just the Ten - Top Analyses of 2012

With the end of the year looming, just-drinks is running a series of 'Top Tens of the Year' in the run-up to Christmas.

Here are the ten most read analysis pieces on just-drinks in 2012.

10: PepsiCo Shake-Up Adds Fizz to Speculation over Next CEO

Restructuring: A term that strikes fear into the heart of most workforces. But, for executives, it is not always reason to shudder.

9: US Spirits: Irish Whiskey Outsells Single Malt Scotch

Here, just-drinks brings you some key facts from the 2011 sales figures for spirits in the US.

8: The South African Wine Industry

just-drinks takes a look at the current state of South Africa's wine industry, ahead of September's Cape Wine trade show in the country.

7: A World of Energy: The Landscape for Energy Drinks

The future remains bright for the energy drinks category, according to Richard Haffner.

6: Waverley Calls in the Administrators

Waverley, the former wholesale unit of Heineken's Scottish & Newcastle arm, went into administration in October, felled by difficult trading conditions in the UK and credit problems.

5: Will the Major Brewers Acquire More Craft Regional Brewers?

In recent years a big re-invention story for the beer industry has been craft regional beers, especially in the US but also now in parts of Europe. We believe this is driven by that segment being a conduit for the majors to both growth and premiumisation, and see more M&A activity there going forward.

4: China: 1.3bn People, 19m Wine Drinkers, Six Types of Consumer

Just about everyone in the wine trade wants to do business with China. And by now, just about everyone has realised that, despite the explosive growth in the Chinese market, this isn’t the easiest thing to achieve. Barriers to entry are numerous; failure rates are high.

3: Pernod Ricard and life after Patrick

There was always going to be an unusual tone to August's full-year results announcement from Pernod Ricard, released just two weeks after the death of chairman and former CEO Patrick Ricard. 

2: AG Barr and Britvic merger talks

It was the drinks industry's latest “will they, won't they” saga.

1: ThaiBev Steps out of Heineken's Way

The Wall Street Journal summed it up best: “Now everyone can finally have a drink.”