Editor

Last year Pernod recorded a 1% drop for FY24 and of the H1 FY25 sales, which totalled just under €6.2bn, Martell cognac accounted for the majority of Pernod’s decline due to issues in China and travel retail. In a statement released by Pernod, it gave a medium forecast which read: “Ongoing challenging macroeconomic environment and intense geopolitical uncertainties continue to impact the spirits market, particularly…

The top line declared a 0.6% net sales decline to $10.9 billion but Crew believes the tariff threat makes it difficult to predict the company’s true trajectory. “The confirmation at the weekend of the implementation of tariffs in the US, while anticipated, could very well impact this building momentum. It also adds further complexity in our ability to provide updated forward guidance given this is…

Established in 1880 in Dungarvan and reclaimed in 2020, Velvet Cap is made with malt and grain whiskeys and matured in a combination of bourbon, port, and sherry casks. The portfolio also includes two single malts. Nigel Truphet, managing director, RoCo Brands, said: “This acquisition aligns with our mission to preserve and enhance brands that showcase authenticity and craftsmanship. Velvet Cap’s reputation for quality and…

The Irish-US bond is a special one. According to the US Census Bureau, more than 31 million Americans claimed Irish ancestry in 2021, which is just shy of 10% of the population – likely inflated by those who wish it were so. Heritage aside, more than a million American tourists visit the Emerald Isle each year, while foreign direct investment has surged recently. Trump International…

The new venue is split across two separate rooms with independent menus which combined offer 22 different drinks. The bigger of the two rooms, dubbed the ‘main living room’, is an all-seated experience while the smaller room known as the ‘kitchen’ has its own separate entrance. Drinks highlights from the bigger living room space include Fika (pictured) with Bacardi 8 and Mr Black while…

Diageo will retain ownership of the Guinness brand, and other Diageo brands currently produced by Guinness Ghana, which will be licensed to Guinness Ghana under a new long-term license and royalty agreement. All Diageo brands currently produced by Guinness Ghana (Guinness, Malta, Orijin, Smirnoff Ice and Alvaro, and mainstream spririts) will continue to be produced under new license and royalty agreements. Dayalan Nayager, president Diageo…

When Googling armagnac, the headlines read something like ʻBrandy’s best-kept secret’. But this has been the narrative for decades – nothing has ever changed. Armagnac is objectively a quality spirit with a rich history and its approach to vintages gives it a unique selling point that other brandies don’t have. Yet, armagnac’s fortunes have never really changed and, taking a wider look at the category,…

At the end of November Mark Reynier, owner of Renegade rum in Grenada and the man behind the revival of Islay’s Bruichladdich distillery, announced that Waterford Whisky had entered administration. Inside Irish whiskey circles there were murmurs of the brand’s struggles, but the news came as a shock to the wider industry given the brand’s strong reputation. Reynier launched Waterford Whisky (without an E) in…

This article first appeared in the Drinks International Rum Supplement which can be read in full here Cuba is synonymous with rum. Several of the industry’s biggest names have historical ties with the Caribbean island and Ron Matusalem’s 150-year-old story began in Santiago de Cuba when Spanish immigrant Pablo Nonell bought his own distillery in 1872. There he developed the Matusalem name and was one of the…

For this section, our bars were asked to name one brand which puts a twinkle in their eye, a brand they like working with above all others, across any category. Over the past 16 years the same names have come up time and again, highlighting the bond some brands have with the bartending elite. Tanqueray has now taken top spot in exactly half the editions…