Producers need to switch up their educational efforts around the sugarcane spirit to broaden its appeal.

New markets are emerging for premium mixers and providing major expansion opportunities.

With red wine consumption dropping, the region’s producers face tough challenges.

Liqueurs have long been in the shadow of spirits, but their role in modern day mixology should not be underestimated.

China’s great reopening has injected much-needed optimism into the travel retail business at the start of 2023, but over in the Middle East Dubai’s duty free business has been dealt an unexpected regulatory blow.

The Hi-Spirits Classic Cocktail Competition, as the name suggests, is all about the classics. inspired by Jake Burger’s book, An Anthology of 12 Classic Cocktails, the comp calls on bartenders to create twists and classics – a subject which judge Clinton Cawood wanted to explore further by sitting down with Burger.

Hite Jinro is working to bring South Korea’s beloved spirit to the rest of the world, Shay Waterworth talks to the company’s overseas market managing director.

As a long-standing brand, Havana Club has built up a large inventory, allowing it to target the growing ultra-premium end of rum while still offering value and trade-up.

A response to the notion that 'without criticism there is only marketing', by DI editor Shay Waterworth.

Since Devon-based husband-and-wife team Russ and Gemma Wakeham launched the carbon-negative Two Drifters rum in 2019, the brand has gone from strength to strength – despite not necessarily doing things the easy way.

Oli Dodd finds foreign investment is helping to increase awareness of a pretty niche spirit.

Spanning a wide spectrum of flavours, bitters is well placed to attract new consumers with variations on existing brands.

While looming economic uncertainty may be jangling some nerves, for now, premiumisation is driving strong growth both domestically and abroad.

A recent IWSR report suggests that premium-plus producers are in for an economic rollercoaster.

Known for his time with Distill Ventures, Dan Gasper now has a new business stateside. He shares his vision for the company with Shay Waterworth.

The IWSR Drinks Market Analysis has provided its insight into the future of the industry’s biggest trends. the eight listed have been key to shaping the industry in recent times, but now they’re being moulded and twisted by current events and global issues.

It’s got a bad rep for many reasons, but one winery owner thinks plastic is the way forward for more sustainable bottling.

As the Chinese government abandons its zero-Covid policy, Joe Bates analyses what the sudden shift in policy means for Hainan’s rapidly growing duty free business.

There’s been a boom in sales for the Spanish sparkler, and as more producers adopt recently introduced regulation there’s the promise of more interesting wines to come.

As rum grows, diversification is inevitable. Clinton Cawood reports on the innovations in style.

The world’s largest duty free store has opened on Hainan but what does the future hold for this fast-growing market?

Duppy Share Rum has announced it has secured £2m in investment as the UK-based brand turns its sights to the US. Drinks International caught up with founder George Frost.

There’s more to sustainability than reducing fossil fuels and planting trees. Shay Waterworth looks at the human side and treating people better.

After a week in Sugarlandia with Don Papa, Eleanor Yates explores the history and production of Filipino rum.

The timing of the acquisition is perfect, as the premium sector continues to gather pace. Oli Dodd reports.

It’s been around a long time, but the rum favourite is still constantly being reimagined, finds Shay Waterworth.

Often overshadowed by its more intense cousin, ginger ale is piggy-backing on the rise in popularity of lower-abv serves.

In September, Diageo acquired Australian cold brew coffee liqueur brand Mr Black from accelerator programme, Distill Ventures. Drinks International caught up with Frank Lampen, chief executive and co-founder of Distill Ventures to talk about the purchase and what’s next for the programme.

Cream liqueurs may have been a fairly stuck category for a while, but new players are introducing exciting options.

Climate change and economic challenges are taking their toll on production of Italy's favourite digestif.

Mezcal has become a spirits category for the cool kids. But so much sudden attention on the agave spirit leaves its producers, which are often small-scale operations, and the slow-growing agave crop, open to exploitation.

A project to show how chefs and bartenders can work together has resulted in a new menu for Le Syndicat. Co-founder Romain Le Mouëllic explains how it worked.

Players big and small are benefiting from a rise in demand for premium products in this mixer category.

Aquavit is being touted as a spirit that has all the ingredients for an explosion in popularity. Oli Dodd reports on the Nordic hero.

Innovation in the category is aimed at attracting younger consumers, especially through cocktails.

The Negroni Sbagliato has become the darling of millennials thanks to a TikTok clip. Shay Waterworth says it’s opening new doors for vermouth producers.

Moebius, the Milan-based venue owned by Lorenzo Querci, includes a cocktail bar managed by Giovanni Allario, former bar manager of Le Syndicat, Paris, a bistrot restaurant, and a fine dining restaurant run by two Michelin Star chef, Enrico Croatti, it focuses on modern mixology.

In September, Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto celebrated the anniversary of its sixth year. To mark the occasion, the brand announced the release of a new book outlining the first five years of Italicus. Drinks International caught up with founder Giuseppe Gallo to talk about the evolution of the brand.

More and more bartenders are embracing the allure of exotic islands. Hamish Smith discovers why.

Kurt Schlechter and Leah van Deventer's community-based bartender training course is helping to get people back into employment while raising awareness of hospitality. Schlechter tells us how it works.

Kyiv’s bartenders are fighting back against the Russian invasion, as Hamish Smith discovers.

A spirit historically bound to the South Korean market, soju consumption is rapidly increasing in key global markets.

The cost of living crisis is a sobering prospect for hospitality. Of course, the entire drinks industry will be affected, from production to distribution, but hospitality is once again likely to take the biggest hit.

On 8 September 2022 Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history, passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle in Scotland aged 96.

Over the last few years, Kuala Lumpur has emerged as a cocktail city to watch. Drinks International caught up with Divyesh Chauhan, co-founder and director of JungleBird, one of the bars putting Malaysia’s capital on the bartending map.

Young Spirits was founded in 2019 as a small batch bottling site for craft whisky and rum producers. In three years, the business has gone from strength to strength, tripling its revenue and growing from two to 42 employees. 

VintageCellar is a member-only fine wine investment app that launched in the UK in July. Drinks International caught up with chief executive and founder Selim Bocti to talk about his mission to bring fine wine investment into the 21^st century.

Producers of the always tricky-to-make wines are facing further challenges as the climate heats up, finds Oli Dodd.

White rum has long been a star ingredient of cocktails and with consumers now demanding better quality drinks, it is ripe for premiumisation. 

Thousands of microdistilleries are helping to change the face of Brazil’s national spirit, creating aged and wood-blended expressions that are pulling in new fans.