The week in pictures
On Thursday, one of team SB headed to Brazilian-Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant Sushisamba to sample six new culturally-inspired cocktails created by head of spirit and cocktail development, Richard Woods. Our favourite was the Sesame Old Fashioned – a “strong and rich” offering made with sesame-washed whisky, salted caramel and maple.
On Tuesday, Campari UK hosted an Aperitivo Celebration in conjunction with 2016 Italian Cuisine Week. The event, hosted by Pietro Mattioni, managing director of Campari UK, unveiled trends from the latest CGA London Influencers report, with special guests restaurateur Russell Norman and the Italian Ambassador in London, Pasquale Q. Terracciano.
Online auction house Catawiki sold a bottle of Donald Trump Glendronach for £2,075. Unopened and 26 years old, the limited edition bottle case is signed by the president elect himself, Donald Trump.
On Thursday, SB enjoyed a mezcal tasting hosted by David Shepherd of Black Sheep Spirits Company at the Lucre office in Hammersmith. The firm plans to introduce the Corte Vetutso range – which comprises Espadin, Tobala and Ensemble expressions – to the UK in early 2017.
This week Havana Club celebrated the launch of Havana Cultura: Anthology – a triple vinyl set of 23 tracks curated by Gilles Peterson – at Bedroom Bar, with an evening packed full of Havana Club cocktails and Cuban culture. The night included discussions on Cuban contemporary music and performances from Cuban singers, Arema Arega and Daymé Arocena as well as a DJ set from Peterson.
On Wednesday, William Grant & Sons UK launched a Scottish Winter Terrace at the Rib Room Bar & Terrace at the Jumeirah Carlton Hotel in celebration of their Scottish roots. The launch party featured food and whisky pairings by The Balvenie, a live ceilidh band, specially-crafted Glenfiddich cigars made to pair with the 12, 18 and 21 Year Olds and an appearance from The Balvenie Morgan.
On Saturday afternoon, poetry and gin fans descended on the Visitor Centre at Beefeater Distillery, Kennington, for the first event in the ‘London Tonic Series’ of cultural and creative events. Guests enjoyed tailor-made literary cocktails whilst listening to London-based spoken word artists, Joshua Idehen, recite his own verse in his unmistakeable style.
On Thursday, SB headed down to Rosewood London’s Christmas Party to enjoy festive canapés, Champagne and mulled wine before a surprise performance from a multi-platinum award-winning artist Ellie Goulding.
Conker Spirit Dorset Dry gin made its TV debut on ITV’s Countrywise. Countrywise presenter Liz Bonnin travelled to Bournemouth to visit founder Rupert Holloway and his distillery. Holloway took Bonnin to the cliffs of Bournemouth where he forages for gorse flowers – one of the gin’s ten botanicals – and the pair picked flowers while discussing distilling. In the afternoon, Bonnin joined a gin delivery to The Pig on the Beach in Studland, where the pair enjoyed sampling the spirit.
Independent distillery Eden Mill is toasting early Christmas success after recording 10,500 orders for ‘Eden Mill’s 12 Gins of Christmas’. Launched for pre-order in October for £69, the limited edition set has received “unprecedented “demand from customers, with the distillery set to produce a further 10,000 units to keep up.
