13-Jul-2012 By John Harrington, M&C Report
On-trade cocktails consumption is to grow more than 10% in the next two years, as 76% of outlets report equal or increased cocktail sales on the previous year, according to First Drinks’ annual Market Report.
17-Nov-2011 By Jessica Harvey
Diageo is re-positioning its Bell’s blended Scotch whisky through a new £1.35m TV advertising campaign.
01-Nov-2011 By Ewan Turney
The UK’s spirits distillers have beaten Government energy efficiency targets, which could lead to a saving of around £2.6m a year to the sector.
08-Sep-2011 By Jessica Harvey
Maxxium UK has launched Laphroaig Triple Wood, which has previously only been available exclusively in duty-free.
01-Sep-2011 By Noli Dinkovski
Drambuie is introducing a premium-end whisky made from a selection of 15-year-old Speyside malts.
22-Nov-2010 By Robyn Black
Cellar Trends is planning to roll out its Auchentoshan Presents events nationwide as it looks to attract younger drinkers into its Auchentoshan...
Adnams: Industry deserves more respect from government
18-Nov-2010 By James Wilmore
A brewery chief has argued the industry deserves more respect for its work on promoting responsible drinking after taking a "pasting" from the...
Adnams Distillery: Spirits from the coast
18-Nov-2010
Trying to interview Jonathan Adnams in one of his own pubs is a challenge. Not least after he has just treated selected guests to some brand new...
12-Oct-2010 By Lesley Foottit
Diageo has officially opened its new £40m Scottish distillery three years after work on it began. The 3,000m² Roseisle malt distillery in Speyside...
Drink school: Teaching the taste buds about whisky
07-Oct-2010
Whisky, whiskey, drams, blends, grain, single malt, bourbons - you'd be forgiven for thinking that whisky talk is a bit like speaking another...
27-Apr-2010 By Lesley Foottit
A former Greene King brewer has come up with a new drink — the first English whisky for more than 100 years. Distiller at the English Whisky...
12-Mar-2010 By Sonya Hook
Budget brand Claymore Scotch whisky has been made available to the on-trade for the first time.
American whiskey invasion
01-Jul-2009
The main reason for the growing popularity of bourbon in the UK is greater accessibility - there are American whiskeys available here now that simply...
John Beard named new Whyte & Mackay boss
24-Mar-2009
Spirits producer Whyte & Mackay has appointed former Bacardi executive John Beard as its new chief executive. Beard joins the whisky and vodka...
Adam Withrington: How the spirits industry halved its Pre-Budget Report duty increase
21-Jan-2009
Remember, remember the 24th of November… taxes, u-turns and plot. It was on this day that Alistair Darling performed his famous U-turn on alcohol...
Glencadam relaunches
16-Jan-2009 By Sonya Hook
The Glencadam Distillery has relaunched its 15-year-old variant using an improved recipe and new bottle design. It has also introduced a 10-year-old...
Bell's relaunches Special Reserve
11-Jan-2009
Diageo is to launch a new-look bottle for its Special Reserve variant of Bell's in February in a bid to re-position the brand as a trade-up for...
New Diageo products to be brand extensions
11-Dec-2008
Diageo Great Britain's managing director of has suggested that new launches from the company are likely to take the form of extensions to existing...
Whisky: Collaborate to prosper
29-Oct-2008
The statistics do not bear good tidings for the whisky category right now. As you will see in the panel on this page (bottom), in an on-trade...
Whisky: Making their name
29-Oct-2008
A Welshman sitting at a bar in Gloucester once started up an argument with me when I was umming and aaing with the barman over whether to go with a...
16-Oct-2008 By John Harrington
Fuller's has launched a limited edition bottled ale that is matured in whisky casks for more than 500 days. Brewer's Reserve, at 7.7% abv, is a blend...
28-Jul-2008 By Ewan Turney
Trade leaders have demanded a public correction from health minister Dawn Primarolo over claims the industry has reneged on its pledge to add unit...
Whisky
10-Jul-2008
Whisky remains one of the least understood areas of the bar, but potentially one of the most profitable. Dominic Roskrow explains why These days...
In Brief
22-May-2008
Balvenie in cask of its own This year's Balvenie vintage cask is now available through First Drinks Brands. Priced at £400, the single malt whisky...
Binge-drinking computer game heading to schools
11-Apr-2008
A binge drinking computer game is about to be rolled out to schools across the country. The game, called ThinknDrinkn, allows school children to take...
Roy Beers: Scotching the myths about the great whisky duty scandal
14-Mar-2008
But it has logically and without exaggeration detailed exactly what the budget increase on Scotland's best-known export means for the Scotch whisky...
Birthday blitz for Bushmills
13-Mar-2008
Diageo is celebrating 400 years of Bushmills Irish whiskey with a string of events and promotions. The celebrations will include advertising, rugby...
BrandsBriefs
13-Mar-2008
Balvenie's signature single Whisky distiller Balvenie is producing a signature single malt to commemorate malt master David Stewart's 45 years in the...
Developing a keen nose for your back bar
01-Nov-2007
Acquiring the salient facts about the spirits you sell can make all the difference when it comes to coaxing customers to trade up to premium...
Whisky focus: What now for whisky?
23-Oct-2007
Jon, Mark and Robbo (JMR). Those names may ring a bell. If you've been keeping an eye on spirits innovation over the last five years or so, you might...
Whisky focus: The problem with blends
23-Oct-2007
It is time to investigate the curious case of blended whisky. It is a strange one indeed. For a start, let's look at the facts:• Blended whisky, or...
Whisky focus: Single minded
23-Oct-2007
While blends struggle to find the light in the reflected glow of sexy bourbons and quality Irish whiskeys, single malts are beginning to find more...
Diageo unveils single malt flavour map
11-Oct-2007
Pubs are being invited to get behind a new whisky 'taste map' which will make it easier for drinkers to find their perfect single malt.Diageo has...
Free spirit
04-Oct-2007
Author Michael Jackson was widely known as the Beer Hunter, but it was his passion for Scotch whisky that first hooked Andrew Jefford I will miss...
Reviving profits
04-Oct-2007
Following the poor summer, pubs really need to make the most of the festive season. Nigel Huddleston kicks off a four-page special with a look at...
Diageo's new bottling line
27-Sep-2007
A new £12m Johnnie Walker bottling line at Diageo's Shieldhall plant in Govan, Glasgow, has been opened, marking the completion of a major...
Gaelic or Gallic...
31-Aug-2007
The owners of Scotland's top-selling malt whisky have denied claims that this summer's controversial brand relaunch aims to shed traditional Scottish...
14-Jun-2007 By Rosie Davenport
Diageo has pulled the plug on its Quinn's RTD, launched just last year with an £8.5m marketing spend. The company's new head of innovation, Liz...
What the papers say - May 21, 2007
21-May-2007
Mitchells & Butlers is in advanced talks to put £4 billion of its properties into a 50-50 joint venture with Robert Tchenguiz, the tycoon who is...
Diageo pairs malts with food
01-May-2007
Diageo has launched a series of food and whisky tastings to demonstrate how single malts can accompany bar and snack foods. Diageo's collection of...
Diageo launches food and whisky matching
18-Apr-2007 By Lucy Britner
Diageo has launched a series of food and whisky tastings to demonstrate how single malts can accompany bar and snack foods.
BrandsBriefs
12-Apr-2007
San Miguel sponsors film fest Premium lager brand San Miguel is sponsoring the 13th Viva film festival, featuring Spanish and Latin American...
Taste test
29-Mar-2007
THIS WEEK: Valt A new vodka made with Scotch malt John Hudson, London The design of this bottle really has the wow factor. It would stand out on a...
Diageo pumps £100m into Scotch whisky operation
15-Feb-2007 By Hamish Champ
Up to 200 new jobs are to be created when drinks giant Diageo rolls out a £100m investment programme to expand its Scotch whisky operations north of...
Wales Focus: pioneering Penderyn
31-Jan-2007
There is an apocryphal story that Jack Daniel, the godfather of American whiskey, was Welsh. It is a story told by many but proof is hard to come by,...
Government reassures licensees over duty stamps
20-Nov-2006
The government has moved to quash fears that licensees may be inadvertently breaking the law when the new duty stamps scheme comes into force next...
Orkney spirit takes to the sky
09-Nov-2006
Highland Park single malt whisky is sponsoring two aircraft in the fleet of Loganair, the airline that serves the Scottish islands. Two Islander...
Out of favour at home
24-Oct-2006
"Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house." I'm not sure if a quote from Jesus has ever been used in a study...
Make the malt come alive
24-Oct-2006
"We would like to see the on-trade being used as an environment where consumers can try different malts, learning likes and dislikes and opening up...
Cheers
14-Sep-2006
People power ends JDW smoke ban Snifter was pleased to have some fresh light shed on why JD Wetherspoon has called a halt to its smoke-ban conversion...
