The week in pictures
Bell’s brought a tear to our eye with a new South African television commercial entitled The Reader. It has been described as one of the most heartwarming commercials in recent memories and follows the journey of an elderly gentleman as he learns how to read.
Valentine’s Day might be a week away but The London Distillery Company is already busy working on a romantic Valentine’s experience in collaboration with Source restaurant. On Saturday 15 February, 20 guests will enjoy a two-course lunch, a Dodd’s gin and tonic before embarking on a tour of The London Distillery Company.
In celebration of Chinese New Year on 1 February, Bacardi Global Travel Retail created a Chinese New Year presentation for its Glen Deveron, Royal Burgh Collection, which is being displayed at London Heathrow’s Terminals 3 and 5. To represent the year of the horse, the gift boxes were decorated with red ribbon while New Year wishes and galloping horses were emblazoned on the box.
The latest music mogul to venture into the realms of the spirits industry is 19-tim Grammy award-winning producer and entrepreneur Emilio Estefan. The music mogul has partnered with Botran Rum for a multi-channel marketing campaign in the US with the slogan “The Night Begins with Botran”.
Soho’s trendy Disco nightclub has struck up a partnership with one of London’s up-and-coming street artists for an innovative series of pop-up street art. Final touches are being made to the exhibition, which will run for six weeks throughout fashion week in February and continue into March.
Artist and Disco nightclub marketing and membership manager, Charlie Herman, has gathered a talented team of five street artists ranging from fashion illustrators and portrait artists to a cake designer to take part in his series of pop-up street art, as shown above.
Sid Chen, head bartender of Long Bar at The Waldorf Astoria, Shanghai on the Bund, was announced as the winner of the February heat of The Wenneker Swizzle Masters 2014 for his savoury gin cocktail, Green Hat. Chen now qualifies for the semi-finals, which will take place in October.
Two of the most iconic hotel bars in the world are preparing to team up for when the Ritz Paris’ Bar Hemingway takes up a week-long residency at The Connaught Bar in Mayfair from 7 to 13 April. Cocktail connoisseurs Colin Field of Bar Hemingway and Agostino Perrone, director of mixology at the Connaught bar are busy creating a specialised drinks menu combining their two styles.
The Spirits Business braced the rain and tube strikes and hotfooted it across London for the launch night of James Chase’s new bar The Whip. Sitting atop Mayfair’s The Running Horse pub, the new venue claims to be “London’s home of the julep”, of which launch night guests were treated to in abundance.
Scores of people descended on The Princess Anne Theatre at BAFTA, London, for the global premiere of The Balvenie’s The Intelligent Hand. Sam Simmons, global brand ambassador for The Balvenie, was there to introduce the film for the first time. Following the screening, a panel discussion took place chaired by BAFTA-winning documentary maker Roger Graef, before spectators were invited to put forward their questions for a Q&A session with the film’s producer James Rogan, director Biren Vaidya plus one of the craftspeople featured in the film.
Created by documentary maker, James Rogan, the 45-minute film The Intelligent Hand delves into the lives of five craftsmen and women from around the world and the way they approach their chosen craft.
