Central European Distribution Corp (CEDC) has barely been off our radar of late. Today marked the latest development in a flurry of activity, with the group announcing a distribution tie-up with William Grant & Sons' First Drinks business in the UK. First Drinks will distribute Green Mark, Zubrowka and Kauffman vodkas in the UK from this year. The move follows news last week that CEDC has extended a distribution deal with Beam Inc in Poland.

Is CEDC trying to reassure investors concerned about its financial position? Or, is it making a statement of independence amid ongoing discussions over a stake sale to Russian Standard? Something to keep your eyes on, folks.

Other top stories from the past week include UK Government plans to introduce duty tax stamps for beer, a sobering assessment of EU wine reform from Rabobank and Beam Inc's creation of an MD position to target emerging markets. In soft drinks, Red Bull's capital spend in Brazil caught the eye, prompting us to investigate the lay of the land in the country's energy drinks market.

As always, we've been peppering you all with comment and insight. In particular, we noted that either part or all of Kingway Brewery may come up for sale in China, possibly interesting SABMiller's JV there, CR Snow Breweries. We also celebrated that Plymouth Gin is finally getting greater recognition over at Pernod Ricard, an issue that we have history with here on just-drinks. Over in the US, we took a look at managerial changes at Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Results season, here we come.

Until next time...

Olly Wehring
Managing Editor
Web: http://www.just-drinks.com
Email: editor@just-drinks.com
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