Nicola Carruthers

England, London

Deputy Editor at The Spirits Business

Deputy editor @spiritsbusiness

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Articles

The Spirits Business

5 days ago | thespiritsbusiness.com | Nicola Carruthers

Japanese spirit shochu needs more marketing support from “deep-pocketed entities” to drive growth and help it achieve its “mezcal moment”. American-born shochu expert Christopher Pellegrini runs an export business in Japan and an import business in New York for shochu brands. The Japan-based shochu educator has also penned a book on the category, called The Shochu Handbook.
Prakaan puts Thai whisky on world stage

5 days ago | thespiritsbusiness.com | Nicola Carruthers

After debuting in Asia last year, Thailand’s first single malt whisky, Prakaan, will roll out in international markets. Bangkok-headquartered Thai Beverage (ThaiBev) launched Prakaan in Asia last year with the aim of putting Thai whisky on the global spirits map. ThaiBev’s global arm, International Beverage, will roll out the whisky worldwide, starting with the UK, France and Germany this year. The US and other markets will follow in the future.
CNIT backs CRT over Tequila exclusivity claim

1 week ago | thespiritsbusiness.com | Nicola Carruthers

The Cámara Nacional de la Industria Tequilera (CNIT) has defended the category’s regulatory body after the Additive Free Alliance (AFA) said it should not have “exclusive control” of Tequila. The CNIT, otherwise known as the National Chamber of the Tequila Industry, penned a letter to The Spirits Business to clarify key points over a defence that was filed by the AFA in its lawsuit with Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT), the category’s regulatory body.
Brown-Forman shakes up US distribution

1 week ago | thespiritsbusiness.com | Nicola Carruthers

Jack Daniel’s producer Brown-Forman has made its first major change to its US distribution in more than 60 years with new partnerships in 13 markets. The Kentucky-headquartered firm has named seven new distributors across 13 markets, effective from 1 August 2025. The move came following the completion of a Request for Proposal (RFP) process for portfolio distribution in 13 US markets.
The Spirits Business

1 week ago | thespiritsbusiness.com | Nicola Carruthers

English gin maker Salcombe Distilling Co has denied infringing Nyetimber’s trademark, claiming that the ‘Product of England’ term is “neither exclusive nor distinct to any one brand”. In April, English sparkling wine producer Nyetimber filed a lawsuit against Salcombe Distilling Company, alleging that the gin maker infringes on its ‘Product of England’ trademark.
Nikaido: US ‘significant potential’ for shochu

1 week ago | thespiritsbusiness.com | Nicola Carruthers

The US offers the “biggest growth opportunity” for shochu with interest in the Japanese spirit soaring, according to the president of Nikaido Shuzou Co.Japanese shochu brand Nikaido made its US debut last year, when awareness of and interest in the category rose by 40% (according to a Datassential report cited by Nikaido). Nikaido has been producing shochu from 100% barley koji since the 1970s in Ōita prefecture, Kyūshū.
Gin brands head to sea to conquer GTR

1 week ago | thespiritsbusiness.com | Nicola Carruthers

With airports cutting back on the amount of shelf space they give over to gin, producers are targeting cruise and ferry passengers to boost their sales in global travel retail (GTR), with one brand even having a distillery on board a ship. *This feature was originally published in the February 2025 issue of The Spirits Business magazine. Despite reports the gin bubble has burst in key markets like the UK and Spain, the category is experiencing some success in global travel retail (GTR).
AFA rejects CRT’s exclusivity claim over Tequila

1 week ago | thespiritsbusiness.com | Nicola Carruthers

The Additive Free Alliance (AFA) has filed its defence to the Consejo Regulador del Tequila’s (CRT) lawsuit, denying that the body has “exclusive and legitimate control” over the category’s certification. In March 2024, the CRT filed a lawsuit against the AFA and S2F Online, in the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida’s Jacksonville Division.
The Spirits Business

2 weeks ago | thespiritsbusiness.com | Nicola Carruthers

The parent company of Jose Cuervo believes there is a “misconception” about the use of additives in the Tequila industry, claiming they “not harmful”. Over the past year, the conversations around additives being used in Tequila have heightened, creating widespread debates across the industry and beyond. The category’s regulations are enforced by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT).
Inver House Distillers faces six-day strike

2 weeks ago | thespiritsbusiness.com | Nicola Carruthers

Workers at Inver House Distillers in Scotland will return to strike action next month for six days as part of a pay dispute. One of the whisky industry’s biggest unions, GMB Scotland, balloted its members at Inver House Distillers for strike action in March over a pay dispute. The vote followed the rejection of a 3% pay offer from the firm, which is owned by International Beverage, a subsidiary of ThaiBev.