Features

Can music affect the way people taste drinks?

Dave Broom discusses the relationship between music and drinking, taking inspiration form the cultures of Cuba and Japan.

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01 March, 2022

Features

What is complexity in drinks? It's complex...

Charles Spence takes on the subject of what ‘complexity’ might really mean when it comes to alcoholic drinks – it’s not as simple to define as you might think.

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10 February, 2022

Features

Rioja: the tale of the ubiquitous wine born of chance

Rioja is a go-to red in the on-trade, but this grand Spanish wine was born out of a large degree of chance. Joe Wadsack tells the tale of Rioja.

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10 February, 2022

Features

Craft cider is our history but will it be our future?

Misled by the use of the word ‘craft’ and seduced by foreign imitators, UK consumers are missing out on some great British ciders, says Pete Brown.

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02 February, 2022

Features

Do women and men experience taste differently?

Professor Charles Spence investigates whether there are biological gender differences that shape the way we taste.

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02 February, 2022

Features

What you need to know to navigate prosecco

Joe Wadsack isn't exactly the biggest fan of prosecco but his dim view of the Italian fizz isn't without cracks of light – there does exist properly good prosecco, he says.

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01 February, 2022

Features

The blind truth: should cocktail comps be judged blind?

Professor Charles Spence says blind tests make for the purest judgements. So why not in cocktails?

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24 January, 2022

Features

Dunkin' cronuts! How food's mash-up trend works in cocktails

If there are hybrids in food, what about classic cocktails? Prof Charles Spence gets behind the chemistry of mash ups.

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24 January, 2022

Features

Something in the air: the science of atmosphere

A bar’s atmosphere is sometimes indefinable, yet there’s science behind the harnessing of the senses. Professor Charles Spence investigates.

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20 January, 2022

Features

Dave Broom on the "changing discussion" around scotch blends

Are scotch blends becoming sexy? Dave Broom discovers a changing world at the new Johnnie Walker Experience Centre in Edinburgh.

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12 January, 2022

Features

The rise of the mid-proof spirit category

There’s been no, there’s been low, and now there is a new mid-proof drinks category taking shape. Millie Milliken explores the rise of the ‘light’ spirit, and how it translates into bars.

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05 January, 2022

Features

Exploring... Mastiha

In the first of a new series on little-known liquids, Laura Foster sets her sights on Greek liqueur mastiha

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17 December, 2021

Features

The remaking of mixto

Are bartenders and consumers unnecessarily prejudiced against mixto, or could the variety’s re-emergence in the UK threaten the hard-won success of the 100% agave-led tequila category? Amy Hopkins investigates.

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17 December, 2021

Features

Staff shortages: bridging the gap

Delving into the staffing shortage, Oli Dodd looks to how we cope as employers and employees in the busy months ahead.

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09 December, 2021

Features

Five champagnes for Christmas and New Year Eve

Joe Wadsack gives us his Christmas list of five champagnes everyone should know.

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24 November, 2021

Features

How to stay mindful in the run up to Christmas

La Maison Wellness founder and Mindful Cocktails creator Camille Vidal suggests ways to look after your mental and physical health throughout the hectic festive season.

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23 November, 2021

Features

A guide to the rotary evaporator

In the first of a new series, physics professor and cocktail writer Shane Eaton explains the science behind modern mixology methods. Where better to start than the rotary evaporator?

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11 November, 2021

Features

Freshness in drinks - what does it actually mean?

Freshness is on-trend, but what exactly does the word mean? Professor Charles Spence navigates the subject in search of a brave new world.

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11 November, 2021

Features

Mindset matters: tips on finding success and fulfilment in hospitality

Adam Smith, from A-Game Consultancy and Hospitality Wellness, breaks down the ingredients and conditions needed for you to find success in the hospitality industry.

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10 November, 2021

Features

Green stills - how scotch is aiming for net zero

Dave Broom reports on the progress being made by forward-thinking whisky producers aiming to reduce their environmental impact.

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05 November, 2021

Features

Why apple juice content is cider's core issue

Pete Brown lifts the lid on cider-making practices, revealing the shocking truth about juice content.

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04 November, 2021

Features

Cuban rum - the fast-growing category with regional diversity

Unlike most other countries with a presence in the category, Cuba has a very precise method when it comes to making rums, producing terroir-driven styles from around the island. Ian Burrell has the details

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04 November, 2021

Features

The psychology of menu typefaces

There is growing awareness of how the shape and style of typefaces and logos can influence consumers’ perceptions of tastes and aromas. Prof. Charles Spence dives into the mysterious world of synaesthesia

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04 November, 2021

Features

The hunt for grapefruit soda

In search of the perfect Paloma, Laura Foster teamed up with The Distillery's Jake Burger to get critical on the vital citrus ingredient.

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28 October, 2021

Features

Labelling theory - could bottle information be about to change?

Tim Etherington-Judge of Healthy Hospo and calvados brand Avallen explains how great changes to spirits labelling are afoot.

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19 October, 2021

Features

Beyond bubbles: a guide to English still wines

English still wines have famously lagged behind their fizzy counterparts, but Joe Wadsack says things are on the cusp of change.

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14 October, 2021

Features

Does size matter? Growth and acquisitions in craft beer

Should craft breweries be vilified for selling out to established players? Pete Brown thinks not.

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20 September, 2021

Features

The other fortified: Madeira wine explained

In researching Madeira, Joe Wadsack debunks some of the myths to find a rich, fresh wine that complements many cocktails.

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20 September, 2021

Features

How to use a centrifuge

Up next in Professor Shane Eaton's white-coat lab tour is the centrifuge – an expensive piece of kit, but one that produces compelling results, he says.

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16 September, 2021

Features

The science of flavour pairing

Prof Charles Spence delves into the mysterious world of food and drink matching.

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16 September, 2021