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SB’s most-read stories of January
By Georgie CollinsDespite how it felt, there really were only 31 days in January, but those 31 days brought some pretty big stories in the world of spirits. Here, we reveal the 10 that stood out to our readership.

From innovative round-ups and category reports to whisky releases from both sides of the pond, keep reading to find out our most-read stories from last month.
Buffalo Trace unveils second Prohibition line
Sliding its way into the 10 most-read stories of January was the news that Sazerac-owned Buffalo Trace Distillery released its second annual Prohibition Collection, which included five whiskeys inspired by previously forgotten brands.
This annual limited edition set is all about shining a light on the whiskeys that were legally produced and sold at the George T Stagg Distillery during the US Prohibition. For this second instalment, the line-up included brands produced at the distillery under president Albert B Blanton’s leadership: Mirror Brook, Very Oldest Procurable (VOP), Anderson’s Belle, Old Fashioned Mountain Corn and Silver Wedding Rye Whiskey, all of which were inspired by documents discovered in the distillery’s archives, reflecting the original, colourful packaging of the historic brands.
Gen Z: ‘Dry January is outdated’
Some people really love to hate on Dry January, and this year it was time for Gen Z, who labelled the month-long sobriety challenge as ‘outdated’.
A nationwide survey of adults – conducted by pub owner and brewer Greene King – found that despite 22% of UK adults being set to partake in Dry January in 2025, Gen Z now views the alcohol-abstaining tradition as outdated. Many from the generation instead adopt a flexible relationship with alcohol, meaning they see no need to cut down for just a month, as they moderate their alcohol consumption all year round.
WhistlePig teams up with Alice Cooper
For those who did choose to partake in Dry January last month, the options were vast, and drinkers were especially intrigued by the offering from Vermont-based distillery WhistlePig, who created an alcohol-free pre-mixed Old Fashioned cocktail infused with adaptogens in collaboration with American rock singer Alice Cooper.
The ready-to-pour cocktail was crafted with WhistlePig’s non-alcoholic 100% Rye ‘Non-Whiskey’, barrel-aged maple syrup, adaptogenic cordyceps mushrooms and schisandra berry, and the so-called aphrodisiac damiana, and described by ‘the godfather of shock rock’ as “a lethal injection of flavours proving you don’t need to be drunk to be punk.”
Royal Salute unveils Lunar New Year edition
Last week began the Chinese Year of the Snake, and to mark the occasion, Chivas Brothers-owned blended Scotch whisky brand Royal Salute released a special edition Lunar New Year gift pack.
Our readers were clearly captivated by the gift pack, which depicts symbols of ‘prosperity, opportunity and rebirth’, all said to capture the vibrancy of the New Lunar Year celebrations, which bring families and friends together to mark the passing of one year and the fresh start of the next with light, sound, and colour.
The pack joined a number of special releases launched last month, all created to celebrate the Year of the Snake.
Top 10 spirits launches from December 2024
December might seem like a lifetime ago, but the intrigue around the top 10 products to launch in the run-up to Christmas was as present as ever.
In our monthly round-up of launches, we included the first age-statement whisky to come out of London’s Bimber Distillery, a high-aged whisky blend from Johnnie Walker, and a canned edition of the Mirror Margarita.
Top 50 innovative spirits launches of 2024: 10-1
As we do every year, we revealed the 50 most innovative product launches of the previous year in January, and as happens every year, our readers were very keen to find out what landed on the top spot.
This year’s countdown really highlighted the breadth of creativity we see coming out of the spirits industry on an annual basis, from new distillation and maturation techniques, to clever collaborations and unexpected flavour combinations.
And in case you missed them, you’ll find entries 20 to 11, 30 to 21, 31 to 40, and 41 to 50 here, too.
Spirits trends to watch 2025
We don’t have a crystal ball at The Spirits Business, but we do have a front-row seat to the moves, changes and developments that happen within the industry every year, so we can take a pretty good guess as to what the next 12 months may have in store for the world of spirits, which we outlined in the fourth most-read story of the month.
From the ever‐evolving low‐and‐no category, to the political and economic influence of world leaders on the global spirits market (which are already taking effect, just one month in), major shifts are on their way for 2025.
New challenges for Japanese whisky
Straight from the pages of the October issue of The Spirits Business magazine, the online publication of our report into the challenges currently facing the Japanese whisky segment had readers clicking throughout the month, making it the third-most-read story of January.
The report examines how producers are looking to strike a balance between rising prices and strong demand for Japanese whisky.
Glenlivet 40 Years Old joins permanent range
You’ll have seen in our spirits trends for 2025 feature that we predicted higher age-statement whiskies would be making a play this year, and just three weeks in, The Glenlivet proved us right, adding a 40-year-old expression to its core portfolio of single malts.
The new whisky is finished in seasoned Sherry casks and bottled at its cask strength 46.9% ABV. The whisky is priced at US$6,000 (£4,600).
Brown-Forman axes more than 600 jobs and closes cooperage
Our most-read story of January was the shock news that Brown-Forman had reduced its 5,400-strong global workforce by approximately 12% and would close its Louisville-based barrel-making operation by April.
The Brown-Forman Cooperage employs around 210 hourly and salaried employees, who will form part of the overall 12% reduction. Going forward, the firm said it will source barrels from an external supplier ‘to ensure a steady supply of the same high-quality barrels at a competitive price’.
The announcements came as part of a ‘series of strategic initiatives to position the company for continued growth in the dynamic global spirits market’, including a shake-up of its executive leadership team, and consolidating and streamlining its commercial structure.
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