A leading
line-up of beer and cider seminars and exhibitors led to a memorable
anniversary show at this year’s Imbibe Live
Whether it was whiskey, sake, no
and low products, wine or craft beer, Imbibe Live 2019 provided the hospitality
sector with the perfect location to source new products for their drinks lists.
From 1-2 July at Olympia in London, thousands of bartenders, bar owners,
sommeliers, publicans and hotel managers came together, demonstrating the
event’s continued place at the heart of the licenced on-trade industry.
But it was not just about
beverages this year. Following an increased demand from visitors, Imbibe Live
housed the brand new The Snack Show, which featured a host of snacking
products, from crisps and jerky to nuts and biscuits.
Low/no in
demand
One of the major trends in the
current market has been an increased demand from consumers for low and no alcoholic
beverages. This burgeoning trend was evident at Imbibe Live, where there was a
marked increase in the number of suppliers presenting innovative new products
with either low ABV or no alcohol.
The importance of leveraging the
no/low movement was highlighted by Saturday Kitchen’s Jane Parkinson, who
revealed that around a third of young adults do not drink alcohol and a half of
the adult population are looking for lower alcohol drinks. During an exclusive
session at the event on Tuesday, she gave an engaged audience an insight into
the modern wine list and the processes behind producing great tasting, low
alcohol wines. Pernod Ricard’s Daniel l’Anson also hosted an interactive
tasting that proved that low alcohol does not equal low flavour, also providing
key insights on how to seamlessly introduce the category into a menu.
On the show floor visitors found
an abundance of no and low products that could help them cater for all
consumers. A highlight from the beer category was Small Beer Brewing Co.’s
Original Small Beer Lager, a refreshing 2.1% lager with masses of flavour.
Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Spirits also caused a stir within the spirits category
with its non-alcoholic homages to the greatest tipples of all time, including
Absinthe, Dry London Spirit and American Malt & Coffee Liqueur. And
Berkshire-based start-up, Saicho, had a successful show down at the wine bar
with its range of sparkling cold brewed teas, including its Darjeeling
sparkling cold brewed tea – a non-alcoholic wine substitute with notes of
muscatel, nectarine and wood spice that pairs brilliantly with grilled meats.
Spirits are
thriving
Another segment of the market
that continues to thrive is the spirits category and Imbibe Live did not
disappoint in this area, presenting dozens of new products including a new
vermouth from Martini called Fiero, and a brand-new vodka producer in the form
of Broken Clock Lingering Vodka. While gin remained hugely popular, there was
significant interest in unique new products on the market, like Dead Man’s
Fingers new Hemp Rum that is tapping into global interest in Cannabis and CBD
products.
Visitors also remarked on the
wide variety of international suppliers in attendance this year, with Tennessee
whiskey, German-made gin and blended premium Colombian rum garnering interest
from UK pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants.
Ronak Kataria, Director at The
Drinks Basket, commented on the scope of international producers: “We do
everything from beers, wines and spirits, so coming here is a fantastic
one-stop shop when it comes to international brands. We do go to other wine
shows and gin shows, but nothing is as geographically diverse and comprehensive
as Imbibe Live.”
High-quality
mixers galore
With flavoured carbonates
experiencing a growth of 5.6% during the last 12-month period, mixers are high
on the agenda for hospitality professionals looking for the best complementary
sidekick. Fentiman’s had a successful show, providing visitors with a chance to
try its latest and most popular mixers including Pink Grapefruit Tonic Water,
Rose Lemonade and Ginger Beer & Muddled Lime. Schweppes showcased a
selection of its mixers including its Quenching Cucumber Tonic Water and Dark
Spirit Mixer Muscovado. It also excited visitors with its Coca-Cola Signature
Mixers including Spicy, Smoky, Herbal and Woody variants. And Lixir Tonic,
mixers created by bartenders from the North East, shared its all natural,
artificial flavour and sweetener free range of premium mixers including Blood
Orange & Cinnamon and Elderflower & Lemon Tonic Water.
Jordan Palmer, co-founder of
Lixir commented: “The number of no and low brands is increasing and it’s great
to see the category better represented at Imbibe Live.”
A wealth of
information
In addition to the fantastic
display of products, the licenced on-trade had access to some of the greatest
minds during the show, each discussing the most pertinent issues and providing
invaluable advice.
A highlight from The Chef’s
table was the packed-out Vegan Food & Wine Pairing Masterclass, delivered
by guest speaker David Havlik, Head Sommelier at the highly acclaimed Gauthier
Soho. David highlighted the importance of catering to a growing demographic of
consumers that are vegan. People choosing to eat in this increasingly popular
way don’t want to have to second guess everything they eat, so providing them
with high quality and well-thought out options is an absolute must in the
current on-trade landscape. David shared his in-depth knowledge on the subject
by providing some examples of these dishes, some of which included Chilled
Beetroot & Cherry Veloute, Warm Charred Leek Grenobloise and Summer Truffle
Tortellini.
Another favourite from the 2019
line-up was Adjunct Baby, an exploration of the additional ingredients used in
brewing to transform ordinary beers into something truly unique. The session
was delivered by Brooklyn Brewery’s infamously debonair brewmaster, Garrett
Oliver, who explained that beer is arguably the most versatile drink, even
above wine. Garrett summarised his session by stating: “Beer can taste like
anything, make it like crème brûlée,
make it mimic a cocktail. It’ll go into anything. Beer is anything and beer is
people!”
On Tuesday, the Industry Matters
theatre hosted Miguel Lopez, the founder of Lab for Fitness. Bartenders and
sommeliers listened intently as he explained how they can improve their
well-being by making simple adjustments to their diet and lifestyle. In the
final session, Jeremy Scorer from Hospitality Industry Training put the
spotlight on the skills shortage in the sector. He announced that the industry
needs to attract 993,000 new people by 2022 but revealed more than half of
16-24 year olds don’t want to enter the sector. He highlighted ways that
businesses can overcome potential recruitment issues and provided examples of
apprenticeship programmes.
The Winemaker’s Cellar hosted
six exclusive wine tastings over the two-day event, attended by sommeliers from
across the UK. Opening the features programme on day one, Mackenzie Paton flew
in from New Zealand to host an over-subscribed Ata Rangi Pinot Noir
Masterclass, where attendees tried wines from 2009, 2013 and 2016 whilst
learning the history of Pinot Noir in the Martinborough region. Later that day,
Master of Wine, Anne McHale presented a comparative tasting of six different
expressions of Gamay, discussing both the challenges and the opportunities it
presents for the on-trade industry. The Sommelier Wine Awards also offered
attendees insightful sessions on judging a wine competition, led by industry
expert and SWA team leader, Tom Forrest.
Hot
competition
Centre Stage played host to
three nail-biting competitions over the two-day event. The Tapsters 2019 Final
kicked things off on Monday, with the mission of ‘finding the best beer and
cider team in the land’. There was an unprecedented number of entries this
year, which were whittled down to two teams: New World Trading Company and
Brewhouse Kitchen. After five neck-and-neck rounds – including off-flavour
identification, cider throwing and a beer and cider food pairing – Brewhouse
Kitchen took the trophy, winning an all-expenses
paid trip to visit the 525-year old Stiegl brewery in Austria. Head Judge, Pete
Brown, commented that “every year there is a new benchmark in the quality of
bar staff”.
Later that day, the Bartenders v Sommeliers competition
returned for its 11th and final year. With both sides entering the
competition with five victories each, there was a lot at stake. A packed-out
Centre Stage enjoyed a wild series of challenges including The Magnum Pour and
the Cascade, with the Bartenders taking the ultimate win as reigning champions.
Finally, on Tuesday, Birmingham was crowned the Cocktail Capital of the UK 2019
in the Shakes and the City 2019 Final, winning a jackpot of £1000.
Lindsey Coleman, Event Director
at Imbibe Live, commented: “Over the two-day event, Imbibe Live brought
together sommeliers, owners, buyers, bar teams, suppliers and industry
professionals from the licensed on-trade. From the Winemaker’s Cellar and The
Cocktail Lounge, to The Beer and Cider Hub and Centre Stage, the extensive
features programme was packed-out across both days, providing invaluable market
insights and tastings from some of the industry’s leading experts. We’re
delighted that Imbibe Live remains such a popular destination for the
hospitality industry and look forward to welcoming attendees back in 2020.”
10thanniversaryimbibeliveshow
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