There is something worth noticing in the fact that one of Germany’s more unusual autumn festivals took place without alcohol. OkSoberfest, which debuted in October 2026 at Kulturbrauerei in Berlin, brought together live music, family activities, tastings and entertainment in an entirely alcohol-free format. Rather than an event designed for people who simply avoid alcohol, […]
In many European markets, spirits volumes are under pressure, and the on-trade — bars, restaurants, hotels and cocktail venues — remains strategically important for brands. Not because it delivers the biggest volumes, but because it does something other channels struggle to replicate: placing a product in the right setting, in front of the right person, […]
Some changes in tea happen quietly, but they still tell you a lot about how the category is being rethought. In ready-to-drink iced tea, some brands are working with lower-sugar formulas and tea-forward flavour profiles. In the world of matcha, the chasen, the traditional bamboo whisk from Japan’s Nara region, is appearing in forms that […]
One of the most interesting conversations around cocktails right now is not really about ingredients, but about format. In the United States, the way a drink is served has become a practical response to more selective consumption, different occasions, and a demand for convenience that does not want to give up personality. The experiments are […]
The 2026 harvest in Italy started earlier than usual and, in some areas, has already imposed a rhythm that would have felt unusual only a few years ago. In Franciacorta, the Lombardy area known for its metodo classico sparkling wines, the first grapes were picked on July 30, the earliest start ever recorded by the […]
That beer is often read as deeply American has always seemed a reasonable assumption. A recent survey commissioned by the Beer Institute, the US trade association, just ahead of the Fourth of July, gave that idea some numbers to sit behind it: about two-thirds of American adults consider beer part of national tradition, and more […]
The German beer market is going through a period of adjustment that is easiest to understand through a few recent cases. Rather than a sudden turning point, it looks like the result of several pressures at once: tighter margins, softer domestic consumption and growth models that are becoming harder to sustain. In that context, the […]
There is a fairly clear thread running through parts of the non-alcoholic beverage world: less sugar, more function, but without pushing products into supplement territory. It is not a uniform shift, and it does not describe the entire sector. It is better read as a set of signals coming from different categories, which together help […]
It is striking how the same plant, agave, can support two very different ideas of what a spirit should be. On one side is artisanal mezcal, where patience, provenance and manual work are central to the story. On the other is a more convenience-led tequila, designed to fit easily into recipes and informal gatherings. Rather […]
A few years ago, hard seltzers were among the most talked-about categories in the global beverage world. The lightly alcoholic sparkling waters had persuaded major groups and independent brands alike to bet on a format that seemed set for further expansion. The U.S. market, which accounts for the dominant share of global hard seltzer consumption, […]