The week in pictures
Bacardi hosted what was arguably the most sought after party of the year last weekend as music giants Calvni Harris, Ellie Goulding and Kendrick Lemar headed to the Bermuda Triangle along with 1,862 special guests for the Bacardi Triangle three-day music spectacular. World-class DJs entertained revellers with poolside sets, while AC Slater headlined a Black Magic Halloween party that continued into the early hours of the morning. It was the most recent event from Bacardi as part of its Untameable Since 1862 campaign.
The red carpet was rolled out this week for James Bond Casino Royale actress Eva Green as Campari officially launched its 1015 calendar based on the theme “mythology mixology”. To mark the occasion, TV presenter Lisa Snowden hosted a live Q&A session with Green, who was joined on stage by photographer Julia Fullerton-Batten and Bob Kunze-Conceqitz, CEO of Gruppo Capari.
Held at London’s Shoreditch Studios, the interior for the Campari calendar 2015 launch was adorned with the images representing each month of Eva Green’s Campari calendar, as well as cocktails encased in bell jars upon which the theme for each month was decided.
The Lord Mayor of the City of London Fiona Woolf attended the launch of a new gin expression from the City of London Distillery, Square Mile.
According to SB editor Becky Paskin, the Tiffon Cognac warehouses are not only home to some very delicate and fruit Cognacs, they also house the largest number of spiders of any warehouse we’ve seen.
The Tiffon museum at its headquarters in Jarnac, France, is full of rare and antique Cognacs, some of which date back to pre-phylloxera.
A Cognac dating back to 1848 was unearthed in the Tiffon Museum in Jarnac, which aside from a little mustiness and cloudiness, was full of vibrant fruit flavours and depth.
After numerous regional heats all over Europe, the winner of The Poshmakers’ 2014 Putting Pen to Shaker cocktail competition was Chelsie Bailey, of Milk and Thistle, Bristol. Tasked with creating an original literary-inspired cocktail using two products from The Poshmakers’ range, Bailey impressed the juding panel with her creation Treasure Ishland, made from Virgin Gorda rum, Ish Gin, lime sherbet, homemade port syrup and Brunel IPA.
Diageo Global Travel and Middle East (GTME) has appointed Barbara Bajorat as regional director for Europe, who will spearhead the drinks firm’s “ambitious” growth strategy for travel retail in Europe and Russia.
Bloom Gin arranged a pop-up bar at the launch of The Belsfield Hotel in Lake Windermere where it hosted a 1920’s evening filled with feathers, sequins, flapper girls and stilt walkers, plus of course an abundance of Bloom Gin and Rose Lemonade for guests.
International drinks company Quintessential Brands made a new senior appointment this week in the form of William Ovens, who joined the team as International Commercial Director. As well as helping to expand the company’s global travel retail opportunities, Ovens will also lead the international Quintessential Brands Area Directors in Asia Pacific, Europe, Russia and the US from a UK base.
The Balvenie travelled to Toronto for the Canadian Whisky Show last week and while there, Dennis McBain, the brand’s coppersmith for the past 58 years, and David Mair, distillery ambassador, were invited to part words of wisdom over the airs of one of Canada’s radio stations.
Bartender Penelope Mcmylor of Cane & Grain, in Manchester, was crowned the winner if Chairman’s Reserve In-House cocktail competition with her creation the Joan Fizz, made from Chairman’s Reserve White Label, peach puree, homemade Tetley tea syrup, egg white, lemon juice and teapot bitters.
Proving pop-up bars are not just for warmer weather, Latin-American restaurant and bar Floridita has launched the Patagonian-inspired Soho Ski and Rum Chalet pop-up bar emulating the Argentinian ski season for winter, which will be open from 11 November until February. Guests can enjoy a selection of hot cocktails, including the Ski Break made with hot chocolate, five-year plantation rum, chocolate liqueur and cinnamon.
Just Drinks editor Olly Wehring and Lucy Britner of Square Meal were hard at work last night judging entries into the third annual The Alan Lodge International Young Spirits Writer of the Year Award 2014.
