The week in pictures

How’s this for a celebrity drinks tie-in?

Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson and Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds have announced a partnership that sees Reynolds’ gin brand Aviation served on Virgin Atlantic flights.

For those who need to catch up: Ryan Reynolds bought the rights to Aviation American Gin from previous owner Davos Brands earlier this year. Since then he’s created some memorable adverts and videos promoting the brand, including one where he interviews himself.

“For Aviation to be chosen as the gin of choice for such an iconic and quintessentially British brand is a complete honour,” Reynolds said.

“And, on a personal note, Sir Richard has promised to teach me the difference between revenue and profit, so I am beyond excited.”

Back on the ground, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is opening a rum-focused restaurant in London’s Liverpool Street next month.

Called Tracks & Records, the Jamaican-themed bar, restaurant and ‘late lounge’ will open on 10 October, adding to Bolt’s portfolio of restaurants in Kingston, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay.

Split across two floors, Tracks & Records will be decked out with Bolt’s sports memorabilia and will feature live reggae and dub sets from leading UK DJs. At the bar, hundreds of rums will be on pour including 100 from Jamaica.

Champagne Ruinart has renewed its support of Frieze Art Fair in London for the third consecutive year, where it will also present a series of Champagne-themed works by the Chinese artist Liu Bolin.

Known as the ‘Invisible Man’, the Chinese artist is well known for blending seamlessly into real life settings in works that are considered a mixture of both still life and trompe l’oeil.

Also in art-meets-booze, Campari’s artistic exhibition Creates returned this week with The Mostra – an immersive experience (read: pop-up bar) that invites guests to step inside an art installation (read: fancy pop-up bar) inspired by the Italian bitters brand.

Abstract artist Mark McClure (pictured) — who is well known in the art world for his angular designs and murals from Vienna to Beirut (pictured) — was commissioned to create a bitters bar “inspired by the effect of light in a cocktail; the transparency of colour, the shifting light and the translucent effect that happens to the liquid within the glass.”

The unique design means that visitors to The Mostra will experience the feeling of being inside a Campari cocktail, which is how we all feel after six or seven of the things.

Entry to The Mostra — located on Dray Walk, just off London’s Brick Lane — is free, with all Campari cocktails priced at £7.00.

Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi and Ollie Hoskins of London Irish (Photo by Gareth Davies/PPAUK)

Moving on to the brown stuff, Paddy Irish Whiskey has signed a deal with the London Irish Rugby Club for the 2018/19 season.

The deal sees Paddy become the Official Whiskey of London Irish, with pouring rights in the Greene King IPA Championship side’s Madejski Stadium in Reading, as well as the bar at the club’s Hazelwood Centre in Sunbury.

The London Irish Man of the Match award will now be sponsored by Paddy, with the lucky recipient being awarded a bottle of Paddy in the Club Room after the match.

Given its smaller market share compared to wine and beer in the UK, we don’t get to write about cider as often as we’d like, but this could be set to change thanks to drinks educator and writer Jane Peyton, who was named the UK’s first accredited “pommelier” on Wednesday, by the Beer and Cider Academy.

The Pommelier accreditation scheme was devised and taught by cider expert Gabe Cook, also known as The Ciderologist.

It was launched by the Academy in January 2018, and requires candidates to pass three courses before sitting a blind tasting exam. Cider advocacy and the ability to match food with cider must also be proven.

“Anyone who makes, markets and retails cider should send their staff for pommelier training,” Peyton said. “It gives people the ability to understand, describe and advocate what they are selling. Educated staff are more effective staff.”

Aussie winemakers were busy this week. Wine Australia’s Off the Vine tastings kicked off in London on 20th September, followed by a showing in Copenhagen on the 24th.

Around 40 winemakers including Taras Ochota (Ochota Barrels, Adelaide Hills), Julian Forwood (Ministry of Clouds, McLaren Vale), Brendan and Kirstyn Keys (BK Wines, Adelaide Hills), Nic Peterkin (LAS Vino, Margaret River) came to front their brands, while on the other side of the desks, guests the likes of oz clarke, Fiona Beckett and the IWSC’s Adam Lechmere sampled the wares in London.

Meanwhile, in Copenhagen, Taras Ochota found his doppelganger in the form of this stony boi.

Happy 40th birthday to wine merchant Thorman Hunt, which launched a new website at its annual autumn tasting in London this week, as well as adding new producers from the Jura, Burgundy,
Beaujolais, Loire, Montalcino and Spain as well as showing craft spirits.

Melanie Brown (pictured), founder of specialist independent retailer The New Zealand Cellar, expanded her remit with the launch of an Australian counterpart last Friday, and held a party at the Roost in Dalston to celebrate.

The online platform will be supported by a schedule of events, popups and tastings with the aim of bringing Australia’s philosophy on wine to life, “creating a platform that ensures stories, people and passion prevail”.

Those already signed up include Australian wine writer Mike Bennie, who will be discussing the natural wine movement, and Dan Sims, the founder of wine festival Pinot Palooza.

The Dirty Dozen — a collective of the twelve independent wine importers in the UK — held their annual tasting held at Glaziers Hall in London on Wednesday. Astrum Wine Cellars, Clark Foyster Wines, Flint Wines, FortyFive10, H2Vin, Howard Ripley, Indigo Wine, Maltby & Greek, Raymond Reynolds, Roberson Wine, The Wine Treasury, SWIG and some of their winemakers came out in force to represent their portfolios. db wonders how many liggers were working the room…?

Bermondsey’s Small Beer Brew Co picked up the award for best launch at the Beer and Cider Marketing Awards held at the Old Brewhouse in Brick Lane. Co-founder James Grundy commented: “A huge thanks to our amazing team who work tirelessly and to this amazing industry that has embraced Small Beer Brew innovation!”

Hot off the Surrey stills comes England’s latest Vermouth from Copperfield Distilery that was launched at The Royal Institution of Great Britain on Wednesday.

The Vermouth is made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in Surrey and distilled with a spirit infusion containing 12 different botanicals.

Co-founder Professor Katherine Smart said: “Compared to artisanal gins there are relatively very few producers of small-batch vermouths and we saw this as an opportunity to grow our portfolio with a unique product that combines Italian flavours with fine English wine”.