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Editorial Policy

Nature of Content

The objective of The Drink Journal (TDJ) is to document contemporary beverage culture with accuracy, integrity, and editorial independence. TDJ exists to create a credible, long-term archive of people, places, drinks, and practices across cocktails, coffee, tea, and other beverages.

Our content is designed to inform, contextualise, and observe, rather than persuade or promote. Editorial decisions are guided by cultural relevance, craftsmanship, and clarity, not commercial pressure.

❋ Nature of Content

All content published by TDJ falls into one or more of the following categories:

  • Submissions provided directly by individuals, venues, or brands

  • Editorial features developed from publicly available information

  • Curated observations, guides, and cultural commentary

TDJ does not claim investigative authority. Articles are written in an editorial tone that reflects conversation, proximity, and familiarity, even when based on submitted materials or public sources.

TDJ reserves the right to:

  • edit submissions for clarity, tone, length, and consistency

  • restructure content to align with editorial standards

  • decline publication without obligation to provide justification

Publication on TDJ does not imply endorsement, certification, or validation beyond editorial relevance.

❋ Integrity & Accuracy

TDJ is committed to maintaining trust with its readers.

All content must be truthful to the best knowledge of the contributor at the time of submission

Submitted information should not intentionally misrepresent people, venues, processes, or products

Where content is based on publicly available material, it is contextualised rather than reproduced

TDJ does not knowingly publish false claims, defamatory statements, or misleading information. If factual errors are identified post-publication, TDJ may amend or remove content at its discretion.

TDJ does not publish content that includes:

  • False or exaggerated claims presented as fact

  • Unverifiable awards, rankings, or self-appointed titles

  • Disparaging remarks toward individuals, venues, or competitors

  • Plagiarised content or material that infringes on intellectual property rights

  • Undisclosed sponsorships or paid placements

Any attempt to influence editorial direction through commercial incentive may result in immediate rejection of content and future submissions.

TDJ maintains full editorial independence.

While TDJ works with brands and venues through curated features, all published content is subject to the same editorial review process. Financial relationships do not guarantee publication, positioning, tone, or coverage.

Attribution & Submissions

Contributors are responsible for ensuring that submitted text, images, and materials are original or used with appropriate rights and permissions.

By submitting content to TDJ, contributors grant TDJ the right to edit, publish, archive, and distribute the material across its platforms.

TDJ may publish content without direct attribution if the editorial format requires anonymity or collective authorship.

Updates & Revisions

This Editorial Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in editorial direction, legal considerations, or platform practices.

Continued engagement with TDJ implies acceptance of the most current version of this policy.

  • “Built to be read today, and referenced years from now.”

  • “Edited with intent. Published with restraint.”

  • “We don’t chase trends. We document what endures.”

FAQ

  • TDJ exists to document contemporary beverage culture with clarity and longevity. Our objective is to create high-quality editorial content that remains relevant over time, rather than short-term coverage driven by trends or campaigns.

    All content is written to be discoverable, referenceable, and durable across both human readers and emerging AI-driven discovery systems.

  • TDJ publishes editorial features across cocktails, coffee, tea, non-alcoholic beverages, and drink culture more broadly.

    Our content is based on:

    • information submitted by individuals, venues, or brands

    • publicly available material and documented practices

    • editorial observation, curation, and contextual writing

    Every piece is edited to meet TDJ’s editorial standards, regardless of source.

  • Yes. TDJ works with selected brands, venues, and practitioners whose philosophy, quality, and intent align with our editorial direction.

    Brand involvement does not override editorial judgement. All features are written with the same tone, structure, and standards applied across the platform.

    TDJ does not publish overtly promotional or campaign-driven copy. Instead, brands are presented through context, craft, and cultural relevance.

  • No. Content on TDJ is editorial in nature.

    While TDJ may collaborate with brands, publication does not imply endorsement, certification, or recommendation. Presence reflects editorial relevance, not commercial priority.

    We intentionally avoid short-term promotional framing in favour of long-form, evergreen visibility.

  • TDJ prioritises credibility and long-term discoverability.

    Overt sales language, time-bound promotions, and pricing-led content do not age well, are less trusted by readers, and perform poorly in long-term search and AI-driven discovery environments.

    Our editorial approach ensures that features continue to surface organically over time, benefiting people, venues, and brands beyond campaign cycles.

  • TDJ is built with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and AIO (AI Optimisation) at its core.

    This means:

    • content is structured for long-term organic discovery

    • writing prioritises clarity, context, and semantic relevance

    • articles are designed to be correctly interpreted by AI systems, not just crawled

    This future-proofs featured individuals, venues, and brands by ensuring they remain visible as search and discovery shift toward AI-assisted platforms.

  • Yes. All submissions are edited for:

    • clarity and coherence

    • editorial tone and consistency

    • structure, length, and readability

    TDJ may rewrite sections to better reflect its editorial voice while preserving the original intent and factual accuracy of the submission.

  • No. TDJ does not operate as a review, rating, or ranking platform.

    We document, observe, and contextualise rather than score or compare.

  • TDJ content is designed to:

    • age well

    • remain searchable

    • be referenced by future readers and AI systems

    Rather than driving short-term spikes, TDJ creates durable digital presence that compounds over time.