just-drinks authors and correspondents

Biography

A trained newspaper journalist, Richard Woodard was editor of the drinks trade magazine Wine & Spirit International from 2000 to 2005, responsible for writing, commissioning and producing a broad range of business-related content relevant to the international drinks industry.

He now works freelance and is a regular contributor to just-drinks.com, Decanter, The Spirits Business, The Drinks Business and Imbibe, among others.

Columns by Richard Woodard

Comment - Spirits - A Word with Woodard

Resident columnist and spirits know-it-all Richard Woodard provides his monthly take on the latest in the global white spirits industry.

Articles by Richard Woodard

Comment - Spirits - The Branded Bar Call and the Competition It Brings 17 February 2015

In spirits, the Holy Grail has long been for the brand to become the bar call. History shows, however, that achieving such a feat is not the end of the story and, as Richard Woodard suggests, brings into play a brand new challenge.

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Comment - Spirits - Will IPO Bring Much-Needed Stability to Lucas Bols? 22 January 2015

Dutch spirits firm Lucas Bols has endured an occasionally turbulent time in its 450-year history. Will an effort to list on the Euronext Amsterdam through an IPO bolster the company? Here, our spirits columnist Richard Woodard examines the group's history for answers.

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The just-drinks Interview - Panos Sarantopoulos, CEO of Remy Cointreau's liqueurs & spirits unit 3 December 2014

Earlier this year, Panos Sarantopoulos was promoted by Remy Cointreau to head up its liqueurs & spirits division. Late last month, Richard Woodard travelled to France to meet him.

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Product Launch - Moët Hennessy’s Glenmorangie Dornoch 12 November 2014

Moët Hennessy is launching the first in a planned three-strong Travel Retail exclusive range for its Scotch whisky brand Glenmorangie this month, with two more bottlings to be launched over the next year.

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Comment - Spirits - Diageo Making the Best of a Bad Job with Bushmills, Don Julio deal? 11 November 2014

Diageo has surprised some with its move to sell its Irish whiskey brand Bushmills in return for control of Don Julio Tequila. Here our columnist, Richard Woodard, analyses the thinking behind the deal

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Comment - Spirits - How Hand-Made is Tito's Handmade Vodka? 21 October 2014

The rise of 'craft' continues, with new spirits brands riding the wave in the US. One such overnight success in Tito's Handmade Vodka, which has seen sales soar in the last couple of years. The downside, however, has been that the brand has caught the eye over its craft claims. Richard Woodard considers the evidence.The rise of 'craft' continues, with new spirits brands riding the wave in the US. One such overnight success in Tito's Handmade Vodka, which has seen sales soar in the last couple of years. The downside, however, has been that the brand has caught the eye over its craft claims. Richard Woodard considers the evidence.

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Comment - Spirits - Can Absolut's US Headache be Soothed by Elyx? 4 September 2014

Late last month, in Pernod Ricard's full-year results, the spirits company flagged a tough time for Absolut vodka. Richard Woodard surveys the wreckage and considers the brand's future.

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Comment - Spirits - Hybrid Spirits: Innovation or Laziness? 21 August 2014

This month, Richard Woodard looks at the NPD trend of blending spirits either together or with another alcoholic segment to create a whole, new sub-category. Is this really innovation at its purest?

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Comment - Spirits - Beam Suntory's Big White Spaces 5 August 2014

It's been three months since Suntory completed its purchase of Beam Inc. What better time that the summer lull for Richard Woodard to take a long, hard look at just what the Japanese group got for its US$16bn.

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Comment - Spirits - Cachaca's Big Chance, But Heed Tequila's Warning 14 July 2014

To celebrate the launch of just-drinks' and The IWSR's latest spirits report, Richard Woodard considers the future for cachaça. But, first, let us look to the past.