The week in pictures
British summertime is always a temperamental season, but the sun had its hat on when SB’s senior staff writer Melita Kiely headed down to the Fever-Tree pop-up situated on London’s Southbank. With live music and deck chairs, the venue offers a delectable selection of G&T pairings with more than 25 gin brands from around the world, all paired perfectly with a Fever-Tree expression – including the brand’s new Aromatic Tonic Water.
On Thursday SB headed to Quaglino’s in London’s Mayfair for an indulgent evening of cocktail delights. The venue is taking part in Glenmorangie’s ‘Greatest Finishes’ campaign, which is the central focus of its first Old Fashioned Week –designed to highlight its Extra Matured Range at this year’s British Open golf tournament. Cocktails included the Albatross, made with Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, Cherry Marnier, Taurasi syrip, lemon juice and egg white, served over ice with Amaretti crumble an chocolate stripes. Another Glenmorangie option – also delicious – was the Hole in One, which was a twist on the classic Old Fashioned, made with Glenmorangie La Santa, Chateaux Laville syrup, Strega, grapefruit and chocolate bitters. Other cocktails served on the night included this candy floss and marshmallow-garnished beverage, pictured above.
Model Alexandra Smith and Epsom millner Jessica Rea were sporting floral hats designed by Rea for Bloom Gin, which was the official gin of Ladies Day at the Derby last weekend. Smith’s hat features a Martini glass and miniature bottles of Bloom Gin, which are distilled by master distiller Joanne Moore using floral botanicals.
This week we headed to 214 Bermondsey to host the Great British Gin heat of The Wenneker Swizzle Masters cocktail competition – check out the July issue of The Spirits Business for full details of the afternoon’s events.
Chivas Brothers showed its support for National Volunteers Week 2016 by backing community projects throughout the UK, as part of Responsib’ALL Day – a global “day of action” hosted each year by parent company Pernod Ricard. More than 1,600 Chivas Brothers’ employees took part in various activities to support and develop local communities, focusing on making or renewing convivial spaces for residents.
Social enterprise Lemonaid and ChariTea partnered with micro-distillery Our/London to create “ultimate summer party fuel” Vodka/Mate, and held an exclusive tasting in the distillery in Hackney, London this week. Mate is a traditional brew that’s been said to offer the “strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate”, and, when paired with vodka, is now the underground club drink of choice in Germany. Mate is now penetrating the London nightlife due to its energising effects which are said to give a “healthier and longer lasting fix” than caffeine from coffee.
Greenall’s launched its Ready to Drink Roving Cans at the Investec Derby last weekend, including flavours of Greenall’s & Pink Grapefruit, Diet Tonic, Sicilian Lemon, Gin & Tonic and Wild Berry Gin & Tonic. Racegoers will be able to enjoy the canned tipples at The Jockey Club racecourses throughout the UK during 2016.
An intense two-day final held in Havana resulted in Cuban bartender Amaury Cepeda being crowned champion of the 11th biannual Havana Club Cocktail Grand Prix competition.
To celebrate the release of its new Cipher edition, The Glenlivet hosted a puzzling event at Blacks Club Soho in London. Attendees were tasked to find clues to a combination in order to “escape the room”, and formed the first part of their challenge to decipher secret tasting notes of new expression.
East London Liquor Company hosted a masterclass on Tuesday to celebrate Negroni Week. Guests were able to learn about the classic cocktail’s history with Leigh Banks, author of The Life of Negroni, given a lesson in how to make the “perfect” Negroni at home courtesy of the firm’s Mikey Pendergast and treated to a couple of Negronis along the way.
Boutique wine and spirits merchant Top Selection marked its 16th birthday this month on 7 June, celebrating the company’s growth from its inception in 2000 to its current success sourcing and supplying “hard-to-find” wines and spirits from around the world to the UK’s top eateries, retailers and corporations.
Aidan Bowie of Dandelyan in London was crowned Diageo Reserve World Class GB Bartender of the Year 2016 following a fierce final themed ‘Into the Unknown’. Bowie was praised by the judges for his “true knowledge and understanding of flavour”, combined with his “innovative and forward thinking” ideas. He will proceed to compete in the global final in Miami.
