A woman at the top of a major beverage company. That’s a new one to us. On 2 December 2013, Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) announced the appointment of Alison Watkins, 50, currently CEO of GrainCorp, as Group Managing Director. She will join CCA on 3 March 2014, replacing the current and long-serving group MD Terry Davis, who had said earlier this year that he would step down on this date.

The much rumoured sale of San Miguel Brewery will ultimately prove if Japan’s Kirin is really keen on expanding its presence in Asia – or not. Kirin, which holds about 48 percent of San Miguel, has two options: either to join the fray and make an offer to the San Miguel Corporation for its 51 percent stake in the brewer, or do another stint like it did at Singapore’s Fraser & Neave (F&N) last year. Though holding a stake in F&N, it first let the beer division, Asia Pacific Breweries, go to Heineken. Then, in February this year, it sold its own 15 percent stake in the Singapore conglomerate F&N to Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, pocketing about USD 500 million in windfall profits.

India currently represents one of PepsiCo’s largest markets globally. In mid-November, PepsiCo announced plans for the company and its partners to invest 5.5 billion USD in India by 2020 to increase the capabilities in the areas of innovation, manufacturing, infrastructure and agriculture. In addition, the investment is expected to significantly increase production capacity to meet the growing demand for PepsiCo foods and beverages. The company and its partners plan to expand capacity in India to more than double current levels by 2020.

Looks like Lion’s cider portfolio is getting rather bloated. Australia’s number one brewer Lion, owned by Japan’s Kirin, has quite a few cider brands under its belt. Its first cider brand was launched in Australia in 2009: Tooheys Extra Dry 5 Seeds. Its craft trademark, James Squire, has also innovated in cider with the James Squire Orchard Crush range. With the full takeover of the Little Creatures brewers, Lion inherited their Pipsqueak Cider range.

Carlsberg Asia has celebrated two of its biggest expansion programs ever, with ceremonies to mark the construction of two new breweries in Dali, China and Bago, Myanmar.

So has Tycoon Baroque replaced Dictator Chic? When opening their third Johnnie Walker house in Seoul in September 2013, Diageo allowed the photographers in to provide us, the hoi polloi, with a one-off peek into the rarefied ambience of the superrich. Not that Diageo’s “whisky embassies” are for the likes of you and me. No way.

There will be changes for the local operations of Japanese beverage giant Asahi as its new Asahi Premium Beverages division absorbs the business of its subsidiary Independent Distillers at Laverton, Victoria, and the new division combines with Schweppes (also owned by Asahi) to offer a one-stop supply option for the licensed trade, as was announced in early October 2013.

They don’t mince words down under. “The decision to pour AUD 35 million of wine down the sink was the catalyst for David Dearie’s career at Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) also going down the gurgler,” Australian media commented when TWE announced on 23 September that its CEO was to leave with immediate effect.

Sounds like an interesting taste experience. Coca-Cola Japan announced in September 2013 that it is planning to launch a fizzy beverage that remains carbonated even when warmed up. The Canada Dry Hot Ginger Ale, in four flavour varieties, will be sold in October, it was reported.

Indian Gatsby Vijay Mallya, probably the most flamboyant of the business tycoons in the country, has been in deep problems for a long time now, and the flow of bad news from his group companies doesn’t seem to abate.