The week in pictures
Haig Club launched the first edition of ‘Two Whiskies with…’, a series of three short films in which Whitehall interviews three celebrities over a cocktail. His first guest was none other than the brand’s co-founder, David Beckham. While enjoying a Mojito and an Old Fashioned in the Bassoon Bar at London’s Corinthia Hotel, Whitehall learns how Beckham spends his free time – and why meeting Nelson Mandela reminds him of his most famed hairstyles. ‘Two Whiskies with Jack Whitehall and David Beckham’ is available to watch on the GQ Video channel.
Campari invited cocktail lovers from across London to #RediscoverRed at the launch of The Negroni Bar, which boasts the “world’s largest” Negroni selection. Popping up in Red Gallery, Shoreditch, until 21 May, the bar offers more than 30 different combinations and flavours ranging from the Carpe Diem Negroni made with Cocchi Barolo Chinato and Punico Zahare liqueur, to the Tu Vuò Fa’ L’Americano with sweet Vermouth and Pale Ale Beer.
This week Irish cream liqueur brand Baileys launched the first ever Baileys Prize Book Bar; a week-long event celebrating reading and storytelling. Based in London, the pop-up schedule featured five days of events with writers including Ali Smith, Eimear McBride, and Kate Mosse, all celebrating outstanding fiction by women. Come cocktail hour, the bar transformed into a hub for readings, discussions and panel events – supplemented with Baileys cocktails.
To mark the launch of Haig Club’s new limited edition bottle, the brand unveiled a series of large-scale activations in travel retail outlets across the globe. In London Heathrow Airport Haig Club took over large interactive screens in a dedicated activation area where brand ambassadors offered body art stamping. Meanwhile in Singapore Changi Airport a similar activation took place with the addition of ultra-premium ‘Long Bar’ presented by luxury hotel, Raffle, which offered Haig cocktails and samples of the Scotch whisky.
On Monday The Last Drop Distillers hosted a tasting of its entire portfolio, including a preview of the seventh – and most exclusive – release to date, 1961 Dumbarton single grain Scotch whisky, of which just 32 bottles have been made available.
On Thursday The Spirit Show hosted a launch event ahead of its inaugural show this December. An introduction to what is pipped as ‘the UK’s first premier spirits tasting event’, guests had the opportunity to meet the team and get a feel for the show while enjoying drinks and canapés.
Diageo chief executive Ivan Menezes launched the new DRINKiQ interactive experience at the Guinness Storehouse, St. James Gate, Dublin. The new interactive platform provides people with information such as how alcohol affects the body, along with calorie and alcohol content information, and forms part of the overall visitor experience at the Guinness Storehouse to reach up to 300,000 visitors annually.
On Wednesday London’s “first” dedicated dessert bar, Basement Sate, collaborated with Scotch whisky brand, R&B Distillers for an evening of whisky and dessert tasting. Guests enjoyed a bespoke welcome cocktail, before sampling a dram of While We Wait, paired with mint and light yuzu panna cotta with liquorice crumble, and Borders, paired with a hazelnut chocolate sherry sphere.
The Summer Scotch round of The Wenneker Swizzle Masters also took place on Thursday at Art Deco-inspired Bar Americain in Brasserie Zédel. Head bartender Francesco Petracci remade 10 hand-picked entries for our esteemed panel, this month made up of Manuel Barducchi, bartender at Rules; Michael Browne, bar manager of Bar Americain; and Kristiane Sherry, editor of The Spirits Business.
Soho-based, Korean fusion restaurant, Jinjuu unveiled its new cocktail menu, featuring a number of original cocktails including the Spamarita [pictured], made from Spam-infused Ocho Tequila, mezcal, agave nectar, pineapple and fresh lime; and Love me Long Thyme, which combines thyme-infused Bombay Sapphire, lime, mandarin, Korean chilli and bamboo charcoal.
