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The week in pictures

This week, Cuervo Tradicional Tequila took its Margarita Rumble competition to London and Manchester to find the best Margarita cocktails.

Taking over London Fields Brewery and Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, the contest saw Nine Lives triumph in London with its No Mames Guay Margarita, which featured a fresh mix of sage, grapefruit, lime and a hibiscus salt rim.

In Manchester, El Taquero picked up first prize with its Brisa de Aguacate, which delivered a punchy blend of cucumber, avocado and chilli.

London Cantonese restaurant Duddell’s has updated its cocktail menu, featuring six serves that have “defined” drinking culture in Hong Kong.

Duddell’s Defining Cocktails includes six creations that featured on the menu at Duddell’s Hong Kong, such as the Frogs Start Singing, made with Absolut Elyx vodka, Ancho Reyes Verde, green pepper, pineapple and lime; and the Pearl River Cobbler, which combines olorosso Sherry, lychee, passion fruit, orange and Lillet Rouge.

The new menu also includes six new creations under the Feng Shui menu, each created to embody one of the six principles of Feng Shui.

Dabbers Social Bingo kicked off its contest to find London’s next top bingo caller this week.

The contest, which launched on 5 May, will run until June and sees competitors take to the stage each week to try their hand at calling out the numbers.

A panel of judges will whittle down the entrants until the final four face off on 30 June, with the last caller standing taking away the title of Dabbers Next Top Caller.

Bacardi-owned Tequila brand Patrón launched its 2019 Perfectionists Cocktail Competition this week, inviting bartenders from 32 countries to submit their recipes.

Entries for the competition are now open, with international finals taking place from September until November 2019.

The 22 winners from the international finals will head to Mexico in January 2020 to compete in the global final at Hacienda Patrón in Jalisco. Bartenders looking to enter the competition should visit patronperfectionists.com to find out more.

Casamigos Tequila celebrated the start of summer with its pop-up beach bar at London department store Harvey Nichols.

The Tequila brand, which was founded by George Clooney and Rande Gerber, took over the fifth floor terrace at the store’s Knightsbridge branch, serving up a host of mezcal and Tequila-based cocktails.

Casamigos signature cocktails will be available on the terrace, including the Casa Ginger Mint Paloma, a mix of Casamigos Reposado, grapefruit, lime and syrup, and two twists on the classic Negroni and Old Fashioned cocktails.

American brandy maker Bertoux has partnered with a host of big name bartenders across the US to create summer-inspired cocktails.

Bertoux partnered with bartenders including The Dead Rabbit’s Jillian Vose, Aaron Polsky of Harvard & Stone and Natalie Lichtman of Elixir in San Fransisco to create its summer cocktail menu.

The brand’s new signature serves include the Watch Tower, created by Vose using Bertoux Brandy, Irish whiskey, lemon, pineapple, cinnamon, Pineau des Charentes, creme de cacao and creme de peche.

Independent whisky bottler GreatDrams has been crowned Cheshire Drinks Producer of the year at a local awards ceremony.

GreatDrams, created by Greg and Kirsty Dillon, picked up the title at this year’s Taste Cheshire Awards, which took place at the Pavilion at Chester Racecourse.

Kirsty Dillon, co-founder and director of sales and marketing for GreatDrams, said: “Winning this award strengthens our passion for whisky and the business we have grown. There is a lot more to come with several new releases already cued up, and others in the planning phase.”

Cut Rum has launched a the Cut Cocktail Competition, which challenges bartenders to create two cocktails in four minutes using eight ingredients.

Local finals will take place across the UK in June and July. The victorious bartender will walk away with an all-expenses-paid trip to London and a £1,000 prize fund.

Single malt whisky brand Highland Park marked International Viking Day (8 May) with the opening of its new customer experience store in Kirkwall, Orkney.

As well as a retail space featuring merchandise, whiskies and a tasting room, the new experience includes a gallery highlighting works from local creatives, including photographer and digital influencer Kendra Towns.

Patricia Retson, former senior vice-president and education host at Highland Park, was enlisted to officially open the store, having welcomed over half a million visitors to Orkney during her 20-year career with Highland Park distillery.

London restaurant and bar The Ivy Market Grill has collaborated with fragrance brand Jo Malone to create cocktails inspired by its new Blossoms collection.

The fragrance-inspired cocktails will be available at The Ivy Market Grill until 5 June, and includes the Silk Blossom Cosmo, made with Marylebone Orange and Geranium Gin, Cointreau Blood Orange, lime and cranberry juice; and the Orange Blossom Bloom, which combines Seedlip Grove 42, orange juice and ginger ale.

Melissa Mullin, vice-president, general manager at Jo Malone London, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with The Ivy Market Grill to celebrate Covent Garden in Bloom and the launch of Jo Malone London’s Blossoms Collection.”

Bacardi-owned Oxley Gin hosted the London final of its Gimlet Cocktail Competition, with Giulia Coccodrillo of Artesian bar at The Langham claiming the top prize.

Coccodrillo impressed the judges, which included Oxley brand ambassador Karine Tillard, Bacardi Brown Forman trade ambassador Rebecca Sides and WSET educator Hannah Lanfear.

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