Spirits & Cocktails

Coffee

A new way to drink coffee? Mr Black to launch barrel-aged coffee liqueur

14-Jun-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Cold-press coffee liqueur maker Mr Black has revealed plans to launch a barrel-aged version of the original liquid here, which is made in Australia and launched in the UK late last year.

Gin report

What’s next for gin?

10-Jun-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Gin has long discarded its negative early image and is regarded as a sophisticated drink with wide appeal and at the top of the list of many discerning drinkers’ bar calls. But what’s next now the liquor has made it so high? Nicholas Robinson investigates

Spirits

Maxxium to focus on London and cities after head office shuffle

08-Jun-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Branded spirits supplier Maxxium will restructure its business to better reflect the modern-day spirits market and to capitalise in growth areas, such as major UK cities.

Spirits

Own-label spirits range for on-trade ‘to counter rise of premium’

07-Jun-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

A complete range of affordable own-label spirits including gin, vodka, whisky, rum and absinthe have been launched into the on-trade by the owners of La Fée Absinthe under the name of ENVY & NV Spirits.

Whisky

What is Glenlivet Cipher?

03-Jun-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Nobody really knows…

Cocktail Masterclass

How to make a Negroni

02-Jun-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

The Negroni is a simple cocktail to make, as it consists of just three ingredients used in equal measures and doesn't require shaking or even stirring (although there is some debate about that). Bar staff at the gin and rum bar the Merchant House...

drinks marketing

BrewDog may face legal challenge from Wolves FC over Lone Wolf branding

31-May-2016 By Emily Sutherland

Scottish craft brewer BrewDog has been warned it could face legal action from football club Wolverhampton Wonders over the branding of its new spirits arm Lone Wolf

Spirits

BrewDog reveals Lone Wolf spirits branding

26-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

BrewDog has revealed the brand identity of its Lone Wolf spirits arm, which has been designed to help the brewer, distiller and pub operator with its mission to "disrupt the spirits category".

On-trade can make billions from premium wine and spirits

26-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Pushing premium wines and spirits can help the on-trade grow sales by more than £2.5bn over the next five years, according to data released by Pernod Ricard UK.

World Whisky Day

Exclusive: Franklin & Sons launches whisky water

21-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Premium soft drinks maker Franklin & Sons has launched a new line of Scottish artesian waters – sourced from the Scottish Highlands – for the on-trade to mix with whisky.

Vodka

Absolut Vodka launches LGBT on-trade exclusive bottle design

20-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Absolut Vodka is pumping up its support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual people, by mixing up the rainbow flag for a new bottle design.

Gin

Edinburgh Gin launches 2.5m G&T distillery

20-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Edinburgh Gin’s new Port of Leith-based distillery, which has been built on the site of a former biscuit factory, will be able to produce enough gin for 2.5 million G&Ts a year.

World Whisky Day

Get ready for World Whisky Day with these cocktails

20-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Pubs can get punters more involved in the World Whisky Day fun this 21 May by creating whisky cocktails, which can also boost margins.

Gin

Gin: what are the next big trends?

17-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Gin innovation has reached its peak, or so say the critics. But, those closer to the sector say new gin products are set to fly out of distilleries and keep the segment fresh for years to come.

Tequila

Pernod Ricard adds new Altos Tequila

17-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Pernod Ricard UK has “completed” its Olmeca Altos Tequila portfolio with the introduction of its Añejo blue agave Tequila.

Vodka

Vodka news: Ciroc, Sauvelle and Wild Knight

17-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

A new pink grapefruit vodka for Ciroc, French vodka maker Sauvelle designs a new bottle and premium craft distiller Wild Knight lands a distribution deal. That's what's going on in vodka this week.

Gin

Halewood takes on Liverpool Gin

17-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Drinks manufacturer and distributor Halewood International has added Liverpool Gin to its portfolio.

Rum

Diageo to pump £4.6m into Captain Morgan campaign

17-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Diageo-owned rum brand Captain Morgan will be at the centre of a £4.6m marketing campaign to strengthen the growing portfolio, which saw the recent addition of white rum.

World Whisky Day

Whisky cocktail masterclass: a simple serve for World Whisky Day

17-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Boosting sales with whisky cocktails can be easy, once pub operators find the right serve. Haig Club brand ambassador David Sinclair walks us through the Whisky & Ginger mixed long drink in this exclusive video for the Publican's Morning Advertiser,...

Gin

Hyperlocal gins offer ‘massive’ sales opportunities for pubs, says gin expert

15-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Gin terroir is an emerging trend pubs can cash in on as consumers become ever more discerning about the locality of what they eat and drink.

Brexit could put thriving gin industry at risk, treasury warned

12-May-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The UK would be putting its currently booming gin industry at risk if it left the EU, industry leaders have warned the government. 

Gin

New gin for pubs after three years in the making

05-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

City of London Distillery founder Jonathan Clark will target pubs with his premium gin, after spending three years and thousands of pounds "perfecting" his offer, he told the Publican's Morning Advertiser.

Summer of Sport

Some of the top drinks to stock this summer

05-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Beer is likely to be the drink of choice for many customers watching big sporting matches in pubs this summer, but offering something different may give your margins a boost. Nicholas Robinson has put together some key drinks for pubs to consider offering...

Cocktail masterclass

How to make the perfect White Lady

03-May-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Gin is increasingly in demand from customers, who are seeking new ways to drink it. Nicholas Robinson caught up with City of London Distillery operations manager Luke Shackleton to find out how to make the White Lady.

Spirits

Hendrick’s hits the road with serving lessons

29-Apr-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Hendrick’s is hitting the road and visiting 100 mainstream bars nationwide starting today (29 May), to show staff how to serve the cucumber- and rose-infused gin – with cucumber slices.

Cocktails

‘Healthy’ cocktails drive on-trade mixed drinks growth

28-Apr-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

The popularity of cocktails in pubs is higher than ever, with more than three quarters of the country’s bars now providing a cocktail menu.

Summertime drinks

Cool drinks for the summer

25-Apr-2016 By Jo Bruce

With a change in the weather on the horizon, Jo Bruce looks at what drinks are forecast to heat up your sales this summer

Drinks

Back bars: Harnessing your shop window on the world

22-Apr-2016 By Michelle Perrett

Back bars should be working for you to push the drinks you want to sell at the prices that will give you the margins you need to achieve. Michelle Perrett gets the lowdown on how to make the most of every pub’s showcase selection.

Spirits

Jim Beam Double Oak premium Bourbon launched by Maxxium

20-Apr-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Maxxium UK-owned Jim Beam launched its premium Double Oak Bourbon to the UK on-trade last night, revealing the secrets of how it is made.

Students graduate Diageo hospitality course aimed at tackling youth unemployment

15-Apr-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

A group of young Londoners who undertook a six-week hospitality and bartending training course celebrated their graduation at Diageo's Global HQ last night (14 April).

Queen’s 90th Birthday

Pimm’s puts out 12,000 activation kits for Queen’s birthday

14-Apr-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Diageo-owned Pimm’s is pushing hard on the Queen’s 90th birthday to help boost sales in the on-trade by giving 12,000 outlets nationwide activation kits.

Glassware

Serving in the perfect glass – what’s new?

12-Apr-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

You may have the best selection of drinks in your area, but if your glassware has seen better days and your staff aren’t trained to serve them in the best possible manner, then the chances are customers will look elsewhere. Fiona McLelland reports

Distribution

New global drinks distributor launched for UK on-trade

12-Apr-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

International drinks distributor and retailer Interbev Limited has launched a new UK arm of its business – Interbev Brands – aimed at providing the on-trade with exclusive access to overseas brands.

Big Interview

‘Pub’ is the buzz word for Diageo, says sales director

31-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

‘Pub’ is the current buzzword at Diageo as the drinks giant’s sales director Ronak Mashru is very keen to get across. Nicholas Robinson finds out why

BrewDog’s newly named spirits division to launch in April

29-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

BrewDog’s newly named Lone Wolf Distillery spirits division is likely to launch in April, the Scottish brewer and pub operator has revealed almost two years after announcing plans to enter the category.

EU Referendum

Cameron: 'a stronger alcohol industry lies within the EU'

24-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Britain's alcohol industry will be safer and stronger if the UK votes to stay in the European Union (EU), Prime Minister David Cameron has promised ahead of the referendum later this year.

Cocktail and food pairing

Cocktail and food pairing: let the trends meet the drinks

14-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

There is an untapped £100m spirits opportunity for casual-dining operators, which food-led pubs can take advantage of by pairing cocktails with dishes on their menus, according to spirits giant Diageo.

Cointreau launches £20k grant scheme for budding creatives

10-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Cointreau has launched a grant programme in conjunction with French actress Laetitia Casta to help budding independent creatives by pumping £20,000 into one fledgling scheme.

Budget

Alcohol duty judged 'too low' according to report

09-Mar-2016 By Emily Sutherland

A new report from the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) has claimed alcohol taxes are too low – despite UK drinkers paying 52p per pint in duty, one of the highest rates in Europe.

Cocktail & Spirits report

Little mix: the comeback of the cocktail

07-Mar-2016 By Joel Harrison

Mixed spirits drinks have been far from on-trend for a few decades. These days, however, the comeback of the cocktail is complete. Joel Harrison reports

Events

Exciting new trade show - The Bar & Pub Show - launches

02-Mar-2016 By Mike Berry

A new event dedicated to the bar and pub sector will run alongside this year's Restaurant Show at Olympia bringing together the best suppliers in the business with top operators that are transforming the UK’s on-trade.

Cocktails

Harry Potter inspired 'Butterbeer' cocktail goes on sale at Lake District pub

01-Mar-2016 By James Evison

A Lake District pub's Harry Potter inspired 'Butterbeer cocktail' has delivered significant returns for the business.

Record breaking gin is world's 'largest and most expensive'

23-Feb-2016 By Ben Winstanley

Silent Pool Distillers has created allegedly the world's "largest and most expensive gin", weighing in at nine litres and a hefty £5,000 price tag.

Licensees not serving salt & lemon with Tequila 'misusing' health & safety legislation

15-Feb-2016 By Emily Sutherland

Refusing to serve salt and lemon alongside shots of Tequila due to ‘health and safety’ has been branded a myth by the Health and Safety Executive.

The Botanist breaks gin tasting world record

15-Feb-2016 By Ben Winstanley

New World Trading Company bar chain The Botanist entered the record books last week for the world’s biggest gin tasting across multiple venues.

Two percent cut in alcohol duty will support on-trade, WSTA claims

11-Feb-2016 By Ben Winstanley

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has called for the Government to back British distilleries and vineyards with a 2% alcohol duty cut in the March Budget, a move they claim will support the growing demand for wine and spirits in the on-trade.

Brewdog enters spirits market

04-Feb-2016 By Jessica Mason

Brewdog is set to move into the spirits market with the launch of a new distillery named The Lone Wolf.

CAMRA research

Pub closures falling - but still 27 shutting every week

04-Feb-2016 By Oli Gross

Pub closures have slowed slightly to 27 a week as the industry begins a ‘fragile recovery’, according to the Campaign for Real Ale’s latest research.

Brooklyn Gin comes to UK

25-Jan-2016 By Ben Winstanley

Premium drinks distributor Hi-Spirits has announced a deal to supply Brooklyn Gin to the UK on- and off-trades.

Bolton licensee opts to display alcohol units on pub wall

19-Jan-2016 By Emily Sutherland

A Bolton licensee is displaying how many units of alcohol are in drinks on the wall of his pub following the Government's overhaul of the recommended drinking guidelines.