Q&A: Patrick Venning, The Brixton Distillery Company

On the first anniversary of former Pernod Ricard executives Patrick Venning and Laurent Lacassagne’s creation of Market Row Botanical Rum, Andrew Catchpole meets Venning at their Brixton-based distillery to find out how their novel approach to the category is going.

Berry Bros unveils Nordic Casks whisky range

Berry Bros & Rudd has launched a Nordic Casks whisky series, marking the first time an independent bottler has focussed on this whisky region, according to the business. 

BWS grocery sales decline 6%

Beer, wine and spirits (BWS) sales through supermarkets continued to slide in the four weeks ending 14 August 2021, down 6% compared with the same period last year, according to Total Till data from NielsenIQ released today.

Long read: When it comes to no and low, one size does not fit all

Richard Horwell, owner of London-based food and drink marketing and branding company, Brand Relations, talks though the nuances between no and low beers, wines and spirits, and sets out the future for each.

Spirits boost drinks sales recovery while wine trails behind

Drinks sales have continued to edge further back towards pre-Covid levels in August, with spirits emerging as the leading category helping to catapult the on-trade towards recovery.

Online BWS sales shoot up again

Online beer, wine and spirits (BWS) sales shot up once again, posting 29.9% year-on-year growth in July compared to the previous month, according to the latest IMRG Capgemini Online Retail Index released today.

Distil to invest up to £5m in Ardgowan Distillery

Distil has announced that it will be investing up to £5m into the new eco-friendly Ardgowan Distillery in Inverkip, Scotland.

C&C Group appoints Harriet Kininmonth as wine trading director

C&C Group has appointed Harriet Kininmonth to the newly created position of wine trading director.

Oz fires lead to smoke taint innovation

Research is being carried out in Australia to convert smoke from 2019’s devasting bushfires into a desirable characteristic that can be turned into one-of-a-kind spirits.

Premium spirits: Paying the price of lockdown

Bar Convent Berlin returns following Global Bar Week digital team-up

Bar Convent Berlin (BCB) is set once again to be a standalone, in-person event when it returns to Germany’s capital this year in its brand new home.

Ramsay moves into spirits with gin range

Gordon Ramsay has joined forces with Eden Mill to launch a gin range, marking the Michelin chef’s first step into the UK spirits market.

Overall BWS supermarket sales continue to slide

Beer, wine and spirits (BWS) sales through supermarkets continued to slide in the last four weeks to 17 July, down 6% compared with the same period last year, according to Total Till data from NielsenIQ released today.

‘Freedom day’ provides lift for bars

The long-awaited easing of Covid restrictions on 19 July saw like-for-like drinks sales at a GB level dropping by just 5% on the same day in July 2019, according to CGA’s Drinks Recovery Tracker.

Ten Locks doubles team with three new recruits

Ten Locks, the premium spirits firm owned by Kingsland Drinks Group, has doubled its team with three new recruits nationwide.

Supermarkets record drop in BWS sales

Take-home sales of alcohol over the four weeks to 11 July were down by 3% compared with the previous month, according to the latest figures from Kantar.

On-trade group sales nearly level with 2019

Britain's managed pub, restaurant and bar groups saw sales in June nearly level with the same month in 2019 on both a total and like-for-like basis, according to the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker.

Online BWS sales soar 52%

Online beer, wine and spirits (BWS) sales soared the week commencing 27 June as England prepared to play Germany for a place in Euro 2020.

Moët Hennessy and Campari enter joint venture

Moët Hennessy and Campari Group have announced the formation of a 50/50 joint venture with the purpose of investing in wines and spirits ecommerce companies.

William Grant gives bartenders a boost with 'Unwrapped'

Spirits distiller William Grant & Sons has launched a new series of digital masterclasses aimed at providing the hospitality industry with insights, inspiration and key skills as the industry prepares for the next stage of lockdown easing.