The Drinks Trust has appointed Guy Lawrence, CEO of Brockman’s Gin, as the new chair of the charity following Troy Christensen’s two-year tenure.

The leader now looks to be under challenge from a newcomer that debuted in the list last year.

Driven mainly by the wellbeing trend, non-alcoholic spirits have found favour in bars.

A select band continues to dominate this category, where brand recognition is the all-important factor.

There’s a broad country spread when it comes to the beers stocked in the world’s best bars.

This sector is dominated by three brands, with the main selection overall coming from Italy and France.

There are many styles of sherry, but one classic brand has made itself indispensable to top ’tenders.

This is a category that has seen little change since we began polling it in 2018, and the leader continues to look indomitable.

The importance of liqueurs to cocktails cannot be overstated, but it’s the classic brands that remain at the forefront.

Known mostly thanks to the Caipirinha, cachaça is a huge category but only a handful of brands have forged a name.

It’s a more competitive field than many, even if the winner remains the same as it has for the past eight years.

The annual face-off between Peru and Chile sees a draw for the number of products each country boasts.

Brandy has been separated out from cognac since 2020, and Torres has prevailed in each poll since then.

It’s a familiar-looking line-up at the top of the cognac charts, although there’s been some shift at the lower level.

The top two bestsellers have switched places this year, but the duo continue to monopolise both lists.

Japanese brands take the big plaudits, with Nikka toppling Suntory a year after the reverse happened.

The revival of this category has been much talked about, but the leader is ahead by quite some margin.

It’s a familiar tale in this category, but although the names may be familiar, their order has a new spin.

There’s a return to the top spot after a three-year hiatus, but the brands remain largely unchanged from last year.

Big brand Bacardi tops the bestsellers for the fifth year in a row – and manages second on the trending list too.

This is a category that has spawned many brands in recent years, but remains dominated by Fever-Tree.

The top spirit features in many classic cocktails, so it’s no surprise bartenders choose their pours carefully.

An old-school gin tops this list, which singles out the brands most loved by those behind the stick.

The Drinks International Annual Brands Report 2023 has launched, offering the bar industry a picture of the buying habits of the world’s best bars.

China has suspended some imports of beer, liquor and other beverages from Taiwan, allegedly over a labelling issue.

Tonic and mixer brand, Lixir, has announced its certification as a B Corporation, the first of its category in the UK to reach this status. 

The Drinks Trust has launched an Energy Crisis Fund to help hospitality members pay for their heating and electricity bills throughout the winter.

Simone Caporale has acquired Barcelona’s oldest cocktail bar, Boadas Cocktails.

London Cocktail Week kicks off on Thursday 13 October and for 11 days it promises to be the biggest yet, involving 350 bars spread across the capital.

London Cocktail Week begins this Thursday, October 13, running for 11 days, incorporating two weekends, the festival will see 350 bars involved and four Little Cocktail Villages spread across the capital. 

Benoit Bouillard from Monsieur Moutarde in Dijon, France was crowned the winner of the Giffard West Cup 2022 during the global final held in Angers last week.

This winter, The Drinks Trust is launching a dedicated grant-giving campaign, the Emergency Energy Poverty Fund, that will run from October 2022 until the exhaustion of funds.

Norwegian bartender, Adrián Michalčík, has been awarded the title of Diageo World Class Global Bartender of the Year, which saw bartenders from 50 countries take part.

WSET (the Wine & Spirit Education Trust) is to hold its first ‘virtual open house’ event on October 19 - 20 2022 as part of an ongoing drive to raise awareness of its qualifications within the global drinks trade. 

Jean Trinh, founder of Alquímico in Cartagena, Colombia, has been named the winner of Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2022.

From September this year The Drinks Trust’s Develop programme will offer a bartending certificate provided by Mixology School and in partnership with United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild.

Lyaness at Sea Containers London took top honours as it was named World’s Best Bar at the 16^th annual Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards at the New Orleans Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF), organizer of drinks industry conference, Tales of the Cocktail, where new ideas, products, and techniques are exchanged, has announced its partnership with Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

The Drinks International Travel Retail Awards has extended its deadline for entries to 27 July, as it returns for its 16th year to celebrate innovation in the travel retail drinks sector.

Domaine Tariquet Pure Folle Blanche 15 ans has been named the Supreme Champion at the International Spirits Challenge 2022, becoming the first armagnac in ISC history to do so.

Women of the Vine & Spirits (WOTVS) have hired RAINN as part of an ongoing initiative to support those in the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries with Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Training.

Monica Berg has been named the most influential person in the global bar industry in Drinks International’s Bar World 100 2022 in association with Perrier.

The 2022 edition of Drinks International’s Bar World 100, in association with Perrier, is set to be released on Monday 27 June at 3pm GMT.

William Grant & Sons will host its sixth Highland Festival at East London’s Haggerston Park on 3 July 2022, following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. 

Attaboy in New York has been crowned the winer of the inaugural edition of North America’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier.

Korean Soju brand Jinro has once again topped the list of Drinks International’s The Millionaires’ Club having sold more than 94m 9-litre cases in 2021.