The week in pictures
London welcomed a new bar this week, Peony at Opium Chinatown,an “intimate and exclusive” space serving cocktails and dim sum.
Rémy Martin opened its doors to the La Maison Rémy Martin in the heart of Soho with a celebratory bash on Monday night. The house is featuring workshops with five master craftsmen over the course of two weeks, including a butcher, milliner and men’s groomer.
Some of London’s best bartenders were on hand to ensure the evening went off with a bang.
London rooftop bar Skylounge celebrated the opening of the cosy “winter residence” Valhalla Vodka bar, featuring Snow Queen vodka. Surrounded by sheepskin throws and Viking items, guests were served winter cocktails and Scandinavian food.
Our associate publisher and events manager Daisy Jones and the drinks business‘ marketing director David Hennelly headed over for the opening of the bar, enjoying hot cocktails crafted by Viking bartender staff.
SB‘s Amy Hopkins also headed out the the beautiful French city of Bordeaux to cover the grand finale of the 32nd edition of Marie Brizard’s International Bartender Seminar, where bartenders from across the globe took part in a series of challenges under the watchful eye of expert judges before the five finalists were judged by guests and fellow mixologists. Of course, seminars took place throughout the event, featuring guest speakers such as Antonio Lai (pictured), owner of the revered Hong Kong bar Quinary.
The winner of the competition was bartender Denmark-based Aurimas Mulurious, whose mix of Cognac, Marie Brizard’s cocoa blanco, sugar syrup, star anise, lemon juice and egg white impressed the judging guests.
Bartenders and guests celebrated the finale of the competition at Café Maritime, indulging in wine, cocktails, fine French food, and busting some pretty spectacular dance moves.
The OXO Tower in London has created a dazzlingly exclusive cocktail to raise money for the Fairtrade Foundation. £1 from the sale of each cocktail, which features a gold ring set with a 41 carat Zambian amethyst and diamonds from the Jeweltree Foundation, will go towards the foundation. Customers who purchase the drink for £16.50 will be entered into a prize draw to win the bespoke ring, which is worth £16,000. The cocktail will be on sale for three months.
Last weekend, the UK’s biggest dedicated Tequila and mezcal festival – TequilaFest – brought a slice of Mexican life to London. Visitors took part in tastings, masterclasses, food and cocktail pairing lessons, and indulged in an abundance of delicious, authentic Mexican cuisine.
The first Jameson Cult Film Club party came to Cape Town in South Africa this week, with 300 VIPs in attendance. Bartenders Workshop hosted the bars at the event and came up with four Jameson cocktails for the evening, all centred around the Aliens film – Ellen Ripley’s Poison (Jameson, grapefruit syrup, strawberry syrup, honey, cranberry juice, dry ice); Alien Guts (Jameson, passion fruit, blue curacao, cream, crushed ice); Alien Eye Balls (Jameson, kiwi puree, apple syrup, lychee and blueberry top up with sparkling wine); Extraterrestrial Lifeform (Jameson, orange juice, honey, lime, blue curacao, bitters). The next South African Jameson Cult Film Club will be in Johannesburg on 4 December.
