Soft & Hot Drinks

Soft sell: Coca-Cola Zero Sugar has enjoyed huge volume and value boosts in the past year

Drinks List 2020

On-trade sales of sugar-free Coca-Cola and Pepsi rise by £168m

By Stuart Stone

According to figures from The Morning Advertiser’s latest Drinks List, the combined sales value of sugar-free soft drinks Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Pepsi Max rose by around 75% – or £168m – year-on-year.

Crunching the numbers: an in-depth look at the best performing brands and variants in every beverage category in the on-trade

Drinks list 2020

The Drinks List: Top Brands to Stock 2020

By Nicholas Robinson

Getting to grips with data in The Morning Advertiser’s Drinks List 2019 will give operators a head start in formulating successful drinks menus.

Perfect match: Britvic has released a spiced orange mixer for busy bartenders to use with rum

Britvic launches dark spirits mixer

By Emily Hawkins

Soft drinks maker Britvic has developed a mixer to be used with dark spirits, which have been billed as a growing trend in the sector.

Fizzled out: parents are more likely to order water or low-sugar juice for their children over fizzy drinks, operators say

Parents shunning sodas for children at pub

By Emily Hawkins

Pub operators have responded to increased concern from parents over the sugary contents in their children’s drinks by adapting their menus.

New event: exhibition will showcase the low-and-no alcohol sector

Low 2 No ABV show launched

By Alice Leader

Leading media business company William Reed has revealed it will be holding a new trade show designed to support the development of the low-to-no alcohol sector.

Hot topic: Brits drink about 95m cups of coffee every day according to The British Coffee Association

Pubs considered a ‘coffee destination’

By Stuart Stone

Almost one in 10 customers (9%) rate coffee served in a pub as being better than that served by the likes of Pret A Manger, Costa Coffee or Starbucks according to new research.

On the rocks: operators are turning to premium non-alcoholic serves as a way to entice Millennial drinkers

'Market for mocktails will only increase'

By Emily Hawkins

The popularity of mocktails shows no sign of stopping and will drive the premium drinks category, according to the founder of soft drinks supplier Peter Spanton Drinks.

Popular choice: some 91% of people chose G&T as the nation's most popular drink, according to Fever-Tree

In association with Fever-Tree

Why creating the perfect G&T garden can push profits

By Adam Bloodworth

Statistics reveal Britain’s love for gin isn’t only here to stay but is increasing year on year. The challenge for brands is to explore new ways to profit from the spirit’s surge in popularity

H2-NO: a bar owner claims that customers who order tap water with their food could drive pubs and restaurants out of business (image: Leesha Williams)

Is it ok to order just tap water? Bar owner has her say

By Robert Mann

Tap water is a staple seen on many restaurant tables across the UK, with Britons enjoying the drink free of charge. However, one landlord has highlighted that people who order the cost-effective beverage could be affecting a businesses trade.

Imbibe Live 2019: what's on at the show?

In association with Imbibe

What’s on at Imbibe Live 2019?

By Nicholas Robinson

Celebrating its 10th year, Imbibe Live is back at the London Olympia with a raft of expert speakers, along with new products and exhibitors, as The Morning Advertiser reveals in this guide to the show.

What low and no alcohol drinks to stock

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol

Low and no: what to stock

By Phil Mellows

The range of low and no-alcohol beverages is a category ripe for picking – it’s up to you to choose the best available.

Sell: how to sell low and no alcohol drinks

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol

Low and no: how to sell

By Phil Mellows

Taking the lead in offering great drinks as shown throughout this supplement is a fantastic start – but now you and your team needs to market them correctly.

Low and no wine: sales of alcohol-free wine are looking up

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol

Non-alcoholic wine is on the up

By Robert Mann

As with every other category, wine is growing the number of low and no-alcohol variants out there. Here we take a look at how the category is doing and what products are on the market.

Apples: low and no alcohol cider

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol

What’s new in alcohol-free cider

By Nikkie Sutton

With the trend of consumers drinking low and no-alcohol products not going away any time soon, according to a survey from the Portman Group, operators shouldn’t forget about booze-free cider options for their guests.

Free-from: alcohol-free beer is booming

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol - in association with BrewDog

BrewDog champions non-alcoholic beer

By James Beeson

With a growing interest in flavour, and a range of styles now available across the marketplace, low-alcohol beer options can no longer afford to be just an afterthought.

Cocktails: alcohol-free cocktails

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol

The latest trends in alcohol-free cocktails

By Michelle Perrett

Whether it’s a Mojito or a Sex on the Beach, customers love a cocktail. But the move towards drinking less alcohol, combined with people wanting a healthier lifestyle, has led to a revolution for the alcohol sector.

That's the: spirits with low or no alcohol are rising in demand

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol - in association with Diageo

Alcohol-free spirits are on the rise – here’s why

By Rob Brown

As many newcomers venture to the alcohol-free spirit and ready-to-drink market, Diageo’s Seedlip is just one brand that is taking the world by storm.

Crafty: the rise of the craft soft drinks

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol

What is a craft soft drink?

By Andrew Don

Getting crafty with softs has opened up a £250m opportunity as publicans start to feel the love for alternatives.

Water everywhere: how to make a killing on water sales

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol - in association with Mr Fitz Aqua Spritz

Can you make a profit on water?

By Nicholas Robinson

Water can be a hard sell as customers often reject branded bottled or filtered water – but here’s how you can win.

Fantastic: cordials are returning to the conversation

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol - in association with Mr Fitz Aqua Spritz

Beyond orange squash – how to make cordials pay

By Nicholas Robinson

As part of the wider category of squash, cordials offer a great tasting drinks and can also merit a higher sales price at your venue.

Grown up: adult softs are big business

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol

Alcohol-free ready to drink – a new trend?

By Nicholas Robinson

Adult softs can be viewed as the alcohol-free equivalent to the ready-to-drink category. This segment features some interesting flavour combinations sure to tantalise the senses.

Just the: tonic waters are proving a lucrative stand alone drink

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol - in association with Fentimans

The new trend: Tonic without a spirit?

By Emily Hawkins

The gin boom during the past few years has led to consumers demanding premium tonic waters – and not just as mixers

Hero: soft drinks worth big sums in the on-trade

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol

The £4.4bn soft drinks market

By Stuart Stone

How can operators tap into the multibillion-pound category when consumer expectation are so high?

A guide: an intro to the world of low and no alcohol

The Ultimate Guide to Low and No Alcohol - in association with Club Soda

The boom of alcohol-free is a sticking trend

By Nicholas Robinson

The fever for low and no-alcohol drinks is picking up pace – and fast. There’s plenty to choose from and plenty of advantages in serving those not needing alcohol

Ice cool: Vimto is hoping to move its frozen drink into pubs and bars

Vimto targets the on-trade to stock frozen slush

By Robert Mann

Vimto Out of Home is spearheading a celebration of all things ‘slush’ this month after recent consumer research revealed one in three adults bought a frozen drink last year.

Perfect partnership: the new range aims to pair up with dark spirits

Coca-Cola launches premium mixers range

By Nikkie Sutton

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) has unveiled a range of four specially crafted drinks, designed to be mixed primarily with premium dark spirits.

Caffeine fix: one operator compared specialist coffee to the rise of craft beer

How important is it for pubs to offer specialist coffee?

By Emily Hawkins

With figures showing that two pubs have closed for every coffee shop that has opened in the past five years, industry experts and operators shared their thoughts on how pubs can draw coffee lovers into pubs for a caffeine fix.

Get a thirst on: a new podcast called MA Drinks features one-to-one interviews with people at the top of the drinks trade

MA Drinks podcast – in association with Diageo

How have drinking habits changed in 10 years?

By Nicholas Robinson

The future of alcohol consumption has never been more in focus, with habits changing on an almost daily basis driven by lifestyle choices that, in turn, determine innovation. But what’s next for alcohol?

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