Liquor Industry News
The Wonderful World Of Wine (WWW)
By: Mark C Lenzi
CSW, CSS, CWAS, FWS, IWS*, SWS, OWE, IWM*
08-24-2026
Liquor Industry News
New Products
How RTDs are winning over bars
How heatwaves affect what we drink
Tales of Kosher Alcohol
Why You’ll Never Find Norway’s Best-Selling Beer On American Shelves
As beer fans in the United States may already know, there are quite a few countries in the world that also have strong beer cultures. Germany, the Czech Republic, England, Ireland, Mexico, and Japan are a few staples that come to mind, but one nation you might not think of is Norway.
https://www.tastingtable.com/2224153/norway-best-selling-beer-unavaliable-america
The World’s Best-Selling Vodka Isn’t Grey Goose Or Ketel One — It’s Cheaper
The (arguably) tasteless spirit may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s no denying that vodka reigns supreme worldwide.
https://www.tastingtable.com/2222773/best-selling-vodka-world-not-grey-goose-ketel-one-smirnoff
How heatwaves affect what we drink
As another heatwave begins in Europe, you might think all this dry, sunny weather would benefit drinks sales. We consider if that’s true, as well as the impact on wine, and which styles stand to benefit.
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/08/how-heatwaves-affect-what-we-drink
America hits major marijuana milestone as daily weed use surpasses daily drinking
Survey finds 21.4 million Americans now use cannabis daily or near-daily, up 21% since 2022
Tales of Kosher Alcohol
I’m sure many of you have heard of kosher food and many rules associated with it, in purchasing the ingredients, cooking, and consuming (don’t mix meat and dairy, for example). But wine is wine, right?
On Declining Per Capita Wine Consumption: Are We Reliving 1986 or 1993?
Is it just the beginning or the beginning of the end? Or something else?
https://tomwark.substack.com/p/on-declining-per-capita-wine-consumption
Is wine good for you? Here’s what the evidence says
Between WHO warnings and NHS guidelines lies a complex truth about wine, health and why humans have never stopped drinking it. Gabriel Stone considers the effect of booze on your body
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/08/is-wine-good-for-you-heres-what-the-evidence-says
Global alcohol deaths drop by 26%
According to a new report, the alcohol-attributable mortality rate has fallen by more than a quarter since 2010
10 Lime Beers, Ranked Worst To Best
Most beer drinkers have shoved a small lime slice through the narrow neck of a clear-bottled Corona — it’s practically a rite of passage once you’re legally old enough to drink. The Corona and lime pairing is such a staple nowadays that other brewers are starting to incorporate lime into their ales.
https://www.tastingtable.com/2226890/lime-beer-ranked-worst-best
Sarah Jessica Parker and Invivo Winemakers Just Bottled the Internet’s Spiciest Wine Trend
Invivo X, SJP launches the first major-label Sauvignon Blanc infused with jalapeño – turning the TikTok phenomenon into a bottle you can pick up off the shelf & find on select restaurant menus this summer
Next Century Spirits buys Chicken Cock Whiskey
North Carolina-based Next Century Spirits has acquired four brands from Grain & Barrel Spirits, including Chicken Cock Whiskey and its two Kentucky visitor experiences.
Find out the trends attracting Gen Z consumers to drink
The main consumer choices and behaviours influencing alcohol consumption among legal-drinking-age adults have been uncovered in a new white paper. But what are they? db finds out.
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/08/find-out-the-trends-attracting-gen-z-consumers-to-drink
The 30 Best Gins for 2026
Should you trust your eyes or the statistics when it comes to gin these days?
https://vinepair.com/buy-this-booze/best-gins-2026
NEW RTD
- Minute Maid Spiked, part of Coca-Cola’s Red Tree Beverages, has launched Vodka Lemonade Iced Tea. The 5% abv drink is non-carbonated and made with iced tea and 3% lemon juice. It joins the brand’s other vodka-based offerings—Lemona de, Pink Lemonade, and four flavors of Vodka Punch—plus wine-based cocktails like Margarita and Daiquiri, among others, in the brand’s portfolio. The new release is available in 8-packs of 12-ounce cans ($17) and in individual 16-ounce cans ($3.49). Both formats are available nationwide. Last year, Minute Maid’s spirits-based RTDs reached 100,000 cases in the U.S. in their first year on the market, according to Impact Databank.
These Are the Only 5 Beers to Win 3 Stars at the 2026 Great Taste Awards
More than 15,000 food and drink products competed, but only five beers earned the competition’s highest honor.
https://www.foodandwine.com/best-beers-great-taste-awards-2026-12033143
Idaho Makes Great Wine, and This Producer Is Leading the Charge
3100 Cellars is the only dedicated sparkling wine house in the Gem State, where vinous treasures abound.
https://www.foodandwine.com/idaho-sparkling-wine-12033554
The world’s best-selling spirit brand is not a Scottish whisky, a Russian vodka or a Cuban rum
The title belongs to South Korea, where Jinro soju shifted 94.5 million cases last year and has held first place for 25 straight years.
Are campers a massive untapped market for drinks?
As summer holidaymakers toast marshmallows over campfires, Sarah Neish asks marketing experts whether campers are a smoking hot demographic, and why this consumer segment is left out in the cold by many drinks brands.
Your Wine Habit Could Be Doing Public Good
Recycled wine corks find new life in Brooklyn public housing with sustainable cork pathways, playgrounds and community spaces
https://www.winespectator.com/articles/recycled-wine-corks-helping-communities
How To Order Wine Like An Expert
Whether ordering a bottle to share with friends at a bar or choosing something to pair with dinner, selecting wine can be daunting.
https://www.mashed.com/2227909/how-to-order-wine-like-an-expert
How a More Casual Drinker Gets the Most Out of the Fancy Coravin Wine Preserver
It’s keeping my bubbly, well, bubbly, so I can enjoy a summer’s worth of sparkling cocktails at my own pace.
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/coravin-sparkling-spritzes
Exploring eight EU wine regions set to win over drinkers
The EU is at the heart of the international wine trade, with its position built on quality assurance and regulation. A recent masterclass explored how that is driving innovation in its emerging regions.
Cutwater is fastest-growing alcohol brand in US
AB InBev’s canned cocktail Cutwater has become the fastest-growing brand in the US alcohol industry after rising by 104% over the past 12 months.
Slovenian Winemakers Face Threat of Not Being Allowed to Sell Wine
Here’s the full details, plus how you can help
https://themorningclaret.com/p/slovenian-winemakers-face-threat-of-not-being-allowed-to-sell-wine
Mexico Became the World’s Largest Beer Exporter in 2025
Among the five main destinations for the Mexican beverage are the United States, with US$6.046 billion; the Dominican Republic, with US$49 million; Spain, with US$39 million; Peru, with US$37 million; and Panama, with US$32 million, as of the close of 2025.
How weight-loss medication is changing relationships with alcohol
There is a growing body of research into the link between weight-loss drugs and alcohol consumption.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr7kmlg0lxpo
Best Champagne for Celebrations
How to Choose
https://winesfromfrance.com/blogs/news/best-champagne-for-celebrations
Burgundy’s Crémant starts its earliest harvest
Burgundy is seeing one of the earliest harvests for Crémant this year, with some producers having already started picking over the weekend
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/08/burgundys-cremant-harvest-start-is-earliest-yet
The Legal Drinking Age Used to Be Different in Every State.
Here’s What America Looked Like Before 1984.
https://vinepair.com/articles/every-state-legal-drinking-age-1984-map
Bota Box Introduces Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in a 1.5-Liter Box
Renowned vineyards meet sustainable packaging and exceptional value in new Limited Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/newreleases/article/321715
China’s Biggest Wine Influencer Lady Penguin Under Investigation
The company behind the six-million-follower wine personality will face trial in Beijing, casting a shadow over a content-commerce empire that once generated RMB 350 million in annual sales.
PourPlays Launches the First Gamified Wine Education Platform
Making Wine Discovery Engaging, Rewarding, and Fun for a New Generation
How RTDs are winning over bars
After conquering supermarket shelves, ready-to-drink brands are making their mark behind the bar. We explore why brands are increasingly being poured in on-trade establishments.
Copper & Kings delivers distillery exclusives
Louisville-based brandy producer Copper & Kings has begun nationwide shipping of its exclusive distillery bottling.
https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2026/08/copper-kings-delivers-distillery-exclusives
The Top 150 Tequila Brands Ranked
Fifteen reviewers scored more than 350 brands. Here are their favorites.
https://www.tequilareport.com/p/the-top-150-tequila-brands-ranked
How wine brands are finding growth in a shrinking market
Global wine consumption has fallen to levels not seen in more than six decades, leaving producers searching for new definitions of growth. From natural wine and Michelin-starred restaurants to China and Champagne, a handful of businesses are showing that expansion remains possible when producers know precisely who they are trying to reach.
Scientists have found out what causes ‘tropical’ aromas in whisky
Researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh have uncovered the source of ‘tropical’ or ‘mango’-like characteristics in whisky, meaning distillers could in future “dial up or tone down” the aromas as desired.
Old Elk unveils 10YO whiskey trio
American whiskey brand Old Elk has released a collection of three 10-year-old expressions as the first major releases under Middle West Spirits’ ownership.
Crown Royal gets snug in Juicy Couture
Diageo’s Crown Royal has collaborated with lifestyle brand Juicy Couture on flavored whisky-inspired bottle bags and matching velour tracksuits.
The (Unhinged) Frozen Pickle Wine Hack, Explained
Once upon a time, the frozen snack hack was simple. You put grapes in the freezer, waited a few hours, and got little marbles of frozen fruit that tasted vaguely like sorbet. It was low-effort, deliciously clever, and completely uncontroversial.
How To Grow Wine Without Herbicides
…Is The Wrong Question
https://beyondorganicwine.substack.com/p/how-to-grow-wine-without-herbicides
What temperature should you serve wine at?
Serving wine at the right temperature can make a significant difference to how it tastes, whether you are opening a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, a mature red or a bottle of Sherry. Gabriel Stone explains when to chill, when to warm and why the old rule of white wine cold and red wine at room temperature does not always work.
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/08/what-temperature-should-you-serve-wine-at
Most popular beers across US regions revealed in new data
New research has revealed the beer brands people are most curious about in different parts of the US that lead to them discovering and then buying certain brews. db looks at the findings.
Jameson Distiller’s Batch lands in US
Irish Distillers-owned Jameson has brought Distiller’s Batch, a single pot still Irish whiskey, to the US.
The Number of Breweries Per Capita in Every State Has Changed Dramatically Since 2010
Here’s What the Shift Looks Like
https://vinepair.com/articles/breweries-per-capita-in-every-state-percent-change
Climate Change & True Terroir
What this summer’s fires tell us about the future in your glass
https://sandraetaylor.substack.com/p/climate-change-and-true-terroir
The Wonderful World of Wine (WWW) Podcast
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