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The week in pictures

Boodles Gin has partnered with London haberdasher Drake’s to create the first proper shirt designed for bartenders, by bartenders.

Working side-by-side with bartenders Leo Robitschek, Maxwell Britten, James Menite and Tom Walker, Boodles and Drake’s identified a series of unique design adjustments they could make to create a shirt that can withstand the rigours of modern mixology.

The special bartender’s shirt, available from Drake’s New York store for US$225, features breathable cotton, a longer length to stay tucked as bartenders reach for top shelf spirits and sleeve tabs to assure a clean cuff roll.

A-list model Alessandra Ambrosio has unveiled the latest visual from her ‘On Arrival’ collaboration with Ciroc Vodka.

Captured by photographer Mario Testino, ‘Limousine’ is the final visual in the series created by the photographer and Ambrosio.

Ambrosio said: “I am thrilled to launch the latest spectacular visual ‘Limousine’ for Ciroc ‘On Arrival’. This season is all about getting dressed up, hitting the party and celebrating one of the most wonderful times of the year.”

Earlier editions of the series included images of the model in ‘Hair and Makeup’ and taking a ‘Front Row’ seat.

Scotland’s ‘first’ community-owned distillery GlenWyvis celebrated St Andrew’s Day by opening its doors for the first time yesterday (30 November).

The brainchild of farmer and helicopter pilot John McKenzie, GlenWyvis Distillery is “100% community-owned” and “100% powered by green energy”.

GlenWyvis master distiller Duncan Tait said: “This opening event marks the start of the next stage of this truly inspirational project. After today, we get down to the hard work of distilling a whisky that will put GlenWyvis and Dingwall on the international spirit map.”

Louis XIII Cognac celebrated the UK launch of its 100 Years project with an exclusive dinner at The Arts Club, London.

The night was co-hosted by Dylan Jones, editor-in-chief of GQ and Ludovic Du Plessis, global executive director of Louis XIII, and saw famous faces including Olga Kurylenko, Ezra Miller and Jeremy Irvine celebrate the launch.

Thirty individually-selected guests enjoyed a three-course dinner including tuna tartare to start, dover sole for main and banana sticky toffee pudding to finish.

Baileys is dialling-up the indulgence this Christmas with the launch of its Treat Stop in Covent garden.

The London pop-up is “a luxurious Alpine-themed snug with an area to chill out at your leisure” and is serving up a range of customisable lattes, hot chocolates, cocktails and even a signature Baileys serve in a chocolate reindeer.

The Treat Stop is open until 17 December, welcoming anyone seeking some festive decadence while celebrating Christmas in the capital.

Diageo Abercrombie appointed 18-year-old Rebecca Weir as a first-year apprentice, making her what is thought to be Scotland’s first female coppersmith.

Weir joins fellow apprentices 16-year-old Calum McTaggart from Islay, and Steven Key, a mature apprentice recruit as they learn to hand-beat copper sheets and weld them into whisky stills.

Weir said: “My guidance teacher told me about the apprenticeship opportunities with Diageo and I thought it sounded like a really interesting route and I knew I had to go for it. I wasn’t put off by gender stereotypes – I don’t think that should stop anyone from doing what they want to do.

Gwyneth Paltrow (pictured centre) and Grey Goose vodka hosted the opening of Goop Gift in New York earlier this week.

The luxury lifestyle brand’s holiday season pop-up opened this week with a celebrity-filled launch night which saw famous faces such as Jill Kargman, Tracy Anderson and Sylvana Ward Durrett in attendance.

Guests at the launch night were given an exclusive preview of the pop-up store while sipping Grey Goose Espresso Martinis and Grey Goose Le Fizz cocktails.

The new store acts as a one-stop holiday gifting destination for Christmas shoppers in the Big Apple.

On Tuesday, Diageo held a tasting of its blended Scotch whisky portfolio at Black Rock whisky bar in London for a group of select trade and national media. The intimate tasting led by Ewan Gunn, global Scotch whisky master, and Maureen Robinson, master blender, took the journalists through a tasting of expressions including Bell’s, Vat 69, Johnnie Walker Black Label, White Horse and Buchanan’s 12 Year Old.

Glenmorangie has received three awards for its work to restore the population of oysters to the waters of the Dornoch Firth.

The Scotch whisky distillery has been working with conservationists to return European oysters to the coastal waters around its distillery and this year, the first oysters were returned to the region following their 100-year absence.

The distillery hopes that the oysters, renowned for their ability to filter water, will act in tandem with its new anaerobic digestion plant, purify the water in the firth.

The distillery received the Hydro Nation award for innovative work in water treatment, the Luxury With a Heart award at the Walpole British Luxury Awards and the Corporate Award at the RSPB’s Nature of Scotland awards.

SB will be celebrating the winners from The Global Spirits Masters 2017 today at an awards lunch at London restaurant Frederick’s.

The Global Spirits Masters Awards Lunch saw a gathering of industry leaders, each recognised for their achievements throughout this year’s blind spirit tastings and competitions.

Amy Hopkins, SB editor said: “The competition in 2017 has really gone from strength to strength, with more entries and medals then ever before – a testament to the soaring standards of quality within the industry.”

Guests at the lunch also had the opportunity to sample some of the top medalists at a dedicated tasting bar.

Glencairn Crystal hosted Scottish Secretary of State David Mundell at their East Kilbride studio this week, marking the announcement of a new government strategy to support the growth of Scottish businesses.

The Glasgow based crystal makers had more reasons to celebrate as this year, Glencairn reported a 10% increase in sales, most notably coming from international expansion that has risen by 14% over the past year. This means that for the first time in the company’s history, international sales were larger than those in the UK.

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