The sheer scale of it takes the breath away. China Duty Free Group’s new cdf Haikou International Duty Free City shopping centre, which opened on the north coast of the Chinese island of Hainan in late October, spans 280,000sq m. That’s the equivalent of nearly 40 football pitches. Boasting more than 800 international and domestic brands, this giant luxury retail emporium is billed by CDFG…

Rum is undoubtedly having a moment, and as it continues to grow – at the premium end of the market in particular – some styles are getting more attention than others. Rum is a notably diverse category, a­ er all, and there’s a lot to explore, for producers and consumers alike. “We’re seeing consumers interested in rum on various levels, from neat sipping to spiced,”…

Thriving sugarcane, ancient mills, and people who bring the spirit to life – Filipino rum is a category growing as fast as the cane it harnesses. Don Papa, premium aged, single-island rum, encompasses the Philippines’ history and identity, using its rich natural resources to create the liquid.  SUGARLANDIA  The Bleeding Heart Rum Company, owner of Don Papa, was founded 10 years…

The image of Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting covered in tomato soup hit headlines across the world in October. Young activists from Just Stop Oil have been protesting against the use of fossil fuels by not only targeting art, but gluing themselves to landmarks and blocking motorways. Whether or not you agree with the methods, their actions are a direct response to the lack of…

“We want to speed up the rum revolution,” says Frost. “We are leading something incredible here, and the pride that I feel every time someone orders rum is incredible. The money will enable us to dial up the fun, my business partner [Jack Orr-Ewing] will kill me for saying that! “We are the official rum of Notting Hill Carnival next year, but we are also…

Rum, lime and sugar has to be one of the simplest serves ever made, yet the Daiquiri has been around for more than 100 years and is one of the most successful drinks ever stirred, thrown or shaken. In the late 1800s, US engineer Jennings Stockton Cox was leading a mining expedition on the south coast of Cuba following the battle of San Juan, which…

In October, news broke that American drinks giant Brown-Forman was set to purchase Diplomático Rum and the brand’s related assets from Spain’s Destillers United Group for an undisclosed fee purported to be $775m by the US Securities & Exchange Commission. It marks the first move into the rum category by the owner of Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, and El Jimador and, while that fact may…