India’s mahua has had a chequered history but is now enjoying a solid revival, as Eleanor Yates discovers.

Continuing to grow its presence outside its domestic market, the Japanese rice wine is also hoping to attract more consumers to the higher end of its offering. By Shay Waterworth.

Low-alcohol wine has not attracted the same levels of interest as its counterparts in beer, but some major players in Spain are now stepping up their efforts to prove that good quality is achievable. Shay Waterworth reports

Gregoire Gueden, Spiribam chief executive, tells Eleanor Yates how he plans to grow the sugarcane spirit

South Africa faces a particularly difficult set of issues to navigate, but it is managing to maintain quality in the vineyard while fighting back against climate issues, reports Oli Dodd

This month’s Summit of the Americas remains a strong draw for the region’s duty free business leaders, but political tensions threaten international travel, says Joe Bates

Eleanor Yates hears about Giffard’s plans for the future from its new co-managing director

Celebrate Her is a global community with over 400 members, and has been run as a non-profit organisation since 2020 to address the lack of visibility and support for women in the hospitality drinks industry. 

While drinks and hospitality can, for the most part, be a fun and exciting industry to work in, it’s not without its challenges. 

In line with International Women's Day, Drinks International caught up with the co-founders of Ladydragón Craft Tequila JC Cortez and Heather Ann.

It's been a slow start for liqueurs in the low/no space, but a recent flurry of new brands has put paid to that. Shay Waterworth reports.

Eleanor Yates finds consumers have a taste for unusual options to give their mixed spirits drinks added pep.

As president Trump wields his warnings of high tariffs on imports, Irish whiskey’s smaller producers are reassessing their position with the US. Shay Waterworth reports

White wines from the Burgundy region are gaining wider recognition, and Beaujolais is well placed to capitalise on the shift, finds Eleanor Yates

As the Year of the Snake begins, Hainan’s once-thriving duty free sector faces mounting challenges, re­flecting shifting consumer priorities and a rapidly evolving travel retail landscape.

While super-expensive bottles have lost some margin, there is still demand for the right offerings, as Shay Waterworth discovers.

Agave spirits are in Trump’s firing line in his crusade against Mexico.

Trump’s threat to impose tari­ffs on imported spirits sees history repeating itself. How might distillers be a­ffected this time around, asks Oli Dodd.

The New Year has kicked off­ with multiple challenges for the travel retail sector to address. Amid these headwinds, Joe Bates asks where the industry can look for growth

As president Trump wields his warnings of high tariff s on imports, Irish whiskey’s smaller producers are reassessing their position with the US. Shay Waterworth reports.

Herbal bitters are having a moment, says Eleanor Yates, largely thanks to the flexible nature of one particular cocktail

Demand for domestically produced single malts is rapidly rising as increasingly affluent consumers discover their quality. Oli Dodd reports.

Armagnac does have its fans, but more needs to be done to elevate its position as a cocktail ingredient, says Shay Waterworth.

Shay Waterworth turns to Irish whiskey expert Mark McLaughlin for some insight into Waterford’s demise.

Shay Waterworth traces the story of a family company which still honours its traditions of innovating today

The Heart Cut is intent on bottling lesser-known spirits to introduce different styles to curious customers.

Winegrowers have always endured droughts – they’ve been a constant challenge in wine regions all over the world for hundreds of years. But the consistent lack of rainfall in the cava region over the past three years is unprecedented.

This year saw Swedish vodka brand Absolut reach its milestone of becoming fossil-free ahead of schedule, having achieved its goal to phase out the use of fossil fuels a year earlier than planned. 

From innovative ­finishes and ageing processes to unexpected flavour combinations, producers are using some unusual techniques to expand their rums’ horizons. Clinton Cawood reports

Hurricanes are a regular occurrence in rum-producing countries and brands must continue to adapt as their frequency increases. Oli Dodd reports.

Long in thrall to the Baileys brand, cream liqueurs producers worldwide are showing they are capable of broadening out the sector in a variety of ways. Shay Waterworth reports

There’s more to limoncello than its traditional role as a digestif, particularly finding favour in the Spritz serve. Clinton Cawood reports.

At Scotland’s Elizabeth Yard, the principles of whisky making are applied to the creation of cask-influenced rums. Oli Dodd reveals the full picture.

While stout is undoubtedly dominated by one big brand, some craft producers fancy their chances of making a name for themselves in the sector, finds Eleanor Yates.

Lack of innovation is being blamed for marked declines in one of the rum category’s most important markets. By Oli Dodd.

Shay Waterworth looks at how the trade has reacted to the possibility of tariff hikes

This tropical holiday island once seemed like an unstoppable growth juggernaut for the travel retail industry, but Hainan has recently hit the buffers. Joe Bates also reports on the passing of a duty free legend

With modern day winemaking primarily involving concrete and stainless steel fermentation tanks, or oak barrels, these techniques don’t necessarily match all the needs of the modern drinker who is looking for a more natural approach.

Penedès has become Spain’s dominant brandy provider for the first time, largely thanks to Familia Torres, reports Shay Waterworth.

With 200 years of its eponymous bitters under its belt, Trinidad’s famous brand is stepping up its overseas push. Shay Waterworth reports.

Distillers around the world are taking inspiration from other countries as well as their own traditions to liven up their offerings. Oli Dodd reports.

Consumers are buying into the botanical wine’s heritage, but education about the category is ongoing. Eleanor Yates reports.

In his inaugural column for Drinks International, Branson takes a wider look at the overall non-alcoholic spirits sector to identify which brands will thrive and which won’t survive.

Clinton Cawood finds the ‘water of life’ is gaining traction in countries outside of its traditional home base, largely thanks to cocktail innovation.

The global travel retail business took stock of four eventful decades last month at the TFWA World Exhibition and looked to the future. Joe Bates reports

Earlier this year hundreds of global industry figures gathered in Schiedam to bid farewell to De Kuyper Royal Distillers’ Mark de Witte, who retired after nine years as chief executive at the company. 

Fawn Weaver is the first African American to own a major spirits brand – and the person who unveiled the truth about Jack Daniel’s black master distiller. Shay Waterworth meets a woman on a mission to change the face of American whiskey.

With interest in Irish whiskey – and single pot still versions in particular – on the rise, Irish Distillers is investing to ensure availability of permanent editions. 

Fawn Weaver’s reveal of the Nathan ‘Nearest’ Green story has shone a spotlight on some forgotten history of the involvement of black people in the spirits industry. But that’s far from the whole story, as Oli Dodd finds.

Eleanor Yates rounds up the main events for the hotly anticipated 2024 bar industry show.