The week in pictures
SB‘s managing editor Becky Paskin and news and web editor Amy Hopkins were invited along to Jamie Oliver’s London HQ to chat to the celebrity chef about his partnership with Bacardi for the launch of online drinks channel, Drinks Tube. Before the interview began, Oliver kindly shook up his own version of Artesian bartender Simon Caporale’s classic Daiquiri and Negroni cocktails – both of which were pretty delicious.
Oliver was even kind enough to indulge us with a quick ‘selfie’. Here he is with Becky Paskin (middle), Sandrae Lawrence (left), one half of The Cocktail Lovers, and Pritesh Mody (right), founder of LFLD Amplified.
SB‘s staff writer Melita Kiely travelled to Scotland for a weekend of whisky at the Spirit of Speyside festival. First up on the agenda, a tour of Strathisla distillery.
The whistling tuns of Strathisla, the final stage of distillation before the spirit’s put into casks to age.
A sneak peak of Strathisla warehouse where barrels upon barrels of whisky wait patiently for their coming of age.
The insightful tour was rounded off with a few much needed drams, including Chivas Regal 12 Year Old, Chivas Regal 18 Year Old and Strathisla 12 Year Old.
This week also saw some of the UK’s best female bartenders go head to head in Bloom Gin’s inaugural ladies-only cocktail competition, where SB‘s Becky Paskin was invited to judge. Manuela Runggaldier (pictured) from 45 Park Lane hotel was declared the winner after beating 29 other contestants in a preliminary round and grand final.
Here are all of the competition’s entrants by the London Eye. During the heats, they were marked on their technical ability to cleanly and professionally create a drink, their presentation skills, and taste, aroma and appearance of their cocktail.
On an adequately atmospheric, rainy day, SB‘s Amy Hopkins and the drinks business news and web editor Lauren May, hopped across the river to the Tower of London for the launch of Spey Royal Choice whisky, a new expression stocked in various royal palace gift shops. Before an exclusive tasting, they were given a tour of the Tower by a real-life Beefeater, taking in a brief and bloodied 1,000 years of history, and, of course, the glistening Crown Jewels.
Photo credit: James Robinson, www.jamesrobinsonphotography.comUp in two of the palace rooms, once the private chambers of past monarchs, guests tasted an array of Spey bottlings, including the new Royal Choice, as well as a selection of cocktails.
Photo credit: James Robinson, www.jamesrobinsonphotography.comJohn Harvey McDonough, CEO of Harvey’s of Edinburgh, which acquired the Speyside Distillery 17 months ago, gave guests an overview of the company’s history and its new partnership with the Historic Royal Palaces charity for the launch of Spey Royal Choice.
Daisy Jones, associate publisher of The Spirits Business, hot-footed it over Jose Cuervo’s new pop-up Cuervo Cantina, on the terrace of London’s Skylounge. Here she is with the venue’s food and beverage manager Michelle Daniel.
