DRINKSOLUTION

Looking for a local Amaretto

2010-11-10T10:26:00.001+02:00

Ivan, my Italian friend, has been making a good local Amaretto for a few years now. Please feel free to contact us on 082 465 3849 for deliveries throughout KZN.

South African wine bosses to open London Restaurant

2010-03-08T07:41:00.002+02:00

Two South African winery bosses have teamed up with the founder of restaurant Vivat Bacchus to open a wine restaurant in London’s City.

Gary and Kathy Jordan from Stellenbosch-based Jordan Wine Estate have teamed up with ex Vivat Bacchus owner Neleen Strauss to open High Timber, a 70 cover restaurant and 40,000 bottle wine cellar near St Paul’s cathedral.

Although wine from the Jordan Estate will feature on the list, including Cobblers Hill, Nine Yards and Mellifera NLH from the Reserve range, Gary said the restaurant is to offer a global variety, not just wine from South Africa.

“Prices will start at £13-14 a bottle and go up to how ever much people want to pay.

We hope to attract winemakers to the restaurant and diners could be rubbing shoulders with top Burgundy and Bordeaux producers,”

said Gary.

The restaurant will also feature a private dining area, cheese room and off-sales.

The Jordans are also opening a restaurant at the winery in Stellenbosch.

“We don’t expect this one to open until later in the year because we are concentrating on High Timber at the moment,” added Gary.

He claims High Timber is the first wine producer-owned restaurant in London and doors are set to open in spring.

Xuxu

2010-01-28T09:08:00.000+02:00

XUXU – with 66% fruit content!

XUXU is the delicious, fresh-fruity strawberry drink with crystal clear vodka. Each bottle of Xuxu contains 66% fruit. Only especially fresh-fruity and ripe strawberries are used for XUXU. The seal of taste on each bottle guarantees that you can enjoy this fresh-fruity taste. Up to this date XUXU tastes fresh-fruity as if it has just been freshly mixed.

XUXU contains absolutely no crystal sugar, i.e. the sweetness is achieved naturally. A squeeze of lime provides the balanced in the sweetness.

2010-01-22T18:40:00.001+02:00

First Johnnie Walker for Blacks... now Diageo unveils Johnnie Walker Double Black

2010-01-20T17:20:00.000+02:00

100 years after the famous Johnnie Walker Black Label® was introduced, Diageo is unveiling a new variant of the world's number one Deluxe Blended Scotch Whisky - called Johnnie Walker^TM Double Black®.

The new blend will sit on shelf alongside Johnnie Walker Black Label and is being launched as a test in selected airports in global travel retail from January this year.

Johnnie Walker Double Black amplifies a trademark characteristic of Johnnie Walker Black Label, notably the smokiness, to delivery a new intensity in the liquid.

The product is an extension to the existing brands in the Johnnie Walker range and it is aimed at drinkers who already appreciate the character of Johnnie Walker whiskies and are keen to explore that character in more depth.

The Johnnie Walker Double Black blend is created using peaty West Coast whiskies to particularly emphasise the smoky elements that have made Johnnie Walker Whiskies famous.

The 1L bottle of Johnnie Walker Double Black will retail at a price premium to Johnnie Walker Black Label and, while packaged in a distinctive smoky grey coloured glass bottle to reflect the smoky flavour, retains the iconic branding elements of Johnnie Walker whiskies: the unmistakable square bottle and slanting label.

VEEV ACAI SPIRIT

2010-01-16T15:39:00.001+02:00

VEEV ACAI SPIRIT

From deep in the heart of the Brazilian amazon, the Acai berry is thought to be the world's preeminent superfruit, and Veev is the world's first Acai spirit. Born of a desire for adventurous living, Veev has been blended with exotic ingredients, such as prickly pear and the acerola cherry. Handcrafted by award winning distillers, it has been designed to help you take advantage of everything life has to offer.
750ml Bottle
Eco Basilico ( Tree-Tini) Cocktail
2 oz Veev Acai Spirit
4 Fresh Basil Leaves
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
5 oz Simple Syrup
4 Cucumber Slices
Muddle 3 basil leaves, lime juice and simple syrup in the bottom of a bar glass. Add Veev and the cucumber slices and shake well with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Enjoy!

A Slice of Spirited Life

2010-01-16T15:33:00.000+02:00

By Kim Maxwell
Words and Photography
We’re in a leased company vehicle cruising along the NY1 through Gugulethu (Gugs). It’s a major artery connecting sections of the township with a fair number of pedestrians and cars on the road for a working Wednesday. My driver, Nicol Gongota, giggles as he recalls that he and other youngsters in Gugs used to hang out on NY1 to show off their hippest clothes. Now 24, he lives in a flat in the fairly affluent Cape Town suburb of Parklands. He’s well dressed without being flashy.

Nicol works for The Really Great Brand Company. He services what’s known as the main market, using creativity to entice black drinkers. They frequent inner city Cape Town lounge venues to Club Galaxy in Athlone. His area includes bottle stores, wholesalers and taverns, and extends as far as Worcester. Gauteng is where around 70 per cent of premium whisky sales happen.

In Jozi’s Rosebank, businessmen move cash for premium bottles at crowded bars such as Katzy’s, while a trendy crowd schmoozes to rhythm and blues or house in the lounge atmosphere of Molokos. But in the Cape, trendy city clubs attract late night revellers, who first get into a partying mood outside bottle stores or carwashes in Gugs or Langa. “The guys may have moved to Tableview or Parklands, but on a weekend they’ll come and hang out. Having your car washed is an excuse to have a drink. Next door to the carwash, there is usually a butchery for grilled snacks, and a place to buy booze,” Nicol explains.

Lakeside Bottle Store is adjacent to Gugulethu Carwash, and a small group are having their cars hosed while sharing beers and a bottle. The awning has the signature yellow, green and red signage of J&B whisky. Behind the grid-wire security hatch, Xola confirms that on weekends, six bottles of Jack Daniels Tennessee whisky easily sell. The store opens until 10pm over weekends, when regulars arrive. Glasses and ice are sold too. Nicol’s Hennessy VS brand also sells well. His Tullamore Dew Irish whisky hasn’t been pushed much yet in the local market, but the name is a handy play on the Xhosa word ‘tula’ for lullaby. In Gauteng, customers say “Shhh” to get a barman’s attention. The orange walls of Gqudu’s Place don’t impress, but it’s a happening hangout over weekends. Jameson and Jack Daniels line the shelves, plus Glenmorangie for niche appeal.

As we pull into a petrol garage, Metro FM is blaring from speakers. I’m fast learning that whisky and cognac preferences in the main market are closely linked to music. Artist Kanye West may be big today, but hip hop has its roots with 1970s gangsters in New York’s The Bronx. In Cape Town, house electronic dance music ensures spirit sales in the wee hours.

As the tank is filled, Nicol slips in a CD from US rapper, the late Tupac. His catchy lyrics are about Hennessy. “In Cape Town, they call the Hennessy VS 375ml ‘Tupac’. This 375ml bottle sells more during the week,” says Nicol. Hennessy VS 750ml retails for around half the price of VSOP. A newer artist called J Holiday on his ‘Back of my Lac’ album has lyrics suggesting: “If ya getting high smoke one for me, If ya getting drunk it better be Hennessy…” Hennessy VSOP sells for around R400 a bottle.

At Tiger’s Place, manager Candy Kakaza’s dad owns the bottle store attached to a butchery, and she drives a red Mini Cooper. Her whisky and Cognac selection ranges from Glenlivet, Glenfiddich and Jack Daniels to Johnnie Walker Blue Label at the top end, selling for around R1 700 a bottle. A well-heeled group in their 40s and 50s congregate at outside tables and cars are being washed. The men are celebrating a 45th birthday, chewing on chicken wings and lamb chops. There’s a nearly-empty Hennessy VSOP, an empty Johnnie Walker Black bottle, and another with a serious dent in it. “I’m normally a Jack Daniels man,” jokes Mshe from Langa. “My friends all drink Hennessy because they listen to too much rap!”

I’m back on the NY1 on a Saturday afternoon, in my own car. Hosting a Hennessy event, Nicol is driving a sponsored Dodge Nitro SUV. Gqudu’s Place isn’t happening yet, so deejays are warming up at a private party on the rooftop of Maphindi’s Butchery in nearby Nyanga. Meat braais on the coals and loud beats form background music to views of taxis and cars inching along the clogged street below. There are BMWs and Polo Playas aplenty.

When the party moves on, we pass Mzoli’s Place, a popular butchery with tables serving grilled meat. It’s so packed, cars are triple-parked on the pavement as attractive men and women lean on their open car hatches with coolboxes. At unlicensed Mzoli’s, bring your own is not only acceptable, it’s essential. Over at Gqudu’s Place, a Gugs deejay called Jazz isn’t drawing the crowds. Fortunately the focus is on Vudu Lounge, where the Metro FM deejays will do their thing after 10pm. A group of students are sharing a bottle of Hennessy VS. Gqudu’s is their weekend hangout and one is studying law at Stellenbosch. Toto works in human resources for a grocery retailer. He drinks Hennessy because of rapper Tupac, not even registering that it is an imported brandy. Brand consciousness is alive and well.

Nicol tells me he and two student friends started offering carwashes in Gugs as 16-year-olds looking for extra income. “Carwashes were already happening, but we brought in good-looking girls in bikinis. We were approached by the owner of Club Destiny in Rondebosch to promote his club in the main market on a Sunday. We’d offer a carwash and get people to his club afterwards—around 200 to 300 people went every Sunday. We told him what to stock in the bar and he took the drinks profits; we took the door takings. At our first gig in 2000 we made so much money, we didn’t know what to do with it!” The team approached Vudu Lounge next, and persuaded them to open on a Sunday. The club upped its profits by changing its customer demographics.

Nicol says main market promotions nowadays need sponsors, but the intrinsics remain. “Put in the bar what people want to drink. They’re not looking for a fancy place. Don’t get too strict at the door about footware. Those takkies may cost R3 000 and the guy might drive a Beamer. Instead of a club, open a lounge serving food and booze, with a VIP section selling premium whiskies and cognacs. They’ve been chilling at Gqudu’s Place or at the carwash in the afternoon. At night, a little house will get them moving and drinking more.” DJ Fistaz, bring it on.

BEER BY SEVEN YEAR OLDS

2010-01-09T18:20:00.002+02:00

'Beer makes my dad sleepy and we get to watch what we want on television when he is asleep, so beer is nice. '

--Mellanie, 7 years old

'My Mum and Dad both like beer. My Mum gets funny when she drinks it and takes her top off at parties, but Dad doesn't think this is very funny.'

--Grady, 7 years old

''My Mum and Dad talk funny when they drink beer and the more they drink the more they give kisses to each other, which is a good thing.'

--Toby, 7 years old

'My Dad gets funny on beer. He is funny. He also wets his pants sometimes, so he shouldn't have too much.

--Sarah, 7 years old

'My Dad loves beer. The more he drinks, the better he dances. One time he danced right into the pool.'

--Lilly, 7 years old

'I don't like beer very much. Every time Dad drinks it, he burns the sausages on the barbecue and they taste disgusting.'

--Ethan, 7 years old

'I give Dad's beer to the dog and he goes to sleep.'

--Shirley, 7 years old

AND THE BEST RESPONSE

'My Mum drinks beer and she says silly things and picks on my father. Whenever she drinks beer she yells at Dad and tells him to go bury his bone down the street again, but that doesn't make any sense.'

--Jack, 7 years

'Wild side' alcohol ad banned by ASA

2009-12-29T06:55:00.002+02:00

The Wild Africa Cream ad. Click magnifying glass for full image

An alcohol advertising campaign showing a woman seducing a man and turning into a leopard has been banned by the ASA after a complaint from Alcohol Concern objecting that it linked drinking to seduction and sexual success.

The press campaign, for Wild Africa Cream, featured the strapline "Unleash your wild side" next to four claw-marks and an image of a man and woman passionately embracing.

Alcohol Concern lodged a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority that the campaign linked alcohol to seduction, sexual activity or sexual success. The advertising watchdog also asked whether the ad implied a link between alcohol and a "change in mood or enhanced confidence".

Wild Cape Liqueurs, the parent company of the Wild Africa Cream brand, said that the scratches were part of the logo design and were not meant to be real or seen as scratches on the man's back. The company said that the ad had not meant to portray a sexual suggestion.

The ASA agreed with Wild Cape that the scratch marks would be seen by readers as part of the brand identity.

However, the ad watchdog said that the image of the embrace by the couple accompanying the strapline implied that the drink had led to the woman seducing the man.

The ASA banned the ad on the grounds it linked alcohol with seduction and enhancing confidence and told the company it could not use the "Unleash your wild side" strapline in future campaigns.

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Herby’s Schnaps and Liqueurs

2009-12-29T06:35:00.000+02:00

From the finest quality Berries grown on their farm, they produce the purest Schnaps and Liqueur, which is distilled in the same traditional way as has been for hundreds of years in Tirol (Austria). No artificial flavouring or colourants added. Enjoy our nature in a bottle and remember to say: “PROST”

Sangria

2009-11-29T13:27:00.000+02:00

Sangria

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Spanish: sangría; meaning "bloody") is a wine punch typical of the Iberian Peninsula. It normally consists of:

a light, dry, young, acidic, unoaked, fruit forward red wine, usually Rioja, Tempranillo, or Grenache in Spain; other reds that work well include French wines such as Gamay or Beaujolais, and Italian wines such as Grignolino, Bardolino, Dolcetto, Freisa, or Lambrusco.
chopped or sliced fruit (often orange, lemon, apple, peach, berries, pineapple; occasionally melon,grape, or mango)
a sweetener such as honey, sugar, simple syrup, orange juice, and/or fruit nectar
a small amount of added brandy, triple sec, or other spirits
and ice and carbonated soda, in some recipes

SA named as fast-growing market for Patrón Tequila

2009-11-26T06:32:00.000+02:00

26 June 2009

SA named as fast-growing market for Patrón Tequila

A super-premium tequila made famous by celebrities is taking off in South Africa

South Africa has become the fastest growing market for Patrón Tequila, the world’s top-selling ultra-premium tequila.

Imported and marketed by Cape Town-based Liquidity, Patrón has received unpaid endorsements from a host of celebrities including Clint Eastwood, Jamie Foxx and Dan Aykroyd. It is referenced in more than 120 Hip Hop songs and in hit TV shows such as Dirty Sexy Money and Brothers & Sisters.

Produced from 100% pure Weaber blue agave grown in the hills of Jalisco and created using a blend of traditional and modern technology, Patrón is available in more than 100 countries and represents 70% of total ultra-premium tequila sales around the globe.

Mampoer vs Witblits

2009-11-24T21:20:00.002+02:00

Call me a party pooper, but I can’t help but think that a bottle of alcohol that comes wrapped in barbed wire should be approached with at least a bit of caution. I mean, seriously, you could injure yourself before the stuff even touches your lips — which says a lot about how much damage the actual drink could do…
Surprisingly, the liqueur in question — Hakkiesdraad Mampoer — which is made from marulas, actually has a relatively low alcohol content of 50 percent. Low? Well, yes, when you consider that some brands of mampoer and witblits reach a whopping 80 percent.
These South African equivalents of moonshine — which could probably be used more effectively as jet fuel or paint stripper — are about as deeply embedded in collective South African psyche as beer and boerewors.
The good stuff
At this point you may be scratching your head in confusion — if they’re both moonshine, why do they have different names? It’s all about the fruit. Witblits, which is produced predominantly in the Cape is made from grapes, while mampoer can be made from any other fruit (peaches, apricots, pears, plums, figs, marulas and karee-berry).
Hang on, isn’t brandy made with fermented grapes and a pot-still? So, what is the difference between brandy and witblits? Simply put, witblits is undiluted ‘amateur’ brandy, which doesn’t undergo any oak maturation. Ah yes, the good stuff.
Witblits, as the name suggests strikes like lightning. Legend has it that mampoer is named after the rascal Chief Mampuru, who murdered his brother, started a war and was hanged. Mmm… Johnny Walker, Van Ryn’s and Chief Mampuru?
Historically witblits and mampoer were made in small quantities in privately-owned pot-stills, with the farmers’ left-over fruit. Because the state had granted KWV a monopoly on brandy production, the farmers were not allowed to use fruit from anywhere other than their farms and they were not allowed to sell the alcohol.
Prohibitive laws rarely restrict the illegal production of alcohol and eventually the ineffective laws were changed. These legendary liqueurs are now widely (and legally) available.
Double distilled
The enduring spirit of witblits and mampoer can, in part, be attributed to the fairly rudimentary requirements: you need fruit (lots of it), a copper pot-still and a whole lot of know-how.
The fruit is picked at optimum ripeness, mashed up and left to ferment for a couple of weeks. The type of fruit used and the quantity of sugar present in the fruit at the time of picking will influence the alcohol content of the mampoer/witblits. The fruit cannot be left to ferment for too long, or it will become vinegar. Once the fruit has fermented, it is double distilled in a copper pot-still.
The alcohol content in mampoer usually hovers around 55 percent although 64 percent is regarded by some as the ideal percentage for full flavour. Flavours you will no doubt experience as they sear down your throat and into your gut. Apparently some of the ‘flavours’ are sacrificed if the percentage goes over 64 and as the alcohol content increases the drink becomes more dangerous. Strange that.
Because most witblits and mampoer is ‘home-brewed’ it is a good idea to take a cautionary approach. The Prieska Mampoer website (www.prieskamampoer.com) suggests a method to test the quality of the mampoer: pour a small amount on a clean (preferably non-flammable) surface and light it. It should burn with a clear blue flame and leave no residue. If not, don’t drink it. If you have already been drinking, don’t try this at home.
Barbed wire and Mopani worms
So, how exactly do you drink these potent liqueurs? Brandy and whiskey, which are smooth because of years of oak maturation, can be sipped straight or on the rocks. This is probably not the best approach to witblits or mampoer. Try mixing them with fruit juice or a soft drink or knock back a shot, bearing in mind that one shot might be all you can manage.
Carefully guarded family recipes and the relatively small scale of production mean that there is great variety in the mampoer and witblits industries. Here are a few favourites: Hanzet Witblits (43%), Akkedis Bult Witblits (55%), Wurm Sous (70%) which contains pickled mopani worms and Nyati JJJ (Jack’s Jungle Juice) (60%).
Strangely enough, there are a number of museums which produce and sell these liqueurs: Klerksdorp museum (mampoer), Kleinplasie museum in Worcester (witblits), Willem Prinsloo Agricultural Museum near Pretoria (mampoer), Fransie Pienaar Museum in Prince Albert (witblits) and the Transgariep Museum in Philippolis (witblits).
Philippolis is also home to an annual Witblits Festival which takes place each year in April and for the intrepid mampoer enthusiast, a trip to Marico Valley is imperative.
If you do make it to a mampoer festival, be prepared to witness (or partake in) ‘bokdrol spoeg’ — a competition which involves spitting mampoer-soaked kudu droppings. Mmm… as I suggested earlier, a cautionary approach probably won’t go amiss.

Mampoer vs Witblits

Article By: Rebekah Kendal

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 09:19

Fernet-Branca

2009-11-16T06:33:00.002+02:00

Fernet-Branca
A household name in Italy and a cult hit abroad, Fernet-Branca is one of Italy's more unusual drinks. Its thick, bitter flavour makes it something of an acquired taste, but those who do like it often love it. Alcohol content seems to vary slightly by country, but the (Italian) bottle I have in front of me has an alcohol content of 43%.
While some other distillers produce their own versions of Fernet, these have never achieved the popularity of the Branca drink, and the word "Fernet" usually implies Fernet-Branca.
What exactly is Fernet-Branca?
Fernet-Branca is a dark, syrupy alcoholic drink similar to an amaro, with a flavour that's best described as being a cross between medicine, crushed plants and bitter mud. The exact recipe of Fernet-Branca is a secret but the producers, Fratelli Branca Distillerie, do say that it contains 27 different herbs and spices taken from four continents. Among the known ingredients are aloe, gentian root, rhubarb, gum myrrh, red cinchona bark, galanga and zedoary. The rumoured ingredients include saffron.
The history of Fernet-Branca
Fratelli Branca Distillerie claim that the recipe has remained unchanged since its invention in 1845. According to the company, Fernet was created by the "self-taught apothecary" Bernardino Branca. The name "Fernet" belonged to a Doctor Fernet, a fictional Swede with whom Branca originally shared the credit for Fernet, presumably to add authority to claims of the drink's health benefits. The logo, featuring an eagle poised over a globe, was designed in 1893 by Leopoldo Metlicovitz.
Health benefits
There were many, many health benefits claimed for Fernet-Branca. A newspaper advertisement from 1865 claimed this "renowned liqueur" to be "febrifuge, vermifuge, tonic, invigorating, warming and anti-choleric", a drink which had furthermore helped the venerable Doctor Fernet (and several members of his family) to live for over a hundred years. It was also marketed as a cure for menstrual cramps. The drink's numerous medicinal claims came in handy during the American prohibition; as a medicine, Fernet-Branca was still legal.
Today, many people claim that Fernet is an excellent digestive aid and hangover cure.
Other drinks from Fratelli Branca
As well as Fernet, Fratelli Branca produce grappa under the brand names Candolini and Sensèa. They're also responsible for other drinks including Strevecchio Branca brandy and a liquor called Caffè Borghetti. Fernet-Branca itself is also available in a mint flavour, known as Brancamenta.
Fernet abroad
Fernet-Branca has gained great popularity in Argentina, where it's often drunk with cola, and even has it's own song, 'Fernet con Coca' by Vilma Palma. It's also very popular in San Francisco, where it's often drunk with a ginger ale chaser.
External Links
See the official website of Fernet-Branca at www.fernetbranca.com.

source: http://www.romefile.com/foodanddrink/fernet-branca.php

Old Mull Blended Scotch Whisky

2009-11-16T05:48:00.002+02:00

Old Mull blended scotch whisky is an outstanding Scotch whisky which dates back to the 1870's and is named after the isle of Mull off the west coast of Scotland. Old Mull is a popular choice in Scotland with its positive elegant flavour, hearty richness and stylish finish.

Old Mull dates back to the 1870's

Kyndal Spirits Ltd

Information from Blended Scotch by Jim Murray

PITÚ BRAZILIAN CAIPIRINHA

2009-11-11T16:09:00.002+02:00

Cachaça, a spirit made from sugar cane, is the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Brazil and the third most popular spirit in volume worldwide. Cachaça is the main ingredient of the Caiparinha, the national cocktail of Brazil that is fast becoming a favourite drink in the United States and around the world.

The Pitú Company began bottling Cachaça in 1938 and today, Pitú is the most exported brand of Cachaça globally, and the second largest Cachaça producer in Brazil. Pitú produced 80 million litres of the 1.3 billion litres reportedly produced in Brazil in 2006.

The Caiparinha is the national cocktail of Brazil. Originally known as the peasant's drink, it found its way into the capital cities of Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and from there to the most stylish bars and restaurants all over the world. With Pitú, you will make the very best Caiparinhas and other fruit cocktails: Click here for a printable version

PITÚ BRAZILIAN CAIPARINHA

One-half lime

2 tsp. granulated or bar sugar

Crushed ice

2 oz. Pitú Cachaça

Garnish with slice of lime

Cut lime into small pieces and place in an old-fashioned glass. Add sugar. Muddle lime and sugar with a pestle or spoon. Fill glass with ice. Add Pitú. Put contents in shaker, shake well, return contents to glass and serve.

Liquid Libido - now in KZN

2009-11-11T15:25:00.005+02:00

Liquid Libido is the drink for the 2009 Season.

Ask for it in a bottle store or bar near you!

For trade inquiries call me on 082 465 3849 - Holger

Facebook

Coming Soon: Winkie - the first pictures

2009-11-11T14:58:00.005+02:00

Coming (no pun intended) to a bar or bottle store near you!

The cheeky Winkie comes in a his - Cappuccino and a hers - strawberry.

For trade enquiries please call me on 082 465 3849 - Holger.

Green Island Superior Rum

2009-11-04T08:42:00.000+02:00

Green Island Superior Rum

Green Island Superior rum is a clear beverage blended from matured Mauritius rum and spirits distilled from pure cane molasses.

Green island superior rum is outstanding in both taste and appearance. Consumers will recognise its quality immediately. The bouquet and flavour of the liquid give a clean and luscious rum taste and can be consumed straight with ice or with your favourite mixers or cocktails and punches. It is of an international quality and is exported to more than ten countries.

Category	White Rum
Launched	1972
Background	In 1972, International Distillers & Vinters established a distillery and bottling plant on the island to produce, amongst other international brands, the Green Island rum. Green Island superior rum is therefore available since more than 30 years, and since that time has enjoyed steady growth both in terms of volume and reputation. IT is the first and best known premium rum to be distilled, blended and exported from Mauritius.
ABV	40%
Bottle Size	1000ml - 750ml - 375ml - 200ml

KWV is proudly brandy

2009-05-30T05:50:00.000+02:00

One of life’s true pleasures, brandy, is a timeless beverage and is as popular in South Africa today as it was three hundred years ago. Today, brandy enjoys frequent consumption, both amongst everyday brandy drinkers and true connoisseurs. For KWV, brandy is a serious business, and the brand takes the responsibility of ensuring the taste, quality and consistency that consumers have come to expect from the range.

KWV was established as a private wine co-operative in 1918 in order to stabilise the South African wine industry after several outbreaks of phylloxera vastatrix (a deadly disease that affects the vines) and due to a wine surplus. KWV was first known as Koöperatiewe Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika Bpkt. KWV fulfilled the role of custodian and regulator of the South African Wine Industry. Since then the company has not only become a leading South African alcoholic beverage brand, but has also made great headway in the international wine and spirit industry.

KWV Chief Brandy Master, Kobus Gelderblom, started his career in brandy making 23 years ago and has been the brandy master at KWV for 10 years. Brandy making is an extensive process and ensuring a quality brandy 10 years on depends on the Brandy Master’s involvement throughout the process. “I believe you have to make a brandy right, not blend it right. This is why I get involved from the outset with specific specifications for the wines used to produce our brandy,” says Gelderblom.

KWV has a department that specialises in the procurement of grapes and wines. Timing is everything and the grapes are harvested just before full ripeness when sugar levels are ideal. After tasting and analysing the wines, those selected will be categorised and used for different types of brandies. Making brandy begins with a double distillation process in copper pot stills. KWV House of Brandy, situated in Worcester, is home to 120 copper pot stills and is the biggest of its kind in the world. These pot stills are open for public viewing when visiting the KWV House of Brandy.

The progression from grape to brandy is both simple and complex. The first distillation of the wine in the pots results in low wine. Low wine contains 30 percent alcohol, and is then put through a second distillation process. By using different boiling points the fluid is separated into the ‘head’, ‘heart’ and ‘tail’. The head comprises low boiling point impurities such as sulphur, acetone and aldehydes. The tail consists of high boiling point substances such as long, rancid fatty chains. The heart, which is the pure brandy containing 70 percent alcohol, is barreled and matured in French oak for the desired period. The heart is a colourless liquid when transferred into the barrels. “The selection criteria for choosing barrels are extensive and a great amount of time and effort goes into this process. Barrels will determine the quality, colour and flavour of the brandies by storing them for the preferred period,” comments Gelderblom.

The heart only qualifies as a brandy after three years of barrel maturation. At this stage the brandy will be a rich golden colour with different flavours. KWV’s brandy portfolio consists of KWV 3, KWV 5, KWV 10, KWV 15 and KWV 20. Over the years the brandy matures and develops different flavours in the barrels. The brandy is blended and mixed with pure, distilled water. The final product is a pure brandy. Each varietal consists of different flavours. For example, the 20 year old consists of port wine, nutty and oak flavours. Once the brandy is bottled the magic is complete – and the world agrees.

KWV has earned high international acclaim for its brandies and has won numerous awards. KWV 15 is the latest addition to the range and earlier this month it won a gold medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2009 competition.

Kabelo Kale, Category Manager for the South Africa spirits portfolio at KWV, believes the secret behind the success of the KWV brand is that it appeals to all South Africans. “Consumers can purchase a brandy for every occasion from the KWV stable; whether it is for a night on the town, entertaining at home or to enjoy after a business meeting. The price range allows for everyday consumption as well as special occasions”, says Kale. This also supports the brand in tough financial environments where consumers choose a less expensive varietal that delivers a somewhat similar quality and flavour.

(KWV encourages consumers to enjoy KWV products responsibly. Products are not for sale to persons under the age of 18)

KWV is proudly brandy

(KWV encourages consumers to enjoy KWV products responsibly. Products are not for sale to persons under the age of 18)

SUPERPREMIUM STARBUCKS-BRANDED COFFEE LIQUEUR

2009-05-26T05:32:00.001+02:00

SEATTLE, Wash., (April 8, 2004) - Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) and Jim Beam Brands Co., a unit of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO), today announced a development and distribution agreement to develop, manufacture and market a Starbucks-branded premium coffee liqueur product in the U.S. The product will be tested in two U.S. markets later this year.

The premium coffee liqueur product will be available for sale at licensed establishments, such as restaurants, bars, and retail outlets where premium distilled spirits are sold. The product will not be sold in Starbucks retail stores.

"Extending the Starbucks brand into new channels is part of our long-term growth strategy," said Orin Smith, Starbucks president and CEO. "Many of our customers already enjoy coffee liqueur and would consider a Starbucks-branded coffee liqueur to be best-of-class."

"Fortune Brands' Jim Beam Brands Co. is an excellent partner for Starbucks," continued Smith. "They are the industry leader in cordials and liqueurs as well as in new product innovation. Jim Beam is also one of the most proactive spirits companies in the area of corporate social responsibility which is a critical element for any Starbucks affiliation."

http://www.fortunebrands.com/news/ReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=132545&ReleaseType=Corporate

Midori Melon Liqueur

2009-05-22T04:58:00.000+02:00

MIDORI, developed by Suntory, was launched in the United States in 1978.

And what better way to say "I'm here!" than with a monster party at Studio 54(the world's most famous nightclub) attended by the stars of Saturday Night Fever, including the young up-and-comer, John Travolta.

In the year of its release, MIDORI was made the principal ingredient in "The Universe", the creatively named cocktail that won the first prize in the US Bartenders Guild Annual Competition. MIDORI has gained an outstanding reputation among leading bartenders and cocktail designers worldwide for its outstanding quality and superb versatility.

Following the success in the US, MIDORI was launched in Australia and then in Europe. Available today in more than 30 countries around the world, MIDORI has become a truly international premium liqueur brand among young people.

Source: midori-world.com

Drayman’s Solera Whisky

2009-05-18T19:52:00.004+02:00

Drayman’s Solera Whisky is made from a variety of the finest imported Scotch and South African whiskies. It is skillfully blended using both aged single malt whiskies and younger blends, and then further cask matured at Drayman’s Brewery using the solera process on a very small scale. The oldest component in the blend is 18 years and the youngest 3 years. When judged by the blender as being mature, with all cask flavours fully integrated, the 4,5L casks are individually hand filled and bunged. Each 4,5L cask is specially handcrafted for Drayman’s from staves of large French oak barrels which previously matured South African red wines at a cooperage in the Cape.

The small whisky casks are newly toasted to a medium level and will keep maturing your whisky right there in your living room for tens of years! Your solera cask, being a living cask, will continuously increase in alcoholic strength because the water keeps evaporating through the wood. After about 6 months your whisky now could be enjoyed at “cask strength” or again be trimmed down to the standard 43% alc. using pure spring water. Drinking your own “cask strength” whisky is the closest you will ever get to what whisky really tastes like other than breaking into a warehouse in Scotland and opening a maturing cask.

Nothing quite matches the pleasure of cracking open the small brass tap on your own solera whisky cask, seeing the golden nectar of the ancient alchemists flowing into your whisky glass -then savouring the rich smooth taste!

Laurenita Cerveja

2009-05-15T07:55:00.008+02:00

"Moçambique's most awarded beer was born in 1932 in old Lourenco Marques. The unique combination of three selected barley malts give Laurentina a special taste that makes it Moçambique's premier top quality beer." says the information on the packaging. Ratebeer.com says: "Only worth having when there is no Preta to be found.......just your typical African lager, nothing more, nothing less...."

Christian Brothers. Smooth. Rich. Since 1882.

2009-05-14T11:06:00.002+02:00

Established in 1882 in the fertile San Joaquin Valley, California, The Christian Brothers Brandy is committed to producing rich, flavorful brandies using only the finest grape varietals.

Christian Brothers Brandy has a tempting, fruity bouquet and soft, subtle texture. The full body is imbued with layers of well-balanced fruit flavors and a warm, lingering finish.

The Christian Brothers V S Brandy is distilled using the same time-honored pot still production method used with fine Cognacs. This exceptional American Brandy is then aged for 2 to 6 years in oak barrels. Hand selected barrels are then carefully blended to create unequaled smoothness and full-bodied taste in a brandy that is imbued with layers of well-balanced fruit flavors and a warm, lingering finish.

Pot still production
A blend of American and European Brandies
Aged 2 - 6 years in oak Bourbon barrels
Full bodied, layered with fruit flavors and a lingering finish.

The Premium Caipirinha with PITÚ

2009-05-14T11:00:00.002+02:00

PITÚ Premium do Brasil! PITÚ is the alcoholic base for the premium Caipirinha, which insiders call "PITÚrinha", since if you want something really titillating in your glass, you have to use the original PITÚ. However, you can also mix other exotic drinks using PITÚ. Simply consult our Mixing Tips.

How you make PITÚrinha - The Premium Caipirinha with PITÚ

Ingredients:

Crushed Ice

1 Lime

5 cl Pitú

2-3 TL brown sugar

Preparation:

Cut the fresh lime into eighths and put the pieces of lime into a glass. Spoon 2 - 3 teaspoons of cane sugar on top and crush the pieces of lime with a PITÚ-pestle. Add the crushed ice and 5 cl PITÚ. Serve with two straws and your PITÚrinha is ready to drink.

Galliano - Liquore Galliano L'Autentico

2009-05-13T08:14:00.003+02:00

Galliano is sweet and has a complex, vanilla-anise flavor with subtle citrus and woodsy herbal under notes. It is used both as a digestif (meant for drinking after heavy meals), and as an ingredient for cocktails, most notably the Harvey Wallbanger. The Galliano brand is currently owned by Dutch distiller Lucas Bols. Galliano is packaged in a distinctively-shaped bottle, which is reminiscent of a classical Roman column.

To Order call: 031 5798 2587 ECD

New lease of life for Luyt’s lager

2009-05-09T07:35:00.003+02:00

New lease of life for Luyt’s lager
Bongani Mthethwa	Published:Mar 29, 2009

Former SA rugby supremo Louis Luyt is re-launching his famous beer, last seen on shelves three decades ago.

Together with his son, Louis Luyt jnr, the semi-retired Luyt has set up a micro-brewery and tasting lounge in Ballito on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, where he now lives.

Starting in May, the pair aim to produce between 30000 and 35000 litres of Luyt Lager a month, to be sold from the brewery and in restaurants, bars, golf clubs, hotels and select stores, initially only on the north coast.

About going back into brewing, Luyt said:

“It’s rekindling the dream and desire I’ve always had, and it brings back the memories of my past foray into the beer industry.”

Luyt, who once described himself as a “beer-drinking street fighter”, founded Louis Luyt Breweries in Johannesburg in 1971. Within a year of its launch, his beer captured 14% of the market.

But SA Breweries’ market dominance forced him to enter into a partnership with the late Rembrandt Group chairman, Anton Rupert. His breweries, which formed the core of Rembrandt’s alcoholic beverage group, were later incorporated as Intercontinental Breweries, and Luyt’s beer brand was discontinued.

“A lot of people have fond memories of the brand and we want to make sure that it’s the same standard it was,” said Luyt jnr.

Like other beer brands such as Tuborg, Carlsberg and Guinness, Luyt Lager carries the name of its founder. Its emblem includes the family crest, a Prussian eagle with an LL emblazoned on its breast.

Louis Luyt is back - and you can drink him!

By Heidi Gibson

Never say die - that has to be the motto of Louis Luyt, former president of the South African Rugby Football Union and tycoon who is about to relaunch his famous brand of beer, Luyt Lager.

And what better place to do so than his home town of Ballito - the jewel of the North Coast and a primary tourist destination in the country?

While bubbles and froth haven't always been his trademark in South African history, Luyt's family believes their microbrewery will put the legendary brand back on the market.

The business will be run along the lines of other microbreweries in KwaZulu-Natal like the Nottingham Road brewery, the Zululand brewery and Firkin Brewing Company.

"We want the brewery to become a tourist destination in Ballito, a place where visitors can stop and enjoy a special experience," said Louis Luyt Junior this week.

The announcement could not have come at a better time for Ballito, which has seen phenomenal growth in property and retail sales driven by the building of the King Shaka airport.

The international airport is due for completion in April next year when thousands of supporters are expected to descend on the country to watch the World Cup soccer competition.

The family says it has been helped by some of the key players from brewing giant South African Breweries such as Gordon Den, a master brewer and SAB legend, Gerry Fischer, former SAB technical director and Hu Barber, brewery engineer. Former SAB and Firkin brewery man Paul Simms is also on board. At the helm is another former SAB brew house operator Silindile Mpungose.

So while the taste and recipe of the great Luyt Lager remains a closely guarded secret for now - the launch of the product will be an event everyone will want to attend.

This article was originally published on page 14 of The Sunday Tribune on April 26, 2009

Paulaner Brauhaus Waterfront

2009-04-13T13:48:00.001+02:00

There is nothing better than a fresh Hefeweizen at the Paulaner - V & A Waterfront Cape Town.

Christies Shandy

2009-03-26T06:22:00.001+02:00

Christies is back!

Please call EASTCOASTDISTRIBUTORS

Tel: 031 579 2586 | Fax: 086 504 9927

Carlsberg available in Durban, South Africa

2009-02-21T08:04:00.002+02:00

Contact our distribution partners:

EASTCOASTDISTRIBUTORS

Tel: 031 579 2586 | Fax: 086 504 9927

Carlsberg - Home delivery

2008-10-06T17:56:00.000+02:00

SABMILLER GEARS UP FOR LOW-CALORIE BEER LAUNCH AIMED AT FEMALE DRINKERS

2008-10-04T12:23:00.001+02:00

02-Oct-08

By Joe Fernandez

SABMiller is preparing to launch a low-calorie, apple-flavoured beer aimed at women, called Redd's. The launch will mirror rival brewer Coors UK's plans to launch Blue Moon beer to attract female drinkers (MW.co.uk July 21).

Coors-owned Blue Moon, initially trialled in pubs and bars, is an unfiltered Belgian-style wheat beer spiced with coriander and orange peel.

SABMiller claims Redd's has an alcohol content of 4.5% but contains only 259 kilojoules of energy per 100ml to attract the calorie conscious. The beer is originally from South Africa and has already been introduced to the Russian and Eastern European markets and is expected to be rolled out across the UK later this year.

The brewer has appointed Avenue A/Razorfish to create a digital strategy for the launch, following a competitive pitch against LBi. The brief for the agency will initially be to develop a lifestyle web application for 18- to 24-year-old females in Russia. The lifestyle portal will include fashion and travel.

Charlie Hiscocks, marketing director from SABMiller, says: "We did not want to design a site that is simply a brand dump. Instead we wanted to create a portal where Redd's women would want to visit every day; something and somewhere that would be directly relevant to our audiences everyday lives."

Redd's was first launched by SABMiller in March 1998 and has generated popularity in most Eastern European countries, where the beer is marketed using "Diva" bottles in fashion retailers and nightclubs.

The beer has also had some success in the African and Asian markets, and competes head-on with SABMiller's Miller64 in the US.

Carlsberg bags San Miguel deal

2008-10-03T06:40:00.001+02:00

Carlsberg UK is to take over production, sales, marketing and distribution for San Miguel lager in the UK.

The deal sees the first major brand exit from the combined Scottish & Newcastle and Heineken portfolio in the UK since the two companies came together earlier this year.

Mahou-San Miguel Group, which licenses San Miguel to S&N, said in a statement: “We are confident that the team at Carlsberg are well placed to unlock San Miguel's potential within the UK off-trade over the coming years, maintaining the brand's momentum.”

It added that Carlsberg had set aside a “significant budget” to support the brand, including “a heavyweight marketing programme that will be unveiled to customers over the coming months”.

Carlsberg has already added the Russian beer Baltika, Mythos from Greece and Belgium’s Grimbergen to its portfolio this year.

Carlsberg UK will be capturing orders from Oct 27, and making deliveries from Nov 1.

Aquabev a div of Super Group

2008-10-01T11:46:00.004+02:00

Super Group, Aquabev's parent company, braces for loss on R300m charge
By Bloomberg

Super Group would make an interim loss after it took a charge of as much as R300 million because of a reorganisation, the transport company said yesterday.

"Following recent volatility in Super Group's share price and subsequent press speculation, the financial results will confirm that Super Group's continuing businesses remain profitable and cash generative," said the company.

The group's shares fell 24c to 70c. They have declined by 92 percent over the past year.

The company said that it might make a loss a share of as much as 90c for the six months to December.

It said in December that it was selling its Equipment and Commercial Vehicle and Cargolite business units to get out of the weakening vehicle leasing and sale business market.

Vehicle sales in South Africa fell 35 percent from a year ago this month.

Wayne McCurrie, a fund manager at RMB Asset Management, said: "They have been under pressure for a long time now. They will have to sell some more assets and get their balance sheet up to scratch. I doubt they will go to the wall, but things are going to be tough for them."

Published on the web by Business Report on February 20, 2009.
© Business Report 2009. All rights reserved.

Hooch Fox now in Lemon Lime and Ruby Grapefruit

2008-09-29T08:54:00.006+02:00

Hooch Fox is launching two new delcious flavours:

Lemon Lime and Ruby Grapefruit.

Contact our distribution partners:

EASTCOASTDISTRIBUTORS

Tel: 031 579 2586 | Fax: 086 504 9927

ready to drink focus - Sharon Kirkham

2008-09-29T08:30:00.002+02:00

The ready to drink category is flying high right now. Incorporating flavoured alcoholic beverages and ciders, these drinks generally come in small bottles and have an ABVof between 4-7%. They're often sweet in terms of taste and can range from mixed spirit offerings – often vodka or rum mixed with fruit or fruit flavouring, to alcohol mixed with energising stimulants such as caffeine, ginseng, guarana and taurine for that extra kick. Then of course, there's your ciders. And it's these attractive apple-based offerings that are currently hogging the top spots in this category. With a volume growth of around 24% this past year, according to some sources, it remains to be seen if RTDs in this country can sustain this level of growth in the long term, or if we'll follow the global pattern which saw RTDs initially experience phenomenal growth before being forced to consolidate and become ever more inventive and innovative in terms of product and product marketing. But for the moment, as far as the South African market is concerned, there is still plenty of fizz in this particular category.

Archers Aqua

An upmarket spirit cooler that caters specifically to the sassy, up-market female drinker who is out to have some fun. This clear, sparkling beverage is a blend of Archers Schnapps and a crisp taste of fruit. Available in three refreshing flavours, namely Peach, Lime and Cranberry - Archers Aqua delivers a lively fruit taste with a mature schnapps finish.

Bad Girl

Described as 'sexy personified', Bad Girl is designed for those who dare to be different. With a vodka base, it is comes in three funky flavours: Lemon, Cranberry and Vanilla-lime.

Bacardi Breezer

Containing original Bacardi Superior premium smooth white rum, Bacardi Breezer offers unique refreshment and a taste that has stood the test of time. A genuine reflection of modern day living, this spirit cooler is described as multi-faceted, creative and contradictory – simultaneously rooted and footloose, realistic yet playful. Available in a variety of flavours,

Bacardi Breezer stands for pure, uninhibited, sociable fun – Latin and Cuban style.

Bernini

Bernini celebrates the natural by being the 100% pure alternative to anything artificial or self-consciously trendy. This quality, sparkling natural grape drink was first launched in 1990 and was unique because of its grape base. The brand subsequently, and successfully, introduced Bernini Dry in 2000.

Brutal Fruit

Described as 'the real fruit cocktail in a bottle', Brutal Fruit is a natural, pure fruit juice blend with a flirt of alcohol. The brand has used this juxtaposition of fruit juice and alcohol as its central theme, “Naughty by Nature”. It's easy to drink and leaves no lingering aftertaste. Mild yet playful, Brutal Fruit is for the young, trendy consumer who has the confidence to be recognised as mischievous and sexy. Available in six flavours, including Manic Mango, Luscious Litchi, Sultry Strawberry, Ravishing Ruby Grapefruit, Lavacious Lemon and newcomer, Passionate Peach.

Caribbean Twist

This exotic drink has a superior rum base and is essentially a cocktail in a bottle. Simply add crushed ice and a cocktail umbrella for a true taste of the Caribbean. Available in four fruity flavours including: Pina Colada, Pineapple, Peach/Apricot, and Exotic Mango.EspritLaunched in 1984, as one of the first flavoured wines on the South African market with a 7% ABV, Esprit was then relaunched in 1996 as a natural fruit ale with an alcohol level of 5%. Available in two flavours; Peach and Apricot and Mango and Orange.

Foundry Premium

CiderConsumers can enjoy a brand new premium cider this summer. Slowly fermented and expertly brewed, Foundry Premium Cider is unique and offers a refreshingly smooth taste, along with a genuine dry finish. Aimed at stylish and ambitious consumers who love premium brands, it delivers a distinctive taste and comes packaged in a chunky green bottle with a foil closure that's unique to the cider market.

Hooch Fox

Hooch Fox is a refreshing vodka-based cooler available in four flavours; Howling Apple, Wild Blackcurrant, Sly Strawberry and Mad Mango. The apple and blackcurrant varieties contain a percentage of pure fruit juice, while the strawberry and mango flavours contain fruit pulp.

Guinness: The 250-Year Quest for the Perfect Pint

2008-09-26T08:02:00.004+02:00

A perfectly poured history of the world's most famous beer Guinness Stout has a unique place in global beverage folklore. It's a beer with a long and colorful history and mythology that maintains a passionate following among beer connoisseurs the world over. Indeed, two billion pints are poured and enjoyed around the world each year. Guinness is also a remarkable family of brewers and entrepreneurs whose story is worthy of legend, and whose name is an integral part of Irish history. In Guinness , famed beverage and beer writer, Bill Yenne traces the 250 year history of the family and the brewery. He follows the family from Arthur Guinness, the entrepreneur patriarch, who became a brewer at age 30, to his son and namesake, who penned the recipe for the legendary black stout. And then there was the third generation Benjamin Lee Guinness, the First Earl of Iveagh, who became the richest man in Ireland selling stout, and who built the family business into the largest brewery in the world. In Guinness , Yenne carries the story through the centuries, up to the present, celebrating the technology and craftsmanship of the brewery today. Bill Yenne (San Francisco, CA) has written extensively on beer and brewing history for two decades. He is the author of more than 40 books, and a member of the American Society of Journalists & Authors and the American Book Producers Association.

Click here to look at this offer on Kalahari.net

Totpak Liquor sachets

2008-09-26T05:33:00.006+02:00

Totpak Sachets: ‘Discreet drinks for discerning revellers.’ – A favorite, for audiences at outdoor concerts, sports events and even picnics. Easily portable, “The Tot” ensures a pleasant evening catering to all taste preferences; and elegant enough to avoid causing rowdy behavior by imbibers.

Contact our distribution partners:

EASTCOASTDISTRIBUTORS

Tel: 031 579 2586 | Fax: 086 504 9927

Controversial vodka launched in Perth | PerthNow

2008-09-26T05:06:00.003+02:00

PERTH'S hottest socialites will go pretty in pink when The Court hotel hosts the launch of a new vodka drink that the Australian Government tried to halt.

p.i.n.k. vodka comes infused with caffeine and guarana providing an alcohol rush without needing to be mixed with energy drinks like Red Bull.

In the US, it is known as the ultimate party spirit and is popular among celebrities including Beyonce, the Pussycat Dolls and Pamela Anderson.

The premium vodka drink is used mainly in cocktails.

The makers of p.i.n.k. vodka had originally planned to launch the drink in capital cities around Australia during July but had trouble getting the product into the country.

There were concerns that the spirit could encourage young females to binge drink because of the pink packaging and energy mix.

But, the vodka will be available in Perth from today.

A special VIP launch party of the product will be held at The Court hotel tonight.

Hotel owner Bree Maddox said the event will be mainly for people within the hotel industry so they can trial the vodka.

On Friday, The Court will celebrate the public launch of p.i.n.k. vodka and p.i.n.k. energy drink.

Entertainment will be provided by Drag DJ Feminem and p.i.n.k. dancers.

There will be prizes for the “prettiest in pink”.

The first 100 people through the door and into The Court’s beer garden after 8pm on Friday night will receive a free p.i.n.k. energy drink.

Ms Maddox said having her venue selected for the event proved how far The Court had come since its re-opening nearly one year ago.

“It is a premium product,” she said.

“We are really happy that they have chosen us as their launch venue.

“If you look at the others venues chosen to launch the product in the Eastern States like The Ivy in Sydney – they have been really well-known places.”

p.i.n.k. vodka has an alcohol percentage of 40.

There is no added sugar, colour, or carbohydrates and it can be consumed straight.

Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka

2008-09-26T05:02:00.002+02:00

The basics: Firefly Vodka is an actual, honest-to-goodness, 70 Proof liquor (they have a Muscadine-flavored version that's actually 80 proof). I bought a bottle with my own hard-earned dollars (unfortunately, no favors from the folks at Firefly) and -- in the name of science -- I've made myself a number of drinks with it. Do you see the kind of mess I endure for you all? Recipes and review below the fold.

The recipe card from the website lists a decent number of ideas for the stuff, I tried it three ways.

On the rocks
To say that you couldn't taste the alcohol drinking it this way would be a damn lie. Good luck finding anything 70 proof that doesn't taste like alcohol (and if you find something like that, please send it my way). That said, it has a thick flavor which is, not surprisingly, reminiscent of actual sweet tea. You do end up with all the warmth of an on-the-rocks beverage, though, and the bite of the liquor actually balances the sweet pretty well. You will know that you are not drinking sweet tea, however, so if that's the goal, please move along.

Firefly & Water
The back of the bottle lists, as a serving recommendation, a 50/50 vodka-to-water split, with a twist of lime. I started with my on the rocks drink and added progressively more water until I got to (roughly) 50/50 and my personal preference is somewhere around 1/3 water, 2/3 vodka. Once you get past that, it really starts tasting dangerously like virgin sweet tea. Even at 50/50 you can still taste the alcohol, but I'm not sure if you'd know that's what it was if you weren't looking for it -- it's that subtle. No, I'm not kidding.

"The John Daly"
Aptly-named for the bad-boy of golf, this liquored-up version of the Arnold Palmer is really pretty incredible. I think I ended up with a mixture a little bit more dilute than 50/50, but it was absolutely fantastic. I would probably go a little bit stronger next time, as the sweet tea got a bit lost in the lemonade, but all-in-all this is a great option for tea-and-lemonade die-hards. Obviously this drink will vary based on the quality of the lemonade you use, but it provides a light, refreshing Saturday-afternooon-on-the-porch style drink with quite a punch to it.

Now, glowing review aside, let me say this: be careful. If you're used to just sucking down sweet-tea by the gallon and you're not paying attention, you can wind up a bit trashed in a bit of a hurry. Please enjoy responsibly and all that jazz.

Firefly Vodka is distilled here in the good ol' U.S.A. at a distillery in South Carolina and is becoming more widely available all the time. You'll have to check for places near you that carry it, but there are links and phone numbers on the site to help you out.

Brew your own beer

2008-09-22T20:24:00.001+02:00

In a cramped flat in England, far away from the watchful eye of my mother, my brother is brewing up his own beer.

While he assures me that he will soon be a master brewer, his tips on making your own beer were somewhat limited.

Basically, they amounted to the following. The key ingredient is patience. Without this your beer is nothing — do the relevant checks, but otherwise "just let the beer do its thing" and make sure that your equipment is sterile or your beer will end up smelling "eggy".

Ah, very important technical tips, but I still don't know how you actually make the beer. I mean, what actually goes into the wort (the beer mixture) and how do you put it all together?

Chris Barnard, founder of Boston Breweries, explains the process of making beer and the ins and outs of owning a microbrewery.

Barley, hops and yeast…

Firstly, you need to crush the malted barley so that the goodness can be removed. You then stir the crushed barley into warm water, so that the sweetness can be extracted from the grain. This mixture is called the 'stepped mash'. Hot water is sprayed onto and filtered through the mash.

The sweet liquor which is removed is the wort (pronounced wert). The wort is brought to the boil and just before the end, the hops are added. The wort is cooled and yeast is added. Once the fermentation process is complete (I suspect that this is where the patience comes in), the beer is filtered to remove any yeast.

Pretty simple really. Okay, maybe not. Chris says: "It took about 10 months to get the recipe right. A lot of trial and error, I think I lost a few friends along the way. The ones that stuck out the testing months, however, haven’t paid for a beer since!"

The business in brewery

Chris' beer brewing operation is slightly bigger than my brother's. Boston Breweries, which was registered officially in 2000, currently has a brewing capacity of 32 000 litres per month.

He has to deal with all the financial complications of the business and the time consuming job of obtaining special brewing licences. He even has a marketing company to deal with the brand's artwork and promotional ventures

However he says that still enjoys making beer as much as he did when he started out.

"Brewing is a passion. Yes, we are trying to make money, but the pleasure you have in seeing people enjoying your beer, and recommending it to their friends is what it's really about."

Boston Breweries is one of at least 27 microbreweries in South Africa. This suggests that there is clearly a move towards microbreweries as an alternative to the established beer giants.

"Over the next few years there will be more micro-breweries starting up. People's attitude towards trying different beer is changing," says Chris.

"A few years ago if I asked someone which beer they drank, the answer would be a single brand. If you'd asked them what wine they drank, the response would be 'many different vineyards'.

Not only that, but red wine would be for cool evenings and white wine with certain foods. Ask the same person why they drank so many different types of wine and only one brand of beer and you would get a very confused look with the answer 'Gee, I'm not sure'. '

"This attitude is changing and people are realising that beer is similar to wine. Many different types for different temperatures and different foods."

Beer benefits

Chris started brewing his own beer because, after a trip to Europe, he decided that he was not particularly happy with what South African beer had to offer. I suspect that my brother brews his own beer because he thinks it is cheaper. So, are there really benefits in brewing your own beer?

"From each batch of beer I produce, 10 litres is put aside for testing. This takes care of my personal consumption. On rugby days, however, I have to take a 50-litre keg or two home for my friends. I am still convinced they come for my good company!" says Chris.

Mmm… so it seems the benefits of home-brewing are threefold — you get to drink the beer you like, it's cheap, and you'll always have lots of friends!

More about brewing your own beer on the next page

Podcast: Summer Drink Recipes, Calories, and Exercise Equivalents

2008-09-20T13:50:00.001+02:00

Barbecues, sun, water and fun. Summer is here, and it's time for a cocktail. Many of our favorite summer drinks are not necessarily healthy. Keep in mind that alcoholic drinks are like liquid doughnuts - and most people overlook their calorie cost. Alcohol also impairs good judgment - which means that you eat and drink more than you normally would. To top it off, most people enjoy eating high-calorie, high-sodium snacks when they drink alcohol - not a great idea if you're trying to lose weight.

Ignoring the calories in alcoholic beverages is easy to do because alcohol manufacturers are not required to put nutritional information on their products. So, to help you keep track, we've figured out the calories in a few of the most popular summer drinks, put in their exercise equivalents, and provided a few tips on how to lighten up your summer cocktails. The following are typical summer drinks and the number of minutes required to burn them off after you've exhausted your daily caloric budget.

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Heineken Adverts

2008-09-20T13:34:00.004+02:00

Associate products with emotions, good times or areas are somewhat difficult. It is something like “Holy Grail” of advertising because if you get it, your audience will remember your mark in these good times and therefore should consume your product.

Mirror, mirrior on the wall! Who is the drunkest of them all?

2008-09-20T13:27:00.005+02:00

Lowe Bull in South Africa, created a "propaganda" poster for Russian Bear Vodka that was placed on the walls facing bathroom mirrors in pubs and clubs. At first glance, the writing appeared to be in Cyrillic Alphabet (probably meaning nothing), but when looked at through the mirror, the letters reversed to read in plain English: Real "Men Don't Drink and Drive." A nice sort of a mirror game, that can surprise somebody when first seen, probably making him think he drank too much ;-)Simple and effective creative method, for a social interest message

Carlsberg’s New Print Ads

2008-09-20T13:23:00.002+02:00

Sexploitation: 10%
Intelligence: 60%

The copy of the print ad reads: “Carlsberg don’t do camouflage, but if we did, it would probably be the best camouflage in the world.” and the other one below says the same thing about “weather”.

Grupo Modelo

2008-09-20T13:05:00.001+02:00

Picture Gallery

2008-09-20T13:02:00.001+02:00

Picture Gallery

Can you tell a Carlsberg from a Tuborg?

2008-09-20T12:56:00.001+02:00

Carlsberg and Tuborg are both medium bitter pilsners, but Carlsberg is slightly more bitter and has a more accentuated hop aroma and fruitiness. Tuborg has more acidity in the taste.

Summer apples and pine
Carlsberg is brewed using pale lager malt, bittering hops, aroma hops and Carlsberg bottom fermenting yeast. It’s the yeast and aroma hops used that make it unique.

The flavour is quite fruity with notes of hops, summer apples and pine. It has medium body and the taste has a good balance between sweetness and bitterness.

Flowers and lemon
Tuborg is brewed with pale lager malt, bittering hops and bottom fermenting yeast.

The different hops and yeast give it a different unique flavour. Tuborg has notes of flowers, lemon, barley and malt. It has medium body and the taste has a mild bitterness with some acidity – as in white wine.

Quality in any case
Whichever you prefer, the Carlsberg Quality Assurance panel makes sure you get the taste you like the whole world over.
Click here to read more...

Can you tell a Carlsberg from a Tuborg?

2008-09-20T12:56:00.000+02:00

Carlsberg and Tuborg are both medium bitter pilsners, but Carlsberg is slightly more bitter and has a more accentuated hop aroma and fruitiness. Tuborg has more acidity in the taste.

Summer apples and pine
Carlsberg is brewed using pale lager malt, bittering hops, aroma hops and Carlsberg bottom fermenting yeast. It’s the yeast and aroma hops used that make it unique.

The flavour is quite fruity with notes of hops, summer apples and pine. It has medium body and the taste has a good balance between sweetness and bitterness.

Flowers and lemon
Tuborg is brewed with pale lager malt, bittering hops and bottom fermenting yeast.

Quality in any case
Whichever you prefer, the Carlsberg Quality Assurance panel makes sure you get the taste you like the whole world over.
Click here to read more...

One hundred years of recognisable quality

2008-09-20T12:55:00.000+02:00

The beer as we know it today – with the characteristic logo on the green oval label – was delivered to the first customers in 1904, but despite celebrating its centenary it has lost nothing of its dynamism and is the fastest growing international beer brand in the world.

Known internationally as just 'Carlsberg', it has throughout its lifetime enthused both passionate beer drinkers and the general public.

The taste and the special Carlsberg quality that is the hallmark of every bottle has contributed to making it into a classic brand.

Not many beers are brewed under such controlled conditions to be perfect down to the smallest detail as a Carlsberg.

It was – and still is – the beer that forms the basis of the Carlsberg company's expansion, quickly establishing a reputation for quality that is hard to beat.

That reputation is still pushing the brand onwards. In 2004, Carlsberg is expected to maintain its position as the fastest-growing international brand in the world*.

The label on the front of a bottle of Carlsberg is still largely the same as the one from 1904. Founder JC Jacobsen paid 500 kroner for the design of a label for Carlsberg. It was expensive at the time, but it turned out to be money well spent.

Carlsberg

2008-09-20T12:53:00.002+02:00

Beer Facts

Beer type
Pilsner
Alcohol by volume (ABV)
4.6%
Available in
140 countries across the globe
Available since
1904
Sponsorships
Football: Liverpool FC, FC Copenhagen, English National Team, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, EURO 2008

PROBABLY THE BEST. . .

2008-09-20T12:20:00.003+02:00

Carlsberg has been known as probably the best lager in the world for over 30 years. Not only does our beer taste great but we have also created some award winning TV ad's that ask drinkers to imagine what the world could be like if we applied our passion for excellence to everyday life.

Carlsbergs Draughtmaster

2008-09-20T12:18:00.001+02:00

DRAUGHTMASTER™

As seen on TV, the new DraughtMaster™ system is a unique all-in-one pint pulling innovation which dispenses a disposable 5-litre keg of Carlsberg Export through a beer tap and is "probably the best gadget in the world!" So now you can pull yourself a refreshing pint of Carlsberg in the comfort of your own home. Talk about being the envy of your mates! It really is the ideal gadget for many in-home drinking occasions, from relaxing with a pint of Carlsberg Export after work, to an in-home party with friends, the DraughtMaster™ is the ultimate domestic appliance for fans of quality beer everywhere time.

Where to buy the Draughtmaster™ units and kegs
DraughtMaster™ units are available at a wide range of retailers including John Lewis, Argos and Comet. DraughtMaster™ kegs can be purchased from Tesco or Threshers.

Global growth potential lies in milk and water drinks - report

2008-09-20T12:16:00.001+02:00

By Neil Merrett

15-Sep-2008 -

Global consumption of bottled water and milk-based drinks continues to rise amidst burgeoning demand in Asia, despite a number of challenges facing both industries, according to consumer analyst Zenith International.

As part of two new reports, the analyst says that bottled water consumption was up by six per cent in 2007 from the previous year to 206bn litres, while consumers drank 13 per cent more milk drinks in 2007, amounting to 242bn litres.

If both markets continue to grow under these conditions, by 2012, volumes for bottled water and milk drinks are forecast to rise by 19 per cent and 32 per cent respectively, according to the analyst.

Zenith said that while both markets are expected to continue their upward momentum over the next five years, poor seasonal weather and environmental concerns over bottling, and fears over milk supply have created uncertainty for both segments respectively.

Bottled water

Despite these fears, the analyst said that Asian and Australian markets were a key factor in the overall growth of bottled water products during the year, holding a 26.5 per cent share of the total global market for the product between them. Zenith said that this amounted to a ten percentage point rise on the previous year, helping to offset a 0.2 per cent dip in bottled water volumes within Western Europe.

The analysts said that demand was up in all other international markets though, with Africa and Eastern Europe increasing their own market shares by 14 and 10 percentage points respectively.

However, the report conceded that the two markets currently hold the smallest market shares for the water consumption.

China and the US were the largest overall markets for bottled waters, with Indonesia, Mexico and Italy making up the rest of the top five, the report stated.

Per person consumption of the product during 2007 was found to be up by 1.4 litres to 30.8 litres over the same period the previous year, Zenith said.

Weather and eco-concerns

Gary Roethenbaugh, market intelligence director for the analyst stated that despite the growth, the year wasn’t without its difficulties for bottled water makers.

"Media debate about the environmental impact of bottled water will have had some impact in the United States and West Europe, but last year’s wet summer was of greater consequence in West Europe," he stated. "The resilience of the global bottled water market shows that consumers continue to believe in the benefits of its purity and convenience."

Of the biggest players in bottled water, Nestle, Danone, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo continued to dominate markets globally, accounting for 33 per cent of total sales volumes over the year, the report stated.

In terms of the top five water brands, Aqua from Danone, Pure Life from Nestle, PepsiCo’s Aquafina and Electropura and Poland Spring also from Nestle, made up the list, Zenith said.

In actual product categories, Zenith said that still water represented 86 per cent of all packaged sales of the product, with bulk-sizes above 10 litres holding a 36 per cent share of the market.

Milk drinks

As with bottled water, Asia was again a major driver for milk-based drinks in 2007, according to Zenith’s dairy market intelligence director Esther Renfrew.

“Asia has seen the most consistent growth, mainly due to booming demand in China,” Renfrew stated.“Consumption in Asia/Australasia has increased from 18.3 litres per person in 2002 to 22.9 litres in 2007.”

While milk consumption was found to have increased worldwide over the period, the analyst said this has occurred at a much slower rate in developed markets.

Flavoured milk in particular held a 4.7 per cent share of global milk drink volumes over the period, with an 8.5 per cent share of the middle east market alone.

Zenith said that over the last five years, flavoured milk sales volumes were up by two per cent in Western Europe and over ten per cent in Latin America.

The analyst added that its findings showed that 2007 presented a number of challenges to milk drink makers.

Supply issues

Zenith said that supply and demand instability hitting the overall price of milk, and free trade impediments like subsidised production and quotas ensuring only seven per cent of milk production is traded internationally, were major issues for manufacturers over the period.

For these difficulties and their impact on milk prices, the analyst said that industry consolidation had ensured there was an emerging number of strong international leaders in the milk drink segment.

Zenith said that the impact of these companies was already apparent.

“In order to meet growing competition from other drinks, particularly in developed countries, producers have increasingly focused on adding functionality - in one year, over 2,300 new functional dairy drinks were launched,” the group stated. “Although functional milk drinks are still a niche segment, volumes are growing fast.”

In terms of flavoured milk production, the US leads global demand with 1.6bn litres consumed in 2007, according to Zenith.

Gatorade faces tougher competition, says report

2008-09-20T12:14:00.000+02:00

The Gatorade brand is finding it increasing difficult to compete within the US sports 'hydration' market amidst a growing competition, according to press reports.

The brand, which is produced via the PepsiCo-owned Quaker group, accounted for 82 per cent of the category in 2007, a fall of 11 per cent from twenty years ago, according to United Press International, which itself cited Crain's Chicago Business.

While the brand was found to be gaining business from its regular customers, it was still losing sales to other brands, according to the report.

S&N split completed

2008-09-20T12:13:00.000+02:00

S&N split completed

Carlsberg and Heineken have today announced that they have finally completed the acquisition of brewer Scottish & Newcastle (S&N), significantly strengthening their presence within the European beer market.

In a joint statement posted on the S&N website, the brewers said that both companies had now acquired their respective operations from the company, as agreed as part of their cooperation.

Under these terms, Heineken and Carlsberg decided to split S&N's assets, with the former, as planned, acquiring full control of the profitable Baltic Beverages Holdings (BBH) joint venture.

Carlsberg said that BBH, which it had operated jointly with S&N since 2004, was a "key growth asset" due to its dominance in major markets such as Russia. The company will additionally take control of S&N's French, Greek, Chinese and Vietnamese operations.

For its part of the deal, Heineken will gain S&N's UK, Irish, Portuguese, Finnish, Belgian, US and Indian operations in a move it says will provide undisputed leadership in European beer production.

The group will, as a result add a number of leading brands such as Strongbow cider and Newcastle Brown Ale to its portfolio.

Although the S&N website will still remain in operation, both Heineken and Carlsberg said this was simply as a record of the former group's dealings.

"This website will remain active for an interim period as an archive of S&N's history," the brewers stated. "In future to find out what is happening in the S&N businesses please visit the Heineken and Carlsberg sites or go to the local business websites."

Just like its own website homepage, S&N, once the largest UK-based brewer, is now a relic of the past.

Unilever/Starbucks team up

2008-09-20T12:11:00.000+02:00

21-Aug-2008 - This week, Unilever, PepsiCo and Starbucks agree on a new licensing deal to produce ready-to-drink (RDT) tea products, Scotch whisky makers are successful in obtaining Chinese copyright measures and Carlsberg expands eastwards.

Tea for three in Starbucks RTD push

Coffee group Starbucks is looking to extend its presence in the ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage market through a new cooperation with PepsiCo and Unilever designed to push the Tazo brand of tea-based beverages in North America.

The partnership, which will further a similar partnership between PepsiCo and the coffee retailer to produce RTD coffee drinks, will see the licensed joint manufacture and distribution of the Tazo brand of iced and juiced teas as well as herbal infusions.

Pepsi and Unilver, who already work together as part of the the Pepsi/Lipton Tea Partnership, said in a joint statement that the combination of all three companies’ operations would grant it a major foothold in the US and Canadian RTD tea market.

The US market alone for tea-based products is expected to double over the next five years, boosted by a growing interest in wellness, according to Packaged Facts.

The group estimate that sales for instant, leaf, liquid concentrate and ready-to-drink tea will reach nearly $15bn by 2012, compared to $7.4bn this year.

The main driver behind this growth is the product's positioning within the good-for-you market, at a time when interest in health and wellness foods is continually increasing.

According to Packaged Facts, tea's "all-natural halo" and its lower caffeine content than coffee or cola is one of the major attractions for consumers, particularly the older generation.

Unemployment haunts SAB's growth plan

2008-09-20T12:05:00.002+02:00

By Tom Robbins

Johannesburg - SAB, stung after losing the Amstel brand but nevertheless showing resilience, was concerned that "institutional" unemployment could haunt the economy, outgoing managing director Tony van Kralingen said yesterday.

"The cycle will improve but the real issue that confronts us is very high institutional unemployment; we are not making enough headway," said Van Kralingen.

Unless the country improved its global competitiveness, including its talent pool through improved education, "this could come to haunt us in the long term".

SAB is widely respected as a developer of talent, still providing about 15 executives a year for global parent SABMiller.

SAB has a strong interest in jump-starting South Africa's economic growth.

It believes that steady but unexciting growth is the greatest inhibitor to increasing volume sales. SAB argues that potential opportunities do not lie only in converting the growing middle class from its mainstream beers to premium brands, but also in increasing the size of the pie.

South Africa was not a mature beer market and still had a relatively low consumption per person, in line with emerging markets such as Brazil, said Van Kralingen.

South Africa's annual consumption was only 57 litres per person, well below the 90 litres of Poland, another emerging market.

But after decades of dominating the local clear beer market, SAB was given a rude shock when multinational Heineken took back the Amstel brand in March last year.

That caused volume market share to plummet from 95 percent to 86 percent the next month, before steadily recovering to about 92 percent.

Both SAB and Amstel suffered. Heineken lost out on licensing income and had no product on the shelf before importing it, a costly exercise.

Following that, Heineken announced this year that it would build its first brewery in South Africa. This will give SAB a run for its money in the premium beer category.

Heineken and minority partner Diageo, the world's biggest spirits company, were "very serious and here to stay", Van Kralingen said.

The strategy to counter the Amstel loss was to prise open Amstel drinkers' habits by offering them greater choice, Van Kralingen said.

To this end, SAB launched Hansa Marzen Gold and Grolsch in quick succession and will launch Dreher next month.

Grant Swanepoel, a beverages analyst at Barnard Jacobs Mellet, said SAB was flooding the market with premium brands to counter the loss of Heineken's Amstel.

Swanepoel believed the strategy was working as it applied to the top end of the market, but added that its success might leave SAB open to an attack from Heineken in the mainstream beer market.

If Heineken struggled to get enough top-end production through its new 2.8 million hectoliter brewery to make the investment viable, its hand might be forced to enter the mainstream beer market, Swanepoel said.

Van Kralingen said that even taking into account the steady selling characteristics of beer, the company had withstood the downturn well.

In the year to March SAB's local volume sales were flat overall, even after losing the high-margin Amstel brand, which had 9 percent market share.

Mainstream brand sales, which include Hansa and Castle, were up "2 percent to 3 percent, a pretty good performance" in the tough economy.

Premium sales had declined as consumers traded down, including Amstel drinkers after the beer disappeared from the shelves. The biggest beneficiaries of the Amstel loss were Hansa and Castle Light.

Hansa Marzen Gold, the first product launched to compete with Amstel, had initially gained market share, but that had "come off a bit" after Amstel was reintroduced, said Van Kralingen.

The loss of high-margin Amstel resulted in earnings before interest, tax and amortisation declining 6 percent.

SABMiller's share price increased by 0.39 percent to close at R174.10 on the JSE yesterday. The beverages sector rose 0.29 percent.

Published on the web by Business Report on September 18, 2008.

Pipeline for smuggling vodka found-It's a Mad, Mad World-World-The Times of India

2008-09-19T20:59:00.000+02:00

Pipeline for smuggling vodka found-It's a Mad, Mad World-World-The Times of India: "Pipeline for smuggling vodka found
18 Sep 2008, 2132 hrs IST,ANI

MOSCOW: Russian customs officials uncovered an underwater pipeline that was being used to smuggle cheap vodka from Russia into the European Union.

The mile-long channel was being used to pump vodka into Estonian capital Tallinn. It ran from the Russian border beneath a reservoir and into the Estonian town of Narva.

Eleven suspects have been charged over the scam. Four ethnic Russians are believed to have been the ringleaders, according to a report in The Sun.

All face five years in prison if convicted when the trial begins. Prices of vodka in Russia are a third cheaper than in the ex-Soviet state of Estonia, which has been in the EU since May 2004.

Investigators are still trying to establish how much sold on the black market."

The Family Spirit

2008-09-13T06:02:00.001+02:00

by ALVARO VARGAS LLOSA

September 12, 2008; Page W6

Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba
By Tom Gjelten
(Viking, 480 pages, $27.95)

When it comes to chronicling the Bacardi rum dynasty, the best model may be "Buddenbrooks" or some other novelistic attempt to capture the experience of a family business trying to survive across generations. Tom Gjelten's "Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba" -- though fact-driven history and far more upbeat that Thomas Mann's tale of dynastic decline -- feels very much in this literary tradition.

BusinessWeek

Bacardi boss Pepin Bosch, who led the reorganization of Bacardi's operations outside Cuba after the Castro government confiscated its facilities in 1960.

The result is a gripping saga that tells us just as much about human nature and the struggle between power and freedom as it does about Bacardi's transformation from a fledgling business into the world's top family-owned distiller. Now the maker of Grey Goose vodka, Bombay Sapphire gin, Dewar's Scotch whisky and other liquors, in addition to the rum that made the company's initial fortune, Bacardi had sales last year of $5.5 billion.

The cast of characters is formidable. Facundo Bacardi Massó, the founder of the company, was a Catalan bricklayer's son who migrated at age 15 from Spain to Santiago de Cuba on the island's southeast coast in the 1820s, when Cuba was still a Spanish colony. He turned out to be a quintessential entrepreneur: Though as a young man he became a shopowner of limited means, he saw in Cuba's abundant sugar cane the chance to make money from rum production and teamed up with a Frenchman who owned a pot still. In those days, rum's reputation was as a throat-burning liquor fit mostly for pirates and rough taverns. Facundo intended to create a finer rum that could compete with whiskey and brandy for the attention of non-piratical drinkers.

EXCERPT

"Bacardi sons and daughters were famous for their patriotism, standing up first against Spanish tyranny and then, in the next century, against the island's home-grown dictators."

• Read an excerpt from 'Bacardi and The Long Fight for Cuba'

Filtering the spirit through charcoal and storing it in barrels made of American oak, the distiller came up with the almost transparent rum that would become Bacardi's hallmark. Another distinction was the small company's success in trumpeting its product: "Facundo was a brilliant marketer," Mr. Gjelten notes. At a time when rums were sold without labels, Facundo "personally signed every bottle that came off the production line," writing with an instantly recognizable flourish. "A vigorous defense of the 'Bacardi' trademark would forevermore be one of the company's top priorities."

One of Facundo's sons, Emilio, took over the business at age 33 in 1877. In his 20s, Emilio had been a "rabble-rouser," Mr. Gjelten writes, a liberal revolutionary who penned inflammatory novels and participated in Cuba's wars of independence. Running Bacardi & Compañía, "he had become a respected businessman in a suit and tie and a white straw hat" -- but Emilio "did not back off from his work with the independence movement." He was arrested in 1879 and transported to Spain, where he has imprisoned for four years.

In Emilio's absence, the company "nearly went out of business," the author writes, as war and colonial mismanagement left Cuba's economy in ruins. Bacardi declared bankruptcy in October 1880, and a nearby warehouse fire in Santiago a month later wiped out the company's offices and much of its distillery equipment -- all uninsured. Working from an improvised office in the remains of the Bacardi headquarters, Emilio and his brothers mortgaged the remaining company properties and slowly resurrected the business.

After Spain's defeat in the Spanish-American War of 1898, Emilio served as a mayor and senator in America's new protectorate. Writing about this period, as in other parts of the book, Mr. Gjelten -- a correspondent for National Public Radio -- occasionally lets a comically NPR-ish note intrude on the story, as when he observes that "crude American racism on display in Cuba contrasted sharply with the efforts of the Cuban rebel leadership to lay the foundation for a free society based on tolerance." There was racism among Cuba's republican elites, too.

Bacardi Family

Emilio Bacardi at about age 30, when he was involved in revolutionary activity in Santiago.

The salvation of the struggling company might have been the hiring in the 1880s of a financial assistant named Henri, later Enrique, Schueg, a young Frenchman of "fresh energy, new ideas, and a joie de vivre." He became a partner in 1893 after marrying into the family, and "pushed for expansion at every opportunity," the author writes, licensing a Bacardi distillery in Spain in 1910 and, with "extraordinary foresight," identifying Puerto Rico as "a key point of entry into the all-important U.S. market."

Perhaps the most fascinating figure in the Bacardi tale is José Bosch, called Pepín, a young businessman who also married into the Bacardi family and was an early opponent of Gerardo Machado's corrupt rule in the 1920s. Machado made Bacardi, one of Cuba's most successful companies, a target of predatory taxation, but a proposed rum tax was more than the distiller could stand. Bacardi opened new facilities in Mexico and threatened to move its operations there if the tax was enacted. The Cuban legislature dropped the idea -- and Bacardi soon found itself with a Mexican distillery it didn't need, trying to sell a liquor to tequila- quaffing public that didn't want it.

Bosch was dispatched in 1933 to shut down the Mexican facility, but instead he saved it. "Noticing that Mexicans drank a lot of Coca-Cola," Mr. Gjelten writes, Bosch urged the company to promote Bacardi-and-Coke cocktails. Observing the rich tradition of Mexican handicrafts, he also suggested that the locals would be more inclined to drink rum if it was sold in the sort of wicker-covered jugs often used for it in Cuba. Sales in 1934 doubled. Schueg gave him a new assignment: Expand Bacardi's foothold in the now Prohibition-free U.S. market. Bosch succeeded again, with inspired moves that included suing the Barbizon Plaza Hotel in New York for letting its barmen serve non-Bacardi rum to patrons who ordered Bacardi cocktails. After the company won the case on appeal, putting every bar in New York on notice, the distiller trumpeted the victory in an ad campaign: "It isn't a Bacardi Cocktail unless it's made with Bacardi!"

From then until his departure from the company in the mid-1970s, Bosch created wealth beyond the family's dreams. He seemed the embodiment of Fucundo Bacardi's entrepreneurial verve yet he also echoed Emilio's anti-authoritarian passion by defying dictators -- first Fulgencio Batista in the 1950s and then Fidel Castro. Because of Batista's harassment, Bosch created Bacardi International Ltd. in the Bahamas, with the exclusive rights to distill and produce Bacardi rum outside Cuba, except in the U.S. and Mexico, where the company already owned distilleries. When Castro nationalized Bacardi in 1960, an epic legal struggle ensued over the trademark in many countries. The company prevailed everywhere -- most significantly, because of the rippling legal effect, in London, in 1968. Bacardi -- its owners long since living in exile -- then expanded worldwide, setting the stage for the emergence of a multi-billion-dollar empire.

As the title of "Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba Suggests," Mr. Gjelten is as interested in Bacardi's political role in Cuba as he is in the company as a business. His tale distills a melancholy message: The Bacardis were the elite that Cuba never had. They exercised their love of country by privately sponsoring the arts and sports. Although they were part of the elite that did prevail in Cuba, the leading Bacardis renounced many of its worse practices, particularly the slave trade, and took up the cause of equality before the law. (Emilio, ever the passionate advocate of Cuba's freedom, sent his son Emilito to fight the Spanish in 1895.)

Cuba's independence could have produced a successful republic. As Mr. Gjelten writes: "There were Cubans skilled enough to lead their country through those difficult years, and there were Cuban enterprises, such as Bacardi, with the outlook and the resources to help." Partly due to the local political culture and burdens placed by outsiders on their ability to exercise self- responsibility, Cubans failed to substitute the rule of law for violence. The conservative movement that opposed independence never developed into a force for stable institutions. Nor did the liberals who stood for independence evolve into anything comparable to the U.S.'s republican founders.

Perhaps if Spain had not limited political rights after the 10-year war (1868-1878), the Liberal Party would have been worthy of the name. Perhaps if the U.S. had not tied the political hands of the early Cuban republic, leaders capable of replacing the extraordinary Jose Martí, who organized the 1895 revolution, would have emerged, marginalizing the aspiring despots. But it is by no means clear that the Bacardi types would have prevailed over the Machados, the Batistas and the Castros.

In any case, the psychodrama of an exiled family clinging to a memory of the Cuba-that-was turned Bacardi into a cause as much as a business. Pepín Bosch, who moved to Miami in 1960 when Castro expropriated the company, spent much of his time involved in exile politics, supporting political and military efforts against the dictatorship.

In the 1990s, the company found another line of attack against Castro, launching a long campaign to stop Pernod Ricard, the French distiller, from marketing Havana Club rum in partnership with the Cuban government.

Havana Club had been the property of the Arechabala family until Castro stole the company. Even though Bacardi was on the right side of the moral divide, the company ventured into the murky world of Washington lobbying in its effort to combat the French-Cuban alliance. U.S. authorities initially decided to recognize the Cuban government's ownership of Havana Club because the Arechabalas had not renewed their trademark, but Bacardi eventually managed to block the move. The company was not able to obtain the Havana Club trademark in the U.S., though, even though Bacardi had bought it from the exiled Arechabalas. Backed in the dispute by the European Union, Pernod Ricard prevailed in Spain and now sells Havana Club, in league with Cuba, virtually everywhere except the U.S.

A further setback for Bacardi from the Pernod Ricard episode: While attempting to gain influence in Washington, the Puerto Rico-based Bacardi became entangled in the campaign-finance scandal that brought down U.S. House Majority Leader Tom Delay in 2005. Bacardi was one of several companies indicted for making an illegal contribution, a charge the distiller denies. Still, Bacardi today calls to mind a remark that Pepín Bosch made long ago: "You cannot be a merchant, an industrialist or a banker, and not be a politician."

When the current chairman of the board -- and the founder's great-great-grandson -- Facundo L. Bacardi, took over in 2005, he explained that, as a native of Chicago, he had little personal connection with Cuba. But fully aware of Bacardi family and corporate history, he promised that someday he would "reestablish the Bacardi company in its homeland." The story promises to be fascinating and will need another Tom Gjelten to tell it.

Mr. Vargas Llosa is the director of the Center on Global Prosperity at the Independent Institute and the editor of "Lessons From the Poor."

Oktoberfest beer still a bargain for some

2008-09-13T06:01:00.002+02:00

Friday, September 12, 2008

BERLIN - The Associated Press

The price of beer at Oktoberfest has gone up, but some of the 6 million visitors expected to attend the festival this year might still find a reason to toast.

When the first kegs are tapped Sept. 20 on Munich's Theresienwiese field, the average price for two pints (one liter) of beer will be ¤8.13 (US$11.44) - up from ¤7.75 (US$10.95) last year.

Oktoberfest organizers on Wednesday said the increase is a response to higher production costs, and was agreed to by each of the six breweries that provide beer to the annual celebration of beer.

Beer drinkers from some countries might not even notice, as the increase is small compared with the price rises at home due to skyrocketing grain and transport costs, according to a survey of global beer prices by a human resources firm.

ECA International compared beer prices at Oktoberfest and around the world. It found that Italians at this year's Oktoberfest could be in a particularly festive mood.

"Compared to the price at home, for them almost every third beer is free," the company said in a release.

Customers from France, Norway and Switzerland will find the price a major discount.

Revelers from other countries will be less fortunate. A big mug of Oktoberfest brew, called a "Mass," will be three times as expensive as the same amount of beer in South Africa, and 20 percent more expensive than in New Zealand.

© 2005 Dogan Daily News Inc. www.turkishdailynews.com.tr

Heineken

2008-09-13T05:43:00.005+02:00

The development by global beer group Heineken, and its partners, of a multi-million-rand brewery in Sedibeng, south of Johannesburg, is being seen by both government and food and beverage industry observers as a fairly significant milestone – in total, the Dutch brewer is involved in projects in Southern Africa, together with its partners, amounting to €260-million.

Indeed, during his address to the National Council of Provinces earlier in the year, Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa highlighted the project from a list of 74 major projects worth R206-billion, and indicated that the brewery could provide the anchor for other investments with a combined value of R7,7-billion.

He added that the investment, which would be undertaken by Heineken and Diageo, would result in enormous opportunities for black economic- empowerment companies entering the manufacturing sector, such as suppliers of glass bottling and canning.

Further, procurement opportunities from local companies will be released in respect of raw materials, construction, distribution, warehousing, transport, and marketing and advertising.

But, without question, the development is also in line with another key industrial development thrust: a desire to increase competition in sectors that are highly concentrated – a mould which the South African brewery industry, which is still dominated by SABMiller, fits perfectly.

SABMiller, which was founded as South African Breweries in 1896, still has about a 90% market share in the South African market, which is, by all accounts, also its most lucrative.

SOCIOECONOMIC SPIN-OFFS

The new South African brewery is under construction in the Sedibeng area, between Vereeniging and Alberton, south of Johannesburg.

The site, which is on the R59 road and covers 80 ha, was reportedly a difficult choice, and was selected because of its geology, geography and infrastructure, and to align with a desire by the South African authorities to further develop the southern part of Johannesburg.

Midvaal mayor Marti Wenger says that the municipality is pleased that Heineken has chosen the Midvaal region for the construction of its new brewery.

“Besides being a large financial investment, it is also a positive one for southern Johannesburg, which will create much-needed employment and technical skills training for our people. We look forward to working with them to achieve this goal,” he states.

The brewery will initially create 225 new, permanent jobs at all levels and a considerable number of new, service-related outsourcing opportunities. Heineken will provide technical training for South African personnel in South Africa and abroad.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

The R549-million contract to build Heineken’s first brewery in South Africa has been awarded to Grinaker-LTA, part of the JSE-listed Aveng group.

The construction firm’s building and civil engineering business units are undertaking this project in a 50:50 JV, explains contracts director Richard Amm.

The brewery will comprise production buildings and cellars, as well as a bottling and distribution warehouse for Heineken Supply Company, the brewing and distribution company for beer brand Amstel.

“A fast-track construction programme will see the new brewery completed by the end of 2009. The programme is very tight as process contractors are required to be given access to each building and sections of each building on sectional completion dates,” adds Amm.

The buildings at the brewery are generally concrete, structural steel and brick structures, with steel roof sheeting on all buildings. Some 30 000 m3 of concrete will be used on the project, together with 3 500 t of structural steel and two-million bricks.

Amm notes that Grinaker-LTA will be using local labour wherever possible, and a community liaison officer will be employed to help source workers from the surrounding areas.

THE PARTNERS

Heineken and Diageo will construct and operate the brewery, which will be owned 75% by Heineken and 25% by Diageo.

Earlier this year, Heineken, Diageo and Namibian Breweries also reached an agreement to form a new JV for their combined beer, cider and ready-to-drink businesses in South Africa. The partners said the venture, built on the success of Brandhouse Beverages, the parties’ current cost-sharing JV in South Africa, would continue to market and distribute its products in South Africa.

Each party will share in the profits in proportion to its shareholding and the partnership, which was conditional on the approval of the Competition Commission, should add to the competitive pressures in the alcoholic beverage sector.

The establishment of the new profit- sharing arrangement resulted in a com-bination of the beer distribution businesses of the merging firms. In turn, this would result in the merging firms having a combined postmerger market share of about 10% for the supply of beer in South Africa. The merged entity faces competition from SABMiller, which commands about 90% of the national beer market.

The commission was of the view that the transaction would enhance the merging parties’ ability to compete with SABMiller.

AFRICAN EXPANSION

The foray into SABMiller’s backyard should also be seen as part of the group’s aspirations in Africa, with Heineken having built 17 breweries, including four in Africa, in the last 15 years.

“We are absolutely confident that everything is in place to ensure the successful, on-time delivery of the project,” says Heineken regional president for Africa and the Middle East Tom de Man, who adds that the company fully understands the opportunities as well as the potential challenges.

The brewery will have an initial capacity of three-million hectolitres, with a built-in flexibility to expand, and will produce some of the JV’s products, besides others, the Heineken and Amstel brands.

It will be operational by the end of 2009 and across both new ventures, Heineken’s total net investment will be €260-million.

“With Africa now Heineken’s fastest-growing region, with the Heineken brand growing 70% in South Africa and Amstel very clearly still a favourite with South African consumers, there is no better time to invest in growth. Our three businesses already have a strong, successful partnership and I am excited about the new
opportunities that the combination of our brands and local brewing will create,” adds De Man.

Diageo Africa MD Nick Blazquez says that the decision by the company, NB and Heineken to commit to a closer relationship in South Africa reflects the success of Brandhouse and acknowledges the changing nature of the alcohol market in South Africa.

“We have already demonstrated that a combined beverage alcohol distribution company can capitalise on the growth opportunities in markets such as South Africa and the new structure will enable us to realise further growth opportunities as a result of the strong platform we will create together,” says Blazquez.

“Following the successful establishment of Brandhouse in 2004, we have as a next step put our brands together to maximise the mutual benefits of a joint portfolio of premium products. For us, this investment means that NB now has a tangible commercial interest in the sales and distribution of all brands that are part of this new profit-sharing venture,” says NB chairperson Sven Thieme.

TERMINATION OF SABMILLER LICENCE

Last year, Heineken terminated the licence of SABMiller’s subsidiary, South African Breweries (SAB), to manufacture and distribute Amstel Lager.

This move followed a private arbitration to determine whether Heineken was entitled to terminate the Amstel trademark licence. The arbitration panel found that SABMiller’s transaction in South America in 2005 constituted a material change in the shareholding of the SABMiller group, which could be regarded as inimical to the interests of the Heineken group, thus giving rise to the right to terminate the licence.

SAB will consequently move to bolster its competitive position in the South African premium segment by drawing upon SABMiller’s global portfolio of brands and the wealth of experience and expertise it has built up in the market.

Commenting on the termination of the licence, SABMiller CE Graham Mackay said, “While we are surprised by the outcome of the arbitration, our consumers remain our first priority and we are confident of our continuing ability to provide them with a comprehensive choice of superior and differentiated brands, backed by our strong marketing and distribution capabilities.”

He added that the company was pursuing a number of initiatives which would mitigate the impact of the licence termin-ation, including extending its reach into direct distribution and broadening its premium offerings. The bulk of Amstel’s sales, like most beer sales in South Africa, are in returnable bottles, requiring a capability, which SAB is positioned to provide.

Sales volumes of Amstel represented about 2,3-million hectolitres, or 9%, of beer sales volumes in South Africa. Sales of the Amstel brand constituted about $300- million a year in South Africa.

SABMiller estimates that any impact on the group’s earnings in the current financial year will be immaterial. For the 2008 financial year, and going forward, the company expects to mitigate the financial impact on its earnings of the Amstel licence termination; nevertheless, there will still be a negative financial impact.

SAB communications manager Janine van Stolk tells Engineering News that the company is confident, however, that its loyal customers will continue to enjoy its world-class products, of which it currently brews over 26,5-million hectolitres a year.

“We do not have plans to develop new breweries in South Africa, as our existing seven breweries have enough capacity to handle our existing output, and accommodate any new, locally brewed brands we introduce to the market. Despite the tough economic times in which we operate, we are optimistic about the future.

We still see growth in the beer market and although the premium beer sector’s growth rate has softened, we believe it will start accelerating again in the medium term, once the economy stabilises. Compared with other liquor sectors, premium beer is still a healthy category. Even with the current economic situation, South Africa is regarded as one of the fastest-growing premium beer markets in the world,” says Van Stolk.

She adds that the recent launch of the imported Grolsch into the premium beer category has been well received, and the company expects it to continue doing well.

“We also plan to launch a number of new brands in the very near future, including a further new entry in the flavoured alcoholic beverage category, as well as the premium beer category. Both of these categories have potential long-term growth prospects, and both have a relatively limited number of brand offers for consumers at present. We believe that this presents us with the opportunity to provide greater choice to consumers of these categories with interesting, attractive and affordable alternatives with which to bolster their repertoires.”

PROSPECTS

Heineken chairperson and CEO Jean-François van Boxmeer says the half year was an outstanding for the company.

“We executed our plans faster, more efficiently and with greater impact than ever before. Alongside this, we maintained our focus and insistence on performance and delivery. We will not be complacent, though, and will continue to focus on delivering what we have promised.

We significantly exceeded the expectations set at the start of the year in terms of profit growth and we delivered on our ambitious cost-reduction targets. Along the way, we made good progress towards becoming an organisation in which performance and focus on consumer needs are the key drivers of our strategic agenda,” says Van Boxmeer.

He notes that Heineken expects 2008 to be another year of good organic growth in net profit, based on a further improvement in the sales mix, better prices, higher beer volumes and savings in fixed costs.

“The international premium segment will continue to grow at a higher rate than that of the overall beer market and the Heineken brand will benefit from this trend. As a result of worldwide input cost inflation, Heineken expects a 15% price increase in its raw material and packaging costs.”

The company expects that it will be able to pass on the impact of the increased input and energy costs in most of its markets. Owing to the uncertainties around the possible impact of worldwide consumer price inflation and weakening economies on consumer spending and beer consumption, it is too early to make a reliable estimate of volume levels for 2008.

Heineken expects the capital expenditure (capex) related to property, plant and equipment to be about €1,2-billion in 2008. Part of this investment is related to capacity expansion and the construction of new breweries in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. In principle, the capex will be financed from cash flow.

Heineken

2008-09-13T05:43:00.004+02:00

The wine apprentice

2008-09-13T05:39:00.001+02:00

Last summer, the Magazine reported on a plan to find someone in South Africa without any experience of wine who would be trained in London as a sommelier - a professional wine expert. Here is the winning apprentice.

As career changes go it's a pretty radical shift in direction. Thandisizwe Meyi, from a township in South Africa's Eastern Cape, had been planning to become a boxer. He even had a nickname "Tyson".

But instead he is entering a very different kind of arena. Tyson, as he is still known, is going to be a sommelier - a wine expert, who will be trained in London to advise on wine in upmarket international restaurants..

SOMMELIER FACTS

French term for a steward or waiter in charge of wine

Once responsible for the cellaring and serving of wines for royalty

Tradition spread to restaurants

Expected to have extensive knowledge of wines and their suitability with various dishes

Source: Barron's New Food Lover's Companion

Tyson's change of plan, from punch-bags to bouquets, is set to make him South Africa's first black sommelier - and it comes as a result of winning a wine-tasting competition.

This vineyard version of the Apprentice was a search for someone with the raw ability to become part of a rarefied group of wine experts, making a living from their highly-educated palates.

The winner had never even tasted wine until he got a job as a shelf-stacker in a shop on a wine estate.

Taste test

Tyson, now aged 27, says that where he grew up people drank beer and brandy, the wine that was grown all around them was drunk by someone else, it was another culture associated with the white and the wealthy.

But Tyson turned out to have a good nose for a good wine - a natural ability - even though he says the first time he tried a sip of the red stuff he didn't like it, "it was too dry and sharp".

Tyson in the blind testing competition held in South Africa had the wine-tasting X-factor. He was the only one of 12 contestants to pick out the qualities of a 2005 Domaine Jeannot Pouilly-Fumé and 2003 Domaine Alain Chabanon Les Merles Allouettes.

"He had the most natural ability of anyone we interviewed," says Kate Thal, one of the judges, who has worked as a sommelier for the Conran restaurant chain.

She believes it's as much about nature as nurture and that Tyson showed a particularly good sense of smell and taste.

Rather than being intimidated by how wines should smell, he says it's all about making comparisons with what is familiar.

"It's like when wine is corked - it smells like wet cardboard. If you want to know what something should smell like, you have to refer to something you know," says Tyson.

As a result of winning he is now spending a year in London being trained by Kate Thal at her Green and Blue wine chain, in a training scheme backed by the Western Cape government and the Spier wine estate. The intention is to help develop more home-grown wine experts for South Africa's tourist industry.

Wine angst

But let's go back a second. Why do we look at "2005 Domaine Jeannot Pouilly-Fumé and 2003 Domaine Alain Chabanon 'Les Merles Allouettes'" and feel like we've turned over a page in an exam and found we've revised all the wrong questions.

Asking people what they like is a total waste of time, they don't know what they like...

Kate Thal

Why can a wine list feel like a test rather than a pleasure?

"Once you know about wine, you're not afraid, you know what you're paying for.. It's important to know where the wine has come from, about the climate, how it's been made, the quality and the quantity," says Tyson.

It's already beginning to sound tough.

When you're in a shop looking at the wine on the shelf, the most terrifying question of all is 'What are you looking for?'

Kate Thal sees it from the other side of the counter, watching people scanning the shelves and trying to choose. Part of selling wine is knowing what to ask.

"Asking people what they like is a total waste of time, they don't know what they like or they don't have the language to describe what they want.

"It's best to ask basic questions: Do you want something crisp, something soft, something fruity, something spicy or savoury? Because those are questions that anyone can answer. And of course, how much do you want to spend?"

Wine buff alert

She also has to cope with wine buff customers who want to show off, which she says is particularly male trait.

SCHOLARSHIP INCLUDES…

Return air ticket

Master classes with top wine makers from around the world

13-week 'School of Wine' course

At least two trips to Europe's wine regions

"For a lot of men wine is very ego-driven. 'I drive this car, I wear this watch, I drink this wine.' They have to show that they know what they're talking about. It's completely ridiculous.

"It becomes like being a stamp collector, collecting experiences, collecting bottles that they've drunk. It's about showing how sophisticated they are."

When Tyson finishes his training and returns to South Africa he wants to help expand the popularity of wine - to be enjoyed by the many rather than the few. He is conscious that he will also be a role model for other young black people.

His experiences while he is learning are going to be recorded as a YouTube video diary.

Wine writer Jancis Robinson says that Tyson's apprenticeship is a reflection of the importance of making wine more accessible to South Africa's black population.

"It is on their labour that the whole South African wine industry is founded. It is therefore especially desirable that they should claim an economic stake in it," she says.

In terms of whether anyone can develop an educated palate, she says "there is a tiny proportion of people who will never taste well, because of some physical shortcoming and a slightly larger one with a natural gift for it, often unused or underused. The rest of the population can learn how to taste pretty well if they are interested enough".

Tyson could have been a contender in the boxing ring, but now he says he is going to be someone in wine. He describes how he sees this chance.

"Here is a ladder, all you have to do is climb to the top."

Add your comments on this story, using the form below.

There is nothing ridiculous or snobby about having a detailed, in-depth knowledge and understanding about wine. Nor is there any shame in collecting bottles or labels: these represent memories of great evenings, first dinner dates with new girlfriends, last dinners with lost relatives and so on. Of course, one should not show-off - that would be extremely irritating - but it is equally irritating to visit a wine shop or supermarket where the wine specialist is completely clueless.

Matt, Cambridge

I do not wish to diminish what he could achieve but he will not be the first black sommelier. What about others such as Luvo Ntezo, who is working at the Twelve Apostles hotel?

John Norman, Cape Town

Good for him, pity he will not also spend a full season, from pruning in February to harvest in October, in various vineyards. That's where good wine comes from. Kate Thal's comments should be expanded on.

John Garner, Sinalunga, Siena, Italy

I am a black South African and it is nice to know we are starting to be more involved in the hospitality industry.

Chantal Beukes, London

Personally, I think that wine is a waste of perfectly good grape juice, and am much more interested in quality beers, but I'm not sure that there's much of a market for a beer sommelier.

Rich, UK/France

Bravo! Learning these skills takes many years, and we cheer for Tyson as he learns from the Masters of Wine... A sommelier is responsible for so much more than just wines, to include liqueurs, cordials, digestifs, cuisine, cigars, and five-star service.

Louis, Las Vegas, USA

We were on holiday in South Africa this summer, and visited several vineyards. South African wine is truly stunning - their Chenin Blancs and Sauvignon Blancs are the best. Would like to see more Pinot Noirs, perhaps Tyson can push for more of this grape to be grown?

Kath, Bournemouth, UK

Like Tyson, I also felt the wine industry to be quite elitist. However, with someone like him now involved, I believe many South African blacks will now feel as I do having read his story: Wine is for everyone to learn about and to enjoy.

Quincy Marshall, Trinidad, West Indies

Kate Thal is everything I dislike about certain wine buffs. Pretentious and looking down on others' abilities, experience or knowledge. Her sexist remarks are a trait that I fear runs through the wine industry at the top end.

Ian F, Grantham, England

Fantastic, we should start to ask for 'BEE' wines, produced by new Black Economic Empowerment business. Many estates have given land to black business to develop a black-owned wine industry. PLEASE will vintners in the UK stock BEE wines; they are fresh, truly New World and a great treat to know that you are directly helping a truly fair trade business.

Julian Carter, Wakefield, UK

Soaring demand for Tasmanian vodka - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

2008-09-13T05:23:00.002+02:00

Soaring demand for Tasmanian vodka - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "Soaring demand for Tasmanian vodka

Posted Fri Sep 12, 2008 6:24pm AEST

Vodka connoisseurs around the world can't get enough of a northern Tasmanian drop.

Strait Drinks' distillery at Beauty Point can't keep up with demand so it has to build a new $3 million production plant at York Town near Beaconsfield.

The Managing Director, Philip Ridyard, says it will be able to produce 60,000 bottles a week for export to China, Indonesia, South Africa and Vietnam.

'Over the next 12 months, we hope to export something in the region of 1.2 million bottles across the range and we currently have eight products and over the next five years we hope to build that to 13 million,' he said."

After reading that article I found this info on Strait's brands:

STRAIT VODKA

The flagship brand Strait Vodka heads the portfolio of premium quality spirits and liqueurs produced by Strait Brands at its Tamar Distillery facility, at Beauty Point.

Strait Vodka - already kickinggoals in Melbourne

Strait Vodka (40% alcohol by volume) is produced from the finest Australian wheat grain spirit and blended with pristine Tasmanian spring water drawn from the Permian Springs property at nearby Yorktown.

The water is naturally filtered through rock laid down during the last Ice Age and then charcoal filtered and ozone treated at the surface.

Permian Springs water came first in independent comparative taste tests, with a character attributed to the 'softness' of the water.

In all, 25 different waters from around Tasmania were assessed for suitability, including mineral content, filtration and ability to supply. That list was reduced to just three from which vodka production trials were conducted.

The other two waters tested were Springfield Spring Water, from near Scottsdale, and Cape Grim, a natural water from the far west coast of Tasmania that emanates from the sky as rainwater and is regarded as possibly the 'purest water in the known world'.

Unfortunately, Cape Grim is so pure it does not have the characteristics most vodka drinkers are looking for.

Strait Brands intends to introduce a range of fruit and herb flavoured vodkas using Tasmania's renowned fruits, herbs and spices.

STRAIT DRY GIN

Vodka was chosen as the flagship Strait brand because of its ability to become the base for other spirits and liqueurs. It was inevitable that Strait Dry Gin (40% alcohol by volume) would also become a significant brand within the portfolio.

In Julky 2006, Strait dry Gin was awarded a brinze medal at the International Wine and Spirits Competition, in London.

The product is well regarded by mixologists and bartenders in domestic and overseas markets. An infusion of several botancials and natural flavours and the addition of a citrus infusion deliver a classic dry gin with a long, smooth finish.

STRAIT TASMANIAN NATIVE PEPPERBERRY VODKA

Launched commercially in January 2007, Strait Tasmanian Native Pepperberry (40% alcohol by volume) also earned a bronze medal at the International Wine and Spirts Competition, in London, in July 2006.

Derived from an infusion of the indigenous Tasmanian Native Pepperberry, the product has been widely acclaimed and is regarded as the classic base for a Bloody Mary. It has a spicy, though not harsh, flavour and is aromatic on the nose.

STRAIT TWENTY

The Strait Twenty range of vodka and dry gin blends with Hibiscus was launched in June 2007 and has been an instant success.

Four flavours were launched (at 20% alcohol) and additional flavours are currently in development. the range comprises Strait Vodka, hibiscus and vanilla; Strait Dry Gin, hibiscus and guava; Strait Dry Gin hibiscus and pineapple, and Strait tasmanian Native Pepperberry Vodka and hibiscus.

Strait Twenty can be drunk over ice, as a champagne cocktail or with fruit juice, lemonade or soda.

Its versatility has been quickly recognised by the bartending fraternity. It has a special following in China because its deep red colour is regarded as being lucky.

STRAIT SLOE GIN

To be launched May 2008.

The origins of Sloe Gin are in the United Kingdom where traditionally it was made from sloe berries picked from hedgerows.

Those hedgerows have mostly disappeared over the last 50 years and commercially produced brands like Gordon's and Plymouth sloe gins are now made using sloes grown in Turkey and Slovenia.

Thankfully for Strait Brands, sloe berries also grow in profusion in northern Tasmania.

It takes six months to craft Strait Sloe Gin (22% alcohol by volume) following the autumn sloe berry harvest.

2008-09-04T16:47:00.001+02:00

enter our fabulous on-line competition on www.halewood.co.za. Just remember – no employees (or direct family) from Halewood or Bad Girl, and you have to be over 18 years of age….Sorry! There are weekly prizes every Monday during September, so try each week!!

EAST COAST DISTRIBUTORS

2008-08-30T05:37:00.005+02:00

Contact our distribution partners:

EASTCOASTDISTRIBUTORS

Tel: 031 579 2586 | Fax: 086 504 9927 | www.eastcoastdistributors.co.za

New Micro Brewery Cape Town

2008-08-25T19:47:00.004+02:00

TOT Magazine

microbrewing

the new mavericks

Coined in the United Kingdom in the late

1970s, the term ‘microbrewing’ described

the new generation of small breweries that

were sprouting up across the country, each of

them dedicated to producing traditional cask

ale. While the term’s original meaning may

have related to the actual size of the brewery

concerned (generally limited to around

15,000 barrels a year), it gradually began

to take on a whole new meaning: it stood

for an alternative attitude to brewing, and

an approach that was refreshingly different

flexibility, adaptability, experimentation and

good service were order of the day, and the

cornerstones of a counter culture.

By the 1980s the ‘revolution’ was

spreading. As a concept, ‘microbrewing’

caught on in the United States, and from

there spread to the likes of New Zealand,

Australia, Canada - and although still in its

infancy, South Africa.

The beer market in this country is as

challenging as they come. Dominated by

the brands of a few corporate giants, the

‘little guy’ has a hope in hell of succeeding

in a head to head with the ‘big boys’. Who

can begin to compete with their enormous

marketing budgets, endless advertising spend

and vast distribution networks?

Well, no one. Which is why Ross

McCulloch and Meghan MacCallum, the

founding partners of newcomer Jack Black

Beer, are intent on inspiring a whole new

category instead, in what they hope will be a

“microbeer revolution”.

These Cape Town based ‘infidels’ are

confident that times they are a changing,

and convinced that the tide is turning in the

microbrewers’ favour. And looking at current

market trends, this certainly seems to be the

case...

There’s no doubt that people are

becoming ever more conscious of their

own health and that of the environment:

they want to know more about what they’re

buying. How it’s made, what it contains,

where it’s made – these are questions they

care about, and giving them the right answer

could well swing the decision to purchase.

The original Jack Black was a maverick

brewmaster in 1920’s America. At a time

when the beer industry was going through a

period of consolidation and was in the hands

of big business, he was a rebel with a cause –

intent on bringing quality beer to his fellow

patriots at all costs. Inspired by the obvious

parallels, McCulloch and MacCallum had

found a name for their brand.

Recently launched Jack Black Brewers

Reserve is made from the finest natural

ingredients: purified spring water, Pale malt,

Crystal malt and special hops. Slowly brewed

in small 2000 litre batches to produce a high

quality, full flavoured premium beer, it is

free from artificial additives. Committed to a

green approach and minimising their carbon

footprint every step of the way, Jack Black are

also set on raising the bar when it comes to

customer service, offering reliable next day

delivery.

Realising that the conventional channels

of marketing and distribution are closed to

them, Jack Black has adopted a grass roots

strategy that targets markets and areas where

they know consumers will be interested in

new products and premium beers. And it’s an

approach that seems to be working, with Jack

Black being sold in a number of key locations

within the Western Cape (not to mention

it being a weekly sell-out at the insanely

popular local Neighbourhoods market in

Woodstock).

All natural. All local. All flavour. No

compromise. By giving all the right answers,

microbrewers may well be sparking a

revolution. Jack Black would have been

proud.

Other Microbrewers in South Africa

include: Bavaria Brau, Birkenhead

Brewery, Boston Brewery, Drayman’s

Brewery, Gilroy Brewery, Hops Hollow,

Mitchells (Knysna and Cape Town),

Nottingham Road, Paulaner, Perry’s

Bridge Beer, and Zulubeer.

Throw away your email server and fire your IT guy, Google Apps is here.

2008-07-21T20:31:00.001+02:00

Google AppsDo you have a domain name but no email server? Do you have a small business that can’t afford to spend hundreds of dollars on MS office? If so than Google Apps is for you. Google has revolutionized the industry with their latest product. Google is offering all of Google services for free.

Don’t waste your money on an email server or Microsoft office. Google is offering these services for free. I think this is a great product, and there are so many features. I’ve set up Google apps for personal home use and business users, both are happy with the results.

Not only does Google provide email with all the functionality of Gmail, they also do it with your domain name. That’s right you get the 2+ gigs of storage space, calendar, and you can even host your web page on Google for free. In addition to that you also, get Google Docs and Spreadsheets which is online based word processing and spreadsheet editing. One of the cool features is that if someone emails a document or spreadsheet to your address that is hosted on Google Apps, you can open it with Google Docs regardless of what format it’s in.

Two Versions

Standard

There are two major versions of Google Apps, the first is standard which is the free version. The free edition offers all of the major applications and email, but it is on a best effort service which means there is no guarantee that it will always be up and running. there is also a 2 GB per mailbox limit. Support is online only although there are plenty of users that can be contacted through forums that would be happy to help, it can be tough without having someone talk you through something. There is documentation on everything and they’ve made it easy Other than that it’s a great service, it’s what I use to power the TechSack.com domain, and it’s free.

Premier

The premier edition offers the same features of the free edition but it is more business oriented. This edition has a 99.9% uptime guarantee for email with 10GB per mailbox. There is also, 24X7 phone support and integration with your existing infrastructure. This edition is $50 per mailbox per year, when you think about the cost of a server, email applications,maintenance, and IT costs, it can be worth it.

Google is taking over the internet and eventually the world…

Belgian Brewer Inbev Swallows Anheuser-Busch | Money Talks | Deutsche Welle

2008-07-20T17:03:00.004+02:00

America's most iconic beer is now in European hands

After the takeover created the world's biggest beer brewer, will we only be drinking from the Anheuser-Busch/Inbev tap?

After having resisted offers from InBev for a month, the Anheuser-Busch board finally agreed to accept a sweetened bid that had been raised to 70 dollars a share in cash from 65. While capping Anheuser's roughly 150 years of independence as a premier American brewer, the deal creates not only the world's largest beer company but one of the top five consumer goods groups in the world. Money Talks asked industry analyst Steve Goldstein, head of Marketwatch London bureau, just how big the new company will be.

Good News from Corona

2008-07-01T15:57:00.002+02:00

Life in South Africa is challenging at present, daily we are faced with price increases and interest rates going up and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.

We would like to take the opportunity at Corona to announce that we have GOOD NEWS for you.

We have decided that during these tough Economical times, we are going to bring smiles to the faces of all Corona lovers and bring the price of Corona down.

We have decided that we will digest this price decrease into a portion of our Marketing spend because this would be a better Marketing strategy at this point in time.

“Suggested” Retail Selling Price all Vat Inclusive

On Premise
R17-00 to R19-99 per unit.

Off Premise (Bottle Stores)
Cases: R239-99 (R9-99 per unit) to R249-99 (R10-41 per unit).
6-Packs: R59-99 (R9-99 per unit) to R69-99 (R11-66 per unit).

Wholesalers
Cases: R216-00 (R9-00 per unit) to R239-99 (R9-99 per unit)
6-Packs: R54-00 (R9-00 per unit) to R59-99 (R9-99 per unit)

InBev promise on Budweiser in $46bn bid

2008-06-26T08:02:00.002+02:00

By Jonathan Birchall and Julie MacIntosh in New York

Published: June 12 2008 19:28 | Last updated: June 12 2008 21:54

InBev, the global brewer, on Thursday mounted a campaign to win support for its $46bn bid for US brewing giant Anheuser-Busch as opposition to a potential takeover of one of America’s best-known brands began to swell.

InBev executives pledged on Thursday to turn Budweiser into a “global flagship brand” while keeping its North American headquarters in St. Louis, where Anheuser-Busch was founded in the mid-19th century.

In an attempt to calm local opposition to a takeover, they also played down suggestions that a deal with InBev, known for its cost-cutting skills, would lead to US job losses, saying InBev would not close breweries.

Carlos Brito, chief executive of InBev, said: “Our objective is to reach a friendly agreement with their board . . . We think their board will act in the best interests of shareholders.”

The bid comes amid consolidation in the global beer industry. SABMiller, which this year amalgamated its US business with Molson Coors, the third-largest US brewer, said it did not believe the deal would change the competitive landscape.

Mr Brito stressed the benefits for the brands from combining Anheuser’s strong presence in the US, where it has more than half of the market, with InBev’s prominence in Latin America and Europe. Anheuser’s international business is limited to Mexico, where it controls half of Grupo Modelo, the country’s largest brewer, and China.

InBev has offered $65 a share for Anheuser, representing a 35 per cent premium over its 30-day average price. If the deal goes ahead, InBev, which owns Stella Artois and Beck’s, would gain control of about one-quarter of the world’s beer market.

Speculation that it might try to defend itself led to a rise of 8 per cent in the share price of Grupo Modelo. A combination of Anheuser and Modelo would be more expensive for InBev to buy.

Grupo Modelo executives were in contact with Anheuser, following talks on Wednesday with InBev, according to sources close to the situation.

InBev said it would finance the deal with about $40bn in debt from banks including Banco Santander, Barclays Capital, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Fortis, JPMorgan and Royal Bank of Scotland. InBev said it could raise $8.3bn more from selling shares and non-core assets. These are likely to include Anheuser’s theme parks.

InBev’s shares rose 6 per cent during afternoon trading in Europe. Shares in Anheuser closed up 5.23 per cent to $61.40 in New York.

Can InBev turn Budweiser into a global brand?

2008-06-26T08:00:00.002+02:00

Can InBev turn Budweiser into a global brand?

By Carter Dougherty

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

FRANKFURT: The hourglass-shaped bottle of Brahma, a popular Brazilian beer, evokes the beautiful bodies for which the country is famous the world over. When Belgian brewer InBev introduced the brand globally in 2005, the buzz was of "ginga," a Portuguese word connoting the effortless flair that knockout Brazilian models, daring race car drivers and agile soccer players always seem to possess.

But the marketing effort did not pay off.

Three years later, Brahma is struggling mightily, with few solid markets outside Brazil, but that is not stopping InBev, which wants to take over Anheuser-Busch with a $46 billion bid, from talking up its next - far more ambitious - global project. Budweiser, InBev says, can become the beer that the world cracks open after a hard day of work.

"There is a big international opportunity for the Bud flagship brand," Carlos Brito, InBev's chief executive, says in a video press release posted on the company's Web site. "We have operations in 30 countries around the world and that would be a great platform to develop that brand."

Can InBev sell America better than it sold Brazil? The challenges are many.

InBev, burned by the Brahma episode, says it has learned valuable lessons about how to market internationally, and that Budweiser already has a level of name recognition that should make it far easier to turn into a blockbuster global brand along the lines of Heineken, a major competitor.

Though its reputation as a thin, watery brew puts Budweiser at a disadvantage in Europe, beer industry experts see better chances in Asia, where tastes run toward lighter beers (Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser is not to be confused with the Czech beer of the same name that has battled to limit the American brand's presence in Europe).

InBev's predecessor company, Interbrew, made Stella Artois, a workaday Belgian beer, into one quaffed by London nightclubbers, and that is not its only branding success. InBev turned Beck's, a middling German brand, into a international star with pumped-up marketing.

"InBev supports the biggest-performing brands with big marketing budgets," said Wim Hoste, a beverage industry analyst at KBC Securities in Brussels. "I don't think they would change dramatically in that respect."

One reason is that InBev aggressively cuts costs elsewhere.

Soon after Interbrew of Belgium merged with AmBev of Brazil in 2004 to create InBev, South American executives adopted an accounting technique known as zero-based budgeting. The method forces company divisions to justify costs for each year anew, rather than simply adjusting the baseline spending for the previous year.

In 2006, the first year that InBev applied the budgeting formula to western Europe, it extracted cost savings of €188 million, or $293 million, in the first year. If applied on the scale of Anheuser-Busch, analysts said, zero-based budgeting could net a combined company up to $900 million over three or four years.

"Anheuser-Busch would represent the largest pool of addressable cost savings remaining in the global beer industry," Melissa Earlam, a beverage industry analyst with UBS, wrote in a May 27 report.

InBev's central argument for why it can succeed globally with Bud brands - primarily Budweiser and its highly successful low calorie spinoff, Bud Light, which are ubiquitous in the United States but much harder to find elsewhere - is that the American brew is almost there.

Unlike Brahma, Budweiser looms large in the consciousness of many consumers outside the United States even if they cannot buy it at the corner market. Earlam of UBS pointed out that Budweiser's sponsorship of the 2006 soccer World Cup and the Beijing Olympics this year has lifted its global exposure.

By contrast, InBev now markets the ill-fated Brahma on a much narrower basis, particularly to Brazilian expatriate communities in the United States and Europe, a group already familiar with the brand.

"It is hard to do a multicountry launch without a top-of-the-mind awareness of consumers," Marianne Amssoms, InBev's vice president for global external communications, said. "That's the big difference between Budweiser in Brahma. Bud is known by many consumers but it is not available to all of them."

InBev is very familiar with the Bud brands. Since 1998, it has brewed them under an exclusive, and permanent, licensing agreement in Canada, where Bud has since become the top-selling beer. Brito, InBev's chief, once ran its North American operations.

But in Europe, on InBev's home territory, skepticism abounds that an American beer could become a blockbuster. Budweiser is viewed as a largely tasteless brew, while many Europeans, marketing experts say, have negative associations with the United States and transfer that to brands, whether Coca-Cola, McDonald's or Bud.

Allyson Stewart-Allen, director of International Marketing Partners, a London consulting firm, said that while American brands can seem "aspirational" to the rest of the world, they can also evoke a "provincialism and arrogance."

"The unpopularity of U.S. foreign policy has marginally affected American brands, by this arrogant assumption that what works in the United States works globally," Stewart-Allen said.

In the growing Chinese market, tastes run more to thinner beers, so Budweiser looks like it could have a better shot there.

Still, many analysts wonder if an American beer can take off in the world's most populous nation.

China is a place where Oktoberfest, the famous German festival, is routinely copied, complete with buxom waitresses and oom-pah bands. If heritage matters in marketing, the fascination with European tradition may trump what an American beer can bring to the table.

"In the world's mind, beer comes from Europe," said Johannes Rellecke, the German head of Dragon Rouge, a marketing consulting firm based in New York. "That's just reality."

InBev's international success with Beck's of Germany, which it purchased in 2002, has underscored this point.

A traditional dry German pilsner from the northern port town of Bremen, Beck's was a solid German brand and a niche export product, but a muscular marketing campaign under InBev transformed it.

Its advertising emphasized the brew's natural ingredients, and its adherence to the German Purity Law of 1516, which specifies that only water, hops and barley can go into beer. At the same time, it avoided a too-German identity, deftly claiming Bremen's elegant coat of arms, a silver key on a red background, as its own.

Sales volumes rose 4.3 percent in Germany, and 13 percent globally in 2007, to 7.5 million hectoliters, or 198 million gallons, according to the company.

InBev also led the way in Germany with new versions of Beck's, notably a milder, low-alcohol brew called Beck's Gold, that spawned many imitators in a hard-fought German market.

"There used to be just a normal Beck's pilsner, but they have managed to do a lot of things without harming the original brand," said Reiner Klinz, a beer industry specialist at KPMG in Munich.

The underside of the success with Beck's, according to people in the industry, was the intense pressure on the German management from InBev headquarters in Leuven, Belgium, outside Brussels, to increase profit margins.

That resulted in heavy turnover, as German executives complained that the Brazilians at headquarters, who by then had come to dominate InBev's upper echelon, were used to the fat margins they earned in Latin American markets, where a few brewers have long divvied up the market.

Amssoms, the communications executive, did not deny that changes have been afoot at Beck's, but pointed out that more than 4,000 people or 15 percent of InBev's management, was promoted in 2007.

"Part of changing organizations is that some people decided to look for opportunities outside the company," Amssoms said. "That's part of what happens when there is change."

InBev lines up bid money

InBev on Wednesday told its takeover target Anheuser-Busch that it has lined up financing for a deal and reminded the U.S. brewer that "time is of the essence," Reuters reported from New York.

It has been two weeks since the Belgian-Brazilian brewer started its unsolicited $46.3 billion takeover bid, but the maker of Budweiser and Michelob has yet to respond. Anheuser's board of directors met last week to discuss the proposal.

In his third letter to the Anheuser chief executive, August Busch IV, the InBev chief, Carlos Brito, said his company remains available to discuss its $65-per-share offer.

Brito said InBev has received commitment letters for the financing for the deal and has paid $50 million in commitment fees to a lending group comprised of Banco Santander, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Barclays Capital, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Fortis, ING Bank, JPMorgan, Mizuho Corporate Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland.

InBev awaits answer from Anheuser on $46B offer

2008-06-26T07:51:00.005+02:00

InBev awaits answer from Anheuser on $46B offer

By AOIFE WHITE – 6 hours ago

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) — Brewer InBev SA on Wednesday pressed Anheuser-Busch for an answer on its $46 billion takeover offer, and the maker of Budweiser beer was prepared to reject the offer, according to a published report.

The Belgium-based maker of Stella Artois said it wrote to Anheuser again on Wednesday to assure the company's board that it has struck deals with a group of banks and has already paid commitment fees to finance the takeover over.

Anheuser has not formally responded to InBev since it first made an offer for $65 per share on June 11.

The Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site late Wednesday that Anheuser is prepared to reject the offer, setting the stage for a hostile takeover battle.

Anheuser is expected to argue that InBev's offer undervalues the St. Louis-based brewer, the Journal reported. Anheuser also will present its own strategic plan that is likely to include the sale of noncore assets such as Anheuser's theme parks and packaging business, the Journal reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

Anheuser-Busch spokeswoman Brenda Williams said the company had no comment on the report. The company has declined comment on InBev's proposal since it was made, except for a brief letter from Anheuser-Busch Chief Executive August Busch IV which said the board of directors would make its decision in "due course."

Meanwhile, InBev says it has paid $50 million in commitment fees to a lending group that includes Banco Santander, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Barclays Capital, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Fortis, ING Bank, JP Morgan, Mizuho Corporate Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland.

InBev CEO Carlos Brito made another plea for the support of Anheuser's board for an agreed takeover but stressed time was running out.

"This firm proposal is subject only to the negotiation of mutually satisfactory definitive agreements," he said. "We are committed to entering into a constructive dialogue with you to achieve a friendly combination."

But Brito warned that "time is of the essence."

InBev made no move to raise the offer, insisting that market reaction to its bid "has been extremely positive" and the offer would give shareholders an immediate cash premium of 35 percent above the 30-day average share price prior to recent market speculation.

The $65 offer for each share is also 18 percent above Anheuser's previous all-time share price high in October 2002, it said.

The Journal reported that InBev is prepared to take its offer directly to Anheuser shareholders via a tender offer.

A number of politicians and other groups have come out against the deal, saying it may create a near-monopoly in the U.S. beer market and there are fears of American job losses.

Anheuser-Busch spokeswoman Maureen Roth declined comment on the letter.

Brito repeated in the letter that InBev would not shut any U.S. breweries and would help sell Budweiser beer globally. St. Louis would remain the company's North American headquarters and "global home of the flagship Budweiser brand," he said.

Anheuser management would be retained at all senior levels and Anheuser board members would be invited to join the board of the new combined company.

Together the two businesses would form "one of the world's five largest consumer-goods companies," he said.

The beer industry has been consolidating in recent years amid costs for transport fuel and key ingredients and slowing demand in wealthy markets in Europe and the United States. InBev has partly bucked that trend by expanding in Latin America, eastern Europe and Asia.

InBev itself is a product of a major takeover when Brazil's AmBev took over Belgium's Interbrew in 2004. Both Brito and the company's CFO came from AmBev, bringing with them a tight control on finances that has upped InBev's profits.

Anheuser-Busch shares rose 63 cents to $61.76 Wednesday. InBev fell about 1.1 percent to 46.30 euros ($72.48).

AP Business Writer Christopher Leonard in St. Louis contributed to this report.

On the Net:

2008-06-24T08:17:00.003+02:00

Super-cool beer, super-fast!

06-23-2008

You've got a few friends over on a Friday night. There's good stuff grilling on the barbeque, there's a table full of salads and desserts, there's cold beer in the ... Oh, no!

You forgot to put the beer in the fridge. It's sitting on the porch where you set it down to unlock the door. And it's about 87 degrees out there. You can stick them straight in the freezer, but it'll still be half an hour at least before anyone has a cold brew in their hot little hand. Don't you just wish there was a cooling-down version of the speedy heating-up efficiency of a microwave?

There is! The not-so-dumb folks over at Dumb Little Man have the answer. If you have a container large enough to hold a few bottles, enough ice to cover them, some table salt, and enough room in your fridge for it all, you can have icy-cold beer in about three minutes! Follow the Dumb Little Man link for full details.

For those who need to know, the reason is this: salt speeds up the melting. When a substance goes from solid to liquid, it absorbs extra heat, keeping the water extra cold. So there. Your grade ten physics teacher was right: the subject is relevant to your day-to-day life!

[vi! a Matthew Yglesias]

Ceres Sparkling Brings Out the Bubbly in Glass!

2007-10-18T12:02:00.002+02:00

After the resounding success of the Ceres Sparkling range in the 340ml cans, Ceres is bursting onto the beverage market with the launch of Ceres Sparkling in a new elegant 275 ml glass bottle. Ceres Sparkling first added a dash of sparkle to nature’s perfect juice when the range was launched in 340 ml cans in 2003. Now, with the launch of the new premium look of the sophisticated 275ml glass bottle, Ceres aims to offer a greater variety to the discerning consumer market in this beverage category. “Glass has such a premium image so it was only natural to extend the Ceres Sparkling range into a stylish new glass bottle” says Willem Grové, Ceres Brand Manager. The new stylish Ceres Sparkling range offers the same wholesome goodness and quality that Ceres consumers have grown accustomed to over the years. Not only is Ceres Sparkling 100% pure, natural fruit juice, with no added sugar or preservatives, it is also suitable for Halaal. The Ceres Sparkling Apple variant is Kosher certified. Ceres Sparkling Glass Ceres Sparkling an ideal non-alcoholic bubbly for any occasion, is available in a stylish new 275 ml glass bottle and the convenient 340ml can. Choose from three delicious flavours:

Apple
White Grape
Red Grape

Ask for Ceres Sparkling at supermarkets and convenience stores countrywide from August and join us in celebrating Ceres - Nature’s Perfect Juice.

Beer for the connoisseur

2007-10-16T09:25:00.000+02:00

After selling their start-up, local coffee hotspot vida e caffe, Rui Esteves and Brad Armitage could have spent their time island hopping or racing Aston Martins on the N2, but instead they're right back in the entrepreneurial ring, this time with a couple of bottles of beer.

In a country obsessed with beer made by big corporations that gets washed down with a greasy segment of boerewors, the guys chose to chase the counter-trend in this case and market a super-premium brew aimed at wine drinkers.

Each of the three beers is available in a large 750ml champagne bottle with the cork and foil packaging [which is great for dinner party points scoring value] and is brewed to be paired with different kinds of food, just like wine.

Similar to how they spread the word with vida, they're not really doing an kind of formal advertising. Their strategy is to really just let the product speak for itself and let word-of-mouth do the rest.

http://www.cherryflava.com/cherryflava/2007/10/beer-for-the-co.html

Bionade

2007-10-14T15:21:00.001+02:00

The unique non-alcoholic refreshment drink for wellness and fitness.

Worldwide, BIONADE is the first and only non-alcoholic refreshment drink produced by a purely organic process. Through the fermentation of natural ingredients of organic quality.

Produced through a completely organic fermentation process. Made from natural ingredients of organic quality. A good source of calcium and magnesium. And with natural fruit and herbal essences.
BIONADE acts isotonically and refreshes in a natural way. Delicately tart and fruity. Whether as Elderberry, Lychee, Herb and Ginger-Orange.

Shongwenibrewery.com

2007-10-13T11:15:00.002+02:00

Shongweni Brewery is nestled in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

They offer, Robson's a range of unique, locally brewed, globally inspired beers; a range that is changing the way that beer is appreciated in South Africa.

Motivated by the variety of beers produced around the world they set out to create their own handcrafted beer, using only the finest ingredients, natural processes, and no artificial additives.

We love this place, the Brewery, the Valley, the East Coast, in fact, South Africa! It is this 'sense of place' that inspired the flagship brew, East Coast Ale, our very own South African Real Ale.

They believe that well made, natural beer offers unlimited opportunities for matching flavours with foods, spending time with friends and family, or just relaxing on your own and contemplating the good things in life.

If you are looking for the pleasure that can be had from real beer then you should pay attention to flavour, aroma and quality.

Tested Positive

2007-10-08T14:07:00.001+02:00

Pepsi vs Coke Ad

2007-10-04T13:01:00.001+02:00

Pepsi Vs Cocacola Funny Add - The funniest movie is here. Find it

Marula Nature's Own

2007-10-02T12:44:00.001+02:00

Budweiser 2010

2007-10-02T11:15:00.001+02:00

South African soccer fans attending the 2010 World Cup will not be able to crack open a Castle at the stadium - instead they will have to make do with American beer, Budweiser.

Jérome Valcke, the CEO of Fifa Marketing and TV, told a 2010 seminar on Wednesday that SAB-Miller had refused to negotiate with the football controlling body about what beer brand would be sold at stadiums.

Valcke told delegates attending the KPMG, aloeCap and Business Report's 2010 seminar that SAB-Miller did not even respond to their request for a meeting.

"People may think it is crazy that we have not signed with a local (beer) company. But the fact is, SAB-Miller did not even reply to our request for a meeting. We did not even get a chance to make a presentation. We waited for three months for them to respond, and they did not, so we signed with Budweiser," he said.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=4&art_id=vn20060223062717470C525308

Cobra Beer

2007-10-02T11:02:00.001+02:00

Cobra Beer was founded in 1989 by Karan Bilimoria (now the Lord Bilimoria, of Chelsea, CBE DL), then aged 27 and £20,000 in debt. A Cambridge law graduate and qualified Chartered Accountant, Bilimoria launched Cobra Beer when it became clear to him that Britain needed a smoother, less gassy lager - one that appealed to both ale drinkers and lager drinkers alike, and complemented all types of cuisines.

Cobra Beer is stocked in almost 6,000 restaurants and in most major supermarkets and off-licence chains in the UK, and has also increased its presence in mainstream retail outlets and is available in nearly 2,500 pubs, style bars and clubs. Cobra has also been exported to more than 40 countries worldwide, and with subsidiaries in India, South Africa and the US is on its way to becoming a mainstream, global beer brand. The company has a retail value turnover of £80m and a compound annual growth rate of more than 42% in the last ten years.

Cobra Beer has received many awards and accolades over the years, including 12 Gold medals from the prestigious Monde Selection, Brussels, in 2006 – more than any other beer brand in the world, and one up on its already world-beating tally from 2005.

Cobra was first brewed in Bangalore, India, in 1990 and imported into the UK. In 1997 Cobra commenced brewing under licence with Charles Wells in the UK. Today, Cobra is brewed in Poland, Belgium, Holland and, once again, India.

In addition to the classic Cobra, the 5% Premium Lager, Cobra has introduced three new products. The first, Cobra 0.0%, is an alcohol-free beer with the smoothness and flavour of the original – the Cobra for when you can’t have a Cobra. The second, Cobra Lower Cal, has fewer than 100 calories and less than half the carbs of regular lagers. And finally, King Cobra. The world’s first double-fermented, bottle-conditioned lager, King Cobra is an 8% ABV strong lager brewed in Poland and then sent to the historic Rodenbach brewery in Beligum, where it is fermented a second time to bring out all the subtlety and character of its fine ingredients.

Cobra also produces a range of nine wines under the General Bilimoria Wine label.

In 2005, Cobra launched the groundbreaking CobraVision short film competition in partnership with itv2, itv3 and itv4, giving aspiring filmmakers the chance to have their work shown on national television.

http://www.cbidirectory.co.uk/cobrabeerltd/

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