Craig (Lewie) Lewis 🥃🏆’s Post

An amazing day at Imbibe Live earlier this week taking part in a panel discussion on sessionable drinks hosted by the brilliant Laura Willoughby MBE from Club Soda. Sessionable, a term coined from the craft beer industry, refers to approachable ABV drinks that allow you to drink for an extended session without head-spinning amounts of alcohol. Beavertown Brewery already smashing this category. Excitingly, the cocktail world is embracing this concept, Quarter Proof | B Corp and Session Spirit® nailing this break through. I'm very excited that 6PERCENT is at the forefront of this innovative movement in the wine world. But we all have the same problem. We are misfits. We all agree on the need for: > a reform of the Low&no category (it currently only accommodates for drinks with 1.2% ABV and below) > updating wine labelling laws (wine under 9% ABV cannot be called wine according to EU law) > creating a distinct space for these drinks on wine menus and store shelves. Katy Moses CBII from KAM Insight gave a brilliant talk just before ours, discussing how 74% of people are actively moderating their alcohol consumption. Mid-strength beverages present the perfect choice for the customer. It doesn't have to be all or nothing, there is something in the middle...us. Together we continue the journey to carve out this category. Rohan Radhakrishnan, Brad Crompton, Sam Millard. Thanks to all involved in bringing this topic to light. What should we call the mid-strength category? #loweralcohol #midstrength #midproof

Europe has consistently been ahead of North America when it comes to non-alcoholic beer. The first NA beers I imported and sold online in 2013 were from Germany, Portugal, and the Netherlands. It is cool to see unique spaces popping up for the non-drinker like this alcohol-free biergarten in Munich. It speaks to the dynamic time it is for non-alc. So what does the future hold? Will alcohol-free only venues become more common? Will traditionally alcohol centric venues flex to accommodate non-drinkers? Or, will there be a future where venues become for alcohol drinkers only? Thoughts? https://lnkd.in/gygPyhyM

5 Key Trends Shaping the Liquor Industry as Spirits Overtake Beer for the First Time #Cano #CanoLiquorLicensing #LiquorLicensing #BuyLiquorLicense #SellLiquorLicense #LiquorLicenseConsultant #LiquorLicenseHelp

💡🦊 𝐖𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏! 🦊💡 𝗪𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. 𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸! Since we’ve launched, we’ve gotten a huge amount of support from some of Ireland’s top bars and bartenders who love everything Foxes Bow stands for, and have been using Foxes Bow Whiskey is the most amazing ways. BUT, we’ve hit a roadblock. As we try and continue growing our footprint in Ireland, we keep being told by bars that they have enough Irish Whiskey already. And, yup you guessed it - it’s all the big name whiskey brands dominating the bar shelves (with the enormous budgets 💰💰). Now, we’re not looking for a hand out. In fact, we’ve some great reasons for bars to stock us: - We won Gold at the Irish Whiskey Awards in a blind tasting, so the whiskey is top notch. - We bottled at 43% ABV instead of 40% so that the whiskey really holds up in whiskey cocktails and mixed drinks. - Our unusual Rye cask finish makes the whiskey super versatile, adding a delicious layer of spice to any cocktail. - We’re performing exceptionally in bars that already stock us, with a repurchase rate of 94%. - Our margins are very competitive for the bar owner. - We’re stocked by all the major distributors, meaning bars can order off whichever their preferred distributor is, making like very easy. - The premium price point (where we play) is the fastest growing price segment in Irish Whiskey, a category that is in itself on fire 🔥 So, our question to you guys is this - 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝘅𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝘀?! 𝗔𝗻𝘆 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀?? 🦊💡

Virginia's recent legislation cements the status of to-go cocktails, reflecting a broader transformation in American alcohol policies post-COVID-19. This move, embraced by the hospitality industry, illustrates the evolving landscape of alcohol sales and consumption, balancing convenience with regulation. Read the full analysis: https://lnkd.in/gmG5j22V #IndustryTrends #AlcoholLegislation #BusinessInnovation

A fun intersection between two things that I enjoy... Intellectual Property and Bourbon. Why does your bourbon taste so good? It can be hard to say because many distilleries hold their mash bills and distilling processes as trade secrets. Read more at the post below to learn about trade secret protection!

Excellent discussion of the use of trade secrets to protect the “Crown Jewels” of your company by my colleague Bennett Kuhar.

Eleventrade Introduces Neit Whiskey in Italy: A New Chapter in Whiskey Appreciation! #Eleventrade #NeitWhiskey #WhiskeyLaunch #ItalianMarket #WhiskeyAppreciation #SpiritsCulture #DrinkInnovation #GlobalWhiskey #CraftSpirits #WhiskeyLovers

One of the most eagerly-awaited days in the world of non-alc is here at last, with the results of the World Alcohol-Free Awards 2024 now live. All the medal-winners are viewable on the competition’s website - www.worldafawards.com - and are sortable by medal, drink style, country of origin, brand name and ABV. ‘Even though this is only our second competition, we’ve already seen changes over the last 12 months,’ said Competition Director, Chris Losh. ‘The best drinks this year definitely had more complexity and layering of flavour, and, often, a bit less sugar.’ In its second year, WAFA attracted: ·        A record number of entries, with double-digit growth on 2023’s competition ·        Drinks from 21 different countries ·        30 judges, from North America, Europe and the UK The biggest tasting of AF drinks in the world the World Alcohol-Free Awards is the only global competition completely focused on drinks at 0.5% ABV and below, with a bespoke entry system, specialist judges and a famously rigorous judging process. With top palates tasting hundreds of drinks in every conceivable style, the judging days made for a fascinating snapshot of the world of non-alc. ‘There was a definite sense of things having moved up a gear, with entirely new types of drinks showing up, as well as some of the categories (particularly wine) reaching a standard we hadn't seen before,’ said Head of Judging Chrissie Parkinson. ‘There's definitely not an option for producers to stand still. 'In fact, we're already looking forward to what next year's competition might bring!' #alcoholfree #drinks #worldafawards Zero Proof Nation Nicholas Bodkins Club Soda Camille Vidal Noah Villeneuve Emily Syphas Jane Peyton NonToxicated La Cave Parallèle JOMO Club Better Without The Mindful Drinking Club Align Events Amavine soft crush Clinton Cawood Sansorium Josh Kelly James Morgan La'Mel Clarke Dupe Witherick Alex Norwood Hill Doctor Cocktail Uk Oscar Dodd Esmee Langereis Andy Mee Tom Ward Tom Surgey Jason-Candid Knüsel Helen McGinn Katie Spain