One of the pleasures of running a bricks-and-mortar shop is the interaction with customers who are, for the most part, pleasant, engaged and enthusiastic about wine. You’re probably expecting a sardonic punchline, but no, it’s true.  These interactions can begin in many ways, but it’s increasingly common for them to be about matching a wine with what they’re going to eat. I hesitate to…

“It’s a naïve domestic Burgundy without any breeding, but I think you’ll be amused by its presumption.”  The devastating caption to James Thurber’s satirical 1937 cartoon of a host presenting a wine to his dinner guests has never been bettered as a lampoon of winespeak. It is a reminder that people have been critiquing, or at least scoffing at, tasting notes for as long as wine worth writing…

Sustainability has been a part of cidermaking for generations, but it’s only recently being talked about, finds Jaq Bayles  With climate change anxieties mounting in the face of increasing evidence that the planet is under threat, it’s no surprise that drinks producers across the industry are taking steps to mitigate their impact. And cider is a sector at the forefront of this movement.  While…

The arrival of Heineken’s Strongbow Ultra Dark Fruit has been one of the most talked-about drinks launches of 2022. In case you’ve missed it – which would be difficult given its blanket supermarket distribution and the ubiquitous ad campaign featuring a purple goat – the drink is a spin-off from the original Strongbow Dark Fruit, which proved a game-changer in fruit cider when it launched…

Beavertown will hand out “thousands of free cans of beer” at three UK cities over the next two weeks. The brewer said that, as part of its ‘Hops on hops off’ walking tour, it will give away beer in London (August 26), Brighton (August 27) and Birmingham (September 2). Tom Rainsford, marketing director at Beavertown said: “We’re taking our ‘Hops on hops off’ tour nationwide…

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…

While IPAs, stouts and APAs have enjoyed time in the sun, their more mainstream cousin has only just begun to re-emerge from the shadows. Goodbye Eurofizz, hello grown-up lager. Millie Milliken reports   “I’ve literally had people apologise for ordering it in here,” says Jake Doherty, manager of Cheltenham’s Bath Road Beers, of lager drinkers in his beer shop and bar. The stigma…