Nick Gillett: Why vodka needs to break out of its boring ‘steady Eddie’ box

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘vodka’. Not much, right? Where the word ‘whisky’ evokes images of sipping from a glass next to a roaring fire and ‘rum’ transports you to tropical climates grasping a glass filled with amber liquid on ice – vodka just doesn’t deliver the same dreamy (if clichéd) scenarios. But vodka is estimated to have a global value of $40.25 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 5.6% each year until then (IWSR Vodka Innovation Trends report). So, the category has to be doing something right, surely?

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

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.

Nick Gillett: A festive ‘through the keyhole’ look at our columnist’s home bar

As MD of a spirits distribution company, you might imagine that my home bar is huge. And guess what – you’d be absolutely right. As someone who genuinely loves a good, stiff drink, learning about new producers and brands is one of the biggest perks of the job. And as a result of that perk, I’m now the proud owner of the best stocked bar in Woodford Green. So, in case it’s of any interest at all to the booze enthusiasts among you, here’s exactly what I’ve got stocked on my own bar at home.

Nick Gillett: A labour of love – hospitality’s barren job market

People have always been the heart of the hospitality industry and they always will be. Venues rely on passionate, skilful teams to run like clockwork, but the current state of the labour market means that finding any people, let alone the right ones is harder than ever.

Nick Gillett: Why sugar and spice don’t always add up to nice

In the latest of our new critical mini-series, Mangrove UK’s MD calls for clarity over rum.

Former Blue Peter presenter jumps ship to head up Mangrove marketing

New commercial director role at Mangrove UK

Boutique spirits importer and distributer Mangrove UK has a new head honcho at the helm of the company’s marketing and sales teams.

Mangrove reports record annual results

Mangrove UK has reported a 41.3% leap in turnover to £21.4 million for the year ending 30 April, 2019.