Plan your visit to the must-attend annual trade show for anyone who sources, buys or serves drinks in the licensed on-trade.
Whether you're interested in wine, spirits, beer, cider, or soft drinks, Imbibe Live showcases the newest products, latest trends and offers talks from the industry’s leading drinks experts.
Read on for what’s on offer, and check out the full programme here.
What do you need to know?
Dates: Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 July 2018
Where: Olympia Grand Hall, Olympia Exhibition Centre, London, W14 8UX
How to visit: To register for tickets click here
The Centre Stage
This year’s line-up sees cider ambassador Tom Oliver pit his favourite four bottles against a selection picked by Aspall’s eigth-generation cidermaker Henry Chevallier Guild – and you get to decide the winner. Monday also marks the tenth annual Bartenders v Sommeliers contest, held live in front of the crowd.
Tuesday sees ambassadors from some of the most iconic Italian brands explore how spritz and low abv drinks become a trend; while some of the world’s best martini makers gather to make the case for their method in the Masters of Martini panel.
The Academy
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) will be running a session exploring how the main flavours of food affect how a wine is perceived. It will be followed by a blind tasting where you’ll learn how to write tasting notes, assess quality and craft a superior spirits list.
The important issue of mental health will be put under the spotlight as Giuseppe Gonzalez, founder of the Suffolk Arms in New York, and Nectaly Mendoza, owner of Herbs & Rye and Cleaver in Las Vegas, join Healthy Hospo's Tim Etherington-Judge for a talk on how to stay sane and healthy in a fast-paced industry.
The Winemakers Cellar
Exclusive tastings include Château Margaux's global ambassador Thibault Pontallier exploring the estate's terroir and complexity of its first and second wines.
Family Taittinger's Kevin McKee will also host a tasting of the newly released 2007 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, as well as the 2005 and 2006 vintages and very rare 2005 and 2006 Comtes de Champagne Rosé.
Wine Sessions
Learn about rose’s from around the world and how to match them with food with author Elizabeth Gabay, or join sixth-generation winemaker Johann Henschke for a tasting of his family’s best Australian bottles.
Danielle Whitehead from Plumpton College will explore the future of the English wine industry, while Amber Revolution author Simon J Woolf will discuss the growth of orange wine.
The Beer & Cider Hub
Join award-winning beer broadcaster and writer Emma Inch of Fermentation Beer & Brewing Radio as she spills the beans on alcohol-free and gluten-free beers.
Kyle Sherrer, co-founder of fast-growing American Graft Cider, will also share his mould-breaking ciders – think foeder ageing and solera techniques, or hop mimosa and gose-style ciders.
The Cocktail Lounge
The Super Lyan team are bringing their Tennessee Nitro Tours (T.N.T) to Imbibe Live to demystify keg and batched cocktails and explain the techniques and processes behind the 'Tennessee Nitro Martini'.
Mezcal may be a tricky spirit to mix with, but Benjamin Padron Novoa and Jose Luis Leon Martinez from Mexico City’s Licoreria Limantour will demonstrate its different uses in their session title "Where there is Smoke…".
Ivy Mix, co-owner of New York’s Leyenda bar, will also discuss Latin American spirits and share the inspiration behind some of her cocktail creations.
Taste Zone
Join independent expert Kevin Hurley as he explores Irish whiskey and dispels many of the myths around the category, while Saturday Kitchen’s first ever beer expert Ed Hughes will find the perfect match for street food dishes.
The expression of terroir in spirits has long been debated, and Imbibe’s Laura Foster will be joined by Belvedere's Mark Tracey and Waterford Distillery’s Neil Conway to explore the influence of the land on your dram.
