db’s second pressings

the drinks business presents this week’s round up of wine, beer, spirits and other related news items.

Click through our highlights from news sites and social media across the world.

Wine news

• The Guardian examines how ‘wine in a box’ is becoming cool again. 
• The Telegraph‘s Victoria Moore lists the English sparkling wine that you should be drinking while watching Wimbledon. 
• Bloomberg takes a look at six great wines with ‘terrible labels.’
• The Adelaide Review takes a look at some fine wine fakes. 
• The Wall Street Journal explores how a dilapidated wine tavern was transformed into a ‘posh family home’.
• Bolney’s blanc de blancs and rosé sparkling wines have become the first English wines to be sold in magnum at UK retailer, John Lewis. 
• The Geffrye Museum launches London’s inaugural rosé festival. 

Beer news

• The Economist asks whether craft beer is going flat in America. 
• AB InBev has mocked the beer independence seal with the release of a video.
• Molson Coors is planning to spend $500 million for new Montreal brewery.
• Dogfish Head Craft Brewery has released a salty thirst-quenching beer after two years of research.
• A research lab at North Carolina State University is producing alcoholic drinks, including beer, using bees’ yeast. 
• A new bar has opened in Bristol combining beer and coffee. 
• Independent Australian beer brewers have highlighted a massive growth to push for excise relief.

Spirits news

• Southern Glazer’s is facing a lawsuit after being accused of “unfair, unlawful, deceptive, and fraudulent” business practices. 
• Hendrick’s are using cucumbers as musical instruments…
• The producer of Burleighs Gin has refuted a report that the company is going into administration. 
• The Spirits Business release the Gin Masters results. 
• ITV’s Good Morning presenter Susanna Reid has admitted that she has a phobia of gin. 
• A luxury tequila has been launched that costs $30k a bottle. 

Other news

• A reporter was vomited on during a live TV broadcast of a beer-chugging ‘Iron Man’ contest.
• Paul McCartney has revealed that he doesn’t drink booze before gigs because he would forget his own lyrics. 
• The boss of Sports Direct has described himself as a ‘power drinker’ who likes to get drunk. 
• MDMA is to be used to treat alcoholism in world first medical trial.
• A group developing a distillery in Moray have released pictures of a whisky-themed play area. 
• As part of her graduate work, a student has created a ‘prosthetic third thumb’ capable of holding a wine glass.
• Armed police have praised JD Wetherspoon staff in Southampton after a ‘gun discovery.’
• The Cabrach whisky scheme have found a hidden whisky bothy dating back to the 19th century.
• A health blogger has accidentally poisoned herself with by eating a raw agave plant after mistaking it for aloe vera.