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Top 10
The week in pictures
Back for another year, London Cocktail Week – the world’s biggest cocktail festival – saw drinks fans sprawl across the city to immerse themselves in drinks culture.
The Cocktail Village at Old Spitalfields Market remains the epicentre of LCW. Playing host to the festival for the third year running, and bigger than ever, the site offers an immersive maze of popup bars and food vendors exhibiting in trucks, barrels, bicycles, and just about any other guise you can think of, as well as live music performances and interactive experiences.
The event is still on-going and will conclude on Sunday.
On Sunday, SB‘s editor Amy Hopkins headed to the glamorous French Riviera for the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference – the world’s foremost travel retail show. Held at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, the show consisted of conferences, workshops, meetings, interviews and parties. SB got wind of a multitude of new products, campaigns and travel retail strategies during the week – details of which will be revealed on our website soon.
On Monday, The Spirits Business hosted its annual Beach Party at the Carlton Intercontinental at the TFWA exhibition in Cannes. As the sun set, we recognised excellence across the vodka and travel retail sectors by awarding certificates from our Vodka and Travel Retail Masters 2017. In addition to the gorgeous surroundings, guests enjoyed cocktails, canapés and an impressive show from world-renowned flairtender Nicolas Saint-Jean.
SB then hotfooted it back to London to host three separate blind tasting competitions from the Global Spirits Masters series: Liqueurs, Specialities, and Pre-mixed drinks. Held at the ever-colourful Bunga Bunga in Battersea, a team of expert judges assessed a plethora of entries from across the categories.
Rhys Wilson of Hoxton’s Happiness Forgets won the inaugural Next Whisky Cocktail Classic grand final at The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show on Monday. The competition was created by Speciality Drinks, spirits wholesaler to the on-trade.
His winning cocktail, which judges praised for its “simplicity, versatility and broad appeal”, was a Claymore: a blend of Chivas Regal 12 and Champagne cordial. He was awarded a trophy and a case of whiskies worth £2,500 chosen specifically by the Specialty Drinks team.
Sukhinder Singh of Speciality Drinks commented: “It was inspiring to see bartenders show their passion for Scotch whisky and illustrate such a desire to create a new classic whisky cocktail.”
The world’s fashion elite gathered in Paris this week for an intimate event hosted by designer Justin O’Shea and editor-in-chief of InStyle Laura Brown at a pop-up version of Chez Away.
The guest list included Alexa Chung, Emily Ratajowski, Yasmin Sewell, Christine Centenara and Imran Ahmed, who were treated to a three-course meal and four cocktails from Grey Goose Vodka.
Hannah Bronfman provided music until the small hours of the morning while revellers danced and kept themselves perked up with Grey Goose Espresso Martinis
Team SB attended the launch of Belvedere’s two new terroir-focused vodkas, Smogóry Forest and Lake Bartężek.
The event in Shoreditch involved talks from head of spirit creation Claire Smith-Warner and global brand educator Alice Farquhar about the processes involved in the new vodkas, as well as how the environment of two farms has affected their terroir.
Guests were taken into a forest that had been set up inside to sample the vodkas in cocktails, made and served by leading bartenders who had been flown in for the occasion. These included the Rye Carre (Belvedere Smogóry Forest, Cocchi Torino, Benedictine, dry curacao, Angostrua Bitters and orange bitters) and the Polska Rose (Belvedere Lake Bartężek, Lillet Rose, elderflower liqueur and peach bitters).
Team SB has more information about the new vodkas here.
Sailor Jerry also brought back its tattoo parlour Cloak and Dagger to this year’s London Cocktail Week (LCW). On Tuesday and Wednesday, festival-goers had to chance to choose from a range of designs inspired by the father of American old school tattooing, Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins. On a first come, first served basis, guests picked from a range of official Sailor Jerry iconic flash art work designs including a pair of dice, Hawaiian landscape, a swallow or naval star. Festival-goers were then invited to celebrate their bold tattoos at the Cocktail Village, where a range of Sailor Jerry cocktails were available from a vintage airstream bar.
The Church of Rock N Roll Presents ‘The RockNRolla’ by photography Ki Price launched on Wednesday hosted at the Rock n’ Roll Karma Sanctum Hotel in Soho, London. Spiced rum brand Sailor Jerry sponsored the opening night, and guests enjoyed the photography with a glass of Jerry Loves Ginger or Backyard Lemonade in hand. The exhibition is based around Price’s most rebellious work, including Vivienne Westwood, Patti Smith, Lemmy/Motorhead, The Rolling Stones, Lou Reed/Mick Rock, Amy Winehouse, Pamela Anderson, and Ray Liotta.
The K Bar at the Kensington has launched a series of weekly music sessions in partnership with Botanist Gin. Each Thursday, guests at K Bar are invited to enjoy a range of Botanist Gin cocktails against a backdrop of music from new acts and genres each week. Guests will be able to enjoy a bespoke cocktail list, designed by bar manager Ashley Bambrough. The menu includes: Islay High Ball, a combination of The Botanist, nori cordial, and sod, and Lord of the Isles, a mixture of The Botanist, velvet falernum liqueur, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, sugar syrup, rhubarb bitters, and egg white.
Greg Almeida, head bartender at The Rosewood Hotel’s Scarfes Bar in London, was this week crowned the UK champion for 2017’s Patrón Perfectionists Cocktail Competition. His winning cocktail, An Endless Journey, is a combination of Patrón Reposado Tequila and flavours of vanilla, jasmine and nutmeg.
Almeida will now represent the UK at the global semi-finals in Jalisco, Mexico on 17 January 2018.
Actor Ted Danson made a visit this week to Plainfield, Illinois to meet the 600 members of staff who help make Smirnoff. The actor, known for his roles in Cheers and Curb Your Enthusiasm, received a tour of the plant during which he learnt how Smirnoff is produced.
Mr Lyan (aka Ryan Chetiyawardana) this week celebrated the launch of another book, Good Together: Drink & Feast with Mr Lyan and Friends.
He said: “This is a guide to drinks and dishes that fit a particular mood or occasion – and also work well together; an experience of co-creating food and drinks so they fit the whole experience.”
Last month Chetiyawardana launched his new food and drink venture, a zero-waste restaurant called Cub, located upstairs at Super Lyan (formerly White Lyan).
The Epernay Bar in Manchester hosted the Gin and Tories Fringe event organised by the Wine and Spirit Trade Association. It was hosted by Graham Brady MP, chairman of the Conservative 1922 Backbench Committee. The event was a chance for the committee to announce the forthcoming limited edition 1922 Committee Gin, in advance of the organisation’s 100 year anniversary.
The focus was on gin, and Brady, alongside Miles Beale, CEO of the WSTA, urged the government to support both gin and the wider wine and spirit sector in the upcoming Budget in November.