Good Morning, and Happy Friday!  It's September 1, 2023.

DISCUS Decries NIAAA Chief's Call for 2 Drinks a Week Limit

Dr. George Koob, director, National Institute on Alcoholism & Alcohol Abuse, undermined "the scientific rigor and objectivity of the entire Dietary Guidelines process" when he said the U.S. Department of Agriculture could revise its alcohol advice to match Canada's, where the government recently advised people to have just two drinks

Control States Spirits Volume Eases 0.4% in July, Rises 1% in Sales

National Alcoholic Beverage Control Association reports total Control States spirits  volume decreased 0.4% over July last years but rose 1% in dollar volume, showing a resultant +1.4% price mix.  The rolling 12-month 9L volume results remain positive at +0.6% and +3.5% in dollar volume. Cocktails, driven

Pernod-Ricard Sales Rose 13% in Year

Pernod-Ricard reports net sales for fiscal 2023 rose 13% (10% organically).  Net profit rose 12%. The company said growth was broad-based across all regions with strong pricing execution.  The Americas saw 2% growth; it was described as "dynamic" in Latin America , led by Mexico, and low single-digit growth in North

Chivas Brothers Confirms Strongest Financial Performance in Decade: Sales Up 17%

Chivas Brothers, the Pernod Ricard business dedicated to Scotch whisky, reports net sales rose 17% during fiscal 2023, ended June 30, taking total sales to a ten-year high. The results demonstrate ongoing strong global demand for Scotch and reinforce the company's long-term premiumization strategy. The North American market has seen

Utah's Bev/Al Control Law Faces Challenge

Jeff Carter, who used to work for Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, has filed a citizen's initiative to put major changes in Utah's bev/al control system on the ballot next year. He wants to do away with most state-owned liquor stores, allow private liquor stores, allow grocery stores to sell

Heaven Hill Completes Installation of New Still

Heaven Hill Brands celebrated the installation of a new Vendome copper still, the next step in developing a $200 million distillery in Bardstown, Ky. This critical piece of the new Heaven Hill Springs Distillery marks a major step towards returning the company’s distilling processes to Bardstown for the first

Bacardi Launches Citrus Forward Expression

Bacardi Reserva Ocho Sevillian Orange Cask Finish is the third of Bacardi's limited-edition cask finish series which will see Bacardi unveil a new cask finish offering annually through 2025. "The third installment in our popular Cask Series, Sevillian Orange continues our brand legacy of producing premium rums that match consumer

A-B, MADD, Uber Partner with Golden Eagle of Arkansas

The country's leading brewer, Anheuser-Busch, the nation's largest drunk driving victim services and advocacy nonprofit, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and ridesharing platform, Uber, are bringing their first-of-its-kind joint Decide to Ride campaign to college communities this fall to help combat drunk driving during the football season. Expanding the campaign

Brown-Forman Launches Distribution Unit in Slovakia

Brown-Forman Corp. said it is launching its own distribution business in Slovakia, bringing distribution in-house for the first time since the company entered the market. Why It Matters: A dedicated sales team is expected to "further the growth of our brands across all channels in Slovakia,” said Maria Navas Peire,

Job Growth Seen Slowing

Job creation in the United States slowed more than expected in August, according to ADP, a sign that the surprisingly resilient U.S. economy might be starting to ease under pressure from higher interest rates. The firm reported Wednesday that private employers added 177,000 jobs in August, well below

WineDirect Breaks Ground on New Fulfillment Center

The new 200,000 square foot, state-of-the-art fulfillment center, strategically located in Paso Robles.  It will replace a 30,000- square-foot facility, allowing WineDirect to serve more wineries and offer much-needed storage for wineries on the central coast. “This expansion represents a step forward in our mission to provide all

What We're Reading--

California is now practically drought-free, but we keep wasting so much rainwater Only California's most northwestern and southeastern corners remain under moderate drought or in abnormally dry conditions — just 6% of the state, according to the drought monitor. (Press Democrat) Why it matters.

Thanks for reading.  I'll be back with our weekly wrapup, but we will take Monday off in observance of Labor Day.  Have a great weekend.  See you Tuesday. – Joel