LIQUOR NEWS

Local brewing giant Namibia Breweries is set to take over the equipment and brands of the financially troubled micro brewer, Camelthorn Brewing. read more

Fears have emerged that the Treasury may not be able to meet its excise tax targets following a decision to impose a 50 per cent duty on low cost beer Senator Keg. read more

Indigenous liquor production giant, Kasapreko Company Limited, has been awarded for promoting festivals in Ghana. The company was adjudged the award at this year's National Tourism Awards held at the State Banquet Hall in Accra. read more

Moscow - Russia plans to raise minimum vodka prices next year as it seeks to reduce consumption of alcohol, despite risks that drinkers will resort instead to cheaper illegal liquor. read more

Zambian Breweries (ZB) has halted the construction of the K173 million malting plant following Government’s reintroduction of a 60 per cent excise duty on clear beer in the 2014 National Budget.  read more

Ghana’s first cassava based beer, Ruut Extra premium beer, has been adjudged the 2012 Emerging Brand of the year by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) at its 24th National Awards held Friday September 13, 2013. read more

Brewing giant Namibia Breweries Ltd (NBL) says local production of malted barley and other related crops will result in a financial boost to the agricultural sector as farmers are expected to generate around N$200 million in revenue annually. read more

East African Breweries has increased the amount of money it pays farmers for 90kg bag of barley by 17 per cent, from Sh2800 in 2012 to Sh3285.  read more

Johannesburg - Retail sales grew at a sluggish 0.2% in September compared with the same month last year, after expanding by a revised 3.2% in August, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday. read more

Kenya Breweries has unveiled East Africa’s first whisky festival to grow the drink’s sales. The drive, which is a campaign driven themed ‘Love Whisky Festival’ will take place during this month in different venues around Nairobi. read more

On the back of growing trade between Ireland and South Africa, Ireland’s Minister for Trade and Development, Joe Costello TD, will lead the third Enterprise Ireland trade mission to South Africa in November.  read more

According to Charles Fourie of Safland Property Group, the construction of the Grove Mall of Namibia is running smoothly and is on track. To date 90% of the Grove Mall has been rented out ahead of its official opening in 2014.  read more

Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL) has launched a bottle moulding plant that will produce containers that are shatterproof and easy to store, carry, clean up and reseal.  read more

Johannesburg - The strike at SA Breweries (SAB) is over, the company said on Tuesday.  read more

Cape Town - The South African wine industry can look forward to a good, but smaller 2014 wine grape harvest than the record harvest obtained this year.  read more

London - Diageo, the world's biggest spirits group which has a presence in SA, should see sales growth in Africa accelerate as it expands into new markets like Ethiopia and Angola and as rising incomes enable traditional beer drinkers to try spirits, it has said read more

Indigenous liquor giant, Kasapreko Company Limited (KCL) placed sixth in the 2013 Ghana Club 100 ranking. read more

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Fackson Shamenda, says Shoprite is operating normally and its operating licence is still in force. read more

East Africa Glassware Mart plans to double its revenue to $34 million (Sh2.9 billion) by opening in 10 new markets within Africa over the next three years. read more

Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL) has taken in the quest to provide information on alcohol and responsible consumption is through their site, www.talkingalcohol.com read more

It is slightly less than a month since Graeme Mouton was appointed as the new Financial Director of Namibia Breweries Limited but already he says he is inspired by the O&L Purpose “Creating a future, enhancing life.” read more

SABMiller suffered its biggest weekly decline in more than two years last week as a strike at its South African beer operations continued and Unilever said sales growth slowed in emerging markets.  read more

The World’s largest privately held spirits company, Bacardi Limited is set to open its first African sales outlet in Nairobi, Kenya on Tuesday following the growing demand for luxurious goods such as alcoholic beverages by consumers. read more

East African Breweries Limited (EABL) in August said it posted “good results” in the year to June despite tough operating conditions in markets such as Uganda and Tanzania.  read more

Johannesburg - South African liquor company Distell Group Limited [JSE:DST] has acquired a 60% share in fast-growing liquor distribution company CJ Wines & Spirits‚ expanding its presence in the East. read more

Tokyo - For those who have trouble finding space for a large wine collection, a new apartment block in Japan with an in-house cellar and a visiting sommelier could be the perfect place to live. read more

The Indian beer market is expected to grow 20 times in next 20 years in view of changing lifestyles, a burgeoning middle class and government policy to promote low alcoholic drinks in the country.  read more

Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL), has appointed Mr Eric Otoo as the 'Route to Consumer' (RtC) Director in line with the company's vision of dominating the beverage industry in the country.  read more

Craft beers may be giving big brewers a run for their money, but the top-rated beers worldwide in terms of taste come from all over the map, according to one product research site.  read more

Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) said earlier in September that it expects basic earnings per share to be materially lower than the prior year by between 66% and 68% in the year ended 30 June. The company said in a trading statement published by the Namibia Stock Exchange that the decline is attributed to the impairment of a deferred tax asset related to DHN Drinks.  read more

The consolidation of the global beer industry, which took SA Breweries from a dominant South African player to a dominant global player in just 10 years, had not come to an end, Alan Clark, SABMiller’s recently appointed chief executive, said this week. read more

Namibians have continued to love the beer bottle with Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) announcing that overall beer sales volumes on the local market grew at double digits, delivering a 12% growth in the year ended 30 June compared to the previous year.  read more

Cape Town - South Africans spend almost four times more on alcohol and cigarettes than on medical expenses and over one and a half times more on clothes than on education, a new study has revealed. read more

The acquisition of Supasave by Choppies is set to improve the latter's revenue by at least P200 million in the next financial year.  read more

WINDHOEK – Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) is rendering management assistance to its distributor in Tanzania, Mabibo Beer, Wine and Spirits Limited, in a fight to curb the smuggling of its Windhoek Lager beer into that country. read more

Johannesburg - Restricting marketing on liquor will have a negative affect on the industry and the economy, the SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) said on Monday.  read more

In a bid to ensure it is able to harness the ongoing strong demand in Africa, SABMiller announced two major investments in the region yesterday.  read more

The Distell Group succeeded in raising revenue 11,9% to R15,9bn on a sales volume increase of 7,2% for the year to June 2013. This was despite exceptionally tough trading conditions, marked by a global slowdown in economic growth, contracted disposable income and reduced consumer spending in many of the regions where it markets its range of spirits, wines and ciders and RTDs. read more

Johannesburg - Shoprite Holdings [JSE:SHP], the largest retailer in Africa, said on Tuesday it plans to open 171 new stores by June 2014, including 47 outside its home market.  read more

Vienna - An Austrian brewery is offering beer lovers a trip back in time by reviving a 300-year-old recipe it found in the town archives.  read more

Paris - Barring bad weather in the next two months, France's champagne production is forecast to jump by 56% this year, a bright spot in an otherwise rough period for wine growers. read more

A surge in Woolworths’ sales, which bucked the weaker sales growth trend of ailing local retailers, was because the food and fashion retailer was not dependent on credit like its competitors, analysts have said.  read more

Cape Town - The global wine industry is worth $230bn a year and the potential yields for the South African industry have never been as great, nor the pitfalls as plenty, according to Linda Buckley, director of executive education at UCT’s Graduate School of Business (GSB). read more

Rwanda’s leading beer and soft drinks maker, Bralirwa, has launched a 50cl bottle for its Primus beer brand onto the market. read more

Brussels - China and the European Union have agreed there is a "window for discussions" to try to resolve accusations that Europe is dumping wine in China, the EU's trade chief said on Monday. read more

Johannesburg - Woolworths Holdings gained the most in a week after reporting an acceleration in full-year sales. read more

The Competition Tribunal will resume a hearing into allegations of anti-competitive behaviour by South African Breweries (SAB), the local division of SABMiller.  read more

Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL) managing director Johan De Kok says the amalgamation of KBL and the Botswana Breweries Limited (BBL) is expected to do away with unnecessary costs and deliver strategic opportunities arising from a leaner supply chain. read more

Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) in conjunction with O&L Energy has announced the official approval of a 1 MW on-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) facility that will be the largest roof-mounted PV plant in Africa to date.  read more

Cape Town - The Western Cape department of agriculture, together with Wines of South Africa, recently hosted the second Beijing Wine Tasting in China.  read more

Coca-Cola through Nairobi Bottlers has invested Sh1.2 billion in a new manufacturing plant that produces materials for production of plastic bottles. read more

When Cyril Ramaphosa resigns at this year’s annual general meeting later this month, SAB/SABMiller will, for the first time in its 118-year history, not have any South African non-executive directors on its board. read more

Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed industrial concern Delta Corporation Limited, an associate of SAB Miller of South Africa, says it is still waiting for a response from government on an indigenisation plan submitted three years ago, the group chief executive has said. read more

Cape Town - China should use the Western Cape as an investment gateway into Africa, the provincial agriculture and rural development department said on Wednesday. read more

Johannesburg – The former boss of SABMiller [JSE:SAB], Graham Mackay, is one of the best-paid bosses in Britain, The Telegraph reported on Tuesday. read more

A South African wine producer Orange River Cellars has signed a distributorship deal with Kenya’s Chareth General Agencies.  read more

Tipplers will have to shell out more to buy liquor in the capital with the Delhi Government approving a hike in alcohol rates as part of new excise policy, late last month.  read more

The Nairobi All Share edged 0.13 points lower to close at 126.68.The All Share has posted a +33.544% return in 2013 and sits 1.745% beneath an all time high reached last month. read more

The Copperbelt has on an annual basis been experiencing shortages of liquor, especially during festive periods and various events. read more

WINDHOEK - The long-awaited brewery in Okahandja to be built by SABMiller took a concrete step towards fruition late last month when the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Tjekero Tweya, officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony for the new brewery.  read more

Johannesburg – Global breweing giant SABMiller [JSE:SAB] has signed a cooperation agreement with Swedish brewer Kopparberg Brewery AB for the long term licensing of Kopparberg cider products in selected markets. read more

Johannesburg - A ban on alcohol advertising will result in a loss of 12 000 jobs, The Times newspaper reported on Wednesday. read more

Brussels - SABMiller [JSE:SAB], the world's second biggest brewer, reported profit growth in line with expectations thanks to a surge in earnings in Latin America and Africa and said its markets should be broadly unchanged in the coming months.  read more

Indian to head world’s top liquor company Mumbai: India-born Ivan Menezes is the new CEO of Diageo, the world's largest drinks company-a development that reinforces the growing trend of Indians heading high-profile global corporate giants.  read more

New Delhi: Liquor prices are set to rise in the coming weeks as the cabinet cleared the new excise policy on Monday. While the policy leaves the licence fee untouched for the financial year 2013-2014, Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) will be dearer by 5% and country liquor by 11% once the new rates are notified in June.  read more

Heineken will not be launching its sweeter, low-alcohol Radler beer in Kenya. It will instead focus on its flagship brand to grow local market share. read more

Prague - Brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev says it no longer has plans to acquire Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar, with whom it has been fighting a long legal battle over the use of the “Budweiser” brand. read more

Harare - Delta Beverages, the Zimbabwe-based subsidiary of SABMiller [JSE:SAB], continued to defy the odds in the economically ravaged country with forecast-beating earnings for the year ended December 31 2012. read more

Spar Group Ltd. (SPP), a South African food and liquor retailer, said first-half profit climbed 12 percent as higher prices countered slower consumer spending. read more

Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL) recently revealed that the placing of the people dressed in orange suits in strategic locations around Botswana was a part of their marketing strategy to relaunch its cider, Core Original. read more

Johannesburg - A thirst for beer among Africa's middle classes is driving the world's biggest brewers to invest on the continent, but getting women to drink the beverage is another matter. read more

Ghana’s premier beverage manufacturer, Accra Brewery Limited (ABL), has begun a responsible alcohol retailing training programme for retailers of its alcoholic products in the country. read more

Nambia Breweries Ltd (NBL) celebrated Reinheitsgebot Day in style in April by launching its RHG campaign and opening the first barrel of Urbock, the brewer’s winter beer. read more

VENTURES AFRICA – SABMiller reported in April this year that full year lager volumes in Africa surged 6 percent on the back of additional capacity coming on stream and enhanced availability. read more

Copenhagen - Danish brewer Carlsberg's first-quarter operating profit and revenue beat forecasts on Tuesday, as strong beer sales in Asia cushioned sluggish mature European markets and a decline in its former growth driver Russia. read more

Not only is Germany forming a last line of defence against the euro’s implosion, the land of steins and beer kellers also offers fertile ground to distillers foraging for sales in Western Europe’s withered landscape. read more

JSE-listed SABMiller announced last week that it had fast-tracked the planned promotion of COO Alan Clark to CEO with immediate effect, after current CEO and executive chairperson Graham Mackay stepped down earlier than anticipated owing to an illness.  read more

Demand for Peroni has pushed brewing giant SABMiller to an increase in UK sales, despite an overall decline in the domestic lager market. read more

Berghoff Brewing will revive its brands this summer with updated recipes, and a move to contract brewing the beers at Stevens Point Brewery. read more

(Reuters) - China's largest makers of popular, fiery "baijiu" liquor are bracing for a slowdown this year after nearly a decade of heady growth as a crackdown on lavish official spending starts to hit home. read more

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV and the U.S. Justice Department reached an agreement over the company’s acquisition of Grupo Modelo SAB, two people familiar with the matter said. read more

United Breweries Ltd. (UBBL), India’s largest brewer, expects sales of Heineken NV’s (HEIA) namesake brand to climb more than 50 percent in the country this fiscal year as it ramps up distribution of the pricier foreign beer. read more

Masscash, a division of Massmart, has expanded its presence in Mozambique with the opening of a newly built Saverite store in the district of Xai Xai, 200km away from Maputo. read more

Diageo’s third-quarter sales missed estimates, the biggest distiller reported yesterday, as sluggish European demand and slower-than-expected growth in emerging markets offset expansion in the US.  read more

Cape Town - A draft law proposing all businesses be licensed with municipalities, will "create more red tape", warns the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  read more

London - Global brewer SABMiller said on Thursday it had posted a 7 percent rise in full year organic revenue, boosted by strong demand in Africa and a surprisingly robust performance in Europe.  read more

SABMiller planned to boost beer volume sales in Africa by between 7 percent and 9 percent a year by slashing prices, using more local grains and cheaper packaging, and negotiating better tax terms with governments, the company said yesterday. read more

Local market analysts have lauded NSX listed Namibia Breweries Limited for posting solid interim results for the period ended 31 December 2012. read more

SABMiller’s local unit Accra Brewery Limited (ABL) will start to brew cassava beer in Ghana under the brand name “Eagle”, the company announced on March 14, 2013. read more

The Kenyan government planned to sell a large part of its stake in a domestic wines and spirits marketer to South Africa’s Distell Group, the privatisation commission said on Friday read more

GIiant beer and spirits maker East African Breweries posted a 14 per cent drop in net profits in its half year profits due to high financing and distribution and raw material procurement costs, the brewer said earlier this year.  read more

The ban on liquor sales in Cape Town on Sundays is off – for now. read more

Johannesburg - Brewing giant SABMiller [JSE:SAB] has through its subsidiary‚ SABSA Holdings‚ raised R1bn from investors in its first bond issue‚ at a yield of 7.125%.  read more

China is becoming an increasingly important market for New Zealand wine and a group of local firms is hoping to boost sales further by making an appearance this week at one of the Asian superpower's biggest international trade shows, the Chengdu Wine Fair.  read more

(Reuters) - Global wine production fell sharply last year due to bad weather in Europe and a recent policy to drain its "wine lakes", while Chile and United States saw a jump in harvests, according to a recent report. read more

South Africa is anticipating a grape crop of more than 1.3-million tons for 2013 – a record in the wine industry’s history – which could, depending on market demand, potentially aid wine exports. The country’s wine exports reached a record of 417-million litres in 2012, up 17% from 2011. read more

Johannesburg - Eighteen-year-olds can drive, pay taxes and join the army – but will be banned from drinking alcohol if Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has his way. read more

Bangalore: While Americans and Europeans prefer their beer to be light on alcohol content, Indians have traditionally been partial to a stronger brew, a preference that’s become further accentuated of late along with an improvement in the image associated with such beverages. read more

AFP - German antitrust authorities said on Monday that they had opened an investigation against several brewers over the suspected price fixing of beer. read more

South Africa, the eighth-biggest wine producer, is seeking to regain a foothold in the US market lost to imports from Australia to Argentina by promoting brands at Walmart Stores and Whole Foods Market, a diplomat said last week.  read more