Love Drinks launches Kiyomi white rum from Okinawa’s Helios distillery
The 40% abv white rum is produced by the Helios Distillery, which was set up by Tadashi Matsuda in Okinawa in 1961 to meet strong demand from American military personnel stationed on the island.
Scottish craft beer giant Brewdog heads into tequila territory
HAVING ‘long looked on with jealousy’ at the burgeoning tequila category, Scottish craft drinks disruptor BrewDog has put its money where its mouth is with the creation of its own brand, Casa Rayos Tequila.
The GlenAllachie unveils a new look for its single malt portfolioÂ
In order to streamline the portfolio, the various limited edition series will now all fall under one umbrella range, The Wood Collection, with the first additions due to be unveiled next month.
Forged Irish Stout gets itself a capital foothold in RIO Steakhouse
An alliance of Brazilian steak and Irish stout has arisen in Edinburgh, where the new RIO Steakhouse has become the first city venue to sell Conor McGregor’s Forged on draught.
Takamaka aims for UK expansion via Speciality Brands’ rum portfolio
Previously marketed in the UK by Highball Brands, Takamaka now joins a wider rum portfolio that includes brands such as Hampden, Black Tot, Clairin and Renegade.
German beer has more credibility than domestically made ‘world’ beers
Krombacher notched up 90 new permanent draught installs in 2023, while its Hell Lager, Unfiltered, Dark Lager and Weizen kegs saw combined volume growth of 37% against 2022.
Tomintoul Distillery launches two experimental Speyside expressions
The limited-edition releases are a 14-year-old finished in a Cognac cask and a 15-year-old finished in a Madeira cask, both carefully selected by Tomintoul’s master distiller Robert Fleming.
Break out your best tequila! It’s International Margarita Day!
If you are in Scotland, and truly determined to mark International Margarita Day, you could do worse than head inside to the curated bubble of Mexicana that is Glasgow’s El Santo bar restaurant.
Penderyn’s Giancarlo Bianchi comes north to join Holyrood Distillery
Holyrood launched its inaugural single malt whisky, Arrival, in October 2023. Its second release, Single Cask Release #147, launching in January of this year and sold out within hours.Â
Tsingtao moves its UK licensing to LEC Beverages Group
Described as a ‘well-hopped standard pale lager’, the 4.7% ABV beer will continue to be produced in Qingdao, China. Tsingtao’s currently has a strong foothold in UK hospitality, particularly through Chinese restaurants.
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Luke Richardson
William Woodburn
