Spirits & Cocktails

Without booze: this alcohol-free cocktail is refreshing thanks to the grapefruit and mint ingredients

How to make: pink grapefruit cooler

By Nikkie Sutton

Bright sunshine and warm climates call for a drink that tickles the taste buds while quenching a thirst. The pink grapefruit cooler ticks all the boxes.

Map created: the UK has almost 100 distilleries

Where to drink whisky in the UK

By Nikkie Sutton

The first interactive map of whisky has been released, marking every whisky distillery across the UK.

Fake booze: some counterfeit alcohol has been found to contain anti-freeze, nail varnish removed, cleaning fluid and industrial spirits, among other things

WSTA cracks down on fake booze

By Nikkie Sutton

The Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has joined forces with Crimestoppers in a bid to crack down on criminals pedalling counterfeit alcohol.

Pop up drinks: All the secrets of taking your drinks offer outside and off site.

Drinks on the go

By Nikkie Sutton

Taking your drinks offer outside with a pop-up can provide a spike of excitement and pizazz, as well as adding another revenue stream

My Pub Garden: the Castle Inn, Lulworth, Dorset

In association with Fever-Tree

My Pub Garden: ‘This is how we created a G&T Garden’

By Nicholas Robinson

Set in the idyllic Dorset countryside, the Castle Inn, in Lulworth, has a sprawling garden and a terrace ripe for drinking a quenching gin and tonic. But general manager David Hargreaves-Putt explains there’s even more going on beyond the pub’s boundaries.

Not so secret gardens: turn your beer garden into a G&T Garden

In association with Fever-Tree

How to create your own Gin Garden of Eden

By Nicholas Robinson

It is no surprise the once humble gin and tonic is in steep growth, buoyed by increasing demand for exciting premium tonics, the proliferation of which has undoubtedly helped kick-start the gin revolution. So why aren’t we celebrating this enchanting...

How you like: drinkers told not to worry about how they drink their whiskey

Drink whiskey ‘any damn way you want’

By Nicholas Robinson

That's the advice of Jim Beam’s straight-talking head distiller Fred Noe, speaking on a visit to the UK from JB's homeland of Kentucky where the spirit has been distilled since 1795.

A good Spritz: Campari sales fizz up

Aperol Spritz drives up Campari’s UK sales

By Nicholas Robinson

Gruppo Campari’s UK sales have risen significantly, with a chunk of that growth coming from sales of Aperol, the main ingredient in the Aperol Spritz.

Bounty: three new lagers will give operators plenty of choose from when it comes to curating its range this summer

New products: Here come the lagers

By James Beeson

Three new launches signal the start of the great British summer, as premium and craft lager options continue to prove popular.

Green fingers: Distiller David Wilkinson (l) and botanist Dr Greg Kenicer (r)

Edinburgh Gin launches 'garden' variant

By Nicholas Robinson

Edinburgh Gin has launched a new variant in collaboration with the city’s Royal Botanic Garden, using rare and exotic ingredients grown and handpicked from the garden itself.

Helping hand: Visual prompts such as PoS are vital during the summer months

Garden Fillers: how to maximise summer drinks sales in your pub

By Emma Eversham

What Brits drink in pub gardens has evolved dramatically over the years, with promiscuous punters swapping their favourite tipple as frequently as the summer weather changes. But with hopes of a scorcher this year, operators and suppliers are already...

In season: Bloody ‘Ell is one of the biggest beer releases in every beer geek’s calendar

New products: Bloody ‘Ell is back

By James Beeson

Beavertown’s seasonal blood orange IPA is back in stock. Be quick, it won’t hang around for long, and when it’s gone, it’s gone.

Distillery: there's a fine science to distilling gin

In association with Diageo

What next for gin?

By Nicholas Robinson

Gin’s renaissance during the past few years looks unlikely to plateau – and its success is coming from all categories, including mainstream, premium and super-premium variants

Egg-cellent Easter: the cocktails are priced at £7 each

Novus launches exclusive Easter cocktails

By Nikkie Sutton

Bar and restaurant operator Novus has launched an exclusive range of Easter cocktails in partnership with Kentucky-based Bulleit Bourbon.

On top: Pernod Ricard UK's new Manchester venue, the Loft, is it's first and only outside of London.

Pernod Ricard UK opens the Loft

By Stuart Stone

Wines and spirits company Pernod Ricard UK launched new multipurpose events space, the Loft, on 28 February at a historic site on Quay Street, Manchester, that was formerly a Walkabout bar.

First try: Diageo to launch two new beers at Publican Awards

In association with Diageo

Diageo introduces new beers to UK at Publican Awards

By Nicholas Robinson

In a week’s time the pub trade will honour its successes at the largest industry celebration, the Publican Awards, which will feature dozens of brand activations including several introductions from spirit and beer giant Diageo.

Refresh: the new whiskies will replace the existing range of Origin, Superstition, Diurachs’ Own 16 and Prophecy

Jura launches range of five new whiskies

By James Beeson

Jura Single Malt Whisky is set to undertake the biggest launch in its history with the unveiling of an entirely new range of whiskies for domestic markets around the world.

Multi functional: whisky now comes in a huge array of styles

Whisky is no longer on the rocks

By Nikkie Sutton

Operators shouldn’t have to shy away from the ‘water of life’ because it can offer opportunities to save money and time while pleasing whisky and non-whisky drinkers alike

Most popular: Mojito tops the list of most served cocktails in the on-trade

How to make the five best-selling cocktails

By Nikkie Sutton

Cocktails are showing no signs of going away and operators need to ensure they are tapping into the latest trends in the category to boost their bottom lines.

Up and away: gin sales are on the rise

British gin outsells beef

By Huw Cross

Britain exports more gin than beef, according to new figures that show overseas sales reached £530m in 2017.

Stylish serves: bartenders will be judged on how Instagrammable the finished drink looks

Bartenders to be marked on ‘Instagram-worthy’ cocktails

By James Beeson

Cognac producer Courvoisier has launched its third annual ‘Toast of Paris’ cocktail competition where, for the first time, UK bartenders will be judged on how their cocktails would look on Instagram posts, alongside more traditional criteria.

Triple whammy: alcohol prices have been impacted by Brexit's effect on sterling, rising inflation and a duty rise

UK has fourth highest booze prices in Europe

By Nikkie Sutton

The average price of alcohol in the UK is 42.7% higher than the EU average – the fourth highest in Europe beaten only by Sweden, Ireland and Finland, according to new research.

Straw debate: life is plastic, but it's not fantastic

7 alternatives to plastic straws

By Nicholas Robinson

More pubs and their customers are speaking out against the use of plastic straws and seeking alternatives to the environmentally hazardous tubes we’ve, for decades, grown accustomed to drinking from.

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Busy location on coastal main road Extensively renovated detached public house Five trade areas (100)  Sizeable refurbished 4-5 bedroom accommodation Newly created beer garden (125) Established and popular business...

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