Babco International has acquired premium ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail brand Tom Savano in a move that underlines the group’s push into higher-growth, premiumised categories and marks a significant expansion of its brand-led model. Revealed exclusively to Drinks Retailing, the deal places Tom Savano Cocktails into Babco’s growing portfolio as the business continues its transition from distributor to brand-building platform. The acquisition…

A new era of cocktail drinking is upon us for 2026, reflecting increasingly non-delineated consumer lives, according to the Bacardi trends report.  Blurred flavours  In its annual report, Bacardi explained that this shift is defined by flexibility. ‘Daytime’ and ‘nighttime’ flavours are increasingly becoming blurred, as are alcoholic and non-alcoholic serves, thanks in part to trends like hybrid working routines. …

From bar to basket, Jo Gilbert looks at how retailers can translate on-trade trends into off-trade opportunities With the average price of a serve sitting at £13 in London (and more than doubling to £26-plus in top bars), it’s no surprise cocktail-making at home is an increasingly tempting alternative for consumers looking for a sense of occasion without the expense of…

As summer approaches Tom Khan-Lavin, chief executive of YesMore drinks marketing agency, looks at what’s hot and what’s not in the world of cocktails WHAT’S HOT THE CAFFEINE KICKThe Espresso Martini is back. This caffeinated concoction is the undisputed queen of the cocktail scene right now, with an average of a whopping 74,000 monthly Google searches. Famously invented by Dick Bradsell at…

Waitrose has revealed four key drinks trends from the past year in its Food and Drink Report 2024-25…  Zebra striping  The supermarket Waitrose found more drinkers are taking part in zebra-striping when it comes to alcohol – the concept of alternating between an alcoholic drink and a non-alcoholic one.   Head of beer wine and spirits, Pierpaolo Petrassi…

As November rolls by and we move quickly towards the festive season, retailers are turning their minds to Christmas gifting. In anticipation of the gift-buying season, Lizzy O’Riordan looks at what’s likely to be in demand for Christmas 2024. ADVENT CALENDARS Every year there’s debate about whether advent calendars are overdone within drinks, and of course, there is no clear conclusion.

While RTDs are grabbing the headlines, there’s still plenty of excitement around cocktails and long drinks, finds Lucy Britner “We’re not keen on selling pre-mixed drinks,” says Hal Wilson, managing director of Cambridge Wine Merchants. “We’ve got dedicated buyers who work with a large number of producers and suppliers – we get a lot of suppliers coming in to do training with staff.”…