Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Harnessing the power of low & no

Published: 13 January, 2025

With one in three visits to UK pubs now alcohol-free, the onus is on hospitality to create a winning low & no menu. Jo Gilbert discovers more.

Soho House extends low & no offer as Dry January gets into full swing

Published: 03 January, 2025

The Soho House group has unveiled a new range of non-alcoholic and low ABV cocktails, as UK businesses prepare for a long month of sobriety and abstinence.

Majestic expands low & no range with addition of Moderato

Published: 03 January, 2025

The UK’s largest multiple is going full throttle on providing low & no alcohol wines to an increasingly sober audience, as French wine brand Moderato (0.5% abv) becomes the latest member of the retailer’s expanding portfolio.

Low & no experiencing 'transformative period of growth'

Published: 20 December, 2024

A new survey published by the IWSR has forecast sustained growth in the low & no alcohol drinks market, with the no-alcohol category expected to “deliver growth of US$4bn+ by 2028”.

Majestic unveils new partnership with Club Soda

Published: 05 December, 2024

The UK’s largest wine multiple has entered into a distribution agreement with Club Soda, a major producer of no & low drinks founded by Laura Willoughby MBE.

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.

Monin unveils top consumer drink trends expected for 2025

Published: 11 November, 2024

A UK syrup brand has conducted a series of illuminating consumer surveys, visiting over 200 hospitality venues across the UK market and cross-referencing its findings against third party industry data.

Seedlip founder launches new era with lab and segue into ‘dark spirits’

Published: 09 September, 2024

Ben Branson, the man behind pioneering low & no brand Seedlip is celebrating ten years of boundary breaking with a new product launch, made at a pioneering new facility designed to take his creations to the next level.

SME drinks manufacturers toast 63% revenue surge in Q1

Published: 10 June, 2024

Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) drinks manufacturers are celebrating a substantial 63% rise in revenue during the first quarter of the year, according to the latest figures released by the Manufacturers’ Health Index.

Guy Woodward: Why all producers should consider 0% abv wines

Published: 14 May, 2024

It has, I admit, taken me rather a long time to take 0% alcohol wines seriously. I’ve long been sceptical about their quality. But I’ve finally got my head around their importance. Why? Because I’ve managed to navigate that key stumbling block that trips up many a middle-aged man – the fact that I am not the target market.

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.

Friday read: France embraces dealcoholisation of IGP wines

Published: 19 April, 2024

Set against the march of low & no, Jacopo Mazzeo reports on the first EU member state to approve a low abv threshold, with predictions of a ready uptake.

The 0% vintage fizz selling for over £100

Published: 20 March, 2024

A new premium blanc de blancs vintage wine retailing in excess of £100 is about to hit the shelves, with a one-month exclusivity agreement with Harrods now in place. So what’s different about this particular premium fizz, with its luxe marketing strategy and hefty price tag? It’s completely alcohol-free.

Portman Group releases label guidance for ‘Alcohol Alternatives’

Published: 17 January, 2024

Alcohol labelling regulators, The Portman Group, has released new guidance for ‘Alcohol Alternative’ products, defined as 0.5% abv or below.

Asda predicts to sell 420,000 low & no units in January

Published: 05 January, 2024

Major multiple retailer Asda has revealed to Harpers that it plans to sell 420,000 units of low & no beers, wines and spirits this ‘dry’ January, an increase of 7.7% on last year.

YouGov poll shows rise in popularity of low & no

Published: 03 January, 2024

The Portman Group’s sixth annual survey in partnership with YouGov reveals young people are the biggest consumers of low & no alcohol alternatives, with nearly half (44%) of 18-24-year-olds surveyed considering themselves either occasional or regular drinkers of alcohol alternatives, compared to 31% in 2022.

Oxford Landing brings ‘duty-friendly’ wines to market

Published: 16 November, 2023

Oxford Landing Wines, owned by Australian winery Hill-Smith Family Estates, has launched two low-alcohol wines to the UK market.

Seedlip founder launches first product from new Pollen Projects

Published: 15 November, 2023

Ben Branson, the de facto face of the modern low & no movement, has announced the first headline product of a brand-new venture.

Round Table: Low & no

Published: 20 September, 2023

In partnership with Wild Idol and Spirits of Virtue

Duty changes emphasise the law of increasing returns

Published: 31 July, 2023

The changes to alcohol duty, due to come into effect tomorrow (1 August), are the biggest the UK has seen in nearly fifty years. As businesses make their final preparations, it seems we could see a raft of new changes entering the drinks landscape – including the need to better communicate the law of increasing returns when it comes to wine and the benefits of trading up.