Prince Charles has officially opened the new Johnnie Walker store and global visitor centre in Edinburgh.

Indevin New Zealand has completed the purchase of 100% of the shares of Villa Maria Estate for an undisclosed fee.

Jean-Etienne Gourgues landed one of the top jobs in the Scotch whisky industry when he took over as chairman and chief executive of Chivas Brothers this summer.

Fernet-Branca has announced that after a year’s hiatus, the Barback Games will return to London Cocktail Week for a third time, on 28^th October.

In late 2020 the US Food & Drug Administration sent out a warning letter to Red Moon Herbs in Asheville, North Carolina, after it claimed its adaptogenic products were intended to mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose or cure Covid-19.

Back in 2002 celebrity chef Jamie Oliver launched Fifteen, a restaurant made up of a team of trainee chefs from underprivileged backgrounds.

Nick Strangeway looks at how travel restrictions have left a permanent impression on the global bar trade.

US wine imported into the UK could become one of several American products to be levied with new tariffs as part of the ongoing trade war.

Diageo North America has announced Pronghorn, an economic initiative to drive diversity, equity, and inclusion in the spirits industry.

Nick Strangeway on how bars must adapt to a new and improved hospitality sector as we emerge from lockdown.

Pisco has seen its share of damage throughout the pandemic, with both Peru and Chile taking a hit on harvests and exports. But there is light ahead, as Shay Waterworth reports.

Global Bartending Talent Agency is launching an online marketplace that connects cocktail lovers with some of the world’s best bars.

Ara Carvallo is described as a ‘serial entrepreneur’ in Drinks International’s Bar World 100 list, but few people manage to combine business growth with environmental sympathy as successfully as she does.

Celebrate Her, an initiative to support gender parity, diversity and inclusion in the UK hospitality industry, will virtually champion the #ChoosetoChallenge campaign for International Women’s Day.

Global campaign OurWhisky is calling for whisky makers to improve female representation in marketing after conducting a new study on gender equality within the industry.

Diddy, David Beckham and Ryan Reynolds have donated $1 million to several organisations that support the bartending community.

Global drinks industry data provider IWSR has purchased consumer insights firm Wine Intelligence for an undisclosed sum.

Drinks producers will be forced to close their doors and lay off staff after the U.S. ramped up its tariff war with the EU, trade associations have warned.

The US spirits industry has applauded the UK’s decision to suspend retaliatory tariffs on American rum, brandy and vodka once it leaves the EU on January 1.

Tullamore DEW brand ambassador John Quinn has been named the new chairman of trade group Drinks Ireland | Irish Whiskey Association.

The Portman Group has announced that Matt Lambert will replace John Timothy as chief executive in January 2021.

The global drinks industry will enjoy a better than expected performance in 2020 as a result of dynamism in ecommerce and retail, according to new IWSR forecasts.

Nautilus Estate winemaker Clive Jones has been elected chair of the board at New Zealand Winegrowers.

Whisky writer Becky Paskin has criticised Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible for “sexist and vulgar” language that allows the objectification of women in whisky.

India, one of the largest spirits consuming and producing countries in the world, has never had it easy when it comes to the matter of alcohol.

A new online resource is dedicated to shining a light on “wine talent in the black, Asian and minority ethnic communities”.

The US bar and restaurant industry revived 592,000 jobs across the country in July, according to new statistics from the Bureau of Labor.

Colin Scott has retired from his role as the custodian master blender of Chivas Regal after enjoying an illustrious 47-year career in the Scotch whisky industry. Drinks International caught up with the esteemed blender on his final day at the office.

A leading English sparkling wine producer has predicted that the county’s production levels will double in the next decade.

Bar Convent Brooklyn has been called off after the organisers decided it would be too risky to host a trade show during this age of contagion.

Rémy Cointreau has partnered with Flow Hospitality Training to launch a range of free online courses for bartenders.

China’s alcoholic drinks production sector decreased by 8.6% to 249.7 billion yuan ($35.2 billion) in the first four months of 2020, according to new government figures.

Thailand’s beer, wine and spirits industry has implored the government to lift a ban on alcohol sales during the national state of emergency.

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.

Spanish producer Zamora Company has reported that wine and spirits sales in China have recovered as the country emerges from a sweeping coronavirus lockdown.

South African producers have received permission to export their wine around the world after intensive lobbying efforts over the past week.

South African wineries are now permitted to finish the 2020 harvest after the government added them to the list of essential businesses during the coronavirus lockdown.

Bacardi has set up a $3m fund to help bar owners and bartenders make ends meet during the global coronavirus lockdown.

The London Wine Fair is the latest high profile-event to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic that has swept the world.

The British pub and bar industry will be lost within days if the government does not take swift action to prop it up, leading operators have warned.

Campari America has joined the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS).

Consumers in Australia’s top two export markets are abandoning its wines for cheaper alternatives leaving producers wondering if Asia will grow big enough to compensate for US and UK declines. By Graham Holter

The Scotch Whisky Association has launched a report, which outlines the number of jobs supported by the scotch whisky industry. 

Drinks International is delighted to announce that Patience Gould, its former editor and a well known figure in the drinks industry, is returning to write a regular column.

The UK government has urged the drinks industry to back its Responsibility Deal aimed at countering binge drinking and alcoholism.

The Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) or Bordeaux Wine Council, which represents Bordeaux vine growers and négociants, has announced the appointment of François Jumeau as its new marketing director.