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Hastings Co-op’s Wauchope Supa IGA Plus Liquor was among the most successful at the 2016 Independent Brands Australia (IBA) Retailer and Supplier Awards. The bottle shop not only won National Liquor Retailer of the Year and National IGA Retailer of the Year, but also NSW/ACT Liquor Retailer of the Year and NSW/ACT IGA Liquor Retailer of the Year. The store is one of three bottle shops within Hastings Cooperative in Hastings ...

Clare & Tasmania Riesling and Hunter & Barossa Valley Semillon drinks’ very own Publishing Editor, Ashley Pini, and frequent wine show judge and Marketing Manager - Hardys at Accolade Wines, Travis Fuller, recently compared the rich and steely rieslings of Clare Valley and Tasmania and the citrus-led and toasty semillons of the Hunter and Barossa Valley. Their goal was to select wines that represented both the style of the region and ...

The Drinks Industry Show will return to Luna Park, Sydney from June 26 - June 27, 2017. The event will showcase the best in wine, beer and spirits from across the globe and reconnect producers and distributors of alcoholic beverages with senior-level decision-makers from the trade. Attendees can look forward to two days of networking, master classes, taste testings, mixology demonstrations and a free, unrivalled seminar program. The theme for ...

According to IBISWorld, liquor retail sales are expected to grow by approximately 3.4 per cent this Christmas, compared to last year. A positive forecast, as Christmas retail spending across the board, is set to remain flat this December, growing by only 0.4 per cent on last year’s sales as consumers “tighten their belts.” Early indications suggest Australians are becoming more frugal this December, which will be reflected in an increased interest in ...

4 Pines Brewing Company is pioneering the concept of barrel-aged beers with the opening of its first and very own venue dedicated to creating fun and interesting brews from the influence of different woods. 4 Pines Public House in Newport will have up to 20 barrels in the venue at any one time and will also serve 4 Pines’ 12 core beers and rotating Keller Door brews. Public House Newport ...

Beam Suntory announced that it had gained a majority stake in the UK’s Sipsmith Gin distillery this week. The deal was struck to help the distillery with “ambitious export plans” using Beam Suntory’s global network. Currently, Hippocampus Metropolitan Distillery is responsible for the distribution of Sipsmith Gin in Australia. While it is expected that Beam Suntory will take over local distribution in due course, Hippocampus said that it hadn’t been advised ...

Snacks share a history in our bars and pubs. A complimentary bowl of chips or nuts for example, has become a measure of good hospitality in many venues. From the perspective of publicans and liquor retailers, snacks have also always provided an opportunity to increase margins by upselling and increasing basket size. Find out about a growing number of snack food brands targeted specifically at the on and off-premise and ...

Tequila is in vogue. And its rise in popularity can be very much attributed to the bartenders and brand ambassadors who have educated consumers about its finer qualities, demonstrating that there’s more to it than just slammers and sombreros. With any popular spirit comes new and improved ways to sell it, drink it and enjoy it. Phil Bayly and drinks have put together a list of the latest tequila trends ...

As of Friday 16 December, small bars will be able to begin trading until 2 am, while bottle shops will be able to sell alcohol until 11 pm. The news follows the Premier for New South Wales, Mike Baird’s decision to relax the state’s lockout laws and takeaway alcohol sales restrictions and an announcement from the local Government this week that it would bring the new legislation into effect ahead of ...

Keystone Group receivers have confirmed the sale of Chophouse Sydney to Bruce Solomon and Matt Moran’s hospitality group, Solotel. Morgan Kelly, which is managing the sale of Keystone Group’s venues after it was placed into receivership in June this year, said that all parties had agreed that Solotel was the preferred bidder for the restaurant, which specialises in grilled meats and fine wine. Mr. Kelly said, “Finalisation of the sale to Solotel is ...