All articles by Richard Woodard

Unaged Spirits Commentator

Risks abound as spirits industry wrestles with erratic US tariff policy

Visit the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) website at the moment and you’re greeted with quite the patriotic gesture…
Why the Scotch whisky industry has reasons to be cheerful

Judging by the mood music emanating from the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) lately, the first rays of spring sunshine will…
It may be wiser for Pernod Ricard to hang on to Mumm Champagne

As Valentine’s Day beckons, it seems that Pernod Ricard’s on-off love affair with Champagne has become a little toxic, with…
Park the Guinness debate: getting back to basics will cheer Diageo shareholders

Speculative M&A stories are often fun both to write and to read, with the added bonus that, most of the…
Why the outlook for Tequila isn’t as gloomy as some might think

Glance at the headlines towards the end of last year and you might be forgiven for thinking the Tequila category…

The headaches facing aged spirits brands as industry enters 2025

On Friday, CNBC investment pundit and former hedge fund manager Jim Cramer turned his gaze – briefly – on beverage…
Gin’s search for growth, the strength of no-alcohol, RTDs’ need for clarity – unaged spirits in 2025

A year ago, there was a feeling that – for all the obvious challenges confronting the global spirits market –…
Waterford Distillery’s thwarted ambition highlights spirits industry’s choppy waters

As 2024 draws to a close, the pressures facing the global beverage alcohol industry have become painfully familiar: geopolitical tensions,…
Too few wine companies are co-operating in face of climate crisis

This year could be one to remember – but for all the wrong reasons. I’m not – despite the imminent…
The spectre of ‘Tariff Man’ Trump looms over the alcohol industry

The modern world – the modern business world in particular – hates uncertainty. As I write this, the US presidential…