What’s the difference between whisky and whiskey?

The simple answer is that when an ‘e’ is included in whisky it is due to where the liquid originates from. Traditionally ‘whisky’ comes from Scotland and ‘whiskey’ comes from Ireland, however as the category has spread across the...

What is a small batch gin?

In the UK, gin distilleries say it’s the size of the still that matters when defining a small batch spirit. In these small facilities, the master distiller supervises and runs the whole production process. Small batch gin is a trend that started in the UK in 2009....

What makes a premium spirit?

Premium is a widely used marketing term in the spirits industry. And it comes with high consumer expectations, from ingredients to processes and branding to packaging. They want to see proof of the spirits’ higher status. And so premium is a double edged sword: fall...

What makes an artisan spirit?

Artisan or craft processes are free of regulations. This is unlike wine where producers need to meet strict criteria for their wines to be AOC. So we need to turn to the original meaning of artisan and artisanal to answer this question. Artisanal: “produced in limited...

How does importing spirits into the UK work?

The UK spirits market is the fifth biggest by value in the world with an expenditure of £5.8bn on spirits in 2019, so it is certainly an attractive place to establish a brand in, due to the potential opportunities. It has relatively low barriers to entry and alcohol...

How does exporting spirits from the UK work?

The UK is the biggest spirits exporter in the world, with close to £6bn worth of exports annually, the biggest category within this is whisky. UK is globally renowned for producing spirits in many categories, innovation and quality, so for any producer this time is as...