SB’s most-read stories in September
A scandal in Nepal lead to an archived story becoming one of our most-read of the month – something none of us had on our September bingo cards!
As the battle against false 100% agave claims rages on, so does our readership’s desire to read about it, as evidenced in this month’s round-up of our most-read stories.
Meanwhile, as the nights start to close in in the Northern Hemisphere, the desire to bunk down with the best spirits of the moment has clearly been heightened, as two of our top 10 product features have proven themselves especially popular in the last 30 days.
But one of the biggest drivers of clicks on thespiritsbusiness.com this month has been scandals – keep scrolling to find out what went down.
Fireball and Parrot Bar lawsuit to proceed
The news that a judge has approved a request for a class action lawsuit against Sazerac, which alleged the firm misled customers with malt-based versions of Fireball and Parrot Bay, was the 10th most-read story of the month in September.
The lawsuits – one filed by Sharon Pizarro in February 2023 and another by Cindy Koonce in May 2023 – lean on evidence gathered by journalists that suggests Sazerac sold non-distilled products that were allegedly intended to look like spirits in petrol stations in Virginia, the Carolinas and New York. The two lawsuits were consolidated in June 2023. Sazerac has submitted motions to dismiss the case on multiple occasions, however the judge has now allowed it to proceed.
Ten award-winning vodkas you should know about
As we approach National Vodka Day this weekend (4 October), its important to celebrate with the best. That’s perhaps why our round-up of 10 award-winning vodkas has made it into this month’s most-read list, as our readers ready to mark the occasion with the good stuff.
Each of the expressions in this list received a Gold or Master medal at The Vodka Masters 2025 blind-tasting competition, and every single one of them dispels the tired notion that vodka doesn’t have flavour or character.
Cincoro faces lawsuit over ‘100% agave’ claim
Michael Jordan’s Tequila, Cincoro, became the latest to be hit by a class action lawsuit that alleges it is not made from 100% Blue Weber agave – despite what the brand claims.
Florida resident Nabil Haschemie filed the class action lawsuit against Cincoro’s parent firm, Cinco Spirits Group, alleging that Cincoro has ‘misrepresented’ its composition and ingredients – and he brought receipts!
In August this year, Haschemie purchased a bottle of Cincoro Blanco from Total Wine & More, following an online search for brands made from 100% Blue Weber agave. He claims that a laboratory test of Cincoro Tequila uncovered that it contained ‘material amounts of ethanol’ that did not come from Blue Weber agave.
Haschemie is seeking a jury trial and injunction to stop Cincoro Tequila from ‘continuing to engage in false, misleading, and deceptive advertising and marketing practices’.
Don Julio unveils second Artist Edition bottle
For its second 70 Añejo Cristalino Artist Edition Bottle, Diageo-owned Don Julio reunited with Mexican-American fashion designer Willy Chavarria to create the Día de Muertos-inspired limited edition.
Renowned for his bold silhouettes that fuse Chicano culture with high-fashion tailoring, Chavarria infused his distinct style into the latest Tequila Don Julio 70 Añejo Cristalino Artist Edition bottle.
But the partnership hasn’t just generated a new bottle of Tequila. In honour of the second release, Chavarria also created the Willy Chavarria x Tequila Don Julio Cristalino Collection – a hand-crafted jewellery line that includes a necklace, a ring, and a cuff, all made in Mexico City and inspired by Tequila Don Julio 70 Añejo Cristalino.
Dewar’s denies dumping whisky in river
Proof that you definitely shouldn’t believe everything you read in The Sun, last month Bacardi-owned Dewar’s strongly refuted claims made by the tabloid that it has accidentally flushed £200,000 (US$268,741) worth of whisky into the River Clyde.
According to the red top, the Scotch whisky distiller and blender had launched an investigation into an incident at its headquarters in Glasgow’s London Road, which was alleged to have happened between 10pm on 16 September and 6am the next day.
But when questioned, a spokesperson told The Spirits Business: “As per our official notification to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) last week, no whisky was discharged into the River Clyde and there has been no safety or environmental impact as a result of a mechanical fault that occurred on Wednesday 17 September.”
Johnnie Walker debuts Black Ruby RTD
It wouldn’t be a most-read round-up without an appearance from Johnnie Walker (and surprise surprise, this isn’t the only one). Last month, the blended whisky maker placed its latest innovation, Black Ruby, into a can for the Australian market, and our readers were all over it.
Described as a twist on a classic Tom Collins, the blackberry and elderflower-flavoured sparkling Whisky Spritz was launched in late August 2025, exclusively at Dan Murphy’s and BWS.
Top 10 whisky RTDS
A lot of our readers love whisky, and a lot also love convenience, so it was no surprise that this round-up of 10 of the best whisky-based ready-to-drink cocktails was a hit.
From bottled serves that are ready to pour over ice to expressions that can be enjoyed straight from the can, this list has something for everyone – even those who like whisky in its purest form: neat.
Royal Salute debuts 53YO for $90,000
This is quite the first for our most-read round-ups, as never before have we had a story published more than three years ago land in our top 10… let alone our top three! Needless to say we were scratching our heads when our analytics were showing signs of life around this story, but a little bit of investigation (we are journalists, after all) found the reason behind the surge in activity.
In September, a bottle of Royal Salute 53 Year Old was found at the home of Nepal’s Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba. It is reported that Deuba and his family have been found to have unsourced and illegal wealth that includes expensive jewellery, sacks of cash, and this incredibly rare whisky worth US$90,000 at the time of its release in October 2022.
One post on TikTok read: “While ordinary Napalis struggle for two meals a day, our leaders are drowning in luxury – founded by our blood, our sweat, our hard-earned tax money. This is not just whisky. This is liquid corruption. This is the betrayal of the people.”
This scandal has clearly resulted in people trying to work out what all the fuss is about this whisky, and they found out on The Spirits Business!
Diageo halts production at Balcones and George Dickel
Last week we broke the story that Diageo has temporarily ceased whiskey production at its Balcones and George Dickel distilleries with the loss of 17 jobs, as it re-evaluates its ‘productivity goals’.
Distilling and barrel-filling operations at Balcones distillery in Waco, Texas, were halted in August, with 17 roles impacted by the pause, while the Cascade Hollow distillery at Diageo’s Tullahoma facility in Tennessee, which produces George Dickel whiskey, has also been temporarily closed with no job losses.
This is the latest in a long line of production pauses this year.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label gets festive with Rahul Mishra
And finally, no stranger to the top spot on our list is Johnnie Walker, which unveiled its latest limited edition Blue Label release celebrating the Indian festive season last month.
The limited edition Blue Label has been launched ahead of Diwali, the Festival of Lights, which will take place on 20 October, and for this year’s celebration, Johnnie Walker collaborated with Rahul Mishra, the first Indian fashion designer to be invited to showcase at Paris Haute Couture Week, to create a festive design.
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