Drinks

International Margarita Day: raise your glass and toast the classic cocktail with these recipes (Credit: Getty/Svetlana-Cherruty)

Recipes to celebrate International Margarita Day

By Rebecca Weller

Celebrated on the 22 February every year, people around the world raise their Margarita glasses to toast the classic Tequila-based cocktail for International Margarita Day.

Not upheld: OFCOM rejects BrewDog's complaint against BBC doc (Pictured: BrewDog’s Las Vegas rooftop bar)

Ofcom rejects BrewDog complaint against BBC

By Rebecca Weller

BrewDog’s complaint against a BBC documentary that highlighted alleged inappropriate behaviour from its chief executive has not been upheld by the communications regulator.

Positive year for beer: CGA shares key trends for 2024 (Credit: Getty/Ridofranz)

Beer trends to make 2024 a 'positive year'

By Rebecca Weller

Beer sales by value are outpacing sales by volume but pubs are driving growth for the category, with key trends set to make 2024 a “positive year for beer” in the on-trade.

The Morning Advertiser's Lock In Podcast episode 73

The Lock In Podcast

Perfecting the art of the serve

By Ed Bedington

Why is there a North/South divide when it comes to beer head and does Guinness really need to be poured in stages? The Lock In team tackle that and other issues around the concept of the perfect serve.

Threadbare tightrope: rising beer prices 'grim reflection' of modern life (Credit: Getty/FreshSplash)

CAMRA: beer prices a 'grim reflection' of modern life

By Rebecca Weller

Rising beer prices are a “grim reflection” of modern life and demonstrate the “threadbare tightrope” pubs and brewers are walking upon, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has said.

Number one: Schofield's Bar was named top cocktail bar earlier this month (February)

Behind the UK #1 cocktail bar's success

By Charli Tomney

Schofield's Bar was announced the number one earlier this month at the Top 50 Cocktail Bars list reveal, but what is behind the bar’s success?

Winter warmer: (l-r) CAMRA awards director Laura Emson, Simon Massey and CAMRA national chairman Nik Antona.

Snowflake takes GBBF Winter beer title

By Gary Lloyd

Sarah Hughes Brewery’s Snowflake has taken the title of Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2024 at the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) Winter.

Future plans: The brewer is working with Alvarez & Marsal to store up its finances

Adnams instructs advisers

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Historic Suffolk brewery Adnams has called in advisers to explore a range of options to fund its future growth plans.

Difficult trading conditions: drinks sales down for fourth consecutive week (Credit: Getty/miodrag ignjatovic)

Drinks sales down for fourth consecutive week

By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales in Britain’s managed pubs and bars have dropped year-on-year for a fourth successive week, with train strikes adding to the challenges facing operators.

Drinks Masterclass: how to make a Double Dutch Raspberry Repair cocktail (Credit:Getty/SolStock)

DRINKS MASTERCLASS

How to make a Double Dutch Raspberry Repair cocktail

By Rebecca Weller

This week's Drinks Masterclass showcases a recipe from soft drinks brand Double Dutch. Ready in less than three minutes, the Raspberry Repair is a "simple" and "versatile" cocktail that can help freshen your drinks menu, the brand...

New cask products: Shepherd Neame, Hydes and St Austell release new brews

THE CASK PROJECT

New products to cask your eye over

By Rebecca Weller

In this special new products round-up, we've looked at the new cask brews released so far this year.

Unrestricted choice: Big Drop expands keg beer range

Big Drop expands keg beer range

By Rebecca Weller

Alcohol-free craft brewer Big Drop has expanded its range of beers available to the on-trade in keg format.

Brew news: the north has been most affected by independent brewery closures throughout 2023

SIBA: number of breweries down versus 2023

By Gary Lloyd

The number of active breweries in the UK at the start of the year has reduced from 2023 levels, according to new data released by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).

Difficult month: drinks sales close January 8% down on 2023 (Credit:Getty/SolStock)

January drinks sales finish 8% down on 2023

By Rebecca Weller

Britain’s pubs and bars closed a difficult January with a third successive week of negative year-on-year sales, data from CGA by NIQ has revealed.

Shifting occasions: spirits category presents growth opportunities despite tough year in 2023 (Credit: Getty/5PH)

Sales boosting trends for spirits in 2024

By Rebecca Weller

The spirits category faced a “challenging year” in 2023 but still presents plenty of growth opportunities, according to the latest CGA by NIQ On-Premise Measurement Service.

Impact of inflation: Heineken draught wholesale prices to increase 1.73% (Credit: Getty/Jonathan Knowles)

Heineken to increase draught prices by 1.73%

By Rebecca Weller

Heineken UK is set to introduce a 1.73% price hike for its draught wholesale products from next month, though the global brewer claimed it had made “considerable efforts” to “minimise impact of inflation” for its customers.

‘Flexi-sober’: New data shows punters want to cut down their alcohol intake (Credit: Getty/LeoPatrizi)

EXCLUSIVE

Consumers embrace flexi-sober lifestyle

By Rebecca Weller

Consumers are opting for a ‘flexi-sober’ lifestyle in 2024, new research from premium soft drinks and mixers brand, Fentimans, has revealed.

Drinks Masterclass: how to make a Stray cocktail bar Quarter Margarita (Credit:Getty/SolStock)

DRINKS MASTERCLASS

How to make a Quarter Margarita

By Rebecca Weller

Co-founder of Manchester cocktail bar Stray, Ben Reilly, details how to create the venues low ABV serve Quarter Margarita.

Kirkstall's Holt rescues North Brewing from administration

Kirkstall rescues North Brewing

By Ed Bedington

Popular Leeds-based brewery North Brewing has been rescued from administration by Kirkstall Brewery.

Right thing to do: WSTA calls for duty cut in Spring Budget (Credit: Getty/Carlo Prearo)

WSTA: 'duty cut would offer much-needed boost'

By Rebecca Weller

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has called on the Chancellor to cut wine and spirit duty to combat both falling sales volumes and reduced revenue to the Exchequer ahead of the Spring Budget in March.

Calling time: It's the end of the road for Manchester-based Squawk Brewing Co (credit: Getty/ilbusca)

Squawk Brewing Co announces closure

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Squawk Brewing Co, founded in Manchester in 2013, will close its doors for good, with a final beer coming out in March.

New horizons: Two Tribes to expand internationally in 2024

Two Tribes gears up for international growth

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

London-based brewery Two Tribes has secured a multi-million pound investment, and is continuing to grow in the UK as well as growing into two international markets.

Legacy system: two of the Union sets will be preserved at the brewery

CMBC to retire Union Sets

By Nikkie Thatcher

Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) has announced it is retiring the four remaining Union Sets at Marston’s Brewery in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire because using them as fermentation vessels is no longer viable, according to the company.

People focus: 'We're a people business. Our first priority is for the team and our partners, suppliers and customers,' North co-founder Christian Townsley tells The Morning Advertiser

North Brewing co-founder ‘debt repayments like cement shoes’

By Nikkie Thatcher

The burden of debt repayments alongside a plethora of ongoing challenges were cited as the reasons behind Leeds-based business North Brewing filing a notice of intention to appoint administrators, one of the co-founders told The Morning Advertiser.

Member of the public's view: the complaint focused on a square looking like a circle, which allegedly indicated a zero percent ABV drink

Complaint against Asahi Super Dry beer thrown out

By Gary Lloyd

A complaint in which a member of the public believed Asahi Super Dry beer communicated itself as a non-alcoholic drink has been thrown out by The Portman Group’s Independent Complaint Panel.

Ominous escalation: cost of a pint increases by 10% YOY (Credit: Getty/MarioGuti)

Pint prices jump 10% YOY

By Rebecca Weller

The Government “must act to secure the future of pubs” as the average cost of a pint of draught lager in the on-trade soars by more than 10% year-on-year (YOY).