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

Spanning a wide spectrum of flavours, bitters is well placed to attract new consumers with variations on existing brands.

Italian bitters are enjoying something of a golden era as consumers’ tastes evolve.

Cocktail Bitters are evocative of the Golden Age of cocktails – of brown and stirred-down drinks, braces, waistcoats and fine moustaches which went on to make an implausible comeback in the early 21st century.

The four top performing bitters brands in The Millionaires’ Club 2016 all had an increase in sales in 2015, Drinks International can report. 

Bitter flavours are finding favour with consumers across food and drink – and this can only benefit cocktails. Holly Motion reports