The week in pictures

To celebrate the launch of a new episode of the Art Talk podcast, hosted by actor Russell Tovey and gallerist Robert Diament, Rabble Bar in Edinburgh and Bombay Sapphire is offering up free gin and tonics in return for napkin doodles.

For four consecutive Thursdays, visitors to Rabble Bar will be able to swap their finest napkin doodles for a signature Bombay Sapphire and tonic.

Kicking off this week, the promotion will run until 12 September.

Orange is the New Black star Dascha Polanco celebrated National Rum Day (16 August) with Bacardi’s rum portfolio.

Guests at New York’s Las’ Lap enjoyed a host of signature serves mixed up by Polanco and the team, each made with Bacardi’s portfolio including Santa Teresa 1796, Banks Rum and the Facundo Rum Collection.

Polanco and the assembled guests enjoyed cocktails such as Take Flight, which is made with Facundo Neo rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, Martini bitters, brown sugar and a Facundo Eximo float.

Milk-based vodka brand Black Cow was at this year’s PX+ hospitality festival serving up signature cocktails and bar snacks.

The Dorset-based vodka brand mixed up Bloody Marys and cheese toasties for the assembled members of the on-trade to enjoy throughout the festival.

During the event, Black Cow co-founder Paul Archard was joined by zero-waste chef Doug McMaster to discuss sustainability in the industry.

To celebrate the launch of its new macadamia nut liqueur, Australia’s Cape Byron Distillery took over the Green Room at the Beach Hotel in New South Wales for an evening of cocktails to showcase the new expression.

Mac, the distillery’s new roasted macadamia nut liqueur, was served up alongside Brookie’s Gin in a host of signature cocktails, including stirred down in a twist on the Old Fashioned and as an alcoholic affogato with coffee and ice cream.

To celebrate its 11th anniversary, London’s renowned Connaught Bar this week unveiled its latest drinks list, which includes cocktails inspired by the venue.

Developed by Agostino Perrone, director of mixology, and head mixologist Giorgio Bargiani, the Vanguard menu features 11 drinks influenced by The Connaught Bar’s design, signature drinks and guests.

Divided into three sections called Enigma, Strata and Verve, cocktails on the new menu include A Hint of Purple, made with Hendrick’s Gin, Cocchi Americano Rosa, blueberries, fennel, Abavas Rhubarb sparkling wine and Galliano L’Autentico.

Singapore bar Atlas also launched a new menu this week, the venue’s first drinks list created under the guidance of head bartender Jesse Vida features cocktails inspired by the Art Deco movement.

The new menu, called Interbellum, is named after the period between the First and Second World War, and celebrates the period’s design, art, music, culture and fashion.

Divided into five chapters, the drinks list includes the REM, which is inspired by the concept of ‘sleep learning’ and combines cream, Cognac, banana liqueur, raspberry liqueur and aromatic bitters.

This week, Yorkshire gin brand Slingsby was the headline gin supplier at sailing regatta Cowes Week.

The event featured a mix of competitive sailing and social activities, and saw Slingsby sail a branded yacht in a 28-boat race around the Isle of Wight.

Slingsby was on hand at Cowes week as part of its Summer Series campaign, which has so far seen a Slingsby-branded Land Rover participate in the Tour de Yorkshire and the brand was named official gin supplier at Chestertons Polo in the Park.

During this year’s Galloway Country Fair, revellers were able to sample a sauce made using whisky from a cask valued at £1 million (US$1.2m).

Cooked up by Bronze Young Chef of the Year Fraser Cameron, the sauce used whisky from cask number one of Annandale Distillery’s first unpeated single malt, which is currently on sale for £1m.

The sauce was served up alongside Galloway beef fillet stuffed with St James whisky smoked salmon, meaux mustard mayonnaise and glazed hickory smoked silver skin onions.

The Orkney Distillery and Visitor Centre in Kirkwall, Orkney, was this week awarded a five-star quality assurance award from Visit Scotland.

The distillery and visitor centre, which opened just over a year ago, runs tours twice a day for gin enthusiasts, taking them behind the scenes at the distillery to learn about the production processes.

Its 11 staff members, headed up by operations manager Katie Macleod, have hosted thousands of people in the short time since it opened.