Chivas Regal has released its first-ever blended malt Scotch whisky, Ultis, which honours both the Speyside region and former and current Master Blenders. The whisky is a blend of five signature single malts from five areas of Speyside in Scotland – from Tormore to Longmorn, Strathisla, Allt A’Bhainne and Braeval. Chivas’ unique blending team selected the five signature malts from an inventory of some one…

Coopers Brewery has announced a packaging refresh of its Coopers Premium Lager and Coopers Premium Light, expected to hit the shelves later this month. The repackaging and relaunch follows on from the Coopers Clear revamp, which showcased a new blue and silver theme and an emphasis on the beer’s “freshness, sessionability and low carb credentials.” Coopers Premium Lager and Premium Light will be repackage…

In breaking news for the industry, the Australian Financial Review has reported overnight that Accolade Wines is in final stage talks to buy Lion’s Australian wine portfolio. The portfolio, which is represented by Fine Wine Partners, consists of brands such as Croser, Petaluma, Knappstein, St Hallett and Stonier, among others. According to AFR, the purchase of the portfolio and its respective contracts is…

Stuart Hordern, Senior Winemaker at Brokenwood Wines in the Hunter Valley, has been awarded the Lens Evans Tutorial Dux for 2016. As Dux of the 2016 course, Stuart has secured judging positions at the Sydney Royal Wine Show and the National Wine Show in Canberra, two of Australia’s most prestigious wine events. The Tutorial, conceived by the late Len Evans AO OBE and recently awarded the McWilliam’s Mauri…

4 Pines’ newest venue, 4 Pines Underground is now open, located underneath its existing BrewPub in Manly. The venue is open for breakfast through to dinner and has all the 4 Pines beers you could wish for on tap. Underground was one of three new venues 4 Pines announced it would be opening over the course of 12 months from August this year. The brewery is certainly undergoing a period of expansion with …

Taylor Made is a new range of wines set for release this November from the Clare Valley-based winery Taylors Wines. The collection includes a pinot noir rosé, chardonnay, and malbec, chosen based on their current appeal with consumers. Distribution of the range will be specifically targeted to the on-premise and selected independent retailers, harnessing an approach first taken by Taylors in the late 1950…

Bacardí Legacy announced its national finalists, dubbed the Three Most Promising, at the Semi-Final cocktail party held at Deus Bar + Kitchen in Sydney last night. Dave Kerr from The Beaufort & Ike’s in Victoria, Joshua O’Brien from The Bowery in Queensland and Ryan Snedden from The Lobo Plantation in New South Wales have triumphed through the initial entries, Top 50 tasting tour and the Top 8 Semi-Fi…

Husk Distillers is releasing a limited edition rum to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its hometown of the village of Tumbulgum in NSW. 1866 Tumbulgum Rum will be launched as part of the Tweed River Festival in Tumbulgum on November 12. The first bottle of 1866 Tumbulgum Rum will be auctioned online, with proceeds donated to the Tumbulgum Community Association to continue improving and enriching village…

Coopers Brewery has reported its 23rd year of continuous growth with beer sales rising 3.3 per cent during 2015-16 to a record 81.5 million litres. For the past 23 years, Coopers has enjoyed compound sales growth of 9.2 per cent, at a time when total Australian beer sales have been contracting. Coopers Managing Director Dr Tim Cooper said packaged beer sales during 2015-16 had risen by 3.8 per cent, while…

Vale Brewing has launched its newest addition, the Vale Mid Coast Bright Ale, announced a small batch release of The Gauntlet ESB. The Vale Mid Coast Bright Ale pays tribute to the brewery’s home in McLaren Vale region. Vale Head Brewer, Jeff Wright, said, “Mid Coast Bright Ale is a testament to the beautiful South Australian coastline where the brewery is located. The Mid Coast is home to some of South A…