The wine region of McLaren Vale now has its first dedicated whisky distillery, with several others in the pipeline for other SA wine regions, amid a groundswell of whisky production activity in the state. The McLaren Vale Distillery has been founded by John Rochfort, former CEO of Tasmania’s Lark Distillery, and his family, together with business partner Jock Harvey, who also owns Chalk Hill Wines. They are consulting with undisclosed parties on distilleries that ...

Asahi has proposed to acquire Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime beer brands from Anheuser-Busch InBev, subject to the completion of AB InBev’s acquisition of SABMiller. Asahi’s Oceania division has meanwhile increased its earnings ratio up to seven per cent of revenue for the financial year ended December 31. The Japanese company announced the €2.6 billion deal with AB InBev as part of a long-term strategy of positioning its overseas business as ...

India Pale Ale’s dominance of the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers poll is arguably the first sign that Australian craft beer drinkers may follow the US in embracing the somewhat polarising beers of this style. In the US, IPAs accounted for less than eight per cent of the craft category in 2008, according to off-premise scan data. By the second half of last year they were expected to exceed 27.5 per cent. “That ...

Carlsberg has chosen Australia to be among the first markets globally to launch its new Carlsberg Mid 3.5%. The beer will be managed by Coopers Brewery and distributed through Premium Beverages. Coopers will also brew Carlsberg Mid locally, at its Regency Park headquarters. National Sales and Marketing Director, Cam Pearce, says the brewery believes there’s a strong demand for mid-strength beers in Australia. “Sales of Mild Ale 3.5% grew by 13.7 per ...

The 2016 Australian International Beer Awards - Australia’s largest annual beer competition - is now open for entries. Entries should be submitted online at www.rasv.com.au and will close on Thursday 24 March. Brewers this year could stand to win from a number of 30 trophies, including the inaugural New World Pale Ale Trophy, which will recognise one brewer’s distinguished use of New World hops predominantly from New Zealand and Australia. “RASV, ...

39 redundancies from Boag’s Brewery in Launceston were announced this week, following Lion’s decision to move around 20 million litres of annual brewing volume from the site to the mainland. James Brindley, Managing Director of Lion Beer, Spirits & Wine Australia has said that the decision is not something the company has taken lightly. “This is no reflection on the dedication and capability of our people at Boag’s Brewery or the ...

Announced today, Stolen Spirits Australia is moving distribution from Beam Suntory/CCA to Think Spirits effective on the 29th February. Jamie Duff, Stolen Founder, says, “Brands are built over time, brick by brick, by having good products and even better people and teams. We think that Think Spirits (and we think a LOT) are going to be another team of great people we are fortunate to work with.” Think Spirits Managing ...

Sesión Premium Tequila will add a third flavour to its portfolio this month with Mocha (RRP $90). Made using supreme tequila, dark chocolate and highlights of creamy coffee, this infusion makes for a fresh, bold addition to shelves. Sesión Mocha Tequila begins with an initial savour of coffee and maintains a creamy texture throughout its last sip. Similar to the Reposado and Blanco flavours, Sesión Mocha Tequila is favoured chilled ...

New Zealand’s award-winning Rochdale Cider is now being distributed through Dan Murphy’s in Australia. The family-owned brand, which uses only natural ingredients, is one of the country’s most popular ciders and its “honest” approach is also driving consumers to Rochdale in Australia according to the retailer. The cider is gluten free and has no added sugars or preservatives, which makes this product on trend according to General Manager of Dan Murphy’s ...

Casella Family Brands has announced it is releasing [yellow tail] beer into two test markets in the US. Speculation about the [yellow tail] beer launch has been rife since San Diego brewer Ballast Point - which itself was acquired by Constellation Brands last November - ceased using Yellowtail as the brand name for its Pale Ale, allegedly under pressure from Casella. The flagship [yellow tail] brew, Australian Pale Ale, is now ...