The announcement arrives with the launch of The First Edition in the trilogy – a single cask expression distilled in 1973 and aged in a European oak refill butt and selected by malt master Kelsey McKechnie. For The Second Edition, McKechnie has selected an American oak hogshead cask filled in 1973 to marry with the leftover whisky from The First Edition. The Third Edition will…
Now based in Kentucky, the organisation has expanded its scope to now include other agave-based spirits and agave-related products beyond tequila. Brands and companies that elect to join the AFA agree for their products to be purchased in retail stores in the US to undergo an independent liquid chromatography lab analysis and sensorial evaluation to confirm that they are free of additives such as artificial…
Like tequila in the world of spirits, there’s something about rosé wine that is catnip to celebrities. There’s not much that Cameron Diaz, John Terry and Post Malone have in common with one another, but all of them have put their name to rosé brands and now supermarket wine aisles are often adorned with the faces and autographs of singers, actors, TV chefs and, of…
Drinks International caught up with Courageous Spirits managing director and founder Andy McGeoch, to talk over the landmark release for the brand. “Our team at Courageous Spirits has been tasting the liquid and watching certain casks for a while now, carefully monitoring the spirit as it slowly matures. As a team, we knew that the spirit was ready. “We’re now at a point where we…
The brand’s portfolio, led by Campari and Aperol, performed well in the Americas and Germany, with double-digit growth from Espolón and Grand Marnier in the US. Growth in EMEA was hampered by “very poor weather” which impacted high-margin aperitif sales. “We recorded a solid performance in the first half of the year with acceleration in the second quarter, yet again outperforming the industry,” said chief…
Ki One is produced 40 minutes outside of Seoul in Korea’s first whisky distillery, Three Societies. “We’re always on the lookout for up-and-coming distilleries from all over the world, so when we had the opportunity to launch Ki One in the UK we jumped at it,” said The Whisky Exchange’s buying director Dawn Davies MW. “This distillery is one to watch in the coming years,…
Last month, operations commenced at the new Suntory India office in the northern Indian city of Gurgaon. A statement from parent company Suntory Holdings at the time of the announcement spoke of accelerating growth within a country with “a large population and a rapidly growing economy” for its spirits business while establishing “opportunities for soft drinks as well as health and wellness businesses”. Covering plenty…
The owner of Be At One and Slug & Lettuce revealed that the package includes new agreements with bondholders and a £250 million shareholder contribution from private equity firm TDR Capital. “We have always said we would achieve the right outcome on our refinancing requirements, and I am delighted we can now move forward with confidence and certainty, having achieved our balance sheet goals,” said…
The farm-to-bar project, launched by Trinh in 2016, also picked up the award for Best International Cocktail Bar. It was a good showing from Latin America, with Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy collecting three awards: World’s Best Cocktail Menu, Best International Bar Team, and International Bartender of the Year for co-owner Eric Van Beek. Best New International Cocktail Bar went to Bar Leone with the Hong…
The trade is focusing on de-stocking premium-end categories, like baijiu, cognac, and scotch, as 2023 proved to be a lower-than-expected performance with consumers cautious about discretionary spending. “The recovery in China during 2023 wasn’t as smooth or strong as many had expected, with inconsistencies between categories and price tiers,” said Shirley Zhu, IWSR Research Director for Greater China. “A slowdown was felt across drinks categories,…
