just the Answer

Once a month, we put a drinks executive on the spot with a bout of quick-fire questions.

just the Answer - Treasury Wine Estates' EMEA & Global Travel Retail MD, Andrew Carter

1 May 2013

After nearly 20 years of working in the beer and spirits categories, Andrew Carter pitched up at Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) last year charged with leading the group's Europe, Middle East and Asia region. Travel Retail also falls under his remit. So, how's he finding the challenge? just-drinks' deputy editor, James Wilmore, caught up with him at ProWein in late-March.

just The Answer - Highland Spring Group CEO Les Montgomery

10 April 2013

Highland Spring Group's namesake brand was confirmed this week as the top-selling bottled water brand in the UK. just-drinks talked to the group's CEO, Les Montgomery, yesterday (9 April) about the brand's long fight to the top and how it is survival of the fittest in the water industry.

just The Answer - Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster Garrett Oliver

18 March 2013

Brooklyn Brewery's brewmaster and editor-in-chief of the Oxford Companion to Beer, Garrett Oliver, was a guest speaker at BeerX on Friday (15 March). just-drinks caught up with him for his take on the global brewing industry, and why Goose Island is Darth Vader.

just the Answer: WoSA chief executive Su Birch & WIETA CEO Linda Lipparoni

6 February 2013

The South African wine industry has found itself back in the media spotlight of late, following civil unrest in the Western Cape. The trade group Wines of South Africa has argued that the wine industry is not the reason for this unrest, but instead involves table grape farms. It is also working hard to up its ethical credentials. Here, just-drinks talks to WoSA chief executive Su Birch and Wine and Agricultural Industry Ethical Association (WIETA) head Linda Lipparoni about the current challenges and work being done.

just The Answer - Bruichladdich CEO Simon Coughlin and commercial director Douglas Taylor

20 November 2012

Two months ago, French spirits and Champagne firm Remy Cointreau paid GBP58m (US$90.3m) for Islay Scotch maker Bruichladdich.

just the Answer: Accolade Wines GM Paul Schaafsma

11 October 2012

Accolade Wines’ new GM for UK, Ireland & AMESCA - Americas, Middle East and Sub-Continent Africa - Paul Schaafsma, joined the global wine group last month after 14 years at Australian Vintage. just-drinks caught up with the 39 year-old late last month, and discussed the reason for his move, wine’s next emerging market and why he’s still positive about the UK wine sector.

just the Answer - Jose Cuervo international MD Peter Gutierrez

3 October 2012

Last week, Jose Cuervo dropped in to London's trend-setting East End to launch a branding campaign for its higher-priced 100%-agave Tradicional line. Jose Cuervo international MD Peter Gutierrez talked to just-drinks about targeting growth in Brazil and the challenge of changing Tequila's image, and not about the upcoming end to Cuervo's distribution contract with Diageo.

just the Answer - United States Distilled Products CEO Pedro Caceres

12 September 2012

Pedro Caceres was appointed CEO of United States Distilled Products, the owner of UV Vodka, last November. Since then, Caceres has ramped up the global expansion plans of the brand's classic and flavoured lines. UV Vodka launched in Spain earlier this month and last month in China, where Caceres is trying to gain a foothold in the south of the country. Here he talks to just-drinks about those developments.

just the Answer: Bols' 'chief energizing officer', Huub van Doorne

1 June 2012

Founded in 1575, Bols claims to be the oldest spirits brand in the world. After a rocky recent past, the company is back in Dutch hands. just-drinks caught up with Lucas Bols' self-styled “chief energizing officer” Huub van Doorne to talk about the company's plans, the launch of its new yoghurt liqueur and why the brand is big in Japan.

just the Answer - Diageo's president of LatAm & Caribbean, Randy Millian

28 May 2012

Earlier today (28 May), Diageo announced that it will buy the Ypióca cachaça brand in Brazil from Ypióca Agroindustrial Limitada for BRL900m (US$453.9m). As part of its press material, the company issued a short interview with the president of its Latin America and Caribbean operations, Randy Millian, in which he discussed the purchase.

just the Answer - Diageo's global category director of whisk(e)y, David Gates

27 April 2012

Earlier this year, just-drinks sat down with David Gates, the global category director of whisk(e)y at Diageo, to talk about Johnnie Walker, Formula One, Scotch and the other whisk(e)y sub-categories.

just the Answer - Les Vignobles Foncalieu president, Michel Bataille

29 February 2012

Our February just the Answer (thank goodness for Leap Years) sees Chris Mercer going back to the future by interviewing the president of Les Vignobles Foncalieu in southern France's Languedoc Roussillon region. After meeting Michel Bataille by chance during a wave of winemaker street protests in 2005, Mercer caught up with him again at the Vinisud show this month.

just the Answer - Wine Australia market development manager, James Gosper

31 January 2012

In the first just the Answer of 2012, Chris Mercer quizzes Wine Australia's general manager for market development, James Gosper. The two met at at last week's A+ Australian Wine annual tasting in London.

just the Answer - Majestic Wines CEO, Steve Lewis

29 November 2011

Earlier this month, Majestic Wine brought some colour back to the cheeks of the UK wine market, when it posted a healthy set of figures for the first half of its fiscal year. As good a time as any, then, to find out the secret to the drinks retailer's success, from company CEO, Steve Lewis.