Pernod Ricard - BourbonSphere

A Commitment to Sustainable Whisky

Scotland’s Nc’Nean Distillery is one of a handful of whisky distilleries certified as “B Corp” for their sustainability efforts. At Nc’Nean, that goes all the… Read More

Scotland’s Nc’Nean Distillery is one of a handful of whisky distilleries certified as “B Corp” for their sustainability efforts. At Nc’Nean, that goes all the way to the use of renewable energy for the distillery and using recycled glass for its bottles. We’ll talk with founder Annabel Thomas about the challenges of making whisky sustainably and organically on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the founder of Bimber and Dunphail distilleries has stepped aside following his arrest on two-decade old charges in his native Poland, while Kentucky lawmakers are trying to close loopholes in the state’s Vintage Distilled Spirits law.

Episode 1045: February 25, 2024

Image courtesy Nc’Nean Distillery.

Bulleit Enters the American Single Malt Race

Diageo is staking a claim in the growing American Single Malt category with the new Bulleit American Single Malt. This whiskey’s release earlier this month… Read More

Diageo is staking a claim in the growing American Single Malt category with the new Bulleit American Single Malt. This whiskey’s release earlier this month has spawned a lot of questions, and Bulleit master blender Andrew Mackay joins us this week with some answers. In the news, Scotch Whisky exports plummeted in 2023, and major drinks companies are blaming economic headwinds in the U.S. for lagging sales. We’ll have the details, along with the story of a British distiller facing extradition to his native Poland after two decades on the run.

Episode 1044: February 18, 2024

Image courtesy of Diageo.

No Sleep Beverage Invests In Nine Banded Whiskey

Texas-based Nine Banded Whiskey Distillery has collaborated with former Pernod Ricard executive Nick Papanicolaou’s No Sleep Beverage investment company with a $10 million funding boost from NSB. In addition to producing spirits, Papanicolaou’s NSB investment will help Nine Banded construct their whiskey tasting room at the distillery’s home base of Austin. Nine Banded Whiskey was […]

The post No Sleep Beverage Invests In Nine Banded Whiskey first appeared on Whisky Critic – Whisky Reviews & Articles – Style. Attitude. Whisky..

Texas-based Nine Banded Whiskey Distillery has collaborated with former Pernod Ricard executive Nick Papanicolaou’s No Sleep Beverage investment company with a $10 million funding boost from NSB.

In addition to producing spirits, Papanicolaou’s NSB investment will help Nine Banded construct their whiskey tasting room at the distillery’s home base of Austin.

Nine Banded Whiskey was founded in 2016 in Austin and the name is a reference to a local ubiquitous animal – the armadillo – and NBW’s products are currently only available in Texas.

The post No Sleep Beverage Invests In Nine Banded Whiskey first appeared on Whisky Critic - Whisky Reviews & Articles - Style. Attitude. Whisky..

A Whiskey Maker’s Holiday Treat

Alex Chasko is an Oregon transplant turned Dublin whiskey maker. He’s the master distiller and whiskey maker for Teeling Whiskey Company, and his latest creation… Read More

Alex Chasko is an Oregon transplant turned Dublin whiskey maker. He’s the master distiller and whiskey maker for Teeling Whiskey Company, and his latest creation is a 33-year-old Irish single malt finished in Pineau des Charentes casks. He’ll join us on this holiday edition of WhiskyCast. In the news, European and U-S trade negotiators extend a deal to avoid a return to tariffs on American whiskey exports, while another Scotch Whisky company is building a distillery in China.

Episode 1036: December 24, 2023

Never Say Die Bourbon: A Whiskey with a Back Story

The stories behind the whiskies we drink are almost as enjoyable as the whiskies, and the story behind Never Say Die Bourbon is an intriguing… Read More

The stories behind the whiskies we drink are almost as enjoyable as the whiskies, and the story behind Never Say Die Bourbon is an intriguing one. There’s a near-death experience, followed by success on horse racing’s grandest stage, and a side story linking it to the founding of The Beatles. Never Say Die co-founder Brian Luftman joins us to share that story on this week’s WhiskyCast. In the news, Chivas Brothers workers approve a new contract, Kentucky Bourbon distillers set more records, and the deadline to avoid European import tariffs on American whiskey is getting closer.

Photo courtesy Ninth House/Never Say Die Bourbon.

Chivas Brothers Workers Ratify New Contract

Members of Unite and GMB Scotland have voted overwhelmingly to accept a revised contract offer from Chivas Brothers, the Scotch Whisky unit of Pernod Ricard.… Read More

Members of Unite and GMB Scotland have voted overwhelmingly to accept a revised contract offer from Chivas Brothers, the Scotch Whisky unit of Pernod Ricard. The two-year contract covers about half of Chivas Brothers’ 1,500 employees around Scotland, and includes a 6.4% pay raise previously rejected by union members in October.

The revised offer makes the pay raise retroactive to July 1, while adding an additional pay hike in the second year of the contract tied to the inflation rate. In addition, workers will each receive a £500 one-time bonus payment.

In a statement announcing the results of the vote, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said “It was only down to the fact that our 500-strong membership at Chivas Brothers were prepared to fight and take strike action that the company came back to the negotiating table. The pay deal is another example of Unite delivering better jobs, pay and conditions for its members.”

A Chivas Brothers spokesperson said “We are pleased that following the latest ballot, employees covered by bargaining agreements have now voted to accept our revised proposal, which avoids unnecessary strike action. The new deal includes an acceptance of our original pay proposal and enhanced benefits, along with the security of a two-year agreement.”

Chivas Brothers brands include The Glenlivet, Aberlour, Ballantine’s, and Royal Salute.

Strikes Against Chivas Brothers Postponed

The unions representing hundreds of Chivas Brothers distillery, bottling plant, and warehouse workers have called off their planned strikes for next week after the company… Read More

The unions representing hundreds of Chivas Brothers distillery, bottling plant, and warehouse workers have called off their planned strikes for next week after the company made a new pay offer. The move will allow GMB Scotland and Unite to poll their members on the new offer, and essentially ends any threat to holiday orders for Chivas Brothers.

Both unions had planned strikes for next week, with GMB Scotland planning a one-day strike at 21 Chivas Brothers facilities around Scotland and Unite planning three days of rolling strikes at other Chivas Brothers sites.

GMB Scotland spokesman David Hume told The Spirits Business “It is regrettable that it took the threat of a strike to prompt this revised offer but we have now suspended the planned industrial action to allow our members to vote on the terms.” Terms of the new offer were not disclosed, but it is believed to be higher than the 6.4% pay hike rejected overwhelmingly by members of both unions in October.

A Chivas Brothers spokesperson said “While the results of the official ballot are still pending, we are pleased that constructive talks have enabled us to re-engage with the unions on our original proposal, and reach a mutually agreeable position that avoids unnecessary strike action and limits the long-term impact of this dispute on our team. Our offer reflects our ongoing commitment to sharing our success throughout the company, while recognising the normalising business and economic environment for the year ahead.”

Strike Dates Set Targeting Chivas Brothers

The two labor unions representing hundreds of Chivas Brothers distillery and bottling plant workers have given notice of their plans to strike between December 11… Read More

The two labor unions representing hundreds of Chivas Brothers distillery and bottling plant workers have given notice of their plans to strike between December 11 and 14 following a breakdown in contract talks. Unite and GMB Scotland are also banning their members from working overtime and short-notice shifts starting on December 11.

GMB Scotland plans a one-day strike December 12 targeting The Glenlivet distillery, along with Aberlour, Strathisla, and other distilleries and bottling plants. Unite plans a series of rolling strikes targeting various Chivas Brothers facilities during the three-day period, with a goal of disrupting whisky shipments during the holiday season.

Both unions rejected a proposed 6.4% wage hike after the Pernod Ricard division reported a 10-year high in sales during the 2023 fiscal year, with a 17% year-on-year gain. Unite spokesman Andrew Brown said in a statement “Unite has repeatedly warned Chivas Brothers that strike action is inevitable unless the current pay offer was improved. It has not listened to our members and now industrial action is a matter of weeks away. The company should be in no doubt that our members are determined to get their fair share of the hundreds of millions in profit Chivas Brothers is coining in.”

A Chivas Brothers spokesperson said the company remains committed to its pay offer, and hopes for “constructive dialogue” to resolve the labor dispute. The spokesperson said any strike will not affect year-end orders, since most have already been shipped globally.

Chivas Brothers Faces Holiday Strikes

Workers at two unions representing Chivas Brothers workers have voted in favor of going on strike during the holiday season. 91 percent of Unite members… Read More

Workers at two unions representing Chivas Brothers workers have voted in favor of going on strike during the holiday season. 91 percent of Unite members voted in favor of the strike, while 89 percent of GMB Scotland members voted in favor.

The unions represent around 800 workers at Chivas Brothers distilleries and bottling plants around Scotland, and rejected the company’s offer of a 6.4% wage increase in October.

In a statement, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said “strike action at Chivas Brothers is inevitable unless the current pay offer is improved. Chivas made an eye-watering profit last year, and it can easily afford to offer our members a significantly better offer. Unite will back our Chivas Brothers members all the way in the fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.”

The Pernod Ricard Scotch Whisky unit faces two weeks’ notice of strikes by both unions, which are expected to time their actions around the critical holiday period in December. The unions claim their strikes could disrupt bottling halls and shipments to shops, hotels, and bars during the holidays.

In a comment to just-drinks.com, a Chivas Brothers spokesperson said end-of-year orders have already shipped, meaning strikes would have little impact on the festive season.

Babet Closes Midleton Distillery Visitor Experience

Powerful Storm Babet hit Ireland and forced Pernod-Ricard-owned Irish Distillers to temporarily shut their Midleton Distillery Experience visitor site after it was damaged by flooding from the nearby Owenacurra River Midleton town, located in County Cork, Ireland. Storm Babet moved on and is currently rampaging through the UK, bringing severe flooding to most of the […]

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Storm Babet moved on and is currently rampaging through the UK, bringing severe flooding to most of the area as the storm sweeps through.

Midleton Distillery – home to Irish whiskey brands including Jameson, Powers, Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare, Spot, and Method and Madness – invested in the visitor experience center and it was due to be completed by 2025.

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