Google have changed their policy on "Hard alcohol and liqueur" - spirits like Whiskey, Rum, Vodka etc. Previously these ads were banned on Google. From this week spirit ads are allowed in the US, with plans to roll them out in the rest of the world soon, with spirit Google ads in the UK expected in January.
Ads for beer, wine and champagne are also now also allowed on Google, in a change to previous policies.
From Google's adwords blog:
"To comply with the updated hard alcohol and liqueurs policy, advertisers must promote the information about hard alcohol and liqueurs that their websites contain, such as recipes and brand messages. Ads that directly promote the sale of hard alcohol and liqueurs are still not permissible through <Google's> program. In contrast, advertisements for beer may directly promote its sale.
For example, under the hard alcohol and liqueurs policy, you might market to individuals searching for helpful and relevant alcohol-related information by promoting holiday cocktail ideas or the caloric content of popular spiked beverages. Under the beer policy, you might state a specific sales promotion for a great winter ale."
See the Google blog, the updated Google alcohol policy, and you can see beer ads live on Google in the UK here.
