Ahead of The Wine & Spirits Show next month, The Spirits Business has highlighted the unmissable masterclasses, products and exhibitors to look out for.

The Royal Horseguards Hotel in London will once again play host to The Wine & Spirits Show

Key influencers and enthusiasts in the international drinks trade will head to The Royal Horseguards Hotel in London for leading industry event The Wine & Spirits Show.

Following a successful debut last year, The Wine & Spirits Show will be held on 12 and 13 April in collaboration between The Spirits Business and sister title the drinks business.

There will be two dedicated halls – one for spirits and one for wine – where guests can explore an array of producers spanning gin, whisky, rum, Cognac and more.

Exhibitors already announced for the show include independent Scotch whisky producer Angus Dundee Distillers, Hamburg-based Knut Hansen Dry Gin and Dutch drinks firm De Kuyper.

The trade will be welcome from 2-5pm on Friday. To register for the trade session, click here.

The event will open to consumers from 2-9pm on Friday and 1-8pm on Saturday.

Below, we round up some highlights of this year’s Wine & Spirits Show. 

The Global Masters Spirits Zone

The Global Masters Zones will be run by The Spirits Business and the drinks business teams who will be on hand to guide consumer and trade visitors through the diverse collection of award-winning spirits and wines. 

The Global Masters Spirits Zone will give visitors the chance to taste an array of spirits from Cornwall distillery Pocketful of Stones, a coconut-flavoured rum from Cloudbreak Spirits and a gin made from seasonal botanicals from Scotland’s Orkney Gin Company.

Masterclasses

There will also be a series of free trade masterclasses on both days, held by leading spirits industry experts. All spirits masterclasses will be held in the Meston Suite

Agave spirits expert Jesse Estes will host ‘Welcome to the Wonderful World of Agave: discover Tequila, mezcal, raicilla, and more’, while SB editor Amy Hopkins will hold a seminar on how experts blind taste a wide array of spirits and explain how medals are awarded in The Global Spirits Masters.

A number of wine and beer masterclasses will also be on offer on both days, including a Champagne Pol Roger masterclass.

For details of the free trade masterclasses, click here.

New Products Zone

The New Products Zone is set to be one of the main attractions of the event, showcasing cutting-edge and innovative new expressions.

Manned by The Spirits Business and the drinks business teams, an array of new products will be available to sample including Weedka, a vodka infused with cannabis oil.

The Gin and Tonic Bar

Gin lovers can enjoy a selection of leading brands at the Gin and Tonic bar, which will be located in the Churchill’s Bar within the Royal Horseguards Hotel.

Guests will have the opportunity to taste a number of gins including Scottish brand Orkney Gin Rhubarb Old Tom, Germany’s Knut Hansen Dry Gin, Cornwall-based Caspyn Dry Gin and London brand Fatty’s Organic Gin.