Kentucky bourbon stocks reach 44-year high →
More than 6.8 million barrels of bourbon are maturing in Kentucky according to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. Now an $8.5 billion industry, the KDA says the bourbon boom has had a “tremendous” impact on the Kentucky’s agriculture industry; distillers’ local corn purchases have increased by 65 percent in the past two years. With $1.2 billion dollars in capital projects just finished or underway, the state’s distilling and warehousing equipment manufacturers are also racing to keep up with the rate of expansion.
Californian heatwave: too soon to tell if yields affected →
Justin Knock MW, director of the Californian Wine Institute UK, said it was too early to say what the effect of the unseasonably warm weather might have on yield expectations. He pointed out that the harvest was still ongoing, with some vineyards already picked, making them unaffected. Those most badly affected were likely to be vineyards on the cusp of picking as grapes could overshoot quickly, leaving no opportunity for the vines to recover. Knock argued that Pinot Noir and Chardonnay could be more affected than Cabernet.
Florida breweries survey damage after Hurricane Irma →
Florida breweries’ states are varying greatly. In Jacksonville, Intuition Ale Works says the water came right up to their door, but the brewery was “relatively unharmed.” Nearby Bold City Brewery also showed photos of flooded streets right outside their front door. Wicked Barley Brewing’s beer garden and dock were under water, but they planned to open Tuesday. In Tampa, power outages are forcing breweries to remain closed another day, but other Florida breweries that have the ability to open are doing so—giving their communities a place to find food and shelter.
Canadian giant Peller to acquire Black Hills, Gray Monk, Tinhorn →
Canadian giant Andrew Peller Limited announced today that it has entered agreements to purchase Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, Black Hills Estate Winery and Gray Monk Estate Winery—three of British Columbia’s most important wineries. The publicly traded company with headquarters in Grimsby, Ontario, said the combined total of the three transactions will cost CAD$95 million in a combination of cash and stock. The sales are expected to be finalized by November 1.
