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just-drinks.com editor's weekly highlights | |
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Join key industry leaders at the 3rd World Whiskies Conference - the global whisky business summit. Enjoy unrivalled whisky expertise and grow your business at the Radisson SAS, Glasgow, 15-16 April 2008.
Well, here in the UK, the sun’s come out – finally - and it appears the big guns have also come out to play on just-drinks. Last week, we started a run of an impressive roster of interviewees. We begin that run with the first part of a two-part interview with the chairman and CEO of PepsiCo International, Mike White. Part two will run later this week, so keep your eyes peeled. My chat with White followed a timely one-to-one with the head of Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Tom Flocco, in the same week that Beam lost out to Pernod Ricard in the race for Vin & Sprit. I’m due to sit down with Flocco again later this week up in Scotland at the World Whiskies Conference. Now that the shouting’s also finished over V&S, I’ll be asking him what the future has in store for Beam. Another company in the headlines of late is Constellation Brands. Earlier this month, the US-based drinks firm saw impairment charges hit its full-year results. This, and a host of other subjects, were up for discussion, when I talked to Constellation’s CEO, Rob Sands, last week. The fruits of that conversation will be with you shortly. As mentioned, I’m in Scotland early this week, where Diageo’s Paul Walsh and UB’s Vijay Mallya are expected to be in attendance. Leave it to me folks, I’ll see what I can do. On the news front last week, we saw Vin & Sprit hold its place on the front pages, albeit for the wrong reasons this time round. SABMiller and Molson Coors, meanwhile, cleared another hurdle to their American tie-up, while inaccurate reports out of India forced United Spirits to deny it was in talks with Bacardi to buy a stake. To check out these, and other top stories covered on just-drinks last week, click here. Until next time... Olly Wehring, Managing Editor Web: www.just-drinks.com
Just in case you’ve not got round to booking a round-the-world business trip, taking in the best wine producing regions of France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Germany, the US, South Africa, Portugal, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand and roughly 25 other producing countries…. We’ll bring them to you, in London, and for three days.
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Comment - Whither Stolichnaya… [MEM] Pernod Ricard’s success in landing Absolut vodka has cast doubt over the future of Stolichnaya, currently marketed internationally by Pernod but which the French company will now be looking to offload. Prior to the Absolut deal, Pernod had been seeking to buy Stoli but the complicated issues over the brand’s ownership hampered those ambitions. Now, writes Patience Gould, the logical solution would be for Beam Global, which was pipped to the Absolut prize by Pernod, to make a move for Stoli.
Middle East drinks sector review The drinks market in the Middle East continues to increase on the back of population growth, economic development, improvements in distribution and retail, and more aggressive advertising campaigns. But like much of the rest of the world, younger and better educated market segments within the region are shifting away from carbonated soft drinks (CSD) towards fruit juices and bottled water as people become increasingly health-conscious, according to independent industry analysts and the drinks sector. This month's briefing takes a look at the Middle Eastern beverage market, with chapters focusing on United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Israel.
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April 14, 2008 
