Cask Liquid Marketing marks 15 years with spirits showcase

As Cask prepares for its 2026 Showcase in Shoreditch, co-founders Stuart Ekins and Richard Herbet reflect on 15 years of brand building — and why patience is perhaps the biggest challenge in todays drinks market. 

Cask Liquid Marketing will celebrate its 15th anniversary at the fifth edition of its annual Cask Showcase on Wednesday 4 March 2026 at Kachette Shoreditch.

The event will once again bring together on-trade and off-trade professionals to taste across Cask’s premium spirits portfolio, meet founders and brand owners, and attend a series of expert-led masterclasses.

But as co-founders Stuart Ekins and Richard Herbet mark the milestone, both say the wider trading landscape looks markedly different from when they launched the business in 2011.

“It’s a different kind of hard”

Asked whether it is harder to build a premium brand now than 15 years ago, Ekins told db: “I think it’s a different kind of hard.”

He explained that while the early days required “a lot of shoe leather” and time spent building relationships face-to-face, competition is now far more intense. “Back then… there was probably less competition, so you had more time with decision makers in bars,” he said. “Now I think it’s harder because there’s so much competition and the market’s so compressed.”

Herbet agreed, describing today’s landscape as “a very, very custom market now than it was 15 years ago”. He noted that there is significantly more outside investment entering drinks, but that capital alone does not guarantee success.

“You’ve got to have all the boxes ticked — leadership team, category choice, liquid, USP, production, investment, provenance, packaging, the X factor to engage with consumers,” he said.

Crucially, both founders highlighted patience as the most underestimated factor among emerging brands.

“The biggest problem, I would say, is patience,” said Ekins. “There’s no easy fix. Even if you’ve got a network and relationships that you’ve had for many years, you can’t just go to someone and kind of go, ‘I’ve got something else new. Do you want to put this in your bar?’ You have to give them a reason to believe, and it has to be credible, and the story has to be authentic.”

Consolidation and commercial reality

Herbet also pointed to increasing consolidation across wholesale and retail as a defining feature of the current cycle.

“With consolidation, with wholesalers, retailers, they’re going back to core brands on the shelf,” he said, noting that since Covid and the recession he has seen grocery return to larger formats and established categories. “It’s even harder now — there’s consolidations, wholesalers that don’t want to list untried and tested brands. You’ve got to be considering all angles from all your customers.”

Decision-making in bars has also become more commercially driven, he added.

“That decision now comes down to quite a commercial acronym of the bar or restaurant… there’s also a commercial element to that conversation,” he said. “If you went back 20 or 25 years ago, it was all about the bartender. Nowadays it’s become more commercial because there’s a revenue stream there for the business.”

Agave reQWQmains a bright spot

Despite the headwinds, the founders remain positive about category momentum — particularly within agave.

“Agave spirits for sure,” said Ekins, when asked which category is having a moment. He acknowledged that there are now “tenfold the amount of tequila brands that there ever was”, meaning volume is spread across far more players.

Herbet added that consumer awareness of agave has reached a new level. “You’ll find people consuming more agave spirits and be more aware of their tequila brand than ever before,” he said, highlighting the growing popularity of long serves such as the Paloma.

Building their own platform

The Cask Showcase itself was born from wanting more from the UK trade show landscape.

“It came about from there not being a very credible offer for a trade show in the UK,” said Ekins. “There was one bigger one, and they just weren’t delivering in terms of the right kind of clientele. You weren’t really getting any leads.”

Herbet added: “There weren’t decision makers… we were just like, let’s divert that money into our own version of how we want it to be.”

The first edition, held five years ago, attracted around 100 attendees. Last year, the event drew just over 300 guests, including more than 30 journalists, according to Ekins.

The 2026 edition will once again feature portfolio tastings spanning brands such as WhistlePig Rye Whiskey, Ocho Tequila, El Dorado Rum, Renais Gin and Chartreuse, alongside masterclasses led by Clare Warner, Alice Lascelles and Tristan Stephenson. Cask’s Paloma Cantina pop-up will return in partnership with Dalston-based Mexican restaurant Corrochio’s.

Reflecting on the anniversary year, Ekins and Herbet said in a joint statement: “Reaching 15 years of Cask feels incredibly special, and to celebrate this milestone alongside the fifth edition of our Showcase makes it even more meaningful. The Showcase has always been about bringing the industry together by giving our on- and off-trade partners the chance to connect directly with the people and stories behind some truly exceptional brands.”

The Cask Showcase 2026 will run from 11:30 to 18:00.

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