Gin goes back to classics
With interest in flavours waning, consumers are returning to more traditional styles.
Avoiding cask fraud
With whisky an increasingly desirable collectible, scammers are becoming rife. Oli Dodd speaks to the founders of a platform designed to protect private investors from being duped.
How to create a classic cocktail
Hamish Smith asks the people who have fashioned a legacy cocktail how it’s done.
Hayman’s Gin has been around since 1863 and its ability to maintain tradition while innovating has ensured it remains relevant in a crowded market.
Duty free eyes turn to India
As the duty free business gathers for this month’s TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference in Singapore, Joe Bates senses a shift in industry focus towards India.
Revitalising Courvoisier
Oli Dodd drills down into the Campari acquisition of the famed cognac.
China and Australia: rebuilding relations
Australian wine producers have been heavily reliant on China for exports, but they might need to think about branching out, finds Shay Waterworth.
Tonic seeks innovation beyond gin
Shay Waterworth finds producers buoyant despite challenges.
Bitters: small but perfectly formed
The bitters sector is broadening out as brands incorporate new flavours and investigate low/no options.
Hope for pisco overseas
Producers are hoping that a focus on experimenting with different grape varieties will give the spirit a boost in international markets.
India’s spirits journey
With soaring investments and expanding footprints, spirits brands from across the globe are tapping into India’s vibrant market, while homegrown labels leverage innovation.
Cruise lines to drive Americas market
With the IAADF Summit of the Americas on the horizon, Joe Bates explores the region’s fastest-growing cruise line sector and the increasing trend of cruise exclusives.
Teeling aims for growth
Irish whiskey brand looks to new and growing markets as its relationship with Bacardi offers new opportunities.
Q&A: Naked Malt targets Sour serves in World's Best Bars
Having recently attended the Nordics leg of Naked Malt’s Live Naked Bar Swap competition in Copenhagen, Drinks International caught up with global brand manager Colette Duff and master blender Marc Watson to discuss the brand’s direction.
South Africa rises to challenges
Eleanor Yates looks into the increasing role women are playing across South Africa’s wine industry.
Ribera del Duero: harnessing unique terroir
A move away from oak barrels to producing fresher, fruitier wines is characterising experimentation in one of Spain’s most important winemaking regions.
Rhum arrangé goes global
There’s a new string to rhum agricole’s international bow as producers hit export markets with their fruit-flavoured versions.
Sake wins fans overseas
While Japan’s national drink is losing consumers in its home country, its versatility is gaining it greater recognition in wider markets.
Sue Hodder: different thinking
Eleanor Yates meets Australian winemaker Sue Hodder, who believes in embracing team diversity as a great strength in the industry.
The women changing the modern drinks media
While it may seem one of the most equitable sectors of the industry, women still come up against challenges, as Shay Waterworth discovers.
Asia retail recovery gathers pace
A spate of upscale new liquor store openings is good news for Asia duty free, but will Chinese spending return to pre-pandemic levels?
Irish whiskey: finding flavour
Irish whiskey looks to champion the taste profiles of its base ingredient as a way to raise category awareness.
The agave spirits waiting in the wings
Oli Dodd gets the lowdown on the lesser-known traditional agave spirits that could be ripe for expansion in the coming years.
Premium mixers: reducing waste
Taking steps towards greater sustainability has become unavoidable across the drinks industry, with premium mixers no exception. Clinton Cawood rounds up some of the most impactful initiatives of recent times.
A journey through the Loire
The wines of the Loire Valley are bucking international trends with their single variety diversity. Shay Waterworth visits the region.
Chartreuse devotees find alternatives
Following the news that the famous monk-made liqueur was going to be harder to come by in quantities, several pioneers have stepped forward to carry the banner for a classic cocktail substitute.
Julia Massies: Pernod UK chief's priorities and ambitions
Pernod Ricard UK managing director Julia Massies joined Shay Waterworth at Scarfes Bar in The Rosewood Hotel, London, to discuss her formative months in the role and the future.
Champions of tequila tradition
The meteoric rise of tequila is well documented, but not all agave spirits are equal. Eleanor Yates visited El Tequileño in Jalisco to discover the challenges of making the Mexican favourite.
Chinese duty free market stages recovery
The all-important Chinese duty free market is showing welcome signs of recovery after a disappointing 2023.
Indian whisky ramps up momentum
World whiskies have been gaining attention for some time, but those from India are the ones grabbing the spotlight right now.
Richard Betts on questioning tradition in tequila
Tequila-maker Richard Betts talks to Oli Dodd about the passion he has for creating agave spirit that protects the land and communities that live there.
Armagnac’s new generation dynamism
Armagnac has a long history of tradition and strict governing rules, but that hasn‘t stopped the latest producers from recognising and leaning into trends.
Meeting of cava minds
Shay Waterworth attends the first cava industry summit, and finds quality, innovation and leadership – but a need for agreement on a future action plan.
Breaking bread with Altamura
Frank Grillo created his Altamura vodka to showcase the flavour of the special wheat that is its base.
Troy Arquiza: tradition and innovation
Troy Arquiza outlines how, as global master blender for Bacardi, he has access to a wealth of historical knowledge to help shape rum’s future.
The bartending renaissance of amaro
Oli Dodd looks at the long tradition of amaro and how bartenders the world over are modernising and expanding the category.
A new nation of rum distillers
A growing band of rum makers are putting Britain on the map – with a remit to steer the category into exciting new waters.
Steady recovery gives hope for 2024
How will the travel retail drinks sector remember 2023? Joe Bates reviews the highs and lows of an eventful 12 months.
The rise of African rum
Tyler Zielinski discovers a whole new world of production across the continent.
A new nation of rum distillers
A growing band of rum makers are putting Britain on the map – with a remit to steer the category into exciting new waters.
Jassil Villanueva Quintana: a world of flavour
Oli Dodd hears how Brugal maestra ronera Jassil Villanueva Quintana perfected a new process of aromatic cask toasting.
What’s brewing in world beer
Eleanor Yates finds that, while it’s not without its challenges, beer globally is generating some interesting reasons for optimism.
How vermouth became versatile
The craft drinks movement has brought excitement and quality into the fortified, aromatised wine sector.
American zest for limoncello
Italian producers don’t see California’s offerings as a threat, but Americans are embracing home-grown versions of the lemon liqueur.
Aquavit: spirit of the Nordics
Shay Waterworth dives into Norway’s aquavit pool and finds producers striking out to gain greater global recognition.
Spanish brandy: forward-thinking brands hit the mark
Spanish brandy is a big hitter despite a history lacking in marketing. But Shay Waterworth finds a sector that’s brimming with innovation today.
Italy battles vineyard challenges
Italian wine output is dropping, but producers are finding ways to mitigate the damage caused by climate change and fungal disease in the vineyards.
Regenerating French brandy
St-Rémy master blender Cécile Roudaut is on a mission to modernise a well-known but misunderstood category.
Growth slows for RTDs
As the rate of growth declines, premiumisation and cocktails take the lead in a still-healthy sector. Eleanor Yates reports.
Widespread response to tackle climate change
Across the drinks world, producers are instigating regenerative and sustainable farming practices. Shay Waterworth reports on some of the vital initiatives taking place.