London Cocktail Week kicks off on Thursday 13 October and for 11 days it promises to be the biggest yet, involving 350 bars spread across the capital.

London Cocktail Week begins this Thursday, October 13, running for 11 days, incorporating two weekends, the festival will see 350 bars involved and four Little Cocktail Villages spread across the capital. 

Benoit Bouillard from Monsieur Moutarde in Dijon, France was crowned the winner of the Giffard West Cup 2022 during the global final held in Angers last week.

This winter, The Drinks Trust is launching a dedicated grant-giving campaign, the Emergency Energy Poverty Fund, that will run from October 2022 until the exhaustion of funds.

Norwegian bartender, Adrián Michalčík, has been awarded the title of Diageo World Class Global Bartender of the Year, which saw bartenders from 50 countries take part.

WSET (the Wine & Spirit Education Trust) is to hold its first ‘virtual open house’ event on October 19 - 20 2022 as part of an ongoing drive to raise awareness of its qualifications within the global drinks trade. 

Jean Trinh, founder of Alquímico in Cartagena, Colombia, has been named the winner of Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2022.

From September this year The Drinks Trust’s Develop programme will offer a bartending certificate provided by Mixology School and in partnership with United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild.

Lyaness at Sea Containers London took top honours as it was named World’s Best Bar at the 16^th annual Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards at the New Orleans Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF), organizer of drinks industry conference, Tales of the Cocktail, where new ideas, products, and techniques are exchanged, has announced its partnership with Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

The Drinks International Travel Retail Awards has extended its deadline for entries to 27 July, as it returns for its 16th year to celebrate innovation in the travel retail drinks sector.

Domaine Tariquet Pure Folle Blanche 15 ans has been named the Supreme Champion at the International Spirits Challenge 2022, becoming the first armagnac in ISC history to do so.

Women of the Vine & Spirits (WOTVS) have hired RAINN as part of an ongoing initiative to support those in the beverage alcohol and hospitality industries with Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Training.

Monica Berg has been named the most influential person in the global bar industry in Drinks International’s Bar World 100 2022 in association with Perrier.

The 2022 edition of Drinks International’s Bar World 100, in association with Perrier, is set to be released on Monday 27 June at 3pm GMT.

William Grant & Sons will host its sixth Highland Festival at East London’s Haggerston Park on 3 July 2022, following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. 

Attaboy in New York has been crowned the winer of the inaugural edition of North America’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier.

Korean Soju brand Jinro has once again topped the list of Drinks International’s The Millionaires’ Club having sold more than 94m 9-litre cases in 2021.

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.  

Graham’s Port has launched its first-ever bartending competition, in which seven bartenders from around the world will convene in Porto to compete for a €1000 cash prize and six months’ supply of Blend N º5 and Blend N º12.

Campari Academy, an educational platform aimed at the global bar trade, has been rolled out globally with bartender Monica Berg named creative director.

New York City’s Overstory has been announced as the winner of the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award ahead of the inaugural North America’s 50 Best Bars ceremony on 7 June.

The organisation behind The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and The World’s 50 Best Bars today announced the return of 50 Next, an annual list of young people shaping the future of gastronomy.

Coa of Hong Kong retained its title as Asia’s Best Bar at the seventh edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars in a ceremony held at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.

Ever since the world was pinned down by the effects of Covid-19 there’s been a surge in online tutorials from both brands and bartenders demonstrating basic shaking techniques and the ‘perfect Mojito’. However, at the industry’s top level there’s been a drought in innovative education, until now.

Diageo World Class will host the 13th edition of its global finals in Sydney, Australia from 12-15 September this year.

Keith Motsi, head bartender at Charles H in Four Seasons Seoul, has won the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2022.

Bangkok’s BKK Social Club has been named the winner of the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award as part of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022.

Sean Muldoon and Jillian Vose will open Hazel and Apple in Charleston, South Carolina, having left The Dead Rabbit in New York.

Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry, the Northern Irish founders of The Dead Rabbit in New York, have announced a parting of ways, marking the end of an era – and the start of another.

Barcelona’s Two Schmucks, number 11 in The World’s 50 Best Bars, will host a ‘Schmuck Street Party’ on 27th March in collaboration with some of the UK’s best bars.

Several high profile bars around the world have launched initiatives to raise funds for the victims in Ukraine following its invasion by Russian troops.

The Old Hem was completely destroyed and two people were killed by Russian shelling on the Eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Monday, according to reports by the Kharkiv prosecutor's office.

The announcement of Martin Green’s departure from Drinks International marks the end of an era for Agile Media and a significant loss for the wider drinks trade.

The seventh edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, will be announced on 28 April 2022 in Bangkok.

Drinks International has announced the appointment of Shay Waterworth as its new editor to replace the outgoing Martin Green from April onwards.

The World’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, will launch a North America list for the first time in its history this summer.

Nordic wine and spirits company Anora has decided to suspend all sales to Russia and donate €50,000 to the Ukrainian Red Cross.

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.

London Cocktail Week founders Siobhan Payne and Hannah Sharman-Cox, alongside Global Bartending’s Dan Dove, have announced the launch of the Pinnacle Guide, a new one, two and three ‘Pin’ recognition system for the world’s best bars.

Surging demand for premium spirits powered Pernod Ricard’s 17% year-on-year sales growth in the six months to December 31, 2021.

New Zealand Winegrowers has launched an online portal designed to support the trade in major export markets around the world.

Quintessential Brands has launched its ‘Spirit Centre’ - an innovation hub  for all channels which aims to improve customer collaboration.

Diageo is investing £73 million in a Guinness microbrewery and “culture hub” in the heart of London.