Cocktails

Refreshing and clean: Little Mercies co-owner Alan Sherwood shares how to make the bar's Kiwi Gimlet cocktail (Credit: Getty/SolStock)

DRINKS MASTERCLASS

How to make a Kiwi Gimlet cocktail

By Rebecca Weller

This week’s Drinks Masterclass showcases a Kiwi Gimlet cocktail (19% ABV) from award-winning sustainable bar Little Mercies in Crouch End, North London.

Versatile cocktail: Lab 22 general manager describes how to make the venues Transparency rum cocktail (Credit:Getty/SolStock)

DRINK MASTERCLASS

How to make a 'Transparency' rum cocktail

By Rebecca Weller

Lab 22 cocktail bar general manger, Matthew Jones, illustrates how to make the venue’s “versatile” Transparency serve.

That's the spirit: How to take your alcohol-free offering to new heights (Getty/ ViewApart)

The dos and don’ts of making a stand-out mocktail

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

January is long gone, and now a fresh crowd has ditched booze for the 40-day stint of Lent. With a third of all pub visits alcohol free, there’s no time like the present for the sector knuckle down on its low-to-no offering.

Half-year results: Nightcap is aware further rail strikes could impact the business

Rail strikes hit Nightcap but revenue up almost 50%

By Gary Lloyd

Nightcap estimates 13 days of rail strikes has cost the business about £1.2m but like-for-like (lfl) revenue has risen by almost 50%, according to the company’s interim results for the 26-week period ended 1 January 2023.

Fresh and spicy: how to make Callooh Callay's popular Mexican Takeaway cocktail (Credit: Getty/SolStock)

DRINKS MASTERCLASS

How to make a Mexican Takeaway cocktail

By Rebecca Weller

This week’s Drinks Masterclass showcases a recipe from Callooh Callay in Shoreditch, London, which is number 37 on the Top 50 Cocktail Bars list.

Unique twist: Gungho! cocktail bar owner Julien Barnett breaks down one of the site's best-selling serves (Credit: Getty/SolStock)

Drinks Masterclass

How to make a 'unique' Bramble cocktail

By Rebecca Weller

Marking the first serve in The Morning Advertiser's new Drinks Masterclass series, licensee of GungHo! cocktail bar in Brighton, East Sussex, Julien Barnett, explains how to make one of the bar’s best-selling products.

London calling: Satan's Whiskers in Bethnal Green was named the number one cocktail bar in the UK

Top 50 Cocktail Bars

UK’s Top 50 Cocktail Bars revealed

By Nikkie Thatcher

The 2023 Top 50 Cocktail Bars sponsored by Franklin & Sons have been unveiled, with London’s Satan’s Whiskers taking the top spot.

Delighted: Nightcap CEO and co-founder Sarah Willingham

Nightcap reports record 60.9% revenue boost

By Gary Lloyd

Bar operator Nightcap has reported a record-breaking boost of 60.9% in its revenue and a 4.7% hike in like-for-like sales in the 13 weeks to 1 January 2023.

Planning ahead: Next year's drinks trends unveiled (Getty/ The Good Brigade)

Drinks trends 2023 revealed

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Manzanillia, South African Straw wine and saline cocktail flavours are the top drinks trends for 2023, according to premium wine specialist Bibendum.

Mixing things up: Operators plan stock stock more low and no options in 2023 (Getty/ Instants)

4 in 5 bars to up no/low offering

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

More than four in five bars plan to increase their ranges of no and low alcohol drinks in 2023 to capitalise on consumers’ interest in healthier drinks, new research has revealed.

Drinks List 2023: Smirnoff Red most sold spirit in 2022 (Credit: Getty/pjohnson1)

drinks list 2023

Smirnoff Red most sold spirit of the year

By Rebecca Weller

Smirnoff Red, Captain Morgans Spiced and Jagermeister were the top three best-selling spirits in 2022, the Drinks List 2023 has revealed.

New and old faces: There are plenty of newcomers in this year's mixer category (Getty/ invizbk)

DRINKS LIST 2023

Fever Tree headlines mixer category

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The mixers division has made way for a whopping five new entries in this year's Drink's List, but Fever Tree still reigns supreme in top spot.

List revealed: the top 10 selling Tequila brands have been unveiled (image: Getty/pjohnson1)

Drinks list 2023

Jose Cuervo is UK’s top selling Tequila

By Nikkie Thatcher

There has been little change in the top Tequilas sold in the on-trade in the past year compared to the previous 12 months.

How is competitive socialising impacted by recession?

Cost of living crisis vs competitive socialising

By Ed Bedington

Competitive socialising has seen significant growth as consumers embrace the opportunity to get active in the pub, but with recession now on the cards and a cost of living crisis, how will the sector be impacted?

Great results: Nightcap chief executive Sarah Willingham (Credit: Nicky Johnston)

Nightcap reports strong first full year of trading

By Gary Lloyd

Nightcap, the owner of The Cocktail Club, the Adventure Bar Group and Barrio Familia bars, has reported an increase from £6m revenue to £36m for its first full year of trading and gross profit of £28.6m up from £4.5m.

Achievement and recognition: entries for Top 50 Cocktail Bars 2023 now open (Credit: Getty/gruizza)

Entries for Top 50 Cocktail Bars 2023 now open

By Rebecca Weller

Entries for the Top 50 Cocktail Bars 2023 awards are now open, with venues having from today (Monday 7 November) until Friday 11 November to put themselves forward.

Positive return: CEO Rob Pitcher has called for ‘an immediate 50% business rates cut for all businesses, no matter of size’

Revolution turns £26m profit loss into £2m gain

By Gary Lloyd

Revolution Bars Group has return to profitability having turned a £26.3m loss before tax in 2021 into a positive £2.1m gain, according to its preliminary results for the 52 weeks ended 2 July 2022.

Rising up: more consumers are drinking cocktails in the on-trade across Europe, according to a new report (image: Getty/Debby Lewis-Harrison)

Number of cocktail drinkers on the rise

By Nikkie Thatcher

The level of consumers who typically drink cocktails in the on-trade increased by 11 percentage points in 2022 against 2021, new research has found.

Strong statistics: Loungers CEO Nick Collins (left) and founder chairman Alex Reilley

Loungers reports 17% lfl growth, will open 30 sites

By Gary Lloyd

Bar group Loungers has credited its brands’ “relevance and resilience” for a 17% growth in like-for-like (lfl) sales versus 2019 in a trading update for the 24 weeks ended 2 October 2022.

A success born in the pandemic: Nightcap co-founder and chief executive Sarah Willingham (credit: Nicky Johnston)

big interview

BIG INTERVIEW: There’s always time for a Nightcap

By Gary Lloyd

While most businesses hit the wall during the pandemic, Sarah Willingham saw there was a pent-up demand for socialising in hospitality together with a power shift towards tenants from landlords and decided to form Nightcap to get the party started.

Five alive: the Bristol opening for Tonight Josephine brings its site total to five

Not Tonight Josephine, it’s Tonight Sophie

By Gary Lloyd

A new Tonight Josephine bar that opened on Friday 30 September has been renamed Tonight Sophie after a social media competition to rebrand the bar in the name of a woman was won by resident Sophie Turner.

New products: this week's round-up features new serves from Grey Goose, Monkey Shoulder and Cîroc

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Cîroc launches limited edition flavour

By Rebecca Weller

It's a spirits and cocktails heavy offering for this week's round-up with new serves from Cîroc, Monkey Shoulder and Grey Goose alongside a new twist on a classic cocktail to embrace the recent Autumnal weather.

How to make a Caffe Corretto with Taylors of Harrogate

In association Taylors of Harrogate

Drink Deconstructed: Caffe Corretto

By Top 50 Boutique Hotels

Anas El Bahhaj from The Zetter Townhouse Clerkenwell, north London creates a Caffe Corretto with Taylors of Harrogate coffee bags.

Power play: co-founders Charlie Gilkes (pictured) and Duncan Stirling will launch the site in October

Inception Group to open power station-themed bar

By Gary Lloyd

London-based bar operator Inception Group will open a 1950s-themed site in Battersea Power Station’s historic Control Room B on 14 October when the grade II*-listed building opens its doors to the public.

Raise a glass: Botanical brewery names the world's most popular cocktails (Getty/ nonmim)

Pornstar Martini crowned UK’s fav cocktail

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Pornstar Martini has bagged the title of the UK’s favourite cocktail, with the Margarita named the top cocktail in the world, according to new research by botanical brewery Fentimans.

Dedicated to moderation: the Low2NoBev 2022 events runs from 26-28 September

Free event pass to help improve low and no sales

By The Morning Advertiser

Low2NoBev – the only dedicated trade show for the low and no-alcohol drinks sector – returns to Olympia London this month (26-28 September) with visitors urged to register for their free entry badge now.

New products round-up: Jack Daniel's announces two new whiskey's

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Jack Daniel's launches two new serves

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round up features two new whiskey's from Jack Daniel's alongside new offerings from Nothern Monk and MONIN with product re-launches from Black Sheep and Shepherd Neame.

Wellness, simplicity and excitement: DUSK chief executive shares Gen Z drinking trends (Getty/ Hollie Fernando)

Gen Z want TikTok, Tequila and no hangover

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The co-founder of bar exploration app DUSK has offered fresh insight into Generation Z drinking trends, after research revealed those aged 16 to 24 to be driving hospitality’s attempted recovery from the pandemic.

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