Spirits

How to avoid #ginproblems

International Gin and Tonic Day

Real #GinProblems pubs can help customers avoid

By Nicholas Robinson

Brits have taken to Twitter to vent their real-life and sometimes worrying gin problems, which range from no tonic to too much gin choice. Here are #GinProblems pubs can help their customers avoid this International Gin and Tonic Day.

Check the fruit: one study found 70% of garnishes had bacterial growth

How to keep your garnishes clean and safe

By Nikkie Sutton

Keeping garnishes clean and ensuring bar staff keep their hands just as clean are two ways to prevent bacterial growth on the fruit that goes in drinks, according to experts.

Rising trend: rum sales have soared by 6% in volume in pubs over the past five years

Rum to break £1bn sales barrier this year

By Nikkie Sutton

Rum sales are expected to top the £1bn mark this year if current consumption trends continue, the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has said.

Fake: Europol seized wine purporting to be a famous and protected red wine from Italy

APPG set up to probe illicit trade

By Fred A'Court

MPs will investigate illicit trade across a range of sectors, including alcohol, as part of a new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) formed to push the problem up the political agenda.

Trend one: cocktails will be sustainable

Four cocktail trends that will shake the world

By Nicholas Robinson

Cocktails meet food as bartenders turn to cheffing, but they must be kind to the environment and be individual, according to a panel of the world’s best cocktail makers.

Spirits offer: new publication launched by Crown Cellars

Crown Cellars launches spirits guide

By Nicholas Robinson

Carlsberg UK-owned Crown Cellars has broken its spirits portfolio away into a separate segment of the business following the launch of a new focused magazine – Spirits.

Pleasure principle: for some, paying for premium is a marker of success (image based on TAW4/iStock/Thinkstock.co.uk)

Drinks: what is premium?

By Andrew Don

Premium drinks offer potential for enhanced profits, but when is a drink ‘premium’ and when is it not? The answer isn’t always clear cut.

Great experience: good customer service leads to more spend

In association with Diageo

Set up for spirit success

By Nicholas Robinson

While your operation may be known for serving the best Mojito or the region’s greatest gin and tonic, there are many operational areas that could negatively impact your trade and profit. Nicholas Robinson reports.

Citrus sidekick: lime is a perfect partner to Tequila (credit: AlexPro9500/iStock/Thinkstock.co.uk)

Shots to sips: the evolution of Tequila

By Emma Eversham

A far more subtle and sophisticated spirit than it’s often given credit for, there are many other ways to enjoy Tequila than slamming it back with salt and a wedge of lime. Emma Eversham reports.

That's the spirit: consumers spending more on home drinking

Consumers spending big on booze for home

By Nicholas Robinson

Brits, on average, are spending almost £1,500 on alcohol a year for the home, with premium spirits among their top choices, a new report has claimed.

Premiumise that: better quality drinks are driving trade

711 drinks-led pubs closed in the past 12 months

By Nicholas Robinson

Mainstream drinks-led pubs, of which 711 have closed in the past 12 months, are driving down the overall healthy performance of the spirits category, new figures claim.

What's hot? Some of the top trends from Imbibe Live 2017

Imbibe Live 2017: top trends from the show

By Nicholas Robinson

Drinks trends that operators should look out for this year include the continued rise of gin, increased interest in foreign imports and rising interest in sparkling wines, five alcoholic drinks producers told The Morning Advertiser in this video.

Plan ahead: What's going on at Imbibe Live 2017?

Sponsored content

Your guide to Imbibe Live 2017

By Nicholas Robinson

Plan your visit to the UK’s leading on-trade show, with our round-up of what's on, who’s there and what's happening for 2017.

On the up: there was a 135% rise in the number of UK distilleries between 2010 and 2016, according to HMRC

Tiny gin is the new big thing

By Nicholas Robinson

With gin production and sales still booming, what way will the market will go? The words small, craft and local will certainly be part of the success story.

On the up: gin sales have grown more than any other spirit sold in the UK in the past year.

World Gin Day: the gin boom continues to soar

By Nikkie Sutton

Sales of gin in the UK have grown 12% in volume in the past 12 months and the category is now worth £655m, according to the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

A question of design

How to design your bar

By Nicholas Robinson

While your operation may be known for serving the best Mojito or the region’s greatest gin and tonic, there are many operational areas that could negatively impact your trade and profit.

Boost: advice on driving spirits sales in pubs

In association with Diageo

How to drive spirits sales

By Nicholas Robinson

Cocktails in pubs are on the rise, but making money from mixed drinks is not as simple as just putting a menu together. Operators must not only consider what their back bars say to customers walking through the door, but also how their online and social-media...

Uptick: Campari sees big sales growth

Campari and Aperol sales rocket in the UK

By Nicholas Robinson

Sales of Campari and Aperol have increased dramatically for the first quarter of 2017 following a phenomenal increase in advertising spend.

Demands: CAMRA and WSTA set out general election manifestos

General election 2017

Drinks industry calls for ‘protection’ of £23.1bn pub trade

By Nicholas Robinson

Demands for a more prosperous pub and drinks industry have been set out by sector organisations the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and the Wine and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA) ahead of the general election.  

Make no mistake: simple steps to the perfect serve

In association with Diageo

Don’t get this wrong: how to create the perfect serve

By Nicholas Robinson

Lacklustre mixed drinks and cocktails will not do for drinkers these days, even for those who in the past would have accepted an iceless G&T served in a warm glass garnished with a sliver of limp lemon.

Following the curve: Seedlip uses botanicals in its non-alcoholic recipe

Top drinks trends revealed

By Nikkie Sutton

Drinks trends to be on the look out for this year include using nuts and seeds in beverages to create healthier serves, according to research from Mintel, which also predicts an increase in product launches.

In good spirits: Lone Wolf ready to roar

BrewDog finally launches Lone Wolf spirits

By Nicholas Robinson

Craft beer brewer and pub operator BrewDog is ready to launch its Lone Wolf spirits range on a large scale, three years after announcing plans to enter the category.

Number of distilleries up thanks to gin boom

Number of distilleries up thanks to gin boom

By Nikkie Sutton

The registration of new distilleries rose by almost a fifth (17%) last year, according to a report from the Wine & Spirit Trade Association WSTA), which is based on data from HM Revenue & Customs.

Pricey: expensive alcohol drives booze value up

Pricey booze steadies wet sales in pubs

By Nicholas Robinson

Expensive alcohol is helping pubs, bars and restaurants to increase or maintain profits from wet sales as consumers look for more premium experiences.

High-calibre offer: the City of London Distillery has five gins in its portfolio

Halewood backs City of London Distillery

By Nikkie Sutton

The City of London Distillery is set to gain new routes to the gin market thanks to 'strategic' investment from Halewood Wines & Spirits.

High five: we twist the G&T

In association with Diageo

5 twists on the classic gin and tonic

By Nicholas Robinson

Look at these five twists on the classic gin and tonic, perfect for summer cocktail menus, which can add a touch of excitement to your offer.

Tim Martin: price cuts will demonstrate potential effect of VAT cut on hospitality sector

JD Wetherspoon to slash 7.5% off food and drink at 900+ pubs

By Daniel Woolfson

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) chairman Tim Martin will hack 7.5% off all food and drink prices for one day across his 900+ pub estate later this year to demonstrate the effect a VAT cut could have on the hospitality industry. 

Business begins: Martin Dickie (left) and James Watt created BrewDog in 2007

A timeline: how BrewDog became what it is today

By Nikkie Thatcher

From its conception with two employees and a dog in 2007 to its global success of today, The Morning Advertiser sets out the history of BrewDog – warts and all.

Everyone can serve a pornstar: popular cocktail founder creates easy serve

Premade Pornstar Martini launched

By Nicholas Robinson

Pornstar Martini creator Douglas Ankrah has launched a premade version of his original cocktail, which has become one of this century’s best-selling drinks in pubs and bars across the UK.