Deputy editor @spiritsbusiness
Articles by Nicola Carruthers
Top 10 award-winning world whiskies
From Japanese blends to single malts from Australia and India, we’ve tested out some of the best world whiskies on the market. These world whiskies are worth splashing the cash on Whisky is truly an international product and is no longer confined to the likes of America, Scotland and Ireland. There’s whisky being made all over the world, from India and Australia to England and Wales, with many nations striving to put down regulations that strengthen their respective products.
Sazerac silent over schnapps deal rumours
Buffalo Trace owner Sazerac is reportedly eyeing up German schnapps maker Berentzen as its next acquisition. Berentzen offers a range of flavoured schnapps like Sour Apple and Wild Cherry A report in Bloomberg yesterday (16 September) claimed the US spirits firm was in negotiations with Berentzen-Gruppe over a potential deal. The German company’s spirits portfolio includes liqueur brand Berentzen, Pushkin vodka, and Caribbean rum blend Tres Países, among others.
Bruichladdich names assistant blender
Lisa Matthews has been promoted to assistant blender at Bruichladdich, after rejoining the Islay distillery last year from Diageo’s Port Ellen site. Lisa Matthews returned to Bruichladdich last year after starting her career there in 2011 Islay native Matthews started her career at Bruichladdich at the age of 18 as a seasonal tour guide, joining her father who worked at the distillery in the bottling hall.
GTR: Japanese whisky up 44% as Cognac slumps
Japanese whisky was the standout spirits segment in global travel retail (GTR) last year, while Cognac “suffered one of its worst declines in several decades”. Whisky, particularly Japanese variants, had a strong year in GTR Data from IWSR revealed spirits volumes rose by 6% in 2025 while value increased by 7%. Whisky was the growth driver for GTR last year, with value up by 12%. IWSR called Japanese whisky the “standout” of all categories, with 44% value growth and volumes up by 37%.
SMWS owner posts 43% drop in H1 cask sales
The company behind the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) reported a 5% drop in revenue for the first half of 2026 due to a decline in cask sales. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s membership numbers surpassed 40,000 this year Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) saw revenue reach £9.2 million (US$12.4m) for the first six months of 2026. The company blamed the revenue decrease on lower trade cask sales of £1.3m (US$1.75m), down by 43% (H1 2025: £2.3m) for the same period last year.
Fever-Tree H1 sales up 7% as UK recovers
Tonic and mixer producer Fever-Tree saw revenue rise by 7% for the first half (H1) of 2026 as UK sales returned to growth. Non-tonic products now represent 47% of Fever-Tree’s total sales Total Fever-Tree revenue reached £183.6 million (US$247.5m) for H1, with growth in all regions. For the 2025 full year, Fever-Tree grew revenue by 2%, but the UK remained in decline. The US, its biggest market, rose by 7% to £66.9m (US$90.2m) for the first six months of 2026.
Disaronno debuts redesigned bottle
Italian liqueur Disaronno has revealed a new ‘contemporary’ bottle design inspired by the brand’s heritage. Disaronno retains its bottle shape but is now taller and lighter The new design is a modern evolution of the brand’s bottle, which is now taller, lighter and brighter. Disaronno’s newly designed bottle maintains its shape but with a ‘more contemporary and premium aesthetic’. It features a redesigned square cap that is said to be more modern and distinctive.
Diageo targets mid-strength sector with new line
Diageo is tapping into the mid-strength segment with a trio of 20% ABV products under its Smirnoff, Captain Morgan and Gordon’s brands. Diageo has launched three 20% ABV products under its biggest-selling spirits brands Diageo said its entry into the ’emerging’ mid-strength category through its core brands will provide consumers with more choice across different occasions.
UK triumphs in Havana Club Cocktail Maestros contest
The second edition of Havana Club’s Cocktail Maestros competition has crowned a team from a Birmingham bar in the UK as this year’s winners. The final was held last week in Barcelona Blaise Bachelier and George Bryan of Birmingham venue Fox and Chance triumphed in the final on Wednesday 9 September. The pair went head to head against 38 other finalists from more than 20 countries, including Italy, Spain, Norway, Canada, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Thailand and Hong Kong.
Southern Glazer’s: non-alc spirits ‘underdeveloped’
A new Southern Glazer’s report has highlighted the underdevelopment of non-alcoholic ‘spirits’ as a growth opportunity, while small sizes are under-indexed at retail. Alcohol-free cocktails are ‘moving from novelty to a menu staple’ in bars US distributor Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits has released its Raise The Bar H2 Edition report, covering trends and opportunities across beer, spirits, wine and ready-to-drink (RTD).
EU spirits exports to China down 50% in two years
Total European spirits exports fell by 6% in value last year due to declines in its key export markets, the US and China. Cognac producers have been particularly impacted by a decline in China Trade body SpiritsEurope revealed the 2025 export data as part of its A Spirit of Determination report. Total EU spirits exports reached €8.26 billion (US$9.6bn) in 2025, up 30% over the last decade. The category accounts for just 3% of EU agri-food exports.
How conflict is testing the Middle East’s drinks industry
War in the Middle East has stymied the region’s growing drinks sector, meaning brands have had to be resilient to flourish. The impact of the war on the Middle East’s tourism and hospitality sector has been significant *This feature was originally published in the July 2026 issue of The Spirits Business magazine. While the US and Iran have agreed to a temporary ceasefire, the impact of the war on the Middle East’s tourism and hospitality sector is significant.
Brown-Forman: Downtrading hits Herradura as El Jimador improves
The CEO of Brown-Forman has blamed Herradura’s decline on the weakness in the US$30-plus Tequila segment while El Jimador improves in the US. El Jimador Tequila has seen “significant improvement”, according to Brown-Forman’s CEO Last week, Brown-Forman reported a 1% organic sales drop for the first quarter (Q1) of its fiscal 2027 year. Tequila has been one of the main factors impacting the company’s Q1 revenue, alongside a decline in barrel sales.
Can a new strategy revive Diageo?
The world’s biggest spirits company has a new strategy after a change at the top, with RTDs a major focus. SB probes Diageo’s plans to boost growth. Diageo is planning to target RTDs with line extensions for its core spirits brands At the start of August, Diageo CEO Sir Dave Lewis revealed his strategy to return the UK-headquartered firm to growth after a prolonged period of weak trading.
Brown-Forman CEO: US whiskey demise ‘exaggerated’
The CEO of Brown-Forman has played down the demise of the American whiskey category, stating that “interest is very high” despite declining sales. The Jack Daniel’s family fell by 1% in Q1 as it faces challenges in key markets Brown-Forman reported a 1% organic sales drop for the first quarter of its fiscal 2027 year. The group’s whisky portfolio was flat organically with the core Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey also stagnant.
Brown-Forman Q1 sales down but New Mix booms
Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman saw first-quarter (Q1) organic sales drop by 1% as ready-to-drink (RTD) was the only part of the portfolio to grow. New Mix, which uses El Jimador as its base, launched in the US last November The US firm reported revenue of US$911 million for Q1 of fiscal 2027, covering the three months to 31 July 2026. Operating income for the quarter fell by 4% on an organic basis to US$252m.
Vancouver rye whisky maker hits funding target
Canadian producer Sons of Vancouver has surpassed its funding target of CA$500,000 (US$360,000) within its first week, as the distillery aims to ramp up rye whisky production. Sons of Vancouver distillery was founded by James Lester in 2015 The North Vancouver-based distillery launched a crowdfunding campaign on FrontFundr, which has raised CA$657,240 (US$471,600) to date.
The Travel Retail Masters 2026 results
The global travel retail sector offers brands the chance to provide exciting and experimental limited edition drops. Our annual taste test showed which ones are worth looking out for. These are some of the top drops available in travel retail right now Demand for travel is on the rise. Whether it’s a staycation by the beach, a city break, or a hiking holiday, consumers are increasingly keen to get away. The number of people heading to international destinations continues to grow.
Canadian whisky slumps in US control states
Sales of Canadian whisky in US control states saw the biggest drop of all spirits categories in July as Scotch and Tequila grew. US drinkers in control states are drinking more Scotch and Tequila than Canadian whisky The National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) released its latest annual sales data for 18 markets, covering the month of July. The new data showed a 8.5% volume drop for Canadian whisky during July and a value decrease of 8.4%.
Bruichladdich ‘challenges industry norms’ with 17th Octomore line
Rémy Cointreau-owned Bruichladdich Distillery has released its 17th annual Octomore series using “super heavily-peated barley” from a specific harvest and a variety of casks. The annual “experimental” Octomore range aims to “challenge industry norms” Every year, the Islay single malt maker releases a range of four Octomore whiskies that are “limited in volume and unrepeatable”.
Diageo brings midnight Margs to Practical Magic 2
Diageo-owned Astral has become the official Tequila partner of Practical Magic’s sequel as it aims to bring the film’s iconic midnight Margaritas scene to life. Real-life sisters Grace Ann and Brooks Nader star in the ‘It’s Midnight Somewhere’ mini-series Ahead of the release of Practical Magic 2 on 10 September, Diageo is celebrating the sequel with a mini-series that pays homage to the midnight Margaritas scene from the original 1998 film.
US spirits boycott boosts Corby FY sales
Pernod Ricard’s Canadian distributor, Corby Spirit & Wine, saw full-year organic sales rise by 11%, led by the removal of US spirits from most provinces. JP Wiser’s recently canned one of Canada’s most popular cocktails in single-serve RTD format French spirits conglomerate Pernod Ricard owns approximately 46% of Corby, which distributes and markets its brands in Canada.
California extends cocktails to-go bill for five years
The state of California has passed legislation extending venues’ ability to sell cocktails to-go until 2031. Cocktails in cans have boomed in recent years due to their convenient format During the Covid-19 pandemic, California was among a large number of US states that allowed hospitality venues to sell cocktails in sealed packaging (such as cans) or with secure, sealed lids to enjoy at home. Cocktails to-go have to be sold with a meal.
GlenWyvis in dire need of funding to save distillery
Community-owned Scotch whisky distillery GlenWyvis is seeking a multi-million-pound investment by 2028 to secure its future. GlenWyvis was founded a decade ago but now needs significant investment to protect it Dingwall-based GlenWyvis was established in 2015 by John McKenzie, a former Army Air Corps helicopter pilot. The project was registered as a Community Benefit Society (CBS) in 2016, enabling it to operate as a not-for-profit business for the benefit of the wider community.
ABD finds Officer’s Choice partner in Malaysia
Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD) has tapped a Malaysia partner to make Officer’s Choice whisky, marking the company’s first overseas local production deal. The unnamed third-party in Malaysia will make Officer’s Choice Blue whisky for ABD The Indian spirits firm has agreed a co-bottling arrangement for Officer’s Choice Blue with an ‘established local partner’. The Spirits Business has reached out to ABD to confirm who the Malaysian firm is.
Hello Soju grows US presence
California-based Hello Soju has expanded into Colorado and Texas, with the brand seeking to follow the success of Surfside and High Noon. Relaunched in 2025, Hello Soju offers a sparkling soju line in cans and a full-strength spirit Hello Soju, which is available as a 33% ABV spirit and in a canned ready-to-drink (RTD) format, has grown its US presence from two states (California and Nevada) to four.
Diageo discusses spirits trends shaping India Original
The chief innovation officer of Diageo India believes vodka and Tequila have “massive opportunities” for growth while gin is expected to see a “consolidation phase”. Diageo revealed its Indian single malt brand Godawan in 2022 Speaking to The Spirits Business last month, Vikram Damodaran, chief innovation officer of Diageo India, believes vodka presents the larger opportunity due to its big base.
Canada-US dispute heats up with 50% tariff
US president Donald Trump has slapped a 50% tariff on Canadian spirits after last-ditch negotiations broke down, with retaliatory “dollar-for-dollar” measures to follow next month. American spirits have been axed from the shelves of Canadian stores for 18 months In July, president Trump threatened the tariff and said it would “level the playing field for crucial American exports – cars, alcohol, and dairy”.
English whisky distillery at Bodmin Jail gets green light
The private equity group behind Père Magloire Calvados has secured planning approval to build an English whisky distillery on the site of a former prison in Cornwall. A rendering of Bodmin Jail Distillery Cornwall Council has approved plans for The Bodmin Jail Distillery as part of an £80 million (US$109.2m) investment to restore the former prison, which closed in 1927. Bodmin Jail reopened as a tourist attraction in 2020, allowing visitors to explore the history of the 18th-century prison.
Gallup: US drinkers shift to spirits as beer dips
Americans’ alcohol consumption has remained at a ‘record low’ of 54%, while longer-term trends show drinkers are moving towards spirits, according to a Gallup survey. Beer slightly leads American alcohol consumption, but spirits are hot on its tail Last August, a Gallup poll revealed the same percentage figure from Americans who said they consume alcohol – the lowest level in nearly 90 years.
Sazerac moves into soju
Buffalo Trace owner Sazerac Company has entered the soju sector with the launch of its new Dalho brand and a ‘category-first’ 50ml format. Dalho soju is bottled at 17% ABV Dalho is available in four flavours across both the traditional 375ml bottle and a 50ml format that is thought to be a first for the soju sector. The range includes Original, Peach, Strawberry and Lychee, which are all bottled at 17% ABV.
Montanya Distillers adds industry experts to board
Colorado-based rum producer Montanya Distillers has created an advisory committee that includes Jimmy Bruton of Via Carota, and Lake Hour CEO Michelle Ivey. Michelle Ivey is part of Montanya Rum’s board Montanya Rum’s new board includes Bruton, who is the chief marketing officer (CMO) of Via Carota Craft Cocktails, and former CMO of Darco Spirits.
Lark FY sales up 69% in export markets
Australia’s Lark Distilling Co saw its full-year sales rise by double digits, driven by growth in international markets and global travel retail (GTR). Lark’s new flagship range of single malt whiskies were unveiled in January For the year ending 30 June 2026 (FY26), the Tasmania-based whisky producer reported net sales growth of 15.1% to AU$18 million (US$12.8m), after excise. Lark’s performance has varied through the year. The fourth quarter delivered AU$5m (US$3.5m) of revenue for Lark.
Radico Khaitan targets India’s white spirits boom
As it diversifies its portfolio, Radico Khaitan believes white spirits will be the next big growth opportunity for India’s alcohol sector. Radico Khaitan’s portfolio spans whisky, vodka, brandy and gin Managing director (MD) Abhishek Khaitan says that while whisky remains the “backbone” of the industry, there are “exciting growth opportunities” in white spirits and “premium international-style categories”.
Halewood sells Crabbie’s ginger beer to focus on spirits
UK-based Halewood Artisanal Spirits has offloaded its alcoholic ginger beer brand Crabbie’s to Brookfield Drinks as part of its strategy to focus on spirits. Crabbie’s will get an investment boost from Brookfield The Crabbie’s brand is said to date back to Edinburgh in 1801. Crabbie’s is made using a six-week ginger steeping process. The brand’s range includes its alcoholic ginger beer and ginger wine, as well as raspberry and blood orange variants.
Demerara Distillers begins $10m expansion
El Dorado rum maker Demerara Distillers has broken ground on a US$10 million expansion of its facility on the Caribbean island of St Kitts. L-R: Vasudeo Singh, DDL’s deputy CEO, Komal Samaroo, DDL executive chairman, Terrence Drew, prime minister of St Kitts and Nevis, and Parvash Shiwprashad, DDL’s operations manager for St Kitts The US$10m ‘modernisation’ project in Bird Rock, St Kitts, aims to increase the company’s operational footprint in the region.
Tequila surges 34% in India in 2025
Spirits are set to post a 3% volume rise in India over the next five years, with Tequila poised for double-digit growth. Indian drinkers are showing a penchant for spirits beyond whisky like Tequila Data from IWSR revealed a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4% in value for spirits in India from 2025 to 2030, one percentage point higher than its volume estimation. It followed a 4% volume gain for spirits in India last year, and a 6% value increase.
IWSR: hard tea could scale better than seltzers globally
Hard tea has become one of the fastest-growing subcategories in the ready-to-drink (RTD) space and could offer more potential for global growth than seltzers, according to IWSR. Dr Dre and Snoop moved into the canned alcoholic iced tea market in April IWSR believes tea is on the rise globally as a flavour trend within the wider alcohol category.
Glen Moray: a journey of casks since 1897
Speyside distillery Glen Moray continues to champion cask exploration while highlighting the versatility of single malt through Highballs and golf. Glen Moray 12 Years Old Speyside’s famed whisky region has been home to Glen Moray Distillery for more than 125 years. The first spirit from the still flowed from the Elgin-based site on 13 September 1897, and since then the brand has been on a mission to explore the influence of wood on its whisky.
Survey: 69% of Canadians back US booze ban
Nearly seven in 10 Canadians believe the government should maintain a boycott on American alcohol, a survey by Abacus Data revealed. Nearly all Canadian provinces took US alcohol off their shelves in March 2025 From 23-29 July, Abacus conducted an online survey of 1,363 adults living in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador).
Suntory posts stagnant H1 alcohol sales
Japanese drinks group Suntory reported flat alcohol sales for the first half (H1) of 2026 as its Americas performance suffered. The 10% gain for Suntory’s canned -196 brand was not enough to lift total alcohol sales Maker’s Mark producer Suntory posted a 0.2% uptick to ¥653.6 billion (US$4.12bn) in revenue (including liquor tax) for its alcoholic beverages division. However, operating income plunged by 24.6% to ¥53.9bn (US$339.4m).
Cutwater is fastest-growing alcohol brand in US
AB InBev’s canned cocktail Cutwater has become the fastest-growing brand in the US alcohol industry after rising by 104% over the past 12 months. Mango Margarita is the second biggest-selling spirits-based cocktail SKU in the US AB InBev cited Circana data for the 12 months to 19 July 2026 covering the off-trade in US dollar sales. The company claimed Cutwater is the largest spirits-based cocktail brand in the US, more than 4.5 times bigger than its nearest competitor.
La Martiniquaise snaps up Lamb’s rum from Corby
Pernod Ricard’s Canadian subsidiary, Corby Spirit and Wine, has sold Lamb’s rum to La Martiniquaise-Bardinet and Quebec-based alcohol firm Phildan for CA$39.2 million (US$28m). Lamb’s was described as “one of Canada’s most recognised rum brands” Corby has sold the brand, inventories and intellectual property in a joint deal to Maison des Futailles, a subsidiary of Canadian business Phildan, and Glen Turner Company, a division of COFEPP.
The American Whiskey Masters 2026 medallists
Bold, diverse, and with one or two surprises – our latest American whiskey blind tasting proved the category has never been more exciting. The American Whiskey Masters 2026 results are in The US is rightfully known as a whiskey-drinking nation, from Bourbons to ryes and the more recently established American single malt segment.
Casa Bacardí ploughs millions into expansion
Puerto Rican rum distillery Bacardí has opened its barrel warehouses to the public for the first time following a multi-million-dollar expansion. Bacardí is welcoming the public to its warehouses for the first time The move coincides with the company’s 90th anniversary in Puerto Rico, where it operates the world’s largest premium rum distillery. This latest expansion brings Bacardí’s total investment in its home market to more than US$100 million in the past five years.
Rwanda closes 101 alcohol facilities
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) of Rwanda has shut 101 alcohol production sites and recalled their products over safety concerns. Many of the blacklisted sites made alcoholic beverages flavoured with ginger and banana On 3 August, the Rwanda government’s FDA issued a public announcement regarding the closure of 101 sites that produced alcoholic beverages such as gin, vodka and various flavoured expressions like ‘pineapple’ wine and ‘banana-based’ drinks.
The World Whisky Masters 2026 medal winners
Away from the major whisky-producing nations, excitement is brewing with distillers creating liquid that sings of each country’s unique terroir. The World Whisky Masters 2026 results revealed strong offerings from around the globe It’s a challenging time for the global whisky sector as the industry faces lower levels of demand after spikes during the Covid-19 pandemic.
NIQ: spirits struggle post-World Cup in on-trade
Spirits suffered a double-digit sales drop across Britain’s on-trade in the week after the World Cup final. Pubs saw the most growth during June due to football fans NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker revealed that spirits sales for 18-25 July plunged by 17.7% compared with the same week in 2025. Total drinks sales across managed venues were down by 1.6% for the week to 25 July 2026, with only cider in growth (up by 5.1%) due to sunny weather.
Control state spirits sales rebound in June
Volume sales of spirits across all US control states rose by 4.8% in June, with core segments like American whiskey and vodka back in growth. American whiskey grew in both volume and value in June across control states Data from the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) for 18 markets also showed a value gain of 3.2% for spirits across all control states in June 2026.
Rémy Cointreau hires ex-Pernod Africa CEO
The former CEO of Pernod Ricard Africa, Grégory Leymarie, will join Rémy Cointreau in September in the newly created role of global managing director of emerging markets. Grégory Leymarie will join Rémy Cointreau on 1 September He will oversee the acceleration of the Paris-headquartered company’s growth strategy and drive its strategy in Africa, the Middle East and India (AMEI), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia regions.
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