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The Oskar Blues Brew School, Brevard, N.C., announced that its first 20 students are preparing to take the General International Beer and Distribution Certification exam in a few weeks. One of those students has already been offered, and accepted, the position of assistant brewer at Oskar Blues’ North Carolina brewery.

Atlanta-based The Coca-Cola Co. reported its results for the first quarter of 2013. Overall, first-quarter reported net revenues declined 1 percent, with comparable net revenues also down 1 percent. This reflects a 2 percent increase in concentrate sales, offset by a 1 percent impact from structural changes and a 2 percent currency impact. Excluding the impact of currency and structural changes, net revenues grew 2 percent despite two fewer selling days in the quarter.

Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods Group Inc. unveiled a comprehensive new campaign for its Kool-Aid brand called "Smile. It's Kool-Aid," timed with the product launch of Kool-Aid Liquid Drink Mix.

As the second-largest generation next to baby boomers, millennials are an important group for brands to reach.

New York-based Scotch whisky brand Label 5 launched its WorldmiXperience Web series, a social media campaign that follows a team of five global Label 5 fans as they spend five days in New York City. The series will broadcast daily on Label 5’s Facebook page and will be updated with photos, interviews and videos of the mission of the day.

Bethesda, Md.-based Honest Tea, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, announced upcoming dates for The Great Recycle, its national initiative to help boost recycling rates.

For the second consecutive year, Pepsi Max, a brand of Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo, will host a gathering of Major League Baseball (MLB) legends at the 2013 Pepsi Max MLB Field of Dreams Game. This year's game will take place May 18 at Frontier Field in Rochester, N.Y., featuring an American League (AL) vs. National League (NL) match-up with MLB legends and the consumer winners from the Pepsi Max MLB Field of Dreams promotion.

 

Wine sales in the United States from all production sources increased 2 percent from the previous year to a new record of 360.1 million 9-liter cases with an estimated retail value of $34.6 billion, according to Wine Industry Consultant Jon Fredrikson of Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates, Woodside, Calif. Of this total, almost two-thirds or 207.7 million cases of California wine account for a 58 percent share of U.S. wine sales with an estimated retail value of $22 billion, he says. Including exports, California wine shipments to all markets in the United States and abroad reached 250.2 million cases in 2012, he says.

Rising demand for Scotch whisky from both mature and emerging markets saw the value of exports grow for the eighth consecutive year, according to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), Edinburgh, Scotland. Exports of the alcohol beverage hit a record £4.3 billion or approximately $6.5 billion in 2012, an increase of 87 percent in the last 10 years, the SWA reports. Scotch whisky currently leads the way for British food and drink in overseas markets, forming about 80 percent of Scottish food and drink exports and a quarter of U.K. food and drink exports, it says.

The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, plans to host events for fans of all ages in the company’s hometown during the 2013 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Final Four weekend, which also is taking place in Atlanta. Coke Zero, the official fan refreshment of the NCAA, and Powerade, the official sports drink of the NCAA, will be the dominant players in the company’s celebrations, it says.