Hand Crafted Drinks Magazine

31/07/2026

The organisers of the annual London Spirits Competition recently met with the UK Bartenders’ Guild President, Claudia Carrozzi, who is also a judge at the London Spirits Competition.

Few people have a broader view of the hospitality industry than Claudia Carrozzi. As President of the UK Bartenders’ Guild and Head of Beverage at Cunard, she works across education, operations and product evaluation, helping to shape the future of bartending while championing higher professional standards.

London Spirits Competition: As President of the UK Bartenders’ Guild (UKBG), what do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the UK’s bartending profession today?

Claudi Carrozzi: Right now, the industry is facing several significant challenges: rising operating costs, the loss of experienced talent following the combined impact of COVID and Brexit, and reduced budgets impacting training and development.

Many venues simply don’t have the time or resources to properly train their teams, which can lead to declining service standards. As a result, fewer people are viewing bartending as a long-term profession, and that’s something we need to change.

Our goal is to create a pool of highly skilled hospitality professionals who understand not only how to make great drinks but also the foundations of hospitality, customer service, mentorship, and teamwork.



Read full story: https://handcrafteddrinksmag.co.uk/interview-with-the-uk-bartenders-guild-president/

29/07/2026

For the 2027 London Competitions there is another compelling reason to enter and to take advantage of the early bird discounts whose deadline is 31 August 2026.

Every company that enters the the 2027 London Spirits, Wine or Beer Competitions will now receive a Buyer Market Intelligence Report.

The organisers of the competitions are committed to making the events as beneficial as possible to every entrant, which is why they have introduced what they believe is a unique feature for drinks competitions anywhere in the world.

Buyer Market Intelligence Reports will be compiled from surveys completed by the competitions’ judges during the judging process.

The reports will provide essential market intelligence, which go beyond the medals and scores, to provide producers with practical commercial insights into what drinks buyers are purchasing, listing and looking for across the UK and international markets.

What will make these reports unique is that the market intelligence will not only be based on the opinions and priorities of buyers, but will also be drawn from the professional insights of the wider judging panel.



Read full story: https://handcrafteddrinksmag.co.uk/10th-london-competitions/

15/06/2026

We’re delighted to announce that the tenth London Competitions are now open for entries, marking an important milestone in what have become established as a leading drinks competition, recognising the spirits, beers and wines that not only deliver exceptional quality but also stand out in an increasingly competitive global market.

Over the past decade, the London Spirits, Beer and Wine Competitions have built a strong reputation as some of the industry’s most commercially relevant drinks awards.

From emerging craft distilleries, wineries and breweries to internationally recognised brands, producers have used the competitions as a way to gain independent validation from the people who influence purchasing decisions every day — bartenders, buyers, importers, distributors, and hospitality professionals.

Read full story:

We're delighted to announce that the tenth London Competitions are now open for entries, marking an important milestone in what have become established as a leading drinks competition, recognising the spirits, beers and wines that not only deliver exceptional quality but also stand out in an increas...

02/05/2026

The results of the 2026 London Competitions are in and this year has been the biggest and best since launching nine years ago. The competitions have become established as important platforms for marketing and promoting new and established drinks brands from across the globe.

Celebrating ten years of an annual competition that has gone from strength-to-strength, the 2027 competitions (London Spirits Competition, London Wine Competition and London Beer Competition) will be a significant milestone.

Winning the prestigious Spirit of the Year accolade was No.3 Gin, which was also a double gold medal winner at this year’s event.

In the wine competition, the 2024 Ernest Pinot Noir by Hasher Family Wines of South Africa was named as the best wine at this year.

At this year’s beer competition, Gulden Draak Imperial Stout by Brouwerij Van Steenberge of Belgium clinched top honours, taking home the titles of Beer of the Year and American Porter and Stout of the Year and with a score of 97 points it was awarded the Double Gold medal.

From research that we undertook for the organisers, following the 2025 competitions, the majority of respondents reported that they had seen a positive impact in sales as a result of becoming medal winners.

Follow this link for the full story: https://lnkd.in/eNRdB_5Y

20/04/2026

Over the weekend I visited Eyam Brewery's new tap room, just outside the centre of Tideswell in the Peak District, in a former print works.

Open on Fridays and Saturdays (1-9pm), at the moment, owner Gervaise, is planning to extend the opening hours.

Food is provided courtesy of Sunshine Pizza Oven which locates a mobile wood-fired pizza oven adjacent to the entrance.

During my visit I sampled their excellent Contagion Pale Ale (4.2% ABV), an easy drinking hazy ale, with tropical and citrus aromas.

I also met the newest member of the brewery, Nellie, an eight-week old Labrador pup.

I wish Gervaise and his team every success.

19/04/2026

Eyam Brewery has recently opened their tap room at Unit 7a Meverill Road, Tideswell, SK17 8PY (next door to Peak Tri Store).

There's ample free parking and it's just a short walk from the centre of the village.

At the moment it's open on Fridays and Saturdays, 1-9pm, but there are plans to extend the opening hours, especially during the forthcoming Tideswell Food Festival (https://tideswellfoodfestival.co.uk), now in its 15th year.

On offer at the former print works is the brewery's range of beers, which are all produced locally at their facilities in Great Hucklow (https://eyambrewery.com).

Food is currently provided by Sunshine Pizza Oven (https://sunshinepizzaoven.co.uk), which has a mobile wood-fired pizza oven just outside.

The team at the brewery has recently been joined by a brown Labrador pup, Nellie, who is keen to greet every customer.

We wish Gervaise and his team every success.

29/12/2025

Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur, only months after its launch in 2018, was awarded the Chairman’s Trophy at the 2018 Ultimate Spirits Challenge with a score of 97, which was the highest score ever awarded to an Irish cream liqueur at this competition.

The brand has since received numerous additional awards for quality, taste, design and innovation, and we were delighted to have met the owners of Five Farms at an Irish Food Board (Bord Bia) event in London.

We sampled their fine liqueur during the event, which we were immediately impressed with, and before Christmas we were delighted to receive a full bottle to review.

To say that it is delicious doesn’t really do justice to the richness of the cream liqueur that has clearly been made using rich dairy cream, producing a smooth, sweet and luxurious mouthfeel and a satisfying finish, with the warmth of the Irish whiskey.

The cream is produced at a dairy farm in County Cork, where their herd of cattle spend their days grazing in lush pastures.

The owners of the farm refer to them as “happy cows” who produce high quality milk, providing Five Farms with a rich and creamy base product that is consistent from batch to batch.

County Cork is also where the authentic Irish whiskey is produced; a premium triple-distilled whiskey that has a smoothness and complexity that adds depth to the sweetness of the cream.

The reason why the whiskey comes to the fore is that the Irish cream from Five Farms contains ten times the amount of Irish whiskey than typical Irish creams.

The result, as we’re happy to confirm, is a superior cream liqueur with the richness reinforcing the provenance of high quality Irish produce.

Full review: https://handcrafteddrinksmag.co.uk/cream-of-the-crop/

24/04/2025

We were delighted to have interviewed Simon Webster, CEO, Thornbridge Brewery, on the occasion of the company's 20th anniversary.

Our thanks go to Danny at Lavalette Productions who provided the B-roll footage.

Check out this video interview with our CEO, Simon Webster, from Hand Crafted Drinks Magazine!

🔗 https://handcrafteddrinksmag.co.uk/interview-with-simon-webster/

08/04/2025

Delighted to have interviewed Simon Webster, one of the two founders of Thornbridge Brewery, which this year is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Jaipur, which also celebrates its 20th anniversary, is now available as a zero alcohol IPA, which we recently sampled and thoroughly enjoyed.

The company now sells to over 30 countries and produces 80-90 different beers, including their original beer Lord Marples and original IPA, Jaipur, both of which have become best sellers.

When the interview has been edited and finalised, it will be posted here...

04/04/2025

Craft cider producer, Gravity Theory, has harvested a crop of new wholesale listings ahead of what promises to be a year of sustained growth for the brand and the category.

Wholesalers including Drinks Warehouse, Venus Wines & Spirits and Cave Direct are all introducing Gravity Theory to their ranges. They join established listings with Matthew Clark, Dayla, Euroboozer, Biercraft and Inn-Express.

The fresh apple juice is fermented and matured for a minimum of six months and is suitable for gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan diets.

Golden in colour, it has a hint of sharpness balanced with a touch of sweetness and is medium-dry with moderate to high complexity.

So far, it all sounds very positive, but how does it taste?

We were recently sent samples of Gravity Theory and from the moment we opened the box we were immediately impressed.

The tactile, slightly textured cans feature a drawing of an apple styled as a hot air balloon, below which is a passenger basket – reinforcing the company’s brand messaging, in a style reminiscent of the Victorian globe-hopping adventures of Phileas Fogg.

When poured, the light golden cider is crystal clear and delicate bubbles are released. The clarity is extraordinary, but it is the taste that lifts the experience to another level.

The mouthfeel of this medium-dry sparkling cider is extremely smooth with a subtle acidity, balanced with just the right level of sweetness. The fine bubbles reinforce the quality proposition and the finish leaves you simply wanting another sip.

This is simply one of the best – perhaps the best – cider that we have ever tasted. It is refined, confident and, in a word, stunning.
With the UK cider market valued at over £3 billion (according to the 2025 Westons Cider Report), Gravity Theory has all the right ingredients to thrive is in this burgeoning sector that is going from strength to strength.

For more information visit: www.gravitytheory.com