On-Trade Reopening in the UK – July 2020
With the On-Trade (hospitality industry) being allowed to re-open from 4 July, the problems that social distancing rules pose are being tackled in a variety of innovative ways. To help restaurants maintain social distancing a contactless tableside ordering service has been developed by three British entrepreneurs. ‘Creventa’ enables customers to view menus, order and pay at their tables with their phones. The absence of printed menus and card machines helps to minimise cross-contamination. Alan Lorrimer, founder of London venue The Piano Works and supporter of the UK Grand Outdoor Summer Café campaign, has called on the government to allow hospitality operators to use open spaces and squares outside their venues for food and drink service. Around the world there have been many other unusual social distancing techniques pioneered. These include wearing ‘swimming woggle hats’, dining under individual Perspex lamp shades and using mannequins and teddy bears to occupy particular seats! Unusual ways to enjoy your vintage brandies!
We have expanded our range of Eaux de Vie, Grappas and Liqueurs just in time for the summer cocktail season.
Launched last year, Avallen Calvados has been hitting the headlines as a ‘product with a purpose’. Created by Healthy Hospo founder Tim Etherington-Judge and wine and spirits specialist Stephanie Jordan, they set out to make the most sustainable spirit possible and so chose 
The American Chemical Society has identified a few compounds, not previously known, which contribute to an 
Six months ago, the US imposed hefty tariffs on the import of some European wines, whiskies and liqueurs following a long running dispute over EU import tariffs and subsidies. Last December, the US government considered imposing similar US tariffs on other EU wines and spirits, including 
We are used to seeing the ownership of French brandy houses moving to the Far East but recently, US controlled brandies are coming to the fore. US drinks group Sazerac has released a cognac named after Bernard Sazerac de Forge who founded his cognac house in 1782. Called 
The growth in generic cognac sales over the last quarter of a century has distracted from the single most important criteria in determining the quality of a cognac. The age, or to be precise, the barrel age of a cognac is the most important element of cognac quality, yet we so often fail to ask the age question. Currently there simply is not enough information on the bottle to make it interesting. Compare that to a single malt whisky where the label tells us its barrel age, who made it and even what barrel it was stored in. It is little wonder that single malts outsell cognacs by a factor of 10 : 1.
Over the years we have built many relationships with suppliers and friends in the Charente and particularly in Grande Champagne. Although it is some months since we have been able to travel to France, we still talk frequently to them by phone and they, like ourselves, are having to cope with the difficulties that the coronavirus has created this Spring. Cognac producers and bottlers are having to prove that they are producing to get paid as the French authorities are worried about the cost to the country. Talking to one organisation, their concern is the receipt of orders as much of their business comes from the Far East. However, they are delighted to have received their first orders from Taiwan and Japan. Delivering orders is another challenge as European distribution organisations are finding that crossing borders takes longer than usual. All the big houses are continuing to bottle and ship 
As most of you know, I spend a great deal of my time tasting