The week in pictures
SB‘s Amy Hopkins was treated to an evening at cool Kensington joint Dirty Bones as part of the venue’s new Late Night offering. She enjoyed the Woodford Reserve-based Mutt’s Nutts cocktail and smoky Mezcal Old Fashioned alongside a range of finger licking good dishes. Allowing the American comfort food restaurant to take on more of a “bar vibe”, Late Night’s at Dirty Bones take place from 9pm until late, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday featuring playful cocktails and live DJ sets.
Islay is known for its temperamental weather conditions, but the sun was on our side when SB’s senior staff writer Melita Kiely travelled to the Scottish island this week to spend a couple of days with Bruichladdich. From drinking drams in abandoned villages to sipping Scotch straight from the barrel in the distillery’s warehouse, the trip provided a fantastic opportunity to be immersed in both the culture of the brand and the island itself. For a full round up of the trip, keep an eye on thespiritsbusiness.com next week.
Koval Distillery headed to MASH Steakhouse in London for its official launch event, hosted by master distiller Robert Birnecker. Guests enjoyed sampling the brand’s range of products, which includes Koval Single Barrel Whiskey, Koval Single Barrel Bourbon, Koval Single Barrel Rye Whiskey and Koval Dry Gin.
St Lucia Distillers has been busy touring the UK, and after a stop in the city of Liverpool last week ended its trip at Tiger Hornsby in Newcastle on Wednesday.
An abundance of cocktails were shaken and stirred for Cardiff Cocktail Week this week, during which Chairman’s Reserve was the rum of choice in the city’s Ten Mill Lane.
The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival got underway this week, which recognised several industry veterans at the opening dinner on Wednesday, hosted at the Auchroisk distillery in Keith. Richard Forsyth, who leads family business Forstyh’s in Rothes, which supplies copper stills, was presented with the lifetime achievement award from Dennis Malcolm, master distiller of Glen Grant.
Dave Broom, renowned whisky writer and chief engineer of scotchwhisky.com, was named Spirit of Speyside International Brand Ambassador of the Year at the festival’s opening dinner on Wednesday.
Martini has launched a new global creative platform and film as part of its latest marketing campaign, ‘Play With Time’. The campaign focuses on the notion that time spent with friends is time well spent. The film, called The Richest Man in the World, was directed by award-winning Jake Nava, and is set to a song called The Edge, which was sampled on The Next Episode by Dr. Dre, Nate Dog and Snoop Dogg.
Four Roses has been on the hunt for a “Bourbon don” over the last two mans, and named Benji Purslow the new face of the Bourbon brand in the UK. Purslow impressed judges in the final held at The Blues Kitchen in Shoreditch, London, where the four finalists were challenged to prove their passion and knowledge of Bourbon in order to join the Four Roses and Spirit Cartel team. Judges included JJ Goodman, founder of London Cocktail Club, Charles Marshall, Spirit Cartel consiglieri and David Hood, newly appointed capo di capo at Spirit Cartel.
Moët Hennessy toasted the landing of Solar Impulse in Moffett Airfield in Mountain View, Canada, this week – the first zero-fuel aeroplane. Pilot Bertrand Piccard crossed the Pacific Ocean in two days, travelling from Hawaii to Mountain View and setting numerous world records on his journey. He and co-pilot Andre Borschberg were congratulated with a jeroboam bottle of Moët & Chandon Champagne.
Glasgow’s “first whisky boat” hosted an afternoon of celebrations and tastings aboard the 60ft wooden vessel in the city centre this week. The boat, which dates back to the 1950s, has been restored and will be used to hold tasting events in the Scottish city as well as around the West coast and other regions throughout the summer.
Scotch whisky brand Glenmorangie has appointed Aquabio to build a new wastewater treatment plant for the company.
Witek Wojaczek of The Beaufort Bar at The Savoy was crowned UK winner of the Courvoisier Toast of Paris International Cocktail Competition, hosted by Maxxium UK. Witek will proceed to represent the UK in the global final in Paris in May, battling against finalists from Canada, Japan, Austria, Germany and France for the chance to win a bespoke Courvoisier Cognac blend bottled in an engraved crystal decanter.
Cellar Trends is gearing up to expand its #LoveLuxardo trade campaign with a year-long programme set to launch in June, designed to increase consumer engagement. The brand has collaborated with the Chiappa Sisters, authors of Simply Italian, and will be creating new recipes for Luxardo. They will join Luxardo UK brand ambassador Mister ‘G’ Franklin to showcase the flavours of Luxardo Limoncello, Amaretto, Maraschino, Sangue Morlacco and Luxardo’s Marasca cherries.
Jon Savage has won the Penderyn Music Book Prize 2016 for his book, 1966: The Year The Decade Exploded. Now in its second year, Savage was awarded a £1,000 prize cheque and a bottle of Penderyn Single Cask single malt whisky.
Bartender Naoya Mizugishi of Fujiya Hotel Bar, Hakone, stormed to victory to claim first place in the Japan national final of the Chivas Regal Masters cocktail competition.
Super-premium Berkeley Square London Dry Gin sponsored bespoke tailor Hardy Amies ‘Made to Measure” event this week, which was co-hosted by blogger Grey Fox at their outlet in Savile Row. Guests enjoyed the Hardy Amies Signature Martini throughout the evening, made with Berkeley Square Gin stirred with Martini and garnished with an orange twist – how Amies himself liked to drink Martinis. Furthermore, attendees were treated to a masterclass in made-to-measure suits and how Berkeley Square Gin is created. The gin brand will continue its collaboration with Hardy Amies with a pop-up bar in Fenwick’s, in Bond Street, in May.
