Booze News Weekly Roundup: Judge Approves RNDC Chapter 11, Class Suit Brews Against Celsius, and More
This is VinePair’s Booze News Weekly Roundup, where we gather the hottest headlines and product releases every Friday for a snapshot of what’s happening in the beverage alcohol industry. This week, we have updates on Heineken’s memo about effects of weight-loss drugs on drinking, RNDC’s Chapter 11 liquidation, and a ton of product releases.
News to know:
Heineken alarms U.K. pubs of GLP-1 effects on booze purchases: Heineken warned of weight-loss drugs’ negative effects on alcohol purchases and suggested strategies for working around them in a document sent to U.K. bars and pubs. The document, unsealed and reviewed by Reuters, marks one of the few times a major alcohol company has addressed potential setbacks to business caused by GLP-1s — earlier this year, executives at Diageo and Carlsberg both played down the suspicion that the drugs significantly curb alcohol consumption. Heineken, the second largest brewer in the world, urged pub and bar operators to serve half-pints, low- and non-alcoholic drinks, and smaller food plates.
Judge OKs RNDC’s Chapter 11 plan after settlement with unsecured creditors: A Texas judge approved Republic National Distributing Company’s (RNDC) Chapter 11 liquidation plan on Tuesday after the company reached a settlement with its unsecured creditors last week. RNDC, once the second-largest alcohol distributor in the U.S. before shedding nearly all of its business this past year, filed for bankruptcy in July.
Court denies Fawn Weaver’s motion to block Uncle Nearest sale: A U.S. court rejected Weaver’s motion to stop the sale of her embattled whiskey brand. Weaver filed the request for injunction earlier this month after Uncle Nearest’s court-appointed receiver Phillip G. Young, Jr., noted three potential buyers were actively eyeing the brand in a separate court filing.
Class suit brewing against Celsius’ “burns body fat” claims: A Washington State resident sued Celsius over “healthwashing” for making unsubstantiated claims that the energy drink “burns body fat.” The plaintiff Annabelle Nielsen is hoping to loop in other consumers to launch a class action lawsuit.
Product releases to watch:
Popular Prosecco brand adds first sparkling non-alcoholic wine to portfolio: La Marca, the top-selling Prosecco brand in the U.S., released its first-ever zero-proof sparkling wine. Made with carbonated de-alcoholized wine, the NA version of the beloved crisp, fruity bubbly is available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $18.99 per bottle.
1792 releases a wheated, full-proof bourbon: The Bardstown, Ky.-based brand rolled out a wheated bourbon bottled at 125 proof. 1792 Wheated Full Proof Bourbon will be available next month in California, Florida, Illinois, Texas, and New York, for a suggested retail price of $39.99 per 375-milliliter bottle.
Four Roses debuted third Experimental Series bourbon: Four Roses’ latest addition to its Experimental Series is a bourbon finished in Japanese chestnut wood. Experimental Series No. 003: Chestnut is bottled at 104 proof and will be available at the Lawrenceburg and Cox’s Creek, Ky., visitor centers beginning Nov. 20 for a suggested retail price of $55 per 375-milliliter bottle.
The Whistler’s ‘Triple Oak’ blends three different whiskeys aged in three different casks: The Irish Whiskey brand’s newest release combines single pot still, single malt, and single grain whiskeys aged in ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry, and PX sherry casks, respectively. The Whistler Triple Oak is now available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $29.99.
Blade and Bow bottles 30-year-old bourbon at cask strength: Blade and Bow unveiled a cask-strength expression of its esteemed 30-year bourbon. The limited release was distilled in 1993 and bottled three decades later at 164.2 proof. Just 30 bottles of the Blade and Bow 30-Year-Old Cask Strength will be available at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery beginning Oct. 30 for $2,500, followed by limited, drop-style releases to select markets.
The article Booze News Weekly Roundup: Judge Approves RNDC Chapter 11, Class Suit Brews Against Celsius, and More appeared first on VinePair.