Diageo and Taste Festivals join forces

Johnnie Walker owner Diageo has agreed a multi-year partnership with IMG’s Taste Festivals in an effort to merge the worlds of food, spirits and cocktails closer together.

Chef Manoella Buffara (left) and Diageo global cocktailian Lauren Mote (right) at the Diageo and Taste Festivals announcement at Margot, London

The collaboration will see leading bartenders team up with top chefs to create immersive experiences, educating culinary and cocktail fans on how to combine food and spirits with an assortment of ingredients, flavours and recipes.

As part of the partnership, Diageo and Taste will also be launching Taste Tuesdays, a monthly international in-restaurant event series, and Taste Residences, which will offer exclusive chef’s table experiences.

Taste Festivals attract more than 500,000 consumers every year across cities including London, Milan, Athens, Amsterdam, Dublin, Moscow, Rome, Sydney, São Paulo and Hong Kong.

Cristina Diezhandino, Scotch category director and managing director of Diageo Reserve, said: “I’ve increasingly seen people from across the world demand more from their food and drink.

“They want to know what their ingredients are and where they have come from. They want to know how their food and drink has been prepared, learn how to do it at home and overall, be offered a more immersive experience.”

Announced at a launch event at Margot in London on Friday (11 May), the partnership will focus on Diageo Reserve brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Ketel One, Cîroc, Don Julio, Bulleit and Zacapa.

Click the video below to learn more about the Diageo and Taste Festivals partnership.