FoodNews Creative Marketing Agency is launching the first edition of the Spirit of Craft Awards (SOCraft Awards).

Tito’s Handmade Vodka has appointed Spirit Cartel as its new distributor for the UK and signed a sponsorship deal with Equal Measures.

Spirit of Gallo has announced it will distribute Korean soju brands Soonhari, Chum Churum and Saero in the US from January 2024, in partnership with Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co.

Formula One champion and entrepreneur Lewis Hamilton, alongside agave expert and Casa Lumbre co-founder and master distiller Iván Saldaña, have unveiled Almave, the inaugural distilled non-alcoholic blue agave spirit.

Aquavit: The new Mezcal?

31 October, 2022

Aquavit is being touted as a spirit that has all the ingredients for an explosion in popularity. Oli Dodd reports on the Nordic hero.

The Spirit of Manchester Distillery has launched its first ever members’ club to give experimental drinkers and whisky enthusiasts the chance to follow the journey of the City’s first single malt English whisky, One Point Six, from cask to glass.

Catching up with Cachaça

23 August, 2022

Thousands of microdistilleries are helping to change the face of Brazil’s national spirit, creating aged and wood-blended expressions that are pulling in new fans.

The world’s number one selling spirit brand Jinro soju has announced it will be sponsoring Luno presents All Points East festival this month, the first time a Korean spirit brand has supported a major UK festival, making history for the global drinks market.

The Spirit of Manchester Distillery has launched its first whisky, the OnePointSix English, as it moves into the whisky market with a £1 million investment, the biggest since it was founded in 2016.

Yorkshire, England, spirit brand Slingsby has expanded its ready-to-drink range with a Slingsby Solo vodka, lime & soda can.

UK-based functional drink brand Three Spirit has announced the launch of a range of non-alcoholic alternative wines, Blurred Vines.

Lowland scotch whisky distillery, Kingsbarns, has announced the release of the last remaining bottles of its 2021 Distillery Reserve.

Quintessential Brands has launched its ‘Spirit Centre’ - an innovation hub  for all channels which aims to improve customer collaboration.

Brands Report 2022: Cachaca

11 January, 2022

Believe it or not, cachaça is the third most popular spirit in the world. In its homeland of Brazil, there are some 5,000 registered brands, with many more unregistered, and 40,000 distilleries.

Bacardi has announced the launch of a new non-alcoholic spirit brand created, in collaboration with Amsterdam-based bartenders, with cocktails in mind. 

Axia spirit, the world’s first extra-dry Mastiha spirit, has been released in the UK following launches in Greece and the US.

Glenmorangie single malt has opened the Lighthouse, the brand’s first innovation distillery created for experimentation.

Tequila brand Volcan De Mi Tierra has launched its Blanco and Cristalino expressions in the UK.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association has called for the UK government to swiftly remove tariffs on US whiskies.

Beefeater has announced Beefeater Botanics Lemon & Ginger, a 27.5% abv spirit drink.

Beam Suntory has announced a £6m investment in the Glen Garioch distillery in Oldmeldrum, which will see the reintroduction of floor matings and installation of direct-fired heating.

Diageo has unveiled a 10-year action plan designed to achieve net zero carbon emissions across all direct operations and boost ethnic diversity in the leadership team.

In America, the beer category has lost volume to wine and spirit in recent years. There are several reasons for this.

Gin brand Beefeater has launched a global advertising campaign designed to celebrate the spirit of London.

Aquavit, ‘the water of life’ was all but dead in the water thanks to younger drinkers’ aversion to it. but now all that is changing, as Hamish Smith discovers

New shoots

08 February, 2018

Finally getting its own craft segment, vodka is taking cues from wine and championing the terroir of its base as a flavour provider. Shay Waterworth grows the theory.

Absinthe

09 July, 2012

With all the bans on absinthe now lifted, the traditional French and Swiss producers are now free to re-invent the category for the 21st century. Hamish Smith investigates

William Grant has launched its first ever Glenfiddich19 year old single malt scotch whisky, which has been matured in Madeira wine oak casks.

The Spencerfield Spirit Company has launched a Perthshire Raspberry edition of its Edinburgh Gin brand to the UK.

The SPI Group has announced a new distribution agreement with Findlater Wine and Spirit Group to distribute the Stolichnaya vodka portfolio in Ireland.

Online spirits merchant Master of Malt has extended its line of yesteryear spirit-based expressions with the launch of Proprietary Barley Spirit Drink.

Liqueurs de France has rolled out the launch of its Enigma absinthe range to the UK, in a bid to change consumer perceptions of the spirit.

Ardbeg has announced the September launch of its new limited release, Ardbeg Alligator, to Europe, Asia and the US.

The absinthe ban in France has been lifted, according to absinthe brand La Fée.

Russian Distiller has launched Krivach, a malted rye distillate that is said to be the first of its type in Russia for 120 years.

Sri Lankan spirit Ceylon Arrack has appointed Mangrove as its exclusive UK importer.

International Beverage Holdings is celebrating 49 awards in various international drinks competitions, including 13 awards in the International Spirits Challenge.

The Glenglassaugh Distillery Company has launched a range of “Spirit Drink” products. The aim is to give malt whisky fans the opportunity to sample the evolution of the spirit that will eventually become whisky.

The makers of Sheep Dip whisky have launched a gin.

The Spirit of Speyside whisky festival starts this week.

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La'Mel Clarke

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