The Year of the Dragon has started with a welcome roar for the Asia Pacific travel retail market, much to the relief of a wider travel retail business traditionally reliant on the region for much of its revenue. A flurry of positive retailer sales announcements, store openings, major spirit launches and high-profile promotional activations in the first month of the year augur well for a…

As the popularity of agave spirits increases, you wouldn’t expect its home turf to retain much mystery as consumers become more knowledgeable and aware of the versatility the liquid brings to any drinking occasion. Known as Mexico’s Best Kept Secret, tequila producer El Tequileño hails from the spirit’s namesake town in Jalisco, Mexico, where it proves some secrets are worth sharing. The company was recently…

This is a big opportunity and I have a number of personal and business goals which I’m excited to get stuck into.” These are the words of Julia Massies, one of the UK’s most influential trade figures, as she sips on a Martini surrounded by the luxury interior of London’s Scarfes Bar. Last summer Massies was unveiled as the new managing director of Pernod Ricard…

“In 2021, the decision was made from the Carthusian monks to not increase their volume of production for the Chartreuse liqueurs. They are limiting production to focus on their primary goal: protect their monastic life and devote their time to solitude and prayer.” So began the letter to “dear valuable partner” breaking the news in January 2023 that the monks who produce Chartreuse liqueurs were…

The Loire Valley is one of the oldest and most diverse wine regions in France. It’s thought that the first vines were planted by Romans in the first century AD, and fast forward 2,000 years, it is the third largest vinegrowing region of France with some 50 AOPs. Today the Loire Valley region stretches around 280km east from the Atlantic Ocean along the Loire River,…

While the entirety of the drinks trade has begun paying more attention to its impact on the planet, this has perhaps been most pressing for premium mixers, given the prevalence of single-serve glass bottles in the category. There are, however, those that are rising to the challenge. For the most part, these pioneers are starting with packaging in their bid to become more sustainable. “To…

Mezcal is one of the spirits world’s least likely success stories. For a rustic, funky, ancient spirit from rural Mexico to become a household name is like Bob Dylan winning The Voice. But when talking about agave spirits, perspective is important. Really anything that isn’t tequila is a drop in the ocean – mezcal, for instance, for all of its recent growth still only holds…