Editor

For almost two decades the Brands Report has provided insights into the buying habits of the world’s most influential bars. To produce the report Drinks International polls bar operators, owners, managers and head bartenders about their buying habits for more than 20 categories of spirits, wine, mixers and beer, collecting information about what sells the most and what brands are trending. The list isn’t a summary…

To collect the data we first curate a sample of industry acclaimed bars from a combination of The Word’s 50 Best Bars and its regional North America and Asia lists. In order to ensure the best global coverage, about 5% of the poll were ‘editor’s picks’ – highly rated bars in regions less represented to assure a truly global data pool reflective of the current…

Tara O’Reilly, marketing & product specialist at McCormick Distilling Company, joined Drinks International to discuss both brands Is McCormick Irish Cream made at the same distillery as Five Farms? McCormick Irish Cream is produced by McCormick Distilling Company in the US, whereas Five Farms is made in County Cork, Ireland. Five Farms is made entirely in Ireland using cream sourced from five family-owned dairy farms…

EABL (East African Breweries) is the largest beer business in east Africa with a strong presence in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and the transaction has reportedly generated $2.3bn in net proceeds. Diageo has committed to enter into long term licensing agreements as well as transitional service agreements with EABL. Locally owned brands will remain owned by EABL and there will be refreshed agreements for EABL…

Tepache sits next door to Niseko Confidential, a sister venue to the Tokyo bar, which will re-open for its second ski season on 13 December. “We’re taking yet another gamble bringing an agave-focused venue to Niseko, but I take comfort when I think about Jay Khan and how he took that risk opening Coa in Hong Kong,” said Graham.  “Coa is now…

In the most recent edition of Dan Nevsky’s bartender column, he bemoaned the number of bar trade shows flooding the calendar. He said it makes attendance difficult for bartenders while brands struggle both logistically and financially to support them. His solution was to invite consumers. Invite them to learn about drinks, brands and cocktail bars but, unlike bartenders, let them pay to do so. However,…

The harvest itself took place earlier than usual with Chardonnay being picked in mid-August for the sparkling wines. “The 2025 vintage is the result of a year’s work during which flexibility and responsiveness were required,” said Pierre-Jean Sauvion, president of InterLoire Communication Committee. “On each plot, for each grape variety, the Loire winegrowers were able to reconcile the demands of Mother Nature. “After two intense…

What do cricket and limoncello have in common? Until this year, not much. But Australian bowler Adam Zampa, known on Instagram as @limoncello.papi, recently invested in Ambra Limoncello. The brand was launched in Adelaide in 1998 by Libero De Luca and is claimed to be Australia’s first limoncello, using the zest of South Australian lemons. The brand was then taken over by Nando Focareta and…

Arnaud Volte has been head bartender at Bar Les Ambassadeurs in Paris’ Hôtel de Crillon since 2023, but in November he announced a return to the Cayman Islands to work at Library By The Sea, part of Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa. “I can’t wait to be in the sun again and go snorkelling,” says Volte. “But also, just have some time to myself before…

The menu once again focuses on utilising French ingredients, and each cocktail comes with its own illustration. Under the watch of former bar manager Kevin Rigault, the bar ran a previous series called A Sense of Taste, from which the new series follows. Bar Les Ambassadeurs is based in Hôtel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel overlooking Place de la Concorde, and was built under architect…