Drinks – Page 3 – Keep It Overproof!

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...

English wine industry ‘must do more to be sustainable’

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Daniel Ham, founder of Offbeat Wines, believes that the English wine industry must increase its commitment to the environment, and hopes his story will encourage others to pursue sustainable, organic and biodynamic projects. Daniel Ham, founder and head winemaker of Offbeat Wines. Ham, the former winemaker at Langham Wine Estate in Dorset, has now left his position to establish his own sustainable winery on a biodynamic farm in Wiltshire. Speaking to the drinks business, he called for a more coordinated approach to sustainability, following the lead of bodies such as Comité Champagne. While...

Bombay Sapphire launches long-awaited rtd gin into grocery channel

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Gin brand Bombay Sapphire has launched its first RTD in a can, which will roll out on supermarkets shelves next month. The brand, which is owned by Bacardi, Bombay Sapphire’s VP Victoria Morris said it had frequently been asked when it was planning to enter the rtd market, but it had taken its time to get a drink that did the brand justice. “The development of Bombay Sapphire® & Tonic took time for good reason, as we know our consumers expect only the very best from us and we are extremely proud to say that we’ve created a Ready-to-Drink befitting to the...

Made in Chelsea star’s ‘clean’ gin alternative goes on shelf in Sainsbury’s

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Former City broker and Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews’s low abv ‘CleanGin’ brand has gone on shelf nationwide in Sainsbury’s. Spencer Matthews attending his launch of The Clean Liquor Company, at The Trading House in London. The company is launching the world’s first 1.2% abv ‘CleanGin’, an ultra-low alcohol replacement to gin, with only 4 calories per 50ml. Matthews launched the distilled 1.2% abv ‘spirits’ in November last year, after collaborating with Justin Hicklin, a director of the Gin Guild to plug a gap in the drinks...

Booze retail sales down 20% in Dry January compared to a ‘normal’ month

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Sales of booze during January dipped 20% in the UK grocery market this year compared to the ‘normal’ months of February to September, data from Kantar has revealed – but despite the noise around Dry January, alcohol sales are still “considerable”, it said. Young man with a shopping cart is in a supermarket picking up wine. Speaking to the drinks business today, Kantar’s, head of retail and consumer insight Fraser McKevitt said that while this was a sizeable dip, 15 million households had still bought booze during January. “The January [alcohol] sales...

Top drinks marketing campaigns and news in January

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

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’,...

Bacardi launches Bombay Sapphire lower ABV pink gin liqueurs

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Bacardi will expand the range of its gin brand Bombay Sapphire with the launch of four liqueurs that add a “floral or fruit boost” to a standard G&T. Renaud de Bosredon, Bombay Sapphire’s brand ambassador, said the pack is designed to “complement our world-famous gin, without overpowering the much-loved profile of the gin itself. They come in four flavours – rose, hibiscus, strawberry and raspberry – and are designed to add a pink hue to a mixed drink, and carry an ABV of 20%. They will be available online from Ocado from 5 February, in-store at Sainsbury’s...

Wine & Spirits Show returns for 2020

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

the drinks business and The Spirits Business will once again join forces to bring you the ultimate tasting experience in London this spring. After a two sell-out shows 2019 and 2018, attended by over 1500 people, we are thrilled to announce that The Wine & Spirits Show will be back at One Whitehall Place on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th April 2020. Sample hundreds of fine wines sourced from all over the world which have picked up awards in our Global Masters blind tastings, discover new producers, and kick back with a gin and tonic made with some of the finest craft spirits on the market...

Global Malbec Masters 2019: the results in full

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

All the medallists and extensive analysis from the latest Malbec-only tasting from the Global Masters, featuring the best samples from Argentina and Chile, and a surprising discovery from Spain. The entries were judged on 7 November in The London Marriott Hotel, County Hall The Malbec revival may be a recent phenomenon, but this single grape has already been through several phases. In fact, during the course of this century alone, it has swung to stylistic extremes, before settling into a happy medium, meaning that the development of Malbec has many similarities to Chardonnay’s changing...

Analysis: Study shows grape swaps could help thwart global warming

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

A study has revealed that a 2°C rise in temperatures could wipe out production in 51% of current wine regions, but planting heat tolerant varieties could help mitigate the effects of global warming. We take a look at the issues involved. Vineyard sign marking Burgundy Way and Pinot Noir Way taken in October 2019 after the Kincade fire in Sonoma, California. Image: iStock The study A study, carried out by researchers at the University of British Columbia and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has stressed that swapping certain grape varieties for more heat-tolerant...

Tag: Drinks