The week in pictures
On Thursday, Hendrick’s launched a campaign to help ease the frustrations with public transport and unveiled its quirky double decker bus, H.E.R.B.E.R.T. – or Hendrick’s Extraordinary Roving Bus for Exceptionally Refined Travel. The bus will transport Londoners around the city, offering Hendrick’s and Tonic with a slice of cucumber, cocktails and cucumber macaroons.
Guests were transformed back to the prohibition era, with an elegant cocktail evening at Mr Fogg’s Residence on Thursday. Founders of Milan’s secret bar 1930 Milan, Marco Russo and Fabio Cavagna, took over the Mayfair bar with a range of their innovative signature tipples as well as a live band that played ‘30s tunes all night long.
The Black Cow Vodka Gold Cup cocktail competition took place last week on the picturesque Dorset coast, close to the Black Cow Vodka farm. Mannie Monaghan from The Monk Cocktail Bar in Buxton was crowned winner with his refreshing cocktail, named National Park Cup, made using wild rocket and fresh Rosemary. The finalists were encouraged to make cocktails based on edible ingredients found from the countryside.
Graphic Bar in Soho announced the return of The Graphic Gin Off in April. 16 brands took part in the cocktail competition described as ‘The FA Cup of Gin’ including Boodles, Tarquins, Sipsmith and Martin Miller’s for the fourth round on Wednesday. Winners were Martin Miller’s Strawberry Milk concoction and Boodles’ topical ‘EU fancy a Curry’ Tikka Marsala-inspired creation served in a takeaway tinfoil and accompanied by a poppadom. Both creations secured places in next month’s quarter finals.
Pimm’s Cider Cup launches a bid to reinvigorate the quintessentially British game of croquet, in the year in which both the sport and the brand celebrate their 165th anniversary. On Wednesday, the brand launched the Pimm’s Cider Extreme Cup, to take the game away from Britain’s gardens to more extreme lawns including the White Cliffs of Dover and a boat on the Thames.
This week we headed to NT’s to host the Japanese Whisky Highball heat of The Wenneker Swizzle Masters cocktail competition – check out the August issue of The Spirits Business for full details of the afternoon’s events.
Bankside will see an exciting, new al fresco gin pop-up, The Little Garden, at The Distillery bar in the recently launched 5* Hilton Bankside hotel. The Distillery will collaborate with independent brand Little Bird Gin, providing the perfect outdoor spot to enjoy refreshing cocktails, light bar snacks and a gin-infused tasting menu from July until early September.
Casamigos Tequila brand owners George Clooney and Rande Gerber took a motorcycle trip to visit the distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. Documenting the trip, the pair rode through the agave fields, hung out with the jimadors and walked through the distillery sampling the Tequila.
Minneapolis bartender Nathaniel Smith of Spoon and Stable was crowned winner of the Copper & Kings MIXT&PE Cocktail Competition. The challenge was to create an American brandy cocktail inspired by a song of their choice. Smith’s inventive cocktail “Little Red Corvette” by beloved Minnesota musician Prince earned him a trip to Louisville to visit the Copper & Kings American brandy distillery and attend the Forecastle Music Festival last weekend.
This week, The Spirits Business headed over to leading London bar and restaurant venue Mews of Mayfair to join a panel of judges that selected the top 10 recipes to go through to the final of the Great British Summer Cocktail Competition. The cocktails, thought to embody the “ultimate taste of summer”, will be served during a consumer event at Mews of Mayfair on the evening of Tuesday 9 August.
Quaglino’s is hosting a series of Cocktail Masterclasses in celebration of summer pop up, Giovanni’s Gin Joint, showing how to make three cocktails in partnership with Tanqueray. The Gin Joint features prohibition style speakeasies, performances and 10 new gin cocktails. The masterclasses run every Wednesday from 27 July to 31 August from 6pm-7.30pm and will be accompanied by a selection of canapés.
Midori launched emoji-inspired cocktail recipes to celebrate World Emoji Day (17 July), the melon liqueur brand teamed up with top bartenders around the US to match emojis – the digital icons used to express ideas and emotions – with cocktail ingredients. Test your emoji knowledge and see if you can match the ingredients with the drink.
