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The week in pictures

Tequila brand Jose Cuervo appointed the ‘world’s first’ salt sommelier this week, tasked with finding the finest salt to use in Margaritas.

Drinks consultant and mixologist Max Venning has been appointed to the role, which sees him investigate the flavours different salt brings to Margaritas.

The quest for the finest salt saw Venning travel to Anglesey, Skye and Maldon, where he designed a bespoke Margarita to pair with each region’s salt.

This week saw ward-winning London cocktail bar Dandelyan unveil its fifth menu, called The Modern Life of Plants.

The new menu explores the way humans have industrialised crops and the positive impact this can have as a means of waste management.

For a whole year the menu will concentrate on just three core ingredients, which are available year-round thanks to industrialisation.

The new menu features drinks such as the Air Raid Gimlet, which combines Mr Lyan Cream Gin, pearl barley and a carrot-currant cordial, and Standing Stones, a combination of Maker’s Mark, bitter strawberry old vine wine, lemon and honey.

Best Supporting Actress winner Allison Janney, I, Tonya actress Margot Robbie and Lady Bird’s Saoirse Ronan were all in attendance at the Grey Goose BAFTA after-party.

Hosted at the newly opened Soho House in London, Grey Goose hosted the winners of the night, serving up its signature Le Fizz cocktails to the cast and crew of Lady Bird, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and I, Tonya.

The after-party continued into the early hours of Monday morning as beat-maker Jax Jones spun the decks all night long.

To celebrate the launch of the ninth whisky in its Private Edition series, Scotch whisky brand Glenmorangie revealed its intentions this week to launch a pop-up bar in London.

The speakeasy will pop-up in London next month to celebrate the distillery’s first whisky aged in ex-rye casks, called Spios.

The secret cocktail bar, called Spice and Rye, will serve brand new cocktails, such as the High & Rye, Bloodstone and Chapel St Sour, as well as the full range of Glenmorangie whiskies while a live jazz band will provide musical entertainment.

SB‘s editor Amy Hopkins attended a preview of the new Hennessy Experience Room at the Four Seasons Hotel, Park Lane, in London, where guests can enjoy a delicious (and educational!) Cognac, wine and food pairing menu. The menu has been created by

Four Seasons Hotel executive chef Romuald Feger, and has been designed to highlight Hennessy Paradis Imperial.

Among the dishes are Scottish blue lobster tail and roasted venison loin, which are also paired with wines from Newton and Cheval des Andes, before culminating with the high-end Hennessy expression, which is made with some of the finest eaux-de-vies in the Cognac house’s stocks.

The Hennessy Experience Room is open for private bookings from 22 February until 27 April 2018, and can cater for groups of six to 10 people – priced at £270 per person.

 

A new film has premiered which delves into the world of Bourbon, called NEAT: The Story of Bourbon.

Directed by David Altrogge, the film features Dallas Buyer’s Club’s Steve Zahn and explores the colourful history, charismatic characters and unique processes from the Bourbon industry.

Luxury tequila brand Patrón hosted fashion designer Gareth Pugh’s London Fashion Week party this week.

Held at BLOK in London’s Shoreditch, the party saw a number of famous faces from the world of fashion in attendance, including Jodie Harsh, Louie Banks, Charles Jeffrey and Niall Underwood.

Guests at the party enjoyed Perfect Patrón Margaritas and Patrón Hacienda Punch, which were served in miniature Patrón bottles.

Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds has purchased American brand Aviation Gin, a pioneer in the US craft distilling movement.

Reynolds supposedly wanted to invest in the Oregon-made gin immediately after tasting the product for the first time.

The Safe House actor will now “play an active role” in the “day-to-day business” of Aviation Gin, and will also oversee its creative direction.

“Aviation is the best tasting gin in the world,” he said. “Once I tried it, I knew I wanted to get involved with the company in a big way.”

Diageo-owned rum brand Captain Morgan launched a social media campaign this week encouraging people to show their support for the Jamaican bobsleigh team at this year’s Winter Olympics.

At the Pyeongchang games, Captain Morgan encouraged fans to show their support for the Jamaican athletes by kissing its lucky egg.

Hoping to collect one-million egg kisses on social media in the run up to Jamaica’s run in Pyeongchang, the campaign was inspired by the 1993 Disney masterpiece, Cool Runnings.

The judging panel for the 10th Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition has been announced this week.

A panel of top talent from the drinks industry, including Alex Kratena, Ivy Mix, Shingo Gokan, Benjamin Padron and Carina Soto Velásquez will decide who takes home the coveted trophy at the grand final on May 1.

The Global Cocktail Competition challenges bartenders to create the next generation of classic rum cocktails, that will be able to stand alongside drinks such as the Mojito, the Daiquirí and the Cuba Libre.

Luxury hotel watering hole The Lobby Bar at the London Edition has unveiled its latest cocktail menu. Head bartender Robyn Wilkie and the Lobby Bar’s creative team have concocted an array of new libations, featuring a mixture of new recipes and returning classics.

Highlights include the Havana Moon, made with Havana 7, caramel stout and walnut bitters, and the Twice Pickled, a combination of pickled turnip Belvedere, lemon juice and Suze honey.

The new menu launch also saw the removal of all single-use straws from the bar.

New Zealand bartender Ray Letoa has won the grand final of the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge 2018.

Letoa triumphed over 10 other top bartenders from around the world at the competition, during which he created two cocktails using the Angostura portfolio in just seven minutes – a challenge he described as “the toughest”.

In the contest, Letoa created an amaro cocktail made with Amaro di Angostura, called Deliciousness, and a rum cocktail made using Angostura 1824 and two dashes each of Angostura’s aromatic bitters and orange bitters, called Old Flame.

London restaurant Thai Square hosted a cocktail mastercalss at its Islington venue this week.

Keen to show off their new late night bar, the restaurant launched a series of exclusive cocktail masterclasses to let drinkers in on the secrets behind some of their favourite drinks.

The evenings will be an opportunity to sample the latest creations from in-house mixologist, Narongdet Chuaichunoo.

Bartender Joshua James beat 15 semi-finalists to be crowned the winner at the Last Slinger Standing competition at this year’s Arizona Cocktail Weekend.

Finalists were challenged to create a cocktail using Hendrick’s Gin and Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth, which incorporated the use of a smoke gun. James was crowned the winner after judges were impressed by his use of the ingredients to create a twist on the classic Martinez cocktail.

“I’m ecstatic to bring the Last Slinger Standing trophy home to Arizona,” James said. “It feels like a fairytale ending, and we’re already clearing out a spot behind the bar to display it at Clever Koi in Phoenix.”

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