Alcohol 
just the round-up - The week in drinks
20th November 2009
The top ten stories published on just-drinks this week:
Read the full story >>- EUR: Scotch Whisky body offers alternative to minimum pricing (MEM)
19th November 2009
The Scotch Whisky Association would accept a ban on alcohol sales below tax in place of a plan to introduce minimum pricing on drinks, the trade body has said. - Update - US: FDA crackdown on caffeinated alcoholic drinks (MEM)
16th November 2009
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has questioned the legality of caffeinated alcoholic beverages and may ban the drinks if producers cannot prove that adding caffeine to alcohol is safe. - US: Wirtz Beverage Group creates training, development role (REG)
16th November 2009 - RUSSIA: State monopoly on alcohol sales proposed (MEM)
13th November 2009 - just the roundup - The week in drinks
13th November 2009 - US / POLAND: CEDC seeks to finance Russian Alcohol buyout (REG)
13th November 2009 - UK: VAT increase to hit cheaper drinks brands - analyst (MEM)
12th November 2009 - just the answer - AS Liviko chairman Janek Kalvi (MEM)
12th November 2009 - just the facts - AS Liviko (MEM)
12th November 2009
Background
Updated: 16th March 2006
Alcohol is an essential characteristic of all wines, but it is largely ignored as a flavouring element. High alcohol in wine can give a hot or burning sensation on the palate, and it can also give a roundness of texture confusable with fruit ripeness. Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of grape sugars, so the warmer the climate and higher the sugar levels, the higher the alcohol content in the wine itself. Upper limits can be as high as 16% or 17% in wines such as California Zinfandel, but - whether all the sugar has been converted or not - many yeasts will cease to be able to work in environments this alcoholic - so the process will stop. Cool climates produce fewer grape sugars resulting in wines lower in alcohol. In Europe, there must be 8.5% alcohol before a product can legally be called wine.
Low-alcohol and Alcohol-free Drinks - UK
Low/no alcohol drinks have seen low levels of innovation and promotion. They are competing against alcoholic drinks and soft drinks, two huge markets that have seen innovation and heavy promotion. T...
Attitudes Towards Alcohol - UK
The alcoholic drinks market has seen a number of changes in consumption patterns since the turn of the millennium. They have arisen from a variety of push and pull factors which are tending to drive c...
Alcohol Retailing - Ireland - March 2009
Since Mintel last looked at Ireland’s alcohol retailing market in February 2008, the trend away from the on-trade towards drinking at home has intensified – driven by price increases in the on-trade a...
