Spirits & Cocktails

Spirits summit: bursting the gin bubble?

FUTURE TRENDS: SPIRITS

Spirits summit: bursting the gin bubble?

By Daniel Woolfson

Gin is, literally and figuratively, on everybody’s lips. The past five years have seen an unprecedented rise in distilleries and brands, giving the spirit a much-needed revitalisation.

72 hours of heaven: The Morning Advertiser's events will be in London for 72 hours

Events

72 hours in London with The Morning Advertiser

By Helen Gilbert

If you’re thinking about turning your country pub into an elite restaurant destination, are keen to adopt the latest trends or are simply looking for ways to generate extra income, then read on.

Bang in season: Chenin Blanc makes Top Shelf

New products

Wine, beer and pumpkin-spiced Baileys

By Nicholas Robinson

Top shelf: Pour a glass of Kleine Zalze Bush Vine’s South African Chenin Blanc and be prepared for a ripe pineapple and guava smack in the nose.

New kid in America: alcohol-free spirit ready for US release

Future Trends: Spirits

Alcohol-free ‘spirit’ Seedlip set for US expansion

By Nicholas Robinson

Ben Branson, founder of the UK’s first alcohol-free ‘spirit’ Seedlip, has revealed his plans to expand into the US, after the brand’s successful UK launch just 10 months ago.

Trending event: get into the spirit of the summit

Event

10 reasons to attend the Future Trends: Spirits event

By Nicholas Robinson

Operators will descend on London’s Royal Institution next month for the must-attend Future Trends: Spirits event where top trends, innovations and new products will be exclusively revealed. Here are the top 10 reasons why you must not miss it.

Wine guidance: Greene King initiative

Wine

Greene King helps licensees ‘take the mystery out of wine’

By Nicholas Robinson

Pubco Greene King has launched a free wine and spirits tool kit to help operators drive sales in the categories, which it claims can be challenging for licensees who feel they “lack the expertise” to put together a strong offer.

Masons Gin: creating unique flavours will keep the spirit alive

Spirits

Preventing gin’s bubble from bursting

By Nicholas Robinson

Gin’s popularity will only endure if distillers continue to innovate beyond the label on the bottle and start producing more innovative flavours, a Yorkshire gin maker has claimed ahead of his return to the Future Trends: Spirits event next month.

Relevance: Is there such a thing as craft gin?

Spirits

Craft gin terminology has been abused too much

By Nicholas Robinson

Craft gin terminology has "been abused to a ridiculous point", with all new gins apparently being 'craft', claims the founder of gin brand Warner Edwards at the launch of the distiller’s new limited-edition Melissa Lemon Balm Gin.

Rising: sales of Champagne and gin on the up

Spirits and fizz ‘taking over beer’

Spirits and wine make up 50% of drinks sales in new pubs

By Nicholas Robinson

Spirits and wine are giving beer a run for its money, with the two categories now accounting for almost half (49%) of value sales in new pubs, bars and restaurants.

On the up: rum sales are soaring in the on-trade

Future Trends: Spirits

The masterclass: rum explosion in pubs

By Nicholas Robinson

Sales of rum in the UK on-trade are growing at 17% and pubs can do more to benefit from the boom, according to Pernod Ricard UK on-trade channel director Ian Peart ahead of the company’s study tour session at The Morning Advertiser’s (MA) Future Trends:...

Sell up: Upgrade customers to Champagne over Christmas for a better experience

Spirits

New Star Wars film ‘kept people out of the pub’ at Christmas

By Nicholas Robinson

Stormy weather, Christmas markets and the new Star Wars film kept punters out of the pub last Christmas, according to Pernod Ricard’s UK (PRUK) on-trade channel director Ian Peart. But those who made it to the bar did spend more.

Profit booster: reap the rewards of a premium drinks offer

Premium

Top-end tipples: premiumise your drinks offer

By Nicholas Robinson

With the premium drinks category now worth more to the on-trade than ever before, here’s how you can take stock of your offer and navigate the busy waters of products on offer, Michelle Perrett reports

The finalists: (l to r) Harry, Tom, Jess, Luke and Arron

Cocktails

Move over Bloody Mary, there are new brunch cocktails on the block

By Nicholas Robinson

Cocktails at brunch can help operators tap into the on-trade’s expanding £76m dining occasion, yet the traditional Bloody Mary can put many customers off. Here some of the country’s top bartenders show their bespoke brunch cocktails.

Yarr! Set sail for new Slingsby gin

New products

Navy-strength Slingsby gin

By Nicholas Robinson

TOP SHELF:Ignite your gunpowder even if it’s soaked in gin, says independent alcoholic drinks company Slingsby with its newly-launched 57% ABV navy-strength variant of its Artisan Gin.

Brockmans Blackberry Sling is one of the MA's favourite's

Spirits

Our ultimate cocktail guide

By Nicholas Robinson

Spirits and cocktails are a booming category in pubs, so it’s time to get your offer perfected. It’s not all about size either, but rather what’s the right mix for your pub’s customers. Nigel Huddleston and Nicholas Robinson report

What will you take from the Future Trends: Spirits event?

Spirits

Future Trends: Spirits event is back

By Nicholas Robinson

Spirits sales in pubs are rocketing, so it’s time you looked at how to maximise sales in your pub. Whether you’re looking to polish your cocktail menu or premiumise your spirits offer, we’ve got it all at the Future Trends: Spirits event in London on...

How to make an El Diablo

Drink Deconstructed

Make the perfect El Diablo

By Nicholas Robinson

The English translation of El Diablo means Devil, but this tequila-based cocktail is an angel to make and is a refreshing quencher in the summer.

How to make a Mai Tai

Drink Deconstructed

Make the perfect Mai Tai

By Nicholas Robinson

Rum's fortunes are said to be turning, with the dark and spiced varieties growing in popularity. The Mai Tai, therefore, is a cocktail menu must, which isn't that difficult to crack.

How to make a Manhattan

Drink deconstructed

Make the perfect Manhattan

By Nicholas Robinson

Popular history says this three-part cocktail was first made in the Manhattan Club in the 1870s. We're not inclined to argue with that, but we can say it's a simple and sophisticated whiskey cocktail.

How to make a Negroni

Drink deconstructed

Make the perfect Negroni

By Nicholas Robinson

Possibly one of the simplest, yet most impressive, cocktails to make. The Negroni is hot right now.

Smooth not crunchy: Tailgate launches Peanut Butter Milk Stout in the UK

New Products

Peanut Butter Milk Stout lands in the UK

By Nicholas Robinson

TOP SHELF:This smooth (not crunchy) 5.8% ABV Peanut Butter Milk Stout has been imported into the UK for the first time by global drinks importer Heathwick from American craft brewery Tailgate Beer.

Cheshire gin festival attracts thousands

Gin

Gin festival attracts thousands

By Nikkie Sutton

A Cheshire pub hosted the county’s biggest gin festival and saw more than 2,500 in attendance. 

Proper cocktails: Diageo's Timpson explains why spirits need serving correctly

In association with Diageo

There’s no excuse for a bad cocktail

By Nicholas Robinson

Cocktail making is a skilled profession, anyone who says otherwise is a fool. It is theatre, art and a craft that can be taught. Poorly-trained staff are an embarrassment and detrimental to business, but that needn’t be the case

Entrepreneurs Burke and Hugh aim for Willingham's backing

Gin

Craft Gin Club gets Dragons' Den investment

By Nicholas Robinson

The entrepreneurs behind the Craft Gin Club secured a £75,000 investment for a 12.5% stake in their business from Sarah Willingham in last night’s (24 July) episode of Dragons' Den on BBC.

A rum coffee twist on a classic

Cocktails

Three easy coffee cocktails you must make

By Nicholas Robinson

Each week millions of cups of coffee are sold in pubs, so finding ways to tap into rising customer demand for coffee during evening trade could be a big win for operators. Here are three coffee cocktails you should try

Long and refreshing: How to make The Queen's Park Swizzle

Drink deconstructed

Rum cocktail: The Queen’s Park Swizzle

By Nicholas Robinson

The Queen’s Park Swizzle dates back to 1920s Trinidad, but rising interest in rum and the desire for long cool drinks during summer, puts this mojito-style drink on trend.

Quick, easy and tasty cocktails

Drink deconstructed

Rum cocktail: Golden Daiquiri

By Nicholas Robinson

Dark and spiced rums are rising in popularity, so it's time to put some easy and refreshing rum cocktails on your bar menu, such as the Golden Daiquiri.

Cocktails in pubs are on the up

Top 10 spirits brands in pubs

Brexit will lead customers to trade-up on spirits

By Nicholas Robinson

Brexit will impact the UK’s spirits category, but operators can benefit from any negativity by focusing on their customers’ needs, according to William Grant & Sons’ managing director for UK & Ireland.

World's first: Diageo backs Seedlip alcohol-free spirit

Spirits

First non-alcoholic distilled spirit wins Diageo cash

By Nicholas Robinson

Diageo-backed Distill Ventures is to invest in the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit made by Seedlip, which is expected to be added to the spirit giant’s alcohol-free drinks portfolio.

Loveday: 'More women should be in top drinks jobs'

Cocktails

Top 3 drinks trends from Love Drinks

By Nicholas Robinson

Premium soft drinks, twists on classic cocktails and balancing drinks with bitters are the top three drinks trends Love Drinks’ founder and managing director Kirsty Loveday has said pubs should tap into.

Be At One: learn the lessons

Cocktails

Be At One founders: ‘Learn from our mistakes’

By Nicholas Robinson

Be At One could have failed if its three founders didn’t stick to what they knew best – cocktails. But have you ever wondered why the 30-strong chain doesn’t do food? Well, food almost crippled the fledgling business in the late 90s. Nicholas Robinson...

Rum: more than a shot in the dark?

Rum: more than a shot in the dark?

By Daniel Woolfson

Certain styles of rum are steadily entrenching themselves as major players in the spirits game, but uneven consumer demand for different styles of rum has made recent years turbulent for the category. Daniel Woolfson asks how operators can capitalise...

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