Beverages

Australia

Cider poised to take over from alcopops

30-Jun-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Cider’s dramatic rise in popularity among Australian consumers appears to have come at the expense of pre-mixed spirits, according to new market research figures.

BREAKING NEWS

Coca-Cola India wins ruling overturning Uttar Pradesh plant closure order

20-Jun-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Coca-Cola India's controversial bottling plant in Uttar Pradesh will reopen after a national environmental tribunal today stayed a local pollution control board ruling ordering its closure.

‘Don’t discount Scotch whisky – Innovate!’ Rabobank fires Aussie wine warning

19-Jun-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Rabobank today served up Australian wine as an object lesson for the Scotch whisky industry’s need to innovate in areas such as flavour rather than discount, to guard its prestige in times of oversupply.

Black tea shows cholesterol-busting potential: Meta-analysis

18-Jun-2014 By Stephen Daniells

Regular consumption of black tea may reduce LDL cholesterol levels, but has no effect on HDL cholesterol, according to a new meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

A metropolitan detox: Broccoli could be 'frugal, simple and safe' way of reducing risks of air pollution

17-Jun-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Daily consumption of half a cup of a broccoli sprout beverage increased participants' ability to excrete the carcinogen benzene and lung irritant acrolein, according to research in China.

Anti-extravagance and acquisitions in Asia rock global spirits market

04-Jun-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Asia’s role in the global spirits market has surprised analysts over in recent months, with moves to curb extravagance in China, Suntory’s acquisition of Beam in January and Emperador’s winning bid to acquire White & Mackay each causing a stir.

Soapbox

Why didn't Sir Alex Ferguson shift his Bordeaux at big-bottle auction?

04-Jun-2014 By Nick Harty, Platinum Wines

As Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson auctioned part of his fine wine collection through Christie’s in Hong Kong last weekend, the absence of his sizeable Bordeaux stock was especially noticeable.

Nestle enters Nescafe JV with South Korea's Lotte Foods

02-Jun-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Nestle has announced a JV with South Korea's Lotte Foods to make and distribute Nescafe coffees, powdered chocolate and other beverages in Korea.

Australia

High-flyers sending gin into a renaissance

26-May-2014 By RJ Whitehead

In some countries, gin’s popularity might not now be what it once was, but recent data shows it has enjoyed a renaissance in Australia over the last five years. 

Southeast Asia

Crazy flavours and multiple mixes driving hipster coffee culture

22-May-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Café patrons in northern Southeast Asian countries are far more conventional than those to the south if what they order in cafés is any judge.

Drambuie sale: Suntory ‘favourite’ to buy

22-May-2014 By Rod Addy

Suntory would be the “favourite” to buy Scottish liqueur brand Drambuie, one analyst has claimed, as news emerged that owners the MacKinnon family were exploring a possible sale.

Ball expands Coca-Cola Pinya line in Southeast Asia

21-May-2014 By Jenny Eagle

Ball Corporation will build a one-line beverage can manufacturing plant in Myanmar for Coca-Cola Pinya drinks and several other regional and multi-national customers.

Astronomical shipping charges! Japanese sports drink eyes moon landing

20-May-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Most beverage brands are probably content to work on their distribution on plain old planet Earth but a Japanese sports drinks brand is set to become the first commercial delivery to the moon.

Tiny Kiwi distiller takes on might of William Grant over trademark

20-May-2014 By Andrew Schreiber

New Zealand Whisky Collection, a small Kiwi distiller, is engaged in a trademark battle with giant Scottish distiller William Grant & Sons over the use of the same compound term, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. 

Australia

Online shoppers go for grog over groceries

19-May-2014 By RJ Whitehead

More Australians buy alcohol online than groceries, though still less than one in 50 consumers click products into their virtual supermarket trolleys each month, according to the latest data by Roy Morgan.

Analysis

Australian wine exporters really need to up their game in Asia-Pacific

19-May-2014 By RJ Whitehead

The recent trade spat between Indonesia and Australia, which comes on the back of the southeast Asian nation’s objection towards its southern neighbour’s move to implement plain packaging of cigarettes, might have been blown out of all proportion, but...

Australia selling less wine abroad, though sales are growing in value

15-May-2014 By RJ Whitehead

While Australian wine exports might be rising in value terms, this supposed good news comes on the back of significantly reduced volumes, according to the industry’s government promoter.

Anger over Western Australia's ban on energy drinks during World Cup

14-May-2014 By Richard Whitehead

The drinks industry has slammed as “absurd” Western Australia’s decision to ban energy drinks as mixers during late-night screenings of World Cup matches.

Australia

Bracing for a tough year, new Coca-Cola Amatil MD begins restructure

13-May-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Acknowledging that growth will be tougher to achieve than it has in the past, Australasian bottler Coca-Cola Amatil’s new managing director has announced a shake up of the company under the guise of a strategic review.

India

Booming bottled water market still has space for local players

08-May-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Rising awareness of safety and hygiene following incidents of waterborne diseases in major cities across India has seen the consumption of packaged bottled water in India grow fivefold since the late ‘Nineties. 

Mahou San Miguel establishes Indian beer subsidiary

30-Apr-2014 By Andrew Schreiber

Spanish brewer Mahou San Miguel announced yesterday that it has established its first international subsidiary in India through the acquisition of 100% of Arian Breweries & Distilleries.

Australia’s craft beer secrets slowly being exposed

30-Apr-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Australian jobs are at risk, as is the credibility of the segment, if craft breweries continue to licence their beer to mainstream operators, according the previous head of Byron Bay Brewing Company, which has found itself at the centre of a consumer...

CUB takes rap for misleading consumers with city-brewed country beer

29-Apr-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Carlton & United Breweries will relabel stocks of beer that it acknowledges might have “misled” consumers into believing the product had been brewed hundreds of kilometres away from its real source. 

Interview

'Barrels are bullshit' says next-gen Aussie cooper with eyes on Asia

24-Apr-2014 By RJ Whitehead

While wine barrel innovator Flexcube is targeting New World wineries in the Americas for half of its international sales, the Australian company has not forgotten about vineyards across the Asia-Pacific region.

Major breakthrough for Scotch in battle to beat Aussie fraudsters

16-Apr-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Scotland’s whisky industry is celebrating a “major breakthrough” in Australia, where this the spirit was registered as a certification trademark. The move comes after a long battle by Scotch Whisky Association to counter fakes, for which Australia has...

Beer consumption at near 70-year low in Australia

09-Apr-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Consumption of beer in Australia has reached its lowest level since 1946, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Capri-Sun adds final Indian BRIC to emerging market edifice

02-Apr-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Capri-Sun will launch in India this month via a partnership with SDU Beverages, and the brand says it has tremendous potential to tap fruit juice growth of 49% over the next five years.

India’s tea industry gets a new code

01-Apr-2014 By Ankush Chibber

The Tea Board of India has announced a new set of guidelines for Indian tea growers under a voluntary code, with an aim to improve the quality of tea produced in the country.

Asia driving global malt whisky growth

31-Mar-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Strong growth in Asia has driven the world’s malt whisky sector, which grew by 46.7% between 2003 and 2012, according to a new report from just-drinks and The IWSR.

'Trade conflict turned business partnership!' China ends EU wine war

28-Mar-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

China has agreed to end its year-long investigation into subsidies on and alleged dumping of EU wine exports in a move that will relieve France in particular.

US firm hopes deal will open up market for californian wines

VATS the way I like it! Constellation Brands inks China wine deal

26-Mar-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Constellation Brands has signed a long-term strategic deal with China’s VATs Liquor to develop the world’s best-selling table wine Robert Mondavi in the country.

Mineral waters and mixers adding fizz to Aussie bubbly drink market

24-Mar-2014 By RJ Whitehead

New market research suggests that Australia’s love of bubbly drinks could now be fizzling out.

Putting the chai into Dubai: Rise of the world’s tea re-export capital

18-Mar-2014 By RJ Whitehead

The order given by Dubai’s ruling sheikh in 1959 to dredge the Creek, the water channel that flows into the heart of what was at the time a sleepy fishing village, is commonly seen as the move that would transform the Gulf state into an economic powerhouse.

‘Hedonic Expectations’: How to drive healthy drinks sales in China

14-Mar-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

The Chinese place more trust in big beverage brands to deliver safe products, link ‘naturalness’ to single-flavor varieties and are increasingly willing to pay more for quality, safety and nutrition.

The FoodNavigator Forum

How does sugar affect health? Find out at FoodNavigator’s Sugar Debate: Separating Fact from Fiction

12-Mar-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Sugar – at least in excess – has been blamed for everything from heart disease to obesity and cancers in recent months. But is it as bad as all that?

MOVE FOLLOWS RECENT UAE STEP TO BAN SUPERSIZE SODAS

Red Bull 'surprised' by Saudi Arabia energy drinks advertising ban

04-Mar-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Saudi Arabia has banned energy drink advertising altogether and will limit their distribution and sale, while brands including Red Bull will now be forced to carry health warnings.

WORLD BANK INVESTMENT ARM 'TROUBLED' BY REPORTS OF CHILD TRAFFICKING ON PLANTATIONS

Angry TATA Global Beverages instructs lawyers over Tetley tea slavery allegations

03-Mar-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

TATA Global Beverages is instructing defamation lawyers after a video documentary in The Guardian online claimed its Tetley tea brand is supplied by a plantation paying such pitiful wages that girls are driven into slavery.

Researchers develop tool to unlock genetics of grape growing

03-Mar-2014 By RJ Whitehead

University of Adelaide researchers have developed a new web-based tool to help unlock the complex genetics and biological processes behind grapevine development.

Editorial

The Big B backs Complan after historic split with Pepsi comes to light

19-Feb-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Hopefully Amitabh Bachchan’s relationship with Heinz India will fare better than his ambassadorship did for Pepsi now the Bollywood screen legend has been signed to endorse its health drink, Complan.

Svedka vodka arrives in India

19-Feb-2014

America’s second most popular imported vodka will now appear on Indian bottle shop shelves after owner Constellation brands tied up a deal with local distributor Mohan Brothers to bring Svedka to India.

Cut and reduce sugar in drinks, don’t tax them, say NZ adults

19-Feb-2014 By Ankush Chibber

Most adult New Zealanders prefer to reduce the amount of sugar in drinks and also their size to imposing a sugar tax to deter their demand, a new survey has revealed.

EU spirits industry keen to tap ‘unfulfilled potential’ in Vietnam

13-Feb-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

spiritsEUROPE tells BeverageDaily.com that the EU is keen to seal a free trade agreement (FTA) with Vietnam to help members including Diageo, Beam Inc. and Pernod Ricard open up a ‘priority’ market.

‘We’ll be the No.1 can player in China!’ Crown Holdings

05-Feb-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Crown Holdings expects to become the leading beverage can producer in China this year and is bullish on the nation’s growth prospects despite low prices for its products.

Kangshifu steals march on Coke in global soft drinks struggle

04-Feb-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Tingyi's successful Chinese brand Kangshifu is gaining ground on Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Sprit in the bottle for world soft drinks domination, according to new Canadean research.

Rabobank sees ‘huge upside’ in China milk tea opportunity

30-Jan-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Global tea companies will have to hit the M&A trail to unlock opportunities in important tea markets including China, Russia and India, according to Rabobank.

Australian government rejects bailout appeal from SPC Ardmona

30-Jan-2014 By Ankush Chibber

The Australian government has rejected a plea by beverage maker SPC Ardmona for an AU$25m (US$21.8m) bailout package, calling on the firm’s parent company to the rescue of its local subsidiary. 

Fast food chains slammed for ‘cashing in’ on high-sugar frozen drinks

30-Jan-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Health groups in Australia have hit out at fast food chains that they say are “cashing in” by promoting seductively cheap frozen drinks that in many cases contain what they call “surprisingly large” amounts of added sugar. 

China now the world’s biggest red wine consumer

30-Jan-2014 By RJ Whitehead

With consumption almost tripling over the last six years, China has leapfrogged France and Italy to become the world’s biggest red wine market, with surging demand for the variety in stark contrast to that for its inauspicious white counterpart.

Coke India bottler fights site wrecking order

27-Jan-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Coke subsidiary Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) has filed a petition before a district magistrate challenging a government order demanding the destruction of a site in Northern India.

‘Mad Men effect’ driving younger Aussies to gain a taste for whisky

24-Jan-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Top whisky brands have been seeing a seismic market-share shift in Australia with Mad Men-watching younger drinkers quickly developing a taste for premium whisky.