Responsible Drinking initiatives gain momentum

As binge drinking continues to worry the western world, alcohol manufacturers in India are taking steps to ensure the phenomenon does not prompt our policy makers to take drastic measures to combat the menace. CIABC and ICAP have launched a book "Working together to reduce harmful drinking". Rick Connor, Vice-President, International Public Affairs who represent ICAP and Pernod Ricard have a dual responsibility of actively promoting responsible drinking and also protecting his company interests. In an interview with Ambrosia, he discusses his role in the strategy to curb dangerous drinking practices.

Excerpts: The International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) recently announced that Rick Connor, Vice President of International Public Affairs at Pernod Ricard since February 2002, has been appointed Chairman of the ICAP Board of Directors for a two-year term.

I wear several hats, said Connors, who was in New Delhi for the CIABC conference where The International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) and the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) launched the book 'Working Together to Reduce Harmful Drinking' as a contribution to the World Health Organization's (WHO) global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and to the work of regional organizations and national governments involved in alcohol policy development and implementation.

- Vincent Fernandes

COGNAC The Drink of The Aspirants

Patrick Mariuz the International Brand Ambassador for the finest and one of the oldest cognac companies - Remy Martin was in India recently. In an interaction with Ambrosia he shared the latest trends in the global cognac market and details about Remy Martin's trophy brand- Louis XIII.

Excerpts: Cognac, usually considered the drink of the affluent has also properties that can cure many diseases. Though it's not been the most popular drink among Indians, it has a mystery within.

By definition, cognac is a double distilled white wine produced from south of France region and it has a controlled appellation. This is the reason why a cognac could be called brandy but not all brandies could be called cognac, said Patrick.

- Rojita Tiwari

Alcobev riding high on the 'brand' wagon

Alcohol packaging and promotion has come of age as in the case of any other industry. With the association and participation of important names and companies, the industry is strengthened and is thriving.

Excerpts: There are companies that manufacture alcohol, and then there companies that create buzz around these products. Or in some cases, even a simple word of recommendation from the right persons help. In this industry opportunity to explore creativity and innovation in promotion activities is boundless. The methods and means used might generally be subtle but the effect is tremendous.

- Debdutta Ray

CIABC highlights needs to curb binge drinking

Confederation of Indian Alcoholic & Bevarage Companies (CIABC) expressed their solidarity towards working together closely in reaching out industry concerns to the regulators and in curbing social ills related to binge drinking.

Excerpts: In his keynote address, at the BevINDIA 2010, conference UB Group Chairman Dr. Vijay Mallya, came down heavily on the government for treating the liquor industry like a pariah, despite the fact that the industry gave Rs. 40,000 crores to the exchequer. He said the liquor industry should be treated as a leading FMCG giant. He also criticised state governments who had used prohibition as a political tool, pointing out that bans on alcohol had never worked and had in some cases left a state bankrupt. He called on the industry to drop their differences and unite in efforts to get a better due.

- Rojita Tiwari

WINE FESTIVALS To Boost The Domestic Wine Industry

The Indian wine industry has recognised the importance of developing wine culture in the country. Wine festivals not only serve as the best place to convert non-wine drinkers to wine drinkers but also help boost the culture as well as wine sales in the long run.

Excerpts: Wine festivals are an integral aspect of any wine growing region. However, it's just recently that India has woken up to the need of such events. Sula Wines and Chateau Indage being one of the pioneers in organising its popular Sula Fest and Narayangaon wine festival every year has inspired many more this year.

- Rojita Tiwari

BRUGGES A Paradise Revisited

Rupali Dean explores the city Brugges in Belgium also called the gastronomy and booze capital.

Excerpts: A trip to Brugge was quite by chance. I had gone to attend the Flemish Primitives, a Gourmet Summit but discovered much more and am glad that I extended my stay.

Before you get to Brugge a beautiful, romantic little medieval town, which could possibly be described as a mix between Amsterdam and Venice, with many waterways and stone bridges Swans swim through all the canals and horses with carriages trotting down the streets! - You have to get to the Brussels Airport which is very organized and the station is just two levels below. From there on it is an hour north of Brussels by train. It's not known as the Gastronomy and Beer Capital for nothing.

- (The author is hospitality professional)

Hangover - Proof your Parties

Post-party sickness has tried and tested remedies. And after having read pages after pages about it, we know enough to prevent and cure our hangovers. Despite that don't we wake up feeling hammered sometimes? Some gentle reminders would surely help.

Excerpts: Four friends in Vegas, a bachelor party, waking up next morning not remembering a thing, then realising the groom, whose wedding is scheduled for the next day, is missing, and a hoard of bizarre misadventures thrown in - sounds great, but only when limited to films like the Hollywood movie 'The Hangover'. Not just in popular culture, a spate of drunk-driving incidents in the country like the very recent Nooria Haveliwala case with devastating consequences should be enough to remind people to drink responsibly.

18th ISAF: HUNT ON FOR ALTERNATIVES

The ISAF (International Symposium on Alcohol Fuels) is being held in India this year from March 9 to 12 and is being organised by the All-India Distiller's Association (AIDA). V.N Raina, Director General, AIDA shares the event details with Ambrosia.

Excerpts: The ISAF (International Symposium on Alcohol Fuels) is being held in India this year from March 9 to 12 and is being organised by the All-India Distiller's Association (AIDA). The ISAF a non-profit international organization which gathers together specialists, technologists, executives and technical experts from alcohol, alcohol fuels, methanol, ethers and bio-fuel industries.

Ethanol could fuel the future

Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from plants. Essentially non-drinkable grain alcohol, ethanol is produced by fermenting plant sugars. It can be made from corn, sugar cane, and other starchy agricultural product. A report:

Excerpts: The cellulose in agricultural wastes such as waste woods and corn stalks (also know as "cellulosic ethanol") can also be used as a base. In the United States, most ethanol is currently made from corn, although because of rapidly developing research, cellulosic ethanol may soon become a larger part of the market.

Decade of Fuel Ethanol

Vinati Moghe, VP- Corporate, Praj Industries Limited, offers an insight into the decade long journey of fuel ethanol.

Excerpts: The past decade really belonged to fuel ethanol. With a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 16% (four fold), fuel ethanol production and consumption outstripped total alcohol production and consumption which grew at 10% CAGR. The share of fuel ethanol in gasoline grew from mere 1% to over 7% by 2009 in countries where it was mandated and as a percentage of world gasoline consumption, it stands at 1.5%. Amongst all alternate fuels, fuel ethanol attracted a lion's share of investments and interest. This is not to say that the other alternate fuels are any less important. Fuel ethanol in many ways has been a pioneer amongst alternate fuels and in many countries; it is probably the most user friendly amongst all, due to the lower learning curve in the first generation fuels.

-The views and information contained in this article are of the author in her individual capacity

Radico Khaitan Boasts Its First Environment Friendly Distillery In India

Radico Khaitan Ltd., one of India's oldest and largest alcohol & liquor manufacturers also formerly known as Rampur Distillery was established in 1943. The group is led under the eminent leadership of Dr. Lalit Khaitan - Chairman & Managing Director & supported by his son Abhishek Khaitan - Managing Director.

Excerpts: The Rampur Distillery has a series of firsts to its credit- it is the first India distillery to obtain ISO 9001:2000 certifications, it has achieved capacity utilization of over 100% in the alcohol plant and it is the first environment friendly distillery in the country.

- K.P. Singh The writer is the Director, Mfg Operations at Radico Khaitan Ltd.

Cocktail with Tadka Twist!

You use them in your food and now you can use them in your drinks too. Indian kitchen is a treasure trove of cocktail ingredients, but often neglected. Find out how you can use few Indian spices to pack punch into your morning potion.

Excerpts: Here's a typical scenario. A painful week of drudgery- not many of us are as lucky as to land a job of a luxury Bed Tester. (Yes, there are jobs like that. Go ahead, Google it!) Finally weekends arrive. And we, the denizens of Workers' Paradise actually start to believe, it's a privilege to get two days of weekly off. Saturdays if you get to party, you let loose with a steady stream of spirits, otherwise simply stay put. Now what about Sundays? If it's spent at home, maybe due to exhaustion or in a bid to control spending, the day goes watching the weekend pass by swiftly like motion blur on photographs. However, Sundays could also be fun days involving creativity and adventure within the confines of your home.

- Debdutta Ray

World Wine Tour2010

Russia, January 2010 -The Trans-Siberia/Mongolian Express: Unexpected Stories

Excerpts: During the Trans Mongolian train ride we not only had the great opportunity to enjoy the amazing landscapes of deep Russia, the face of pure nature with freckles of villages scattered throughout, but we were also able to share closely with locals both the space of our coupe, and the stories of their lives.

- Anja and Georges For further details visit www.worldwinetour2010.com An Ambrosia magazine Initiative

The India Grill at Hilton Garden Inn

Not just a new hotel – this is a new concept, a new international chain, different to just the other properties of Hilton in the country. This is the brand spanking new Hilton Garden Inn at the busy mall intersection of South Delhi's Saket DLF, adjacent to ITC, and is truly an Iconic property in the making.

Excerpts: The new Hilton Garden Inn adheres to the international dictates of the brand in many features in the room décor, comfort factor of the guest but is most noticeable for the single outlet – The India Grill which has the food and bar segment of the property.

- Ameeta Sharma

FIRST GRAPPA LOUNGE IN MUMBAI

Excerpts: Botticino, the Italian restaurant at the newly opened Trident Hotel in the suburbs of Mumbai is also the first grappa lounge to be opened in the city.

There is great news for grappa drinkers. The grappa lounge at Trident allows the grappa drinkers to relax and enjoy their favourite drink in perfect set up. Drink it neat as a shot, sip on a cocktail or spray it on your coffee.

Chivas Regal, DFS team up in Mumbai for film fest promotion

Chivas, in partnership with DFS India at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, is giving consumers the chance to win a trip to the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. DFS India is a partnership between DFS and Flemingo. The two-month long promotion kicked off on February 1 and will last until March 31.

Customers can fill in a coupon with each purchase of Chivas Regal. A lucky draw will be carried out at the end of the promotion period to reveal the winner.

With the purchase of every two bottles of Chivas Regal 12yo or a single bottle purchase of Chivas Regal 18yo or Chivas Regal 25yo, customers also get to choose a DVD of a popular Cannes movie of their choice: The Orphanage, Persepolis and Caramel.

In addition, the purchase of every two bottles of Chivas Regal 12yo entitles customers to a discount of US$8 while each bottle of Chivas Regal 18yo purchased qualifies consumers for a US$6 discount.

Intra-Asian travel numbers eclipse North America in 2009, says IATA

The intra-Asian air travel market overtook North America as the world's largest in 2009, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Travelers in the Asia Pacific region numbered 647 million compared with the 638 million who travelled within North America (including domestic markets). By 2013 an additional 217 million travellers are expected to fly within Asia Pacific, said IATA.

The global aviation industry is expected to reduce its losses from US$11.0 billion in 2009 to US$5.6 billion in 2010. The reduction is being led by Asia Pacific's carriers, who are expected to see their losses shrink from US$3.4 billion in 2009 to US$700 million in 2010.

Asia Pacific is home to two of the world's top five airlines in terms of profitability, noted IATA. At the same time, the region's governments provided over US$10 billion in government bailouts to airlines in the first quarter of the year. The region's two biggest growth markets – India and China – face completely different circumstances, the association said. India's challenge is to reduce costs and improve infrastructure, while China is adjusting to new global trade patterns.

Over the last decade China replaced Japan as Asia Pacific's largest player. Today China's fleet is 1,400 aircraft compared to Japan's 540. Its domestic market of 5.7 million weekly seats is more than double Japan's 2.6 million and China's 1.4 million weekly international seat market is now slightly larger than Japan's 1.3 million.

In the US, there are three aircraft seats per year for each of the 300 million people who live there. China's population of 1.3 billion is served by only 0.3 seats per person and India's 1.1 billion population has only 0.1 seats available per person.

The Edrington Group acquires Cutty Sark Scotch whisky

UK wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros & Rudd (BB&R) announced that it has finalized an agreement under which it will sell the Cutty Sark blended Scotch whisky brand to The Edrington Group, makers of The Famous Grouse and The Macallan recently.

As per the deal, BB&R will acquire The Glenrothes single malt brand from Edrington, which has signed long-term supply agreements to provide whisky fillings and stocks to BB&R. Edrington will retain ownership of The Glenrothes distillery.

The transaction will also involve Edrington acquiring all distribution contracts on Cutty Sark in force at the time of completion.

Edrington's sales and distribution alliance (Maxxium) will continue to distribute The Glenrothes in key international markets and is also expected to provide a distribution option for other brands within BB&R's super-premium spirits portfolio.

The agreement is due to be concluded by April 2010. The total consideration has not been revealed.

Edrington has enjoyed a long-term partnership with BB&R under which it has supplied blended whisky for the Cutty Sark brand for over 70 years and is currently responsible for all aspects of producing Cutty Sark.

Cutty Sark is a top three whisky brand in Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Spain and Portugal, where it is popular in the fast-moving on-trade. The brand continues to have a strong presence in the US and is increasing its footprint in Asia and developing markets.

In Spain, Cutty Sark's largest market, the distribution agreement with Importaciones Varma will come to an end before the completion of the sale of Cutty Sark. The brand will then be handled by Maxxium Espana, a 50:50 joint venture between Edrington and Beam Global Spirits & Wine.

In Greece, the distribution of Cutty Sark will remain with WS Karoulias, which will continue as a wholly-owned subsidiary of BB&R.

BB&R said the acquisition of The Glenrothes reflected its ambition to grow its super-premium business as the brand was one of the world's fastest-growing single malts.

WHO removes duty-free liquor abolition

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has removed a proposal to ban duty and tax-free liquor sales from a draft strategy paper on the harmful use of alcohol. The move comes as a major relief to the travel retail channel and in particular the liquor category.

The decision of the WHO Executive Board was welcomed by the European Travel Retail Council (ETRC) recently.

Following the publication of the WHO's Draft Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol in early December, ETRC engaged in an intensive six-week lobbying campaign with national delegations in Geneva. This was mirrored by political action at national level by ETRC member companies and by trade organisations in other regions, including the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association.

ETRC successfully argued that customs allowances governing duty-free liquor sales to international travellers are sufficient to ensure that travel retail does not contribute to the harmful use of alcohol. ETRC said it had overwhelming support for its position from practically all of the country representatives it met in Geneva.

ETRC said it was delighted with the decision taken by the WHO Executive Board at its meeting recently but said there may still be support for a ban among certain countries and NGOs.