Drinks Sector News

Energy drinks ban in Scottish hospitals

Shops within hospitals will not be permitted to sell energy drinks to anyone under the age of 16. The new restriction, which will apply to drinks with an added caffeine content of more than 150mg/litre, will also be matched by all NHS-run catering sites. The change is the latest update to the Healthcare Retail Standard,…

Climate change could leave Scotch drinkers thirsty

Scottish distilleries have warned that global warming could endanger whisky production. Last year, some whisky makers were forced to close down for a month, according to a report in the Observer, and there is every chance the same could happen this year. At some points last summer The Spey was running 97% lower than its…

Sales of sugar-free drinks are up, whilst those with full sugar are in decline. What’s more, new sugar-free variants of popular drinks have gained distribution in major retailers. “The soft drinks industry levy is working,” wrote Jack Winkler and Tam Fry, emeritus professor of nutrition policy at London Metropolitan University and National Obesity Forum chair…

Gin made from waste grapes arrives in the UK

Gin produced using surplus table grapes will be launched in the UK on and off-trade next week. Fruit supplier Richard Hochfield imports around 500,000 tonnes of the fresh grapes from Africa and South America every year. However, 2.7% of them – or about 1.4 million punnets’ worth – are not suitable for sale. Rather than…

Carlsberg UK has incorporated a duo of sustainable packaging innovations into the launch of its Carlsberg Danish Pilsner. A new Snap Pack bonds packs of beers together using an innovative glue technology that replaces the need for traditional, bulky plastic rings. The pack is held together with small pieces of a specially developed glue in…

Heineken’s new brand extension, Heineken 0.0, has been “very well received” and is now available in 38 markets worldwide, according to the company’s latest annual report. “The growth of the low- and no-alcohol segment is expected to continue  and our ambition is to be the leader in this space,” the brewer noted. “We aim to…

Carlsberg finds cheer in alcohol-free sales

Carlsberg has committed to put “a lot of money” into its alcohol-free beers following impressive growth in the category, particularly in Western Europe. “The alcohol-free brews category offers excellent margin opportunities and is growing across Western Europe and also in Eastern Europe,” the brewer noted in its annual report, published this month. “We believe it…

World Cup gives beer sales a record boost

England’s successful World Cup run in 2018 coupled with the summer heatwave and a duty freeze contributed to the best year for beer sales in a generation. Total beer sales increased by 2.6% across the on and off trades in 2018, representing the biggest year-on-year growth for 45 years. Retailers, in particular, benefited from the…

January presents publicans with a challenge as consumers embark on a detox regime following the indulgent festive season. Indeed, this year a reported 4.2 million people tried to abstain from alcohol in January; what’s more there is a sugar levy on soft drinks. However, the increasing popularity of “Dry January” has boosted alcohol-free trends, with…

Microbreweries are booming as EU beer production grows despite a drop in overall alcohol consumption, a new report finds. By David Burrows. What has been published? The Brewers of Europe’s latest statistics. Basically, it’s a state-of-the-sector review, highlighting how much beer was made and drunk in the EU in 2017. It showed that there’s been…