Drinks

S&N + SAB + Miller = world's biggest brewer

29-Jan-2002

Speculation over a proposed merger that would see Scottish & Newcastle combine with two foreign brewers to form the biggest beer maker in the...

Confusion over size of cask ale market continues

25-Jan-2002

The confusion over a report that claimed the cask ale market was healthier than previously thought, shows no sign of being resolved.In December the...

A jelly good fellow

23-Jan-2002

Tim Haggard left his high-flying accountancy job to find himself, five years later, at the forefront of the Bad Jelly brand. Phil Mellows reportsIt's...

Bacardi axes major PPS brands

23-Jan-2002

Bacardi-Martini is to drop Metz Still and Metz Black from its portfolio of premium packaged spirit (PPS) brands and withdraw its Bacardi Rigo brand...

Wanted: new chief executive for S&N

21-Jan-2002

Brian Stewart, the 56-year-old executive chairman of Scottish & Newcastle, the £3.5bn brewer, is said to be preparing to step down after less...

Slug and Lettuce offers fine art with its pints

16-Jan-2002

Pub chain Slug and Lettuce is offering its customers the chance to appreciate fine art as they sip their pints.A new initiative called Bar Culture...

Perks of the job - we meet top barista Thomas Polti

15-Jan-2002

Phil Mellows meets publican Thomas Polti, the man widely regarded as the greatest barista in Britain, and finds the secret of a good coffeeThomas...

British beer industry threatened by...fish innards?

15-Jan-2002

Declining volumes, the threat from global brewers and bootlegged beer have all taken their toll on the cask ale sector.Now fish bladders are the...

WKD shot concept launched by Beverage Brands

14-Jan-2002

Beverage Brands, the flavoured alcoholic beverage (FAB) specialist, has made its first foray into the lucrative shots and shooters market. The...

Report on size of cask ale market sparks row

10-Jan-2002

A row has broken out over a report which claimed the cask ale market was much healthier than previously thought.The Business Guide to the Cask Ale...

Diageo given nod on Seagram deal but must drop Malibu

20-Dec-2001

Diageo has at last been given clearance to proceed with the £5.6bn takeover of Seagram's spirit portfolio on the condition it disposed of its white...

Whisky industry sets up task force to target hijacks

11-Dec-2001

The whisky industry has set up a special task force aimed at calling a halt to the number of losses caused by delivery truck hijacks each year. For...

Interbrew heads for court over SAB leak

07-Dec-2001

Interbrew has launched criminal proceedings for the theft and falsification of documents, after leaked papers suggested the Stella Artois maker was...

The secret of Brakspear's success

05-Dec-2001

Brakspear has quickly established itself as the country's premier brewer of organic beers. Phil Mellows investigates the reasons behind its...

Beverage Brands ditches VR declaring FABs have "run out of steam

05-Dec-2001

Sector has run out of steam, says Beverage BrandsFlavoured alcoholic beverage (FAB) specialist Beverage Brands has pulled its Vodka Reaction (VR)...

Coffee champion misses out on best cup of coffee hat-trick

05-Dec-2001

Publican Thomas Polti has narrowly missed out on a hat-trick of wins in a national competition to find out who makes Britain's best cup of...

Interbrew holds back from SAB

04-Dec-2001

Interbrew, maker of Stella Artois, has said it does not intend to make an immediate bid for SAB.But the Belgian Brewer refused to rule out a takeover...

Full pint back on the agenda

29-Nov-2001

Trade reacts angrily to MP proposal to target short beer measuresMPs have launched a controversial campaign to stop pubs serving less than a full...

Marketing your wine offering

27-Nov-2001

Although pub wine sales are increasing overall, it is still necessary to let customers know that your venue takes wine seriously. John Porter looks...

C-T attacked over Wrexham closure

27-Nov-2001

Welsh MP tables motion for boycott of brewing giant's productsA Welsh MP is calling on licensees to boycott Carlsberg-Tetley (C-T) products as part...

Report says beer quality is paramount

23-Nov-2001

Consumers are far more concerned about the quality of the beer they drink than they are about the ownership of the brewery or the pub it came from,...

Dark spirits - the history of whisky, rum and brandy

22-Nov-2001

While vodka has overtaken whisky as the pub trade's best-selling spirit, there is still plenty of life left in the dark spirits category. John Porter...

Can brand owners halt the Scotch whisky decline by attracting younger drinkers?

21-Nov-2001

Scotch whisky sales are in steady decline but the brand owners are pulling out all the stops to attract the younger drinker. Ben McFarland...

What's next for brewers when premium lagers become mainstream?

14-Nov-2001

With premium lagers becoming mainstream, brewers have recognised a demand for newer speciality beers. Ben McFarland reportsIt's been several years...

Get ready to rumble - rum returns as a firm favourite

07-Nov-2001

With spirit drinkers becoming more educated rum is becoming a firm favourite again. Ben McFarland investigates by sampling a 'tot' or two There are...

Carlsberg-Tetley to launch Euro guest lagers

07-Nov-2001

C-T goes European to introduce premium beer programme in UKCarlsberg-Tetley (C-T) has made its first sortie into the UK's burgeoning premium...

Britvic sale scrapped

06-Nov-2001

Britvic has been withdrawn from auction after owners Britannia and PepsiCo refused to agree any of the tabled offers. The soft drinks business, which...

Wine on the internet

02-Nov-2001

Wine trading on the web has so far failed to excite the majority of the pub trade - but the internet may still have something to tempt licensees who...

Diageo set to drop Malibu to save deal

01-Nov-2001

Drinks company likely to off-load spirit to comply with rulingIt is believed Diageo will off-load Malibu in favour of Captain Morgan in order to buy...

Ridley's modernises portfolio with new look and logo

31-Oct-2001

Ridley's has given its entire brand portfolio a new look and introduced a fresh corporate image in an effort to boost national recognition of its...

Belgium's a Euro star

31-Oct-2001

Belgium brewer Interbrew is committed to raising beer quality in the UK.Ben McFarland went to Brussels to see if he could learn a thing or twoSales...

SAB enters Indian beer market with two acquisitions

31-Oct-2001

South African Breweries (SAB), which acquired two Indian brewers as part of a push into the nation's young beer market, says that it aims to build a...

Famous Grouse scotches rivals as popular choice

31-Oct-2001

Almost one in three blended drams poured in the British on-trade is The Famous Grouse, according to the latest figures from AC Nielsen.Following a...

Champagne

29-Oct-2001

Over-estimates of the amount of champagne that would be drunk on Millennium night has meant that there are bargain bubblies available - so why not...

Interbrew wins EC go-ahead for acquisition of Beck's

26-Oct-2001

Belgian beer giant Interbrew has won the European Commission's approval for its £1.2bn cash acquisition of Beck's.The EU had expressed concerns over...

S&N sells 456 pubs to Royal Bank of Scotland for £260m

26-Oct-2001

Scottish & Newcastle has sold 456 of its leased pubs to Royal Bank of Scotland in a £260m cash deal. The deal is the third block-sale of leased...

Protz attacks barrelage discounts

25-Oct-2001

Expert calls for investigation to aid smaller brewersBeer expert Roger Protz (pictured) is calling on the Office of Fair Trading to launch an...

Scotco beer deliveries hit by computer glitch

24-Oct-2001

ScotCo blames new system as pubs run dry due to delayed ordersPubs across the country were left without beer after a computer problem delayed orders...

Coke steps up sports drinks battle with relaunch of Powerade

24-Oct-2001

Coca-Cola Europe (CCE) has stepped-up its battle with Lucozade Sport, owned by GlaxoSmithKline, in the sports drink sector with the relaunch of its...

Heineken's European beers to be introduced in UK

24-Oct-2001

Heineken has made its first foray into the premium speciality beer market with the launch of two of its European draught beers into the UK...

Vodka reigns when it pours

23-Oct-2001

Vodka continues to dominate the spirits market but its success as a mixer could threaten its long-term future. Ben McFarland reports.Vodka's...

Britvic launches innovations and advice for festive season

23-Oct-2001

While draught drinks are still core to the on-trade, six out of 10 people now prefer packaged drinks, and Britvic has introduced a range of...

Industry players slammed for ousting micro-brewers

19-Oct-2001

The commercial director of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has hit out at pub companies and brewing giants for squeezing micro-brewers out...

The perfect pour

18-Oct-2001

The traditional branded beer tap, a vital marketing tool for brewers, is under threat from a shift in pub design. Ben McFarland investigatesA...

Health benefits of beer

18-Oct-2001

Drinking beer is good for your health and may help to prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis, according to top scientists.At a...

CAMRA slams misleading ales

18-Oct-2001

Group claims brewers' marketing gives false impressionThe Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has again attacked Suffolk-brewer Greene King for its...

Tetley's secures sponsorship deals with both rugby codes

17-Oct-2001

Carlsberg-Tetley (C-T) has cemented links between its flagship Tetley's brand and the oval ball by signing sponsorship deals with both rugby...

Smirnoff Ice draught trial

17-Oct-2001

Ireland test for PPS could lead to introduction in UKGuinness UDV (GUDV) is to trial a draught version of its Smirnoff Ice brand in Ireland which, if...