The marriage of Petrus de Kuyper and Anna Custers in 1695 is considered to be the beginning of the De Kuyper company. At that time Petrus de Kuyper was associated with the industry as a producer of wooden casks used for transporting Dutch gin and beer. The current Managing Director Bob de Kuyper is a direct descendant of Petrus de Kuyper.
De Kuyper is the world's number one producer of range liqueurs available in more than 100
countries. After more than 300 years, De Kuyper Royal Distillers remains a private family
business and the De Kuyper range of liqueurs continues to grow steadily throughout the world.
On with the news..
Budweiser Life
Budweiser announced the launch of a nationwide series of 4-wheel-drive off-road rallies in
India under the Budweiser Life banner. The first rally, featuring over 40 four-wheel-drive
vehicles, was flagged off at Sakleshpur, Karnataka in the heart of India's scenic coffee
country. More here.
UB shelves plans for RTDs in India
The UB Group has reportedly ditched plans to partner with Independent Liquor in the Indian
RTD market. The two companies have had a tie-up in India for the last four years, the report
said, with UB even being linked to making a bid for the New Zealand company last year.
More here.
Diageo makes further progress with Indian expansion
Diageo has confirmed the timing of the launch of its domestic wines in India.
Diageo said that it plans to launch its domestic wines by the end of September.
SC reserves verdict on women's right to work in Delhi bars
The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on the issue of permitting women bartenders in
hotels and restaurants in the capital
A bench headed by Justice S B Sinha had reserved the verdict after hearing the views of the
Hotel Association of India, Delhi government and Anuj Garg, the petitioner who had
challenged, a Delhi High Court judgement permitting employment of women as bartenders.
Full story
Surrogate liquor ads under lens
Action taken by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) on surrogate liquor
advertisements in the last few months, puts the spotlight on the rising number of consumer
complaints against such advertisements.
Among the ads which were withdrawn, is United Breweries' Kingfisher Premium ad which showed a
visual depiction of a dancing couple with "packaged drinking water" written in fine print.
More here.
Diageo-Khaitan plans to launch more brands in India
Diageo-Khaitan, the joint venture between spirits company Diageo and Radico Khaitan, is
planning to launch a global whisky brand in the Indian market.
The company is planning to launch the new brand by the end of the fiscal year.
More..
Gallo set to buy William Hill, Canyon Road
Wine giant E&J Gallo is poised to add the William Hill and Canyon Road brands to its
extensive portfolio after reaching an agreement with current brand owner Beam Wine Estates.
Gallo has also bought the Canyon Road wine brand and “related assets”, the company said. No
financial details were disclosed.
More here
Australian-Indian joint venture
Australian wine company Howling Wolves has set up a joint venture to produce wine in India
with Indian distiller and distributor Brihans
Producing wine locally is a way of reaching the lucrative Indian market, Howling Wolves CEO
Damian Knowles said.
Within five years Knowles plans to sell 25,000 cases of Brihan-Howling Wolves wine into the
domestic market.
More...
Wine sites cash in on Facebook phenomenon
A new online wine service hopes to become the world's busiest cyber wine recommendations site
by cashing in on the Facebook phenomenon.
New York-based Snooth, which launched in June, provides searchable wine recommendations from
users and critics with a database of two million reviews.
'The more users we attract through Facebook and in general, the more specific the
recommendations, and the more valuable the database becomes,' said Snooth founder Philip
James.
US: Diageo launches Smirnoff Source ad campaign
Diageo North America has launched a multi-million dollar ad campaign for Smirnoff Source, its
latest brand offering that combines pure spring water and alcohol.
More details here
Diageo GB has launched its biggest ever marketing campaign for its Smirnoff vodka brand
The £5million campaign called 'The Sea' broke online on July 30. A 60-second commercial was rolled out on August 17 in selected cinemas showing the third film in the 'Bourne' series
starring Matt Damon – 'The Bourne Ultimatum'.
More...
Russian Standard Vodka is bringing one of its vodka brands to India
The company confirmed that its Russian Standard Platinum brand will be distributed by the
Narang Group in the country. The Indian distributor will also market the brand, which will be
available in all Indian metropolitan areas, including Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.
US: Bacardi plans 'Discerning' Grey Goose campaign
Bacardi has lined up its first promotional campaign for Grey Goose vodka in the US.
The company said that the advertising push, which will coincide with the US Open Tennis
Championships for which the brand is promotional partner, will be its first since it bought
Grey Goose three years ago.
More here
UK's first Chocolate Cocktail Drinks Maker launched
Giles & Posner have created a new Chocolate Cocktail Drinks Maker that allows consumers to
create their own indulgent chocolate drinks
With a capacity of around eight cups, drinks can also be served in cocktail or martini
glasses and the machine is sold with a free Chocolate Cocktail Drinks Maker Recipe Book.
Police qualify as sommeliers to combat wine fraud
Twenty-five members of the Italian military police have qualified as sommeliers in order to
combat fraud in the industry.
Elite officers of the Carabinieri del Nac (anti-fraud squad), recently passed exams given by
the Italian Sommeliers Association, based in Rome.
US: Beam Global launches mixable Courvoisier Cognac
Beam Global Spirits & Wine has launched a new Cognac to its Courvoisier brand in the US.
The company said today that its mixable Cognac, Courvoisier Exclusif, will enter the
super-premium VSOP category and compete with vodkas and other base spirits in cocktails.
US: Pernod Ricard rages war on feckless drinking
Pernod Ricard has launched a campaign in the US to focus public attention on irresponsible
alcohol consumption.
The campaign, which involves online, national press and magazine advertising as well as the
launch of a website, uses the tagline "Drunk driving doesn't start with a drink. It starts
with an excuse".