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.

Hawksbill and Caskshare prepare for World Rum Day

The great and the good of the rum world are gearing up for World Rum Day, taking place this Saturday 10 July in order to spread word of rum, which was named by the WSTA as the most loved cocktail spirit during 2020’s first lockdown.

Positive thinking

While the past year has been extremely challenging for alcohol, there’s cause for optimism when it comes to recovery. Lisa Riley crunches IWSR numbers.

BWS online sales hold up ‘remarkably well’

Online beer, wine and spirits (BWS) sales rose 7.5% in May, bucking the downward trend recorded across the majority of FMCG categories.  

LWF: Wine yet to see accelerated demand for no/low

Wine has yet to see an accelerated demand for the no/low alcohol space unlike spirts and beer, which have both gathered pace in recent years.

Pandemic boosts Argentinian and rosé wine sales

Argentinian wine and rosé were two of the alcoholic beverages which saw a “remarkable uplift” in retail sales during lockdowns and restrictions in 2020, according to the latest WSTA Market Report. 

Alcohol exports plummet

Alcohol exports from the UK to the EU were in free fall for the first couple of months of this year, hit by the perfect storm of Brexit at the beginning of the year alongside Covid lockdowns across Europe continuing to shatter the on-trade, newly released data has revealed.

Long Read: Gin's return as a sophisticated mature version of itself

Brits have welcomed the resurgence of gin with gusto, and while the market has been inundated with brands, flavours, colours, styles, bottle designs and fashionable labels, we’re now seeing a desire for classic, original, well-made gins – a return to gin, as it should be.   

Indies: Shaken, not stirred

The pandemic has been a “wake-up call” for the industry, a panel of leading merchants told audience members told Jo Gilbert at our Think Insights retailing sector briefing, as businesses face stock and other challenges to meet soaring spirits sales.