Good Morning! Thank you for joining us for another week of news and interesting industry developments. This week we are talking about yet another way that additives are impacting the spirits industry in addition to other issues facing the bar and restaurant industry at large. Tequila and rum are not alone in their want to see more transparency from major spirits producers.

Labels with ‘Misleading’ Information Also Called Into Question

Last week In the ‘Quick Hits’ section of the newsletter we included a link to a story about a recent ban on spirits in India. At the time there wasn’t a ton of information to report on but since then there has been some more information released and the nature of the situation has changed.

The original ban was made by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for three major brands: Antiquity Blue Whisky, Royal Challenge Whisky and McDowell’s No.1 Rum. These brands are all manufactured in India by Diageo subsidiary United Spirits Limited (USL). Royal Challenge is actually one of Diageo’s flagship brands in India, and might be a reason that Diageo is taking legal action against the bans. Indian authorities upgraded their complaints about the whisky, not only taking issue with the additives but also claiming that the brand misleads consumers.

The FSSAI claims that Royal Challenge Whisky has misleading labeling. The label states “matured in American oak casks” but the FSSAI argues that the product “has a grain neutral spirit as second ingredient ‌after demineralised ⁠water, and major portion is non-matured spirit.” The labeling is definitely worded ambiguously. The front label says: “A rich blend ⁠of Indian ​grain spirit & imported Scotches, matured in American oak casks” whereas the back label states that it contains “demineralised water, grain neutral spirit, Scotch. Contains permitted natural colour … and added nature identical (whisky) flavouring substances”. USL has said in their official statement regarding the labeling dispute that they are “actively engaging with FSSAI to address their queries on labelling”.

Diageo has taken action and brought the issues with the FSSAI to court. The court case is specifically in response to the rum that was banned but speaks to the larger issue at hand in its own way. The court filing claims that the FSSAI did not follow due legal process when it made its decision to ban the spirit. Specifically they claim that the food safety officer who issued the ban did not have the official authority to do so and that the regulator “bypassed the required adjudicatory process by relying on a food analyst’s report to stop sales.”

As of this writing the ban remains in effect until the next court hearing which is scheduled for next week. The Mumbai High Court has made no rulings so far in the case.

Well Meaning State Proposals and How They Impact the Bar and Restaurant Industry

Just last week we reported on how global death rates tied to alcohol consumption were down. This week in browsing the alcohol news headlines we couldn’t help but be pulled in by one coming out of North Carolina.

The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABC) has delayed a vote to increase the cost of some of the most inexpensive liquor brands on the market. The delay comes after pressure from local bars and restaurants against the proposed price increases. The vote of course will still need to occur but the delay does give some hope to those struggling to stay afloat in the bar and restaurant industry in the state. Restaurant and bar owners “bombarded” the state ABC Commission with messages of opposition leading up to an in-person pressure campaign at a hearing this past week. Industry professionals urge for the measures not to be enacted in order to help those with already razor-thin margins keep their heads above water a little longer. State officials argue the increase is negligible.

Regardless of where they operate bar and restaurant owners have been facing financial squeeze from all sides. With costs up across the board there are more and more restaurants facing closures by the day. In 2025 full-service independent restaurants saw a 2.6% loss overall and as of the beginning of 2026 about 9% of all full-service restaurants were considered ‘at risk’ for closure. What the ABC Commission fails to realize is that one small increase in liquor prices could spell disaster for any number of already struggling businesses.

The price increases were proposed under the desire to decrease alcohol abuse and alcohol related deaths but opponents also suspect that there are ulterior motives. The state’s ABC stores have been losing profits over the past few years and some think that the push to increase the price of the least expensive offerings is really an effort to make up for lost revenue. Regardless of the real reason why it’s clear that the repercussions of such a measure should it pass will clearly demonstrate the reasons for concern restaurants had in the first place.

How Does Mango Come Up as a Tasting Note When No Fruit Exists In the Spirit?

Malt whiskies often have intriguing tasting profiles. Labels claiming fruit forward notes either on the nose or palate catch the eye of a wide variety of drinkers. For some, fruit might be the last thing that they want to taste in their whisky. Science has delivered a method for distillers to isolate specific compounds that create that tropical fruit or mango flavor and either ramp it up or tone it down accordingly.

In whisky aldehydes and acetals are fairly well understood and are tied to specific flavor and aroma outcomes in finished spirits. Before PhD student Takehiko Hiura took the time to analyze 14 commercially available whiskies from Scotland and Ireland little was known about where exactly the perceived ‘mango’ or ‘tropical’ flavor was coming from. His studies revealed that volatile organic compounds isobutyraldehyde, isovaleraldehyde and isovaleraldehyde diethyl acetal were present in the samples that had that distinctive tropical note. The study was carried out at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University, in partnership with Japanese drinks company Kirin. Heriot-Watt has also published studies on other important subjects in the spirits industry like the impact of climate change on juniper berries (a defining ingredient in gin) and the feasibility of aluminum packaging for spirits as opposed to glass.

Okay so the video itself really isn’t the exciting thing here, I admit it. The reason this felt worthy of sharing is because owner and head bartender of Riff Raff in Washington DC is one of the contestants on this new show. I had reported on Riff Raff because of the incredible things that they are doing on the sustainability front and then had the absolute pleasure of going there myself during a recent trip to visit one of my best friends. The show is a really interesting concept and I will be interested to watch in order to see how it stacks up against other similar show concepts that we have seen in recent years.

Quick Hits: