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Why fortifieds are the spirits lover's wine

Go on, you deserve it – buy yourself a bottle of something special this winter. If you switch your attention from spirits to fortifieds, 30 or 40-year-olds don’t have to cost the earth, says Joe Wadsack

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11 January, 2021

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Buying your bar: is it now time to own, not rent your premises?

Hamish Smith weighs up the pros and cons of bar owners buying their premises, with the help of some industry operators with first-hand experience.

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08 January, 2021

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The effect of Covid-19 on taste is the issue under our noses

If smell can be impaired by age and illness, so can guests' appreciation of our drinks. Professor Charles Spence sniffs out the truth

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18 December, 2020

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Unprecedented times? Curfews and licensing restrictions are actually our history

Far from unprecedented, restrictions on hospitality are rooted in our medieval history. Dexter Plato turns town crier

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15 December, 2020

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Old fashioned politics: how failed diplomacy is damaging whiskey

If whisk(e)y tariffs are not de-escalated soon, it could be costly for everyone involved. Hamish Smith reports

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30 November, 2020

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On and off-trade? Increasingly it's just trade

The on and off-trades aren’t two neat halves of the drinks market anymore – the blur between them has never been clearer, says Pete Brown

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21 September, 2020

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Rum through a pandemic lens

Ian Burrell explains how the pandemic and Black Lives Matters movement exposed outdated marketing in rum.

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18 September, 2020

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Lockdown legacy - has wine consumption changed?

Wine consumption was entirely at home for a chunk of 2020 – so how might lockdown trends have translated into the trade, asks Joe Wadsack

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14 September, 2020

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Gin has grown, but in what direction?

Gin specialist Emma Stokes believes elements of the category are headed in the wrong direction. Stop with the exhibitionism she says, gin's reputation is at stake

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03 September, 2020

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Mixed feelings: Is the mixer-spirit serve under-used in the cocktail bar?

Post-lockdown, what kind of serve does the consumer want? Could simplicity provide clarity amid a confused picture, asks Lucy Britner

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02 September, 2020

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Bartender 2.0: the healthy habits to harness after lockdown

Hang on to those healthy habits of lockdown, says La Maison Wellness’ Camille Vidal. It’s time for Bartender 2.0 to emerge

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02 September, 2020

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How to make Black Rock's Scotch Egg

Black Rock's Scotch Egg is one of the best about. Here's how to make it at your bar.

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08 August, 2020

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Humans crave novelty but shouldn't deliciousness be our guiding principle?

The pursuit of unusual flavours has led chefs and mixologists alike down some interesting roads – but Prof Charles Spence wonders if that’s the right path for cocktails.

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20 April, 2020

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The science of ice

Professor Shane Eaton explains the exact science that leads to clear blocks of ice, he says.

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12 April, 2020

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Why bar marketing matters

Marketing is simply letting people know what you’re doing and helping them understand it, says Ryan Chetiyawardana. Why wouldn’t you want to pay for that, he asks?

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08 April, 2020

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Processing the pandemic

For painfully obvious reasons, there is anxiety among the ranks right now. Ellen Manning passes on some sound advice about how we process what has happened and move forward

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06 April, 2020

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Brands' pandemic performance and consumer loyalty

There’s a business case for digging deep during a crisis. Lucy Britner looks at COVID-19’s impact on the big drinks companies and consumer behaviour

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04 April, 2020

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Creativity in a crisis - how to pivot your bar

Nothing will make up for not having customers, but there are things you can do to build your brand and open up new avenues of revenue – if not for now, then later. Hamish Smith hears how to make the best of a bad situation...

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01 April, 2020

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Why there's no shame in being a lager drinker

Lager is somehow seen as an inferior beer, but that’s far from true, says Pete Brown, who here explores the drink’s image problem.

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14 February, 2020

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Spherification in drinks

Edible packaging has its place, says Professor Charles Spence, but is that place really in alcoholic drinks?

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13 February, 2020

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Irish Single Pot Still whiskey's next challenge

Can Irish single pot still whiskey take on Scottish single malts, asks Oisin Davis, founder of Great Irish Beverages.

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13 February, 2020

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Understanding mezcal

In the bar industry, mezcal is big, but still so little is known about this artisanal spirit. Tom Bartram takes you through the rudiments of a diverse and sometimes confusing category.

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13 February, 2020

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A guide to carbonation

Carbonation not only adds bubbles, but changes taste. Professor Shane Eaton talks us through the science between cocktails and CO2.

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05 February, 2020

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How magic and drinks have always shared a stage

The art of illusion has long been associated with the bar world. Charles Spence goes behind the scenes.

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10 January, 2020

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A guide to the ultrasonic homogeniser

If you're looking for super-fast infusions, the sonicator or ultrasonic homogeniser might be the answer. Professor Shane Eaton explains how.

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15 December, 2019

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Is there now regionality in American whiskey?

Tristan Stephenson hosted the Class American Whiskey Academy at Oriole, where he unveiled a new vision for categorising this growth sector

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09 December, 2019

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Why people choose the drinks they do

As some bars challenge traditional methods of helping people to choose their drinks, Prof Charles Spence looks at how aesthetic preferences may be linked.

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01 November, 2019

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How to make Callooh Callay's Sausage Roll

Callooh Callay's Sausage Roll is more than a bar snack - it has become a major attraction. Owner Richard Wynne lets us in on his bar's (and mum's) recipe.

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08 August, 2019

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Big dishes from small spaces

Kitchens tend not to be a major focus of most cocktail bars, but while some literally put food on the back burner, others are blazing a trail in innovative dishes from some spectacularly unlikely cooking areas. Hamish Smith takes a bite of the best

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26 September, 2016