Drinks Sector News

Calorie labelling for alcohol splits opinion

A government proposal to end the current exemption for alcohol products from calorie labelling requirements has received a mixed response from health campaigners and industry bodies. The Alcohol Health Alliance said the decision was “very welcome”, adding that the fact a large glass of white wine contains the same calories as a slice of pizza…

Brewdog fuels reusable growth with new drive-thrus

Scottish brewer Brewdog has unveiled plans to open drive-thrus which will act as hubs for returning reusable drinks bottles and kegs. The brewer’s co-founder James Watt tweeted an artists’ impression of the drive-thrus which he said would act as beer collection points, hubs for electric vehicle deliveries and hubs for closed-loop, zero-waste packaging such as…

Pub operators must seek permission from their water company before disposing of stale beer this week. Those that don’t could risk missing Saturday’s reopening of England’s hospitality sector. Water UK, the water industry trade body, warned that wildlife could be harmed if large quantities of beer are washed away and end up rivers and waterways.…

A leading trade body has warned of the “catastrophic” cost to the wine industry of new trading rules that would apply if a deal with the EU is not agreed by the end of the transition period. Mike Beale, chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Association, expressed anger at a government minister’s assertion that…

Plastic straws won’t be banned until October

A ban on plastic straws and stirrers in England has been pushed back by six months. A memo sent by Defra to companies this week, and seen by the FT, said “supply chain disruption due to the Covid-19 outbreak may make sourcing alternatives to single-use plastics challenging”. The delay was therefore a temporary measure, with…

Pubs set to benefit as minimum pricing comes to Wales

The way alcohol is sold in Wales was overhauled this week with the introduction of a 50p minimum price per unit. Price increases will be greatest for so-called 'white ciders', some of which are set to more than double in price. The minimum price for a standard-strength pint of beer containing 2.5 units of alcohol…

Beer and whisky sectors post impressive environmental performance

Scotland’s whisky producers and brewers have been praised for their “exceptionally high standards” of environmental compliance. In the latest set of figures, released by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), compliance across the two sectors improved from 93.2% to 95.5% in 2018. Of the 176 sites assessed 142 were rated excellent, 24 good and two…

Alcohol taxes account for a similar share of the incomes and budgets of rich and poor households alike, and at worst are only “mildly regressive”, according to research by the Institute of Alcohol Studies. “There is little reason for the government to avoid increasing alcohol taxes out of concern for the poor,” the researchers concluded.…

Climate crisis threatens wine production

The regions of the world that are suitable for growing wine grapes could shrink by as much as 56% if temperatures rise by 2°C, according to a new study. With 4°C of warming, 85% of those lands would no longer be able to produce good wines. “In some ways, wine is like the canary in…

‘Alcopops’ should be subject to sugar levy

Health campaigners have criticised the government for omitting alcoholic drinks from the sugar levy after a survey revealed that some pre-mixed spirits and cocktails contain up to 12 teaspoons of sugar. Popular ‘ready to drink’ (RTD) pre-mixed spirits and cocktails sold in supermarkets are extremely high in hidden sugar and calories whilst lacking in on-pack…

Drinks Sector News

Calorie labelling for alcohol splits opinion

Brewdog fuels reusable growth with new drive-thrus

Sewers at risk from spoilt beer

Wine trade faces £70m ‘no-deal’ tab

Plastic straws won’t be banned until October

Pubs set to benefit as minimum pricing comes to Wales

Beer and whisky sectors post impressive environmental performance

Higher alcohol taxes could benefit poor

Climate crisis threatens wine production

‘Alcopops’ should be subject to sugar levy

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