Louis Roederer crowned The World’s Most Admired Champagne Brand 2021

Louis Roederer has been crowned The World’s Most Admired Champagne Brand for the second year in a row.

I Heart Wines sales exceeded 31m bottles in 2020

More than 31 million bottles of the I Heart wine brand were sold in 2020 after it enjoyed significant growth in several international markets.

Asia's 50 Best Bars announces virtual ceremony dates

The sixth edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, will be announced in a virtual ceremony on 6 May.

Bowmore targets travel retail with 31 Year Old single malt

Bowmore has launched a limited-edition 31 Year Old single malt into the travel retail channel as part of its Timeless Series collection.

BBC Spirits imports several leading British brands

French distributor BBC Spirits has bolstered its portfolio with several UK spirits brands as it bids to drive growth in 2021.

Peroni Libera 0.0% sponsors Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One team

The Peroni Libera 0.0% logo will take pride of place on Aston Martin Cognizant’s new Formula 1 car this season as part of a multi-year sponsorship deal. Drinks International caught up with Richard Ingram, global brands director at parent company Asahi Europe & International, to learn more about its plans for the partnership.

Moët Hennessy buys 50% stake in Jay-Z's Armand de Brignac

Moët Hennessy has purchased a 50% stake in Jay-Z’s Armand de Brignac champagne brand for an undisclosed sum.

Diageo launches Tanqueray 0.0%

Diageo has launched a 0.0% abv version of its Tanqueray gin brand in a bid to capitalise upon soaring demand for alcohol-free drinks.

Midleton Very Rare 2021 unveiled

Kevin O’Gorman has unveiled his first Midleton Very Rare expression since taking over as master distiller at Irish Distillers.

Campari Group reports profit decline for 2020

Campari Group has reported that net adjusted profit decreased 24.4% year-on-year to €202.1 million in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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.

Bitcoin payments boost sales at Paris Cellar

Drinks International caught up with Gabriel Bidault of online retailer Le Millésime Paris to learn more about the impact that accepting Bitcoin as a payment method has had upon the business during the prolonged bull run of 2020 and 2021.

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.

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.

Heineken to cut 8,000 jobs after sales decline by 11.9%

Heineken has announced plans to cut 8,000 jobs as part of an organisational restructuring effort designed to save €2 billion by 2023.

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.

Tales of the Cocktail joins Hospitality Recovery Coalition in US

The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation has joined the Hospitality Recovery Coalition, which advocates for legislation to support the on-trade in light of the economic impacts of COVID-19.

Tanqueray launches Blackcurrant Royale variant

Tanqueray has kicked off a raft of innovation by launching a Blackcurrant Royale variant made with French blackcurrants, vanilla and black orchid.

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.

McQueen Gin unveils augmented reality labels

A Scottish gin producer has used augmented reality in a bid to create the “world’s coolest labels” for its range.

Worshipful Company of Distillers focuses on diversity with new education scholarships

The Worshipful Company of Distillers has announced a new programme of scholarships and bursaries for more than 100 students over the next three years.

William Grant & Sons chairman becomes UK's second highest taxpayer

William Grant & Sons chairman Glenn Gordon was Britain’s second highest taxpayer in the last financial year, according to the Sunday Times Tax List.

Stock Spirits activist investor mounts fresh boardroom coup

An activist investor in Stock Spirits has once again called for chairman David Maloney and senior independent director John Nicholson to be removed.

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.

Diageo tops up interim dividend after organic sales increase

Diageo managed to grow organic sales by 1% in the six months to December 31 despite suffering from restrictions on the on-trade and travel retail.

Indian bars send signature serves to customers' homes

In May 2020, when the lockdown was still at its strictest in India, Sidecar bar in New Delhi received the good news that it was the only Indian bar to have made it to the coveted 50 Best Bars in Asia list.

BTC Wine sees demand spike following Bitcoin bull run

A luxury online wine retailer has enjoyed a surge in demand after the value of Bitcoin increased by around 1,000% between March 2020 and January 2021.

Ardbeg 25 Years Old joins permanent range

Ardbeg 25 Years Old has become the oldest expression to join the Islay distillery’s permanent range.

Ibiza-based Southside Bars offer online cocktail classes

Ibiza-based mobile bar company Southside Bars is now offering online cocktail masterclasses.

Remy Cointreau Sales Surged in Q3

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

A Shot In Time prints launch in aid of UK hospitality

A new hospitality support initiative has launched called A Shot In Time, which seeks to raise essential funding for the UK hospitality industry which has struggled financially since last March.

Colorado High CBD gin falls foul of watchdog

The Portman Group has warned the trade not to stock a CBD infused gin from Silent Pool called Colorado High.

Pernod Ricard launches Ballantine's Light and Beefeater Light

Pernod Ricard has ramped up its focus on the low-alcohol category by launching 20% abv variants of Ballantine’s Scotch whisky and Beefeater gin.

Ian Burrell one of four new appointments by The Drinks Trust

The Drinks Trust has appointed Troy Christensen as its new chair of the Board of Trustees as well as three new patrons in Ian Burrell, Becky Paskin and Jaega Wise.

Walsh Whiskey expands into eight countries in Eastern Europe

Walsh Whiskey has appointed six new distributors in Eastern Europe in a bid to capitalise upon strong growth in the region.

IWSR purchases Wine Intelligence

Global drinks industry data provider IWSR has purchased consumer insights firm Wine Intelligence for an undisclosed sum.

Brands Report 2021: Tonic water

Fever-Tree has been named the number one tonic brand for the seventh year running and after a flurry of arrivals in recent years, the category is looking a little more settled. It’s always been the one mixer a bar can’t do without and in 2020, true to type, every bar polled stocked tonic water.

Women of the Vine & Spirits launches Badass Bartender online hub

Women of the Vine & Spirits (WOTVS), an organisation dedicated to empowering and advancing women in the industry, has launched an online hub called Badass Bartender.

Wine.com sales increased 119% during 2020

U.S. online retailer Wine.com has revealed that revenue increased 119% year-on-year to reach $329 million during 2020.

Jose Castellvi joins Webb Banks

Miami-based wine and spirits distributor Webb Banks has appointed industry veteran Jose Castellvi to the newly created role of vice president for travel retail and spirits.

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.

Yonder launches two seasonal beers

Somerset brewery Yonder has launched two seasonal beers featuring ingredients foraged in the local area.