UK cocktail market passes £600m

UK spirits lovers drank £604m of cocktails in the last year, according to the latest quarterly Mixed Drinks report from market analysts CGA.

WSET research throws damning light on UK wine knowledge

The term ‘corked’ refers to broken pieces of cork in a wine bottle and ‘terroir’ is a genre of French horror film, according to many consumers in our great wine-drinking nation.

More segmentation around Christmas needed as trading up accelerates

Pernod Ricard is encouraging retailers and on-trade operators to think about Christmas in a series of moments and occasions that run throughout October, November and December, with different opportunities at different points through the three-month period.

Sustainability: a transatlantic conversation with California Wines

Harpers and California Wine Institute hosted an insightful and far-reaching seminar at London’s Design Museum, delivering the core message that the wine world is well-placed to better engage consumers in supporting the true costs of advancing sustainability. Andrew Catchpole reports

Wine revealed as Britain’s favourite alcoholic drink

Wine has beaten beer and spirits to become the favoured tipple of UK drinkers, according to a new survey of 2,000 consumers from Yougov.

Half of China's middle class population drinks imported wine

Despite falling wine import volumes, China continues to mature as a market, according to the latest country report from Wine Intelligence.

Wet-led businesses helping high street to recover from “poisonous cocktail” of regulatory costs

Renewed investor interest is improving the health of a malnourished high street – driven mostly by wet-led venues, a group of suppliers and industry leaders were told this morning.

Cocktail-drinking Brits are flavour-phobic, research suggests

British cocktail lovers are afraid to experiment with new flavours, research has revealed.

In store rationalisation means consumers are seeking out diversity online

Wine is the most frequently purchased alcoholic beverage online, it has been revealed, as consumers increasingly turn to the web to seek out the product diversity that’s been lost from the high street.

LWF: Consumers value experiences over value for money, says CGA

There has been a major shift in the way consumers decide which venues to visit, with the promise of entertainment and engagement now taking precedent over value for money.

Guy Woodward: On good breeding in wine

From the moment visitors touch down at Lexington’s Blue Grass airport, they are confronted with stylised images of two of Kentucky’s most prominent industries. The local tourist board seems keener, funnily enough, to promote the state’s whiskies and horses than its other famous export. Compliant stooge that I am, I took in both pursuits over the course of a whistle-stop tour last month.

People's Choice Awards recognises women-driven wines

A wine competition judged by consumers has added a new category to highlight the contributions of female winemakers.

Guy Woodward: I'm not trying to do sommeliers out of a job, but...

Beauty and convenience trends ready to rock the boat in 2019

Healthy ageing and convenience are emerging opportunities for the drink sector next year, according to the Mintel Global food and drinks trends report 2019.

Gaucho is a casualty of shifting social mores, say analysts

Healthy eating trends could be contributing to the demise of the casual dining sector as we know it, new research has boldly stated, while calling on the alcohol sector to be a force for change.

A smarter way to sell

Jo Gilbert connects with the businesses aiming to bring the convenience, value and focus of online shopping to bricks-and-mortar stores

Malbec rising

Far from suffering from its mass appeal, Argentina’s flagship grape is heading for the next level. Andrew Catchpole reports

Fever-Tree puts the UK at the forefront of premium and healthy drinking trends

Fever-Tree continues to gain ground in the UK and the US as the trend for premiumisation and healthy long drinks continues worldwide.

Major sake festival pins down first date in London

The Joy of Sake, the world’s largest sake celebration outside Japan, has announced the date of its first-ever London date.

Independent survey: What's selling

In our latest poll, Harpers gave independent merchants a chance to identify those wines that always get consumers coming back for more. We looked at how these bottles stacked up