We have come a long way from the early low-intervention wines, which hit shelves in the UK around a decade ago. Volatile, expensive, and often unexpectedly fizzy, many had me gasping in relative joy at the first glass of stringy claret afterwards.  In those early days, the number of bottles returned was high and everything was sold with a caveat. For a while, buying…

Jeff Evans back with his bimonthly beer review. RUDGATE PILSNØR, 4.7% The quality of lager brewed in Britain was once a joke, but it has improved dramatically in recent years as illustrated by this latest offering from Rudgate in North Yorkshire.  The name of this crystal clear, golden “English pilsner” is a play on its northern roots but the inspiration is wholly German and,…

Whatever your preconception about celebrity owned, backed or fronted drinks brands, one thing is clear: they’re big business. But why? Tom Harvey, co-founder of YesMore drinks marketing agency, shares advice for retailers and celebrity-backed drinks brands Steven Soderbergh, Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Not just the A-list director and stars of Oceans 11, but also all backers of drinks brands.  Clooney has Casamigos tequila,…

“Wider aisles, better conversations and more time.” These were among the positive comments from the side-lines at both this year’s Prowein and London Wine Fair. And it’s no surprise that after two years off, a Spring of Covid uncertainty and an initial clash over dates that visitor numbers weren’t up to pre-pandemic levels. Prowein reported 38,000 visitors from 145 countries at its…

What started with Beaujolais Nouveau has developed into a marketing must-have for almost every grape, country and region: your own day, week or month.  With the rise of social media as a marketing tool, having a national, international or “world variety” day has become a quick and low-maintenance hashtag on which to hang an Instagram post or write a blog around.  At worst, these…

First it was Covid, now inflation; two factors that have and will affect purchasing within a number of supermarket categories including beer, wines and spirits. Alcohol was one of  the FMCG categories most positively impacted by the pandemic, with an upturn in sales as  people drank more at home.  Now, the category is on the radar of retailers and manufacturers who are trying to…

Earlier this year, candidates on The Apprentice vied to impress with their non-alcoholic creations. Among the expert judges was online retailer The Bottle Club’s director, Rishi Lakhani. Here, he shares his insights into how retailers can avoid any pitfalls and make the right selections when it comes to their ranges. It’s no secret that the pandemic marked a huge shift in consumer buying habits. At-home…