[BND] Kane's Beverage News Daily

Good Morning and Happy Thursday, June 25, 2026.

Heineken Taps Soft Drink Exec for Top Slot

Heineken nominated Rafael (Rafa) Oliveira as the company’s new Chair of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer. The Supervisory Board will nominate Rafa to be appointed for a period of four years, effective 1 October 2026, at an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on Aug.5. Rafa will join Heineken from JDE Peet’s N.V., the world’s largest pure-play coffee and tea company, where he has served as CEO since 2024. Following Keurig Dr Pepper’s acquisition of JDE Peet’s,

Why Wine Institute Opposed American Wine Bill

A California bill that would have required wines labeled “American” and sold, made or marketed in California to contain 100% United States-grown grapes, is dead for the 2025-26 legislative session. The California Association of Winegrape Growers had sought the legislation because large wineries, based in California, were importing bladders of cheap wine from other countries that was blended into U.S.-produced wine and labeled "American" even as California winegrape growers were ripping out vineyards.

SGWS, FTC Near Accord in Antitrust Case

Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits and the Federal Trade Commission are negotiating a settlement in the FTC's antitrust case against the nation's largest bev/al wholesaler. The FTC had sued SGWS alleging price discounts it gave large retailers such as Walmart and Costco violated the Robinson-Patman Act under which it is generally illegal for sellters to charge higher prices to one seller than to another. The FTC said this was anti-competitive and unlawful price discrimination. SGWS had said it "

Del. Woman Arrested for Running Illegal Winery

When Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Commission found products from Pale Moon Wine being sold in Maryland, they notified their counterparts at the Delaware Division of Alcohol & Tobacco Enforcement. A quick check revealed the firm lacked the required licenses. Soon Margaret Munro, 60, of Dover, Del., was arrested and charged with running an unlicensed winery.

Bulleit Launches Its Oldest Straight Rye Whiskey

Made from Bulleit's signature 95% rye mashbill and aged for two decades, Bulleit 20-Year-Old Straight Rye was developed by the Bulleit Distilling Co. team with a blend crafted by Nicole Austin, Director of American Whiskey Liquid Development and Capabilities at Diageo. Austin led the barrel selection and blending process alongside the Bulleit team, choosing barrels that could carry twenty years of age while preserving the bold rye character that has defined Bulleit from the beginning.

New: Red White & Roost Celebrates America's 250th

Buzzard's Roost Whiskey released its newest limited-edition offering, Red, White & Roost Double Oak Bourbon, a distinctive single-barrel expression crafted to honor the spirit of American independence and the traditions of great Kentucky bourbon. Jason Brauner, Buzzard’s Roost Co-founder hand-selected this toasted barrel for its unique flavor profile. Red, White & Roost Toasted Bourbon delivers the rich complexity and exceptional flavor profile that bourbon enthusiasts have come to expect from

Ste. Michelle Closes Northstar Tasting Room, Winery

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates is closing its Northstar tasting room, which has been open for 25 years, and production facility in Walla Walla, Wash. Production of Northstar brand wines will be relocated in a dedicated reserve cellar at SMWE's Columbia Crest facility in Paterson, Wash. “The premium quality and style of Northstar will remain consistent, with continued sourcing from top vineyards across the Columbia Valley,” SMWE said in a statement to Sean P. Sullivan's Northwest Wine Report. “The b

With Cross-Marketing, Policy Wins, Gerard Bertrand Aids Oceans

One year after unveiling their collaboration in Marseille and introducing La Grande Bleue, an organic Mediterranean IGP wine, Gérard Bertrand and Oceana are celebrating the first milestones of their shared commitment to protecting the world’s oceans. Now available in 49 countries, La Grande Bleue has quickly established itself as an international benchmark for Mediterranean IGP wines.

Heaven Hill Offers Spring 2026 Edition of Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series

Heaven Hill Distillery released the Spring 2026 edition of the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series, a 10-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Comprised of barrels produced in the spring of 2016, and bottled in the spring of 2026, the seventeenth national release ushers in the latest hallmark series to the bottled-in-bond legacy. Bottled in an ornate decanter, the spring edition bares a green label, consistent across each of the brand’s spring releases.

What I'm Reading

• Joanna Stern fell for an AI spearphishing scam. Well, sort of. Then AI helped me spot it. Here’s how large language models are making scams much harder to detect—and what you can do about it. (Joanna Stern/The New Things)
• A victim of 1,700 scam credit card charges had to fight for their removal What one woman's story can teach us about what to do when faced with fraudulent activity on a credit card. (Washington Post)

Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow. – Joel

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