Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

50 Best Indies 2025: Watch the Top 10 reveal at our winners lunch

Published: 10 January, 2025

This week has seen the release of our 50 Best Indies 2025 results, celebrating the leading wine and spirits merchants from across the UK.

WSET joint bursary scheme open for entries

Published: 08 January, 2025

Applications are now open for a joint bursary programme designed to “widen access to drinks education”, organised by the WSET in partnership with the Worshipful Company of Distillers (WCD) and The Drinks Trust.

Drinks tech takeover in 2024 and 2025

Published: 18 December, 2024

Jo Gilbert rifles back through a year filled with digital breakthroughs in drinks, dominated by the march of AI, while looking forward to what 2025 may bring.

Drinking with the trade: In the festive groove with Mangrove

Published: 13 December, 2024

In a thirst-inspiring piece that somehow reminds our editor of De La Soul’s Plug Tunin’, Mangrove Global’s Jack Gething and Max Ostwald jump into Nick Gillett’s regular slot to give a whirlwind tour of their Christmas favourites from Mangrove Global’s well-honed spirts portfolio.

Bar 44 expands no & low offer to meet rising demand

Published: 25 November, 2024

Award-winning Spanish restaurant group Bar 44 has significantly expanded its portfolio of no & low beverages, including new wines, beers and a 'Lilt Sangria' at 0% ABV.

Ray O'Connor MW joins EcoSip

Published: 13 November, 2024

Leading wine packaging firm EcoSip has appointed Ray O’Connor as non-executive director, bringing over a decade of retail experience to the sustainability-led company.

Hospitality ramps up range rationalisation in response to growing costs

Published: 12 November, 2024

Nearly a quarter of hospitality operators have changed the routes-to-market of their drinks ranges and more business are seeking to reduce their delivery partners than increase them, leaving drinks brands at risk of being de-listed, new research has revealed.

Nick Gillett: Flavoured spirits – top tipples or faddy favourites?

Published: 15 July, 2024

Flavour. When it comes to food and drink – it’s the most important thing. As a producer, you can be entirely carbon neutral, use the finest ingredients, have the sharpest packaging – but if your liquid isn’t up to scratch, you won’t last long. But beyond that, producers are now using flavours to expand their ranges, tap into new markets, and attract new demographics of drinkers to their brands. As a man who has sampled thousands of liquids and has reasonably good taste (although I’m sure my colleagues might not agree, especially when it comes to taste in music or fashion!) here’s my reckonings about flavour trends in the spirits industry.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Could this be the next big trend in wine?

Published: 30 April, 2024

On trend Londoners or visitors to the capital may be lucky enough to experience the culinary and vinous delights of a Noble Rot restaurant, of which there are now three. They were birthed from the eponymous Noble Rot Magazine, a pandoras box of wine and food articles that somehow manages to be smoothly accessible, irreverently funny, and slightly nerdy at the same time.

Soapbox: The case for concentrate

Published: 11 April, 2024

Mark Lansley, CEO at Broadland Drinks, argues that concentrates can be good for carbon, cost and consumer choice and thus, ultimately, the wine trade.

Give and take at annual Vintners-hosted Drinks Trust event

Published: 15 January, 2024

The drinks trade burst back into life this week as over 150 illustrious guests gathered at Vintners’ Hall for a wine trade lunch on behalf of The Drinks Trust.

Diageo profit warning knocks European drinks markets

Published: 13 November, 2023

Diageo has issued an unexpected trading statement to warn that this year’s revenue and profit will be significantly lower than the group previously expected – a blow which has had a serious knock-on effect for the European drinks sector.

Friday read: Tequila overload and the celeb-driven bottleneck

Published: 27 October, 2023

Just as 818, the new tequila brand from Kardashian scion, Kendall Jenner, lands in the UK, Michael Goldstein, drinks entrepreneur behind Prosecco Ventures asks, ‘Can tequila’s fiery spirits brands continue their ascent, or will they fade into obscurity?’

Soapbox: Calling time on sustainability inaction

Published: 10 October, 2023

With emissions targets slipping away, Denomination’s strategy director Mariella Menato urges action across the drinks industry

LWC and Hills Prospect aim for ‘best-in-class’ partnership

Published: 15 September, 2023

LWC Drinks and Hills Prospect, both regulars on Harpers 50 Best Wholesalers list, have described how their new partnership will strengthen their overall customer proposition and leverage their individual skills, as LWC looks to increase its foothold in the crucial area of London and the South East.

Nick Gillett: How independent brands can influence customer behaviour

Published: 17 July, 2023

Influencing consumers is something that all spirits brands try to do but it’s harder than you think.

Drinks list expansions sound note of cautious optimism post-Covid

Published: 15 February, 2023

Encouraging new data has shown that menus are re-expanding again following a period of contraction and rationalisation during the worst months of Covid.