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The week in pictures

On Tuesday, high street fashion retailer Topman hosted a party on the top floor of The Ace Hotel in London to celebrate the upcoming collaboration with singer James Bay (pictured right) which will launch in selected stores internationally next week. Guests sipped on Patrón Hacienda Punch on arrival served in 200ml Patrón bottles alongside Patrónics, Perfect Patrón Margaritas and custom-made, barrel-aged Patrón Boulevardier’s, whilst food was provided by Ace Hotel.

Celebrity guests included Ella Eyre, Sarah-Jane Crawford, Toby Huntingdon-Whitely, Inka Williams, Oliver Proudlock, Vanessa White and India Gants.

Last Saturday, Visions Festival partnered with Sailor Jerry to present a special exhibition around Tattoo Art and Culture. Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins is one of the world’s most famous tattoo artists, and his legacy has had a big impact on different styles in tattoo culture and beyond, not least in creating the inspiration for Sailor Jerry rum itself.

New World Trading Company has unveiled its very own mobile cocktail bar, called The Wanderer. Sponsored by Plymouth Gin, The Wanderer can journey around the UK, and will arrive complete with bartenders, a multitude of unique spirits, craft beers and mixers. Cocktails will be at the forefront and those who hire it can create a bespoke menu, choosing from a wide array of cocktails and mocktails.

The new Southern Comfort 100 Proof was officially launched to the trade at the final of the 2017 Southern Showdown Competition, held on board the Dixie Queen paddle steamer on the River Thames. The Southern Showdown challenged bartenders to create a Southern Comfort cocktail taking its inspiration from New Orleans and the cocktails that the city is famous for, with the 150 cocktails entered whittled down to six regional finalists. Nicole Sykes of the Voyage of Buck, Edinburgh, was crowned champion with her cocktail ‘Off the Cuff’. Second and third place was awarded to Ashton Williamson of Little Bat Bar in Islington

and David Langley of Last Chance Saloon in Nottingham, respectively.

On Wednesday, Shoreditch Grind played host to the launch event for the first Expresso Martini Festival in London, with Grey Goose partnering with Mr Black Coffee Liqueur for the event. Guests enjoyed an array of coffee cocktails using Grey Goose, Mr Black and Grind Coffee Blend to celebrate this modern classic cocktail first made in London.

Bar teams from London, Milan and Rome battled it out in regional semi-finals to secure a place at the final of Amaro di Angostura’s cocktail competition Versus, taking place at Bar Blanco in the beach town of Fregene in Lazio, Italy on 13 July. The final, hosted by global brand ambassador for Amaro di Angostura Danyiel Jones, saw The Cocktail Trading Company, London; Jason Atherton’s The Blind Pig (pictured), London; Porto Fluviale, Rome; and Pinch Spirits Bar and Kitchen, Milan, battle it out for the title. The winning team, The Blind Pig, will travel on a once in a lifetime trip to the Carnival in Trinidad in 2018 courtesy of The House of Angostura.

Throughout August, Edinburgh Gin is celebrating the capital’s 70th festival, with pop up bars at a variety of locations across the city and a new show inspired by the spirit’s illustrious history, ‘The Art and Science of Gin’. Exploring Edinburgh’s gin craze of the 1700s through to the global search for botanicals and modern-day distillation, the show promises to excite the senses with all the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the gin-making process.

On Saturday, Old Forester installed the centerpiece of its new distillery – the column still. Produced by Vendome Copper and Brass Works, the Old Forester still is 24 inches wide and 44 feet tall, weighing in at 4700 lbs. The column still’s key role in Bourbon-making is the separation of the fermented mash (corn, rye, malt and barley) to create ‘new spirit,’ essentially serving as the heart of the distillery. The Old Forrester Distillery is expected to be completed in spring 2018.

Jack Daniel’s is launching its Taste of Tennessee tour at this year’s Cocktails in the City. The activation will pop-up at all five Cocktails in the City events across the UK: Glasgow, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester, and will give consumers the opportunity to sample Jack Daniel’s cocktails in a saloon-style lounge inspired by the bustling bars and Honky Tonks of Tennessee. Jack Daniel’s will also be partnering with local leading bars from each region, and challenging them to create three unique cocktails that are influenced by music; an integral part of Tennessee culture.

Glenfiddich has crowned its winner at the UK final of the World’s Most Experimental Bartender competition in London. Collaborators Charles Roche and William Hetzel, both from Scout cocktail bar in London, captured the judges’ imagination with their whisky aroma-inspired concept. The duo created four bespoke scents which were blended to represent the aroma of Glenfiddich 21. They will now go on to compete against other winners from countries around the globe on a trip to the Glenfiddich Experimental Bartender Academy in Scotland, where they will have the opportunity to bring their idea to life.

On Thursday, Liverpool’s NYL Restaurant & Bar held a launch party to celebrate the venue’s first Liverpool Collection cocktail list. Guests, including former Hollyoaks stars Anthony Quinlan and Jamie Lomas (pictured), enjoyed cocktails and food pairings, as well as live music.

Russian Standard has signed a two-year deal with Novus to activate its brand across some of London’s late night destinations including Tiger Tiger, Forge, Jewel and Loop bar. The deal will see Russian Standard Vodka as the pouring vodka across the entire Novus estate of 43 bars and clubs and includes a visibility program of menu listings, premium point of sale and bar features.

This summer, Bombay Sapphire is bringing together 10 bars from across Europe to launch the next part of its A Gin of Ten Journeys’ campaign. Each bartender will celebrate one of the ten botanicals found within the gin by each creating a unique botanical-inspired cocktail and immersive drinking experience for consumers to enjoy from 7 August. Available for 12 weeks, bars taking part in the UK are: Panda and Sons, Edinburgh; Science and Industry, Manchester; Scout, London; The Blue Bar at The Berkeley, London; and Three Sheets, London.

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