Beverage
Alabama Last State To Prohibit Home Brewing
March 28, 2013 12:20 pm | by PHILLIP RAWLS,Associated Press | News | CommentsWith Mississippi legalizing home brewing, Alabama is now the only state that doesn't allow citizens to brew small amounts of beer or wine at home for personal use. Home brewing enthusiasts have been trying since 2009 to get the Alabama Legislature to legalize what several thousand people are already doing illegally.
Billionaire Cried Foul in Wine Sale
March 28, 2013 12:13 pm | by LARRY NEUMEISTER,Associated Press | News | CommentsTestimony began Wednesday in a civil trial six years after Florida energy maven William Koch, a yachtsman and collector, sued onetime-billionaire California businessman Eric Greenberg in U.S. District Court in Manhattan over $320,000 he spent in 2005 on two dozen bottles of wine that turned out to be duds.
Tenn. Panel Adds Sunday Sales to Wine Bill
March 28, 2013 9:37 am | by ERIK SCHELZIG,Associated Press | News | CommentsTennessee liquor stores would be allowed to be open for business on Sundays under changes to a supermarket wine bill adopted by the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday. The panel voted to make several changes to the measure seeking to allow cities and governments to hold referendums on whether to permit supermarkets and convenience stores to sell wine.
Mont. Beer Brewers Battle with Tavern Owners
March 27, 2013 12:39 pm | by MATT GOURAS,Associated Press | News | CommentsMontana tavern owners faced off against craft brewers at the Capitol Tuesday, arguing the upstart competition has been allowed to unfairly flourish with too few restrictions. Both sides packed a state House Business and Labor Committee hearing looking at two bills.
New Beer Distribution Rules Clear Texas Senate
March 27, 2013 9:27 am | by MICHAEL BRICK,Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Texas Senate has approved new rules to help small brewers expand. Under a bill passed 31-0 on Monday, changes to the beer industry's pricing structure would accompany an overhaul of regulations that apply only to craft breweries. The bill still must pass the House.
Mount Vernon To Sell Washington’s Rye Whiskey
March 26, 2013 12:26 pm | News | CommentsRye whiskey using George Washington's own recipe will soon go on sale at the first president's Mount Vernon estate in Virginia. The presidential home reconstructed Washington's distillery and will make more than 1,100 bottles of unaged whiskey available beginning April 4. The bottles sell for $95 each.
U.S. Sen. Durbin: Stop Marketing Energy Drinks to Kids
March 26, 2013 12:24 pm | News | CommentsU.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is asking energy drink companies to stop marketing their products to children. The Democratic senator from Illinois sent a letter Monday to the CEOs of Red Bull, Rockstar and Monster asking for an explanation for the companies' sponsorship of sporting events that target children.
Fizzy Drink Consumption Falls Again
March 26, 2013 9:24 am | News | CommentsAmericans' consumption of fizzy soft drinks, on the decline since 2005, fell last year to its lowest level since 1996. If it weren't for increasingly popular energy drinks like Monster and Red Bull, the decline would have been worse. The declines come amid heavy attention on soda's role in obesity and related health problems.
Fla. House Approves Wine Keg Bill
March 25, 2013 12:24 pm | News | CommentsWine kegs would be available in Florida for the first time under a bill that won House approval. The House voted 116-0 on Friday to approve the bill (HB 623) that would legalize wine barrels that hold just more than five gallons. Currently wine can't be sold in containers larger than one gallon.
PepsiCo CEO’s Pay Down amid Compensation Change
March 25, 2013 12:19 pm | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsPepsiCo gave CEO Indra Nooyi a pay package worth $12.6 million last year, which is down 11 percent from the previous year, as the soda-and-snack food giant changed the way it awards long-term incentive compensation. The Purchase, N.Y.-based company did away with outright option awards last year and instead gave Nooyi a long-term incentive award tied to the performance of the company's future stock price and other metrics.
Pa. House Passes Bill Phasing Out State Liquor Stores
March 25, 2013 9:33 am | by MARK SCOLFORO,Associated Press | News | CommentsA Republican plan to phase out Pennsylvania's 600 state-operated liquor stores and raise millions in revenue by selling licenses to private businesses passed the House easily Thursday and was sent to the Senate. The 105-90 vote after about seven hours of debate was a victory for members of the majority Republican caucus and their ally, GOP Gov. Tom Corbett. Five Republicans and no Democrats crossed party lines.
Coca-Cola: No ‘Kosher for Passover’ Coke in Calif.
March 25, 2013 9:26 am | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsCoca-Cola may be missing from Passover feasts for the second year in a row in California. The Coca-Cola Co. said Thursday it once again won't be able to make "kosher for Passover" versions of its flagship cola this year because of manufacturing changes that were made in the state.
Ex-NFL Star Seeks Change in Mass. Wine Law
March 22, 2013 12:24 pm | by BOB SALSBERG,Associated Press | News | CommentsFormer New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe is urging Massachusetts lawmakers to end a ban on direct wine shipments to consumers. Bledsoe now operates a winery in Washington state. He said Thursday the prohibition on direct wine shipments has prevented him from selling his wine to fans in the Bay State.
PepsiCo Says It Doesn’t Need a Big Acquisition
March 22, 2013 12:18 pm | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsPepsiCo Inc. issued a statement Friday saying it doesn't see the need for any major acquisitions after a newspaper report suggested activist investor Nelson Peltz could push for a merger between the snack-and-soda giant and Oreo cookie maker Mondelez International.
Wine-Bottle Maker Rises from the Ashes
March 22, 2013 9:39 am | by DANA TIMS,The Oregonian | News | CommentsBennu Glass officials are excited about their growth prospects, in large part because of ongoing demand for wine bottles generated by expanding West Coast wineries. But what's amazing is that Bennu is operating at all. The factory, originally built in 2007 for Pennsylvania-based Cameron Family Glass Packaging, suffered a near-fatal setback after a furnace leak in January 2009.
Pepsi Rolls Out New Bottle Shape
March 22, 2013 9:36 am | News | CommentsPepsi is rolling out a new shape for its 20-ounce bottle for the first time in about 17 years. The new bottle has a contoured bottom half that appears easier to grip, and the wraparound label is shorter so that more of the drink is exposed.
Coca-Cola To Cut 750 U.S. Jobs
March 22, 2013 9:34 am | News | CommentsCoca-Cola says it's cutting 750 jobs in the U.S. as it continues to streamline its business. The world's biggest beverage maker says the jobs cuts will be across the board and that affected individuals will be notified in coming weeks. The cuts represent roughly 1 percent of the company's workforce of 75,000 in North America.
Photo of the Day: Pepsi's New Shape
March 22, 2013 9:30 am | News | CommentsPepsi's new 20-ounce bottle has a contoured bottom half that appears easier for holding, and the wraparound label is shorter so that more of the drink is exposed. The change follows a number of splashy moves in the past year by PepsiCo to improve results for its namesake soda, including a multiyear deal to sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show and a wide-ranging deal with the pop star Beyonce.
Starbucks Expands Loyalty Program to Supermarkets
March 21, 2013 12:21 pm | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsStarbucks is offering a novel perk to get more people to sign up for its loyalty program: letting members earn points when they buy bags of its coffee at supermarkets. The Seattle-based company said at its annual meeting Wednesday that the new perk will roll out in May.
Fla. Craft Distillers Bill Moves Forward
March 21, 2013 9:44 am | News | CommentsA bill that would allow Florida's craft distillers to sell their products on site is finally moving after a bottle limit was significantly reduced. The House Business and Professional Regulation Subcommittee approved the bill (HB 347) Wednesday after its sponsor amended it to reduce the number of bottles each customer can buy from 24 to 2.
St. Louis Company Plans To Build 5 Breweries
March 21, 2013 9:39 am | News | CommentsA St. Louis-based company is planning to build five breweries over the next five years for craft beer production. Brew Hub LLC said Tuesday that its first brewery is planned in Lakeland, Fla. The company is also evaluating locations in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Texas and the West Coast for what it calls "partner brewing."
Influential Calif. Vintner Dies
March 20, 2013 12:40 pm | News | CommentsJames Barrett, a vintner whose chardonnay beat the French in a 1976 tasting that propelled California wines to international prominence, has died. He was 86. Barrett died on Thursday, according to a statement from the Chateau Montelena Winery he refurbished in 1972. A cause of death was not given.
Pa. Committee OKs Overhaul of Governor’s Liquor Bill
March 20, 2013 12:35 pm | by PETER JACKSON,Associated Press | News | CommentsA legislative panel on Monday endorsed a revamped version of Gov. Tom Corbett's liquor privatization bill that would give existing beer distributors first crack at liquor and wine licenses and expand the sale of wine in grocery stores. In a 14-10 party-line vote, the House Liquor Committee backed a bill that would potentially phase out the existing state-controlled stores as the number of private operators grows.
Consumer Trends: Craft Beers Continue to Brew Growth
March 20, 2013 12:00 pm | News | CommentsThe Brewers Association (BA), the trade association representing small and independent American brewers, today released 2012 data on U.S. craft brewing1 growth. In a year when the total U.S. beer market grew by one percent, craft brewers saw a 15 percent rise in volume2 and a 17 percent increase in dollar growth, representing a total barrel increase of almost 1.8 million.
Starbucks Hires New Marketing Chief
March 20, 2013 9:41 am | News | CommentsStarbucks Corp. said Monday that it has hired Sharon Rothstein, a marketing executive at makeup store chain Sephora, as its new chief marketing officer. Starbucks has come back strong from its struggles during the recession, expanding in Asia and the U.S.
