Ukiyo Partners with The Ivy Asia for Sakura Season
Japanese spirits brand Ukiyo has teamed with upscale restaurant group The Ivy Asia to launch a sakura‑season cocktail activation across its UK venues until May 31. The partnership features five Ukiyo‑based drinks, co‑crafted with Fever‑Tree mixers, and a seasonal food menu at the St Paul’s location, including cherry‑blossom themed décor. The activation builds on Ukiyo’s recent travel‑retail expansion with Gebr Heinemann, aiming to boost on‑trade visibility and position the brand as a premium, seasonally‑driven spirit.
Olive-Distilled Vodka Debuts with Martinis in Mind
Ammos, a premium vodka distilled from hand‑picked black olives and rare Vakhalou lemons, launched in London targeting the Martini market. The spirit undergoes a two‑week maceration and low‑temperature vacuum distillation, preserving citrus oils and olive salinity. Packaged in a custom...
Laggan Bay Opens as Islay’s 11th Distillery
Ian Macleod Distillers has officially opened Laggan Bay Distillery on Islay, marking the island’s 11th whisky producer. The first cask was filled on 2 April 2026 by managing director Leonard Russell, his son Tom, and distillery manager Malcolm Rennie. Laggan Bay aims...
Eminente Unveils Second Gran Reserva Rum
Eminente, the Moët Hennessy‑owned Cuban brand, has launched its second Gran Reserva rum, a 10‑year‑old expression finished for four months in Sauternes wine casks. The spirit emerges at 43.2% ABV, higher than typical Cuban rums, and showcases honey, apricot, tropical...
Alberta Aims for Whisky Definition
Alberta introduced Bill 24, the Alberta Whisky Act, to create an official "Alberta Whisky" designation. The legislation mandates that every step of production, from mashing to bottling, occurs within the province and that water and at least two‑thirds of the...
Hood River Distillers Buys Crater Lake Spirits
Oregon‑based Hood River Distillers announced the acquisition of the Crater Lake Spirits portfolio from Bendistillery for an undisclosed amount. The deal adds gin, flavored vodka and rye whiskey, along with the Timberline Vodka and Forthwest Whisky brands, to HRD’s existing...
Drinks Firms Pull Wireless Festival Sponsorship over Kanye West Booking
Diageo and AB InBev have withdrawn their sponsorship of the 2026 Wireless Festival after Kanye West was announced as the headline act. The controversy surrounding West’s recent antisemitic remarks and extremist imagery prompted other sponsors, including Pepsi, Rockstar Energy, and...
Lofted Spirits President Steps Down
Pete Marino, president of Lofted Spirits, will depart at the end of June after three years leading the Kentucky whiskey maker. Under his tenure the company’s brands more than doubled, the portfolio was streamlined, and new tasting rooms and state...
Hacha’s Original Site to Close
Hacha’s original Dalston bar will shut its doors on 25 April 2026, exactly seven years after opening. The closure leaves the brand without a permanent venue after the Brixton site closed in February 2025 and the Bermondsey location folded after...
Rosebank Extends Celtic Renewables Partnership
Rosebank Distillery has renewed its three‑year partnership with Celtic Renewables, extending the agreement to 2029. The deal channels the distillery’s pot ale by‑product to Celtic’s Grangemouth biorefinery, where 500 tonnes of bio‑based chemicals are produced each year. Since the collaboration began,...
Gallo Finalises $775m Buyout of Four Roses Bourbon
Gallo has completed a $775 million acquisition of Four Roses Bourbon from Japan’s Kirin Holdings, returning the iconic brand to U.S. family ownership after 83 years. The deal expands Gallo’s premium spirits portfolio and strengthens its presence in Europe and Japan....
Eagle Park Snaps up RTD Brand
Eagle Park Brewing & Distilling has acquired the ready‑to‑drink brand SoulBoxer Cocktail Co, marking its first major move into canned cocktails. The deal expands Eagle Park’s portfolio beyond beer and spirits to include RTD cocktails, with plans for non‑alcoholic and...
Mucho Group Opens Bar Bridge in Sydney
Mucho Group has opened Bar Bridge, a new cocktail venue on Sydney’s Bridge Street that positions itself as a classic Martini bar for modern patrons. The concept emphasizes extra‑dry Martinis, featuring a Vesper‑style Bridge Martini, a yuzu‑infused Citron Martini, and...
The SB Podcast: IWD 2026 – the Power of Mentorships
The Spirits Business hosted an International Women’s Day panel in London, gathering about 75 women to discuss mentorship’s role in the drinks sector. Speakers including Ingrid Smith, Cleo Farman, Raissa de Haas and Roberta Mariani shared informal mentorship experiences, scholarship...
Talisker Unveils 47YO Volcanic Rock-Toasted Magma
Diageo’s Talisker has launched a 47‑year‑old single malt, Magma, limited to 622 bottles and aged in new American oak casks toasted with heated volcanic rocks from Skye. The innovative rock‑toasting replaces traditional open‑flame exposure, delivering deeper fruit, smoke and spice...
New Grove Rum Experience Opens in Mauritius
The L’Aventure du Sucre exhibition in Mauritius has reopened after a two‑year renovation, featuring a dedicated New Grove Distillery experience. The interactive space walks visitors through fermentation, copper column and pot still distillation, oak‑barrel ageing and blending, using real equipment...
Torabhaig Launches First Core Expression
Skye‑based Torabhaig has introduced Taigh, the first single malt in its core range, created in partnership with Scottish poet Iona Lee. The whisky is bottled at 46% ABV, unfiltered, and aged in first‑fill bourbon barrels with a finishing touch of...
Duncan Taylor to Host Two Spirit of Speyside Events
Duncan Taylor, a Huntly‑based independent bottler, will open its doors to the public for the first time during the 27th Spirit of Speyside festival. The company is hosting two distinct events – the premium Bottler Archive Experience priced at £200...
Diageo Names John O’Keeffe as North America CEO
Diageo has appointed John O’Keeffe, former president of Asia Pacific and global travel retail head, as its new North America president and CEO, succeeding Sally Grimes. O’Keeffe brings decades of experience across innovation, emerging markets, and brand building. The North...
Laki Kane Offers 5,000 Free Cocktails to Mark New Opening
Tropical bar Laki Kane has launched a new venue on Oxford Street, offering 5,000 complimentary cocktails throughout April. The bar now operates under The Breakfast Group, joining a portfolio that includes Lucy Wong and Opium China Town. The new location features a...
On-Trade Experts Give Free Sustainability Advice
Máté Szabó, founder of Elysian Budapest, launched *The Sustainable Documents*, a free, annual publication aimed at helping bars adopt more local and sustainable practices. The inaugural edition, created with input from renowned bars in London, Paris, Singapore, and Ho Chi Minh City,...
IWSR: Spirits ‘Worst Performing’ Category in 2025
IWSR data show total beverage alcohol (TBA) volumes fell 2% in 2025, with spirits emerging as the worst‑performing category, down 4% in volume and 9% in value. The decline was amplified by a 12% value drop in China’s national spirits...
Sustainable Scotch Distillery Project Gains £1.57m
Highlands‑based Struie Distillery secured up to £1.57 million from Scotland’s Highlands and Islands Enterprise to fund its carbon‑neutral construction. The grant will underwrite renewable energy systems such as solar arrays, heat pumps and thermal storage, positioning the new plant as a...
High Fidelity Blend: Traveller Whiskey
Grammy‑winning artist Chris Stapleton has teamed with Buffalo Trace master distiller Harlen Wheatley to launch Traveller Whiskey Full Proof, a 121‑proof (60.5% ABV) extension of the original Blend No.40 introduced in January 2024. The new expression pushes the ABV from...
Nicholson Supplies Cocktails for Kia Oval
Nicholson has been named the official pre‑mixed cocktail supplier for London’s Kia Oval for the 2026 season. The partnership will see the Pitch Perfect Cocktails range available in cans, bottles and on‑tap throughout the cricket ground. The deal follows Nicholson’s...
‘Stop Killing Hospitality Jobs’, Says Scottish Trade Body
The Scottish Hospitality Group (SHG) has launched a billboard campaign demanding the UK government halt recent business‑rates revaluations that it says are destroying hospitality jobs. The new rates, which took effect on 1 April, have pushed some non‑domestic bills up by...
Charlie Mitchell Leaves CGA for Wilde Toast
UK agency Wilde Toast has hired Charlie Mitchell as its data and insights director. Mitchell arrives from CGA by NIQ, where he served as global head of consumer insights and research for nearly 15 years. In his new role, he...
Tarquin’s Gin Seeks £1m Funding
Cornish distiller Tarquin's Gin has opened its first external funding round in 12 years, seeking £1 million via Crowdcube to accelerate US market penetration and the rollout of its Tinner Bros flavoured whisky. The company, self‑funded since 2012, has generated over...
Yeats Irish Whiskey Unveils Inaugural Release
Brand Bridge Liquids has launched Yeats Irish Whiskey with its inaugural expression, The Lake Isle of Innisfree. The blend combines 90% grain whiskey aged in ex‑Bourbon barrels, 9% triple‑distilled malt finished in Ruby Port casks, and 1% peated malt, each...