Ian McLernon

La Martiniquaise-Bardinet has added a third gin to its growing portfolio - acquiring a majority stake in UK-based Warner's Distillery. This move strengthens the French group’s position in the gin category and underscores continued investment in craft-led, provenance-driven spirits. Full details: https://lnkd.in/exukjpNE #Alcohol #Spirits #Liquor #Gin #CraftSpirits #MergersAndAcquisitions #BeverageIndustry #WarnersDistillery #LaMartiniquaiseBardinet

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Value Means More Than Price The wine industry has spent a lot of time talking about premiumisation. Rob McMillan’s latest report shows it has delivered stronger margins for producers, but it has also left wine more exposed to shifting cultural currents. At the same time, the New York Times highlights how Gen Z are redefining the way they spend. They are willing to invest in small indulgences that deliver emotional lift and shared connection. The Wall Street Journal describes how casual dining chains like Chili’s are thriving by leaning into that same instinct: reliable, affordable moments that feel good and bring people together. The lesson across all three is that value is about more than price. Value is defined by the meaning created in the moment. Gen Z are less interested in owning things and more interested in experiences that give them a sense of joy and belonging. A Margarita at Chili’s is not competing on luxury, it is competing on how it makes you feel and who you share it with. This is where wine has every opportunity, yet often misses it. So what does this mean for wine? First, premiumisation only works when it aligns with the consumer’s sense of value. A bottle that costs more because it carries heritage, craft, and story has a place, but only if that story connects with a moment people actually want to live in. Otherwise, price without perceived value becomes invisible. Second, moments matter more than categories. Consumers are not thinking “I want a Napa Cabernet.” They are thinking “I want to celebrate my friend’s promotion” or “I want something that makes Tuesday feel lighter.” That is the true competitive set. Third, accessibility builds loyalty. Chili’s shows that consistency and approachability can turn routine visits into cultural relevance. Wine can learn from this without lowering quality, by framing itself as the drink that makes the everyday feel meaningful. How do we apply this? We start by mapping the occasions that matter in people’s lives and designing wines, formats, and activations around them. Single-serve cans for a park concert. Half bottles for a weeknight dinner. Simple label language that speaks to flavour and mood instead of leaving consumers guessing. Pricing ladders that allow people to trade up confidently when the moment calls for it. Communications that put the focus on the “we” and the “why” rather than technical descriptors alone. If the future of spending is in little treats that make people feel something, then wine already has the raw material to win. It carries history, place, and craft. The task is to channel those qualities into experiences that resonate today. That is how wine will remain relevant across generations. Value is defined at the table, in the glass, and in the company we keep. #Wine #ConsumerInsights #GenZ #Premiumisation #Hospitality #FutureofWine

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🚀 Where did we see this before ... Today’s announcement that Keurig Dr Pepper will acquire JDE Peet’s for around €15.7 billion ($18.4 billion), followed by a split into two standalone companies (one focused on beverages and the other on coffee) offers a powerful case study.  On paper, the strategy is compelling: - Create a global coffee powerhouse to rival Nestlé - Refocus capital allocation and sharpen strategic priorities - Unlock €15.7B value, $400M in cost synergies, and better navigate rising tariffs and supply chain complexity  Let's zoom in on the $400M in synergies and where this should come from: - Leveraging combined SKU, 2% saving ~ $40m - SKU consolidation and stock optimisation, 5-10% saving ~ $100-200m - Harmonize procurement, 5-10% saving ~ $100-200m - Technology integration, 5-10% saving ~ $100-200m - Operational footprint, 5-10% saving ~ $100-200m It sounds easy (or maybe not 🤷‍♂️ ) but success in execution goes hand in hand with the culture of the companies. Any thoughts how to ensure success... https://lnkd.in/efYctwa7

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What’s next for a wine merchant that isn’t standing still? In part two of his feature on Jeroboams Group, The Buyer’s Richard Siddle discusses with Lucie Parker and Matt Tipping what’s driving our next chapter, from refining our Trade offer and investing in Private Client services, to reinforcing the role of retail in our business. It’s a look at how a 40-year-old company can continue to grow by focusing not on scale, but on doing what it does best: • Strong producer partnerships • A people-first approach • Hyper-local retail • Clear commercial focus If part one was the “what,” this is the “what’s next.” Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/e3rYk3u3 Thank you again to Richard for the thoughtful write-up. #Jeroboams #WineTrade #RetailEvolution #PrivateClient #OnTrade #GrowthStrategy #TheBuyer #WineBusiness #PeopleFirst

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Wines and Spirits: U.S. Anti-Alcohol Panel Sidelined: A Win for Alc Bev Industry Amid Ongoing Guidelines Debate. 🍷 The alcoholic beverage industry has scored a significant victory as the Trump administration has defunded and effectively de-platformed a controversial anti-alcohol panel that sought to influence the 2025-2030 US Dietary Guidelines. 🍷While the 2025 guidelines remain in flux, this de-platforming promotes evidence-based moderation over prohibitionist agendas, boosting innovation and responsible enjoyment. 🍷For stakeholders, it's a call to advocate for balanced policy. 🍷The Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD), established in 2004 to combat youth drinking, was repurposed by the Biden administration in 2022 to conduct the Alcohol Intake and Health Study. 🍷The 6-member Scientific Review Panel produced a draft report asserting "no safe level" of alcohol consumption—claims that contradicted established evidence on moderate drinking's potential benefits, like cardiovascular health from wine. 🍷Criticism mounted over the panel's composition and process. 🍷Half the members were Canadian addiction experts: Tim Naimi, Kevin Shield, and Jürgen Rehm, all from Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. 🍷Naimi, director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, helped author Canada's 2023 guidelines limiting intake to two drinks weekly—a stance rejected by Canadian officials for bias. He collaborates with the WHO on reports classifying alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen without nuance for moderation. Shield and Rehm, also WHO affiliates, echoed these views in global studies downplaying moderate consumption's upsides. 🍷Why do we have external "experts" playing a role in domestic U.S. policy????? 🍷Bipartisan lawmakers, including over 100 in Congress, decried the "secretive" selection without public input or conflict checks, calling it redundant to the congressionally mandated National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) review, which affirmed moderation's role. 🍷The House Appropriations Committee halted ICCPUD funding for adult alcohol activities, shelving the report and signaling a pivot from ideological overreach. 🍷Tom Wark, executive director of the National Association of Wine Retailers, praised the shift: "If the reporting is correct that the Trump administration is moving away from an anti-business and anti-science approach to alcohol consumption, then this is a very good thing." 🍷This is good news for an industry sustaining over 2 million jobs and adding $250 billion+ to GDP through wine, spirits, beer production, hospitality, and retail. 🍷It averts politically engineered guidelines equating a daily glass of wine with bingeing, while protecting sales and countering WHO-backed campaigns. SHARE THIS! #AlcBev #Wine #Spirits #Policy #Business #wine #winebusiness #wineandspirits #winery #drinks #marketing #sales #retail #CPG

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