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SB’s most read stories of 2018

From the pink gin trend to copycat lawsuits, the last 12 months presented a whirlwind of developments and breaking news for the spirits world. Here, we count down our most read online stories of 2018.

Despite a year dominated by Brexit and Trump, the stories that grabbed our readers the most spanned a wide array of subjects including innovative product launches and auction records.

Among some of the stories that missed out on a spot were Craigellachie’s 51-year-old whisky, which was being given away for free, and Jack Daniel’s first whiskey advent calendar.

Looking at our statistics from 1 January 2018, we present the stories that our readers found to be most worthy of their time.

Click through the following pages to discover the top 10 most read stories on thespiritsbusiness.com in 2018.

10. Tito’s vodka lawsuit over ‘handmade’ settled

In recent years, Tito’s vodka has been embroiled in a number of lawsuits alleging the Texas brand has misled consumers with false labelling.

In March this year, US consumer Trevor Singleton reportedly settled a proposed class action that claimed Tito’s “deceived” drinkers into believing it is handmade.

The class action, which was first proposed in 2015, was dismissed by a judge who stated that Singleton had failed to show that common issues predominated over individual ones.

To read the full story, click here.

9. Yamazaki 50yo breaks auction record

Yamazaki hit the headlines last year when a bottle of Yamazaki 50-year-old single malt smashed the world record for the most expensive Japanese whisky sold at auction, fetching HK$2,337,000 (US$298,879).

The expression sold at twice its pre-sale estimate at Sotheby’s Finest & Rarest sale in Hong Kong on 27 January 2018, where it was expected to fetch between HK$700,000 and HK$1,100,000 (US$90,000-US$140,000).

The record was broken again seven months later, when a 50-year-old Yamazaki fetched HK$2,695,000 (US$343,318) in Hong Kong at the Bonhams Whisky Sale on 17 August.

To read the full story, click here.

8. Jack Daniel’s sues ‘inferior’ Lonehand whiskey maker

Brown-Forman sued the producers of Lonehand Whiskey last year, accusing the company of causing “irreparable harm” to the Jack Daniel’s trademark.

The US producer filed a complaint against Dynasty Spirits and Buffalo Bayou Distilleries for infringement of federally registered trademarks and trade dress related to its Jack Daniel’s brand.

The Jack Daniel’s maker alleged that Lonehand Whiskey was sold in a bottle with similar features and included the Lonehand mark in arched lettering, with the words ‘whiskey’ and ‘Tennessee Sour Mash’ below.

To read the full story, click here.

7. Cîroc vodka moves into brandy

Surprising news for the brandy category came with the announcement that Diageo had moved into the sector with the launch of a new expression under its Cîroc Vodka line.
Cîroc VS Fine French Brandy has been produced in the south of France by master distiller Jean-Sébastien Robicquet. 
Cîroc partner and rapper  Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs said of the expression: “I thrive on opportunity. Cîroc consumers drink aged brown spirits alongside Cîroc Vodka, so it was obvious that it was time to take Cîroc further than it had ever gone. Cîroc VS is changing the game.” 

To read the full story, click here.

6. Macallan unveils M Black and Edition No. 4

Edrington added two new expressions under its single malt Scotch brand The Macallan last year.

The Macallan M Black 2017 follows five annual releases of M since 2013. Edrington collaborated with creative director Fabien Baron and Lalique to create the crystal decanter, which was crafted to “reflect the diverse history” of The Macallan.

The Edition No. 4 is the fourth release in the Edition Series, a range that focuses on The Macallan’s commitment to wood.

Edition No. 4 is described as revealing the “structure of the whisky” and takes inspiration from the construction of the new £140m distillery.

To read the full story, click here.

5. Johnnie Walker releases White Walker whisky

Last October, Diageo teamed up with Game of Thrones network HBO to produce the Johnnie Walker White Walker whisky, which was inspired by the show’s undead army of white walkers.

The blended Scotch whisky brand released a teaser video on its social media platforms in May, giving away very few details of the new expression.

Bottled at 41.7% abv, the expression contains liquid from single malt distilleries Cardhu and Clynelish – one of Scotland’s most northern distilleries.

To read the full story, click here.

4. Beefeater Pink

As the pink gin trend gains momentum, Pernod Ricard unveiled a pink variation of its Beefeater London Dry gin, which is flavoured with strawberries.

Beefeater Pink has been created by master distiller Desmond Payne MBE and is based on the traditional Beefeater London Dry gin expression with the addition of strawberries to complement the “classic” Beefeater citrus and juniper flavours.

To read the full story, click here.

3. House of Elrick Gin rejects Dragons’ Den funding offer

Scottish gin brand House of Elrick appeared on hit BBC programme Dragons’ Den back in February last year. The show sees entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to a group of famous investors.

Stuart Ingram, founder of House of Elrick, initially accepted an offer of £80,000 (US$112,000) in return for a 10% stake in the business from Peter Jones.

However, since filming the episode, the gin maker has been unable to reach an agreement with Jones and has now turned down his offer.

Following the show, House of Elrick launched a crowdfunding campaign to renovate its walled garden, construct a new distillery and open a restaurant, which raised £23,586 at the end of March.

To read the full story, click here.

2. Kahlúa debuts Espresso Martini RTD

The burgeoning coffee trend took the interest of our readers when coffee liqueur brand Kahlúa launched its own ready-to-drink (RTD) Espresso Martini last August.

Kahlúa, a key ingredient in the popular vodka-based cocktail, tapped into the at-home drinking trend with this RTD.

The Kahlúa Espresso Martini comes in a 200ml can and includes roasted coffee, Kahlúa liqueur and a dash of grain vodka. It even features a ‘smart’ nitrogen widget to produce the cocktail’s creamy foam.

To read the full story, click here.

1. Suntory to discontinue Hibiki 17 and Hakushu 12

Suntory’s discontinuation of its Hibiki 17 Year Old and Hakushu 12 Year Old Japanese whiskies due to stock shortages last year has nabbed our top spot of the most read story of 2018.

As a result of soaring demand and stock shortages, Suntory said it will stop selling its Hibiki 17 Year Old blend and Hakushu 12 Year Old single malt in certain markets from 2019, and limit availability of the whiskies over the next few years.

Suntory Holdings apologised to whisky fans for the temporary discontinuation.

To read the full story, click here.

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