Bacardi Rum has launched a new variant to provide consumers with an accessible entry point into the premium rum sector. Bacardi Añejo Cuatro has been barrel-aged for a minimum of four years and has flavours of mild vanilla, toasted oak, clove and honey. The latest rum in Bacardi’s portfolio is designed to “shed light on the premium image” and introduce consumers to a more sophisticated,…

Mike James is the driving force behind an Aldi wine range that punches well above its weight when it comes to winning awards, earning column inches and growing retail sales. He has a strong track record of making shrewd decisions, exhibiting flair and dynamism in his buying choices and helping to shape the nation’s drinking habits. It has made him a serial number one…

Ginerosity, the social enterprise gin, has announced its first round of funding to help disadvantaged young adults into skilled work and education using profits made from the sale of its gin. The spirits company, which formed in October, has also revealed the appointment of an advisory panel of business leaders and a “ground-breaking” partnership with developmental organisation Challenges Worldwide. The panel will allocate funds raised…

Guy Sheppard has taken over from Keith Bott as chairman of the Society of Independent Brewers. Lifelong ale lover Sheppard co-founded Exe Valley brewery in Devon in 1984 and is now the sole owner. He also ran a wholesale business distributing cask beer in the south west and SIBA’s treasurer for the region, helping first ever beer festival at Tuckers Maltings in Newton Abbott in…