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☆ We’re way past hard seltzer: The spiked drinks keep coming
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

What started the spiked beverage trend? Spiked beverages have been around for a while. For decades, it was “generally frowned upon” for non-alcoholic beverage brands to enter the alcoholic beverage market, Stanford said. Hard seltzer, meanwhile, had $3.8 billion in sales over the past 12 months, a 14% decline compared to last year. The nostalgia generationEvery year, the alcoholic beverage industry gets a new class of (legal) drinkers to sell to.

Persons: It’s, Casey Brooke Lawson, ”, Duane Stanford, Stanford, Jamie Wideman, Caleb Bryant, seltzer, Seltzer, Timothy A, Clary, Dan White, “, Bryant, Adam Rogers, Coke, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee, Brown, Forman, Absolut, Nielsen, Hard seltzer, who've, Ilene Bergenfeld, SunnyD Organizations: New, New York CNN, MTN, Beverage Digest, Brands, “, Molson Coors, CNN, Coca, Getty, Coors, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Delight, Harvest Hill Beverage Company Locations: New York, Fresca, AriZona, Mintel, United States, AFP, Topo Chico

☆ 87-year-old fends off home intruder, offers snacks to distract him
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Eli Masket | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

“He kept knocking me against the wall, he put a bruise on my forehead and one on my cheek,” Perkins said. The intruder then told Perkins that he was hungry. When he finished, the suspect put on his pants and walked out the door but left his shoes, shirt, and knife behind, according to Perkins. The police in a news release did not identify the suspect or name Perkins, who is described as a resident. A Maine court clerk would not provide any updates on the charges or attorney information because the alleged intruder is a minor.

Persons: Marjorie Perkins, ‘ I’m, ’ ” Perkins, ” Perkins, Perkins, “, hadn’t Organizations: CNN, Brunswick Locations: Brunswick, Maine

LONDON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Tanqueray gin maker Diageo (DGE.L) narrowly beat full-year earnings estimates on Tuesday as sales of its more expensive liquor brands offset lower volumes. Diageo's most expensive brands accounted for 57% of its overall organic net sales growth, it said. Diageo said full-year sales were driven by a strong first half. Diageo said its organic net sales increase reflected gains of 7.3 percentage points from higher prices and a more premium mix while organic sales volumes fell 0.8%. Diageo's organic operating profit rose 7%, beating the 6.3% expected by analysts.

Persons: Bourbon, Don Julio, lockdowns, Johnnie Walker, Morgan's, Tineke Frikkee, Debra Crew, Ivan Menezes, Diageo, Richa Naidu, Louise Heavens, Jason Neely Organizations: Diageo, Waverton Investment Management, Thomson

☆ Analysis: Tony Bennett sang in a key that Jason Aldean’s song can’t reach
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

White jazz artists were antiracists before the term was inventedMany of the tributes to Bennett mentioned his disdain for bigotry. Many White jazz artists were antiracists, long before the word was invented. Frank Sinatra, Bennett’s musical mentor, recorded with and relentlessly championed Black jazz artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie. He hired a Black jazz bassist, Eugene Wright, and refused to play in segregated venues. There are countless photos of a beaming Bennett hanging out with Black jazz artists.

Persons: Tony Bennett, Ed Sullivan’s, Bennett, ”, Duke Ellington, “, ’ ” Bennett, there’s, Jason Aldean, Aldean, Dick Gregory, Coretta Scott King, Rick Diamond, Bennett —, ” Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Bennett’s, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright, Benny Goodman, Jim Crow, Ellington, Louis Armstrong, don’t, It’s, that’s, Lionel Hampton, Goodman, Michael Ochs, Amy Winehouse, Winehouse, fidgety, “ We’ll, “ You’re, ” Winehouse, Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Elvis Costello, Bennett’s unflappability, Bennett wasn’t, Brubeck, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Evans, Mark Allan, Greg Thomas, ” Thomas, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Willie Nelson, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lil Nas, Wynton Marsalis, Bennett –, Anthony Dominick Benedetto, –, Thomas, John Blake Organizations: CNN, Toronto Star, MLK, Atlanta Civic Center, US Army, Carnegie Hall, Michael Ochs Archives, Jazz, Studios Locations: New York, Tennessee, America, Atlanta, Nazi, African, British, Turkey, Japan, London, Aldean, American, Europe, United States

☆ Best Gifts for the Tea Lovers in Your Life
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Sarah Rose | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

For masterful measuringOMABETA Portable Kitchen Tea Scale $16 at AmazonAs with baking, you will get best results when measuring tea leaves by weight rather than the spoonful. “Some teas are tightly rolled while others are fluffy and light,” explains Ben Marcus-Willers, of Red Blossom Tea Company, a San Francisco-based tea company that sells to consumers as well as Michelin three-star chefs. Desains suggests a porcelain tea pot clad in stainless steel to keep a quality tea warm for hours. Alternately, make a tea concentrate by doubling the amount of tea leaves in hot tea, then pouring it over ice. Tea will always taste best fresh and warm, and its taste will change—“often for the worse,” Kroesen notes—as it cools.

Persons: Sarah Rose, ”, “, Abigail St, Clair, St, Maria Uspenski, Ben Marcus, Willers, Steve Schwartz, Ottilie Cunningham, Fortnum, Mason, Alex Monroe, Franck Desains, Joshua Kaiser, Milwaukee’s Rishi, —, Cindy Sherman, Madame de Pompadour, French King Louis XV, Heidi Johannsen Stewart, Van, Brandon Friedman, Obama, ” Friedman, “ Matcha, Catherine Jue, Tekuno, Emeric Harney, Harney, Ravi Kroesen, Smith, Orla Kiely, Jessie Dean Organizations: Amazon, Tea Bella Tea Company, Red, Red Blossom Tea, Michelin, Blossom, Art, Mariages Freres, Desains, MET, Bellocq, Metropolitan Museum of, 187th, Tea, Asheville Tea Company Locations: China, Tampa , Fla, Clair, Darjeeling, it’s, Boulder, Colo, Red Blossom, San Francisco, chai In India, Los Angeles, Paris, Brooklyn, U.S, Iraq, Afghanistan, Dallas, New York, Portland ,, North Carolina

☆ Social clubs for the wealthy don't look like what they used to. Members at NYC's newest cook their own food and bring their own liquor.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Maxwell Social is New York City's latest social club with a spin: You have to cook your own food. It's a cool social club — where members are supposed to cook their own meals and provide their own liquor. From New York City Mayor Eric Adams visiting the private Zero Bond social club to TikToks poking fun of Soho House, people love — either going to or making fun of — these exclusive clubs. But Maxwell Social, the newest edition to the long list of New York City social clubs, is trying to buck this reputation with its own spin. Here, members can cook their own food and pour their own drinks.

Persons: Maxwell, Eric Adams, — Organizations: Tribeca, Service, —, New York City, Soho House, New Locations: New York, Wall, Silicon, York City, Soho, New York City

☆ Her Social Club Isn’t Going Anywhere. Toñita Has No Plans to Quit.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Christina Morales | More About Christina Morales | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Here, the customers drink $3 beers and play dominoes, or sit around and chat over free plates of food like arroz con gandules. The walls are crowded with Puerto Rican flags and portraits of the bar’s owner and matriarchal figure, Maria Antonia Cay, who is more commonly known as Toñita. She opened the place in the 1970s as the Caribbean Social Club, a members-only hangout for the neighborhood baseball team. In 2000, she obtained a liquor license and opened the spot to everyone for cheap drinks and pots of Puerto Rican dishes that she makes in her apartment kitchen upstairs. “It reminds me of home,” said Djali Brown-Cepeda, an archivist and filmmaker who runs the Nuevayorkinos Instagram account.

Persons: Maria Antonia Cay, ”, Djali Brown, Cepeda Organizations: Puerto, Caribbean Social Locations: Williamsburg , Brooklyn, Toñita’s, Puerto Rican, New York City

☆ Celebrities are flooding the market with liquor brands — and some are faring better than others
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As more drinkers seek out luxury spirits, a growing number of celebrities are using their star power, and cash, to elevate premium liquor brands. Volume sales of spirits brands at the top end of the distilled spirits market increased 4% last year from the year before, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. "But certainly, the increased consumer interest in great distilled spirits has excitedly generated a lot of celebrity engagement and enthusiasm in recent years." DISCUS tracks celebrity-affiliated brands and said it has counted several dozen on market. Wahlberg joined the team last year with an ownership stake, and since then, "sales have gone up exponentially," Marquez said.

Persons: Chris Swonger, Swonger, Mark Wahlberg, Aron Marquez, wouldn't, Mark, Marquez, Abraham Ancer, Wahlberg, He's Organizations: Consumers, CNBC Locations: United States, American, Canada

☆ Gay Water, a new canned cocktail, wants to be the anti-Bud Light
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —In a sea of canned cocktails, Gay Water wants to stand out. In other words, where Bud Light has buckled under pressure as bigotry grows against the LGBTQ+ community, Gay Water’s creator Spencer Hoddeson wants his new boozy brand to be the antithesis of that. The canned cocktail is named after a colloquialism given to the popular mixed drink (vodka and soda) ordered at bars by the gay community. He thought of creating Gay Water about a year ago while on a vacation with his friend that had got a job within the beverage industry. Big onlineHoddeson built up a strong social media following on TikTok and Instagram during Covid-19 and is using some of the money from that (as well as from friends and family) to help fund Gay Water.

Persons: Bud, Gay, Spencer Hoddeson, Bud Light, ”, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, they’re, It’s, Hoddeson, “, it’s, ” Bryan Roth, seltzer, ” Roth, Gay Beer, Hoddeon Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Anheuser, Busch, Nickelodeon, Feel Goods Company Locations: New York, Covid, United States

☆ Esopus, N.Y.: ‘Pristine Natural Surroundings’ and Stealth Wealth
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Karen Angel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Esopus, West Park and Ulster Park are known for expensive homes, including turn-of-the-century mansions, on parklike grounds overlooking the Hudson, along with several monasteries and other religious institutions that have helped shield the river’s west bank from development. There are antique stone houses along the Rondout Creek in the hamlet of St. Remy, and along the Wallkill River in the hamlet of Rifton and Black Creek in Esopus. The town’s other small hamlets are Connelly, which borders the Rondout Creek, and Sleightsburgh, whose peninsula-shaped park juts out into the Hudson. (Three additional hamlets are listed on the town’s website, but according to the town’s supervisor, Danielle Freer, they are now obsolete.) The West Park venue occupies a 24,000-square-foot antique Italian-style villa and an adjoining brick building that had housed a Christian Brothers monastery for a century.

Persons: Jordan Goldberg, Oliver Hazard Payne, Port Ewen, Remy, Connelly, Danielle Freer, Charles Ferri, Paul Seres Organizations: Hudson, Distillery Locations: Esopus, West Park, Ulster, Hudson, New York City, St, Wallkill, Rifton

☆ This Is the Best Debit Card for Teens That Doesn’t Charge a Monthly Fee
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Kerri Anne Renzulli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Capital One’s debit card, available to kids ages eight and up, charges no monthly service or subscription fees; comes with no minimum balance requirements to open or maintain; and has no overdraft fees. Capital One Money Teen Checking Account Learn MoreWhat does the debit card offer? That’s a small sum, but more than most other free kid’s debit accounts offer. Parents who want to provide more of a guiding hand to their children would do better with a different card that boasts more comprehensive spending controls, such as those offered by our pick for Best Overall Debit Card for Kids, the Greenlight debit card, or our pick for Best Free Debit Card for Younger Kids, the Chase’s First Banking debit card. How we pickedTo pick Buy Side from WSJ’s Best Debit Cards for Kids, we looked at card options available to those under the age of 18, including prepaid debit cards, checking account-linked debit cards, secured credit cards and brokerage account-linked debit cards.

Persons: Kerri Anne Renzulli, they’ll, it’s Organizations: Capital, Teens, Best, Greenlight Locations: That’s

☆ Bud Light lost its crown as America's 'King of Beers' — but it was going to happen even without the conservative boycott
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Modelo passed Bud Light, which has been the subject of a boycott by conservatives. It recently took the crown from Bud Light, which saw its market share drop to 7%. "Modelo and Michelob Ultra (another Anheuser-Busch brand) both were on track to eventually overtake Bud Light," Maloney wrote, citing long-term market share data. "Everybody kinda figured Bud Light was getting hit by that boycott, so it fell out of No. But Neil Reid, a professor at the University of Toledo who studies the beer industry, told Reuters that the Bud Light boycott is lingering longer than expected.

Persons: Bud Light, El Rey, Bump Williams, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Jennifer Maloney, Bud Light's, Maloney, Jack Hough, Light, Hough, Corona, Neil Reid Organizations: Modelo, Service, Anheuser, Street Journal, Busch, Fox, Northwestern University, University of Toledo, Reuters, Bud Light Locations: Wall, Silicon, El, Modelo

☆ China's consumer-driven sectors are a 'sweet spot' and opportunity for investors, says KKR
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

From pet food to liquor and lighting fixtures, global investing firm KKR is putting its money behind a suite of consumer-driven sectors in China, departing from a singular focus on technology. And our core focus has really been around the sweet spot of what we think the market opportunity is — domestic consumption," KKR's co-CEO Joseph Bae told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia." KKR also has an active presence in different parts of China, with offices in capital Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. "We've invested in companies like the largest pet food company in China, the largest lighting fixtures company in China, retail pharmacy chains in China, domestic liquor and alcohol brands in China... All consumer driven," Bae elaborated. Last month, China's State Council proposed measures to boost the consumption of household products, without going into details.

Persons: KKR's, Joseph Bae, CNBC's, We've, Bae Organizations: KKR, China's Locations: China, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong

☆ Chinese companies rush for hedging as market volatilities spike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, July 5 (Reuters) - Chinese listed firms are embracing hedging at a record pace, according to consultancy data, as market volatility rises and China grows its derivative market. Forex hedging is popular among Chinese companies, according to D-Union, as regulators allow market forces to play a bigger role in deciding the yuan's value. Companies including Semiconductor Manufacturing Electronics (Shaoxing) Corp (688469.SS) and liquor giant Luzhou Laojiao Co Ltd (000568.SZ) announced plans in the second quarter to hedge against forex risks. Measures to develop China's derivative market also boosted interest in hedging, Ma said. Electronics, basic chemicals, and electrical equipment were among sectors that were most active in hedging during the second quarter, according to D-Union data.

Persons: Ma Weifeng, Ma, Li Gu, Samuel Shen, Tom Westbrook, Gerry Doyle Organizations: greenback, Semiconductor Manufacturing Electronics, Electronics, Sieyuan Electric Co Ltd, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore

☆ One of the world's oldest spirits is making a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The anise-flavored liquor is one of the oldest spirits in the world. He noted that it’s still common for Middle Eastern restaurants to stock European wines rather than traditional spirits like arak. He was experimenting to refine the production of al-kohl, a traditional form of eyeliner, according to Arak Muaddi, a Palestinian craft distillery. Nader Muaddi, the founder of Arak Muaddi, explained that producing arak starts with creating wine. The Middle East has “a very rich history of making wine and spirits, and it’s about time that we share it with the world,” Muaddi went on.

Persons: you’ve, –, Jason Bajalia, Jordan’s, ”, Terra, ” Bajalia, Bajalia, “, we’re, ’ ”, Jabir ibn Hayyan, kohl, Nader Muaddi, ” Muaddi, Muaddi, Lewin Muaddi, Arak “, May Matta, she’s, Matta, Arak Farid, Jess Abi Khalil, Frederick, Arak, it’s, “ I’ve Organizations: CNN, Terra, Terra Sancta, distillers, Lewin Historians, Jordan Locations: Arak, Terra Sancta, arak, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Palestinian, arak . Arak, The, American, Pennsylvania, of Israel, artisinal, France, Germany, Austria, Amman, “

☆ Diageo ends its 15-year partnership with Diddy following lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Spirits maker Diageo has cut ties with Sean “Diddy” Combs, ending a lucrative 15-year partnership that recently culminated in a racial discrimination lawsuit. The music mogul charged that Diageo had neglected and underpromoted his DeLeón tequila, dismissing it as an “urban” product in its marketing, in a suit filed last month. Diageo responded that he has “amassed nearly $1 billion dollars” from the partnership. Diageo and Combs have partnered on Ciroc vodka since 2007. In 2013, Combs bought DeLeón and formed a joint venture with Diageo for the high-end tequila.

Persons: Sean “ Diddy ” Combs, Johnnie Walker, Diddy’s, Diddy, Diageo, Don Julio, George Clooney, “, Combs, Martha Stewart, DEO, ”, they’ve, John Hueston, Diageo “, ” Hueston, Josh Gerben, it’s “, ” Gerben Organizations: New, New York CNN, Diageo, CNN, Diageo “ kneecapped Locations: New York, London

☆ New Hampshire can build off its liquor store model for marijuana legalization, says Governor Chris Sununu
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNew Hampshire can build off its liquor store model for marijuana legalization, says Governor Chris SununuNew Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R), joins 'Last Call' to talk his proposal for legalizing cannabis in the state.

Persons: Chris Sununu Organizations: Chris Sununu New Locations: Hampshire, Chris Sununu New Hampshire

☆ A federal judge says Florida's new anti-drag law threatens free speech and can't be enforced, at least for now
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A federal judge is blocking enforcement of Florida's new law on drag shows. The judge ruled the language is overly vague and threatens free speech. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill, SB 1438, that he said was designed to protect children from sexually explicit drag shows. The drag law, by contrast, "is specifically designed to suppress the speech of drag queen performers," Presnell wrote, pointing to a bill sponsor's claim that the law would put an end to "Drag Queen Story Time," which entails no sexually explicit content. Presnell's ruling marks the third time this month that a judge has struck down portions of DeSantis' anti-LGBTQ agenda.

Persons: —, Ron DeSantis, Judge Gregory A, Presnell, Bill Clinton, DeSantis, Jeremy Redfern, Brandon Wolf, Walt, Robert Hinkle, Clinton, Nikki Fried Organizations: Service, Florida, Florida Gov, Court, Middle, Department of Business, Miami Herald, Walt Disney World, Democratic Party of Locations: Florida, Orlando, Hamburger, Middle District, Democratic Party of Florida

☆ Deutsche Bank upgrades Anheuser-Busch InBev, sees Bud Light headwinds fading
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Anheuser-Busch InBev's Bud Light nightmare won't last forever, according to Deutsche Bank. Anheuser-Busch's U.S.-listed shares are down nearly 15% in the second quarter, driven largely by consumers fleeing the Bud Light brand over a collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. BUD 3M mountain Bud Light stock has dropped nearly 15% in the second quarter. "Our proprietary dbDIG survey data suggests that 24% of Bud Light consumers no longer buy the brand with another 18% buying less. The company is slated to report second-quarter earnings in early August, and Collett expects the Bud Light parent to reduce or remove its full-year guidance.

Persons: Busch, Bud, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Mitch Collett, Bud Light, Collett, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Anheuser, Deutsche Bank, €, Busch's, Bud Light, Bud, Busch InBev Locations: Busch's U.S, U.S, Mexico, Brazil, China

CNN —Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, will plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors and struck a deal with federal prosecutors to resolve a felony gun charge, the Justice Department said Tuesday in court filings. Trump criticized the Hunter Biden plea deal on Truth Social. Hunter Biden’s legal team sought a meeting with the Justice Department in April, which Weiss attended, and where Hunter Biden’s lawyers gave a presentation detailing why they believe Hunter Biden shouldn’t be charged. Part of their argument included that Hunter Biden paid back taxes owed, including penalties. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Hunter Biden is pleading guilty to two tax charges and struck a deal to resolve the gun charge.

Persons: CNN — Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, David Weiss, Hunter, Christopher Clark, Department’s, “ Hunter, ” Clark, ” “, ”, Ian Sams, Hunter Biden’s, Weiss, Hunter Biden shouldn’t, Prosecutors, Clark, “, Garland, Justice Department wouldn’t, Christopher Wray, he’s, Beau . Hunter Biden, Melissa Cohen, Jake Tapper, –, He’s, ” Joe Biden, Department’s prosecutorial, “ I’m, I’m, Tapper, “ That’s, it’s, General Merrick Garland, Justice Department’s, CEFC, Obama Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Internal, Service, Trump, Government, House, Truth, Biden DOJ, Republican, Democratic, IRS, FBI, Department, people’s Justice Department, Hunter, Justice, CEFC China Energy, White, Yorker, State Department Locations: Delaware, Wilmington, China, Ukraine, United States

☆ Heavy drinkers really don’t ‘handle their liquor,’ study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —It’s a misnomer that heavy drinkers can “hold their liquor,” a new study found. The 397 participants included light drinkers, heavy social drinkers and those who had alcohol abuse disorder. “In their daily lives, this group averaged 38.7 drinks a week, compared to 2.5 drinks a week for light drinkers and about 20 drinks for heavy drinkers,” King said. Some tolerance was seenAt first, the study supported the notion that heavy drinkers can manage larger doses without impairment. Neither the heavy drinkers nor those with alcohol abuse disorder felt impaired when asked.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Nathan Didier, Andrea King, King, —, ” King, ” Didier, ” Didler, Kevin Trimmer Organizations: CNN, University of Chicago, National Institute, Alcohol, Research, Chicago, Drinking, “, Getty Locations: United States

☆ Winning combination: Man who played same lottery numbers for a decade finally nets big payday
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Ashley R. Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —After nearly 10 years of playing the same lottery number combination, a $50,000 payday has finally arrived for a man in Maryland, lottery officials said. “I play the same numbers all the time, I’ve been doing so for years,” the man told officials from the Maryland Lottery’s headquarters in Baltimore. He learned in disbelief the following day that he’d won the top prize using his special set of five digits, the Maryland Lottery reported. As a bonus, the anonymous winner also won an additional $15 off of three numbers from another line that he’d selected himself. “Sometimes it’s birthdates or house numbers or uniform numbers of their favorite athletes, and sometimes they’ve just decided certain numbers feel ‘lucky’ to them,” Elkin said.

Persons: Prince George’s County, “, I’ve, he’d, ” Seth Elkin, ” Elkin Organizations: CNN, Prince, Maryland, Maryland Lottery, Gaming Locations: Maryland, Prince George’s, Baltimore, Temple Hills

☆ Here are 5 key trends shaping the liquor industry as spirits overtake beer for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Jason Koerner | Getty ImagesCHICAGO — The spirits industry is overcoming economic headwinds to meet changing consumer preferences as it chips away at the dominance of beer. Despite supply chain issues and high inflation, the beverage alcohol industry has a lot to toast to these days, said Chris Swonger, president and CEO of DISCUS. "This is a great American success story," Swonger said of the industry's market share supremacy. As the spirits industry works to maintain its top spot this year amid fears of a recession, here are some key trends industry leaders who spoke to CNBC see shaping the business today. The company runs incubator and accelerator programs to develop Black talent within the spirits industry.

Persons: Casamigos, Alo, Jason Koerner, Beer, Chris Swonger, Swonger, We're, George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Wahlberg, Aron Marquez, Ryan Reynolds, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Kendall Jenner, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Jordan, David Beckham, it's, Patrick Shorb, Molson Coors, Tobin Ludwig, Pinkard Organizations: Alo Miami, Getty, CHICAGO, CNBC, Diageo, Chicago, Brands, Heineken, Anheuser, Busch InBev, Molson, Hella, Black Locations: Miami, United States, Chicago, Pennsylvania

CNN —Ukrainian forces spared the life of a Russian soldier when he surrendered to a drone on the battlefield just moments before its operators were about to open fire, a Ukrainian commander has confirmed to CNN. Following the surrender, reporters at the Wall Street Journal interviewed the Russian soldier at a detention facility in the Kharkiv region on May 19, under the supervision of a guard. The reporters also spoke with the Ukrainian drone pilot, according to the paper, who said he decided to spare his life after watching his pleas. “This is probably an unprecedented case when, through the coordinated work of the brigade and the aerial reconnaissance component, we managed to capture the occupier,” Ukrainian commander Fedorenko said. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Russian soldier and former prison marshal was working as a liquor-store manager before he was drafted in September last year.

Persons: Yuriy Fedorenko, Achilles ”, “, ” Fedorenko, ”, Fedorenko, Russian Wagner Organizations: CNN, Wall Street, 92nd Brigade, Wall Street Journal Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Ukraine

☆ Ivan Menezes, Who Led a Liquor Giant, Dies at 63
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Daniel E. Slotnik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ivan Menezes, who as chief executive of the spirits corporation Diageo used his canny understanding of the drinking public to help the company grow into a global colossus, died on June 7 in London. The cause was complications of emergency surgery for a stomach ulcer, a Diageo spokesman said. Diageo is omnipresent in the world of alcohol, selling more than 200 brands in more than 180 countries — including Smirnoff vodka, Tanqueray gin, Johnnie Walker Scotch, Captain Morgan rum and Guinness beer — and has the largest global net sales in some spirit categories. Mr. Menezes (pronounced muh-NAY-zes) was trained in marketing, and closely studied consumer sentiment. To him, spirits provided what he called “accessible luxury” to customers — a dram of the good life even in an unstable economy.

Persons: Ivan Menezes, Johnnie Walker Scotch, Morgan, Menezes, ” Mr, Johnnie Walker Blue Organizations: Diageo, Yorker, New York Times Locations: London

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