Latest news with #UniversalBeverage
Free Malaysia Today
15-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Russian court hands US-owned food company's assets to the state
Since being placed under Russian state management, Glavprodukt's sales have dropped sharply. (The Moscow Times) MOSCOW : A Moscow court has ruled that the assets of US-owned canned food company Glavprodukt be handed over to the Russian state, the TASS news agency reported late on Friday, following a months-long legal tussle over the company. One participant in the court proceedings, who declined to be named, confirmed to Reuters yesterday that the court had satisfied the prosecution's claim in full with immediate effect after a six-hour court session. The seizure of Glavprodukt, the only US company Moscow has seized, coincides with stalled attempts to reset US-Russian relations. Glavprodukt and other assets ultimately owned by US company Universal Beverage and founder Leonid Smirnov were placed under temporary state management by presidential decree in October 2024. Prosecutors subsequently sought to justify the seizure by arguing the measure was necessary to ensure a stable food supply in Russia, according to a letter seen by Reuters in April. 'The court ruled that the general prosecutor's case on the seizure of Glavprodukt assets and property of its head Smirnov in favour of the state be satisfied in full,' TASS quoted the court as saying. 'The decision comes into force immediately'. Court filings showed Universal Beverage had applied for a postponement of proceedings, but no ruling was specified. The court did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'The decision made violates the law of Russia. 'Steps will be taken, and some have already been taken, to protect our interests, not only in Russian courts but also in American courts as well as international courts,' Smirnov told Reuters. 'Our efforts in Washington definitely will be accelerated,' he added. Smirnov said he plans to appeal the decision in Russian courts. He has already begun legal proceedings in the US state of Arkansas, where Alexander Tkachev has business interests. Tkachev is a former agriculture minister and the ultimate owner of Druzhba Narodov, the company which requested the Kremlin appoint new management at Glavprodukt, Reuters reported in April. Since being placed under state management, Glavprodukt's sales have dropped sharply, and it has posted regular monthly losses, according to documents seen by Reuters last week. The new management team plans to boost dwindling sales with exports to China and North Korea, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and people familiar with the matter.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Russian court hands US-owned food company's assets to the state
(Reuters) -A Moscow court has ruled that the assets of U.S.-owned canned food company Glavprodukt be handed over to the Russian state, the TASS news agency reported late on Friday, ending a months-long legal tussle over the company. One participant in the court proceedings, who declined to be named, confirmed to Reuters on Monday that the court had satisfied the prosecution's claim in full with immediate effect after a six-hour court session. The seizure of Glavprodukt, the only U.S. company Moscow has seized, coincides with stalled attempts to reset U.S.-Russian relations. Glavprodukt and other assets ultimately owned by U.S. company Universal Beverage and founder Leonid Smirnov were placed under temporary state management by presidential decree in October 2024. Prosecutors subsequently sought to justify the seizure to ensure stable food supply in Russia, according to a letter seen by Reuters in April. "The court ruled that the general prosecutor's case on the seizure of Glavprodukt assets and property of its head Smirnov in favour of the state be satisfied in full," TASS quoted the court as saying. "The decision comes into force immediately." Court filings showed Universal Beverage had applied for a postponement of proceedings, but no ruling was specified. The court did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Smirnov's legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside U.S. business hours. Since being placed under state management, Glavprodukt's sales have dropped sharply and the company has started posting a regular monthly loss, according to documents seen by Reuters last week. In spite of the state seizure aimed at securing food supplies for Russia, the new management team plans to boost dwindling sales with exports to China and North Korea, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and people familiar with the matter. Sign in to access your portfolio
Miami Herald
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Shh! 4 secret menu drinks at Universal Epic Universe
The bartenders in the Burning Blade Tavern love it when patrons drop by the pub tucked in the back of the Dark Universe-themed land at Universal Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida, and say "Dr. Jekyll sent me." The cryptic introduction is a subtle nod to the bartenders that the patron is about to order one of four drinks from the Burning Blade secret menu. Universal Beverage Program Manager Joshua Franck refused to acknowledge the existence of a Burning Blade secret menu during media previews for Universal Epic Universe. "Unfortunately, as far as I know, there is no secret menu," Franck said during an interview in Dark Universe. Burning Blade Tavern and Dark Universe opened in late May as part of the 750-acre theme park featuring more than 50 rides, attractions, shows and experiences. The Burning Blade is hard to miss in Dark Universe - with the windmill atop the restaurant bursting into flames every 15 minutes. Inside, the old mill restaurant is themed as a hangout for monster hunters with their trophies covering the walls. The Burning Blade menu features classic pub grub - hamburgers, wings, bratwursts, pretzels, beer, wine and cocktails. The Burning Blade secret menu drinks all fall into the $14 to $19 price range. Universal Creative planted Easter Eggs all over the park for fans to find and the Dark Universe is full of them. You have to listen carefully to the audio soundtracks playing in Dark Universe if you want to discover the secret drinks on the Burning Blade menu. The best place to discover secrets about the Universal Monsters-themed land is at the window of the Dr. Jekyll Apotheker next door to the Das Stakehaus restaurant. Every 30 minutes, visitors can hear Dr. Jekyll loudly arguing inside his apothecary - and he might just tell you what to order at the Burning Blade Tavern. Epic Universe visitors are always coming into the Burning Blade Tavern and suggesting new cocktails for the bartenders to make, according to Franck. "We love the fact that our guests have so many ideas and they're so passionate," Franck said. "If we hear that people are requesting things, we take a look at them. We may add things to the menu." Here are the four secret menu drinks available at the Burning Blade Tavern. Crossbow The Crossbow combines Strongbow Gold Apple Cider and Darkthorne Mead. It's like a Snakebite beer cocktail without the beer. The mead replaces the stout or lager in the traditional half-and-half recipe. The Crossbow was the first secret menu drink discovered by Epic fans and has proved so popular that the Burning Blade has already added it to the menu. "It is a recent add," Franck said. "It is something that guests came in and wanted to construct themselves. We took a look at it and we said, 'We really like this idea.'" The Disney Food Blog ordered the Crossbow when it was still a secret menu item and found the cocktail to be the perfect blend of sweet and tart. "It's pretty sweet, but that combination of the cider and the mead helps cut through some of the sweetness of the cider and the tartness of the mead," according to the Disney Food Blog. "It's honestly the perfect balance in our opinion, and it offers a nice option for people who don't want sugary, syrupy drinks or beer." The once-secret Crossbow now shows up on the Burning Blade online menu but is still not available for mobile order. Smoking Jacket Smoking Jacket is another beer cocktail - this time with the beer remaining in the mix. Darkthorne Mead is still the star here, combined with a Reaper's Reserve caramel-spice brown ale from Florida's Crooked Can Brewing. The drink is named after the Invisible Man's jacket - which is a close color match to the cocktail, according to theme park junkie and foodie Paige Bryant. "You can definitely taste the cinnamon, nutmeg and clove in this drink," Bryant wrote on Instagram. "The mead adds a nice sweetness to it and kind of gives it more of a fall flavor." Jekyll's Remedy Jekyll's Remedy remains a secret menu item in part because the drink's test tube souvenir shot glasses did not arrive in time for the grand opening of Epic Universe. Jekyll's Remedy includes a mix of vodka, peach schnapps, sour mixer, cardamon and clove extracts. Hyde's Reagent Hyde's Reagent is the companion drink to Jekyll's Remedy - intended to be sipped side by side by drinking companions. Mr. Hyde's cocktail includes a mix of tequila, orange liqueur, creme de cassis, sour mixer, simple syrup and chipotle essence. The Jekyll and Hyde drinks still can't be found on the Burning Blade online menu, but they can be mobile ordered through the Universal Orlando app. Franck declined to discuss the Jekyll and Hyde secret menu cocktails. "What I can tell you is that we're always working on new ideas and we have new things that will be coming in all the time," Franck said. "We'll be refreshing these programs continually and will always have something new and exciting." _____ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
