Drinks

Is it possible to make cask beer stay fresh for longer?

The Cask Project

Extending the life of cask beer

By Gary Lloyd

One of the biggest challenges around delivering an epic cask offer remains shelf life, so the ability to extend the lifespan of what is a quintessentially British product could be just the silver bullet the category needs.

Drinks Masterclass: how to make a Champagne Pina Colada (Credit: Getty/SolStock)

DRINKS MASTERCLASS

How to make a Champagne Pina Colada

By Rebecca Weller

In this week’s Drinks Masterclass, London-based cocktail bar manager Andrei Marcu shares how to make a Champagne Pina Colada.

Drinks Recovery Tracker: CGA data shows drinks sales were up 7% year-on-year in seven days to 17 June (Credit: Getty/Kar-Tr)

Drinks sales show 7% year-on-year growth

By Rebecca Weller

On-trade drinks sales have shown year-on-year growth for an eighth week in a row, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NIQ’s has revealed.

Asking questions: bringing education to the masses key for beer industry (Pictured Ed Hughes and Sam Lyne)

INTERVIEW

Education key to changing beer perceptions

By Rebecca Weller

The beer industry needs to bring education “to the masses” to help boost the category and support firms through recruitment and costs challenges.

New products: this week's round-up features Silent Pool, Stowford Press, Adnams, Ad Gefrin, Titanic Brewery and Vapoura Rum

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Silent Pool releases new gin expression

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features new products from Silent Pool, Stowford Press, Adnams, Ad Gefrin, Titanic Brewery and Vapoura Rum.

Beer expert: British Guild of Beer Writers chair Emma Inch

Opinion

Understanding the realities of writing about beer

By Emma Inch, chair of the British Guild of Beer Writers

Do you remember that meme that did the rounds on social media a few years ago with the heading ‘what people think I do versus what I actually do’?

Drinks Masterclass: How to make an Opium Parlour Fortnuella Sour cocktail (Credit: Getty/ SolStock)

DRINKS MASTERCLASS

How to make a Fortunella Sour cocktail

By Rebecca Weller

This week’s Drinks Masterclass features a Fortunella Sour cocktail from London-based Opium Cocktail Bar & Dim Sum Parlour.

Greene King food and beer pairings for summer

The Cask Project

Ideal food pairings for golden cask ales

By Gary Lloyd

Suffolk-based brewer and pub operator Greene King has come up with some great food pairings for its golden cask ales to make the most of the hot weather.

What has happened to Brew by Numbers?

Brew by Numbers enters administration

By Ed Bedington

Craft beer darlings Brew by Numbers has gone into administration citing a combination of the pandemic and escalating prices.

Cruz control: Will Rice says people are going out less but the good news is when they do go out, they spend more money

Feature – Heineken UK

FEATURE: Providing better experiences in thriving pubs

By Gary Lloyd

As Heineken UK commits £3m in funding to help selected pubs cover the costs of their first energy-saving audit plus £5,000 towards the any improvements needed, we caught up with interim on-trade director Will Rice to talk about that and much more.

Adnams draymen complete cellar training course

The Cask Project

Adnams puts draymen through cellar training

By Gary Lloyd

Brewer, distiller and pub operator Adnams has put 12 draymen through a BII qualification so they can advise their customers with confidence about how to store, handle and dispense cask ales.

Drinks Masterclass: how to make a Little Door & Co Crimes of Passion cocktail (Credit: Getty/SolStock)

DRINKS MASTERCLASS

How to make a Crimes of Passion cocktail

By Rebecca Weller

In this week’s Drinks Masterclass, London-based multiple operator Little Door & Co’s operations manager, William Russell, shares how to make the company’s Crimes of Passions cocktail.

Refreshing: Aspall Cyder releases new berry flavoured cider

Aspall Cyder announces new flavour

By Rebecca Weller

Molson Coors Beverage Company has expanded its Aspall Cyder portfolio with the launch of new flavour, Aspall Blush Cyder (4% ABV).

Cider time: great weather can help drive cider sales at your venue (credit: Getty/monkeybusinessimages)

Feature - cider

FEATURE: Become the ‘go-to’ for a cider or two

By Phil Mellows

There’s a tendency for a lot of pubs to treat cider as just another kind of beer, tacked onto the end of a row of taps pouring LADs – long alcoholic beverages.

Swings & roundabouts:

BrewDog reports £24m operating loss

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

BrewDog has reported an operating loss of £24m in its latest trading update, but its founder retains “unshakeable confidence” in the Scottish brewery.

SIBA homebrew competition winner picks up national listings

The Cask Project

Homebrew beer winner to hit UK pubs

By Gary Lloyd

A hazy pale ale named the best homebrew in the UK is set to hit pubs and bars across the UK after winning a competition run by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).

New products: this week's round-up features Hooch, Shepherd Neame, Never Say Die Whisky, Rich's Cider and Radlow Hundred vineyard

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Hooch unveils new flavour

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features new products from Hooch, Shepherd Neame, Never Say Die Whisky, Rich's Cider and Radlow Hundred vineyard.

Hampshire business: Ringwood Brewery was sold to Marston's Brewery in 2007

CMBC planning to sell Ringwood Brewery

By Nikkie Thatcher

Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) has revealed it is proposing to sell Ringwood Brewery in Hampshire citing the venue’s location being in a residential area makes expansion complicated as part of the reason.

Diageo CEO Sir Ivan Menezes death

Diageo announces death of Sir Ivan Menezes

By Nikkie Thatcher

Diageo has announced former chief executive Sir Ivan Menezes has passed away aged 63, following a brief illness, with his family at his side.

Enhanced experiences: soft drinks provide operators with a big opportunity to boost margins (Credit: Getty/Alessandro Biascioli)

INTERVIEW

Impact of cost-of-living crisis on soft drinks category

By Rebecca Weller

Habits towards soft drinks in the on-trade are changing as consumers increasingly "seek out" value for money and healthier options amid the cost-of-living crisis and a surge in wellness trends.

MONIN competition to £1,000 a week over 9 weeks

Promotional content

Win £1,000 every week this summer with MONIN

By MONIN

MONIN, the global beverage flavour expert, has launched an exciting competition offering outlets the opportunity to win £1,000 wholesale credit, every week for 9 weeks throughout June and July!

Boost to trade: cider sales and warm weather push drinks sales to 5% year-on-year growth (Credit: Getty/Kar-Tr)

Cider sales and warm weather boost trade

By Rebecca Weller

A surge in cider sales and warm weather pushed on-trade drinks transactions to show year-on-year growth for a fifth successive week.

Say cheese: many cheeses can be matched with a huge variety of cider and perry styles

OPINION

Matching cheeses with ciders

By Andy Swinscoe, co-owner of The Courtyard Dairy

Cider and cheese are traditional bedfellows.

Greene King to launch pins in July 2023

The Cask Project

Greene King invests in cask’s future with launch of pins

By Gary Lloyd

Greene King Brewery will launch cask pins to the market this July with the belief the 4.5-gallon unit container will be a key in ensuring quality for its beers – and helping secure the future of cask ale.

New products: this week's round-up features Old Mout, Luscombe and Theakston

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Luscombe launches new Raspberry Crush variant

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features new products from Luscombe, Old Mout, Camden Town Brewery, ICB, Theakston, DropWorks and Lancaster Spirits Company.

Next chapter: Black Sheep Brewery has been acquired by Breal Group (Credit: Getty/andresr)

Black Sheep acquired by Breal Group

By Rebecca Weller

North Yorkshire-based Black Sheep Brewery, its shop and pubs have been acquired by lending and advisory firm Breal Group.

Personnel change: David Haworth is to be replaced by Julia Massies from September this year

Pernod Ricard UK MD to retire

By Nikkie Thatcher

Managing director of Pernod Ricard UK David Haworth is set to retire later this year after a career of more than three decades at the business.

New products: this week's round up includes Bathtub Gin, Camden Town Brewery, Otter Brewery, Jam Shed, Black Sheep Brewery, Salcombe Distilling Co., Seven Brothers and Hive Mind Brewery

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Bathtub Gin releases new seasonal flavour

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features new products from Bathtub Gin, Camden Town Brewery, Otter Brewery, Jam Shed, Black Sheep Brewery, Salcombe Distilling Co., Seven Brothers and Hive Mind Brewery.

Operator opinion: Dom Hope-Smith is the director and co-founder of Carnival Brewing Company in Liverpool shares his views on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's comments about cheaper beer prices (image: Colin Lane)

OPINION

Sunak’s smoke and mirrors won’t bring down the cost of a pint

By Dom Hope-Smith, director and co-founder, Carnival Brewing Company

During a recent trip to Japan on his way to the G7 summit, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gave a press interview in which he was quoted as saying: “We reformed the alcohol duties that mean this summer you will be able to get cheaper beer in pubs. These are...

Spiralling costs: draught lager prices soar by 11% year-on-year (Credit: Getty/mikedabell)

Draught lager prices soar by 11%

By Rebecca Weller

The average cost of a pint of draught lager increased by 11% in the year to April 2023, figures from the Office For National Statistics (ONS) have revealed.

Political delusions on cheap beer are damaging

OPINION

Delusions of cheaper beer is beyond naive Prime Minister

By Ed Bedington

You have to wonder if politicians really believe the things they say because our Prime Minister’s recent comments about how one of the benefits of Brexit has been the delivery of cheaper beer does seem to fly in the face of reality.

Increased balance sheet strength: improved results have led to dividends for C&C shareholders (credit: Getty/DenisMArt)

C&C: challenging conditions to remain, net revenue up 18.4%

By Gary Lloyd

Drinks business C&C Group said it expects macroeconomic conditions to continue affecting trade adversely – particularly in Great Britain – but also announced an 18.4% boost to net revenue in its results for the 12 months ended 28 February (FY23).

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