Now, following the announcement of a partnership with British Airways, Drinks International caught up with Gemma Wakeham to talk about how to be scalable while remaining sustainable and the spirits industry’s trouble with greenwashing. “We have always loved rum.” Says Gemma. “Rum tasting was our first date and we went to St. Lucia on our honeymoon. We are from Devon and wanted…

An increasing number of wineries around the globe have now outlined plans to reach net carbon zero. It makes sense – if businesses are serious about positive climate action, they will have to do something about the most prevalent manmade greenhouse gas emission – carbon dioxide. According to a study conducted by International Wineries for Climate Action, the combined impact of packaging and transportation accounts…

1. Premiumisation As the world enters a period of growing economic fragility, those with financial stability – typically consumers with lower levels of debt and secure employment – will provide increasing opportunities for premium-and-above spirits and wine brand owners. This is a notable shift from the situation during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Millennials led the global consumption bounce-back in 2021 in key markets such as…

Dan Gasper landed in LA during the autumn with 12 suitcases shared between his wife, daughter and pet dog to begin work on The Ardent Company, his new incubator business. Having spent the past 22 years in London, Gasper is best known within the drinks industry for co-founding Diageo-backed accelerator company Distill Ventures. Along with his two co-founders, Daniel Rowntree and Andreas Redlefsen, Gasper’s vision…

One of the overriding themes across the drinks industry in the 21st century has been the premiumisation of brands. Thousands of spirits producers coming to market describe themselves as premium, super-premium or, more recently, ultra-premium. But with impending ­financial crises looming in mature booze markets, the horizon is a mixed bag for the top end of the industry. According to a report in December by…

A category that is almost entirely consumed locally, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, Indian whisky is going from (cask) strength to strength, seeing strong growth, despite global economic challenges. Most recently the category, like most, had to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic, only to be faced with concerns of a looming recession as its growth is on the rise. In 2020 the…

While aperitif-style drinks have been perfectly placed to capture nearly every recent drinking trend, and with Italianstyle amaros enjoying a moment too, their cousins in the herbal bitters category haven’t necessarily had the easiest time. But there’s opportunity here, with strong brands continuing to do well, and with room for innovation, both in terms of positioning and new product development. The high-energy occasions associated with…