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The week in pictures

An array of stars including Felicity Jones and Amy Adams (pictured) attended Harvey Weinstein’s BAFTA after-party hosted by Grey Goose on Sunday, in partnership with Ben Sherman and Kat Florence at The Rosewood Hotel in London. Guests included 2017 BAFTA award-winning actor Dev Patel and actress Viola Davis, FKA Twigs, Moonlight director Barry Jenkins, Stephen Fry, Luke Evans and La La Land director Damien Chazelle.

Attendees enjoyed canapés and danced whilst sipping on cocktails specially crafted by the UK bartenders based on themes from this year’s most acclaimed movies, alongside Grey Goose classics including Le Fizz and VX Martini. Hosted by Harvey Weinstein (far left), Casey Affleck and Naomi Campbell (far right) were also in attendance.

On Tuesday, Patrón hosted the after-party of the 17th annual Laureus World Sports Awards in Monaco, with the biggest names in sport making an appearance including Boris Becker, Michael Phelps (right), Michael Jordan and Usain Bolt (left).

Also in attendance was HRH Prince Albert and HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco. Guests enjoyed the Patrónic (Patrón and Tonic), Perfect Patrón Margarita, Patrón Añejo Old Fashioned and a Laureus Patrón Lychee Punch welcome cocktail created especially for the occasion.

This week, TOWIE star and DJ Mark Wright helped launch the new Mahiki Coconut Rum liqueur around the UK. His DJ sets at Lulu club in Edinburgh and Soda in Cardiff were a highlight of the Mahiki-makeover party nights. He was also joined by Made in Chelsea’s Alex Mytton and Nicola Hughes, DJ Hugo Heathcote, and model Kara Rose Marshall.

Earlier this week, Wade Cleophas from Norwegian Cruise Line scooped the title of 2017 Bacardi Legacy Cruise Competition Bartender of the Year. The finals took place in Miami on Monday in a live competition judged by a panel of experts from the drinks industry. Wade’s winning creation, Legend Reviver, is inspired by classic cocktails with spices reminiscent of travelling to exotic places. It combines Bacardi Ocho Anos, mixed with star anise-infused sweet vermouth, caramel/cinnamon syrup with drops of whisky barrel aged bitters and finished with a mist of absinthe.

Globally acclaimed bar The Gibson in London invited SB to a media preview of its new menu featuring “outlandish” ingredients on Monday. Pictured is Angel Tears, a combination of Rémy Martin infused with birch skin, roots mastiha, lemon myrtle, candied green walnut paste, eucalyptus, greek yoghurt, lemon, nut brittle with salted yopol and pine fir smoke.

The chief secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke, visited Edinburgh Gin Distillery on Tuesday, as part of a wider visit to Edinburgh and Dunfermline. Gauke met with Fife-based companies to discuss opportunities and challenges, and hear their future plans to grow and boost Scotland and the UK’s economy. He also met with the Scotch Whisky Association to discuss how the UK government can continue to support the whisky industry in the UK and in export markets.

In celebration of the inaugural International Scotch Day on Friday 10 February, Diageo’s Scotch whisky ambassador Ervin Trykowskias was joined by representatives from some of Scotland’s traditional whisky bars and five-star hotels for a tour of the Dalwhinnie Distillery.

 

Last night, SB headed to Dalston to sip cocktails at esteemed mixologist Tony Conigliaro’s latest haunt on Kingsland Road, named Untitled. The bar’s design pays homage to Andy Warhol’s famous Silver Factory in New York, which was decorated with tin foil and acted as a haven for artists, radicals and creatives in the 1960s.

Private members club La Maison Rémy Martin reopened its doors this week in London on Soho’s Wardour Street. Open until 4 March, La Maison is spread over two floors including retail space for the brand’s portfolio in The Boutique, masterclasses in The Gallery and cocktails in The Basement.

Ahead of the Oscars on 26 February, mixologist Charles Joly created four signature cocktails featuring The Hilhaven Lodge Whiskey, which will be served during the Oscars and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Ball after-party. Pictured is The Lodge, combining The Hilhaven Lodge Blended Straight American Whiskey, Punt e Mes Sweet Vermouth, East India Sherry and three drops of chocolate bitters.

The Dubai Duty Free Millennium draw unveiled its latest winner on Valentine’s Day – Delband Rastgouy Mashhoor who won US$1 million dollars after purchasing her second ever Millennium Millionaire ticket on her way to Tehran for a holiday.  In addition, Dubai Duty Free also announced two Dubai-based winners in the Finest Surprise promotion, Ion Dorin Isalla and Kader Patel, who won a Ducati Moster 1200R.

NB Gin is set to celebrate its association with the Brit Awards by serving music’s biggest stars from hand-etched Brit-inspired bottles created by a designer from her home studio in a Scottish village. NB Gin will be a drinks sponsor at the official Sony Brit Awards after-party in London for the third year in a row. The bottles, hand-etched by East Lothian-based glassware designer Lydia Macdonald, display a ‘B’ on the front with a limited edition message on the side.

SB‘s deputy editor Amy Hopkins got some fascinating insight to the Johnnie Walker blending process when she attended a deconstructed tasting of the new edition to the brand’s high-end John Walker & Sons Private Collection – Mastery of Oak. Led by Johnnie Walker’s master blender Dr Jim Beveridge and blender Aimée Gibson, the tasting dissected the final blend of Mastery of Oak, looking at three individual vattings that were specially selected for their ability to showcases different oak influences.

SB also attended a roundtable hosted by Pernod Ricard’s CEO Alexandre Ricard and other executives following the publication of the firm’s H1 results. In addition to detailing Pernod’s current financial state and future business plans, the group hosted a demonstration of “connected cocktail library” system, OPN.

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