Absolut, a brand of Paris-based Pernod Ricard, has unveiled its new summer, limited-edition bottle: Absolut America. 

Starbucks Corp., Seattle, will form a global coffee alliance with Nestlé S.A. to accelerate and grow the global reach of Starbucks brands in consumer packaged goods (CPG) and foodservice. With a shared commitment to ethical and sustainable sourcing of coffee, this alliance will transform, expand and elevate the at-home and away-from-home coffee and related categories around the world, the company says.

Birra Moretti, a brand of Five Points Trading Co., White Plains, N.Y.,, has teamed up with Bocce for the second year in a row. 

Also announced during the summer was the No. 2 most-viewed headline, in which Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin' launched Cosmic COOLATTA frozen beverages.

Bacardi Ltd., Hamilton, Bermuda, completed the transaction that makes the family owned company the sole owner of Patrón Spirits International AG, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, and PATRÓN, its super-premium tequila brand. The transaction follows a successful relationship the two companies have had since Bacardi’s initial acquisition of a 30 percent minority stake in Patrón Spirits in 2008.

LIFEWTR, a brand of Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo Inc., announced a multi-faceted global partnership with Frieze, London.

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Miami and Dallas, announced that it has expanded distribution agreements in the Pacific Northwest with Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Woodinville, Wash.

To further complement its commitment to eliminate single-use, nonbiodegradable straws and stirrers from the beverage business, New York-based Pernod Ricard USA is collaborating with New York-based LOLIWARE and its co-founders Chelsea Briganti and Leigh Ann Tucker to reimagine the cocktail consumption experience through the use of the recently launched LOLISTRAW, a hypercompostable fully edible straw.

As 2018 comes to a close, the editors of Beverage Industry want to highlight the Top 3 most-viewed beverage news headlines for the year. No. 1 was the announcement by SONIC's Drive-In, Oklahoma City, that it was releasing SONIC’s new Cookie Jar Shakes as part of its Summer Nights event.