Tipping can be a difficult subject in the bar industry. As a bar owner, bartender and regular consumer, I see it from every perspective and it can be tricky to get right.

The world’s eyes have bee on Ukraine the past month following the devastating military invasion from Russia. But, while it’s been upsetting to see the horrors of war, it’s also heartwarming to see our industry come together for those in need.

Few drinks categories have seen as much start-up activity as alcohol-free spirits in recent times. Lyre’s chief executive Mark Livings concedes his brand was beaten to the market by the likes of Seedlip and others, but he’s convinced that rapid scaling, rather than being early to the game, holds the key to success.

Shelves packed with bartending books in the background of her Zoom meeting is a big giveaway of Gina Barbachano’s passion for making drinks. The other is her beaming smile.

The winemakers of Chablis scrambled to light candles in a bid to protect their budding vines from severe spring frosts in the early hours of April 6, 2021.

In the 2021 World’s 50 Best Bars list, Athens claimed as many bars as Tokyo and Milan, and more than Paris, Madrid, and Seoul. For anyone who has kept an eye on global bar lists, this will come as no surprise, but the Greek capital’s rapid ascension to hospitality powerhouse has been remarkable.

COP26 littered newspaper headlines throughout November. The focus was supposed to be on resolving the climate change crisis, but predictably turned into a game of political chess. In the absence of any authoritative leadership, our industry needs to set an example.

The sheer scale of China’s population and geography is almost incomprehensible to the western world and second-tier city Shenzhen, located in the south east, is being bookmarked as a potential future giant of the bar trade.

Once upon a time pubs and bars were somewhere you went with the sole purpose of getting pissed and there wasn’t a knife and fork in sight, just a packet of dry roasted nuts.

For many drinkers outside of its native Brazil, cachaça is a largely mysterious category, perhaps known as the star of a Caipirinha and nothing more. In its homeland, however, cachaça’s popularity borders on religious.

A direct-to-consumer site allowed AB InBev’s global investment and innovation group to continue gathering vital consumer feedback during the Covid-19 pandemic.

London’s Wimbledon Brewery has taken its first steps into gin production with the unveiling of Wimbledon Garden Gin.

Stars continue to flock to give their endorsement to 100% agave brands, but sustainability has become an issue as consumer demand has risen.

Beam Suntory marked Earth Day 2021 by announcing a $1bn investment in making the business more sustainable. Bacardi took the opportunity to introduce fully biodegradable plant polymer bottles, while Carlsberg announced that it would invest in restoring coastal biodiversity.

Kahlúa has unveiled a new label design, inspired by the coffee culture of the brand’s native Veracruz, Mexico.

It’s December 2020 and I’m holding in my hands a Rioja whose vintage bears the same year. And it’s one of the brightest, freshest, easiest to drink wines I’ve had since moving to the area.

Drinks International caught up with Becky Davies, head of commercial at Ten Locks, to learn more about the firm's plans to kickstart a defining era for tequila in the UK.

Drinks International caught up with Ferrari Trento chief executive Matteo Lunelli to learn more about the brand’s new Formula One sponsorship deal.

UK importer Kingsland Drinks is championing alternative grape varieties that have the potential to drive excitement and experimentation among consumers.

While most enter hospitality via high-volume bars or nightclubs, Pietro Collina got his first role at private members’ bar Mark’s Club in London aged 16.

The Covid-19 pandemic has wrought havoc on the global drinks industry presenting business owners with a formidable set of challenges. Yet for winemakers in Lebanon it represents just another obstacle in a long list of trials and tribulations they have overcome in recent times.

Aquavit, ‘the water of life’ was all but dead in the water thanks to younger drinkers’ aversion to it. but now all that is changing, as Hamish Smith discovers

Low and no-alcohol wines were once horrible parodies of the real thing. not any more, writes Jamie Goode.

Gin is trading on the complexities of its flavour profile to cash in on the cocktail boom. Patience Gould finds a booming super-premium sector

Drinks International’s Hamish Smith catches up with Vinexpo CEO Robert Beynat at 2011 show.