The week in pictures
On Tuesday night SB headed to the Big Easy’s newest opening in Canary Wharf to sample a winning Jefferson Bourbon cocktail, crafted by the venue’s bartender, Jess Cheeseman. Titled Jefferson’s Experiment, the barrel-aged cocktail is made using Jefferson’s Small Batch Bourbon, with sour and citrus, agave, a hint of apricot brandy and dry vermouth. The ingredients were then aged for 45 days in a five-litre American oak barrel, and the winning concoction will be available to taste at Big Easy throughout February until the barrel runs dry.
SB’s senior staff writer Melita Kiely was part of an intimate dinner hosted on Thursday evening to celebrate the UK launch of Oban Little Bay no-age-statement Scotch whisky. The event was held at Bonnie Gull Seafood Shack and was led by Dr Nick Morgan, head of whisky outreach at Diageo, and Donald Colville, global malts ambassador.
At the start of February, five bartenders gathered in the Wintonian Room at the Guildhall Winchester to compete for the inaugural Winchester Cup trophy, which was won by bartender Maurizio Anders Laudato, of Chewton Glen Hotel, in New Forest.
Ian Harris, chief executive at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), was bestowed with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Drinks Retailing Awards, which took place at the Dorchest Hotel in London on Tuesday.
A new trade association was established this week, in the form of the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA). The body aims to help members of the alcohol industry to better understand the benefits of tax stamp technology and promote the “highest professional standards” within in the sector.
Speyside Distillers Company, which unveiled plans for UK and overseas expansion this week, after bagging £2.3 million worth of funding from Clydesdale Bank. The firm, whose global ambassador is retired footballer Michael Owen, will use the investment to respond to “increased worldwide demand” for its products, which are now available in more than 20 countries.
United Spirits Limited (USL) hosted an evening with celebrities Lisa Haydon, Chitrangada Singh and Shibani Dandekar to unveil the Scotch Whisky Collection: An Exceptional Gift, designed to be suitable for all occasions.
Following a successful crowd-funding campaign last year, Ben and Kate Marston, founders of Hertfordshire-based Puddingstone Distillery, have developed Campfire Gin aimed at the “refined, simple serve” market, designed to sipped neat, over ice or in a classic gin and tonic.
Quintessential Brands hosted its fourth annual sales and marketing conference at Epsom Racecourse this week, as Greenall’s celebrates its second year of being the official gin of the Jockey Club and their 15 UK racecourses. Guests flocked to the conference from seven different countries, including Australia, Hong Kong, Moscow and the US, and also included representatives from Quintessential Brands Group companies, Essential Drinks and Marblehead. Quintessential Brands now distributes in more than 50 countries around the world, and boasts a portfolio brimming with Irish whiskey, Irish cream, gins and liqueurs.
Graphic Bar in Soho, London, kick started its 2016 monthly gin socials on Monday, which offer gin lovers and novices alike the opportunity to learn more about the extensive category.
SB‘s Amy Hopkins joined the drinks business‘s Lauren Eads at Shochu Lounge in Soho for an evening of delectable cocktails and Japanese food. The two sampled Shochu’s expertly crafted seven course Kaiseki paired menu, created as part of a collaboration between the venue’s bar and kitchen teams, and with a focus on seasonality. Some of the delicious cocktail and dish pairings included the Nigori Punch and Wagyu Tempura Roll, Camomile Martini with Black Cod Toban (pictured) and finally, the showstopper of the evening, a trio of Sharp, Bitter & Twisted cocktails with a Seasonal Dessert Platter.
