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What’s on this weekend

GlenDronach reopens

Scotch whisky distillery GlenDronach is reopening the doors to its visitor centre from today (21 August).

The renovated site offers a new tasting room, whisky bar, lounge and retail area. The space has been designed with the aim of immersing whisky travellers in the “rich colour and flavour profiles of The GlenDronach”.

Visitors will be able to explore the new tasting bar, which offers a selection of GlenDronach drams and specially curated tasting flights. The new retail experience includes distillery-exclusive hand-filled expressions, which give GlenDronach fans a chance to fill, seal, label and sign their own cask strength bottle of Glendronach whisky.

Silo opening

Eco-minded London restaurant Silo has reopened after reinventing itself as an all-new zero-waste bar.

Opened by Douglas McMaster in Hackney, the reinvented Silo will serve an updated menu of dishes and drinks that have been “designed to complement the space”.

As well as a selection of small plates and snacks, the venue will also offer a menu of minimum intervention wines and a new cocktail list created by bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana. Silo will initially open in the evening from Thursday through Saturday and for lunch on Saturday and Sunday.

O’ndina Gin and Harry’s Dolce Vita

Italian gin brand O’ndina has partnered with London restaurant and bar Harry’s Dolce Vita to bring a taste of the Italian summer to London.

The partnership will run for six weeks and will see the London venue “transport guests back to the effortless glamour and carefree spirit of the 1950s and 1960s Italian Riviera”.

O’ndina will offer a limited edition cocktail menu including the Basilica Sour, which combines O’ndina Gin, Grand Marnier, lime juice, sugar syrup, egg white and basil leaves, and the Fruit Of the Vineyard, made with O’ndina Gin, rosé and grape juice.

Cù Bòcan and Tony Singh

Also pairing food and drinks this week is Highland single malt brand Cù Bòcan, which partnered with chef and restaurateur Tony Singh MBE to create a video series featuring dishes paired with the brand’s whisky expressions.

Cù Bòcan challenged Singh to create dishes to match its Signature malt; Creation #1, matured in Black Isle Brewery Imperial Stout and Bacalhôa Moscatel de Setúbal wine casks; and Creation #2, which is aged in Japanese shochu and European virgin oak casks.

After creating each dish, Singh joined Cù Bòcan brand ambassador Scott Adamson to discuss the whisky and food pairing. Videos of each pairing are available to watch on the brand’s YouTube channel.

The Philosophy of Gin

For drinkers looking for a good book to keep them entertained at home this weekend, Jane Peyton’s The Philosophy of Gin has just been released in hardback.

Available through British Library Publishing, the new book explores the origins of gin, its roots in medicine, its capacity to provide escapism during the ‘gin craze’ and its influence on language.

As well as a history of the spirit, The Philosophy of Gin also features ideal flavour pairings and is illustrated throughout with gin-related imagery sourced from the British Library collection.

Think Like a Bartender

Also available this week and set to entertain locked down imbibers is LD Morrow’s new book, Think Like a Bartender: Recipes for Life.

The comedian, former bartender and storyteller has written the book to show the parallels between the skills of a bartender and relevant life skills for everyone, such as learning how to cut people off or working through a bad day.

Morrow said: “Think Like a Bartender mixes two parts wisdom and one part comedy for a delicious cerebral cocktail everyone will enjoy.”

The Whisky Exchange vermouth tasting

Luxury spirits retailer The Whisky Exchange will host the latest instalment in its virtual tasting series next Thursday (27 August), this time focusing on vermouth.

In its final tasting this month, The Whisky Exchange head buyer Dawn Davies will be joined by Roberto Bava from vermouth brand Cocchi and Mark Ward from Regal Rogue to discuss the aromatised wine.

Ahead of the virtual tasting, drinks fans can purchase a pack of the expressions featured in the session online from The Whisky Exchange.

Disaronno desserts

Disaronno has partnered with Sydney dessert bar KOI to create a cocktail and dessert pairing menu, which will launch next week.

Available from 27 August, the paired cocktail and dessert menu features ‘moss’, a dish made with pistachio, caramel, lime curd, matcha, apple sorbet with lime and yogurt nitrogen, served up alongside the Spongy Fizz cocktail, which is made with Disaronno, creme de cacao and salted macadamia.

KOI will serve up the Disaronno pairing menu from Thursday 27 August until 20 September.

Virtual Whisky Masterclass

For whisky fans looking to brush up on their knowledge during lockdown, spirits writer Felipe Schrieberg will host his latest virtual tasting on Thursday (27 August).

Through the online session, Schrieberg will lead drinkers through a specially curated selection of whiskies, which will be sent to participants in advance.

Tickets for the event, which runs for two hours from 8pm BST, can be purchased through Design My Night. Future dates are also available to book in advance.

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