Beer producers are invited to enter this year’s International Beer Challenge, the world’s largest packaged beer competition . Held in association with Off Licence News, the challenge rewards the finest beers from a round the globe and is supported by some of the world’s biggest brewers. Beers are divided into 12 classes and a team of judges, headed by esteemed beer writer Jeff Evans, will…

Speaking at the IBC, Future Foundation chief executive Paul Flatters said there is growing support for a large-scale “assault on pleasure” in European societies. More and more people want to see government curbs on anything from four-wheel drives in city centres to sweets and drinks in schools. Research by The Future Foundation’s NVision arm found that 36 per cent of people in 14 European countries…

Nobody was more enchanted than fellow winner James Rackham, crowned the nation’s best independent spirits retailer on the same night. A firm handshake and a slap on the back might have been in order, but both retailers lived up to their reputation for a passionate approach to their trade (right). The bald truth It’s not just in the UK that honest drinks retailers are being…

The shortlist for this year’s Drinks Retailing Awards has been announced following a record number of entries in the 2007 competition. The winners will be unveiled at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Feb 6, where the cream of British drinks retailing will gather for the ceremony. Most of the categories open to multiple retailers were judged by the OLN Academy, a collection of 30…