Spirits & Cocktails

Long queue times ‘drives customers away’

11-Nov-2019 By Alice Leader

New research shows queues could be losing bartenders more customers than they realise, with the average British consumer waiting up to a whopping 12 hours a year for their cocktails.

Alcohol tax review proposal ‘good first step’

08-Nov-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Pub trade bodies have welcomed an announcement from the Conservative Party that it would review alcohol taxation if elected again.

A-List actor Ryan Reynolds set to disrupt UK gin market

07-Nov-2019 By Alice Leader

A gin brand owned by actor and producer, Ryan Reynolds, has set its sights on turning the UK market upside down with a multimillion-pound investment.

Beat the chill with a great winter cocktail line-up

06-Nov-2019 By Alice Leader

Cocktail drinkers visit the on-trade 25% more than non-cocktail drinkers, according the CGA analysis.

Cocktail operator is van-tastic

04-Nov-2019 By Alice Leader

Tales & Tender founder Nick Whitby claims his cocktail contraption “is like having a bartender with 15 arms, under the counter and behind the scenes”.

Halloween provides big drinks sales uptick

30-Oct-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Big kids are getting in on the Halloween action, giving pubs a big rise in drinks sales, with spirits in particular seeing strong growth, new data has suggested.

‘Active-ist’ drinkers expect brands to go the extra mile for them

23-Oct-2019 By Stuart Stone

Far-reaching social, economic, political and technological uncertainty is driving the growth of a new consumer mindset and premium spirit sales, according to William Grant & Sons.

Spirit trademark registrations increase by 58% since 2016

21-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Trademark registrations of spirits reached a record high in 2018 as the consumer demand for flavoured drinks shows no signs of slowing.

Pink pioneers get their ‘hands dirty’ with new raspberry gin

18-Oct-2019 By Alice Leader

Gin distiller Warner’s is shaking up the ‘Pink Gin War’ by throwing raspberries into the mix with its new campaign this month.

New serves launched for International Gin & Tonic Day

17-Oct-2019 By Alice Leader

Billed as the day that revels in gin, and builds on its already growing demographic, International Gin & Tonic Day approaches.

Captain Morgan Gingerbread rum targets experimental drinkers

17-Oct-2019 By Alice Leader

Captain Morgan aims to entice consumers who look to mix up their alcoholic drink choices during winter by launching a limited-edition gingerbread flavour.

Jägermeister: We don't know who came up with the Jägerbomb

08-Oct-2019 By Stuart Stone

Mast-Jägermeister UK’s marketing director Nicole Goodwin discusses consumers' move away from the nightclub scene with the launch of Cold Brew Coffee.

Pubs get boost as Millennials favour spirit-based drinks

03-Oct-2019 By Alice Leader

Research has repeatedly suggested younger consumers are drinking less but according to a recent survey, pubs are benefiting from Millennials choosing spirits as their go-to tipple.

The Whisky Works reveals second wave of whiskies

30-Sep-2019 By Alice Leader

A new range of whiskies "with great stories to tell" has been revealed by an innovative arm of leading producers Whyte & Mackay.

Benromach unveils rare 50-year-old single malt

27-Sep-2019 By Alice Leader

Malt Whisky Trail member – Benromach Distillery – has revealed one of its rarest single malt releases after spending half a century maturing in a former sherry hogshead cask.

Pop star Nick Jonas to launch Tequila in UK

27-Sep-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

American pop rock band member Nick Jonas has released a Tequila, alongside friend John Varvatos and spirits producer Stoli Group.

Vermouth maker crowdfunds £100k for expansion into cans

20-Sep-2019 By Emily Hawkins

London spirits brand Asterley Bros has raised a £100,000 sum through a crowdfunding website to grow its reach.

Drinkers seeking ‘purist’ cocktails

18-Sep-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Simple serves will be the next big trend within the cocktail category out-of-home, according to the director of a pre-batch cocktail company.

MA500

‘Everything tastes better with a story’ says cocktail expert

12-Sep-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Serving drinks needs to be a whole package from the moment the bartender says hello, according to a Top 50 Cocktail Bar manager.

Brexit will be at ‘worst time’ for premium spirits producers

09-Sep-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Premium spirits producers could see a drop in demand this Christmas because of economic anxieties, according to the founder of a Warwickshire-based distillery.

JDW and Miller & Carter ranked among healthiest brands

09-Sep-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

JD Wetherspoon along with Mitchells and Butlers-owned Miller & Carter have been ranked among the healthiest high street businesses by a YouGov poll.

Higher tax for supermarket booze, advises think tank

06-Sep-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Booze sold in the pub should be cheaper than that in the supermarket, a think tank has advised, suggesting a higher tax on alcohol for the off-trade.

Jägermeister launches cold brew coffee

05-Sep-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Spirit business Jägermeister has announced the launch of a cold brew coffee, available in the on and off-trade this month (September).

Next big spirits trend will be led by females

04-Sep-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Women will drive the next spirits trend, based on how they have led the popularity of gin and Prosecco, according to Pernod Ricard UK (PRUK).

More flavoured gins from Pernod Ricard possible

04-Sep-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Spirits producer Pernod Ricard UK (PRUK) hasn’t ruled out introducing additional flavoured gins to its portfolio.

One-mile sourcing competition for bartenders

03-Sep-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Premium vodka brand Ketel One has challenged bartenders to make a cocktail menu using ingredients that are sourced within one square mile of their site.

Pubs can still serve ‘Pornstars’

29-Aug-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Pubs can continue to serve top-selling cocktail Pornstar Martini after alcohol watchdog Portman Group ordered Marks & Spencer (M&S) to change its RTD version of the drink.

'Market for mocktails will only increase'

28-Aug-2019 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.

Spirits producers call for financial protection

27-Aug-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Gin, whisky, vodka and a host of other UK spirits makers have joined forces in an effort to make the new Chancellor Sajid Javid impose a freeze on spirits duty in the next Budget.

LITTLE INTERVIEW

Pubs ‘don’t have to reinvent the wheel’ for non-drinkers

22-Aug-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Introducing a strong offer of non-alcoholic drinks is easier than pub operators might assume, according to the founder of spirit alternative supplier Stryyk.

What can pre-batch cocktails add to your business?

16-Aug-2019 By Rob Brown

Serving cocktails undoubtedly helps boost the bottom line, but can often take up too much time so pre-batch cocktails o¬ffer great quality at an amazing speed of serve.

Whisky masterclass: sponsored by Diageo

The ultimate whisky masterclass

07-Aug-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Whisky is quickly breaking away from its long-held reputation of being a rigid, complex and confusing category, with many Brits – young and older – willing to break with said tradition.

Millennials ‘pressured’ into drinking, research claims

29-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Millennials have declared their peers are pressuring them to drink alcohol when socialising and are five times more likely to undergo such strains than older generations.

Pink gin drinkers have ‘more than doubled’

17-Jul-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Gin value sales have soared by 56% in a year and the number of people drinking pink gin has more than doubled, according to new research.

Rare collection of Macallan set to go under the hammer

12-Jul-2019 By Robert Mann

Over 1,150 bottles of whisky, including an unprecedented amount of Macallan whisky, are to be sold at auction.

John Crabbie & Co releases new variant aimed at Millennials

10-Jul-2019 By Robert Mann

Edinburgh-based spirits company John Crabbie & Co has released a new single malt whisky – aimed at Millennial consumers.

Dead Man’s Fingers launches first cannabis-infused hemp rum

09-Jul-2019 By Robert Mann

Cornish spiced rum brand Dead Man’s Fingers is launching one of the drinks industry’s first hemp rums.

Glenfiddich celebrates anniversary with limited-edition bottle

09-Jul-2019 By Robert Mann

Glenfiddich is commemorating the 50th anniversary of its visitors centre with the release of a limited-edition 30-year-old single malt.

Northern bars represent in Top 50 Cocktail Bars 2019 list

09-Jul-2019 By Top 50 Cocktail Bars

A bar in the former steel producing town of Middlesbrough on Teesside has planted itself firmly among some of the UK’s best in the 2019 Top 50 Cocktail Bars list, proving the trend for high quality cocktails has well and truly travelled beyond the country’s...

Mermaid Gin debuts pink variant

05-Jul-2019 By Robert Mann

Just three months after the successful relaunch of Mermaid Gin, Isle of Wight Distillery has introduced its first ever pink gin.

Irn Bru maker pumps £1m into non-alcoholic spirits

03-Jul-2019 By Stuart Stone

A seven-figure investment from AG Barr will help Stryyk non-alcoholic spirits rapidly expand its on-trade presence, according to the 0%-ABV drink maker’s chief executive.

Shot of whisky, anyone? That’ll be £1,000

26-Jun-2019 By Robert Mann

A bar is selling a whisky so rare it costs almost £1,000 for a single measure.

What makes a perfect serve?

25-Jun-2019 By Robert Mann

Getting your range of drinks is, of course, crucial but making sure you serve them correctly and with elegance will help maintain and even grow custom.

Spotlight

Is cannabis-infused food and drink a thing of the future?

24-Jun-2019 By Robert Mann

With attitudes towards cannabis softening in some parts of the world in recent years, there are many new ideas about how to use the plant – including adding it to drinks.

Sponsored by Fentimans

The rise and rise of the spritz

24-Jun-2019 By Adam Bloodworth

The spritz drink is right on-trend and something consumers already love but there’s more to it than the familiar Aperol Spritz and operators now have a glut of recipes and inspiration to draw on should they want to create memorable beverages this summer

Sales rise for nation’s favourite cocktail – the Pornstar Martini

17-Jun-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Pornstar Martini is still Britain’s favourite cocktail with sales of the drink rising by 2% over the past 12 months, new research has revealed.

Whisky set to grow to £2.44bn in next 3 years

13-Jun-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Whisky will return to growth and will be worth £2.44bn by 2022 (up from £2.31bn in 2018), new research has predicted.

Southern Comfort crowns best mixologists

12-Jun-2019 By Robert Mann

Two triumphant bartenders were cheered to victory last night – becoming winners of Southern Comfort’s Southern Showdown cocktail competition.

William Grant & Sons hope to ‘break mould’ of G&T

11-Jun-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Scottish spirits giant William Grant & Sons hopes a new marketing push will see its fruit-flavoured gin reach pubgoers who have traditionally avoided the juniper drink.

Pride gin will help keep parade free

10-Jun-2019 By Emily Hawkins

The organisers of London’s Pride parade have launched a limited-edition gin to help it keep the event free.