just-drinks authors and correspondents

Columns by Neil Ridley

Comment - Spirits (Brown) - Last Orders with Neil Ridley

Brown spirits aficionado Neil Ridley casts his eye over the latest goings-on in whisk(e)y, Cognac, dark rum et al.

Articles by Neil Ridley

Why spirits marketing risks losing sight of the actual spirit - Comment 22 November 2018

As marketing activity becomes more digitally-focussed, visually-orientated and 'Instagrammable', are spirits companies losing sight of the importance of simply delivering a tasting experience? Neil Ridley warns that some brand owners run the risk of losing the plot.

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Why the spirits category needs to rethink its future positioning - Comment 18 September 2018

Our spirits commentator, Neil Ridley, is all riled up. Again. This time, it's about the positioning at the higher end of the spirits category.

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Are spirits brand owners driving Global Travel Retail customers to distraction? - Comment 23 August 2018

With the Global Travel Retail channel becoming such an important testing ground for new innovative expressions, have brown spirits brand owners found the perfect launch pad for NPD, or are they slowly but surely confusing consumers with mixed messages? Neil Ridley checks in for a nose around.

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Who will buy Cutty Sark and Glenturret from Edrington? - Comment 17 July 2018

The opportunity to acquire an established, well-known Scotch whisky brand doesn't come along very often. So, you'll forgive our brown spirits commentator, Neil Ridley for being a bit excited right now.

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Why Irish whiskey must learn to manage its time - Comment 19 June 2018

Is the renaissance of Irish whiskey about to hit its first major bump along the emerald pathway? Neil Ridley looks at what can be learnt as the segment's popularity continues to rise.

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Why The Macallan 2.0 is the ultimate challenge to its Scotch whisky rivals - Comment 22 May 2018

The opening this week of The Macallan's newly-"reimagined" Scotch whisky distillery by Edrington is a defining moment in the category, believes Neil Ridley. So, what is the knock-on effect for the rest of the Scotch industry?

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How to avoid a legal row over your brand name - Comment 24 April 2018

What's in a brand name? A lot more than we would expect, according to spirits commentator Neil Ridley. And, he speaks from experience.

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What's the best way to market spirits brands to female consumers? - Comment 20 March 2018

Is gender becoming an all-consuming issue in whisky? just-drinks' brown spirits commentator, Neil Ridley, certainly hopes not.

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For which awards should you put your spirits brand forward? - Comment 22 February 2018

This month, spirits commentator Neil Ridley ponders whether there are too many spirits category awards these days, and what it actually means to win one.

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What's coming up in spirits in 2018? - Predictions for the Year Ahead - Comment 18 January 2018

This month, we've charged our category commentators with predicting the year ahead for their respective sectors. Here, Neil Ridley tells us how he sees 2018 panning out for the global brown spirits category.