29 January 2024 – The 5th Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris from 12 to 14 February at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles continues to grow and is poised to double the footprint of Be Spirits once again. The hall focusing on spirits, no/low drinks, beers and ciders brings together buyers and mixologists from across the globe. Be Spirits will also be hosting a robust line-up of events aimed at deciphering market trends, presenting the most ground-breaking products and responding to tomorrow’s business challenges as one.
BE SPIRITS, AN EVENT WITHIN THE EVENT
Among the new features this year, new categories will be making their debut at Be Spirits with the arrival of beers and ciders.
Alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks (no/lows) will double in number and feature in an exciting Battle of the Mixologists.
The Craft Pavilion, an area reserved for young producers, will be divided into 3 zones: spirits, no/low, beers and ciders.
The Infinite Bar will offer a showcase for the top mixologists with 20 cocktail bars spread over an extensive, 40-metre-long bar. Three guest mixologists will come from across Europe to create some top-notch drinks: the Old Fashioned in Barcelona, La Drogheria in Turin and The Umbrella Project in London.
BE SPIRITS GOES GLOBAL
In 2024, Be Spirits is spreading its wings even wider with 26 producer countries exhibiting, 47% extra floor surface compared with the 2023 exhibition and nearly 200 exhibitors, 54% of them new [Hall 7.1]. Alongside the many French attendees, the number of international participants is surging, with a 92% increase in exhibitors this year.
Producers well worth discovering include German spirits by Alfred Schladerer Distillery, a producer of premium fruit brandies and spirits, a sixth-generation family-run distillery which has been a distillation practitioner since 1844. Other must-see exhibitor countries include Japan and the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association; the United Kingdom with Lafferty & Sons spirits; the United States with Precision Wine; and Luxembourg with Opyos.
European and American whisky producers attending include Cane and Grain International from the United Kingdom, Midnight Lab. Spirits & Co from Italy, Gortinore Distillery from Ireland, Tennessee Distilling from the United States, Distillerie Radermacher and Dexowl from Belgium. Representing France are Maison de la Mirabelle (Distillerie de Rozelieures), Distillerie du Golfe, Distillerie Castan, Distillerie Valour+Lemaire, Hawkins Distribution, T.O.S Distillery, Maison Bache-Gabriels, Les Bienheureux, VIP Wines & Spirits, Distillerie des Hautes Terres, ARSpirits, ALB Wine & Spirits, Michel Couvreur Scotch Whiskies, Distillerie Warenghem, Liquoristerie de Provence, Les Eaux de Vie J. et M. Lehmann, Maison Daucourt, Château du Breuil and BCMB Alba-Aikan Whisky.
BE SPIRITS, A TASTE FOR DISCOVERY
Be Spirits will showcase 35 types of spirits, no/low drinks, beers and ciders: Peruvian pisco, cachaça, tequila, umeshu, vermouth, vodka, whisky, malt, mezcal, pastis, prosecco, rum, infused rum, saké, anise drinks, aperitifs, Armagnac, beer, brandy, Calvados, infused Calvados, cider, Cognac, creams, brandies, gin, liqueurs… offering a fusion of innovations and traditions.
Mirroring industry trends, Be Spirits has also registered an increase in the number of no/low exhibitors, with a surge of 50% for alcohol-free wines which will sit alongside alcohol-free spirits, hard seltzers, RTDs and tonics. European companies attending the exhibition include French firms Le Petit Béret, Pierre Chavin, Moderato, Sober Spirits, French Bloom, Ousia, Les Jardins de l’Orbrie/So Jennie, Vins Becat, and JNPR Spirits; for Belgium, there will be Univers Drink, Neobulles and Nona Drinks; Acala (sparkling tea) for Lithuania; Zénothèque for Germany and Bottega for Italy.
AN ON! PROGRAMME DRIVEN BY INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY
Among the popular masterclasses in Hall 5.2 (Room 1) the Battle of the Sommeliers will tackle the key issue of ‘The role of alcohol-free drinks’. Vinexposium and the International Sommelier Association (ASI) will bring together Marc Almert, 2019 Best Sommelier of the World and Dominique Laporte, 2004 Best Sommelier of France, along with Robert Joseph
The Speakeasy area will provide a bespoke stage for Be Spirits presentations and tastings. It will offer an enterprising approach to future trends in the spirits and mixology space, featuring:
- The Battle of the Mixologists, the star event at Be Spirits, will be back with a particularly hot topic: the role of alcohol-free wine. For the second event of its kind, four mixologists will go head to head to create the drinks version of a pastry.
- A series of conferences will focus on the international community of mixologists and bar professionals: ‘Mixomaniac’ and ‘Shake your Business’.
The ON! programme in the Speakeasy area also includes:
- The world of spirits in 2023 and beyond, by Melita Kiely.
- Drinks for everyone: how to implement an inclusive low and no drinks offer by Christine Parkinson, Jérôme Cuny, Laura Willoughby and Sébastien Thomas.
- No-low: can sobriety become jolly? By Antoine Besse and Caroline Noirbuisson.
- How AI is disrupting the bar and spirits world by Frédéric Roginska.
- Secrets of a Sobrelier: the craft of alcohol-free gourmet beverages, by Benoit d’Onofrio.
- A voyage to Renhuai in the heart of Moutai-flavoured baijiu, with Marie Cheong-Thong and Ulric Nijs.
- Masterclasses by the Japan Sake and Shochu Association.
To access the full line up of sessions in the Speakeasy area, click here.
For more information and online accreditation, visit wineparis-vinexpo.com
About WINE PARIS & VINEXPO PARIS
Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris is the annual event for international wine and spirits professionals. Hosted in mid-February, at a key time of the year, it aims to offer a cohesive focal point for industry players centring on a comprehensive, relevant and inclusive range of products that showcases wine and spirits producer regions across the globe.
About VINEXPOSIUM
Vinexposium acts as a hub for every strand of the wine and spirits industry by designing a variety of relevant event formats, all year round and across the globe. By bringing together exhibitors and visitors at nearly 10 events a year, and its community every day of the year at vinexposium365.com, Vinexposium is the industry’s ally, geared to developing its sales reach. Vinexposium, creating momentum
