The week in pictures
It’s currently one of the most sought after new openings in London, and this week team SB was given the chance to sample a selection of cocktails at the Shard’s newest bar, Gong.
Situated on the 52nd floor, it was lucky we have a head for heights.
But even for those susceptible to a bit of vertigo the breathtaking views of the city will be a welcome distraction, we’re sure you’ll agree.
Once we managed to lift our jaws off the floor and peel our eyes away from the spectacular views, it was time to taste some tipples.
Classic cocktails are notorious for being deceptively difficult to perfect, but Gong’s Negroni and Tommy’s Margarita were both beautifully balanced.
World of Zing Food & Drink Emporium held its launch night on Wednesday, showcasing an array of food and drinks artisans with some of the finest herbs, spices and seasonings aimed at reflecting modern food and drink culture.
As the cocktails and canapés flowed, guests browsed the barrels of London’s first consumer-facing cocktail ageing room, where they were given the chance to pour their very own cocktail straight from barrel to bottle.
Fluid Movement’s Tom Aske, pictured above, was also in on hand to explain the process and some of the more rather unusual twists World of Zing has given to the drinks.
Having won gold in the men’s 4x400m relay at last week’s Commonwealth Games, the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt sure had a lot to celebrate, which he chose to do at London’s famous celebrity haunt, tiki bar Mahiki.
On Tuesday, SB headed to One Canada Square in Canary Wharf for the Cognac Masters 2014. The day was spent sipping approximately 45 different brands, from XOs and VSOPs, to Napoleons and vintages.
Ardbeg whisky’s beloved Jack Russell mascot, Shortie, has been honoured with his very own giant canine crop circle.
Situated in the English countryside in front of Jodrell Bank Observatory’s Lovell Telescope (the third largest steerable radio telescope in the world), the design measures 200ft wide and was created by crop circle expert, John Lundberg.
London speakeasy bar, Mr Fogg’s, hosted some of team SB for an evening this week to sample a small selection of drinks from its recently revamped cocktail menu.
Disaronno headed to Manchester this week for the seventh Disaronno Terrace event at The Oast House, where the team from DR.ME, a creative design company for music, print, exhibitions and workshops, who were busy putting final touches to their bespoke Disaronno master piece.
Benjamin from Cloud 23’s Stance’s Summer Punch was the winning drink in the Manchester heat of Crystal Head Vodka’s Use Your Head cocktail competition, held at Under New Management bar on Thursday afternoon.
The competition is calling for bartenders to create a CHV sharing cocktail using at least 150ml CHV. Six finalists will be invited to create their drinks for Dan Aykroyd on 16 September.
Gruppo Campari announced its first major new marketing campaign for Appleton Estate in the US.
The video aspect of the From Jamaica With Love campaign is called Anthem, was made in collaboration with Sharethrough, and features music and lyrics by Jamaican musician Brushy One String, as well as Appleton Estate’s talented coopers. Its aim is to portray “authentic, undiscovered Jamaica”.
