The week in pictures

We kickstarted this week with a mini tour of the London Gin Trail, which featured a selection of 12 handpicked distilleries, bars and experienced throughout the Big Smoke. The trail is the creation of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) and has been designed to educate consumers on the spirit’s history while putting it on the tourist map. Among those included in the London Gin Trail are Sipsmith, The Savoy Hotel and Berry Bros. & Rudd.

SB‘s Amy Hopkins attended an insightful symposium hosted by London’s Brand Exchange featuring Sipsmith and Fevertree representatives. Topics up for discussions included how Sipsmith intends to target growth while retaining its craft credentials, how Fevertree has managed to monopolise the premium tonic mixer market, as well as its plans to launch a host of new flavours in the year ahead, and how camaraderie between brands can help spur growth.

This week Apero in South Kensington launched a new cocktail menu inspired by the area’s historical local residents. Light of Asia, pictured, was inspired by Sir Edwin Arnold, a former resident who published one of the first poems about Buddha in England. The cocktail is made with Sipsmith gin, Brioette apple liquor, lime juice, cucumber sugar, and cucumber soda, designed to “mirror the sense of enlightening and awakening of the soul” portrayed in Arnold’s story.

Jazz and blues band Kansas Smitty are set to round off their Basement Tapes Tour at London’s Oriole in two weeks, inviting bar members to recreate their signature cocktail, the Julep, using whichever method and garnishes they desired to reflect the evening’s “sonic experience”. 

Independent British distillery East London Liquor Company has collaborated with Porterlight Bicycles, to offer an innovative way to deliver its range of handcrafted spirits to local customers. Handmade in North London, the bespoke cargo bicycle will deliver to local on-trade accounts around East London including Pidgin, Lardo, Lonzo, Brahms & Liszt, Noble Fine Liquor and Fin & Flounder, offering a “sustainable and environmentally friendly” method of transport for the distillery’s products.

Bacardi selected the three “most promising” bartenders in the UK final of this year’s Bacardi Legacy cocktail competition this week, following a close final in London. The three top performers who will go on to promote their Legacy cocktails are Iain Griffiths from Dandelyan, London, Oliver Pluck from The East Village, Leeds, and Santiago Michelis from Happiness Forgets, London.

On Tuesday SB headed to the Strand Palace Hotel for the grand relaunch of Daawat, the hotel’s Indian restaurant. Guests had the opportunity indulge in cocktails and sample some of the delectable offerings on the new menu.

Hennessy continued its 250^th anniversary celebration this week and the 59^th running of the Hennessy Gold Cup later this month with a new cocktail, called The Hennessy Crusta. The drink puts a modern spin on the very first brandy cocktail, which is often seen as the precursor to other classic concoctions such as the Sidecar, Old Fashioned and Margarita. The Hennessy Crusta will be served in the VIP suite at The Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury Racecourse on 28 November, as well as at The Blue Bar at The Berkeley and The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel Booking Office Bar until the end of 2015.

On Thursday SB hotfooted across the city to Drake and Morgan’s The Folly for the annual Global Design Masters 2015, where an assortment of spirits brands were rewarded for their stellar packaging.

Quintessential Brands’ liqueur Alizé was the official drinks sponsor of the MOBO Music Awards this week – a celebration of music of black origin. Alizé sponsored the VIP artist reception and after party areas, with bottles on all tables and music artists given the chance to indulge in a selection of Alizé serves, including the Original Thug Passion, made with Alizé mixed with Champagne or prosecco.

As we venture further into the winter months, it is only fitting to expect an array of pop-up ventures creep onto the ever evolving bar scene. This week it was the turn of The Tree House at Skylounge, London, created in association with Chairman’s Reserve Rum and Lanson Champagne. Located on the rooftop bar at the Double Tree Hilton at Tower hill, the space is described as a “mystical, enchanted woodland” offering a selection of rum cocktails and Champagne.