Diageo invests in new low-sugar Archers RTD range
12-May-2005
Diageo has announced it will be investing £4m in a new RTD brand, despite falling category sales.Archer's Vea is a low-sugar RTD aimed at women aged...
Archers Vea aims to pep up RTDs
12-May-2005
by Rosie Davenport Diageo has pledged to fight rival RTD manufacturers on taste and calorie count as it pins its hopes for reviving the category on...
Pimm's to launch
21-Apr-2005
draught pre-mix Diageo is to launch a draught premixed version of Pimm's and lemonade in 350 pubs this summer. The rollout follows a test in 28...
Silver gets the bullet in WKD brands shake-up
24-Feb-2005
by Rosie Davenport Beverage Brands has pledged to focus on bringing new products to the RTD market after axing WKD Silver. The supplier said it...
Smirnoff is crowned the fastest move
16-Dec-2004
Smirnoff has stolen a march on its rivals to claim the title of the fastest-growing on-trade product of the year. The stalwart brand gained the most...
Roxxoff backs off as watchdog forces name rethink
17-Nov-2004
The Portman Group is claiming victory in its battle against RTD brand Roxxoff.Plans to relaunch the product in Manchester were scuppered by a joint...
Roxxoff to relaunch despite blacklisting
11-Nov-2004
by Ewan Turney Controversial RTD Roxxoff is set to re-launch despite being blacklisted by the Portman Group under its Code of Practice. Roxxoff was...
Portman Group strikes back at Charles Wells and Roxxoff
09-Nov-2004
The Portman Group has hit back at two drinks producers that have attempted to challenge its authority.Charles Wells, whose Muse "Sex on the Beach"...
Battle of the bottle
04-Nov-2004
In the face of steep decline, suppliers of ready-to-drinks (RTDs) are desperate to come up with the next innovation to capture consumer interest
Entering the spirit world
04-Nov-2004
The popularity of spirits offers the best indication for future innovation in RTDs. But buyers are warning that copycat flavours will not succeed...
Pub chains cut back on RTD brands
04-Nov-2004
High-street pub chains are slashing the number of ready-to-drink brands on shelves to concentrate on stocking more profitable lines. Sales of RTDs...
Top 10 RTD brands
04-Nov-2004
2004 ranking* 2003 ranking* Smirnoff Ice 1 1 WKD 2 2 Bacardi Breezer 3 3 Reef 4 4 VK 5 5 Archers Aqua 6 6 Red Square 7 7 Vodka Mudshake 8 22 Chekov...
Guinness volumes dip for Diageo
02-Sep-2004
Drinks giant Diageo has seen sales of Guinness decline in the UK and Ireland.Reporting full-year results for the year to June 30, Diageo said...
Pimm's launches RTD for summer
29-Apr-2004
Pimm's, the quintessential drink of the British summer, has unveiled a three-pronged strategy to boost sales in the sun this year.Owner Diageo is...
Portman Group pulls two more drinks
06-Apr-2004
Two drinks companies have been found guilty of breaking the drinks industry's advertising code.The Independent Complaints Panel found that both...
Reef cocktails bid to shake up RTDs
18-Mar-2004
Coors Brewers is looking to shake and stir a sluggish ready-to-drink (RTD) sector with the launch of Reef cocktails.Amid speculation that the RTD...
RTD decline fails to deter Diageo
26-Feb-2004
by John Harrington Volume sales of Diageo's RTDs (ready to drink) fell 12% in the second half of 2003, while the Treasury is taking more from the...
Slinky RTD launched in on-trade marketplace
19-Feb-2004
by John Harrington Blue Nun-based RTD Slinky gets its on-trade release next month, with owners Langguth putting their faith in the RTD sector....
Spike-proof RTD to fight date rape
20-Nov-2003
by John Harrington A new RTD will soon be launched in a supposedly spike-proof bottle, at a time when drink spiking remains in the media spotlight...
Diageo backs maturing RTD category
29-Oct-2003
Diageo has taken steps to reassure the trade that the future of the ready-to-drink (RTD) sector is a rosy one.The spirits giant recently met with a...
Stocking up for Christmas: Spirits, Soft Drinks & RTDs
22-Oct-2003
Christmas 'spirit' can boost tradeWith more cash in their pockets, your customers like to get into the Christmas spirit - literally. The advice to...
WKD strength takes five
14-Oct-2003
Tough trading conditions in the premium packaged spirit (PPS) category have forced Beverage Brands to reduce the ABV of its flagship WKD brand.The...
Beverage Brands gets its Kitsch off
08-Oct-2003
Beverage Brands is looking to tighten its grip on the ready-to-drink category with the launch of a new perry-based concept.The RTD specialist, home...
Time called on Shag
06-Oct-2003
Drinkers will no longer be up for a Shag following the latest ruling by The Portman Group.The Portman Group's independent complaints panel has upheld...
RTDs 'here to stay' despite sales fears, says Beverage Brands
05-Sep-2003
Beverage Brands, the owner of WKD and Woody's, has refuted claims that the bubble has burst in the ready-to-drink (RTD) sector.Amid widespread talk...
New Baileys offshoot on the Glide
19-Aug-2003
Diageo has refrained from launching its new Baileys Glide into the on-trade despite a full scale launch into the take home sector.The new Baileys...
Reef's got a nice Pear.....and Grape new flavour
30-Jul-2003
The Reef brand from Coors Brewers has been extended with the introduction of a new Pear and Grape variant.Just six months since the last new flavour,...
Bacardi-Martini looks to kickstart RTD sector with new spritzer
30-Jul-2003
Bacardi-Martini (BM) is releasing a wine-based spritzer concept into the ready-to-drink (RTD) sector.As previously revealed on thePublican.com, BM...
'Aphrodisiac' drink falls foul of The Portman Group
26-Jun-2003
Roxxoff, the fruit-flavoured premium packaged spirit (PPS) dubbed a 'Viagra pop' by campaigners, has fallen foul of the drinks industry's code of...
Portman Group bans Fcuk Spirit
21-May-2003
The Portman Group has ordered the withdrawal of Fcuk Spirit after its independent complaints panel upheld a complaint against the premium packaged...
Breezer is given a Twist to lift sales
23-Apr-2003
Bacardi-Martini has expanded its Bacardi Breezer concept into both the shots and shooter sector and the speciality spirits market in the hope of...
Beverage Brands turns to pub loos to promote WKD
27-Mar-2003
By Claire Hu Beverage Brands UK hopes to raise the profile of WKD in an overcrowded RTD market with a £24m advertising campaign in 2003. As part of...
'Viagrapops' rumours a smokescreen for Roxoff
25-Mar-2003
Lock up your daughters! Rumour has it that a new breed of libido boosting drinks is poised to infiltrate the nation's pubs and bars this summer.If...
Hits and misses for Diageo RTDs
27-Feb-2003
by The PMA Team Sales of Gordon's Edge, the RTD launched by Diageo last May,have been "disappointing" with 200,000 cases sold in the UK in its first...
WKD's 'anti-gay' ad banned by ITC
21-Feb-2003
WKD has had its knuckles rapped by the Independent Television Commission (ITC) after viewers complained one of its adverts was homophobic, offensive...
'Alcopops' blamed for teenage binge-drinking
20-Dec-2002
Health experts are blaming 'alcopops' for an all-time high in teenage binge drinking.Worrying figures show that the average alcohol consumption of...
UK drinks giant distances itself from stateside Smirnoff Ice contoversy
11-Dec-2002
Diageo UK has dismissed allegations that its leading Smirnoff Ice premium packaged spirit (PPS) brand doesn't contain any Smirnoff vodka.Following...
Kyndal goes out on the L'ush
22-Nov-2002
Kyndal Spirits has expanded its portfolio for the first time since securing Scotland's biggest ever management buy-out last year.The Glasgow-based...
Increase in duty continues to stifle PPS category
19-Nov-2002
The extra tax burden imposed by Gordon Brown earlier this year is continuing to stifle expansion of the premium packaged spirits category according...
Decision to raise duty on FABs leads to sales slowdown
10-Sep-2002
The flavoured alcoholic beverage (FAB) sector has slowed down following Chancellor Gordon Brown's decision last April to raise duty by around 65 per...
Beverage Brands launches WKD Original Vodka Silver
29-Aug-2002
The premium packaged spirit (PPS) bandwagon is showing no signs of slowing down with the launch of a new WKD variant from Beverage Brands.The PPS...
WKD advert is ruled offensive by ASA
22-Aug-2002
An advertisement for alcoholic drink WKD has been ruled offensive by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).The advert which appeared in the trade...
Diageo unleashes Smirnoff Black Ice on male drinkers
31-Jul-2002
A new variant of Smirnoff Ice aimed squarely at men is to be launched by Diageo.Diageo Great Britain (DGB) is looking to build on its hugely...
Wine and PPS brands challenge lager in the top 100 drinks brands
27-Jun-2002
Wine and premium packaged spirits (PPS) are turning up the heat on the mainstream lager brands according to an ACNielsen survey of the UK's top 100...
GUDV on the Edge with launch of new Gordon's FAB
24-May-2002
Guinness UDV (GUDV) is looking to coax older drinkers into the growing flavoured alcoholic beverage (FAB) sector with the launch of Gordon's Edge.The...
Coors consolidates FAB position with two range extensions
20-May-2002
Coors Brewers is looking to strengthen its hand in the flavoured alcoholic beverage (FAB) market with the launch of two new range extensions.June 17...
Boru Black launched into UK by Interbrew
16-May-2002
Belgian brewing giant Interbrew has launched a new premium packaged spirit (PPS) based on the Irish vodka brand Boru.Boru Black, launched into the UK...
Bacardi Breezer introduces Ruby Grapefruit flavour
22-Apr-2002
Bacardi Breezer has expanded its range of flavours with the introduction of a new Ruby Grapefruit variant. Following the successful launch of Bacardi...
Holsten Fusion brand to take on PPL and PPS markets
08-Apr-2002
Holsten UK is looking to create a whole new sector in the premium packaged drinks market with the launch of Holsten Fusion, a range of fruit...
New range of vodka shots launched in challenge to Sidekick
03-Apr-2002
GBL International has increased its presence in the expanding shots and shooter market with the launch of a new down-in-one concept.VK Vodka Slammas,...
