Close Menu
Top 10

The week in pictures

British rowing team The Four Oarsmen became the fastest team in history to row across the Atlantic Ocean this week.

The team completed the 3,000 mile Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 29 days, 14 hours and 34 minutes, beating the previous four-man record by two days.

Dicky Taylor, George Biggar, Peter Robinson and Stuart Watts completed the race a few hours ahead of the Swiss Mocean team, the first Swiss team to complete the challenge.

New York rapper A$AP Ferg has collaborated with Hennessy on a new creative campaign and cocktail. In campaign’s video, Ferg shares his creative process as well as his love of other pursuits, such as painting.

Ferg’s cocktail creation, The Uptown, is available exclusively through home delivery service Cocktail Courier.

The new signature serve combines Hennessy VSOP Privilège with cassis, hibiscus, cinnamon, chipotle and a dash of lemon juice.

Li Tong from China has been named this year’s Global Patrón Perfectionist Competition Champion for her cocktail, Dancing Bees.

Tong triumphed over five other bartenders from around the world at the final of the Global Patrón Perfectionists Competition, at Hacienda Patrón in Jalisco, Mexico.

Over the past seven months, top bartenders from all over the world have competed with their perfect Patrón serve in the hope of being named the 2017 Patrón Perfectionist.

Grey Goose Vodka hosted an after party for the premiere of Hearts Beat Loud at this years Sundance Film Festival.

The film stars Nick Offerman, Blythe Danner, Sasha Lane, Kiersey Clemons, and Ted Danson and follows a father and daughter who become an unlikely songwriting duo.

The cast and crew were treated to the full collection of Grey Goose signature cocktails as well as the festival’s official cocktail, the Grey Goose Mainstreet. The signature serve combines the French vodka with St-Germain elderflower liqueur, pineapple juice, cinnamon and soda water.

Marking the 107th birthday of Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins, Sailor Jerry spiced rum has partnered with ARC Inspirations bars across the UK to create six new cocktails.

The brand and bars in Leeds, York, Harrogate, Ilkley and Manchester have been celebrating the icon’s birthday with a range of specially-created cocktails.

The Rose is a floral twist on the classic spiced Punch; The Anchor combines Sailor Jerry with Tia Maria; Espresso and salted caramel; and the Spiced Stowaway provides a fiery hit of Sailor Jerry.

The Vintners’ Company held its annual wine trade lunch in aid of The Benevolent on Friday.

The Benevolent’s chairman, Tom Yusef, welcomed guests with a speech about the charity’s work, including the launch of its new mental health awareness campaign #NotAlone.

Following the speech, Vintners’ Company’s Nick Arkell presented the charity with a cheque for £12,000, helping the charity aid colleagues from the UK drinks industry who face difficult circumstances.

Dartmoor Whisky Distillery has announced that it will be supporting the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust by adopting one of its ponies.

The Bovey Tracey-based distillery will be adopting George, who is 12-years-old, brave, independent and full of character.

Greg Millar from Dartmoor Whisky Distillery said: ‘We are so pleased to have adopted little George. He’s a gorgeous pony and we’re glad to have him as the newest member of the team here at the distillery. “

UK-based charity Change Please moved one step closer to winning the 2018 Chivas Venture after being named champion of the UK round of the competition.

The global competition gives away US$1 million in funding every year to the most promising social startups from around the world.

Change Please, a social enterprise supporting the homeless in Britain, will now compete for a share of the fund in Amsterdam this May.

Scottish gin maker Caorunn unveiled a new look for its craft gin this week.

From March, the distillery will bottle its gin in a new, British-made decanter created by design agency JDO.

The bottle aims to channel the five native botanicals found in Caorunn gin, including dandelion, heather, coul bush apple, bog myrtle and rowan berries.

Made using extra white flint glass, the bottle includes embossed details, a raised gloss red asterix and gin master Simon Buley’s signature.

This week saw the final of the World’s Best Martini competition in London and SB went along to find out what it was all about.

Gin brands from around the world were serving up their signature Martinis to judges and the public.

Bertha’s Revenge, a milk-based gin produced in Ireland, took away the people’s choice award after winning the public vote, while Arbikie walked away with this years title of World’s Best Martini. 

SB also went along to the opening of modern Irish bar, Nuala this week.

London’s newest Irish haunt boasts live music every day, an impressive whiskey menu, signature cocktails and a range of draught beers.

With its sweeping concrete bar and sleek relaxed seating, this new London venue is hoping to change what people have come to expect from traditional Irish bars.

Over in east London, SB‘s editor Amy Hopkins went to check out the latest developments at East London Liquor Company (ELLC).

After a chat with founder Alex Wolpert and distiller Andy Mooney (pictured), she had a peak of the new whisky still and mash tuns, which have recently been brought in house.

Keep your eyes peeled on thespiritsbusiness.com for our full interview with Wolpert and Mooney.

It looks like you're in Asia, would you like to be redirected to the Drinks Business Asia edition?

Yes, take me to the Asia edition No