardonnay Masters 2019, including all the medallists, the names to watch, and the go-to regions for great barrel-fermented whites – Burgundy included, but Australia-dominated. Co-chair of the judges, Patrick Schmitt MW, reports There are several benefits to the blind tasting format employed by our Global Wine Masters, which sees us sample entries by style and grape variety, rather than origin. One of these is to assess the overall quality and character of a category, be that a noble grape such as Chardonnay, or trending sector, from sparkling to rosé....

Amuse-bouches: The latest restaurant news bites

We round up the week’s restaurant-related news, from the opening of wine bar and restaurant Peckham Cellars to Pied à Terre’s launch of the ‘£100 Club’. Image: Peckham Cellars Openings Peckham Cellars: A new neighbourhood restaurant and wine bar has opened in Peckham this week, under the guidance of friends Helen Hall, Luke West-Whylie and Ben McVeigh. Close to Queens Road Peckham station, Peckham Cellars will boast a wine bar, restaurant and wine shop, providing an informal dining experience with a carefully curated music selection. The 80-bottle wine list...

Tag: Drinks