Spirits Report 2010

Last year's tears have turned to cheers for malt whisky sales, up almost 6 per cent in value, making the 10 per cent drop between 2005 and 2006 seem like a distant memory.

Laphroaig malt whisky is to host an online interactive tasting, broadcast live from a sherry boedga.

Laura Clark and Christine Boggis have a few suggestions

1 Stock premium brands, encourage trade-up

Only a year ago in the Spirits Report, OLN lamented the lack of new ideas in the rum category. "The off-trade market for rum has held firm, but lacks the excitement and innovation that are associated with the category in the bar world," we sadly pronounced.

There's been a big jump in sales for imported whiskey and it's largely thanks to a new lease of life for market leader Jack Daniel's, which accounts for 55 per cent of the category.

This eclectic category has done well to keep sales nearly static at £340 million over the last year, as two leading players - Diageo's Baileys and Pimm's No 1 - started freefalling.

Three per cent growth may only be just

The full Spirits Report for 2007 will be published on Friday 7th September.