Diageo will list nutritional information on its drinks

Good news for the health-conscious who still enjoy a drink: London-based Diageo, the world's largest spirits company, announced it would start publishing nutritional information for its brands — including Smirnoff vodka, Tanqueray gin, and its iconic Irish stout.

The alcohol content and nutrition per typical serve would appear on product labels or online. "Diageo puts the consumer at the heart of everything we do," said chief executive Ivan Menezes. "Currently, there is no obligation to provide such information in markets worldwide, but we know that consumers are increasingly discerning about what's in their glass. We want to provide alcohol and nutrition information that consumers can quickly understand, instead of expecting them to do the maths."

Knowing the alcohol per serve, the company argued, helps consumers understand how much they're actually drinking — a goal shared by regulators, consumer groups, health professionals, and the industry alike. Diageo said it would work with regulators worldwide on a voluntary label format, and had already gained US regulatory approval for a voluntary "serving facts" panel.

The hope at the time: once the biggest player moved, the rest of the industry would follow.