Dead Man’s Fingers online tasting

Halewood Artisanal Spirits will host an online tasting of its Dead Man’s Fingers rum brand today (30 April), featuring guest tasters Bez from The Happy Mondays and The Prodigy’s Leeroy Thornhill.

The online tasting will be hosted by musician Mike Keat and William Borrell, founder of Vestal Vodka. The session will include a chance to sample the Dead Man’s Fingers rum range, as well as a signature Disco Cocktail.

The session will also feature appearances from celebrity tasters, including Bez, Thornhill, DJ Fearney and more. To find out more, visit Design My Night.

Roku Japanese Gin Garden

London’s Nobu Hotel partnered with Beam Suntory-owned Roku gin to open a Japanese-inspired garden.

The Roku Japanese Gin Garden incorporates natural and organic elements of indigenous Japanese flora and foliage. The space is illuminated by soft pink lanterns, which are said to recreate the colours of the Japanese cherry blossom season.

On the menu at the outdoor terrace, drinkers can enjoy cocktails such as the Shun Martini, which is mixed to order using Roku Gin or Toki Whisky, and the Seasons Negroni, which is said to have floral notes of cherry blossom.

Lemonade Stand pop-up

London restaurant Crudo Cevicheria has partnered with Tequila brand El Sueño to open the Lemonade Stand pop-up bar.

Opening tomorrow (1 May), the stand will serve up three Tequila-based cocktails, including a classic Margarita, Paloma and Picante. The Lemonade Stand pop-up bar will be open all Bank Holiday weekend from 12pm until 10pm.

The pop-up bar will open outside Crudo’s Old Street restaurant, where hungry passers by can also stop for alfresco dining.

Drizly Tequila and mezcal tasting

To celebrate the Mexican festival of Cinco de Mayo, online retailer Drizly will host a virtual Tequila and mezcal tasting with actors Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston.

The duo, who launched Dos Hombres mezcal in 2019, will join Drizly for an online tasting of four agave-based spirits, which will cover tips on how to create the perfect Margarita.

Running online from 7:30pm ET on 5 May, drinkers can register for the event via the Drizly website.

Cazcabel La Loteria

Also celebrating Cinco De Mayo this year is Tequila brand Cazcabel, which will host a Tequila-filled fiesta on Thursday (6 May).

The two-hour event will be hosted by Cazcabel Tequila global brand ambassador Nate Sorby, who will teach participants to make two Cazcabel cocktails. Participants will also learn to play La Loteria, a Mexican bingo-style game.

Tickets for the event are available to purchase through Design My Night and include the sheets for the La Loteria game, cocktail ingredients, Cazcabel Reposado Tequila, Cazcabel Coffee Tequila and Cazcabel Coconut Tequila.

J&B Rare Cocktails

Blended Scotch whisky brand J&B Rare partnered with four London bars to offer a menu of home-delivered bottled cocktails.

J&B Rare worked with bartenders at Murder Inc, The Proofing Rooms, Cocktail Trading Company and The Vault to create four bottled cocktails, which are available to purchase directly from each bar’s website.

The serves on offer include the Equine Cocktail, which combines J&B Rare, ginger and earl grey infusion, sage, and white wine cordial, and the Elderflower Highball, made with J&B Rare, elderflower, peach and eucalyptus.

The House of Aperitivo

Hong Kong bar and restaurant 208 Duecento Otto has opened The House of Aperitivo, a new ground floor venue offering Italian-inspired serves.

Overseen by bar and floor manager Matteo Stefani, the new space specialises in Italian vermouth and offers 45 different bottlings of the fortified wine, each available in simple serves or as signature cocktails.

Alongside its drinks offering, the new space offers a creative bar snacks menu, which includes deep fried squid, Norwegian smoked salmon and Cantabrico anchovies.

Bodega Bay and Inner Circle

Hard seltzer brand Bodega Bay and dating app Inner Circle have created a park dates kit, which includes all the essentials for a first date in the great outdoors.

The kit, which is available to purchase from the Bodega Bay website, includes a selection of Bodega Bay seltzers, spirits to combine with the seltzers to create Spritz cocktails, a cooler bag and a limited edition picnic blanket.

Each kit is priced at £25 (US$35) and includes a one-month trial of Inner Circle.

Rossopomodoro Aperitivo Terrace

Italian restaurant group Rossopomodoro partnered with aperitivo brand Hotel Starlino to launch a Summer of Spritz cocktail menu and outdoor terrace.

Opening at the group’s venues in Covent Garden, Chelsea and Camden, the Rossopomodoro restaurant terraces will offer Hotel Starlino Aperitivo Spritzes and Stambecco Cherry Amaro cocktails throughout the summer.

The terraces will be open throughout summer from 12pm to 10pm, serving cocktails and Rossopomodoro signature pizzas and pasta. Tables can be booked on the Rossopomodoro website.

The Ultimate Garden Picnic hamper

London bar operator the The Umbrella Project has partnered with Provisions Wine & Cheese to create the ultimate garden picnic cocktail hamper.

Available to order online now, the hamper aims to champion independent and local food and drink producers. Each hamper includes everything for the best possible picnic, such as crockery, Prosecco, Strawberry Kir cocktails, Umbrella London Rhubarb Cider, olives, camembert, Ship Biscuits and chutneys.

Available to buy online via The Umbrella Project’s website, the hamper is priced at £90 (US$125).