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Top 10
The week in pictures
Chase Vodka headed to Humble by Nature’s Big Day out this week offering a collection of cocktails to quench guests’ thirst in the summer sunshine. Kate Humble, British TV presenter who specialises in wildlife and science programmes, stopped by to lend a helping hand.
Having officially launched last month, the first casks at Teeling Whiskey Distillery in Dublin were filled with new make spirit this week.
Diageo has been selected as one of five official partners of The Patron’s Lunch – an event that celebrates the Queen’s patronage to more than 600 charities and organisations on the occasion of her 90th birthday.
On Wednesday William Grant & Sons launched its 2015 Market Report at Grade I listed building, One Mayfair. Following a insightful talk from some of the William Grant team, including Gary Keogh, marketing director, Adam Green, category management, and Kirsten Grant Meikle, the great, great-granddaughter of William Grant, guests gathered upstairs in the former church building to indulge in cocktails and canapés.
Skyy Vodka was joined by US vice president Joe Biden at the Skyy Vodka and Freedom to Marry event in New York City to support the efforts of those in attendance in fighting for the freedom to marry in the US. The vodka brand’s Toast to Marriage campaign in collaboration with Freedom to Marry has strived to promote marriage equality over the last two years through a range of activities including publicised events and social media activations.
On Tuesday, The Reàl Tiki Cocktail Challenge took place at the Morgan Hotel, Temple Bar, in Dublin, featuring 18 bartenders battling to win the top €1,000 prize. Each entrant was tasked with putting their own twist on a traditional Pina Colada, and after narrowing the finalists down to seven, it was Kevin Kennedy of Hotel Westport, County Mayo who walked away with the coveted cash prize. Eddie Rudzinskas of Four Seasons Hotel in Monaghan won Best Tiki Cocktail in the final round, while Eoin O’Neill of The Reg in Waterford won Best Twisted Pina Colada, and both bartenders received a €250 prize.
Famous Formula One faces Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso teamed up with Johnnie Walker as part of an anti-drink driving campaign at the 2015 F1 British Grand Prix last weekend. The racers added their signatures to the side of the McLaren Honda F1 car, which featured the ‘THINK!’ campaign logo for the very first time in F1 history, along with the #JOINTHEPACT sign. McLaren chairman and chief executive officer Ron Dennis and racing director Eric Boullier also added their names to the initiative, which comes as part of Johnnie Walker’s global Join the Pact campaign.
On Wednesday sb headed to Soho Revue in London for an exclusive tasting seminar with Suntory’s chief blender, Shinji Fukoyo, who travelled all the way from Japan to celebrate the launch of the brand’s most recent expression – Hibiki Japanese Harmony. To demonstrate the floral, fruity aroma of the latest addition to the Hibiki family, a team of expert bartenders were on hand to create a selection of Harmony cocktails, including the Hibiki Cherry Blossom – a blend of Hibiki Japanese Harmony whisky, Prucia plum liqueur, sweet vermouth and cherry bitters served over hand carved ice balls.
Following the tasting, it was time to experience the world exclusive launch of the Hibiki Interactive Harmony Bar. Unlike any pop-up bar we’ve ever seen, each whisky glass was fitted with a motion sensor. Depending on the action of your glass – either swirling the whisky or tilting to sip it – the glass was able to control a cinematic back bar depicting the seasons in Japan from Spring and summer through to autumn and winter. While one swirling glass could see blossom trees burst to life, another glass could bring birds and rabbits bouncing to life across the screen.
Three top cruise line bartenders went head-to-head yesterday to fight for a spot in the global grand final of the Diageo Reserve World Class cocktail competition. A total to 5,500 bartenders took part in a global bartending programme, which led to a series of competitive heats to uncover the three finalists. The three global travel finalists comprised Wade Cleophas from South Africa, of Norwegian Cruise Line; Santos Mercedes Enriquez from Peru, of Celebrity Cruises; and Shekhar Grover from India, od Royal Caribbean International. The winning bartender who will compete in the 2015 global grand final in Cape Town next month is Enriquez.
We announced bartender Trinh Quan Huy-Philip as the winner of our Wenneker Swizzle Masters Spicy Tequila round with his cocktail creation Cinco De Mayo earlier this week, following a heated final at the Spiritual bar in Vinexpo Bordeaux.