In the wake of Scotland’s new minimum unit pricing policy, alcoholic drink manufacturers and retailers are being warned that they could risk breaching competition rules.

Cocktail mixer brand, Funkin has launched its Innovation Lab in partnership with London’s Crucible, opening with workshops in Bristol and Manchester in May.

Deglise to leave Vinexpo

05 April, 2018

Vinexpo has announced its chief executive, Guillaume Deglise will leave the company after the Hong Kong exhibition, which closes on May 31.

AB InBev and Beam Suntory have announced a marketing collaboration between their Budweiser and Jim Beam brands.

Erik Lorincz will leave his position as the head bartender of the American Bar at the Savoy – the World’s Best Bar 2017 - to open his own bar in London.

A graduate programme known as The Pernod Ricard Winemakers has opened for this year’s applications.

Champagne exports boom

26 March, 2018

Champagne has recorded a turnover of €4.9bn, an increase of +6.6% due to improved export performances.

Pernod Ricard has confirmed the death of an employee at its Midleton Distillery in Cork, who has been named locally as Dominic Knowles.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has renewed its collective trademarks ‘Scotch Whisky’ and its translation ‘苏格兰威士忌’ in China until November 2028. So, Scotch Whisky is officially protected from locally produced copies for a further 10 years.

WSET annual awards

23 January, 2018

The Wine & Spirits Education Trust awards took place last night (January 22) at The Guildhall in the City of London.

The Benevolent launched a new mental health awareness campaign #NotAlone at the Vintners’ Company Annual Wine Trade Lunch on 12 January at Vintners’ Hall.

Hyde named new WSET chairman

08 January, 2018

Nick Hyde has taken over from James Simpson MW as chairman of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) board of trustees. Simon McMurtrie has also joined the board.

Brands Report: How we did it

02 January, 2018

AS WE SEEK TO IMPROVE our research products, the Drinks International Brands Report has seen some fine-tuning but the objective – to provide a snapshot of the buying habits of elite bars around the world – remains the same.

WSET‘s Ian Harris gets MBE

02 January, 2018

Wine & Spirit Education Trust chief executive Ian Harris has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year’s Honours List 2018.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association is calling on the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer to freeze wine and spirit duty in tomorrow’s budget.

Vinexpo has announced the launch of a new event in Paris in 2020 and Vinisud has merged with Vinovision Paris

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association says it has joined up with trade bodies from across Europe to agree a ground breaking Brexit position paper.

The American Bar from London was named World’s Best Bar amid a dominant night for hotel bars at The World’s 50 Best Bars ceremony in London tonight.

The Benevolent, the drinks industry charity, has launched a confidential telephone helpline manned by professional counsellors.

The Benevolent, the charity for the UK drinks trade, has announced that a bike ride, in memory of Dan Townsend the Treasury Wine Estates’ European managing director who died in March while on business in Napa valley, raised more than £13,000.

WSET reports record demand

03 August, 2017

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust claims that demand for wine and spirits education is higher than ever, as more businesses recognise the return on investment in educated staff.

Quintessential Brands has announced a €18.3m investment by Stock Spirits in its Dublin Liberties Distillery Company.

The International Spirits Challenge’s Supreme Champion Spirit for 2017 is Suntory’s Hibiki 21 Year Old.

LVMH Moët Hennessy has announced that it has bought the Woodinville Whiskey Company in Washington State. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association was invited to attend Defra’s Food and Drink discussions at a roundtable led by secretary of state, Michael Gove, last week.

San Francisco bar Trick Dog, a three-time member of The World’s 50 Best Bars, has launched its tenth menu today, a children’s book named: What Rhymes with Trick Dog?

Atsushi Suzuki from Shanghai has taken the title of Chivas Masters global champion in Tokyo with his winning cocktail The Double Talk.

The newly formed Vermouth di Torino Institute celebrated its UK debut last night with a tasting of 15 vermouths from the Piedmont region.

Gruppo Campari has announced that it has reached an agreement for the disposal of the French Château de Sancerre wine business to Maison Ackerman.

Miles Beale, CEO of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) and a former UK government advisor on agricultural policy, is to join the panel of experts debating the UK’s proposed exit from the European Union at Vinexpo Bordeaux on June 20.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association’s latest market report has revealed the average price of a bottle of wine has risen more in the last 12 weeks than it had in the last two years.

Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard, London has unveiled its new GŌNG Bar cocktail menu. Named the Director’s Cut, the menu is inspired by the greatest film directors of all time.

Glenmorangie has announced the launch of the oldest whisky it has produced to date.

Mast-Jägermeister has announced the appointment of Christopher Ratsch as the third member of its executive board.

Vinexpo has announced that it is to try again to mount a successful exhibition in the US.

The European Commission has published its long-awaited report on the exemption granted to alcohol products from certain mandatory labelling requirements.

Treasury Wine Estates has announced the death of its European managing director, Dan Townsend.

The Prosecco DOC plans to obtain certification that will guarantee the sustainability of individual wines.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) says the Chancellor’s decision to increase excise duty on spirits by nearly 4% or 36 pence a bottle in today’s Budget is a major blow to a key UK industry. 

Four new masters of wine

06 March, 2017

The Institute of Masters of Wine has announced four new masters of wine: Mark Andrew (UK), Jeremy Cukierman (France), Emma Dawson (UK) and David Forer (USA).

Forecasts for future growth in wine and spirits consumption to 2020 show the Americas and Asia Pacific are the countries to concentrate on, according to recent IWSR research.

Mast-Jägermeister has announced the launch of Manifest, its first super-premium line-extension.

Alexandre Ricard, Pernod Ricard’s chairman and CEO, was broadly happy with the company’s +4% sales and profits for the half year to February.

We’ve asked 100 of the best bars in the world - using the results of the survey of The World's 50 Best Bars - to rank their best-selling classic cocktails. Hamish Smith presents the countdown

What brands are favoured by the world’s best bars in classic cocktails? Hamish Smith shares our poll’s results

DI Annual Bar Report: Liqueurs

09 February, 2017

The rising popularity of bitter drinks have helped shake up this category, says Holly Motion

It takes a lot to make it on to a bars report list and even more to repeat the process. Hamish Smith salutes the brands with the staying power

The first annual Vinisud show in Montpellier has been hailed a success for attracting more than 20,000 buyers and almost 7,000 international visitors.

Diageo has announced the launch of International Scotch Day, Friday February 10.

There’s one brand that gets bar-called more than any other tonic, says Hamish Smith

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La'Mel Clarke

Service isn’t servitude: the skill of hosting

La’Mel Clarke, front of house at London’s Seed Library, looks at the forgotten art of hosting and why it deserves the same respect as bartending.

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