Bitters are often underrated and undervalued, but they are very much the work horse of any cocktail bar. Often paralleled with seasonings such as salt and pepper in cooking, bitters often add that perfect accent to the drinks in which they are included.Canadian bitters company, The Bittered Sling, have recently released their bitters in a gift pack with 30-mL bottles of each of their six bitters. To discuss flavors, terroir, and all things bitters, but of course especially what cocktails they should be used in, we're here with one of The Bittered Sling’s founders and cocktailian extraordinary, Lauren Mote.

Although not as widely popular as her sister spirits, good quality rums are beginning to make an impact in the world of craft distilling. Utilising flavour and unique distilling methods, craft rum and cane spirits are re-introducing a new generation of drinkers to the spirit and encouraging them to think (and particularly drink) differentlyTo discuss craft distilling, the future of rum and the fact that you shouldn’t be afraid of their new Spiced Cane Spirit, we talk to Alexander Bell from Milton Rum Distillery. 

As the world of craft spirits continues to change and evolve, so has the world of craft mixers. The leader of the pack, Fever Tree has recently brought out three new flavours that centre on the humble Ginger Root. These new expressions, smoky ginger ale, spiced orange ginger ale and a ‘refreshingly light’ version of their premium ginger ale, open up a whole new subcategory. To discuss these developments and what they mean to your home bar, we talk with Fever-Tree USA CEO Charles Gibb. 

You might think there are enough Gins on the market but a new gin, Tod & Vixen's Dry Gin 1651, which has just been released by the Vale Fox Distillery in upstate New York, has done things a little bit differently. They have created a gin that has been specifically designed to be a good base for a cocktail. Made in consultation with three top bartenders - gaz regan, Leo Robitschek, and Jeffrey Morgenthaler - the gin is made with botanicals including juniper and angelica root without chill filtration to “retain these robust flavours”.We talk to founder Eral Gokgol-Kline about working with bartenders, the adventurers of foxes and what makes a good cocktail gin. 

While high-alcohol spirits have stolen the spotlight for the last century, Liqueurs are often  relegated to the dark corners. Yet Liqueurs are a crucial ingredient for bartenders and most well balenced cocktails. By using the produce of Australian farmers, Marionette are not only shining a light on the fine tradition of liqueurs but also the farmers that produce the fruits, nut, herbs and spices that go into them. The brand has six liqueurs, all designed with the modern bartender in mind. We speak to Nick Tesar from Marionette about their range, the farmers that grow their produce and some of the cocktails that work well with these fruity concoctions. 

If you’ve ever heard the expression 'Dutch Courage', it refers to the dutch national spirit Genever, which the English soldiers would swig just before battle when fighting alongside the Dutch in the late 1500s.Often dismissed as just an old version of Gin, Genever is actually a distilled malted spirit so is actually closer to an unaged Whiskey. Genever is one of those spirits that could easily have been lost to history if it wasn’t for brands such as Old Duff that has revived two of the original recipes.  To understand more about this spirit, we talk to the founder of Old Duff Genever, Philip Duff about the history of the spirit, what cocktails it works well in and why old Duff is worth having on your home bar. 

As you reach for your bottle of craft Gin this evening to make your G&T, it's more likely than ever that you'll also be reaching for a craft tonic water to go with it. With so many craft spirits on the market, craft tonic waters and mixers are now really coming into their own. As consumers look to better quality mixers to elevate their favour libation, a recent entry into the mixer category, Artisan Craft Mixers are looking to do things differently and are making quite a splash in the process. We talk to Mikey Enright from Artisan about tonic water, cocktails and their Violet Bloom expression. 

Inspired by stories of mystery, magic and mayhem from the historic Liberties area, the Dublin Liberties Distillery has created whiskey ingrained in the mythology of an area once known as Hell.The two expressions that the distillery has just released in Australia tell stories as old as Dublin itself. Oak Devil takes inspiration from the carved figure that once stood watch over the entrance to the Liberties, while Copper Alley, refers to the oldest street in Dublin, named after the coin that was first minted there in the 17th century. To understand a little more about these expressions, we talk to Darryl McNally Master Distiller of The Dublin Liberties Distillery about the rersurgence of Irish Whiskey, whiskey cocktails and the future of what is now the fastest growing spirit in the world. 

It's a common misconception that all Vodka are created equal but with the release of their Single estate expressions, Bbelvedere Vodka are trying to show that this neutral spirit is anything but tasteless. The two vodkas, made with Rye grown in the Smogóry Forest and Lake Bartężek areas of Poland, has been crafted to capture the distinctive character of these particular terroirs.As the Vodka catagory begins to regain momentum, we talk to Brian Stewart from Belvedere Vodka to get a better understanding of terroir in Vodka, Vodka cocktails and the future of this neutral spirit. 

Hayman’s Gin are launching an innovative new expression called Small Gin. A full strength gin with stronger botanical flavours, Small Gin has been designed to reduce the amount of spirit required to make a Gin & Tonic. The expression is said to be so rich in botanical character that only 5mls is need to create a perfectly balenced G&T, which in theory reduces alcohol consumption by 80%.With many consumers actively looking to reduce their alcohol consumption but keen to still enjoy the classic gin flavour, Hayman's have sought to create a new catagory within the thriving Gin market.With it's release scheduled for early August,we talk to James Hayman from Hayman's Gin about how Small Gin was created, how it tastes and, of course, how this new style of Gin should be used in Highballs and other Gin cocktails. 

Aperitivo hour is thought by Italians to be the most magical of the day. But it's not only Amaro liqueurs that Italian have been drinking in the twilight hours. Historically, Rosolio liqueurs were once extreamly popular but went out of fashion with the rise of Vermouth. Giuseppe Gallo wanted to bring this style of liqueur back and recerate it for modern taste. He therfore created Italicus. Promoted as a sip of Italy, Italicus is made from Italian Bergamot and selected Italian Botanicals in the style of a Rosolio.We talk to Haley Forest, the US brand ambassador for Italicus about the importantance of Aperitivo culture to modern cocktails, the botanicals in their Rosolio and what it was like to win Best New Spirits Cocktail Ingredient at Tales of the Cocktail on the liqueurs release. 

Nothing sums up the spirit of the Miami, better than the flavours of Coconuts and Rum, but most coconut rums have suffered from the stigma of tasting more like suntan lotion than a high quality sipping rum. Brother and sister team, Mike and Dani Zig, are turning the flavoured Rum world on its head by using high-quality, aged, Guatemalan Rum and Coconut Water to show just how good a coconut rum can taste. We talk to the duo about their brand Coconut Cartel, about Central American Rum and how their brand became a favourite of celebrities by smuggling coconuts in their luggage. 

Bartending has a long tradition of Brandy Cocktails and the new Brandy blend, Bertoux Brandy, is dubbed as a Brandy created specifically for cocktails. The brand has just been nominated in the top four at Tales Of The Cocktail within the Best New Spirit Or Cocktail Ingredient category.We talk to Jeff Bell, whose name you may also know from legendary New York cocktail bar Please Don't Tell, about Brandy Cocktails and why it was time to blend a cocktail orientated Brandy.  

The heavy metal band Metallica may be best known for their music but their newly released whiskey, Blackened, is making some noise as well. Using a unique technique called 'sonic enhancement', the whiskey is gaining a solid reputation beyond its celebrity status. We talk to Rob Dietrich the newly appointed Head Distiller from Blackened about the band's involvement, taking up the mantle from a legend and of course the whiskey itself. 

Best known for its starring role in the Hurricane Cocktail, Fassionola Syrup is probably the best syrup you've never heard of. Used widely in Tiki drinks in the 1940s & 1950s, the recipe is commonly believed to be lost. We talk to Jason Crawley from Crawley's Simple Syrups about recreating an iconic syrup and how it can be used in cocktails today. 

If the trend for non-alcoholic cocktails becoming more socially acceptable and widely available, we talk to Claire Warner from the UK's Æcorn. Sister brand to Seedlip. Æcorn is a new Aperitif range that is based on 17th Century herbal remedies that have been reimagined for modern tastes. Using a base of verjus, with added herbs, roots and even acorns, the range has been designed to create pre-dinner drinks that awaken the appetite.

If you've ever had a Gin cocktail while on a plane and thought it didn't taste quite right, you're not alone. Pickering's Gin has created a new Gin (in conjunction with British Airways) that transcends this problem and is just as tasty on the ground as it is at 20,000 feet.  We ask Head Distiller, Matt Gammell, how they did it, why it works and what cocktails work with it really well.  

As coffee culture has given rise to some classy new coffee liqueurs, we talk to Vanessa Wilton, founder of Manly Spirits about their Blackfin expression. We ask about the name, discuss what makes Blackfin different from other Coffee Liqueurs and, of course, talk about what cocktails you can make. 

As the world's palettes become a little more bitter, we talk to Brendan Carter from Applewood Distillery about Økar. While some people may be confused by an Australian Amaro, Carter explains that are native botanicals are well suited for a more bitter taste. yet the cocktails that Økar works best with are, surprisingly, on the more Tiki side of the drinks spectrum.