Wine and Spirits Education Trust CEO Ian Harris believes enhancing its online programmes in reaction to the Coronavirus pandemic will create more opportunities for the company after lockdowns are eased.

Plans for Bar Convent Berlin 2020 have been rearranged due to the covid-19 pandemic with a virtual replacement a likely solution for the trade show this autumn.

AB Inbev has turned to gamification in a bid to whip up a passion for beer among younger generations of drinkers.

IWSR Drinks Market Analysis predicts it will be five years before the global industry rebounds from the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

Pernod Ricard has teamed up with the United Nations to offer a series of free online training modules to help budding bartenders become mixology maestros.

Carlsberg UK will merge with Marston’s to form a British brewing giant worth around £780 million.

Jigger & Pony in Singapore has topped the list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2020 which was announced online.

Bars have reopened across Italy after the government eased lockdown restrictions that have paralysed the economy over the past 10 weeks.

English sparkling wine producer Nyetimber expects to increase its production capacity by 220,000 bottles per year after expanding into Kent.

A British bar owner has created a prototype layout that would allow his pub to reopen this summer at around 75% of its usual capacity.

Irish Distillers has unveiled a limited-edition Redbreast expression finished in a single port cask to celebrate World Whisky Day.

Alcoholic beverage sales have remained steady in Finland during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new stats from monopoly retailer Alko.

Scotch whisky producer Jura has kicked off a new series of cask editions by releasing a whisky finished in red wine barriques.

The Tax Free World Association has been forced to cancel the duty free sector’s biggest annual networking event due to uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bars in South Australia will reopen on June 8 after the number of active coronavirus cases in the state plummeted.

More than 2,100 bars and clubs in Seoul were shut down this weekend after 18 new coronavirus cases were linked to a single reveller.

BrewDog has unveiled details of the measures it will take to protect visitors to its bars once they are permitted to reopen.

AB Inbev has warned that Q2 trading will be “materially worse” than the previous three months due to brewery closures and supply chain disruption.

Drinktank, the world’s first global intelligence network for the drinks trade, has announced a series of initiatives to provide bartenders with paid-for work, which they can do from home.

The World’s 50 Best Bars has launched a three-pronged campaign called 50 Best for Recovery to provide tangible financial relief to the hospitality industry.

Campari Group has reported a 5.3% decline in organic sales for the first quarter of 2020 after suffering from the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak.

Liquor stores across India reopened this morning after the country moved into a new phase of its coronavirus lockdown.

Global drinks buyers, bartenders, business owners and managers can now enjoy a digital edition of Drinks International each month by following our online application process.

Hong Kong bar Quinary is one of the first high-profile bars to re-open during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Following a request for support through the “Your Round, Help Your Trade” campaign, The Drinks Trust has raised more than £1m to support members of the industry who have been affected by COVID-19.

A study suggests that alcohol consumption has remained broadly stable during the coronavirus lockdown in Belgium.

Danish brewer Carlsberg has reported its first quarterly sales decline in two years as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

South African wine producers have been cleared to resume exports after the country’s coronavirus lockdown was eased.

Dutch group Marussia Beverages has purchased a controlling stake in Siberian vodka producer Itkulsky Distillery.

Vinexpo Hong Kong, initially scheduled for July 2020, will take place from 23 to 25 February 2021, due to border closures and health hazards caused by Covid-19.

Rémy Cointreau has reported a sales decline of 9% for the 2019/20 financial year as a result of a significant slump in Q4.

Imbibe Live 2020 has been cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and a new date has been set for the 2021 edition.

Tails Cocktails, Europe’s largest batched cocktail brand, has collaborated with bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana to create the Victory Fizz cocktail in celebration of the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

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.

Bar Trigona in Malaysia has won the Sustainable Bar Award for the second consecutive year as part of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2020.

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

A British family from the Isles of Scilly has created a new rum called Daymark 1683 Original.

Campari UK has created the Shaken Not Broken Fund to provide support to front-line workers in the hospitality industry during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pernod Ricard has revealed a 15% organic decline in sales for the three months to March 31.

Highball Brands, a luxury drinks distribution company, has launched a not-for-profit cocktail delivery service called The Drinks Drop in partnership with some of the UK’s top bars.

Premium mixer brand Fever-Tree has announced a 10% revenue increase to 31 December 2019 year-on-year to more than £260m.

Heineken has reported a 14% drop in volume sales during March as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Milk & Honey owner Jonathan Downey has called for a non-government funded nine-month National Time Out on rent and debt payments to save the UK hospitality industry.

Bar Convent Brooklyn 2020 has been postponed to August 11-12 due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

AB Inbev has slashed its proposed dividend in half due to the uncertainty, volatility and continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Engagement with alcoholic drinks brands on social media has increased by more than 300% during the coronavirus lockdown, according to social analytics agency ListenFirst.

Diageo has suspended share buybacks for the rest of the year as a result of financial uncertainty sparked by the coronavirus outbreak.

Drinks International is pleased to announce the winners of our Wine Design Awards and Drinks Marketing Challenge 2020. 

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