British beer sales have plummeted to a 20-year low after pubs and bars across the country were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A craft spirits startup in Minnesota has secured the services of Irish Distillers’ master distiller Brian Nation.

Martin Miller’s has launched a seasonal gin called Summerful to celebrate the brand’s 20^th anniversary.

Champagne Gosset has launched a non-vintage cuvee that has benefited from more than 12 years of ageing on the lees.

Jägermeister has launched a limited-edition #SaveTheNight bottle designed to support the bar trade in various key markets around the world.

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

Wholesaler Speciality Drinks has teamed up with Edrington Beam Suntory to supply another batch of wellbeing packs to British bar staff.

Kevin O’Gorman will take over as master distiller at Jameson producer Irish Distillers after Brian Nation decided to move to a startup in the US.

The Delhi government has decided to withdraw the 70% “special corona fee” that it imposed upon alcoholic beverage sales from May 5.

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.

Zamora Company USA has bolstered its spirits portfolio with the addition of Filipino rum brand Don Papa.

Norway’s wine and liquor monopoly retailer has reported 28% volume sales growth during the first five months of 2020.

Campari Group has tied up a €23.4 million deal to purchase a 49% stake in Italy’s leading online wine and spirits retailer.

Cask Liquid Marketing has expanded its marketing and distribution portfolio with  the sales of El Dorado rum in the UK on and off trade.

Diageo Australia is giving away 130,000 free drinks to help bars across the country get back on their feet following the coronavirus lockdown.

A British producer has drawn a backlash for suggesting its 75% abv Turbo Island gin is perfect for rioters that want to hurl Molotov cocktails.

Industry-renowned bartenders Balázs Molnar and Zoltan Nagy have opened a new cocktail bar underneath Boutiq Bar in Budapest called Pink Pony Club (PPC).

Bordeaux winemakers are pulling out all the stops in a bid to present the trade with an en primeur campaign amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The future of the drinks trade will feature more ecommerce and greater use of robots.

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.