News Briefs for July 21, 2025

•California’s O’Neill Vintners & Distillers has made a number of promotions on its executive team. Maeve Pesquera has been named chief marketing officer and EVP, luxury. A veteran of Daou, she joined the company in May of last year. Breck O’Neill has been appointed EVP, business development. He was previously vice president of national accounts, on-premise. Paul Passaro has been named SVP, sales, promoted from vice president of sales, west. And Ron Mertz has been named SVP, commercial strategy. He joined O’Neill from House of Smith last August. Led by founder and CEO Jeff O’Neill, the company’s brands include Ram’s Gate Winery, Robert Hall Winery, Line 39, Wines of Substance, FitVine Wine, Harken Chardonnay, Rabble Wine Company, Charles Woodson’s Intercept, No. 209 Gin, and BrandyLab.

•Brown-Forman has announced this year’s iteration of Old Forester 1910 Extra Extra Old, part of the brand’s 117 series of limited releases. The whiskey is bottled at 46.5% abv and is given a two-year second maturation in a heavily charred new oak barrel. It’s named for the 1910 Old Forester distillery fire that forced the brand to re-barrel aging whiskey held in flame-damaged casks. Priced at $65 a 750-ml., it’s available at the Old Forester distillery, select Kentucky retailers, and for online ordering in Washington, D.C., Kentucky, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and North Dakota. Old Forester rose 3% to just over 500,000 cases in the U.S. last year, according to Impact Databank.

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