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U.S. wine exports to China were up 14 percent in value to $38.4 million for the first six months of 2018, January through June, compared with the same time period last year, despite the continued threat of increased China tariffs.

The Bardstown Bourbon Co. (BBCo), Bardstown, Ky., announced that Grain & Barrel Spirits, the maker of pre-prohibition brand Chicken Cock Whiskey, has joined BBCo’s Collaborative Distilling Program. Grain & Barrel will work with BBCo to produce custom bourbon and whiskey for the Chicken Cock brand, which dates back to 1856. BBCo and Grain & Barrel concluded their first distillation of 616 barrels at the end of August.

The American Beverage Association (ABA), Washington, D.C., announced that Katherine Lugar, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), will join ABA as its new president and CEO later this year. Lugar will succeed Susan K. Neely, who led the ABA for 13 years. Neely was named president and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) in May 2018.

Fort Collins, Colo.-based Joy Organics announced the release of its new zero-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) energy drink mix. The CBD Energy + Focus Energy Drink and Recovery Mix is designed to enhance anyone’s workout plan and provide improved workout recovery, the company says. The CBD Energy + Focus Drink contains 75 mg of caffeine, which helps improve focus and mental clarity, it adds.

The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Costa Ltd., which was founded in London in 1971. The acquisition of Costa from parent company Whitbread PLC is valued at $5.1 billion and will give Coca-Cola a strong coffee platform across parts of Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, with the opportunity for additional expansion, the company says.