Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Skirting a possible Scotch loch

Published: 15 November, 2024

With demand for higher-end whisky flat or declining in mature markets, producers should be looking to foster new demand. Tom Bruce-Gardyne reports.

US imposes anti-dumping duties on glass wine bottles

Published: 12 August, 2024

The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has announced preliminary anti-dumping duties on glass wine bottles from China, Chile and Mexico, with some duties reaching as high as 218.15%.

Diageo shares hit four-year low

Published: 31 July, 2024

Diageo has cautioned that financial challenges may extend into next year after the company fell short of its full-year profit expectations, leading to a more than 9% drop in shares to a four-year low.

Nick Gillett: Why mezcal could cure the ‘tequila timebomb’

Published: 12 February, 2024

If you’re an avid agave fan or have been subject to any of my previous tequila musings of the last few years, you might have heard the phrase – ‘the tequila timebomb’. For a few years now, the boom in tequila’s popularity has been well documented, as have the numerous voices warning that, to keep up with this demand, producers are irresponsibly damaging Mexico’s agricultural and civil landscapes. In 2022, my article on the subject talked about monocropping practices of enormous agave cultivations, cloned plants, and the dangerous effect these were having on biodiversity, agriculture, and even water availability for local communities. So, 18 months later, have we managed to dispose of the tequila timebomb?

SWA backs Mexico-UK spirits accord

Published: 01 December, 2020

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has welcomed the announcement of the Mexico-UK Spirits Agreement.

Raicilla: The new face of agave

Published: 23 September, 2020

From an almost complete unknown beyond the Americas, raicilla is now making inroads overseas, including markets such as the UK. David Furer reports on the new kid on the spirits block.

The sipping forecast

Published: 30 September, 2019

Modern brands are looking beyond mixing in search of a brighter future, says Nigel Huddleston

Friday Read: Riding the tequila wave

Published: 09 August, 2019

It is a tumultuous time to be a smaller tequila producer. External forces are a mixture of positive market growth and negative trade tensions, including rising supply costs (agave, in 2018, was up 571% since 2016), fuel shortages engendered by pipeline pirates and fraying civil structure in the main production area of Jalisco. Against this background ‘adaptation’ is the keyword for the smaller producer.