Telstra South Australia Business Awards and Telstra Western Australia Business Awards have each announced winners from the beverage industry, with Kalleske Wines named the South Australian Small Business of the Year and Great Southern Distilling Company announced as winner of the Western Australia Regional Award. Both winners will now proceed to the 2015 Telstra Australian Business Awards, to be announced in Sydney on 20 August. See below for further information ...

By Mary Parbery A new trend is growing across the drinks industry; a new way of doing business, and that’s crowdfunding. In the last two years, this fundraising model has been responsible for the arrival of Four Pillars Gin, Naked Wines and SOFI Spritz, to name a few, and is expected to fund the launch of a number of others in the coming months. While for many crowdfunding is a ...

Newly launched Applejacks is the latest in a line of cross-category RTD hybrids, bolstering a standard cider recipe with the addition of 42 Below Vodka. The uncharacteristic pairing has created two 5.4% ABV SKUs for the Applejacks range - Pippin Dry and Ginger Jive. According to the brand, the addition of vodka was not a move to justify increased strength, but rather a purpose-driven decision to allow for a dryer, ...

Mr. Wong, Merivale’s headlining Cantonese restaurant, has announced key staffing changes as the vision behind the group’s highly anticipated takeover of the Queen Victoria Hotel begins to take foot. The developments come out of the food sector with Michael Luo joining Merivale as Head Dim Sum Chef of Mr.Wong, while Eric Koh moves to a leading role within the Queen Victoria Hotel kitchen staff. Koh will sit alongside group alums Christopher Hogarth ...

  Liquor Marketing Group (LMG) has announced the appointment of three Non-Executive Directors to its board, following the retirement of three longstanding members. John McRedmond, Scott Hogan and Graham Griffin will now stand as the newest members of the Board, replacing Peter Harris, Michael White and Murray Cutbush. The LMG Board also includes Wayne Bayfield as Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Board, Doug Misener as CEO and Executive Director, ...

New Zealand’s artisan gin producer, Lighthouse Gin - a subsidiary of Foley Family Wines - has announced that Déjà Vu Wine Company will begin distributing the brand to Australia’s eastern states from July 2015. The extension comes at a time when the Australian market appears to be growing in demand for boutique gins, marked by a number of releases over the last six months and another expected shortly from championed ...

The Northern Territory loves U.G.L.Y. Bartender of the Year. From the busiest trendy metropolitan bar to the iconic corrugated iron outback pub, the locals embrace their U.G.L.Y. Bartenders and that is the main reason why the Northern Territory have taken out the National title in the last 4 consecutive years. In 2014 the NT and National winner was Casey Cheal from the Palmerston Tavern.  Her team raised over $31,000, holding ...

Eight of Australia’s top venues have won a once in a lifetime trip to Mexico as Tequila Herradura concludes its 12 week incentive program. Reaching the end of Tequila Herradura’s ‘Mi Casa Su Casa’ activation – a first of its kind incentive program in Australia – these bars from NSW, the ACT, QLD, VIC and WA, will fly out to visit the original Herradura Hacienda and Distillery this July. The ...

Ex-Managing Director for Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), Anthony Davie, has been appointed to General Manager of Merchandise for the Coles Liquor Group. Davie left TWE following the announcement of the company’s restructure in November 2013, and was also previously the MD for Fosters Group and Beringer Blass Wine Estates. Coles Liquor Group also revealed Andrew Griffith as the new General Manager of First Choice Liquor this week. Currently managing the ...

Beam Suntory has announced the appointment of John Rosair as Managing Director of the company’s operations in Oceania. Previously Vice President of Sales, Asia Pacific for Campbell Arnott’s, Rosair has been appointed to help accelerate Beam Suntory’s growth in Australia and New Zealand as the company finalises its portfolio integration with Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA). Commenting on Rosair’s appointment, President of Beam Suntory, Albert Baladi said: “Oceania is a tremendously important ...