The new Hospitality Market Monitor from CGA by NIQ and AlixPartners has revealed that in the last 12 months, Britain has lost around one in 18 of its licensed premises, 5,736 pubs, hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes.

Asia’s 50 Best Bars has released a third edition of the 51-100 list, one week ahead of the live awards ceremony in Hong Kong.

Oriole bar, formerly of Smithfield Market, London, has announced it will be having its last night at the mezzanine, Albie, at The Hoxton, Southwark on Saturday 1 July. 

The Blend by Beam Suntory and The World’s 50 Best Bars have announced the return of the 50 Best Bars The Blend Scholarship, offering its recipient the opportunity to train at two of The World's 50 Best Bars and attend the awards ceremony in Singapore this October.

North America’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, will return for a second edition in May 2023 in San Miguel de Allende, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mexico.

The Two Schmucks bar team worked its last shift last night, after all but one of the Barcelona bar’s bartenders quit. 

Wine production in France has been forecasted to rebound this year following the frost-hit 2021 harvest but the ministry of Agriculture and Food has warned that worsening drought could curb volumes.

Bars that opened during the pandemic took many of the gongs at the returning CLASS Bar Awards last night, highlighting the bar industry's resurgence.  

An industry expert believes that boycotts on Russian vodka across the US will have little impact on the war due to the divide between ‘control states’ and those under the three tier system.

The Last Drop has made its first foray into spirits creation with the release of its 50 Year Old Signature Blended Scotch Whisky.

Coa of Hong Kong has been crowned Asia’s Best Bar in 2021 following a virtual awards ceremony of Asia’s 50 Best Bars on Thursday, 6 May.

Pure Piraña, Heineken’s hard seltzer brand, has announced an expansion into Europe following its exports into Mexico and New Zealand last year.

Bars and nightclubs will be the last businesses to reopen when Italy’s coronavirus lockdown ends, a leading virologist has warned.

Pick of the Launches

22 August, 2018

Here is the pick of the launches from last month, as featured in Drinks International magazine August edition.

Pick of the Launches

25 January, 2018

Here is the pick of the launches from last month, as featured in Drinks International magazine January edition

The 2012 vintage is down more than 20% in places, but the Kiwis are happy to try to strike a balance between demand and supply. Christian Davis reports

Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands has announced a £2m first-year investment for the launch of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey in the UK.

Events firm Brintex has voiced optimism ahead of this year’s London International Wine Fair (LIWF) and Distil despite the absences of Pernod Ricard, Percy Fox (Diageo’s UK wine division) and PLB.

Drambuie has reported operating profits of £2.81m – up 2% on last year.

The absinthe ban in France has been lifted, according to absinthe brand La Fée.

Diageo aims to cut its global carbon emissions by 50% by 2015, while Bacardi has published details of its environmental advancements.

The opening of a Captain Morgan branded bar on a tiny Bahamian island this last weekend signals Diageo GTME (Global Retail Middle East) division’s opening assault on the cruise line sector.

A 56% increase in exports confirmed Scotch whisky’s growing popularity in Brazil in 2009, according to new figures published by the UK-based Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).

Digital Edition

Drinks International digital edition is available ahead of the printed magazine. Don’t miss out, make sure you subscribe today to access the digital edition and all archived editions of Drinks International as part of your subscription.

Comment

La'Mel Clarke

Service isn’t servitude: the skill of hosting

La’Mel Clarke, front of house at London’s Seed Library, looks at the forgotten art of hosting and why it deserves the same respect as bartending.

Instagram

Facebook