In Brief

Organic beer bottled

Liverpool brewer Cains has released

its Organic Wheat Beer in a bottle. The Soil Association-accredited beer was brewed in July as part of Cains's seasonal cask range

and will now be available in bottle

year-round. Brewed with First Gold and Saaz

hops, it has spicy notes, exotic fruit essences and a floral edge,

sa id Cains.

Presentation initiative

Marqués de Murrieta is rolling out a limited edition gift presentation box for its Rioja Reserva this Christmas. The wooden case has an embossed leather front and rope handle, and contains two bottles of Marques de Murrieta Rioja Reserva 2002. It has a price tag of £30 and is shipped to order with a cut-off date of Oct 31.

New agent for liqueur

Toorank, the UK division of spirits producer Toorank Distilleries, has taken over from The Drinks Group as the UK agent for Country Satin Cream Liqueur. The British wine and malt whisky-based cream liqueur will be relaunched in January 2008. Toorank is currently offering 6x1-litre cases for the price of five to cash and carries and independent retailers. The promotion will run until the end of the year.

Promo offer from Husky

Husky is offering off-trade customers a free outdoor noticeboard when they buy a single or double glass-door or open-fronted chiller. Husky's Street Shouters advertise "ice-cold beer for the match" with an England flag in the background, and come with chillers starting at £450. Call 0870 622010 or visit husky-direct.com.

Carlsberg gadget ads

Carlsberg is running the first advertising for its DraughtMaster lager dispensing system this year in the match-day programme for the England football team's match against Estonia on Oct 13, and again when the team faces Croatia on Nov 21. The ad carries the strapline Probably The Best Gadget In The World and is part of Carlsberg's ongoing Probably The Best campaign. The brewer plans

more ads closer to Christmas.

Drought worry for harvest

The drought in Australia could cut next year's wine grape harvest by more than half, according to the Wine Industry Drought Taskforce. The 2008 vintage is expected to fall to between 800,000 and 1.3 million tonnes with regions that rely on water from the Murray Darling river expected to be the worst hit.

Real ale franchise

The owner of the Real Ale Shop in Norfolk has started a franchise scheme, starting with a new store near Wrentham in Suffolk. Teddy Maufe, who sells locally-grown barley malt and beers made from it, told OLN he was now looking for a third shop to join the franchise.