AlcBev in Five

Tariffs, Softer Demand Squeeze European Distillers. The Wall Street Journal reports European distillers with heavy U.S. exposure face tariffs alongside weaker-than-planned global demand, a mismatch suppliers and distributors will price against. (The Wall Street Journal)

Pernod Ricard Reports Full-Year Sales Down 3.9%. Pernod Ricard posted organic full-year sales of €9.4 billion, down 3.9%, and its CEO said the company is working to adapt faster to a soft U.S. market. (Shanken News Daily, Robb Report)

Morales Beverage Group Signs LOI For RNDC Indiana. Morales Beverage Group has signed a letter of intent to acquire RNDC's Indiana business, a deal it says would extend its footprint to six states. (Shanken News Daily, BevNET, Brewbound)

Sazerac Extends Fireball, Buys U.K. Vodka Asset. Sazerac is reported to be extending Fireball and adding a U.K. vodka brand while its $15 billion bid for Brown-Forman remains unresolved. (Shanken News Daily, icohol.com, Food Dive)

Also moving today:

Heirs to the Jack Daniel's Fortune Are Fending Off a Takeover -- and a Rogue Cousin (The Wall Street Journal)

Free spirit: Will the Supreme Court let this man distill his own whiskey? (USA Today)

Beer Leading Consistent Declines Thru Mid-August, per NIQ Weekly Scans (Brewbound)

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Pernod Ricard pivots to RTDs as U.S. sales fall 14%. Pernod Ricard reported a 14 percent U.S. organic net sales decline and told investors it is leaning on ready-to-drink and smaller formats, the category leader's stated answer to a shrinking American market. (Brewbound, Shanken News Daily, The Manila times)

Brown-Forman, Pernod Ricard merger reported still off the table. Amid reported turmoil among Brown family heirs, the Lexington Herald Leader reports a Brown-Forman combination with Pernod Ricard remains off the table, setting expectations on the consolidation question over American whiskey. (Lexington Herald Leader)

RBC forecasts young-adult drinking to rise by 2027. RBC Capital Markets projects young drinkers' consumption will increase by the end of 2027, a bank forecast, not observed data, that cuts against the Gen Z moderation assumption shaping volume planning. (Brewbound)

Varun Beverages enters alcohol with ex-Diageo executive. India's Varun Beverages will form an alcoholic drinks subsidiary led by former Diageo executive Prathmesh Mishra, per the Economic Times, another large route-to-market player moving into the category. (Economic Times)

Also moving today:

Former Stone Escondido Site Faces 220 Cuts as Sapporo Winds Down Brewery’s Operations (Brewbound)

AB InBev invests in New York Cutwater production (Just Drinks)

Heineken to redevelop Swiss site (Just Drinks)

CHRIS HEMSWORTH JOINS ARCHIE ROSE DISTILLING CO. AS CO-OWNER AHEAD OF U.S. LAUNCH AND GLOBAL EXPANSION (共同通信PRワイヤー, Philippine Times, Drinks International)

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Brown family letter criticizes Brown-Forman CEO. WDRB reports Brown-Forman heirs sent a seven-page letter faulting outgoing CEO Lawson Whiting, putting family shareholder pressure on a leadership transition. (WDRB, Paxton Media Group Kentucky Pub Group2)

US alcohol groups urge resumption of Canada tariff talks. Just Drinks reports American alcohol trade groups are pressing Washington and Ottawa to restart trade talks that broke down last week, a dispute touching shipments and pricing. (Just Drinks)

Circana reports craft beer declines accelerating in August. Brewbound, citing Circana's latest monthly report, says craft beer's summer decline deepened into August, a trend suppliers track for depletions and shelf resets. (Brewbound)

Sazerac buys collapsed Garrard County distillery in Kentucky. NOLA reports Sazerac completed the purchase of a Kentucky distillery that failed after 15 months, adding bourbon capacity by acquisition rather than construction. (NOLA, Drinks International)

Also moving today:

Sazerac enters soju in US with Dahlo brand launch (Just Drinks, Food Dive, CNHI News)

Irish alcohol excise duty ranks second highest in Europe (Eoghan Corry's TRAVEL Extra, The Irish Sun, The Irish Times)

Beer giant Constellation Brands invests $100M in US farm profitability (Food Dive)

RTD Growth Challenges Bev-Alc’s Price-Based Premiumization Playbook (Brewbound)

Wine's consumer problem may be relevance -- not image, study says (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

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US imposes 50% tariffs on Canadian wine and spirits. Talks with Canada collapsed and a 50% duty on wine and spirits took effect, resetting landed cost for importers and buyers overnight. (Shanken News Daily, Drinks International)

US wine imports fell in first half of 2026. US customs data analysed by OIVE shows wine imports down in both value and volume, giving operators a pre-tariff demand baseline. (Just Drinks)

Brown-Forman shareholders voice criticism before CEO exit. Shareholders criticised the company ahead of its planned CEO transition, following a reported rejection of Sazerac's $15 billion bid. (Shanken News Daily, New York Post, Lexington Herald Leader)

Gallup: US alcohol consumption holds at record low. Gallup reports 54% of Americans drink alcohol in 2026, unchanged year over year and still at the survey's record low. (Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News)

Also moving today:

Sazerac Bolsters Capacity With Garrard County Distilling Purchase (Shanken News Daily, Food Dive)

Bev-Alc Trends Hold Steady Through Mid-August After Circana Data Correction (Brewbound)

The Death of Traditional ‘Trading Up’: RTDs Lead New Premiumization Wave (BevNET)

Budweiser parent company sues Tennessee for $1.8M refund (The Tennessean, Yahoo! Finance)

Business rates: Government reviews valuations for pubs and hotels (Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News)

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Bloomberg: Brown-Forman family members wrote to board. Bloomberg reports two members of the family controlling Brown-Forman put objections to management in writing after the Pernod Ricard talks ended, suggesting governance pressure outlasted the deal. (mint, Bloomberg Business)

Diageo discloses 1,922 job cuts over past year. Diageo's own disclosure shows a 6.4% headcount reduction, giving the trade a concrete figure for how the spirits slowdown is reaching the category leader's cost base. (WebProNews, The Fresno Bee)

NIQ: RTDs take 38% of bev-alc innovation dollars. A new NIQ report puts ready-to-drink brands at 38% of category innovation spend from a smaller item count, a data point for how teams allocate new-product budgets. (Brewbound, BevNET)

Gallup: US drinking rate flat, non-alc trial rises. Gallup reports the share of US adults who drink held steady against 2025 while adult trial of non-alcoholic options increased, a split read both moderation and stable-volume narratives can cite. (BevNET, Just Drinks, Brewbound)

Also moving today:

Diageo to reformulate India whisky, rum brands after FSSAI flavouring challenge | Company Business News (mint)

Sazerac Just Confirmed a Major Kentucky Distillery Deal. Its Next Step Could Be Even Bigger (Inc., The Manual, CNHI News)

Carlsberg India posts strong volume growth in H1, IPO process underway: Global CEO Aarup-Andersen. (Economic Times, @businessline, The Telegraph)

De-alc business Strategic Beverage Services acquires BevZero US assets (Just Drinks)

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India's food regulator samples liquor at Pernod plant. Reuters reports India's food-safety regulator inspected a Pernod Ricard factory and collected samples as part of a wider probe into the country's $40 billion liquor sector, putting compliance risk on the whole market, not one company. (Reuters, Market Screener, Yahoo News)

Carlsberg lifts profit outlook as Britvic synergies land early. Carlsberg guided full-year profit toward the upper end of its range despite missing half-year estimates, saying its 2025 Britvic purchase is delivering faster than expected, a read on whether soft drinks can offset soft beer. (Checkout, Just Drinks, The Independent)

US pauses 50% tariffs on Canadian wine and spirits. A three-day pause on scheduled 50% tariffs covering Canadian wine and spirits leaves importers and cross-border producers planning against two cost structures at once while trade talks continue. (Shanken News Daily, Just Drinks)

Diageo annual report discloses 1,900-plus job cuts in FY26. Diageo's annual report quantifies a workforce reduction management had declined to state publicly, with 90% of its $1 billion restructuring reported as complete by September. (BevNET, Brewbound, Just Drinks)

Also moving today:

Constellation Brands Announces $100 Million Investment to Support U.S. Farmers (The Montreal Gazette, The Manila times, Barchart.com)

Beer Loses Summer Traction as Bev-Alc Slump Deepens in Weekly NIQ Off-Premise Scans (Brewbound)

Boston Beer CFO Diego Reynoso to Exit; Formal Search Launched for Replacement (Brewbound)

America's #1 beer maker is pouring millions into CNY brewery to serve up more canned cocktails (syracuse, Barchart.com)

Independent brewers urge UK government to delay DRS (Just Drinks)

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Hard Cider Posts Year-Over-Year Gains, 3 Tier Reports. New 3 Tier Beverages data shows cider growing on singles, six-packs and national brands, a pack-and-brand read for buyers planning against a soft bev-alc quarter. (Brewbound)

Pommery Secures Cash Position; Henkell Exclusivity Ends Without Deal. Maison Pommery & Associés says financing talks concluded and its treasury is secured, while the exclusivity window with Henkell International closed with no agreement, leaving ownership unresolved. (Maison Pommery & Associés)

Majestic Wine Plans £4m Retail Investment, Four New Stores. Majestic will spend £4 million on its store estate this year and open at least four sites, per trade reports, a bricks-and-mortar bet against UK high-street retrenchment. (The Drinks Business, Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News)

New Generation Wines Acquires Bancroft Wines. Importer-wholesaler New Generation Wines has bought Bancroft Wines, per its own announcement, another UK consolidation that narrows the route to market for supplying brands. (Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News)

Also moving today:

NEXT CENTURY SPIRITS ACQUIRES GRAIN & BARREL SPIRITS BRAND PORTFOLIO, INCLUDING ICONIC CHICKEN COCK WHISKEY (CNHI News)

Is rum’s premium moment finally here? (The Spirits Business)

Thailand to ban alcohol sales during Buddhist holidays (The Drinks Business)

Union says Diageo ‘steam-rolling’ through job cuts (The Spirits Business)

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Diageo takes FSSAI rum ban to court. Diageo is challenging an Indian food-safety order against one of its rum brands, arguing the ban skipped due process, a procedural-risk marker for spirits brands selling into India. (Business Standard)

SIBA tracker reports slower UK brewery closures. SIBA's own Brewery Tracker says UK brewery closures slowed in the first half of 2026 versus 2025, an early read on whether the independent brewing base is stabilising. (Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News)

Australia's spirits excise rises to AU$110.15 per litre. Australia's latest indexation lifts spirits excise to AU$110.15 per litre of pure alcohol, with industry voices warning of a shift to black-market alternatives. (The Spirits Business, The Drinks Business)

European supermarkets premiumise own-label wine ranges. European retailers are reworking own-label wine to compete above budget tiers, per ESM, putting private label into the price bands branded producers rely on for margin. (esmmagazine.com)

Also moving today:

Campari CEO plans streamline completion by 2027 (The Spirits Business)

Canada DTC deal opens up alcohol market (The Spirits Business)

Carlsberg Expands PepsiCo Partnership To 15 Markets (esmmagazine.com)

Diageo sale of East African Breweries is on the rocks (The Drinks Business)

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Circana: Off-Premise Bev-Alc Dollar Sales Down 2.2%. Beer and wine losses again dragged weekly off-premise sales, per Circana data reported by Brewbound, a read on whether the slide holds through the summer window. (Brewbound)

Don Julio Sales Down 19%, Yahoo Finance Reports. A reported double-digit decline at one of tequila's anchor brands raises the question of whether the category's decade-long run is flattening. (Yahoo! Finance)

KEG 1 Signs LOI for RNDC's Kentucky Assets. A second suitor emerged for RNDC's Kentucky book within a week, putting the state's route-to-market in play, though the deal is only a letter of intent. (BevNET, Brewbound)

Diageo Outlines U.S. Recovery Plan After 11.5% Decline. Diageo's new North America leadership presented a growth plan to analysts after core U.S. spirits sales fell 11.5%, setting priorities distributors will be asked to execute. (Shanken News Daily)

Bipartisan Bill Would Regulate Hemp THC Drinks Like Alcohol. U.S. representatives introduced legislation placing hemp-derived THC beverages under an alcohol-style framework, a competitive and compliance question for bev-alc operators. (Just Drinks, Brewbound)

Also moving today:

Labour urged to cut whisky duty amid planned Diageo job cuts (The National, caithness-business.co.uk)

Heineken puts money on the table to drive regenerative barley adoption (AgNavigator.com)

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Tamarron Survey: Wholesalers May Cut Regional, Local Craft. Tamarron Consulting's annual survey of 170 wholesalers reports distributors may drop regional and local craft brands over the next year, a route-to-market signal for brewers heading into book negotiations. (Brewbound)

Beyoncé Buys Out LVMH Stake in SirDavis Whisky. LVMH confirmed Beyoncé has taken full ownership of SirDavis American Whisky less than two years after launch, with terms undisclosed, a test of how celebrity-founded spirits brands restructure after a big-house debut. (storyboard18.com)

Cutwater Reported Fastest-Growing US Alcohol Brand, Up 104%. The Spirits Business reports AB InBev's Cutwater grew 104% over the past 12 months to become the fastest-growing brand in US alcohol, a reference point for spirits-based RTD share gains. (The Spirits Business)

Also moving today:

Could bad news be coming for Jack Daniel's parent? New warning sign released (Lexington Herald Leader, Market Screener)

Tilray to cease brewing at Terrapin site in US (Just Drinks, Brewbound)

How US drinkers fell out of love with Bud Light (Financial Times News)

Tequila giant Becle makes direct India push, appoints Shweta Jain as MD (Economic Times)

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