Latest drinks industry comment
The best views and opinions in beverage industry publishing, all in one place, from beverage's monthly columnists and in-house experts.
How is the wine industry coping with Brexit?
After over four years of wrangling, Brexit's tires hit the tarmac on 1 January. The end of the 11-month transition period after the UK left...
Why TWE's woes don't mean Pernod's lurking
As subscribers to just-drinks, you don't pay the big bucks for Ctrl+C content. The temptation to do just that today, however, has been great...
New standards, new dawn for Japanese whisky
As distillers in Japan digest the introduction in 2024 of labelling standards for Japanese whisky, spirits category commentator Amy Hopkins...
Why the future for wine in cans has arrived
Not one to normally get excited, Chris Losh has surprised even himself with the level of enthusiasm he is (finally) mustering for a developm...
Are hard seltzers paving the way for 'soft seltzers'? - comment 7 Apr 2021
From White Claw to Mike's, Drty to Bodega Bay, hard seltzers are big business. But, could the success of alcoholic sparkling water provide a fillip to the sparkling water category itself? Soft drinks commentator Lucy Britner investigates.
Why craft beer is exploring the value market - very carefully - comment 25 Mar 2021
The craft beer category has been defined as much by its pricing strategy as its flavour profile. But, is the premium positioning being eroded? And, more importantly, are craft brewers complicit? Category commentator Stephen Beaumont considers the prospect of 'value craft'
Is Plymouth Gin the unluckiest spirits brand ever? - comment 23 Mar 2021
Our unaged spirits commentator is in gin again this month. Richard Woodard casts his eye over Plymouth gin, a brand with an enviable history - or an unfortunate one, depending on how you look at it.
From coffee-flavoured energy drinks to plant-based milk and protein-spiked lattes, the RTD coffee category is lining up to give energy and functional drinks a run for their money. Soft drinks category commentator Lucy Britner investigates.
Why imported beer matters less now than ever - comment 25 Feb 2021
Think imported: Think expensive. For years, the brewing industry has tapped into consumers' preparedness to pay more for a brew made in romantic-sounding locations overseas. Times are changing, as category commentator Stephen Beaumont notes, and brewers are now more comfortable bringing production of their imported brands in-market. Will consumers let them? Well, yes; So long as they're straight with them.
Why Diageo is winning the slow-and-steady Tequila race - comment 23 Feb 2021
Even for a spirits category that doesn't like to hurry, Diageo's success in Tequila has taken a while. Finally, the dividends of this slow and steady approach are being realised. Category commentator Richard Woodard has advice for those who have been quick to judge.
Does Heineken need hard seltzer? - comment 12 Feb 2021
Speaking after his company's full-year results this week, Heineken CEO Dolf van den Brink made quite the revealing remark: "We maybe underestimated seltzer."
Why Scotch whisky could take years to rebound in the US - comment 9 Feb 2021
A protracted trade dispute has blocked single malt Scotch whisky's access to the all-important US market at a time when the category desperately needs to demonstrate its relevance. As trends rapidly accelerate, this lack of visibility could damage Scotch for years to come, warns spirits commentator Amy Hopkins.
Australia's wine struggles - First came COVID, then came China - comment 4 Feb 2021
International trade disputes are 'two-a-penny' at the moment and have become a fact of life for brand owners in most beverage categories. Australian wine brand owners, however, appear to have things tougher than most, as the country's authorities are in Beijing's sights. Category commentator Chris Losh surveys the wreckage of this particular perfect storm.
Soft drinks looks outside for expert health & wellness help - comment 2 Feb 2021
In the wake of PepsiCo's tie-up with meat alternatives company Beyond Meat last week, soft drinks commentator Lucy Britner looks at the category's underlying trends in health & wellness and assesses the benefits of tapping up the experts to create the next wave of functional fixes.
What's coming up in unaged spirits in 2021? - Predictions for the Year Ahead - comment 28 Jan 2021
This month, our category commentators are lining up to share with us their thoughts on how 2021 will shape their respective sectors. Here's our unaged spirits expert, Richard Woodard, with his take on the year ahead.
What's coming up in beer in 2021? - Predictions for the Year Ahead - comment 26 Jan 2021
As 2021 kicks off, beer commentator Stephen Beaumont offers his views on the key trends that are set to shape the category during the next 12 months.
What's coming up in aged spirits in 2021? - Predictions for the Year Ahead - comment 14 Jan 2021
This month, our category commentators are lining up to share with us their thoughts on how 2021 will shape their respective sectors. Here's our aged spirits expert, Amy Hopkins, with her take on the year ahead.
What's coming up in wine in 2021? - Predictions for the Year Ahead - comment 7 Jan 2021
This month, our category commentators are lining up to share with us their thoughts on how 2021 will shape their respective sectors. Here's our wine expert, Chris Losh, with his take on the year ahead.
What's coming up in soft drinks in 2021? - Predictions for the Year Ahead - comment 5 Jan 2021
As 2021 kicks off, soft drinks commentator Lucy Britner offers her views on the key trends that are set to shape the category during the next 12 months.
Your Christmas will be calmer than Marie Brizard's - comment 23 Dec 2020
There's something macabre about considering the future prospects of a drinks company on 23 December. The news from Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits today, however, is bleak in itself.
Digital fitness and exercise platform Strava has recently reported that it is receiving approximately 2m app registrations per month. The app's explosive popularity during lockdown periods reflects the notable consumer shift to self-managed digital fitness, as well as a promising opportunity for the suffering sports drinks market during the pandemic period.
Tariffs risk reversing Australian wine's hard-won China wins - comment 27 Nov 2020
Earlier today, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) advanced an on-going anti-dumping investigation into Australian wine with the announcement that, from tomorrow, bottled imports from the country will face preliminary tariffs of as much as 217%. Comments from the Australian wine industry that this was a disappointing outcome were, to say the least, an understatement.
How to tailor your spirits marketing to the consumer of today - and tomorrow - comment 26 Nov 2020
Virtue signalling is a very easy hole to fall down when it comes to marketing spirits brands - particularly today with the hyper-connected consumer. However, category commentator Richard Woodard believes he has found an activation that skirts the hole and ticks all the 21st Century spirits brand boxes.
Remy Cointreau finds balance after China over-reliance - comment 26 Nov 2020
In a year like this, good news in the spirits category has been thin on the ground. While the first three months of 2020 were... okay, the second quarter - to the end of June - saw the sky fall in for all the brand owners out there. Much as the third quarter was better than the second, spirits sales across the board were still not where companies wanted them to be. Maybe we should all write off this year, then, and steer our optimism to 2021.
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Market research
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