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News Briefs
Cold Stone Creamery and Golden Corral both have selected Pepsi as their exclusive beverage supplier. Cold Stone will carry carbonated and non-carbonated Pepsi products in 20-ounce single-serve bottles. The agreement with Golden Corral includes fountain pouring rights as well as bottle sales.
Jones Soda Co., Seattle,
has signed a five-year distribution and manufacturing agreement with National Beverage Corp., Fort
Lauderdale, Fla. The deal includes 12-ounce cans of Jones Soda and 16-ounce
energy drinks for the entire U.S. market.
Spirit Airlines, based in
Fort Lauderdale, Fla., plans to offer only Coca-Cola-branded products on
its flights after signing a three-year agreement with The Coca-Cola Co. The deal includes
carbonated soft drinks, juice and water products.
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates,
Woodinville, Wash., will distribute La Braccesca Italian wines in the
United States, beginning in April 2007. This year, Ste. Michelle became the
exclusive U.S. distributor of the Antinori Super Tuscan wines, Solaia,
Tignanello and its luxury Chianti Classico wines, as well as other Antinori
properties, including Guado al Tasso, Santa Cristina and Villa Antinori.
Go Fast Energy Drink is
launching in the United Kingdom, the Denver-based company announced. It
will operated Go Fast Sports & Beverage Co.
U.K. from a division in Edinburgh,
Scotland.
England’s Prince Andrew, the Duke of York,
joined members of the Scottish and American spirits industry to dedicate
the restored George Washington Distillery at Mount Vernon. The Duke cut the
ribbon at the event, which also was attended by Virginia Attorney General
Bob McDonnell, Distilled Spirits Council President Peter Cressy, and Scotch
Whisky Association Chief Executive Officer
Gavin Hewitt.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau reached
an agreement with Black Prince Distillery Inc., Clifton, N.J., over allegations of bottling, sale and
distribution of distilled spirits that were labeled as tequila while not
meeting the standard of identity for tequila. The agreement includes a
$50,000 offer-in-compromise, and Black Prince has taken steps to ensure
that future products will comply with the standard.
Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai inaugurated
the new, state-of-the-art Coca-Cola bottling plant in Kabul. The plant is located on a
60,000-square-meter site, and represents an investment of $25 million.
Karzai described this investment as “an important step forward to
economic growth, self sufficiency and better future of
Afghanistan.”
Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc., Deerfield, Ill., has selected the Licensing
Co. of North America as its leading brand
licensing agency of record. The agreement covers all countries but
Australia and New Zealand, which will continue to be represented by Newman International.
Information Resources Inc.,
Chicago, has teamed up with TiVo Inc., Alviso, Calif., to launch the IRI TiVo Consumer Insights
Suite, designed to help advertisers and brand marketers understand the
impact digital video recorder (DVR) technology has on consumer viewing
patterns and product sales. The companies also have expanded their existing
relationship to provide viewer and consumer insights from a new national
DVR research panel that will allow the companies to use second-by-second
analysis and track it to consumer purchasing decisions.
Pernod Ricard USA has sold
its Rich & Rare and Royal Canadian Whisky brands to the Sazerac Co., New Orleans. The
company also reached an agreement with Corby
Distilleries Ltd., which will continue to
represent Pernod Ricard brands such as Ballantine's Scotch, Beefeater Gin,
Malibu Rum, Kahlúa and Mumm Champagne. Corby also will represent
Chivas Regal and The Glenlivet Scotches, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Havana Club
Rum, Jacob’s Creek and Wyndham Estate wines.