From distiller to distributor, there are few roles the CEO of Tipple has not tried his hand at. That, he says, is what makes his company understand the challenges facing distribution and logistics better than any other. *This feature was originally published in the May 2024 issue of The Spirits Business magazine. Tell us about your background in spirits. In 2015, I set up a gin distillery, called Mór Irish Gin, in Tullamore in Ireland. We made three products, which were all a bit crazy: the first was a wild berry Gin; the second product was a pineapple Gin – because pineapple is the ..read more

French producer Gabriel Boudier has launched a turmeric-flavoured liqueur, created by the 2023 winner of the brand's Wizard Award Competition. Created by Xander Driver, a bartender from Leicester, the liqueur took the top prize last year and has now been added to the Gabriel Boudier range. “Gabriel Boudier’s reputation as the world’s leading liqueur company, partnered with Emporia’s passion and expertise for new product development and innovation, gave us another opportunity to challenge the talent of the UK bartenders to create an original cocktail liqueur," said Jack Rackham, managing direct ..read more

Atom Group's That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC) has launched a cocktail competition in the UK, open to everyone from home mixologists to retailers. The competition, Boutique-y VS The World, is the first cocktail competition that welcomes retailers, influencers, bartenders and home mixologists to create a cocktail using the brand's eight-year-old Canadian Corn Whisky. Points will be awarded for the serve itself, its drinkability, the creativity of the ingredients, the garnish, the name and the story behind it. The winner will work with Boutique-y's head of whisky, Sam Simmons, to bottle thei ..read more

The UK arm of nightclub operator Rekom Group has separated from its parent company and rebranded to Neos Hospitality. Rekom UK, the nation’s largest nightlife operator, called in administrators last year. The company has now parted ways with its owner, Danish nightclub firm Rekom Group, and will be controlled by its main lender, investment group ACG. Now known as Neos Hospitality, the Cardiff-based company stressed that its venues and day-to-day operations would not be affected by the change. Neos Hospitality will be led by CEO Russell Quelch, while Peter Marks and the existing management team ..read more

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo (5 May), Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's Teremana Tequila is giving away complimentary guacamole until the end of May. As part of the brand's 'Guac On The Rock' initiative, it will reimburse visitors at selected US restaurants and bars for their guacamole orders when they purchase cocktails made with Teremana. The offer will be available until 31 May and is also part of the brand's 'share the mana' philosophy, which it says is about ‘bringing good energy, bringing people together, and doing the right thing’. Customers, aged 21 and over, who order Teremana cocktails ..read more

Heard of Surfside? Being the highest velocity selling spirits-based RTD per retail outlet in 2023, many in the US have. Co-founder Clement Pappas spoke to us about the canned vodka-based tea and lemonade brand’s “crazy” growth. Canned cocktails are popular, water is wet, but as hard seltzers decline, spirits-based RTDs seem to be taking over the canned category – and a brand called Surfside has skyrocketed to the front of this trend. The brand managed to sell 1.3 million cases in 2023, in just its second year on shelves, boasting a growth of 563% from its debut year. It did all this despite on ..read more

From a super-cool premium vodka to a spicy Tequila, there was something for everyone in April. Two whisky brands released their debut expressions last month, while others dug deep into their stores for single malts with extreme age statements. Here are our top 10 spirits launches from April. The Feering Early Harvest Usually a brand needs to have its distillery up and running before it releases a product, but The Cabrach Trust is getting ahead with its first expression. The Feering Early Harvest is a blend of whiskies from four local Speyside distilleries, which has been released in advance o ..read more

Highland distillery Tomatin has added a limited edition single malt to its Cù Bòcan Scotch whisky range, called Creation #6. Launched in 2013, Cù Bòcan focuses on cask maturations, with previous releases including a shōchū cask-aged whisky and a whisky finished in Moroccan Cabernet Sauvignon and North American rye casks. Creation #6 is made with lightly peated Scottish barley and blends two expressions, one matured in Pedro Ximénez  Sherry casks for nine years and one in Jamaican Rum casks for 10 years. The expression is bottled at 46% ABV and will retail for £60 (US$75). It offers ‘notes of t ..read more

Wine and spirits producer Australian Vintage has dismissed its CEO for conduct the board deemed was ‘inconsistent’ with the company’s values. Australian Vintage, which produces a number if wines, spirits and ready-to-drink (RTD) products, such as RTD brand Mr Stubbs and Rescued Spirit Co, said CEO Craig Garvin had displayed a ‘lack of judgement’ in his conduct, which was ‘inconsistent with the values of the company and the high standards expected of its chief executive officer’. Garvin left the company with immediate effect. Richard David, chairman of Australian Vintage, said: “The board thank ..read more

Kentucky’s annual horse racing extravaganza takes place on Saturday (4 May) and we’ve rounded up 10 of the best cocktail recipes for it. Now in its 150th year, held on the first Saturday of May at horse-racing complex Churchill Downs in Louisville, the Kentucky Derby is dubbed ‘the most exciting two minutes into sports’. The race is also synonymous with the Mint Julep, comprising a refreshing mix of Bourbon, mint, sugar and crushed ice. We've called on spirits brands to give their Julep recipes, from classic mint to the more evolved twists, as well as a few Mules and other Derby-themed drinks ..read more