Annual Event & Expo, whose updated brand is an acronym for Food Improved by Research, Science and Technology, will take place July 10-13 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Paris-based VIVANT debuts as an interactive online platform to connect winemakers, consumers and expert wine advisers in streaming Live Experiences. The platform blends engaging interaction, personalized education and lively entertainment by transporting members to iconic wine regions without leaving home, according to the company.

The “1796 Virtual Holiday Speakeasy” gives consumers the opportunity to attend a virtual cocktail class from November through January. 

This holiday season, you can bring the tastes of tropical paradise home with a personalized virtual mixology class hosted by rum experts from Puerto Rico’s Casa Bacardi. 

A survey released by Bacardi USA, shows that consumers will plan for more virtual holiday celebrations, but that festive cocktails will be a key component.

For wineries and independent craft spirit and beer producers, taprooms, tasting rooms and tours have long encouraged trial and experimentation, helping these entrepreneurs become beacons of community and camaraderie. Yet, to drive sales during the past six months, beverage brands have been forced to pivot and use other avenues such as eCommerce and direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping with overall positive results.

Jack Daniel’s, a brand of Brown-Forman Corp., Louisville, Ky., is bringing artists straight to living rooms everywhere with “Crash the Couch,” a virtual music festival streaming Aug. 14-15 at 8 p.m. ET in support of musicians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Brittany Howard of the Alabama Shakes, Cold War Kids and Nathaniel Rateliff will headline.