Olly Wehring's beverage industry blog - from just-drinks.comOlly Wehring's beverage industry blog - from just-drinks.comInBev's chase for Anheuser-Busch - when, not if- May 29, 2008 It looks like the timing of my week in Russia - thanks to Pernod - could have been a bit better. Even before my flight left London on Friday (23 May), the rumour mill cranked out talk of the possibility of a takeover bid by InBev for Anheuser-Busch. The general consensus among the analyst community - it seems - is that the rumours are real, and that it is more a case of when and not if InBev will succeed in acquiring A-B. The benefit for A-B, one analyst told me, is that it would gain from...http://www.just-drinks.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1403 Fight fans at the ready- May 28, 2008 The prospect of Anheuser-Busch and InBev slugging it out in a hostile takeover battle has all the attractions of a great heavyweight-boxing bout. Anheuser and InBev both have claims to the world title, A-B by value, InBev by volume. This clash could finally decide who is the out and out champion. Add in the possible addition of another young pretender (SABMiller) to the fray and you can see why the world's media has already gone crazy over this deal, despite no formal approach by InBev as yet..http://www.just-drinks.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1402 Facebook generation targets alcopop tax- May 27, 2008 Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has recently come under enormous fire over the government's proposals for a tax on RTDs. Only today (19 May), Rudd received a warning from The Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia, which said so-called spirit-based RTDs are taxed on alcohol content as an incentive to keep alcohol levels low. But wine-based pre-mixed drinks are taxed on value and already have higher alcohol levels than alcopops. Now it seems Rudd is facing even tougher...http://www.just-drinks.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1398 The apprentice tackles the LIWF- May 23, 2008 This year's London International Wine Fair was a first for just-drinks reporter Michelle Russell. Here are some of her thoughts after a tiring and eventful three days. Like a new recruit to Sir Alan Sugar's boardroom, I recently became an apprentice myself - to the drinks industry. This week was my first experience of the London International Wine Fair. An event spanning three days, in which I was to meet some of the biggest players in the wine and spirits industry, while also on the look out...http://www.just-drinks.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1401 LIWF & Distil - our parting gesture- May 22, 2008 And so, the end is near... We're into the final day of the London International Wine Fair & Distil and, like every previous show, we've been traipsing the aisles, meeting the great and the good of the wine and spirits industries. It's been an excellent show with, I'm told, increased numbers on 2007. The Distil section of the show has split the crowds, with some thinking it's not as strong an event as it could be. I'm in the opposing camp, however. With Diageo and Whyte & Mackay...http://www.just-drinks.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1400 LIWF & Distil - we're here- May 21, 2008 It's day two of the LIWF & Distil here in London, and our website quietude yesterday (20 May) was only because we were all hairing round the hall from dawn to dusk. Despite what felt like a slow day, crowd-wise, yesterday, I've been told that numbers were actually up for the first day. Today, Wednesday, however, is the big one. It feels like everyone who's anyone in the industry is here today, and just-drinks is no exception. If you'd like to put a face to a name, or just compare the photo..http://www.just-drinks.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1399 Postcard from Brazil - 2 - The morning sales meeting, Brazil-style- May 16, 2008 It's early morning in Sao Paulo. As 0720 approaches, Ambev's sales force - almost all male, aged between 25 and 35 - begins to congregate at the company's direct distribution centres around the city. There are around 40 sales representatives - all of whom serve Sao Paulo on motorbikes - per room. Six per table, with a sales manager per group. At 0720, AmBev TV - the corporate television station exclusive to AmBev staff - kicks in. A 15-minute gameshow - based round a raffle for prizes including.http://www.just-drinks.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1397 Postcard from Brazil - 1 - PR stress- May 15, 2008 It must be every PR's worst nightmare - you take a load of journalists away on a trip - often at great expense - and, all the time you're on site, you fear a member of your company's workstaff saying, or doing, something that reflects badly on your firm. Yes, that's right, members of the PR world, we're looking out for it too. So, I couldn't resist, on a trip round AmBev's largest brewery in Brazil today (12 May), to ask - during the 'any questions' part of the presentation - why one of the...http://www.just-drinks.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1396 May I suggest Jimi Hendrix with your red wine, sir- May 13, 2008 New research has revealed that music has a direct impact on the taste of wine. According to Chilean wine producer Montes and research carried out at the Department of Applied Psychology at Heriot Watt, it seems the style of music we listen to whilst drinking wine affects how the wine actually tastes. Montes winemaker Aurelio Montes already plays monastic chants to his maturing wines, convinced that the gentle vibrations improve the quality and energy of the wine. His Feng Shui designed barrel..http://www.just-drinks.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1395 Back in the saddle- May 12, 2008 From our group editor, and former just-drinks editor, Chris Brook-Carter. Olly is away in Brazil this week, and, with our news editor's desk temporarily empty, you guys are stuck back with me for the next five days. It's been a while I know, but I reckon I can get the hang of this drinks industry thing once again without too many slips. Olly is checking out InBev's facilities in the country - which as he pointed out in his weekly couldn't have come at a more interesting time. InBev, when it...http://www.just-drinks.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1393 |