Gin is a category that has been continuously growing for many years, driven by consumer trends and the introduction of a variety of flavoured expressions. But this growth is beginning to slow, with the sector entering a period of consolidation as drinkers look to quality over quantity. Slowing down flavour Ali Pickering, chief marketing officer at Drinksology Kirker Greer, says there’s still a “strong consumer…

No matter how great you think your new cocktail is, it becoming a classic is ­figuratively and literally out of your hands. You see, you can’t create a classic, but everyone else can. It’s only through a cocktail’s multiplication outside of the creator’s orbit that it transforms from the little-known to the known. And, for an even more privileged circle, its maker too. Just think…

By modern standards a gin brand celebrating 10 years is considered a significant milestone amid such a competitive market. Yet Hayman’s of London marked its 160th anniversary last year and the brand remains in the same family today. The history of the company dates back to 1863, when James Burrough pioneered the London Dry gin style following the creation of the Coffey, or column, still.

All travel retail eyes will be turning to Asia this month as the annual Tax Free World Association (TFWA) Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference returns to its traditional venue of the Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore (12-16 May). For the first time since pre-Covid 2019, the show will offer visitors and exhibitors a full format of social events and parties, as well as its…

On 14 December, Campari Group announced its commitment to acquire 100% of Courvoisier cognac from Beam Suntory. The deal, worth $1.32bn, was handedly the largest in the group’s 164-year history but it wasn’t without its detractors. Within days of the announcement, shares had slumped 6% with concerns emerging that the Milan-based group may have overpaid. However, Campari chief executive Bob Kunze-Concewitz has been bullish about…

China and Australia have endured a chequered diplomatic history. In Tim Marshall’s book The Power of Geography: Ten Maps that Reveal the Future of Our World, he points out that while we see China and Australia as geographical neighbours, Warsaw is the same distance from Beijing as Canberra, and we rarely discuss China and Poland in the same conversation. “When it comes to China, Australia…

Pisco’s been around for a long time, but surprisingly it’s still a spirit that is mostly consumed in its domestic markets of Chile and Peru. According to Christian Visalli, global spirits director for Familia Torres, owner of Chilean pisco El Gobernador, around 95% of the global business is happening within these markets. However, this is changing. The global cocktail scene is experiencing more and more…