When you’ve worked in the fields of technology, restaurants, modelling and music management, where do you turn next? For Michel Lu, that meant the world of drinks. And he’s on a mission to bring the diverse, rich tapestry of Asia, and the untold myriad of flavours it boasts, to consumers through a series of drinks designed to showcase just that.

Michel Lu is the founder of The Orientalist Spirits. A company described as the world’s first premium pan-Asian craft spirits company.

They produce a range with an award-winning collection of artisanal spirits crafted from only the best premium ingredients sourced directly and ethically from the Orient.

But for this drinks business founder, Michel’s story is far from conventional. And that’s why this week we’re taking a brief departure from the world of beer to shine the spotlight on spirits.

Before entering the world of drinks, Michel was the man behind Elite Model Management’s success in Asia, where he personally managed supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Claudia Schiffer.

Michel also created the world’s first Asian girl band, Jungk, in collaboration with music legend Malcolm McLaren.

After exiting the entertainment industry, Michel co-wrote a movie script, launched a record label, and built a mini empire in the food and beverage space.

He’s has also made a mark in the tech industry as the Asian director of a New York-based tech advisory and venture fund and is currently exploring the exciting opportunities presented by robotics, artificial intelligence, and other Web3 technologies.

But in today’s episode we’re looking at his plans for The Orientalist Spirits. Later this month London will host Taste The Orient. A collaboration between London Cocktail Week founders Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhán Payne and The Orientalist, its a first-of-its-kind event that brings together 45 of London’s leading Asian bars and restaurants.

We discuss how his career to-date has led Michel up to this point, the challenges and opportunities presented by working with countless Asian ingredients and why starting a drinks business is his own way of leaving a legacy.

It’s looking like some more excellent weather for much of the UK this weekend. And with higher temperatures and blissful sunshine, there is also an increased appetite for refreshing beautiful beverages.

And while we primarily focus on the wonderful world of beer and brewing here at The Brewers Journal, it’s important to take time to look at the excellent innovation taking place across the wider world of drinks.

So at our Brewers Congress last Autumn, we invited the team at Botivo to share their story. Botivo, which is non-alcoholic, is an intensely refreshing aperitivo with a bittersweet backbone, herbal notes and a tang of citrus.

A big-sipping drink hand-blended in small batches at Lannock Farm, the Botivo blend of five raw ingredients takes over 1 year from start to finish.

And the production manager at Botivo is Francesca Nikita Corradin. In her career Francesca has brewed across Europe and joined Botivo as a production supervisor in December 2023 before being promoted to production manager earlier in 2025.

In London she was joined by Sam Paget-Steavenson, co-founder of Botivo, to share their experiences and expertise in creating and building a non-alcoholic brand.

In addition to talking us through the process, they explained that we live in a world of moderation and we’re constantly told that less is better.

So as a result, they created a drink that brings the true craft and depth of flavour we all see in the alcohol category to the non-alc category. And this meant using real ingredients, no flavourings and low intervention techniques.

Image Credit: Botivo/Steven Joyce

It’s official. Beer festival season is in full swing. We’re seeing new beers and new collaborations at every turn.

What’s even better is that we’re seeing new breweries come to life, too. And in London last week, the capital’s latest brewing business sprung into life.

So say hello to South London’s Palindrome Brew Co.

Founded by Paul McTernan and Alin Sas, they’re on a mission to make their mark with a community-focused brewery that puts hazy, hop-forward beers at the fore. But that’s not to say you shouldn’t expect other styles, too.

Combining Paul’s wealth of sales experience working for companies such as Verdant with Alin’s deep knowledge of the industry, they’ve also enlisted Shawn Vail.

Shawn is a graduate of the Siebel Institute of Technology. Moving over from the USA, he has previously worked for Stone Brewing Co among others, too.

And last Saturday the team made their festival debut at Drop Project’s excellent Friend’s Fest, pouring their maiden IPA and DIPA releases.

So what better time to catch up with one of the UK’s most exciting new outfits. In this episode we speak with Paul to learn about how Palindrome came to be. Why leaving his dream job at Verdant was a step he needed to take and the brewery’s focus on kegged output.

We also discuss how Shawn’s brewing prowess is already paying dividends and why figures such as Elusive Brewing’s Andy Parker played a key role in setting Paul on his own path in beer.

Photo Credit: Chris Coulson

Starting this June we’re opening entries for the 2026 Brewers Choice Awards

So what better time to revisit our visit to the 2024 winners of our ‘Brewery of the Year’ category – Wiper and True.

The brewery, which is known for beers such as its Kaleidoscope Pale Ale, Milkshake Milk Stout and a wealth of other fantastic creations besides, toasts its 13th anniversary in 2026.

Based in Bristol, their goal is clear – that’s to make beautiful beer.

Whether it’s at their original site at St Werburgh’s, which is focused on barrel ageing and mixed fermentation, or their stunning new Old Market brewery and taproom, the team is fully-focused on the beauty of brewing.

In this episode, we revisit our conversation from 2023 with brewery founder Michael Wiper and then head of marketing Alice Howells. We discuss reaching their 10th anniversary, their commitment to sustainability and the exciting road ahead.

Did you catch our excellent recent article? Titled Beyond Aroma: Hop enzymatic activity, diastatic power, and fermentation control, Francesco Lo Bue and Philip Wietstock, Professor and Chair of Brewing and Beverage Technology at TU Berlin, brought together recent research on hop diastatic power with observations on enzyme distribution within the hop cone, to provide a more complete understanding of how hops influence fermentation beyond flavour.

As they explain, hops have long been evaluated through aroma and bitterness. That framework no longer reflects how hops behave in modern brewing.

So with that in mind, we’re revisiting Francesco’s brilliant talk from our 2025 Brewers Congress.

Francesco is an agronomist with a degree in food technology, specialised in hops aromatic compounds. And in London he outlined how hop compounds peak at different times and explained how brewers can bring them all into the beers they brew through a number of actionable tips.

We hope you enjoy…

The UK beer landscape looks a lot different today than it did ten years ago. We’ve seen breweries and trends come and go. But certain names have stood the test of time by focusing on one thing: quality.

Today’s guest is someone who transitioned from a decorated homebrewing career to founding one of the most respected independent breweries in the country. Based in Finchampstead, Berkshire, Elusive Brewing is officially hitting double digits in 2026.

To help mark their 10th anniversary, which they’re celebrating this very week, we caught up with brewery founder Andy Parker.

An award-winning brewer, and the producer of countless award-winning beers, we discuss how the brewery has developed in the last decade. Andy outlines the importance cask beer plays in their range and why the ongoing popularity of their Oregon Trail West Coast IPA is a nice problem to have.

We also discuss how his approach to business has evolved over the years and find how Andy and his excellent team are marking their 10th anniversary – all with a little help from some friends they’ve made along the way…..

Welcome to The Summer of Lager. As we race through 2026, the longer, warmer months are fast-approaching. And with that, so does the consumer appetite for cold, beautiful lager.

And in Scotland, one of the country’s finest breweries has just launched a new beer that’s sure to be a hit in 2026 and beyond.

Independently owned and proudly based in Alloa — the historic brewing capital of Scotland — Williams Bros Brewing has brewed, packaged and shipped every beer from its Scottish site for over 30 years.

Best known for creating Joker IPA, one of Scotland’s most iconic modern beers and the country’s number-two selling IPA, the brewery continues to grow year on year while staying true to its values: quality, independence and innovation.

Fast forward to 2026 and the creation of Ceilidh – the latest expression of that philosophy. A premium lager, brewed and aged in Scotland, it’s designed for today’s drinkers who value provenance, flavour and style in equal measure.

Named after Scotland’s iconic social dance, Ceilidh captures the spirit of connection and celebration in every glass. As Scotland prepares for a historic World Cup appearance, Williams Bros is raising a pint to the moments that bring people together.

In this episode we speak to Meet Marc Dickson. Marc is an on-trade account manager at Williams Bros Brewing Company in Alloa.

We discuss how he moved from a career in coffee to one selling beer and why, for him building longstanding and meaningful relationships is a highlight of his role.

We talk about the brewery’s ongoing success with its no-and-low range and find out that why Ceilidh, is a premium Scottish lager brewed for moments worth celebrating.

Meet Pete Brown.

Pete, as many of you will know, is a British author, journalist, broadcaster and consultant specialising in food and drink.

In his latest columns for the Sunday Times he’s discussed everything from supermarket beer to where to turn when nothing catches your eye on the bar.

And last year he released his latest book ‘Tasting Notes: The Art and Science of Pairing Beer With Music’.

Across thirteen books, his broad, fresh approach takes in social history, cultural commentary, travel writing, personal discovery and natural history, and his words are always delivered with the warmth and wit you’d expect from a great night down the pub.

While Pete gears up for a busy summer sharing his expertise along with excerpts from his books such as ‘Clubland – How the Working Men’s Club shaped Britain’, we are revisiting his excellent talk from our 2025 Brewers Congress

In his lectures Pete discussed the concept of premiumisation, emphasising its long-standing presence in marketing and branding. He highlighted that premiumisation is not solely about price but encompasses desirability, luxury, and necessity.

He also noted that since the 1970s, products have become more reliable, leading to overconsumption and a shift towards experiences. Pete also addressed how big brewers define premium, often inconsistently, and stressed the importance of consumer perception over corporate definitions.