Soft & Hot Drinks

Trends: customers want to know more about what is in their cocktail

The latest mixers trends

By Emily Hawkins

The mixers market is rapidly diversifying to match the changing preferences of modern drinkers. Here are some of the trends you should be aware of.

You're hired: Lord Alan Sugar, right, has invested in a honey-based tonic water brand

Lord Sugar invests in tonic water company

By Emily Hawkins

Alan Sugar's investment company Amsvest will invest in a brand of tonic waters that use natural honey as a sweetener and are aimed at health-conscious consumers.

In a fizz: Kola 40 is launching a new low-sugar classic cola variant

40 Kola releases new low-sugar variant

By Robert Mann

In an effort to give customers greater choice, the 40 Kola brand has added to its growing craft soft drinks range with the launch of a low-sugar variant.

High demand: a cannabis drinks producer claims he has seen orders soar by 8,000% as customers fear product ban

Demand for cannabis-infused drinks ‘soars by 8,000%’

By Robert Mann

Consumers are ‘panic buying’ cannabis-infused drinks after the Food Standards Agency (FSA) ruled they should be removed from shops and bars as the EU reclassified the products as ‘novel’, a drinks maker has warned.

Smell the coffee: licensees are urged to have the right hot beverage equipment available to attract new punters

Give customers a hot hit in winter

By Robert Mann

As coffee shops continue to pop up on our high streets – is now the time to rethink your hot beverage offer to cater for the punter of the future?

Brand development: Coke has spawned a plethora of brands across the globe

How Coca-cola plans to paint the world red

By Nicholas Robinson

When you hear the words ‘holidays are coming’ on TV, you know exactly what the advert is without looking and that Coca-Cola is driving that big red rig. Here is how the soft drinks behemoth is looking to the future.

Alcohol-free spirit: Stryyk launches Not Vodka

Alcohol-free vodka launched by Stryyk

By Nicholas Robinson

Alcohol-free spirit brand Stryyk has added a third variant to its portfolio, which now consists of Not Rum, Not Gin and new addition Not Vodka.

Tops: The biggest-selling brands in the UK on-trade

The Drinks List: Top Brands to Stock 2019

By Nicholas Robinson

With so much conflicting research in the market and varying opinions from analysts, The Morning Advertiser’s Drinks List 2019 reveals exactly what is going on with sales at the bar.

Global differences: some of the Coca-Cola brands available outside the UK

Coca-Cola brands and flavours you haven't seen

By Nicholas Robinson

From the bizarre to the delicious, over its 130-plus years of existence Coca-Cola has racked up a considerable portfolio of flavours and brands, the majority of which aren’t available in the UK. However, The Morning Advertiser recently had privileged...

Variety of options: operators can benefit from stocking multiple milk alternatives

Which milk alternatives should pubs stock?

By Emily Hawkins

Pubs should increase their range of milk alternatives so they can cater to people looking for indulgent options as well as functional, a new report recommends.

Evolution: Coca-Cola looks to new variants

New Coca-Cola Plus Coffee could be ripe for UK extension

By Nicholas Robinson

A newly launched coffee variant of Coca-Cola in nine other countries around the world could be rolled out to more, including the UK, soon as the Coca-Cola Company looks to seed it in 50 markets by next year.

Next big thing? Real Kombucha founder David Begg talks about fermented tea drink kombucha

Kombucha, a pub staple?

By Emily Hawkins

A different, softer type of fermented drink could be set to take UK pubs by storm as chains large and small explore the potential of Kombucha.

Hard pressed: leading operators see a world of soft drink innovations

In association with Lucozade Ribena Suntory

How is the on-trade innovating with soft drinks?

By Nicholas Robinson

Many are spurning the opportunity to go to the pub and, when they do go, they may not want alcohol. Are there any viable soft drink alternatives? Leading pub operators found out

Health-conscious consumers: Greene King pubs in London will start selling the fermented drink kombucha

Greene King pubs to stock kombucha

By Emily Hawkins

Greene King pubs in the capital are to begin selling the fermented drink kombucha, which is believed to have health benefits.

Sober spaces: there is a growing market for venues offering a late night drinks in a zero-alcohol environment

Are sober bars growing in popularity?

By Emily Hawkins

Although many licensed venues have upped their game and stock more zero- and low-alcohol drinks, some customers want an alcohol-free environment too.

Straight on softs: Jamie Shipperly from Coca-Cola European Partners advises operators how to make the most of soft drinks

MA500

How to get your soft drinks offer right

By Nikkie Sutton

The soft drinks market is worth more than £14bn and operators need to ensure they are tapping into this with a strong offer, the MA500 crowd heard in Sheffield today (13 September).

Hot stuff: Brits are currently drinking 95m cups of coffee a day

4 coffee trends that are hot right now

By Nikkie Sutton

Iced coffee, milk alternatives, training and understanding coffee drinkers’ behaviour are the four top things operators need to ensure they are doing to attract hot drink consumers, according to new research.

Pressure: soft drinks businesses impacted by sugar levy

326 soft drinks makers hit by sugar tax

By Nikkie Sutton

HMRC has revealed that 326 soft drinks manufacturers have been affected by the ‘sugar tax’ according to research from a national accountancy group.

Recipe for success: three ideas for the perfect gin and tonic

In association with Fever-Tree

Three G&T serves you won’t be able to resist

By Nicholas Robinson

The humble gin and tonic; what can go wrong and what more can be done to such a simple drink? The answer to both questions is, actually, quite a lot.

Herbaceous accompaniments: keep your gin garnishes fresh

In association with Fever-Tree

How to grow a gin garnish garden

By Nicholas Robinson

Whether you’re growing them on the bar for staff to garnish drinks with or in your pub garden for consumers to pick and choose for themselves, a G&T garnish garden is a quirky way to create a bit of atmosphere and theatre.

Dismissive: González called the mocktail menu the equivalent of “the kids menu in a restaurant”.

How to cater for people who aren’t drinking

By James Beeson

The on-trade needs to do more to “disentangle the notion that there needs to be a not-sober experience in every bar”, according to renowned bartender and self-care advocate Giuseppe González.

Shock: Britain could run out of beer

Beer stocks low due to CO2 shortage

By Nicholas Robinson

Brewers large and small are running low or have run out of products as the Europe-wide CO2 shortage worsens, putting a stop to brewing and packaging for many.

A garden of Eden: inside the Duke of Cambridge, Surrey

In association with Fever-Tree

In the gin garden of Surrey’s Duke of Cambridge

By Nicholas Robinson

Close to the scenic Surrey Hills, with a cricket green and golf course nearby, the Duke of Cambridge attracts a wide range of clientele. As operations manager Paul Griffiths explains, many enjoy a G&T in the large suntrap garden, which features a...

Softies revolution: Quality, organic, locally sourced ingredients are key to success

Joining the craft movement

By Andrew Don

With consumers increasingly adopting healthier lifestyles and turning away from sugary mass-produced products, soft drinks producers are embracing crafted alternatives in order to cash in on the latest trends

My Pub Garden: the Castle Inn, Lulworth, Dorset

In association with Fever-Tree

My Pub Garden: ‘This is how we created a G&T Garden’

By Nicholas Robinson

Set in the idyllic Dorset countryside, the Castle Inn, in Lulworth, has a sprawling garden and a terrace ripe for drinking a quenching gin and tonic. But general manager David Hargreaves-Putt explains there’s even more going on beyond the pub’s boundaries.

Not so secret gardens: turn your beer garden into a G&T Garden

In association with Fever-Tree

How to create your own Gin Garden of Eden

By Nicholas Robinson

It is no surprise the once humble gin and tonic is in steep growth, buoyed by increasing demand for exciting premium tonics, the proliferation of which has undoubtedly helped kick-start the gin revolution. So why aren’t we celebrating this enchanting...

Bounty: three new lagers will give operators plenty of choose from when it comes to curating its range this summer

New products: Here come the lagers

By James Beeson

Three new launches signal the start of the great British summer, as premium and craft lager options continue to prove popular.

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