The week in pictures

(Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Armand de Brignac)

This week in celebrity drinks, Armand de Brignac’s Chef de Cave Jean-Jacques Cattier rubbed shoulders with Tamara Beckwith and Amanda Wakeley at the launch of the Jay Z-owned fizz label’s ‘most expensive cuvée to date’ on Tuesday (10 September).

Also in attendence were singer James Blunt with wife Sofia Wellesley with Marissa Montgomery (the granddaughter of the 8th Duke of Wellington), and fashion designer Marissa Montgomery.

The Irish Whiskey Association has ramped up its investment in legal protection in key international markets this year to boost sales, and the country’s spirits producers aren’t messing about either.

Jameson is launching a tour of the world month. It has created a replica of its flagship visitor experience in Dublin and shipped it to the Lisbon, Portugal.

Housed at Lisbon’s creative urban district – LX Factory – visitors to the pop-up will be guided through the brand’s history and range of whiskeys by a team of Jameson’s brand ambassadors.

The Jameson Village will also offer a range of interactive experiences and live entertainment from the expected (bartender masterclasses), to the avant garde (a tattoo studio and a barber shop, as you do).

Jameson’s business acceleration director, Simon Fay, said the brand hopes to take the tour to other cities throughout the rest of the year, “reaching more audiences around the world”.

The Wine and Spirit Education Trust officially hosted the largest-ever-recorded, sommelier-led, wine and food pairing masterclass in the world on Monday (9 September).

More than 330 people showed up to the Kia Oval in London to be led through a pairing class by TV personality and Saturday Kitchen regular Olly Smith, and consultant sommelier Virgilio Gennaro (pictured).

Meanwhile, in Hackney, Sam Boevey from The London Cocktail Club was crowned as the winner of this year’s 1800 Visionaries Cocktail Competitions in a fiercely fought final at Dalston Roof Park on Monday.

Spirits label 1800 Tequila tasked a group of finalists in its annual competition to create a cocktail inspired by an iconic artist from the worlds of art, style, design or music.

Boevery was inspired by 20th century surrealist René Magritte for his cocktail; ‘Ceci n’est pas un Cocktail’.

The serve included 1800 Silver, kumquat liqueur, Aperol, pomegranate syrup, Supasawa, Peychaud bitters, passionfruit kombucha and a mezcal mist, served in a high ball and garnished with chilli grapes.

He’s won £2000, some of which will be put towards pursuing his passion of opening his own bar.

Luis Hurtado de Amézaga Hamparzoumian, technical director of Marqués de Riscal, shows off the winery’s latest project (Photo: Marqués de Riscal)

On Wednesday (11 September), db had the pleasure of meeting the team at Marqués de Riscal, one of Spain’s oldest wine producers, for the launch of its new Rioja; XR, at London’s Vintners’ Hall.

The XR – which stands for ‘Extra Reserva’ – goes “beyond the Rioja boundaries of Gran Reservas and Reservas”, according to de Riscal, which is bending the rules a little to create a new category of its own.

The wine, which is being sold exclusively to the on-trade for now, will have a price tag “closer to the Gran Reserva”, general sales manager member of the Board of Directors at Marqués de Riscal, joked during the launch.

The 1952 and 1964 were two of the showstoppers at the masterclass (Photo: de Riscal)

Before the XR was unveiled, de Riscal invited elites from the world of wine, including merchant-turned-winemaker Steven Spurrier and Serena Sutcliffe MW – head of Sotheby’s international wine department – for a travel through time and Riojan grandeur with Andrew Caillard MW.

Calliard drew on his years of work with the famous winery, which culminated in the launch of his own book detailing the history of Rioja, A Travel Through Time, in 2018.

Andrew Caillard MW gave London oenophiles a rare insight into the world of ancient Rioja (Photo: de Riscal)

The writer’s work, and this week’s masterclass, were both inspired by a somewhat legendary tasting Marqués de Riscal hosted in November 2015, where a group of experts tasted 111 separate vintages going all the way back to 1862.

Caillard transported the oenophiles back to the origins of Rioja winemaking, offering up the chance to sample de Riscal’s 1964 and 1952 vintages, which left more than a few guests starstruck.

(Photo: Marqés de Riscal)

Most agreed the 1964, with its garnet hue, flavour complexity, bouquet of hallmark Rioja aromas and soft tannins, was the winner of the flight, though a few still remarked how impressive it was that a wine more than half a century old could taste so solid and relatively young.

“Well, good Riojas can age for decades,” James Ellis, director of on-trade supplier Ellis Wines, told db over lunch afterwards. We’ll say.

In cocktail collabs, Fergus Henderson, the nattily-tailored chef-owner of London’s St John restaurant, has been bestowed with a unique coin custom-made by Italian digestif Fernet-Branca to celebrate the site’s 25th anniversary.

The coin recognises the “devotion that Henderson holds for Fernet-Branca” according to the spirit label, which is the key ingredient in his two favourite cocktails, the Dr. Henderson and the Hanky Panky. coin was sent to VIP guests invited to the party to mark the restaurant’s anniversary on Monday evening.

This year, Henderson has also released a new book, The Book of St. John, which includes the recipe for his Hanky Panky.

You’ve all heard of Snakes on a Plane? Well, it was a case of a boa in a bar when db went to the launch of the Bloomsbury Club Bar’s Cocktail Diviner menu. 

Inspired by the Bloomsbury Set’s love of mysticism and the paranormal, and the vogue for magicians and mentalists that was prevalent in the 1920s, bar manager Scott Gavin has brought in a mind-reading machine that will divine the perfect cocktail for each guest.

The serves’ ingredients are also outlined on specially designed tarot cards. Guests enjoyed performances from entertainers including snake charmer Jamie McAndrew and her boa constrictor, Raz.

db‘s fine wine editor Rupert Millar was one of 30 members of the trade (not all pictured here) who took part in this year’s Run Bacchus at Denbies Estate in Surrey. Taking on the half marathon and 10k courses, the team were running in aid of trade charity The Benevolent. To donate to the JustGiving page please click here.

Fancy dress is a key part of the Bacchus run and despite some excellent efforts all round Elliot Awin’s Phylloxera-themed outfit was certainly the most inspired – and darkly comic. Cue ‘Phylloxera rages through English vineyard’ headlines.

Run Bacchus veterans Susie Barrie MW and Peter Richards MW were suitably attired for the occasion. Susie more for the run, she was 23rd overall in the half-marathon and the fourth fastest lady around the course, Peter for acting in the manner of a proper pharaoh and sampling every wine en route.

db‘s Rupert Millar relieved it’s all over.

Matthew Johnson carrying a bottle while dressed as a bottle. It was certainly thirsty work slogging it out on the “gently rolling” (Ha!) course on what was a lovely but rather warm day.

In upcycling, Diageo-owned Lagavulin has teamed up with the Rhythm and Booze Project and vintage drum specialist Majetone Industries to build a bass drum from a cask once used to mature its single malt.

The Rhythm and Booze Project, founded in 2018 by musicians Felipe Schrieberg and Paul Archibald, decided to collaborate with the Islay-based distillery to create a drum.

Gin brand Hendrick’s is giving Londoners the chance to stroke goats at its Gin Tini Martini Townhouse pop-up during London Cocktail Week.

The pop-up bar in Hackney, located close to the Ace Hotel, will boast an array of small but perfectly-formed goodies including ‘micro pianists’ and a pygmy petting zoo populated with therapy goats.

Downton Abbey fans, rejoice.

(Photo: Nick Briggs) LILY JAMES as Lady Rose

An official Downton Abbey cocktail book – which includes a foreword from the show’s creator, Julian Fellows – has launched to coincide with the film’s launch this week.

The new drinks book delves into the history of classic cocktails  featuring quotes from the show’s characters, including Lady Mary, Cora Crawley and Mrs Patmore.

A little late to the party to post, but db enjoyed catching up with the cream of the South African winemaking brother (and sister) hood at the New Wave South Africa tasting at Phonica Records in Soho, which proved so popular the tasting drew 900 attendees and at one point was limited to a strict ‘one in one out’ policy. During the event we caught up with two of our favourite surfers, Alex Starey of Keermont (left) and Duncan Savage of Savage Selections, twinning in grey.

We also swung by Swartland renegade Adi Badenhorst, who told us about his new mezcal project, made with South African agave. We loved the little packets of matches with his swan motif he was giving away on his stand…

We also caught up with Chris Alheit to slurp our way through his single vineyard Chenins, which, in our opinion, are some of the most exciting and stunning whites being made in South Africa at the moment.

Rising up through the New Wave ranks is newbie Franco Lourens, who Chris Alheit singled out as one to watch in the future. His elegant reds embody the growing trend for lighter wines that you don’t need a steak to enjoy.

db’s editor, Lucy Shaw, caught up with irreverent Kiwi Ben Glover at Flor in Borough Market to taste through his Mr. Glover range, which includes a Marlborough Sauvignon and Pinot Noir and has just been taken on by Tesco Ireland. During lunch Glover revealed that he thinks two distinct styles of Sauvignon Blanc are emerging in New Zealand at the moment – those that retail at under £10 in supermarkets, and the more expensive, single vineyard expressions that tell the terroir story.

Lucy also had lunch with Chilean wine legend, Adolfo Hurtado, and export guru Ricardo Orchard, at Mexican restaurant Santo Remedio in London Bridge. The duo, who worked together at Cono Sur, have both made the move to Chilean estate Mont Gras, which is family-owned with Catalan roots, where Hurtado is keen to get to work fine turning the range with the addition of a traditional method sparkler, single vineyard Pinot and cool climate Syrah.

Meanwhile, db‘s Phoebe French headed to the Ascot Festival of Food and Wine last Friday with English drinks producer Chapel Down. Seven races were held throughout the day with Ebury, ridden by Rob Hornby and trained by Martyn Meade, being victorious in the Chapel Down Stakes.

Phoebe was also among guests at a dinner hosted by Chakana’s winemaker, Gabriel Bloise, at Una Restaurant, St Pancras Clock Tower. Among the sips on pour was an ancestral method sparkling Tannat and a single parcel Malbec from Paraje Altamira.