All news articles for December 2019

Pic:getty/jovanepn

Cutting carbon footprints: Tax treats not meat?

By Rachel Arthur

Japanese households with higher carbon footprints are also larger consumers of alcohol and confectionery. Researchers therefore suggest that reducing consumption of these items - such as with a carbon tax - could be a way of reducing carbon footprints....

“More than two-thirds of Americans across the political spectrum want excise tax relief for the beer industry, which supports more than 2.1 million American jobs.

US House votes to extend craft beverage tax act

By Beth Newhart

Craft brewers and importers will not face a $130m tax increase in 2020 thanks to a one-year extension of relief from the the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act.

Sugar taxes prompt heated debate around the globe. Pic:getty/helendavies

Sugar taxes: The global picture

By Rachel Arthur, Elaine Watson, Niamh Michail, Gary Scattergood, Flora Southey

Sugar taxes continue to hit the headlines, so we take a spin around the globe to look at some of the markets where taxes have been introduced or are under debate.

Pic:getty/opolja

What's hitting the shelves? Festive special

By Santa Claus

From Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry to Smirnoff Ice's Cremsiffino gift boxes, we take a look at some of the festive drinks on shelves around the globe.

One complainant reported the poster was displayed outside a primary school. Pic:getty/KNeville

‘Sober as a motherfu’: BrewDog posters banned by watchdog

By Rachel Arthur

An advert for a BrewDog alcohol-free beer - containing the tagline 'Sober as a motherfu' - has been banned by the UK’s advertising watchdog: with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) saying it was likely to cause 'serious and widespread'...

Consumer appetite for hard seltzer is based on occasion and flavored refreshment, which has given the category year-round success. Pic: Getty/hiro-y

No end in sight for US hard seltzer domination

By Beth Newhart

US hard seltzer consumption is set to triple by 2023. But will consumers be able to support the stream of new launches? And can other global markets mimic the success of seltzer in the US?

Pepsi Café to hit US shelves in 2020

Pepsi Café to hit US shelves in 2020

By Rachel Arthur

PepsiCo’s Pepsi Café – which ‘blends the taste of deep flavorful coffee with the refreshing crisp taste of a Pepsi cola – aims to tap into consumers’ demand for pick-me-up energy in 2020.

Britvic’s sustainable business agenda includes targeting zero waste to landfill and helping to develop a circular economy for packaging

Britvic claims pioneering climate change stance

By Rod Addy

Britvic has claimed a UK soft drinks industry first as it announced scientifically-approved climate change targets, designed to help prevent a global temperature rise of 1.5°C.

Alcohol consumption has risen among women in Korea. Pic:getty/klee

Korea readies to ban starlets from alcohol advertising

By Richard Whitehead

This January, the Korean new year might not only have lost the skimpy calendars manufacturers have become famous for, it might even see the end of alcohol advertising that is traditionally crammed with K-pop starlets.

Pic:getty/alphaspirit

PepsiCo launches 2020 accelerator program

By Rachel Arthur

PepsiCo has launched its second PepsiCo Greenhouse accelerator program in North America: calling for applications from start-ups which are at the forefront of transformative trends.

Japan is the second biggest market in the world for RTD beverages, catching up to the US in sales.

'Premium level' RTD shots find new footing on-premise in Japan

By Beth Newhart

New York-based LIQS Cocktail Shots is taking its growth international with November’s launch into Japan. Its lines of liquor-based and wine-based shots build their audience first on-premise at concerts, stadiums and festivals.

Pic:getty/romolotavani

What does the future of gifting look like in the spirits industry?

By Leyton Hardwick, founder and creative director, Drink Works

The festive season is a key trading period for spirits. And branded gift packs in particular are proving to be a major area of innovation, thanks to technological advances and heightened creativity, writes Leyton Hardwick of design agency Drink Works...

Pic:getty/vitaliypestov

AB InBev relies on premium categories to realise Far East ambitions

By Richard Whitehead

Ask AB InBev chief executive Carlos Alves de Brito what was the best thing his company did to boost the world’s biggest alcohol group’s beer dominance, and he will probably tell you that it was to invest in the premium side of the market.