How the Drinks industry is evolving

We are pleased to announce that as well as operating to our Covid 19 Secure Events Guide, our core venues within the PV&E portfolio have now all be accredited with We’re Good To Go”. This is the official UK mark to signal that our business has taken the necessary measures and is operating in line with the government and industry COVID-19 guidelines and has a process in place to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing for meetings and events as well as day visitor attraction café, bars and restaurants.

Behind the scenes, here at Heritage Portfolio, we have a team of experts within the Hospitality Industry. With a wealth of experience across venues and events, we can safely say we are proud of our team.

This week, we spent some time catching up with Craig Bonner, the General Manager for Musselburgh Racecourse, alongside Perth Racecourse, and Mixologist. Having worked for Heritage Portfolio for 7 years thus far, Craig has navigated his career around the drinks sector of the hospitality industry.

From helping bar lists, local drinks producers and creating cocktail lists for clients, it’s a given that Craig has an undeniable amount of knowledge around drinks! Given this experience, we wanted to learn more around the latest trends and buzz around the world of cocktails, drinks, and all things neat.

Sharing his insight into the drinks industry, we’ve learnt quite a bit. The drinks industry is constantly changing, evolving and experimenting.

The Gin boom is still most definitely in full-swing, and from what we’ve gathered, it’s not going to be ending any time soon. If we look back to just 4 years ago, we have seen a huge amount of Gin Distilleries starting up across the country. Crafting and creating, some niche and distinctive styles of gin, we have now three times the amount of Gin Distilleries in the UK? There are currently over 360 based in the UK, all of which are creating different styles and concoctions, we will certainly be seeing this craze go on for a  while. With each range getting bigger and broader, there are a whole host of styles and flavours to choose from.

Another interesting area within the drinks industry, is the current ‘hottest’ drinks to hit our bars this summer  Vermouth bars are popping up across England, with some of the new and contemporary styles becoming just as crafty as Gin initially did. In fact, Vermouth drinks are far more than what we recall it to be…that old, dusty green bottle of martini sitting in the cupboards. It’s fair to even go as far as to say, that Vermouth is now being labelled as the new G&T, with half the amount of alcohol and sugar than the traditional drink – a true God send for anyone that’s on a health kick!

Whilst this insight into the drinks industry is built up of having worked in it for a vast amount of time, it is important to note that being a member for the Champagne Academy has formed Craig’s passion. The Champagne Academy has the agenda to educate people within the Hospitality industry all about, you guessed it, Champagne. Going far further than flavours and names, the aim is to foster those within the academy, to appreciate the 16 Grande Marque Champagne Houses. With many different styles and flavours in the Champagne world to choose from, Craig’s favourite is the blanc de blanc. With a prominent recognition for being trendy, the blanc de blanc elevates a traditional glass of champagne, thanks to its fruity, citrusy, and refreshing flavour. Making it a perfect pairing for Seafood, and Sunny weather!

For those interested in learning more about the Champagne academy, then be sure to check out the 2020 Harvest event!