Spirits & Cocktails

Accessibility: Diageo's Paul Thomas predicts a rise in fruit flavoured gins

Future Trends: Spirits

Where next for gin?

By James Beeson

Gin will continue to drive the category growth in spirits through an increased focus on discovery and accessibility, according to Diageo’s head of European innovation.

All change: the old, round £1 coin will go out of circulation later this month

Revolution bars swap old £1 coins for shots

By Nikkie Sutton

Revolution is offering customers the chance to exchange their old £1 coins before the 14 October in return for a Handcrafted Flavours shot with its £1 coin amnesty.

Need to know: what's going on at Future Trends: Spirits

7 things you need to know about spirits

By Nicholas Robinson

Spirits sales in pubs are now worth £1.7bn, having risen by 4.8% compared to the previous year, driven by the growth of premium in particular.

Sales slow down: managed pubs have suffered recently

Managed pub, bar and restaurant sales slow down

By James Beeson

Like-for-like sales in Britain’s pub, bar and restaurant groups were ahead just 0.2% nationally compared to last August, according to the latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

Train to gain: sales increased with WSET spirits training

Training significantly grows spirits sales in pubs

By Nicholas Robinson

Premium spirits sales could be given a 16.9% boost if operators invest in the right training for staff, the results of a new Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) study have shown.

Spending more: consumers continue to buy less, but more premium alcoholic drinks

Posh plonk sales up in branded pubs

By Nicholas Robinson

Brits are spending more to guzzle premium alcoholic drinks in branded pubs and fancy upmarket bars, CGA Alcohol Sales Tracker report data shows.

Check the fruit: one study found 70% of garnishes had bacterial growth

How to keep your garnishes clean and safe

By Nikkie Sutton

Keeping garnishes clean and ensuring bar staff keep their hands just as clean are two ways to prevent bacterial growth on the fruit that goes in drinks, according to experts.

Rising trend: rum sales have soared by 6% in volume in pubs over the past five years

Rum to break £1bn sales barrier this year

By Nikkie Sutton

Rum sales are expected to top the £1bn mark this year if current consumption trends continue, the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has said.

Fake: Europol seized wine purporting to be a famous and protected red wine from Italy

APPG set up to probe illicit trade

By Fred A'Court

MPs will investigate illicit trade across a range of sectors, including alcohol, as part of a new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) formed to push the problem up the political agenda.

Trend one: cocktails will be sustainable

Four cocktail trends that will shake the world

By Nicholas Robinson

Cocktails meet food as bartenders turn to cheffing, but they must be kind to the environment and be individual, according to a panel of the world’s best cocktail makers.

Spirits offer: new publication launched by Crown Cellars

Crown Cellars launches spirits guide

By Nicholas Robinson

Carlsberg UK-owned Crown Cellars has broken its spirits portfolio away into a separate segment of the business following the launch of a new focused magazine – Spirits.

Pleasure principle: for some, paying for premium is a marker of success (image based on TAW4/iStock/Thinkstock.co.uk)

Drinks: what is premium?

By Andrew Don

Premium drinks offer potential for enhanced profits, but when is a drink ‘premium’ and when is it not? The answer isn’t always clear cut.

Do it right: how to post on Instagram

9 Instagram tips to increase your drinks sales

By Nicholas Robinson

Getting to grips with social media could help boost drinks sales significantly for free, according to two experts in the field. However, happy-snapping will not do the job, but we have nine tips to help increase your sales through Instagram.

Concerning: The DfT said the rise was

Drink drive casualties on the rise

By James Beeson

The number of people seriously injured in drink drive accidents has risen by 9% over the space of a year, according to the latest statistics from the Department for Transport (DfT). 

Great experience: good customer service leads to more spend

In association with Diageo

Set up for spirit success

By Nicholas Robinson

While your operation may be known for serving the best Mojito or the region’s greatest gin and tonic, there are many operational areas that could negatively impact your trade and profit. Nicholas Robinson reports.

Cocktail offer: three-quarters (75%) of the nation's bars sell cocktails

In association with Diageo

Get the cocktail message across

By Nicholas Robinson

Having a great offer when it  comes to cocktails is a proven way of increasing trade, but making sure you convey what you have to customers is the crucial aspect in building sales. Nicholas Robinson reports.

Citrus sidekick: lime is a perfect partner to Tequila (credit: AlexPro9500/iStock/Thinkstock.co.uk)

Shots to sips: the evolution of Tequila

By Emma Eversham

A far more subtle and sophisticated spirit than it’s often given credit for, there are many other ways to enjoy Tequila than slamming it back with salt and a wedge of lime. Emma Eversham reports.

Boom: Sales of spirits have increased by 3.1% in the last year

Spirit sales drive on-trade growth

By James Beeson

Spirit sales accounted for over half (55%) of all growth in on-trade alcoholic drinks sales in the last year, according to new research by William Grant & Sons.

Celebrating spirit: this year is Nicholson's second annual GinFest

Nicholson’s relaunches annual GinFest

By Nikkie Sutton

Customers will be introduced to a huge range of premium gins across Nicholson’s 78-strong estate from later this month (Monday 24 July) as it launches its second annual GinFest.

That's the spirit: consumers spending more on home drinking

Consumers spending big on booze for home

By Nicholas Robinson

Brits, on average, are spending almost £1,500 on alcohol a year for the home, with premium spirits among their top choices, a new report has claimed.

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