Spirit brand news - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes awarded knighthood for ‘services to business and equality’

Published: 03 January, 2023

Ivan Menezes, Diageo's Indian-born CEO, has received a knighthood in King Charles' first New Year’s Honours list.

ecoSPIRITS and Rémy Cointreau to Launch reusable Distribution packaging in UK

Published: 01 December, 2022

ecoSPIRITS has announced a partnership with Rémy Cointreau, one of the world’s biggest producers of spirits and liqueurs, to help reduce distribution waste.

Emporia Brands adds Sempé to Armagnac portfolio

Published: 14 November, 2022

Emporia Brands, the family-owned spirits importer, has announced the addition of Sempé Armagnac to its portfolio.

African spirits group Spearhead announces $3million investment

Published: 11 July, 2022

Spearhead, the Black-owned African spirits group, has raised $3 million.

Jacopo Mazzeo: How British drinks are standing out from the crowd

Published: 13 May, 2022

The UK’s spirits industry is flourishing. The UK Spirits Alliance claims the number of British distilleries has tripled in the past five years alone, sitting today at about 710. While the wide array of homemade spirits available to British consumers makes for a dynamic, vibrant and diverse market, it also means that standing out from the crowd is for brands an increasingly challenging endeavour.

ReSea Project seeks drinks partners to combat ocean pollution

Published: 13 May, 2022

ReSea Project is calling on UK drinks brands, manufacturers and importers to upscale their environmental credentials and commit to removing plastic from the planet’s oceans and rivers.

Stoli Group announces limited edition Ukrainian-themed vodka

Published: 25 April, 2022

From today (25 April) a limited-edition Ukrainian-themed Stoli vodka is available in the UK, with proceeds going to World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-profit organisation that is providing thousands of fresh nutritious meals daily to refugees fleeing Ukraine or displaced within it.

Diageo UK appoints new MD

Published: 22 April, 2022

Diageo Plc has today announced changes to its senior leadership in its GB business.

Circumstance Distillery Announces Carbon Neutral Certification

Published: 10 March, 2022

Circumstance Distillery and the sister distillery, Psychopomp Microdistillery, has achieved Carbon Neutral status.

Stoli Group announces rebrand in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Published: 09 March, 2022

Due to the Ukraine crisis, the Stoli Group will no longer sell its vodka under the Stolichnaya name.

Morrisons among UK retailers to boycott Russian vodka

Published: 04 March, 2022

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there have been calls to boycott Russian brands with the country’s most famous commodity, vodka, on the radar of UK retailers.

Rebranded Halewood opens vodka plant in Russia

Published: 08 September, 2020

Halewood Wines & Spirits, which is to rebrand as Halewood Artisanal Spirits, has opened a new vodka distillery in the Russian city of St Petersburg.

Sales at Pernod Ricard slump post-Covid

Published: 02 September, 2020

Organic sales at Pernod Ricard fell 9.5% as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, the company has reported, with revenues for the year to 30 June reaching €8.5bn.

Stockpiling and on-trade closure send off-trade BWS sales through the roof

Published: 31 March, 2020

Off-trade sales of beer, wine and spirits (BWS) surged 67% in the week to 21 March - the week the government announced the closure of the on-trade.

Q&A: Frank Lampen, Distill Ventures

Published: 03 February, 2020

The Diageo-funded, self-proclaimed ‘drinks accelerator’ Distill Ventures backed a winning horse when it helped launch Seedlip on to the market. Jo Gilbert finds out where they go from here, with Frank Lampen, co-founder and CEO, Distill Ventures

Bacardí names UK winners of cocktail competition

Published: 29 November, 2019

Five UK bartenders have made it through to the finals of the Bacardí Legacy international cocktail competition.

New Amazon-exclusive expression from Auchentoshan

Published: 11 November, 2019

Global drinks giant Beam Suntory has unveiled a new expression of its Auchentoshan single malt targeted at the urban millennial demographic.

CBD rum ad ruling points to new marketing restrictions

Published: 16 October, 2019

The ASA has banned adverts for a cannabis-oil infused rum, in a ruling that could have implications for the marketing of the fast-growing CBD-drinks sector.

UK’s top 100 bartenders announced

Published: 11 April, 2019

Diageo Reserve has announced its 2019 World Class Top 100 bartenders, putting the spotlight on the best and brightest of the UK bar world.

UK sales of Aperol and Campari drive group growth

Published: 08 May, 2018

Campari’s stable of brands continue to drive “sustainable growth” for the group, including Aperol and Campari, where sales rose in the UK during the first three months of the year.