Ever thought what goes into the ice in your whisky, or the tonic in your gin? More and more brands are tapping into the premiumisation trend by creating accompaniments specific to spirits, craft ales or wines. How’s this foodie revolution affecting our tastes and the food and drink industry?

Around 90% of people worldwide consider spirits to be an affordable luxury. No longer is drinking vodka, rum and gin just a means of intoxication – it's an experience to be savoured. But with the definition of ‘craft’ unclear, is it becoming little more than a marketing tag?

Brits are drinking less – a drop of 16% from 2004 to 2012 – and even 16- to 24-year-olds aren’t bingeing like they once did. Rather than boozing at the pub, they're pouring a perfect pint at home. But why have drinking habits changed? What does it mean for pubs and beer brands?

Flavoured whiskies are the fastest-growing segment in the bourbon industry, accounting for nearly 75% of whisky growth in 2012. And people are clamouring for cotton candy-flavoured vodka and cinnamon-spiked rum too. But who are these sugar-sweet variants targeted at, and is it more than a passing fad?