/ diageo set to join battle for allied domecq

drinks giant diageo is set to join the battle for rival allied domecq and could buy over 2 billion pounds ($3.8 billion) of brands in an allied break-up without regulatory problems, sources familiar with the matter said on friday...

via chicago business

/ playboy magazine toasts whisky link-up

a whisky firm has created a limited edition single malt for playboy magazine: glenfiddich has previously produced private vintages to mark the first flight of concorde and for the queen mary 2. but now a 1974 whisky, which has been dubbed “play malt”, has been produced for the german edition of the men’s magazine. all 248 bottles will be sold exclusively in germany for £250 each (350 euros)...

via the scotsman

/ constellation weighs own bid for allied domecq

constellation brands, the wine producer whose labels include manischewitz and mondavi, said monday that it was considering making a counterbid for allied domecq that would rival pernod ricard's £7.4 billion ($14.1 billion) offer. constellation, the world's largest wine producer, is in an "early stage" of weighing a bid with a number of partners, and said there was no guarantee that any offer would be made, the company said in a statement to the london stock exchange...

via new york times

/ bruichladdich goes on the whisky trail for distilleries

the chief executive of the bruichladdich distillery on islay has approached patrick ricard regarding a possible bid for some of the smaller distilleries that are changing hands with the £7.4bn takeover of allied domecq. mark reynier has registered an interest in the glendronach and scapa distilleries - which are passing into pernod ricard hands through the joint bid with fortune brands of the us...

via the scotsman

/ pernod-allied merger jobs threat

the £7.4 billion agreed merger between pernod and allied domecq risks creating over- capacity in bottling and packaging and is likely to lead to job losses within scotland’s whisky industry, according to observers. the merger, which creates the world’s second-largest drinks group after diageo, puts allied’s giant ballantine’s brand together with pernod’s chivas regal and extensive malts range. the deal makes whisky the single biggest contributor to the pernod empire, according to alan gray, a drinks analyst at the edinburgh-based charles stanley sutherland...

via sunday times

/ scotch under threat from japan's new generation

scotland’s global dominance of the whisky industry is facing a hi-tech challenge from japanese distillers, an expert has warned. drinks writer michael jackson believes that scotch whisky producers cannot afford to "rest on their laurels". he argues that the japanese rise in whisky production echoes the challenge of new world wines to france’s traditional dominance. in 2001, a bottle of japanese yoichi single malt produced by nikka beat scottish and american rivals to win whisky magazine’s "best of the best" competition.

jackson's whisky the definitive world guide is published on apr 28.

via the scotsman

/ whisky goes dutch

on sunday 1st of may 2005 the official launch of the book the road to craigellachie, the book about the voyage of discovery through the world of scotch whisky, will take place in "the craigellachie hotel" speyside, scotland (during the speyside whisky festival). "the road to craigellachie" is published by lipstick publishing, insch, aberdeenshire, and written by mr. hans offringa the well known dutch author.

via pressbox

/ pernod takeover could hit c&c

drinks and snack food group c&c could see its profits hit following the takeover by pernod ricard of allied domecq, whose brands it distributes in ireland. allied yesterday agreed to a cash and share takeover deal by pernod, headed by irishman richard burrows, worth €10.7 billion. us drinks-maker fortune brands are also part of the pernod bid.

according to analysts, the takeover could have a negative impact on c&c. it distributes a number of allied domecq's brands in ireland, including malibu rum and tia maria. allied, which once owned c&c, distributes tullamore dew whiskey and carolan's irish cream overseas. the loss of these contracts will be a blow for c&c, with some brokers saying it could shave €2 million from annual profits...

via irish examiner

/ msp fails to make case over whisky barley

a motion that only home-grown barley should be used to make scotch whisky found no support in parliament last night. holyrood’s newest msp, liberal democrat andrew arbuckle, made the proposal the cornerstone of his first member’s motion, arguing that the move would give scotch whisky protected geographical indicator (pgi) status...

via the scotsman

/ who gets what in pernod-allied domecq deal

a breakdown of where some of the famous brands will end up following pernod ricard sa's planned takeover of allied domecq plc. pernod ricard will sell some of the brands it acquires in the deal to u.s.-based fortune brands inc. to avoid competition issues...

via businessweek