Give liqueurs and cremes some love and you’ll have the classics licked, says Marcis Dzelzainis

Premixes are the Vauxhall Astra of the barworld: as sexy as corduroy, but practical? Hell yeah! Nushi Wijewardena and a team of bartenders put a stack of time-saving contenders to the test.

Enough of the historical stuff – here are some fresh ideas to get the bartending ball rolling, says Marcis Dzelzainis

Fruit juices to take the edge off the morning after

Maynard House Orchards is now offering its range exclusively to the on-trade.

Magma de Cabreiroá is a mineral water that claims to have spent centuries in the dark.

London welcomes bubble tea - an alternative thirst quencher from Taiwan

Upmarket cordials are launching thick and fast at the moment.

Tillmans is a new organic range of fruit cordials from a family firm in Dalarna, central Sweden.

Bitter, sweet, spicy, herbal... Europe is home to a fascinating array of aperitifs, digestifs and herbal liqueurs that are full of potential for the adventurous mixologist. Alice Lascelles assembled a panel to taste some contenders ranging from 400-year-old elixirs to newcomers hot off the still

UK fruit purée brand Funkin has launched a loyalty programme for the on-trade.

As much as 78% of all spirits sold in the on-trade are mixed with a soft drink, according to new figures from Britvic and Pernod Ricard UK.

Shoreditch bar and restaurant Drunken Monkey has launched a new Tea Party Menu

From lassis and health-drinks to five-star mocktails, soft drinks have been getting a major makeover of late to meet growing demand for drinks that are big on taste but booze-free. Henrietta Clancy reports

From homemade to barrel-aged, the smallest bottle on the backbar is making a big comeback. Neil Ridley takes a long overdue look at a category where expression is all