Brewing updates

Double Canyon inaugural vintage

DOUBLE Canyon, a limited production luxury wine from the Horse Heaven Hills region in the United States, has released the inaugural vintage of Double Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine offers a savoury bouquet of dried cherries, plums and sage, followed by flavours of raspberries and candied cherries balanced by a natural acidity. It is crafted from low-yielding vines and features 15% Syrah to lend structure and complexity. Only 275 cases of the wine have been produced.

Elderflower cider from Angry Orchard

ANGRY Orchard is adding a unique cider to its collection of drinks. The Elderflower Hard Cider borrows from the European tradition of elderflower cordials, and mixes the flavours of elderflower, tropical fruits and crisp apple.

The hard ciders, including the elderflower flavour, are crafted with a blend of Italian culinary apples and French bittersweet apples. Angry Orchard is named after the bittersweet apples which are described as ‘angry’ because of the tart and tannic characteristics they impart to cider, creating real apple flavours, and also because of the way they look, small and unattractive. These bittersweet apples are unique to cider making, just like wine grapes are to wine making. Just like wine, the ciders go through a fermentation process and are aged in oak.

Premium light beer heads for Canada

THE newest member of the Bud Light family of beers – Bud Light Platinum – has officially launched in Canada, through Labatt Breweries.

“Labatt identified an opportunity to shape a new category of premium beer in Canada – one that delivers strong beer with a light, easy-drinking taste in a sophisticated and approachable style. Bud Light Platinum fits this profile,” said Jorn Socquet, vice president for marketing. “It has differentiated packaging, including a distinctive large cobalt blue glass bottle that looks and feels like nothing else on the market.”
 
Bud Light Platinum saw huge success in the U.S. when it first launched last year.

Bacardi names new CMO

ANDY J. GIBSON will join Bacardi in April as chief marketing officer (CMO) of Bacardi and president of Bacardi Global Brands (BGB). He succeeds Ms Silvia Lagnado, who left Bacardi in late 2012, and will be based at the BGB headquarters in London.

Mr Gibson will be responsible for the overall leadership and strategic direction of Bacardi’s portfolio of premium spirits brands. He will serve as a member of the Bacardi Leadership Team and report to Bacardi Limited president and CEO Ed Shirley. His 20-year career includes positions in consumer products marketing and sales, with assignments in Australia, Asia, the United States, Latin America and Europe. Most recently, he was CMO for Carlton United Brewers (CUB).

Snow acquires Kingway beer business
CHINA Resources Snow Breweries Limited has entered into an agreement with Kingway Brewery Holdings Limited to acquire its brewery business, for a total cash consideration of RMB 5.38bn (c. US$864m), pending approvals. This acquisition business will reinforce Snow’s production base, sales infrastructure and market position in the Guangdong province and provide additional scale and market presence in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Tianjin.

The acquisition comprises seven breweries with an annuaNike