<![CDATA[AlcBev in Five]]>7b55cc52-2e74-523b-a289-5915bbd6111fTue, 21 Jul 2026 10:00:51 +0000Captivate.fmFivewirehttps://artwork.captivate.fm/2ebfe6a5-7fd8-41e8-b871-b0fd119f59d0/alcbev-in-five-cover.pngAlcBev in FiveFivewireFivewireAlcBev in Five is the daily five-minute brief on the beer, wine and spirits business: the five stories that matter, every weekday. Deals, brand moves, regulation and the category shifts reshaping the trade. Curated daily, sourced and straight. For distillers, brewers, vintners, importers, distributors and the buyers who move the category. Walk in already caught up. In the know. In fivehttps://alcbevinfive.comfalseepisodicyespodcastScotch Under Scrutiny, and Spirits Go SmallScotch Under Scrutiny, and Spirits Go SmallMPs open inquiry into Scotch whisky industry. The Scottish Affairs Committee will examine how trade deals, tariffs and domestic policy affect Scotch, putting the category's regulatory exposure on the record. (The Spirits Business)

Bordeaux vineyard values fall as sales drop. Land prices across Bordeaux's leading appellations continue to slide and annual wine sales have reportedly fallen below three million hectolitres, a marker of how deep the region's downturn runs. (The Drinks Business)

Producers expand mini-bottle lines as shoppers trade down. Pernod Ricard, Bacardi and 818 Tequila are among companies growing their mini-bottle ranges, a format shift reportedly driven by shoppers choosing smaller sizes. (RNZ, WAAY TV 31, CNN International)

Also moving today:

Germany’s Berentzen-Gruppe issues profit warning (Just Drinks)

NIQ: Margarita Sales Temper as Martinis Gain On-Premise Momentum (Brewbound, BevNET)

How Liquor Giant Diageo Is Taking On Beer At The World Cup (Forbes, Yahoo! Finance)

Will Modelo and Corona brewing move from Mexico to the US? (The Drinks Business)

Bacardi backs refill technology over single-use glass (Packaging Europe, DFNI)

Apogee to buy Luca Mariano Distillery for $19.5m (The Spirits Business)

Get AlcBev in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://alcbevinfive.com

]]>MPs open inquiry into Scotch whisky industry. The Scottish Affairs Committee will examine how trade deals, tariffs and domestic policy affect Scotch, putting the category's regulatory exposure on the record. (The Spirits Business)

Bordeaux vineyard values fall as sales drop. Land prices across Bordeaux's leading appellations continue to slide and annual wine sales have reportedly fallen below three million hectolitres, a marker of how deep the region's downturn runs. (The Drinks Business)

Producers expand mini-bottle lines as shoppers trade down. Pernod Ricard, Bacardi and 818 Tequila are among companies growing their mini-bottle ranges, a format shift reportedly driven by shoppers choosing smaller sizes. (RNZ, WAAY TV 31, CNN International)

Also moving today:

Germany’s Berentzen-Gruppe issues profit warning (Just Drinks)

NIQ: Margarita Sales Temper as Martinis Gain On-Premise Momentum (Brewbound, BevNET)

How Liquor Giant Diageo Is Taking On Beer At The World Cup (Forbes, Yahoo! Finance)

Will Modelo and Corona brewing move from Mexico to the US? (The Drinks Business)

Bacardi backs refill technology over single-use glass (Packaging Europe, DFNI)

Apogee to buy Luca Mariano Distillery for $19.5m (The Spirits Business)

Get AlcBev in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://alcbevinfive.com

]]>0a93353c-c773-4794-a29b-30d3dd8c2694Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:00:24 +000004:42falsefullA UK parliamentary committee opened an inquiry into the Scotch whisky industry's exposure to tariffs and trade deals, with export access to India in focus, according to The Spirits Business. The Drinks Business reports that Bordeaux vineyard values keep sliding as the region's wine crisis deepens, with annual sales falling below three million hectolitres for the first time in modern history. And CNN reports that Pernod Ricard, Bacardi and 818 Tequila are expanding mini-bottle lines as shoppers trade down in size rather than out of premium brands.Royal Stag Tops Whisky, Bourbon Braces for Trade TalksRoyal Stag Tops Whisky, Bourbon Braces for Trade TalksRoyal Stag now world's top-selling whisky, Pernod says. Pernod Ricard's India CEO ties the brand's rise to a shifting market that increasingly shapes global category rankings. (Firstpost)

China alcohol group urges tighter online spirits rules. An industry body says existing e-commerce regulation lags platform growth, pointing to possible tighter oversight in a major market. (The Drinks Business)

New trade talks could raise fresh risks for bourbon. Pending negotiations may renew tariff exposure for an export-reliant Kentucky whiskey category, per the report's framing. (Sun Herald, The Courier-Journal)

Also moving today:

FTC, Southern Glazer’s inch closer to settlement in price discrimination case (Just Drinks)

Could the CANADA Act deepen the US-Canada drinks trade war? (The Drinks Business)

Grape payments deal underlines headaches facing Champagne industry (Just Drinks)

UK trade bodies call on Wales to change DRS plans (Just Drinks, The Spirits Business)

Get AlcBev in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://alcbevinfive.com

]]>Royal Stag now world's top-selling whisky, Pernod says. Pernod Ricard's India CEO ties the brand's rise to a shifting market that increasingly shapes global category rankings. (Firstpost)

China alcohol group urges tighter online spirits rules. An industry body says existing e-commerce regulation lags platform growth, pointing to possible tighter oversight in a major market. (The Drinks Business)

New trade talks could raise fresh risks for bourbon. Pending negotiations may renew tariff exposure for an export-reliant Kentucky whiskey category, per the report's framing. (Sun Herald, The Courier-Journal)

Also moving today:

FTC, Southern Glazer’s inch closer to settlement in price discrimination case (Just Drinks)

Could the CANADA Act deepen the US-Canada drinks trade war? (The Drinks Business)

Grape payments deal underlines headaches facing Champagne industry (Just Drinks)

UK trade bodies call on Wales to change DRS plans (Just Drinks, The Spirits Business)

Get AlcBev in Five in your inbox every weekday: https://alcbevinfive.com

]]>acc430b4-0038-4508-b408-4386805ba141Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:00:27 +000004:42falsefullPernod Ricard's Royal Stag became the world's largest-selling whisky with 32.6 million cases in 2025, unseating Diageo's McDowell's No. 1, according to IWSR rankings. American whiskey faces fresh trade uncertainty as a third round of U.S.-Mexico talks over the USMCA begins today, with distillers and Kentucky trade groups pressing for zero-for-zero tariffs to protect key export markets, Reuters and The Courier-Journal report. Also moving: a reported FTC settlement with Southern Glazer's, a proposed U.S. bill targeting Canada's alcohol boycott, financial strain in Champagne, and a UK push to drop glass from Wales' deposit-return scheme.Australia's Smallest Crush in 25 YearsAustralia's Smallest Crush in 25 YearsAustralian wine harvest falls to 25-year low. Australia's 2026 crop hit a quarter-century low, yet grape prices kept falling, signalling a supply glut a smaller harvest hasn't cleared. (The Drinks Business, Just Drinks)

Fine wine market stabilised in H1 as US buyers returned. Liv-ex data cited by trade press frames renewed US buying as the swing factor steadying fine-wine prices while Asian demand stays subdued. (The Drinks Business, Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News)

Brown-Forman faces questions as CEO prepares to exit. With a leadership transition looming, Just Drinks asks whether Brown-Forman will recruit externally, as Diageo and Heineken did. (Just Drinks)

Also moving today:

Bourbon’s Super-Premium Tier Outpacing The Market (Shanken News Daily)

Irish whiskey to outpace Scotch in travel retail (The Spirits Business)

Ian Macleod scales back Scotch production (The Spirits Business)

Uncle Nearest’s Receiver Turns Fraud Narrative Back On Lender, Alleges Farm Credit Mid-America Ignored ‘Red Flags’ & Benefitted Financially (Brewbound, BevNET, The Spirits Business)

Pernod Says Jameson, Redbreast Well Positioned Despite Tough Conditions (Shanken News Daily)

]]>Australian wine harvest falls to 25-year low. Australia's 2026 crop hit a quarter-century low, yet grape prices kept falling, signalling a supply glut a smaller harvest hasn't cleared. (The Drinks Business, Just Drinks)

Fine wine market stabilised in H1 as US buyers returned. Liv-ex data cited by trade press frames renewed US buying as the swing factor steadying fine-wine prices while Asian demand stays subdued. (The Drinks Business, Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News)

Brown-Forman faces questions as CEO prepares to exit. With a leadership transition looming, Just Drinks asks whether Brown-Forman will recruit externally, as Diageo and Heineken did. (Just Drinks)

Also moving today:

Bourbon’s Super-Premium Tier Outpacing The Market (Shanken News Daily)

Irish whiskey to outpace Scotch in travel retail (The Spirits Business)

Ian Macleod scales back Scotch production (The Spirits Business)

Uncle Nearest’s Receiver Turns Fraud Narrative Back On Lender, Alleges Farm Credit Mid-America Ignored ‘Red Flags’ & Benefitted Financially (Brewbound, BevNET, The Spirits Business)

Pernod Says Jameson, Redbreast Well Positioned Despite Tough Conditions (Shanken News Daily)

]]>5e68a56c-7e50-47c0-b840-9f7ff840566bFri, 17 Jul 2026 10:00:25 +000004:02falsefullAustralia's 2026 wine harvest slumped to a twenty-five-year low, and The Drinks Business and Just Drinks report grape prices kept falling despite the smaller crop, pointing to a supply glut. Liv-ex data cited by The Drinks Business and Harpers shows US buyers steadying the fine wine market through the first half as Asian demand eased. Also today: Brown-Forman's succession question after Lawson Whiting's retirement, Ian Macleod cutting Glengoyne and Rosebank output thirty percent, and a receiver's counterclaim in the Uncle Nearest litigation.Spirits Pull Ahead, India Cuts Scotch Tariffs, RNDC Splits AgainSpirits Pull Ahead, India Cuts Scotch Tariffs, RNDC Splits AgainNIQ On Premise data shows category divergence. NIQ's July 2026 on-premise analysis reports spirits extending their lead as beverage alcohol categories diverge, giving planners a fresh data reference. (BevNet, Brewbound)

UK-India trade agreement takes effect for Scotch. The UK-India free trade agreement comes into force today, and The Spirits Business reports Scotch producers are looking to capitalise in one of the category's largest volume markets. (The Spirits Business, The Drinks Business, Drinks International)

Quality Brands closes RNDC Plains States acquisition. Quality Brands has completed its purchase of RNDC's Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota businesses, a route-to-market change for brands in those territories. (Shanken News Daily)

Horse Soldier opens $200m Kentucky distillery. Gallo-backed Horse Soldier Bourbon has opened its American Freedom Distillery, adding capacity and a visitor destination amid reported softness in American whiskey. (The Spirits Business)

Also moving today:

Jack Daniel's Maker Brown-Forman To Lose CEO as Lawson Whiting Retires, Board Now Searching for Successor (IVCPOST)

Pricing shows new pragmatism as reality dawns for Scotch whisky (Just Drinks)

Sazerac picks Osborne for Spain distribution (Just Drinks, Yahoo! Finance)

James Watt Makes Another Bid to Buy BrewDog, Sends Offer to Tilray (Brewbound, Just Drinks)

Uncle Nearest CEO fired from business by receiver (Just Drinks, The Spirits Business)

]]>NIQ On Premise data shows category divergence. NIQ's July 2026 on-premise analysis reports spirits extending their lead as beverage alcohol categories diverge, giving planners a fresh data reference. (BevNet, Brewbound)

UK-India trade agreement takes effect for Scotch. The UK-India free trade agreement comes into force today, and The Spirits Business reports Scotch producers are looking to capitalise in one of the category's largest volume markets. (The Spirits Business, The Drinks Business, Drinks International)

Quality Brands closes RNDC Plains States acquisition. Quality Brands has completed its purchase of RNDC's Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota businesses, a route-to-market change for brands in those territories. (Shanken News Daily)

Horse Soldier opens $200m Kentucky distillery. Gallo-backed Horse Soldier Bourbon has opened its American Freedom Distillery, adding capacity and a visitor destination amid reported softness in American whiskey. (The Spirits Business)

Also moving today:

Jack Daniel's Maker Brown-Forman To Lose CEO as Lawson Whiting Retires, Board Now Searching for Successor (IVCPOST)

Pricing shows new pragmatism as reality dawns for Scotch whisky (Just Drinks)

Sazerac picks Osborne for Spain distribution (Just Drinks, Yahoo! Finance)

James Watt Makes Another Bid to Buy BrewDog, Sends Offer to Tilray (Brewbound, Just Drinks)

Uncle Nearest CEO fired from business by receiver (Just Drinks, The Spirits Business)

]]>9139ab8b-2eec-4f78-ac2b-7124b9ee47a5Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:02:04 +000004:55falsefullNIQ's latest On Premise analysis describes a diverging beverage alcohol market, with spirits gaining share while beer and wine stay under pressure, and trade voices pointing to account-level velocity as the binding constraint for smaller suppliers. The India-UK trade agreement took effect on the fifteenth, cutting customs duty on UK whisky from one hundred fifty percent to seventy-five percent, with Firstpost reporting expectations of roughly five to ten percent in initial retail relief. Quality Brands closed its acquisition of RNDC's Nebraska and Dakotas businesses, Horse Soldier Bourbon opened a two hundred million dollar Gallo-backed distillery in Kentucky, and Fawn Weaver was fired as Uncle Nearest CEO by the company's court-appointed receiver.Brown-Forman Opens Its CEO SearchBrown-Forman Opens Its CEO SearchBrown-Forman CEO Lawson Whiting to retire. The Jack Daniel's owner says its CEO will step down once a successor is named, putting a leadership transition in front of an American whiskey house working through soft US spirits demand. (The Spirits Business, Just Drinks, Just-Drinks)

IWSR research finds Gen Z drinks at population rate. New IWSR consumer data indicates Gen Z drinks at close to the same rate as the wider adult population, cutting against a generational-abstinence assumption embedded in many brand plans. (The Drinks Business, The Spirits Business, Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News)

June CPI: beer prices up 3.1% on- and off-premise. BLS data shows beer pricing tracking close to headline inflation while the rest of beverage-alcohol lags it, a split that reads through to pricing and margin planning. (Brewbound)

NIQ scans show small July 4 lift, sales still negative. Off-premise beverage-alcohol sales stayed in the red through the Fourth of July despite the US 250th-anniversary holiday, according to NIQ's latest weekly read. (Brewbound)

Also moving today:

Mich Ultra, High Noon & Mexican Imports Are Winning the World Cup in the On-Premise, per BeerBoard (Brewbound)

M&A Activity For Scaled RTD Brands Expected to Ramp Up (BevNET)

Trade groups challenge Oregon’s EPR over glass fees (The Spirits Business)

La Martiniquaise-Bardinet buys non-alc brand Sir James 101 outright (Just Drinks, The Spirits Business, Drinks International)

]]>Brown-Forman CEO Lawson Whiting to retire. The Jack Daniel's owner says its CEO will step down once a successor is named, putting a leadership transition in front of an American whiskey house working through soft US spirits demand. (The Spirits Business, Just Drinks, Just-Drinks)

IWSR research finds Gen Z drinks at population rate. New IWSR consumer data indicates Gen Z drinks at close to the same rate as the wider adult population, cutting against a generational-abstinence assumption embedded in many brand plans. (The Drinks Business, The Spirits Business, Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News)

June CPI: beer prices up 3.1% on- and off-premise. BLS data shows beer pricing tracking close to headline inflation while the rest of beverage-alcohol lags it, a split that reads through to pricing and margin planning. (Brewbound)

NIQ scans show small July 4 lift, sales still negative. Off-premise beverage-alcohol sales stayed in the red through the Fourth of July despite the US 250th-anniversary holiday, according to NIQ's latest weekly read. (Brewbound)

Also moving today:

Mich Ultra, High Noon & Mexican Imports Are Winning the World Cup in the On-Premise, per BeerBoard (Brewbound)

M&A Activity For Scaled RTD Brands Expected to Ramp Up (BevNET)

Trade groups challenge Oregon’s EPR over glass fees (The Spirits Business)

La Martiniquaise-Bardinet buys non-alc brand Sir James 101 outright (Just Drinks, The Spirits Business, Drinks International)

]]>e134674b-f92e-4699-9b56-90d63b079e66Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:47:47 +000004:27falsefullBrown-Forman confirmed Lawson Whiting's retirement, effective on the appointment of a successor, and reiterated a fiscal 2027 outlook of roughly flat organic net sales with organic operating income down three to five percent. IWSR's latest Bevtrac survey puts the Gen Z adult drinking rate across fifteen markets at seventy-four percent, up eight points in three years, with the firm calling Gen Z moderation debunked, per The Spirits Business. Also: June CPI has beer prices up three point one percent while the rest of bev-alc trails inflation, NIQ reads the Fourth as a small blip in off-premise scans, and DISCUS is challenging Oregon's Extended Producer Responsibility glass fees in court.Brown-Forman's Top Job Opens as RNDC Winds DownBrown-Forman's Top Job Opens as RNDC Winds DownBrown-Forman CEO Lawson Whiting to step down. The Jack Daniel's maker's chief executive plans to depart, in a move the company frames as part of an effort to move past a slowdown in alcohol sales. (The Wall Street Journal, Market Screener)

RNDC wind-down disrupts spirits distribution. The near-complete unwinding of national distributor RNDC is rippling through the three-tier system, with suppliers reported to be chasing owed payments and lining up new routes to market. (Brewbound, BevNET)

Modelo, Michelob, Busch led July 4 beer gains. Circana's weekly off-premise scans point to brand-level beer gainers over the Fourth of July even as total bev-alc volumes stayed roughly flat. (Brewbound)

Bill proposes federal framework for hemp beverages. The Goodness of Hemp Act would establish federal rules for hemp drinks, which backers say could pre-empt restrictions slated to take effect in November. (Brewbound, BevNet)

French heat could cut Champagne yields 10%. Prolonged heat and drought could reduce Champagne yields by around 10% and pull harvests earlier, a supply factor for the category, growers say. (The Drinks Business)

Also moving today:

Champagne Rebounds In The U.S. (Shanken News Daily)

Super-premium Tequila faces 5% drop by 2030 (The Spirits Business)

Grolsch owner Asahi adds Gulpener to Dutch stable (Just Drinks)

South Korea lines up changes to alcohol warning labels (Just Drinks)

Cutwater, Surfside Lead Bev-Alc Growth Brands; El Jimador New Mix and Suntory -196 Among RTDs to Watch, per Bump Williams (Brewbound)

Viva Wine Group receives takeover bid from shareholder consortium (Just Drinks)

]]>Brown-Forman CEO Lawson Whiting to step down. The Jack Daniel's maker's chief executive plans to depart, in a move the company frames as part of an effort to move past a slowdown in alcohol sales. (The Wall Street Journal, Market Screener)

RNDC wind-down disrupts spirits distribution. The near-complete unwinding of national distributor RNDC is rippling through the three-tier system, with suppliers reported to be chasing owed payments and lining up new routes to market. (Brewbound, BevNET)

Modelo, Michelob, Busch led July 4 beer gains. Circana's weekly off-premise scans point to brand-level beer gainers over the Fourth of July even as total bev-alc volumes stayed roughly flat. (Brewbound)

Bill proposes federal framework for hemp beverages. The Goodness of Hemp Act would establish federal rules for hemp drinks, which backers say could pre-empt restrictions slated to take effect in November. (Brewbound, BevNet)

French heat could cut Champagne yields 10%. Prolonged heat and drought could reduce Champagne yields by around 10% and pull harvests earlier, a supply factor for the category, growers say. (The Drinks Business)

Also moving today:

Champagne Rebounds In The U.S. (Shanken News Daily)

Super-premium Tequila faces 5% drop by 2030 (The Spirits Business)

Grolsch owner Asahi adds Gulpener to Dutch stable (Just Drinks)

South Korea lines up changes to alcohol warning labels (Just Drinks)

Cutwater, Surfside Lead Bev-Alc Growth Brands; El Jimador New Mix and Suntory -196 Among RTDs to Watch, per Bump Williams (Brewbound)

Viva Wine Group receives takeover bid from shareholder consortium (Just Drinks)

]]>a2d61219-bd7a-4caf-a44e-a79b0e72eb87Mon, 13 Jul 2026 23:30:12 +000004:48falsefullBrown-Forman CEO Lawson Whiting plans to step down as the spirits supplier works to push past an alcohol slowdown, while RNDC's national wind-down nears completion and ripples through the three-tier system. Circana's Fourth of July off-premise scans came in roughly flat, a coalition backs a federal hemp-beverage bill, and French heat and drought are set to cut Champagne yields about ten percent. Also moving: a U.S. Champagne rebound, softer super-premium Tequila projections, Asahi's full buyout of Gulpener, South Korean label changes, spirits-based RTD growth, and a take-private offer for Viva Wine Group.