Monthly Archive: January 2012
Interview: Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board CEO Joseph Conti
When voters in Washington state approved a referendum to end state control of beverage alcohol sales late last year, all eyes turned to Pennsylvania, the largest control state in the United States by volume. Indeed, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is the largest purchaser of wine and spirits in the U.S. and has sales of $1.5 billion generated from 609 state-operated stores. Continue reading →
Posted in News on January 6, 2012And The Winner Is…
Fabrica de Tabacos Raices Cubanas S. de R.L.’s Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill has been named the number-one cigar of 2011 by Cigar Aficionado, which has spent the past week revealing its top 10 cigars of the year as part of its feature on The 25 Best Cigars of 2011. Continue reading →
Posted in News on January 6, 2012News Briefs for January 6, 2012
•Beam Inc. has expanded its Pucker flavored vodka range with two new offshoots— Lemonade Lust and Raspberry Rave. Priced at $15.99 a 750-ml. bottle, the 70-proof offerings will be available nationwide by February. Continue reading →
Posted in News on January 6, 2012EXCLUSIVE: White Rock’s Coulombe Discusses Pinnacle Phenomenon
Lewiston, Maine-based White Rock Distilleries has risen to the fore as one of the U.S. spirits market’s top brand innovators, particularly in vodka. After selling its fast-growing Three Olives vodka to Proximo Spirits in 2007, it quickly reloaded with a new vodka label, Pinnacle, sourced from France and selling for $14 a bottle, down a price tier from Three Olives. Pinnacle grew from 265,000 cases in 2008 to 1.4 million cases in 2010. But last year it nearly doubled to 2.7 million cases—according to Impact Databank—riding the wave created by its Whipped flavor extension. Continue reading →
Posted in News on January 5, 2012Constellation’s U.S. Shipments Slip, But Depletions Rise In Q3
Constellation Brands reported today that its core U.S. wine business saw shipments slip 10.3% to 12.2 million cases in the three months through November, its fiscal third quarter, and 5.9% to 35.3 million cases in the nine months through the same date. Continue reading →
Posted in News on January 5, 2012News Briefs for January 5, 2012
•As part of its weeklong unveiling of the 25 Best Cigars of 2011, Cigar Aficionado announced the names of Cigars No. 4, 3 and 2 earlier today. Continue reading →
Posted in News on January 5, 2012
