November 11, 2025: RTDs, DIAGEO’s new CEO, and other news
RTDs trends by IWSR, spirits sales in India, DIAGEO appoints new CEO, opinions on Scotch whisky's situation, Jamaica after Melissa, tourism in Guyana, cachaça in Salinas, Bottega's whisky and more...
The Spirits Post is an international press review about the spirits industry brought to you by , an Italian spirits journalist and judge. If this newsletter was forwarded to you by a friend, you can subscribe here to receive it directly in your inbox:
Hello everyone!
It has been a while since my last round-up of news. Here is a selection of articles and pieces of content that I’ve found significant over the last couple of weeks. I hope you find them as interesting as I did.
RTDs again
Where are RTDs going?
The IWSR has been focusing heavily on RTDs (Ready-to-Drinks) recently. Here are two distinct pieces of content on the topic:
India
Spirits driving alcoholic beverages growth of 20% in festive season sales
The alcoholic beverage industry is on the rise in India, where festive season sales are expected to grow by 20%, primarily driven by the spirits category.
News by the agency Press Trust od India (no author mentioned):
AlchoBev industry expects up to 20 pc growth in Dec quarter riding on bullish festive sales
Leadership changes
Dave Lewis is DIAGEO’s new CEO
Diageo has appointed Dave Lewis as its new CEO, following Nik Jhangiani’s tenure as interim CEO. Lewis’s experience includes six years as CEO at Tesco (the UK’s biggest supermarket chain) and 28 years at Unilever.
Article by Nicola Carruthers in The Spirits Business:
Change at the head of Martell in Cognac
Philippe Neusch, former Director of Operations in Cognac for Martell who stepped down last spring, has now been replaced by a pair: Patricia Gaborieau and François-Xavier Morizot. Both come from previous roles at Champagnes Mumm and Perrier-Jouët.
You can read the article by Olivier Sarazin in Sud Ouest France:
Scotch whisky, an opinion
Alex Bruce (Adelphi) on the current Scotch whisky industry situation
The Courier published a lengthy interview with Alex Bruce, Managing Director of both the Fife independent bottling company Adelphi and the Ardnamurchan Distillery, curated by Paul Malik.
Is Perth whisky firm’s collapse a sign of an industry in crisis?
Note: The article mentions a Scotch whisky firm that has collapsed in Perth. I assume they are referring to Chapter 7, an independent bottling company. I found an article in The Scottish Sun by Eleanor Pugsley, if you’d like to have a look:
A DRAM SHAME Scottish whisky company collapses into liquidation after sales plummet
After the storm
Updates from Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa
I’ve been following the news closely after the terrible Hurricane Melissa struck the island of Jamaica.
Here is an early update about the situation by
Of course, things have moved on since the first week, and we now have news from many distilleries. Appleton is posting regularly on Instagram, highlighting their support for their communities alongside J. Wray & Nephew. Official page here.
Hampden also used Instagram to launch its Trelawny Hurricane Relief Fund to raise money for the local community. You can find the link in their Instagram bio.
Tourism
Guyana reports increase in tourists’ arrivals
Rum, waterfalls, and nature appear to be the main reasons for a growing number of tourists choosing Guyana as a holiday destination. Data from the Guyana Tourism Authority show an 18.3% increase in arrivals during the first half of 2025.
Article by Caribbean Journal (no author mentioned):
…and official data here (from August actually, but worth reading nonetheless):
Brazil
Figures about cachaça production in Salinas
This article begins by discussing an event, the Festival Mundial da Cachaça, which is held every year in Salinas, but then gives us some interesting figures about production in this area. I decided to include it in today’s press review.
It is penned by Isa Luciano in the Diario da Regiao:
Capital Nacional da Cachaça com 50 alambiques movimenta R$ 3 milhões por ano
Italy and whisky
Bottega launched its first whisky references
Italy-based Prosecco and Grappa producer Bottega has launched its first whiskies onto the market. The first batch of 12,000 bottles has been almost completely sold outside Italy, particularly in Asia.
The local Treviso edition of Corriere della Sera reported the news (no author mentioned). But I’m adding some more details for you: it is not just one whisky; there are three different single malt labels with different ageing profiles: ex-Brunello di Montalcino, ex-Amarone, and ex-Tuscan red wine cask. I’ll be writing about this soon and will keep you posted.
E Bottega debutta nel whisky: esaurite le prime 12mila bottiglie
Stories to read
Collective investment takes over estate and welcomes new investors in Charente-Maritime
A group of small investors from Belgium and other nationalities have taken over the Pique Russe estate in Charente-Maritime. They are now open to welcoming new investors who are keen to join the project of producing still wines in the Cognac area.
Article by Olivier Bazalge in Vitisphère:
That’s all for today (or tonight!). I can’t promise to post with the same frequency over the next couple of weeks, but I’ll do the best I can to keep you posted about what is happening in the spirits world.
Cheers, and do keep me up-to-date about any interesting news you hear.