Established in 1880 in Dungarvan and reclaimed in 2020, Velvet Cap is made with malt and grain whiskeys and matured in a combination of bourbon, port, and sherry casks. The portfolio also includes two single malts. Nigel Truphet, managing director, RoCo Brands, said: “This acquisition aligns with our mission to preserve and enhance brands that showcase authenticity and craftsmanship. Velvet Cap’s reputation for quality and…

Highland Park 56 comes from the same line that has produced some of the distillery’s oldest and rarest whiskies.  Highland Park’s master whisky maker, Gordon Motion, said: “What excites me most about the 56 whisky is that it has both complexity and vibrancy, even after all these years, the distinctive character of Highland Park’s Orkney heathered-peat stands out. There isn’t the intense woodiness…

Now, a­fter hitting the top three last year, it sits pride of place at the top of our bestselling brands list, breaking the duopoly of Maker’s Mark and Bulleit. It’s a brand loved by the industry, a common feature on our Bartenders’ Choice ranking and recently declared The World’s Most Admired Whiskey. Now that admiration has translated into volumes in the world’s best bars.

McDermott co-founded Proof Drinks in 2010 alongside Paul Ferguson, building a portfolio of brands such as Cazcabel, Lyre’s, Duppy Share, Finlandia, Ramsbury, Brockmans and the Heaven Hill & Gruppo Montenegro portfolios.  Ferguson said: “We are all deeply saddened by James’ passing. He was a true friend to so many, both within Proof and across the industry. We built Proof together from the ground-up, with…

The make-up of our bestsellers list reflects that dual identity with better-value, more versatile blends and more luxurious single malts present. As such, the category had at least one brand in every bar we polled.When it comes to blends, Diageo’s Johnnie Walker is in a league of its own. It shipped 22 million nine-litre cases last year and its dominance extends to the influential…

Under the stewardship of Stanislav Harciník, Mirror Bar is gaining the attention of the wider industry and has now featured in back-to-back World’s 50 Best Bars extended lists. Eschewing the pared-back minimalism of the existing cocktail mode, serves here are theatrical articles of maximalism with imaginative glassware made in collaboration with local artisans. The menu itself is divided five ways. The categories – Classy, Highlights,…

The group has said it will offer laid-off workers “severance, outplacement services, and benefits consistent with their terms of employment”. The announcement arrives a month after the Jack Daniel’s owner reported a 5% year-on-year decline in net sales for the first half of the fiscal year which it attributed to the sale of Finlandia and Sonoma‑Cutrer. “I want to express my sincere gratitude to our…