Britain has always been a nation of rum drinkers. ­ The country’s love affair with the spirit can be traced back to almost its origin. In 1655, Jamaica fell under British colonial rule and rum supplanted French brandy as the daily liquor ration for Royal Navy servicemen. ­That was just four years after rum was first documented in records from Barbados which told of slaves…

The most intimate way to learn about any culture or place is to tenaciously eat the local cuisine and drink the local beverages – particularly those that are fermented and/or distilled. It’s this unwavering conviction that inevitably influences my week-long itinerary in the Seychelles, a 115-island African archipelago in the western Indian Ocean that’s rapidly becoming known for its local rum brand: Takamaka. At La…

A decade ago vermouth was a very different proposition. Shelves and back bars were dominated by Martini and Cinzano, maybe some Carpano Antica Formula if the place was serious. But that’s all changed now. Craft producers flooded into the market and the result is a category that has never been healthier with choices in styles as well as price points. “I created my brand because…

The most popular drink worldwide – after water and tea, that is – beer’s global market value in 2022 was $793.74bn, according to Insider Monkey. In the 2022 brewing year, global production of beer increased by 1.3% year on year to 1.89 billion hectolitres, with the market set to return to pre-pandemic levels. There was a production peak of 1.91 billion hectolitres in 2019. This…

Between 1880 and 1914 more than four million Italians emigrated to the US from the southern rural regions of Italy, seeking wealth and opportunity after an extended period of heavy taxes which had left much of the country financially poor. Fast forward to 2021 and it was estimated nearly 18 million people living in the US claimed Italian heritage. During the intervening time some American…

Scandinavian culture has never been more popular. From interior design to the blood-fuelled anarchy of TV series Vikings, Scandi is celebrated all over the world. However, while its stylish leather chairs are admired globally, its native spirit, aquavit, has never had the same international appeal. Within Scandinavia there are different styles of aquavit which date back to the 15th century and the spirit is largely…

The world’s largest wine producer for many years, Italy has recently faced a turbulent landscape due to the extreme changes in climate and fungal diseases that have hit vineyards. Italian wine lobbies the Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) and Assoenologi, said output in Italy looks set to fall 12% this year to below 44 million hectolitres as a result, with France set to reclaim the number…