Champagne in a can: Can RTD attract new consumers?
Tavern’s Cannes Royale Champagne cocktails highlights the opportunities and challenges of bringing a premium wine category into more informal drinking occasions
Wine
€5m wine heist sees 30,000 bottles stolen from famous Italian winery
Italian media reports that thieves have stolen 30,000 bottles of wine from a prestigious winery.
New product development
New beverage launches: Grey Goose, MOMO and more...
From premium spirits and craft soft drinks to wine and rum, brands are using flavour innovation, provenance and limited editions to drive interest across multiple beverage categories
IWSR: Emerging spirits categories reshape global travel retail market
Traditional spirits categories are coming under increasing pressure in global travel retail (GTR), as shoppers progressively turn to emerging segments, including tequila, and Japanese and Irish whiskey.
New beverage launches: Cherry rosé, Twinings, Bruichladdich and more…
From cherry rosé and high-protein oat drinks to super-heavily peated whisky and sessionable craft beer, leading drinks brands are expanding portfolios to meet evolving consumer demands
How wine can adapt to a changing climate
Wine is facing increased pressure as temperatures rise
New product development
New beverage launches: Rice lager, sailing champagne and more…
Functional drinks, RTDs, premium spirits and alcohol-free innovation, brands are tapping into flavour experimentation, wellness and premiumisation to attract today’s consumers
Treasury Wine Estates set to overhaul US business
Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) is set to overhaul its US business by fallowing vineyards and writing down inventory.
European wildfires highlight growing climate change threat to global wine production
Wine regions across the globe are facing the rising threat of climate change and wildfires.
New product development
New beverage launches: Kocktail glass RTD, Piña Colada cider and more…
Functional drinks, flavoured waters and gut health beverages continue to drive innovation as brands unveil new launches aimed at health-conscious consumers
New product development
New beverage launches: Capri Sun ice lollies, Nichols x My Protein…
Protein-enhanced beverages, plant-based formats and nostalgia-led activations see brands tapping into some of the fastest-growing opportunities across the drinks sector
The brands turning alcohol-free into drinks’ hottest category
No longer content to imitate beer, wine and spirits, a new generation of alcohol-free drinks is creating entirely new occasions, flavours and functions, and consumers are drinking it up
Building up sustainable wineries: from wine kegs to solar power
Vineyards feel extreme weather events particularly acutely. For them, sustainability is not just an add-on: it’s an essential.
The changing fortunes of alcohol in a K-shaped economy
Changing drinking habits and inflation are shaking up the economics of alcohol
Alcohol shake-up: Staying in is the new going out
Inflation is pushing more people to drink at home - and opening up unexpected opportunities for alcohol brands
The world’s top alcohol brands
Kantar BrandZ reveals which brands dominate the global beverage alcohol market
What makes the best alcohol brands stand out?
Kantar BrandZ’s rankings shows a 7% decline in value of the world’s top 20 alcohol brands. So what’s the key to building a powerful brand in this new era?
New product development
New beverage launches: Kool-Aid first, Absolut expands and more…
Protein-packed lattes, limited-edition sparkling wine and brand-led collaborations are leading brands into summer
It’s time to stop painting Gen Z as teetotal
At 15% ABV, BuzzBallz shows Gen Z still has plenty of appetite for alcohol. And it’s not the only brand finding success with this demographic
How the global vineyard map is being reshaped
Climate change is hitting vineyards around the world - but there remain surprising pockets of growth
Wine consumption declines: but enters new period of reconfiguration
Wine consumers are changing
Taylors Wines bets on lighter reds and Asian cuisine for Syrah launch
As demand grows for lighter, food-friendly reds, Taylors Wines is entering the category with a Syrah targeted for Asian cuisine
Why wine can’t keep leaning on tradition alone
Digital tools are creeping into Europe’s vineyards, but real transformation in wine is being held back by culture, connectivity and long investment cycles. According to the WineWayLab organiser Timofey Golovin, the sector risks mistaking optimisation for...
Shanghai alcohol warning label trials in full swing across online and offline sales
Alcohol warning label trials move into full implementation in China’s most populous city Shanghai, with strict requirements for retailers across online and offline sales channels
Lidl to open its first ever pub, as private label readies to shake up alcohol
Private label is evolving, fast: and the alcohol aisle is the next target
Top trends in beverage alcohol in 2026
The beverage industry is under a structural reset. Where are the key areas for growth?
New product development
New beverage launches: Grey Goose Prada, Stoli RTD, Faccia and more…
Brands across alcohol, non‑alcohol and functional hydration are rolling out premium innovations, collaborations and reformulations that tap into fashion crossovers, natural ingredients and elevated at‑home drinking trends
Investor profile
Xinomavro Ventures wants to drag the wine industry into the digital age
The world’s only wine‑focused tech investment fund says vineyards are facing agricultural challenges sooner – and more severely – than other sectors. Xinomavro Ventures believes that makes them the ideal proving ground for new ag innovations
Low alcohol, high ambition: Future Château eyes up demand for mid-strength wine
The 5% ABV wine has raised £0.7m in pre-seed funding from beverage industry veterans, after proving its concept with the first vintage last year
Low and no alcohol wine: What to look out for in 2026
Consumers are increasingly looking for alcohol-free products: where do low and no wines fit in?
Brown Brothers taps fruity spritzes to recruit new wine drinkers
Brown Brothers is betting on familiar citrus flavours to recruit new wine drinkers, launching yuzu lemon and orange spritzes to lower entry barriers into the category
Wine Australia overhauls innovation financing with new fund to boost sector resilience
Wine Australia is reforming innovation funding by combining government matching, private investment and strategic partnerships to strengthen the sector’s competitiveness, sustainability, and long-term resilience.
Why Sake is on a runway for global growth
The traditional Japanese beverage taps into top consumer demands for premium drinks with authenticity and craftsmanship; as well as offering a versatile lower alcohol option as a base for cocktails and more
Gen Z is drinking again, but alcohol is still in trouble
Alcohol consumption is in decline, and not just because of the allegedly health conscious young
The rise of clean alcohol
Widespread demand for clean label is finally reaching the alcohol category
5 things we’ve learned about the alcohol-free category this January
January is the month when alcohol-free drinks really have the chance to shine. What have we learned about the direction of the category in 2026?
Sparkling in aluminium: Usability is key for Brown Brothers wine bottles
Australian heritage brand Brown Brothers focuses on sustainable convenience with its novel aluminium prosecco bottle
The most popular alcohol-free brands in the US this month, according to search data
Tracking January’s search data reveals the rising stars in the US alcohol-free category...
Drinking less but drinking better: Understanding the moderation movement
Consumers want to be healthier; so they’re cutting back on alcohol. But is it really that simple?
No relief: Australia’s new mandatory code will leave the most vulnerable wine grape growers ‘unprotected’
Australia’s new mandatory wine grape code aims to boost fairness and transparency amid market volatility, but the industry’s most vulnerable growers fall outside its protection.
New product development
New beverage launches: Elton John 0% wine, Molson stout and more…
From bold new stouts and alcohol-free sparkling wines to functional hydration and high-protein dairy, January has seen a wave of innovation across beverage categories
US drinking guidelines revamped in dramatic shift
New US drinking recommendations now simply state that less alcohol is better
Upcycled grape pomace - the next healthy ingredient for firms to watch?
Research from China has found upcycled grape pomace from winemaking can add antioxidants, fibre, colour and texture to foods, offering health and sustainability benefits
Europe’s new wine support package: 8 key measures
The wine industry faces many serious challenges – falling consumption and the threat from climate change being just two of them – but a new package of measures from the EU will make life a little easier for winemakers
How to create a PFAS action plan
The proliferation of ‘forever chemicals’ in the food system is causing increasing concern. Beverage manufacturers need to be ready as restrictions tighten
Prospecto’s AI-powered tractors aim to cut costs and boost sustainability in vineyards
Italian start-up Prospecto is embedding machine learning into agricultural machinery to help wine producers monitor grape clusters, foliage, and yields in real time – reducing input costs and enabling smarter, data-driven decisions
Bringing flavor to the front of alcohol-free innovation
Consumers want to drink less and that’s opening up the market for alcohol-free products. But at the end of the day, it’s flavor that will determine whether consumers come back to alcohol-free beverages and become loyal fans… or not
German winemakers carve out the alcohol-free wine category
Germany has pioneered alcohol-free beer. Can it also lead the way in alcohol-free wine?
Americans are drinking less than ever: The key figures from Gallup’s latest poll
Alcohol consumption has reached a 90-year low in the US. Gallup’s latest poll reveals today’s consumption habits
Sober summer: UK supermarket Waitrose sees ‘significant surge’ in low/no alcohol sales
Sales of low and no alcohol drinks at Waitrose are up 32% this summer: with the supermarket offering a wider range of products