With a reliance on its declining domestic market, and an association elsewhere with the kind of high-energy consumption that isn’t quite on-trend at the moment, it’s fair to say that sambuca isn’t the next big thing in drinks. But that doesn’t mean that Italy’s anise-flavoured liqueur is going anywhere, or that its producers aren’t evolving with the times. On the whole, the sambuca category has…

While hot weather in southern Chile sparked a wave of wildfires that devastated vineyards during the 2023 harvest season, unexpected cold snaps posed different problems for Argentinian winemakers on the other side of the Andes. It was an historic vintage in Mendoza, Argentina’s foremost wine-producing province, if for the wrong reasons. The ‘F’ word from the opposite side of the climate spectrum – frost –…

Before the gin craze swept across Britain in the early 18th century, apple brandy was popular across the orchard-rich regions of southern England. By 1710, it was a category established enough to have warranted its own tax bracket just as gin’s omnipresence would cast it into obscurity, where it would remain for centuries. It was an unusual lost tradition. Globally, apple spirits have endured, notably…

Last month’s TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition in Singapore was an upbeat affair. After three years of Covid-19-related disruption, the travel retail industry was understandably anxious to make up for lost time, ensuring the show, the 26th in its history, was a busy, well-attended and positive event for suppliers, retailers and visitors alike. “We have every reason to be optimistic about the current state and outlook…

A category that makes up around 9% of global still wine consumption, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, rosé is seeing a demand for diversification. Within the category, Provençal pale is the dominant player and tends to lead the market, mostly driven by high consumer awareness and bigger marketing budgets to help drive growth. While Provençal rosé is a classic for a reason, the industry…

People who love sherry, really love sherry. Its utility and variety have found it legions of obsessives in the distilling and bartending communities. If you ever have a Dry Martini with a delicate vinous note that’s not quite vermouth, nine times out of 10, that’s sherry. But with the public, it’s been a tougher sell. In London at least, it’s not for want of trying.

According to the International Organisation of Vine & Wine, global wine consumption was down for a third year in a row in 2021 despite overall production increasing. Breaking it down we see a falling appetite among younger consumers for richer, full-bodied red wines and a growth in lighter styles such as rosé, sparkling and whites. To many traditional red wine regions alarm bells are ringing,…