Brown – Keep It Overproof!

Gambrinus Takes Texan Mindset to “Domestic” Space

Dear Client: Gambrinus’ Spoetzl Brewery (makers of Shiner Beer) is entering the “classic” beer space with a classic of its own: Texas Special. Indeed, the company is digging deep into its vault to revive the heritage brand, believing it has found white space in the increasingly crowded space of domestic, er American lagers with a decidedly Texan approach. It plans to compete in the space this year with Texas Special at a “fair” price point and sizable investment, all while keeping a healthy distance from the notable Shiner brand. We’ll dive deeper...

db Eats: Wilder

db’s resident hedonist, Lucy Shaw, heads to exciting newcomer Wilder in Shoreditch for pig’s head on toast, pollock with trotter relish and a beguiling young Burgundy. The concept: While every modern British restaurant worth its Maldon salt claims to adhere to a local ethos, Wilder practices what it preaches. Opening last October within the bowels of Boundary – a former Victorian warehouse in Shoreditch owned by Sir Terence Conran boasting an all-day café and rooftop restaurant – Wilder is the dream of head chef Richard McLellan, and is named after his successful...

db Eats: Ampéli

db’s resident bon vivant, Lucy Shaw, heads to smashing Greek newcomer Ampéli on Charlotte Street for sensational smoked cod’s roe, subtly spiced potato burik, and a cherry-scented Xinomavro. The concept: Perhaps it’s ‘The Durrells’ effect, but the Greek islands are definitely having a moment in the UK. While Brits have long flocked to Crete and Corfu, lesser known islands like Milos, Tinos and Sifnos are becoming increasingly popular with travellers keen to keep away from the crowds of Santorini and Mykonos. The Greek islands offer beleaguered Brits...

Top drinks marketing campaigns and news in January

Diageo launches Seedlip’s first ad campaign Drinks giant Diageo has led the fight to keep sales buoyant during January by launching its first advertising campaigns in the UK and US for non-alcoholic ‘spirit’ brand Seedlip. It is the first time that Diageo has set up an ad campaign for Seedlip, after upping its investment in the popular non-alcoholic brand to a ‘significant’ majority stake in August 2019. Developed by Seedlip’s EU marketing director, Ben Thomson, alongside creative agency And Rising, it features the strapline: ‘Drink to the Future’,...

Chardonnay Masters 2019: the results in full

We bring you a full report on the Chardonnay Masters 2019, including all the medallists, the names to watch, and the go-to regions for great barrel-fermented whites – Burgundy included, but Australia-dominated. Co-chair of the judges, Patrick Schmitt MW, reports There are several benefits to the blind tasting format employed by our Global Wine Masters, which sees us sample entries by style and grape variety, rather than origin. One of these is to assess the overall quality and character of a category, be that a noble grape such as Chardonnay, or trending sector, from sparkling to rosé....

12 London restaurant openings to watch in 2020

Oklava Bakery + Wine Selin Kiazim and Laura Christie are turning their Turkish Cypriot restaurant Kyseri in Fitzrovia into a bakery by day and wine bar by night, which is set to open in January. Located on Grafton Way in Fitzrovia, Oklava Bakery + Wine will feature the kitchen and bakery at the front of the venue, alongside a shop and takeaway kiosk. Open from breakfast until dinner, the site will serve quality coffee and a plethora of pastries with a Turkish-Cypriot twist. Among the yeasty treats on offer will be simit – a bagel topped with sesame seeds; börek pastries with a variety...

Top 10 drinks trends in the US on-trade for 2020

The low to no alcohol trend will expand Non-alcoholic ‘spirit’ brand Seedlip’s Mr McGregor cocktail In the coming year, expect to see an increase in ‘spirits’ with no alcohol in the US, with a greater variation in products to appeal to different drinkers. On-premise creativity will continue to fuel alcohol-free cocktail menus and bars across the country. The rising popularity of drinks like spritz-based cocktails has helped this category grow. New takes on classic drinks may emerge, highlighting the emergence of low-alcohol Sherries, vermouths and saké options.

The biggest drinks acquisitions of 2019

As 2019 draws to a close, we round up a year of acquisitions which has seen two prominent British brewers snapped up by foreign investors, Constellation Brands agree a wine sale worth over US$1 billion, and the break-up of retailers Naked Wines and Majestic. Constellation Brands has certainly been one of the most active in the acquisitions scene this year, taking both majority and minority stakes in a number of companies. Its sale of just under 30 wine brands to E&J Gallo, however, was one of the biggest in the drinks industry this year. In the UK, if 2018 was the year of the Conviviality...

Beer Masters 2019: results in full

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

The year’s Beer Masters showed the development of styles in the sector, as well as the the growth of the low- and no-alcohol category. WHEN WE launched the Beer Masters in 2014, the craft beer industry was starting to mature. Now we’re seeing much more variety in the sector, from barrel-aged imperial stouts and low-ABV pale ales, to hop-forward IPAs and lagers made from leftover bread. We may not yet have seen see smoothie-thick New England IPAs and double-fermented cranberry Goses in supermarkets, but the list of beers entered into our Masters this year shows just how the UK’s everyday beer-drinking...

American whiskeys leave ‘unique’ fingerprints, new study shows

“Whiskey-webs” left behind when American whiskeys evaporate could help Scotch producers protect against counterfeiting, according to new research. American whiskeys leave behind a web-like “fingerprint” when they evaporate, setting them apart from Scotch, Irish whiskey and moonshine. That’s according to a new study from researchers at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, which found that the unique reaction American whiskey undergoes when it is aged could help producers spot illegal fakes. The study published in Physical Review Fluids, part of the American...

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