Tuscan Tree offers alcohol-free aperitivo moments

A new non-alcoholic drink that taps into growing consumer trend for enjoying “aperitivo hour” has launched in the UK and international markets.

Halewood to offload Eisberg wines to Schloss Wachenheim

Alcohol free wine brand Eisberg is set to be acquired by Schloss Wachenheim AG (SWA) from Halewood Artisanal Spirits.

White Claw Mango enters UK market through Tesco

Hard seltzer brand White Claw has launched its Mango variety in the UK through supermarket chain Tesco.

Moët Hennessy rolls out Eminente rum brand

Moët Hennessy has launched Cuban rum brand Eminente in the UK, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.

UK port sales soar in 2020

Port sales in the UK saw impressive category growth throughout 2020, with the largest volume of off-trade sales since 2015.

Canvas launches as premium cocktail delivery service

A new premium cocktail delivery service called Canvas has launched across the UK this February in partnership with a series of top end bartenders.

Class Bar Magazine launches new website

Class Bar Magazine has launched a new website which will provide the latest news and insights into the UK bar industry.

Pernod Ricard sales suffer -3.9% drop through travel retail absence

Pernod Ricard sales for H1 FY21 have shown an organic decline of -3.9% on the previous year largely due to the ongoing struggles of travel retail.

Regal Rogue launches training series for furloughed UK bartenders

Australian vermouth brand Regal Rogue has launched a new bartender training initiative in collaboration with The Liana Collection, the brand’s newly appointed UK distributor in 2021.

Natural and organic online wine shop launches in the UK

Natural and organic ecommerce wine shop, Lucy’s Wine, has launched in the UK.

Avallen gains global distribution deal

Avallen has announced a global partnership with UK-based Charter Brands to drive new routes to market beyond Europe, Hong Kong & Australia.

UK distillery numbers hit record high in 2020

New HMRC figures show that a record number of distilleries were registered in the UK in 2020, growing by more than 100 in 12 months to surpass 560.

Diddy, David Beckham and Ryan Reynolds donate $1 million to mixologists

Diddy, David Beckham and Ryan Reynolds have donated $1 million to several organisations that support the bartending community.

Martin Miller's Gin launches "From Madness To Genius" campaign

Martin Miller’s Gin has unveiled a new ad campaign that tells the story of the brand’s “transformation from a mad idea to a genius gin”.

UK hard seltzer market could reach £75m by 2023 says new report

The UK hard seltzer market is expected to reach a value of £75m by 2023 according to a report commissioned by DRTY.

Freixenet Copestick celebrates strong Christmas trading

Freixenet Copestick cemented its status as the UK’s leading supplier of sparkling wine by increasing sales 21% over the Christmas trading period.

JW Filshill acquires Eldorado Tonic Wine

JW Filshill, the Glasgow-based wholesaler, has acquired Eldorado Tonic Wine as part of its purchase of KB Agencies for an undisclosed sum.

Tito's appoints new distributors in Cyprus and Switzerland

Tito’s Handmade Vodka has appointed new distributors for two of its European markets in Switzerland and Cyprus.

Foncalieu trains focus on rosé, ecommerce and innovation

Premium rosé, ecommerce and innovation in packaging will form the bedrock of Foncalieu’s strategy as it bids to enjoy a strong commercial performance in 2021.

UK hospitality lost almost £200m a day in 2020 reveals new figures

The latest edition of the UKHospitality and CGA Quarterly Tracker has revealed a 54% drop in sales for 2020 from £133.5bn in 2019 to £61.7bn.

Record year for tequila as production and exports reach all-time high

The tequila industry enjoyed record levels of production and exports in 2020, according to the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT).

Remy Cointreau Sales Surged in Q3

Remy Cointreau has reported 25.1% sales growth for the final three months of 2020.

Limited-edition Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye released in the UK

Michter’s has released its US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye 2020 in the UK.

Tariff war will cause drinks businesses to go bust, trade bodies warn

Drinks producers will be forced to close their doors and lay off staff after the U.S. ramped up its tariff war with the EU, trade associations have warned.

World of Zing sold more than 650,000 cocktails in 2020

Premixed cocktail specialist World of Zing managed to sell more than 650,000 drinks in 2020 after successfully pivoting towards the at-home market.

Three-quarters of UK drinkers prefer to drink at home, survey suggests

Three-quarters of Brits say they prefer to drink at home, the Big Gin Report, an annual study conducted by Craft Gin Club, has found.

Alcoholic drink sales soared at UK supermarkets over Christmas

The alcoholic drinks category led the charge as UK supermarkets enjoyed their strongest ever Christmas trading period, according to Nielsen till scan data.

Ceder’s to launch digital campaign to promote responsible drinking

Non-alcoholic spirit brand Ceder's has announced a digital programme designed to promote health and wellness.

2020: Online sales' record year

Ecommerce has broken into markets that barely knew it existed pre-pandemic - and forcasts for the alcohholic drinks sector are very positive. Martin Green reports.

Diageo rolls out advanced health warnings on key brands

Diageo is rolling out voluntary enhanced health warnings on bottles of Smirnoff, Gordon’s, Baileys and Captain Morgan as part of its broader responsible drinking campaign.

Kingfisher brewer adapts to new trading conditions

Kingfisher has launched a 6x33cl can format in time for the festive trading period as it bids to ramp up off-trade sales.

US spirits industry applauds UK for suspending retaliatory tariffs

The US spirits industry has applauded the UK’s decision to suspend retaliatory tariffs on American rum, brandy and vodka once it leaves the EU on January 1.

Churchill's launches digital port club

Boutique producer Churchill’s has launched a direct-to-consumer port club targeting the UK market.

Portman Group announces new chief executive

The Portman Group has announced that Matt Lambert will replace John Timothy as chief executive in January 2021.

China imposes 212% tariff on Australian wine

China has slapped a 212% tariff on Australian wine as diplomatic tensions between the two nations continue to mount.

Captain Tom launches charity gin

British national treasure Captain Sir Tom Moore has teamed up with Otterbeck Distillery in Yorkshire to launch a gin.

Martin Miller's Winterful celebrates the brand's 20th anniversary

Drinks International caught up with Martin Miller’s new brand ambassador to learn more about the brand’s new seasonal gin.

Naked Wines' James Crawford reflects upon H1 results

Drinks International caught up with Naked Wines’ chief financial officer James Crawford to discuss the firm’s impressive H1 results.

BrewDog’s climate awareness ad banned by ASA

BrewDog has responded to the Advertising Standards Authority with characteristic derision, telling the ad watchdog they “can go fuck themselves”, after receiving its second ban in under a year.

Naked Wines revenues increase 79.6%

Naked Wines enjoyed 79.6% revenue growth in the six months to September 28 after demand for online wine purchases soared during the lockdown.

Hofmeister secures investment from beer industry veterans

The former managing directors of Greene King and Ei Group have invested in Hofmeister after growing excited by its potential to take the world beer category by storm.

C.Gars brings Key West First Legal Rum to the UK

UK-based cigar and whisky merchant C.Gars has become the exclusive importer and distributor for Key West First Legal Rum for the UK and EU.

Quintessential Brands promotes James Lousada to chief executive

Leading gin producer Quintessential Brands has promoted James Lousada to the role of chief executive.

Chivas Brothers Unveils 2020 Distillery Reserve Collection

Chivas Brothers has released a single malt collection featuring 48 single cask expressions from across its 13 Scotch whisky distilleries.

Salcombe Distilling Co. predicts golden future for alcohol-free spirits

An award-winning distiller has tipped the non-alcoholic spirits category to enjoy strong future growth thanks to a raft of innovation in the years ahead.

Concha y Toro reports huge growth during Q3

Leading Chilean wine producer Concha y Toro managed to increase consolidated sales by 28% year-on-year during Q3.

AB InBev reports sales increase in Q3

AB InBev reported a 4% revenue increase in Q3 after enjoying surging sales in Brazil, Mexico and the United States.

Australia grows wine exports by 4%

Strong demand in the UK and China allowed Australia to increase wine exports by 4% during the 12 months to September 30.

Carlsberg returned to sales growth in Q3

Carlsberg increased its forecast for full-year earnings after enjoying organic volume growth of 2.4% during the third quarter.

Marussia Beverages launches Hatozaki Japanese whisky

Marussia Beverages has bolstered its spirits portfolio by taking on two Japanese whiskies from Hatozaki.