The week in pictures
Gosling’s Rum was the official rum and ginger beer of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series 2015, which took place in Portsmouth last weekend. The official cocktail was the Dark ‘n Stormy served at all seven designated rooftop bars at the annual boat racing event. As well as having the opportunity to enjoy a day watching the races, guests were also treated to a concert featuring Wet Wet Wet, Spandau Ballet and McBusted.
Gin Mare enlisted the talents of Tupac Kirby to demonstrate the “endless possibilities” of the Mediterranean gin brand before bartenders at Dolce Noura, in Marrakech.
On Wednesday, sb was invited to Quo Vadis, in Soho, London, with Courvoisier Cognac for the unveiling of the brand’s new limited edition luxury gift packs – Célébration Sensorielle. A delectable three-course dinner was paired with Courvoisier XO and Courvoisier Initiale Extra as guests were led through a sensory experience discovering the aromas associated with the Cognac and its Parisian heritage.
Multi-sensory culinary events group Bompas & Parr opened the doors to its innovative walk in “cloud bar” this week, which allows guests to breathe in cocktails and inhale real alcohol. Associate publisher and events director of The Spirits Business Daisy Jones and events co-ordinator at sb’s sister publication The Drinks Business Charlotte Wise headed over to don a poncho and check out the intriguing concept.
The Famous Grouse Experience at Glenturret Distillery welcomed two new furry friends this week to take on the tasking roles of official mousers. Named Glen and Turret, the male kittens follow in the footsteps of world famous mouser, Towser. The new additions replace Peat who sadly passed away after an accident last year on his first day exploring the outside world. Glen, eight-weeks-old, is said to be very timid and quietly inquisitive, while 12-week-old Turret is a “tabby on a mission”.
Whisky enthusiasts have an important decision to make – where should the first distillery in the Scottish Borders since 1937 be located? Scotch whisky firm R&B Distillers is seeking opinions on where it should be built, including locations such as Tweed Valley, Peebles, Kelson, Melrose, Galashiels and Eyemouth.
British actor James Cordon, known for co-writing and starring in comedy series Gavin and Stacey, joined Chivas Regal for the final of The Venture this week – a global search for the world’s most promising social entrepreneurs. Each year, Chivas Regal splits a US$1 million fund between five finalists following a pitch of their potential start-up before a panel of judges, including actor Adrian Grenier. Algramo of Chile was chosen to receive the largest share of the funding and walked away with US$300,000 to develop a pioneering food distribution entreprise.
SB attended Diageo’s roundtable on Thursday this week, where the group’s CEO Ivan Menezes, CFO Deirdre Mahlan, and a number of other key executives, spoke to members of the international press about its full year 2014/15 financial results. Despite reporting flat sales, the team seemed optimistic for the year ahead and revealed that a number of changes will be implemented to target growth.
Quintessential Brands introduced the world to its new Thomas Gin brand at the group’s new London rooftop bar. Guests sampled a number of cocktails (including the Tom & Tonic and Bee’s Knees) made with the gin, which is named after the founder of the “world’s first quality” English gin and some of the world’s oldest gin distilleries from the 18th century. Currently created by Joanne Moore at G&J Distillers, Thomas Dakin will soon be distilled in Manchester following the build of a new premises, the specific location of which is not yet known. The gin has launched with an exclusive off-trade listing in Harvey Nichols’ stores and online, rolling out to other stores from mid-August.
Crystal Head Vodka launched a new 50ml miniature edition of its signature skull bottle at Lights of Soho this week, at the same time showcasing its Deconstructed Martini activation. Exclusively launched at Lights of Soho, Galvin at Windows and Hush, the Deconstructed Martini concept has been designed to engage drinkers with the brand, allowing them to decide how they would like their Martini made with the help of expert bartenders. Deciding between shaken or stirred, dirty of with a twist, guests witness the Martini creation process at their tables.
