Notorious Beam Team

Hennessy Paradis Horus

2009-12-16T15:55:00.001Z

New uber-luxe golden clad decanter from Hennessy is a bit a show stopper.

Here's more information from Atelier 29

"A collector's item indeed! This crafted luminous decanter sheathed in gold by Hennessy would be an exclusive hand-gift for Christmas or New Year Celebration and even perfect Chinese New Year Present for those looking for something different!

An exquisite packaging design by Italian designer Ferruccio Laviani, Paradis Horus is an exceptional cognac developed from a masterly assemblage of hundreds of rare eaux-de-vie, perfectly aged for 25 to 130 years. It is has been described as the fruit of a noble alliance between man, the land and the heavens.

'A divine name for divine perfection. Its name is derived from the mythological god representing the sun. Emerging from the cellar's obscurity, its luminous eaux-de-vie irradiate. They embody the sun's power and warm light, forming a cognac beyond compare.

For this exquisite elixir, Hennessy has chosen the most magnificent cognac decanter ever envisioned. The Italian designer, Ferruccio Laviani, crafted a luminous decanter sheathed in gold to glorify this one-of-a-kind ambrosia. Reminiscent of ancient statues, the Paradis Horus decanter is as singular as the cognac it contains. It commands respect, topped with a majestic oversized cap, plated in 18 carat gold.'"

I'm very partial to mythological references and ancient legends. And a spot of gold bullion never hurt anyone. If anyone feels like sending me a decanter of super-smart cognac, feel free!

The Eternal Ice Drop

2009-12-15T10:23:00.001Z

For cooling your cognac.

Via

Funny Schweppes Spots for Christmas

2009-12-10T15:33:00.001Z

Refreshingly light hearted. My favourite is the one where they throw their keys into the Christmas hat.

Ballantine's Flashing Bottles

2009-12-08T10:53:00.001Z

Your eyes are not deceiving you. These bottles of Ballantine's are indeed flashing. And not just flashing randomly, but pulsing to the beat of the music.

Why? Well, rather than me trying to work it out, here's what Marketing Magazine wrote about it:

"Designed by London-based packaging agency The Core, the Ballantine's Finest self-illuminating bottle, which can be powered by batteries or mains, is only available to the on-trade.

The bottle design is modelled on a graphic equaliser, the dark blue spray coated bottle appears to react to the tonal quality of audio passing through it, by lighting up intermittently to achieve back-of-bar standout.

The working bottle forms part of an on-trade campaign for Ballantine's Finest, entitled ‘Listen to Your Beat'. Rolling out across bars and nightclubs in the UK and other markets, the campaign is based on the idea that ‘by listening to your own beat and following your own instincts, you will make choices that leave an impression on others.'

Global marketing director for Ballantine's, Peter Moore, said "The ‘Listen to Your Beat' campaign will energise our on-trade accounts by engaging consumers in a creative and eye catching manner.""

I'm lost for words.

Puzzling Wine Labels

2009-12-08T10:46:00.000Z

I'm a big fan of these labels. It's good to see designs that aren't just about looking nice but actually engage the mind.

I particulalry like "Puzzle Time" on the left. You can see that within the word search there are terms like "blackberry" and "toast" that presumably are part of the tasting notes that you discover as you drink it. There's something brilliantly playful about it that's a million miles away from the normal "dry, elegant and crisp" tasting notes that adorn the back of most bottles.

You can see from this blog post by Budget Vino that the label has worked a treat. It gives a reason for people to engage with the wine label and learn more about what makes it different from its rivals. I'm intrigued to see their other labels and whatever else they are up to.

(Via Bev Law blog)

Brew Dog - Tactical Nuclear Penguin

2009-12-08T10:31:00.000Z

Sensational video showcasing Brew Dog's successful attempt to make the world's strongest beer.

Tactical Nuclear Penguin from BrewDog on Vimeo.

There can't be many alchohol brands out there with a stronger brand behavior. For a taste of what they are up to have a look at their site. Or better still buy some equity in the brand!

Towards a Fluid State

2009-12-07T17:25:00.002Z

Angella and Hayley, masterminds of the Tasting Sessions and most recently architects of Towards a Fluid State, have moved the goal posts so far that most booze brands planning a tasting experience won’t be able to see them.

Over the course of the last year they have continuously raised the bar with their artistic mash-ups of art, booze, culture, flavours, music, theatre and entertainment. They are the drinks version of what Shunt is to traditional theatre. The whisky and cheese pairing at Bart’s was terrific. The white wine event was dazzling. And by all accounts their gin event was spectacular.

Having arrived in an alleyway in deepest darkest Dalston we were greeted by a scene out of a Soviet dystopia mixed with a touch of Mad Max. Russian versions of the Enigma machine checked us in before we entered the experience. In another life the venue doubles as a photographers studio for Vogue fashion shoots and used to be a mechanic’s garage.

Our first encounter (depicted by an octagon in the map above) featured a flight of sake from Akashi Tai paired with Japanese nibbles from Tsuru. The sake progressed from the expected through to an almost whiskyish brown spirit that paired exceptionally well with a ball of sesame crusted ice cream.

But the oral tasting itself is only a small part of the experience. Drag queens chilled out next to us as an amazing artists doodled Japanese Animae on a wall. It all set the scene for a mind bending introduction.

We turned a corner and all of a sudden we’d translocated from Tokyo to Jarnac. The Courvoisier experience featured a bar serving Exclusif cocktails ranging from the classics like the Sazerac and Sidecar through to the more experimental blackberry jelly shot flecked with gold leaf that is best consumed from a spoon.

Courvoisier’s Le Nez experience was in full flow, showcasing the incredible aromas held within the cognac. It was a very special moment for me to see an idea I worked on come to life, and in such style. A flight of Napoleon, XO Fine Champagne and Initiale paired with caramel lollipop, lavender crème brulee and port and stilton truffle was phenomenal. I’m biased, but you’ll just have to believe me. It took me back to the food and cognac pairing we developed with Alexis from Roussillon.

The experience also included a chance to watch Courvoisier’s 3D film which helps to explain what makes their cognac so special. The whole experience was artfully curated and looked spectacular.

We slipped out of Jarnac and landed up in the midst of a Lady Gaga video-shoot. Philip Li, who is renowned for his weird and wonderful ceramics performed an incredible piece of art which mainly involved him being wrapped in cling-film, clay and bin bags. For anyone who saw Lady Gaga on X Factor on Saturday, you’ll see the connection. I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Philip Li’s performance along with a surreal Telly-Tubby-esque grass floor that moaned and suggestively glistened with jewels formed a bizarre backdrop for a tasting of biodynamic and natural wines paired with raw food from Saf.

Joe McCanta, is one of the leading sommeliers and mixologists in town. And like Angella and Hayley is a member of the Courvoisier Future 500. His collection of wines were all wonderfully obscure. Our favourite combination was a pairing of Burgenland Pinot Noir with beetroot cannelloni – which I think I may have had when I visited Saf. The wine was light and supple and formed a perfect marriage with the beetroot.

We didn’t get stuck into the whisky and cheese tasting- for which I can only appolgise. But it looked very similar to the “Throw Away your Prohibitions” event I raved about at Bart’s. The waft of phenomenal cheese from La Fromagerie was sensational. Highland Park and The Macallan featured alongside Connemara, Singleton, Clynelish, Dalwhinnie and Lagavulin.

Instead I headed upstairs to a secret speakeasy bar that was serving Maker’s Mark cocktails to a crowd of adorers. The bartender, from Zuma, whipped up a cracking array of cocktails starting with a Blueberry Smash infused with mint for the ladies and a State Mule for the gents which was like a fizzy Old Fashioned. We missed the music but apparently Plaster of Paris and the Dulwich Ukulele Club put on quite a show.

We then found ourselves in the Rich or Ruin experience being wowed by Sipsmith’s Gin which was served as a warm punch a la crachit with a tickle of ginger beer. Sipsmith’s Gin opened very recently in Hammersmith, making them the first gin distillery with a copper still to open in London for 189 years. Their approach is a breath of fresh air. They have embraced the blogosphere (Dinner Diary and Cheese and Biscuits) and are very active on Twitter. If anyone is looking for a spirits brand that is using social media in a smart way, then have a long hard look at the chaps at Sipsmith's.

We then dived into a molecular cocktail courtesy of Chase Gin. They make vodka using English potatoes and have now launched a gin made from apples! Bonkers. But brilliant. To make things even more special it turns out they were launching this new apple based gin at Towards a Fluid State, so we were some of the first to try it. Their cocktail featured Herefordshire cider, molecular balls of apple juice and gin. It was designed to be paired with a feast of roast pork expertly cooked by the good folks at Bacchus and accompanied by a the sounds of a baroque harp and violins.

Hayman’s Gin showcased a collection of three gins ranging from their standard gin, their Gin Liquer that’s like an old fashioned Genever) to the uber-botanical Old Tom that was served through an ice sculpture of a Tom Cat, much to the delight of a very over the top Japanese TV presenter.

We left Towards a Fluid State thrilled and in awe of what Hayley and Angella had achieved and gagging for more. It was exhilarating to have been part of something so far ahead of what others are doing. Girls, what’s next?

A couple of important wine innovations for Crimbletime

2009-11-24T16:40:00.005Z

The Inventorspot blog describes these two vital drinks innovations. Firstly, Playboy Wines offers "a once a month delivery service of unique vintages of wines which come with a label that features a vintage playboy magazine cover".
And not entirely unrelated, although it's not clear whether this is meant to benefit the wearer or her companions, is this wine rack bra, which really needs no further description.

Movember Cocktails

2009-11-20T10:26:00.008Z

Here at Notorious, we like getting involved in everything and when we can combine it with a worthy cause, well that's just the icing on the cake. This month, I've been growing a Mo for Movember - and this is how it's looking today.

Movember is a great idea. For those that don't know, participants grow their Mo for the month of November in order to raise awareness of Men's health issues, specifically prostate caner. Anybody can donate to a Mo - and the donations go to charity.

Movember is obviously a very appealing partner for a lot of Men's brands, from Wilkinson's Sword to Rockstar Games, and this year Finlandia Vodka have joined the list of sponsors.

Here's what they're doing:

"To celebrate Movember, Finlandia Vodka has created a menu of delicious Mo-inspired cocktails to tease and tantalise the tastebuds. This year sees the launch of Mo Academies across selected UK cities and we would like to invite you and a friend to hone your mixology skills.

The Academies are designed to give you a cocktail master class hosted by renowned industry experts, Soulshakers. The fun, hour-long course will help teach you some of the fundamental skills needed to be an amateur mixologist – from complimenting tastes to crafting stunning cocktail creations."

We're going to sign up and we'll let you know how it goes.

Towards a Fluid State

2009-11-17T15:24:00.001Z

2009 10 31 The Fluid State Secret from Towards A Fluid State on Vimeo.

Angella and Hayley from The Tasting Sessions are preparing to wow the world with their amazing brainchild: "Towards a Fluid State". I've been lucky enough to experience their whisky and cheese tasting as well as their white wine masterclass. If their super-slick spirits, wine and beer festival takes things to the next level as they've promised TFS is going to be out of this world.

The premise is to create "An immersive and informative food and drink experience profiling flights of Cognac, Whisky, Gin, Sake and Natural & Biodynamic wine matched with delicious morsels of food. Also a platform for some of the UK's hottest emerging contemporary artists, musicians, set and fashion designers this will be a truly unique experience and one not to miss."

They hosted a bloggers brunch last weekend which I, sadly, couldn't make. From what I've heard, seen and read it was a phenomenal event. It's clear that there's a lot of excitement and energy around the event. The video below, featuring a tasting of Courvoisier L'Essence should set the scene.

Press and bloggers have been recruited to "Join the Movement"...

... and to tie a ribbon to an objedct and share the photo.

This picture from Greg is is particularly good.

The whole event is being launched with amazing creativity and lateral thinking. If the event is as impressive as the marketing it will be ace. From what I've heard Courvoisier and Sipsmith are involved.

You can buy tickets here and join the movement here. It's all happening on 5th December in an undisclosed warehouse in the Dalston Territories.

It's great to be involved with people who are passionate about their food, their drink and more importantly about pushing creative boundaries. Good luck Angella and Hayley - I'll see you on the vineyard!

(All photos and videos are from The Tasting Sessions/Towards a Fluid State)

Beck's Music Inspired Art

2009-11-10T12:41:00.003Z

Beck’s has launched a multi dimensional campaign called “Music Inspired Art” that is intended to give consumers an emotional reason to actively choose Beck’s over other bottled lagers and command a price premium. In particular they are focusing their attention on the hipster crowd with the hope that this will have positive knock on benefits for those that look on.

They have a long association with art and music, having sponsored the Beck’s Futures modern art prize as well as designing limited edition bottles with up artists such as Damien Hirst and Dino Chapman.

This year they’ve stepped things up a level with their “Music Inspired Art” campaign.

This started with a competition on Flickr to “re-imagine” the album covers of the top 100 albums of all time.

It then moved into a collaboration with Hard-Fi and Ladyhawke who have created bottle artwork that is inspired by their music.

This mashed-up, lo-fi content has then been amplified into a 360 idea. It has been used in outdoor, print and taxi media, PR’ed widely on websites like Fused, Bitch Buzz, Virgin Music Shout, Holy Moly and merchandised on 16 million bottles. One person loved the poster so much they have pasted it up on their wall.

In addition they have used the exteriors of their flagship London pubs as canvases to promote their association with edgy rock bands. This has been picked up by Trendhunter Magazine.

They also invited urban influencers in the music scene to secret gigs which you can enjoy in the video below

Beck’s have also claimed a media first. Their interactive bus shelters allow passers by to plug in their iPods and see a graphical visualisation of the music they are listening to which is then shared on Flickr.

Ken Valledy, Beck's Brand Director at InBev UK, said "This is a great way to get beer drinkers to plug into Beck's and interact on a whole new level with the UK's No. 1 imported lager. This fresh plug-and-play advertising initiative is about interacting with beer drinkers on their terms... this interactive media activity really helps to bring the campaign to life.”

Whilst it seems only 400 people have used the service, it has generated plenty of PR. You can see how it works by watching the video below from Electrolyte.

Becks interactive music installations - 002 from electro on Vimeo.

And the slideshow showcasing the bottle labels from the Flickr stream is below:

This is an impressive campaign that knits together very well. But it's not perfect. Many people have dismissed the interactive bus stops as "just buzz" and the collaboration with Hard-Fi has been far less popular than with Ladyhawke. We Heart Stuff refused to feature Hard-Fi in their article and on the Drowned in Sound forum Hard-Fi were slated, the secret gigs were scorned and the artwork was rubbished. On Twitter someone wondered, "Does Hard-Fi Becks taste as bad as Hard-Fi sound?" And on Nick Burcher's post about Beck's one commenter said that they would stop drinking Beck's because of their association with Hard-Fi.

Overall the campaign successfully cements Beck’s longstanding association with music and art in a way that's refreshing, worth talking about and ambitious.

Absolut Vancouver

2009-11-08T15:46:00.001Z

From Clubzone

Absolut is continuing its quest to capture the "spirit" of the world's most iconic cities (that happen to Absolut markets) with the launch of Absolut Vancouver.

Here's a good summary from Popsop:

"The Absolut Vodka brand seems to be the most active on the market of alcohol production. It’s always ready to introduce something new to its loyal customers and future buyers. Now, after presenting Absolut New Orleans, Absolut Los Angeles and Absolut Boston, it is eager to treat us to Absolut Vancouver!

The company is launching the product on November 10, 2009. It will be a limited edition, just 60,000 copies will be available in Canada stores. As the sale is beginning before Christmas, the new product is positioned as a gift from the company to its Canadian consumers."

There's more to the Absolut Vancouver than a stunt to sell lots of vodka as Christmas presents. Absolut has long been associated with the arts and hosted a competition with a grand prize of $120,000 to find an artist to create a work of art as a gift from Absolut to the city of Vancouver. They used facebook as a platform to engage the creative community in British Columbia and then shortlisted 5 of their favourite artists which the public were invited to vote on. Sadly for Absolut they only got around 30-40 submissions which they put down to the elaborate entry mechanic. Apparently only 16 were worthy of consideration. For more detail have a look at this piece in the Vancouver Sun.

We're looking forward to seeing what response is to this campaign. And when are we going to get a taste of Absolut London?

MYO Bar Seems to be Taking Off

2009-11-05T16:04:00.002Z

We wrote about the launch of MYO Bar back in August last year. The concept is summed up in this press clipping:

It's a crowd sourced bar with communual ownership. Here's the spiel:

"A lifetime membership with MYO London will cost £175 (which includes a £25 administration fee) and the funds raised by this investment will be directed back into the society and into the creation of the very first MYO Bar.

We are looking at a minimum of 2,000 members of £175. A figure that gives us the minimum capital required to begin the process and purchase a lease on an existing licensed premises in Central London.

There is no maximum number of investors. Extra capital will mean a higher profile location, extra facilities or even a second or third venue."

Members get the chance to influence the "venue name, interior design, drinks and brands, staffing, music and art" with decisions being made by a vote. They have grand plans to expand to Brighton, Sydney and New York depending on what the members want to do. Members will be able vote on how to distribute the profits each year, just like you would with a proper company - surplus money can either be ploughed back into the company or drawn as a dividend.

Memberships are still available, so if you are interested, visit their site and sign up here.

The whole idea really captures my imagination. Whereas most members clubs are exclusive, this one is deliberately inclusive, not that Groucho Marx would approve. As Visit London say, part ownership of a cocktail bar in London would make an incredible Christmas present!

Absolut Rock and Naked

2009-10-21T14:36:00.005Z

Absolut have been busy by the looks of things. According to Lovely Package (the essentail packaging blog), they have launched...

Absolut Naked

Via Lovely Package

And Absolut Rock

Via Lovely Package

Absolut Rock seems gimmicky. Much in the way that the Disco ball did. But Absolut Naked is beautiful. I know which one I'd prefer to have. It's a triumph for the original designers of the bottle. Much like the Coca-Cola bottle.

Absoult Tropics

2009-10-21T14:20:00.003Z

From Vodka and Co

"Absolut has just announced the next perfume: Flavor of the Tropics. This new declension will be available in edition limited in Europe and in the United States (duty-free exclusively) in January, 2010, then on all the markets from February. Absolut Flavor of the Tropics was revealed during TFWA WORLD EXHIBITION which is held in Canes until October 23rd. Its tropical perfume gives a multitude of notes, orange, mango, litchi and melon, by way of the pineapple or else the bays. As in the habit for the new perfumes, Absolut will accompany Flavor of the Tropics by a big sales campaign."

This is an interesting evolution away from Aboslut New Orleans and Absolut LA. Will be fun to see how this pans out.

Anders Olsson, global travel retail director for The Absolut Company said on FoodBizDaily,

"We are extremely excited about this unique launch. It’s the first time that we have the privilege of introducing a brand new, innovative flavour exclusively to our travelling consumers, who are always on the lookout for something new and thrilling - something that can’t be found back home. For a leading edge, creative brand such as Absolut, it’s crucial that we always have something to offer to meet and surpass these challenging demands - something new and fresh and unexpected."

(Via Liqurious)

1900 Tequila Artists Series Ads

2009-10-21T14:11:00.003Z

From one of my favourite blogs, Not Cot

"Remember those 1800 Tequila Essential Artist bottles? (I also showed you the close ups of the real things - even more stunning than in pics!) Well, at the time of the first collection launching, there was also a contest where you could submit your designs to be a part of the second collection… well the winners have been announced! And the bottles are just starting to make their way out into the real world! They are AWESOME (not that i would expect any less from 1800 Tequila after their great pick of designs the first time around)… 12 Limited Edition Bottle Designs Including one from Shepard Fairey’s Studio Number One… so if you’re ready, take a peek at the winners and a little background info on them on the next page… Also, beautiful video embedded on the next page animating and showing off all of the new designs, which is a definite must see! Can’t wait to see these in person!

p.s.
HUGE congrats to all of the winners ~ and to creative agency, Dead As We Know It for another stunning job."

Check out the full article on Not Cot for the details on these awesome bottles. This is a great example of how to make a bottle come alive and by co-creating with super talented people.

1800 Tequila Ads

2009-10-21T14:08:00.003Z

Erm. Christopher. What are you doing? Interesting "innovation". Bizarre execution. And so strange to actually feature a Patron bottle.

El Jimador Packaging Revamp

2009-10-21T14:04:00.001Z

It looks like El Jimador is in for a packaging revamp in the US. for more info have a read of what Luxist have got to say about it:

"Starting in October, the Añejo expression of Tequila el Jimador, the #1 selling tequila in Mexico, will be available here in a new package that aligns its look with its Blanco and Reposado offerings. The new Añejo package will initially be available in California and Texas, and will roll out to the remainder of the U.S. by year's end. The new look features the same classic tall, angular bottle as the other expressions (above) and identical iconography of the Jimador on the label to pay tribute to the proud men that harvest the agave plants used to make the 12-month aged 100% agave tequila. Tequila el Jimador is produced by Casa Herradura, which was named "2007 Best Distiller of the Year" by Wine Enthusiast magazine. Since 2000, Tequila el Jimador has received numerous accolades from industry insiders, including the Adams Beverage Media Growth Brand Award in the Fast Track Category for 2005 and 2006."

Bulldog Gin

2009-10-21T14:01:00.002Z

From the ever awesome Luxist:

"BULLDOG is quadruple distilled, triple filtered, and infused with the taste and aromas of its twelve distinctive botanicals, including poppy, lavender, and dragon eye - a cousin of the lychee fruit often heralded as an ancient Chinese aphrodisiac.

Made from traditional copper pot stills and a painstaking distillation process, BULLDOG exudes a smooth and harmonious texture with a distinctive flavor, with notes of fruit and citrus lending a refreshingly crisp character and balanced finish.

BULLDOG has enlisted renowned mixologists Somer Perez, John Freeman, and Michael Waterhouse to create some signature cocktails using the bold spirit:

"Plumdog Millionaire" – created by John Freeman

2 oz. BULLDOG Gin
1 oz. Japanese Plum Wine
1 oz. Lavender Soda
Black Plum Half Wheel Garnish
Lavender Sugar Rim

Directions: Stir over ice, strain. Serve in a martini glass with lavender sugared rim and garnish."

I love the name of the Plumdog Millionaire cocktail. Inspired. For more recipes and chat about Bulldog Gin click here.

Cocktail wall stickers

2009-09-28T11:06:00.002Z

Snazzy vinyl stickers from Hu2 Design. The cocktail graphic will set you back £55.

A social network for whiskies

2009-09-28T09:46:00.002Z

Connosr is a social network for whisky lovers. It uses Google Maps to identify the origin of each whisky, plus whisky-related event listings and discussion boards. There are also affiliate links to partner sites where you can purchase whiskies. There is an iPhone version of the site.

via Mashable

Maker's Mark inspires young artists...

2009-09-15T16:55:00.014Z

Maker's Mark have organised a series of distinctive sampling events which used young and upcoming artists to create one-off and exclusive art out of 50kg of Maker’s Mark red wax. Four bars across London and Brighton created the perfect setting for the Maker’s Mark experience, not only did you get to enjoy the pleasure of a Maker’s and Ginger served by a fantastic (and über cool!) promotional team, all clued up on what makes Maker’s Mark so special, you also got the opportunity to see inspired pieces of art unfold with every sip.

Cargo was the location for the first artist event and saw Oscar and Ewan, a Swedish and Scottish duo now based in London, create a wax painting of the Master of Maker’s himself – Bill Samuels Junior. However it wasn’t simply a spectator event and in true Maker’s Mark style you were given the opportunity to create your own, shall we say ‘individual’ (!) art. All it took was a table, a block of wax and some Perspex and I was totally gob smacked on the number of people that actually participated out of their own free will. Not that I doubted the activity, but more surprised by the overwhelming enthusiasm and response.

The atmosphere and feedback received was brilliant. This first event definitely set the standard for the remaining 3 artist events. I will do a summary post of all events in the upcoming week or so.

Overall, a great start, very enjoyable and we got some people to “Wax Lyrical” for sure!

Tree's Company

2009-08-12T13:12:00.015Z

This blog has previously reported on the Shoreditch's forthcoming urban jungle hangout, Monkey Shoulder Whisky's Tree house at the Truman Brewery.

However, this week saw The Big Chill festival at Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire, be the host venue for inaugural outing of Monkey Shoulders tree house installation.

Situated at the top of the the 'Enchanted Garden' the walk to the top of the hill was well worth it. The delightfully designed wooden tree house bar overlooked the festival and the picturesque Malvern Hills. The charming bar staff sold three delicious Whisky based cocktails, with the cheekily named 'Show Me the Monkey' being a personal favourite.

The weather was nearly as beautiful as the 4 gorgeous chimpettes, as the the Tree House was bathed in sun all weekend and looked equally as stunning at night. Combined with some fantastic music, the tree House was the place to be at the big chill.

If, as it seems, Monkey Shoulder are looking to make their brand more youthful and communal than the rest of the whisky category, then they are on the right path.

Tanqueray Tables

2009-08-11T15:02:00.005Z

The lovely people from TriMedia (I'm looking at you Sarah and Jo) invited us to their press launch of Tanqueray Tables. It's Tanqueray gin's (now annual) summer promotion.

Here's the detail from their press release:

"This summer marks the return of the ever popular ‘Tanqueray® Tables’ – a series of evenings offering you the opportunity to drink delicious cocktails and nibble on sumptuous canapés in a unique al-fresco venue.

Due to popular demand, the makers of Tanqueray gin has reviewed its ‘for one night only’ policy and is hosting intimate cocktail evenings at No. 4 Hamilton Place from Monday 10 to Friday 14 August, to offer more people the chance to experience an evening to remember.

With its spectacular terrace overlooking Hyde Park and dating back to the 17th Century, the normally off-limits No. 4 Hamilton Place is full of Edwardian features and lists the Duke of Wellington as a previous tenant.

Hosted by the makers of Tanqueray gin, together with toptable.co.uk, guests will sample an intensity of flavours thanks to specially designed cocktails and canapés.

A team of chefs and top mixologists have devised a menu of canapés and cocktails inspired by the depth of flavour found in Tanqueray gin. Each canapé contains an element of gin and will be served with cocktails to compliment the flavours even further."

Their mixologists mixed up some stunning cocktails that took us out of our gin and tonic comfort zone

The English Summer Presse, made from a blend of Tanqueray gin, rhubarb eau de vie, fresh lemon, mint and raspberries with a top of soda and dash of elderflower and cherry liquer was heavenly.

And their English Garden, made from apple juice and elderflower was fab too.

The canapes all had a bit of Tanqueray gin floating around in them somewhere. Our favourites were:

Cured Scotch Salmon - with black pepper, gin, poppy seeds and orange.

Sun Dried Tomato Risotto Beignets

Yellow Fin Tuna with Wasabi

Pan Roasted Monkfish with Parma Ham was good too, but very salty

Duck Pancakes weren't bad either

The Tanqueray Tables idea is a great one. Especially for a super premium spirits brand. It's a great way of getting the right target audience to sample you gin, in ways they had never considered and in a very sophisticated setting. And pay for the priviledge. Nice one Tanqeray.

A table for 4 costs £50.00 and includes canapés and cocktails
Tables must be booked for 4 people

Find out more at www.tanqueraytables.com

Hendrick's Horseless Carriage

2009-07-31T11:07:00.004Z

Hendrick's are being unusual, with is very usual for them. Their latest bonkers idea is to curate a collection of unusual curiosities, partly submitted by the public. The collection is being housed in a horseless carriage and is touring the UK; starting in Edinburgh before travelling south to London through Manchester.

Here's what David Piper, Agitator of the Absurd and Carriage Host has to say about it:

“It is indeed a most curious phenomenon – that every object, idea, or occurrence I chance my eyes or mind upon, seems indefatigably odd. There can be no other conclusion than the existence of a further sense – so to sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, can be added ODDNESS. Those who are deprived of it shall not be called blind, but bland.”

To book your place in the carriage for dinner, simply fill in their registration form and upload an image of something odd. It's a great idea and promises to be very special.

It is thoroughly in line with their brand behavior and is bound to generate a lot of PR during the hot summer months when we all crave a nice refreshing G&T. The fact that it's a road trip will mean that they get exposure across the country. And guess what... the ingenius Bompas and Parr are involved. So expect some fun and games. Brave clients.

Monkey Shoulder Treehouse in Shoreditch

2009-07-31T10:47:00.003Z

Monkey Shoulder is trying to recruit younger drinkers by creating a treehouse in Shoreditch. Check out the details from their press release below and having a look at their website.

Secret hideaway: Made from reclaimed whisky barrel timbers, the Monkey Shoulder Tree House is the perfect place to unwind, relax and enjoy an ice-cold Monkey Shoulder Triple Malt Scotch Whisky cocktail, served direct to your table by the Monkey Shoulder chimpettes.

Carefully crafted: Just like the whisky itself, the Monkey Shoulder Tree House has been carefully crafted. Made by Cheeky Tiki, the conceptual designers behind London’s Mahiki bar, the Monkey Shoulder Tree House Bar is made from ¹pine, larch and cedar wood and also includes timber from reconditioned oak whisky barrels. The Monkey Shoulder Tree House is a friendly space for up to 40 guests in the bar area
and surrounding pods, which are accessed by a walkway, and offers plenty of outdoor seating. At night, the Tree House will be transformed by the warm glow of orange lanterns on the inside and outside of the wooden structure.

Monkey mixology + board games: If you’re the sporting type you can indulge in a little healthy competition, Monkey Shoulder style, playing original board games, like backgammon and snakes and ladders, which are carved into reconditioned whisky barrel heads and used as table tops. Bond with your mates, or make new ones, over an ice-cold Monkey Shoulder Tree House cocktail, made by Monkey Shoulder’s smooth, Scottish, mixologist and Monkey Shoulder Whisky front man, Jamie Forbes. He’s a modern cocktail genius and even if you’re not a whisky drinker before you visit the
Monkey Shoulder Tree House, you will be by the time you leave.

Contemporary whisky cocktails include Show Me The Monkey, combining Monkey Shoulder Whisky, Drambuie, apple juice and fresh mint, and the Monkey Mule, a modern twist on a classic, mixing Monkey Shoulder with fresh lime, sugar, syrup and ginger beer.

Where and when?: Celebrate the start of the whisky season with the perfect autumn rendez-vous at The Monkey Shoulder Tree House Bar in Ely’s Yard, at the Truman Brewery, in East London.

STOP THE PRESSES

2009-07-23T11:34:00.002Z

They have done it , they have solved the big one. Barcardi have produced a premixed Mojito. The world is a faster if lazier, less fresh and not so tasty. Brilliant, well done Bacardi.

Tanqueray Tables in London's Hidden Garden

2009-07-16T15:25:00.004Z

From Tanqueray Press Release:

"This summer marks the return of the ever popular ‘Tanqueray® Tables’ – a series of evenings offering you the opportunity to drink delicious cocktails and nibble on sumptuous canapés in a unique al-fresco venue.

Due to popular demand, the makers of Tanqueray gin has reviewed its ‘for one night only’ policy and is hosting intimate cocktail evenings at No. 4 Hamilton Place from Monday 10 to Friday 14 August, to offer more people the chance to experience an evening to remember.

With its spectacular terrace overlooking Hyde Park and dating back to the 17th Century, the normally off-limits No. 4 Hamilton Place is full of Edwardian features and lists the Duke of Wellington as a previous tenant.

Hosted by the makers of Tanqueray gin, together with toptable.co.uk, guests will sample an intensity of flavours thanks to specially designed cocktails and canapés.

A team of chefs and top mixologists have devised a menu of canapés and cocktails inspired by the depth of flavour found in Tanqueray gin. Each canapé contains an element of gin and will be served with cocktails to compliment the flavours even further.

To find out more about the venue and to reserve your table, log on to www.ueraytables.com. Tables are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment."

It's a good example of a consitent brand behavior. Previously Tanqueray's "Taste for Life" photography event at Liberty's in conjuntion with Magnum and Flickr showed that the brand is au fait with the playing in a refined, elegant world backed up by and facilitated by the internet. This colaboration with Top Table is part of the same coherent activation. It's also good to see a brand confident enough to repeat last year's platform. If it isn't broken. Don't fix it.

Bacardi's on fire!

2009-07-15T15:28:00.003Z

Bacardi 151 rum is not for the faint hearted. At almost 76% alcohol, this rum is flammable as well as potent. The bottle labels were updated in May and now include 8 warnings about the highly flammable spirit. The bottle also includes a flame arrester.

The first warning tells consumers not to use this product for flaming dishes or drinks, so what exactly should they use it for? This has caused alot of confusion amongst food and drinks bloggers as there is no sign of this product on Bacardi's US website.

Image from Bev Law

Spirits from High

2009-07-14T16:17:00.012Z

Two of the the world's biggest music stars, both of whom have extensive business empires, have moved into producing spirits. Ludacris has produced a cognac called Conjure and Justin Timberlake has produced a tequila called 901 named, rap aficionados note the coincidence, after his home area code.

Timberlake has produced a premium tequila that has been well received by those worthy of comment, despite their own, admitted preconceptions.

Ludacris however has not got the traditonalists onside by stating that his favourite tipple be cognac and coke, but then was he ever going to have them on his team?

Via Luxist (http://www.luxist.com)

What's next, Busta Ryhmes singing about Courvoisier?

Starbucks ice cream in Facebook giveaway

2009-07-14T14:36:00.005Z

From Contagious...

Thanks to a new promotion beginning July 6th, Facebook users will be able to give friends actual pints of Starbucks' new ice cream.

Consumer products giant Unilever signed a licensing deal with Starbucks - the world's largest coffeehouse chain - in 2008, to manufacturer, market and distribute Starbucks branded ice cream. The first coffee-themed flavours launched in Spring 2009, but will be given a promotional boost thanks to this new Facebook-based campaign.

Capitalising on the craze for giving virtual gifts, the brand will offer virtual tubs of ice cream endowed with coupons redeemable for a real-world pint of the new product. From 6th to the 19th July, users will be able to log on and try to lay their hands on one of 800 pints available every hour on a first come first serve basis. In total, 280,000 pints will be given away over the duration of the campaign.

Another brand using social networking to target consumers. Lets hope there are some pints left.

Via Contagious

Become A Malibu Beach Intern

2009-07-14T14:06:00.008Z

From Contagious...

Malibu offers consumers a walk on the beach. More than a walk in fact - a job - thanks to this new campaign which clearly draws influence from the recent mullti-Cannes Grand Prix-winning campaign from the Queensland Tourism Board.

For those of you who are not familiar with this particular campaign, be sure to check out the link below for a full run-down courtesy of The Guardian. Briefly, however, a major PR/promotional stunt was disguised as a vacancy for 'The Best Job in the World'. As well as generating an estimated A$148m worth of publicity for northern Queensland, the campaign also won Grand Prix at Cannes for Direct, Cyber, and PR.

Now, Pernod Ricard-owned rum brand, Malibu, has teamed up with Reef Check - an international non-profit organisation dedicated to conservation of two ecosystems: tropical coral reefs and California rocky reefs. As part of the new 'Geting Your Island on' campaign, they will offer beach internships to ten lucky applicants, working in either Thailand, The Maldives or The Philippines.

As part of their (we hesitate to use the word 'employment') they will conduct Reef Check surveys, as well as participate in training sessions and have the opportunity to become certified Reef Check EcoDivers - all on behalf of Malibu. Once inducted, the interns will be expected to blog about their experiences and spread the word about Reef conservation (and in doing so, the brand) via social networking sites.

Applicants must be over 21 years of age and are required to submit a 500-word composition answering a series of questions hosted on the campaign microsite. Here it also explains, 'Inclusion of photos, images and video are not required but highly encouraged'.

For those not lucky enough to win, they can still pledge their support by buying a limited-edition bottle of Malibu featuring a suitably topical, and indeed, tropical design. For every purchase made, the brand will contribute a small percentage to the Reef Check organisation.

https://www.malibu-rum.com/reefcheck/apply.aspx
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/may/06/briton-wins-best-job-australia

Luxury Cognac in China

2009-07-14T10:56:00.003Z

According to Luxist:

"Cognac buyers are still buying the expensive bottles in China. Blloomberg reports that Chinese buyers have snapped up all the available bottles of Pernod Ricard SA's Martell L'Or cognac. As I mentioned back in April, this pricey potable sells for $3,600 per bottle. The cognac, which includes eaux-de-vie dating back to 1871, was introduced in China at the end of last year. L'Or was Martell's answer to ultra-premium products available from Hennessy and Remy Martin for similar prices. The immediate status factor of a rare and old liquor contained in a crystal bottle seems to be irresistible thus far for China's newly wealthy."

But on closer inspection the story is less clear. As JIMI comments:

"What a tall story. I heard from a liquor distributor in China that they were flown to Paris for the launch of L'Or and had to each place a few crates order if they want to retain their distributorship. Basically the stock of L'Or went onto the dealer's warehouse and is still sitting there as the market for high-end liquor in China has collapse because of the recession."

I don't know what to believe. But I suspect that JIMI might be onto something. But putting that to one side, well done Martell for building a brand in China that is capable of pulling this off.

Absolut Drinkspiration

2009-07-07T11:35:00.009Z

Drinkspiration - Mixology on the go Ever draw a blank at the bar? The Drinkspiration iPhone app from Absolut Drinks will help you order or recommend a cocktail to match the moment's mood, weather, color, time, location, bar vibe and more. An interactive encyclopedia that lets you hook-in to up-to-the-minute global drink trends, and then share what you want via Twitter and Facebook.

Functions and Features

Just scroll through, select your categories, and Drinkspiration will zero-in on the perfect drink. The choice made, you can easily share it, create top lists and tip off your friends via Facebook and Twitter.

Personalised drink suggestions
Vibrant drink images
World trend list with real-time updates
Facebook and Twitter integration
Mood, vibe, time and weather sensitive
Encyclopedia of recipes from Absolut Drinks
Personal order history
GPS driven
Live reports on drink trends in Prague, Tokyo, Paris, Buenos Aires and everywhere else

The best of Absolut drinks for iphone and blog

Sign up at Absolutdrinks.com and get free downloadable widgets that provide seamless integration between your Absolut Drinks profile, your iPhone and your blog. Sign up and the sophisticated entertainment of Drinkspiration and Absolut Drinks is at your fingertips. The widgets let you synch with your Absolut Drinks profile and keep your blog up to the minute with drink history, current favorites, and your all-time top five.

Download the app at http://www.absolutdrinks.com/

This is such a good idea and could work really well for Sauza Gold & Blanco.

Tres Generaciones UK launch

2009-07-01T11:00:00.027Z

The launch of Tres Generaciones, Sauza's super premium tequila took place on Monday 22nd June at No5 Cavendish Square. The exquisite former Georgian townhouse with its opulent interior was the perfect setting for Maxxium to introduce the Tres Generaciones brand to the UK market.

The evening began with a Paloma VIP upon entry. A refreshing long drink perfect for the summer, the Paloma VIP showcased the wonderful fresh agave flavour and delicate floral notes in the triple distilled Tres Generaciones Plata.

As guests sipped their drinks Global Sauza Ambassador Jaime Rodriguez introduced the night and talked passionately about his deep connection with tequila and in particular Sauza. Jaime hopes to one day shift the image of tequila from the simple spirit it has been deemed and to teach audiences that it is a sophisticated blend with great versatility.

Jaime was followed by Tomas Estes, owner of Mexican restaurant and bar La Perla whose knowledge of tequila is extensive. All eyes were on Tomas as he educated journalists on the three generations of the Sauza family and the 136 year old distillery which bears their name and where Tres Generaciones is still made today.

The night now in full swing, guests were treated to an Ultimate Margarita cocktail. A classic serve, the Ultimate Margarita is a tangy citrus cocktail and the perfect way to enjoy the spicy yet smooth and slightly sweet flavours of Tres Generaciones Reposado.

The Tres Generaciones Plata, Anejo and Reposado variants were laid out on tables so that guests could sip each tequila and learn about their taste profiles from surrounding communications.

The final cocktail, The Honey Water went down very well. A delicious way to enjoy the most premium expression, Tres Generaciones Anejo, the Honey Water is a sublime, well balanced mix of flavours that complement the spirit's brown sugar sweetness and warm oaky finish.

Tres Generaciones will stand proud in high-end bars and restaurants and will be aimed at luxury retailers such as Harvey Nichols and Harrods.

As part of the launch, Maxxium has teamed up with Theme magazine to create a "mentoring initiative", a competition that seeks to find successful "mentoring partnerships" among UK bartenders. The best partnerships will be featured in Theme magazine over the coming months and the most inspirational will win an exclusive trip to the Sauza distillery in Mexico.

Thanks to Lime PR for organising this fantastic and successful event.

Visit Tres Generaciones online to find out more http://www.tresgeneraciones.com/

Root Organic Spirits

2009-07-01T10:27:00.003Z

From Lovely Package:

“At 80 proof, ROOT is unlike anything else on the market today and is the first true American liqueur since the Pre-Prohibition Era.

It is lively, and rose gold in color, this rustic spirit has a full, rich smoky flavor, inspired by an 18th century Pennsylvania folk recipe, which eventually evolved into Birch or Root Beer. The recipe stems from Root Tea, which goes back to the 1700s, when Native Americans taught the recipe to settlers. Over generations, Root Tea grew in potency, particularly in Pennsylvania, where the ingredients grew in abundance. During the Temperance Movement, a Philadelphia pharmacist removed the alcohol and ironically rechristened it Root Beer. This is our creation and interpretation of a genuine potent, Root Tea.

ROOT is a certified organic spirit made with North American herbs and pure cane sugar. All botanicals are painstakingly selected and tested for purity. Using all natural, organic ingredients, like anise, birch bark, cloves and cardamom, with hints of spearmint and citrus, the sugarcane based liquor is distilled in limited batches to ensure maximum quality.”

This is great fun. And beautifully designed. It seems like a genuinely innovative idea with a story. Nice.

Knob Creek Drought

2009-06-30T09:17:00.003Z

From Adrants:

"So Knob Creek, due to demand for its bourbon, is running low on supply and is at risk of running dry before its next batch is ready in November. Rather than bottle the next batch before its full nine year maturity, the comapny has turned its lack of product into a promotion. A sick joke of a promotion but a promotion none the less.

We've been sent all sorts of goodies from marketers in the mail. Sadly, most are of the throw-a-way variety. This is most certainly not the case when it comes to liquor, unless you consider pouring the product down one's throat throwing it away.

So we were quite pleased to see the FedEx man drop off a package which, when opened, turned out to be a nicely designed box from Knob Creek. Ooo...more liquor, we thought. And borboun. And a really good bourbon at that!

Sadly, upon opening the box, all we got was an empty bottle of Knob Creek and a letter explaining the company's predicament. OK, so it is a fairly ingenious promotion but, dudes, the whirlwind of anticipation and resulting depression caused us to go sulk in our bedroom for at least five minutes before we could come back to work.

At least Jim Beam sends full bottles of its product! Then again, Jim Beam isn't Knob Creek so we're inclined to understand. Anyway, there's the story of Knob Creek's latest promotion."

The comments are broadly positive:

"To me this is a great technique for grabbing attention and instigating curiousity to stand apart and generate demand for your product. With this kind of promotion they are bound to turn the retail outlets dry of supply sooner than they actually anticipate thereby creating a following of curious first timers who would wait for the new supply in Novemeber. Though the challenge would be to engage and make sure the brand recall is fresh until then."

"I got a "I survived the drought of 2009" t-shirt. I'm quite pleased with it, actually."

It reminds me (a tiny bit) of Burger King's Whopper Freakout. Holding back your product is an interesting mechanic so long as you do it in the right way. For Knob Creek it is a sign that they are so committed to creating top quality bourbon that they wouldn't dream of cutting corners.

Le Nez de Courvoisier at Charles de Gaulle

2009-06-04T10:21:00.003Z

Exciting news. The Le Nez de Courvoisier idea is gaining momentum. Recently, thanks to Amy Neville-Eliot and her Global Travel Retail team, Courvoisier created a Le Nez installation in Charles de Gaulle aiport in Paris.

The installation focused on bringing the three key aromas - creme brulee, candied orange and iris flowers - in Courvoisier XO to life through scent. To add more engagement the aromas are complimented by music created especially by Lauent Assoulen who is able to create the sounds of smells. The combination of music and aroma helps to demysify the complex aura that surrounds cognac. Each aroma is traced back to a different part of the cognac production process. For instance creme brulee comes from the way the barrels are toasted and iris flowers comes from the borderies cru.

Courvoisier Global Travel Retail Marketing Manager Amy Neville-Eliot said: “The Le Nez de Courvoisier programme provides us with an opportunity to bring to life the Cognac experience, by using sight, smell, and sound to maximise the pleasure of the tasting. Securing this site in Charles de Gaulle during the month of March was a great opportunity to launch the concept to the travel retail consumer. We are now looking at ways to roll it out with other travel retail customers in Europe.”

An extract from the Moodie report says:

"Philippe Lanusse, Senior Buyer at French airport retailer Aelia, commented: “We were delighted to launch the Le Nez de Courvoisier programme to the travel retail consumer in Charles de Gaulle Airport. It is a refreshing, new concept that allowed us to engage with potential Cognac consumers on a new level. The fully interactive experience gives them the opportunity to have fun whilst learning more about Cognac.”"

The installation was also covered on Trend News.

It's great to see such an exciting idea being rolled out. Last summer we created Le Nez training kits for our sales force and in December we create a Le Nez nosing experience at a Future 500 event.

In the pipeline is a Le Nez session at Tales of the Cocktails in New Orleans and many more exciting projects.

Courvoisier Mixology Event - Future 500

2009-06-01T18:26:00.004Z

Courvoisier recently held a mixology event in London for members of The Future 500 as a way of showcasing the mixable nature of Exclusif. I'm biased because I work on Courvoisier, but I love cognac cocktails, partly becasue the Sazerac and the Sidecar are regarded as being two of the original cocktails ever to have been created. And guess what, they are both made with cognac.

The great thing about Exclusif is that it is made specifically for bartenders to create amazing cocktails. Many people read this as meaning that Exclusif is an inferior product that should be masked by coke or ginger ale. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Because of the fact that Exclusif is made using grapes from the four top crus it has a more complex taste profile that allows it to stand up to almost any flavour you throw at it. Rather than it being easier to make, it actually takes more effort and skill to craft. This makes Exclusif great for bartenders to experiment with in a range of cocktails.

The event was brilliantly put on by Drew, Greg, Delphine and Amy at White Label and was hosted by Andy Pearson. There were 5 tables which were each hosted by a different mixologist from the Courvoisier Future 500 network who guided the guests through a range of cocktail challenges. There were 4 round of cocktails ranging from the classic sazerac to begin with, through to creating a long mixed drink and a version of a cognac martini.

It was huge fun and taught us that the bartenders are far more skillful than we give them credit for. The crowd was a brilliant selection of fascinating people who you could spend the entire night talking to and bouncing ideas around with. I'm now looking forward to the next event.

Here are some photos to give you a feel for the event

Angella and Hayley marvelling at a Courvoisier float

Using lemon grass as a straw

Only use 5 drops of bitters (whoops!)

Strawberry and basil cocktail cleverly titled "The Faulty Basil"

For a much better write up have a look at the article in Theme Magazine here.

Taste for Life - Tanqueray and Magnum Photos Event

2009-06-01T15:37:00.006Z

I was very honoured to be invited to the public unveiling of the "Tanqueray Taste for Life" photography exhibition at Liberty's in assocation with Magnum. A stunning space in Liberty's was transformed into a photography gallery showcasing the winning entries into the contest along with some classics from the Magnum portfolio.

The Taste for Life contest asked entrants to capture “rich, intense moments in life". Moments that Tanqueray would like to be a part of. It's a really interesting area from a strategic as well as photographic perspective. From a brand point of view it deliberately hasn't asked for "refreshing moments" which is what gin brands tend to do. They typically focus on the thirst quenching, refreshing territory. But as a premium gin brand, Tanqueray is playing in a more upmarket, premium space that almost feels celebratory. And from a photographer's point of view the area of rich intense moments in life" is a far richer playground than refreshment.

Tanqueray's involvement with photography also fits the TGI data that maps against drinkers of premium gin brands. Taking photographs and appreciating photography is something that fits well with a premium spirits brand.

Partipants were given the brief along with some inspirational shots from Stuart Franklin, the President of Magnum. Not only did this give the competition serious credibility, but also direction. It's interesting that Diageo always features 2 glasses in its ads... and likewise how Stuart Franklin's pictures show 2 people. The idea being that Tanqueray is a sociable drink for sharing life's rich moments.

"... a competition is being run by the makers of Tanqueray gin to give ten photographers a chance to feature in the Magnum Photos exhibition as well as winning a top prize of £5,000. Entrants in the two age categories (18-24) and (25+) will need to capture their interpretation of a 'Taste for Life' and provide their own rich, intense moments. To help guide entrants there will be five categories to enter covering adventure, relationships, cocktails & glamour, achievements and festivals & celebrations.

All entrants will be judged by a panel of experts including Stuart Franklin, President of Magnum Photos, Jeremy Langmead, Editor of Esquire magazine, Alan Sparrow, Picture Editor of Metro, Nicky Catley, Picture Editor of The Daily Telegraph and Kristof Fahey, Vice President of Marketing for Yahoo! Europe.

To inspire entrants, the makers of Tanqueray have commissioned Stuart Franklin to capture his own 'Taste for Life' images. To view these images and enter the competition visit www.ATasteForLife.co.uk. A shortlist of forty entries will be selected for the final judging process and all pictures will also be put forward for the public to vote for a People's Choice to feature in the exhibition."

Tanqueray partnered with Flickr to earn credibiliy in the photograpic arena. It's a great model for a contest and produced some fantastic images.

Here are some images from the event:

I love the Ali picture in its own right, but in a funny way I just find this shot more amusing. I love the fact that he looks like he is pouncing on the people in front of him at the event.

The winning entry: Daniel Clinch's image ‘Treading a Fresh Path'as covered in the Telegraph.

We were treated to some fabulous cocktails. My favourite was the English Garden, made with elderflower cordial and apple juice. But the Grapefruit and Passion Fruit number wasn't half bad either. Especially when accompanied by a scallop wrapped in pancetta!

I am also told that these people are famous... but I neither know who they are or have heard about them in conjunction with Tanqueray since.

I like Tanqueray's Taste for Life idea becuase...

1. It makes Tanqueray seem very premium
2. The area of photography fits with their target audience
3. Partnering with Magnum and Stuart Franlin adds gravitas and a media hook
4. Partnering with Flickr makes the engagement side work and amplifies the contest within the photographic community
5. The use of media and timescale ensured that the programme was talked about before (Off Licence News and Spitoon) and after the event on Londonist and in the Telegraph
6. It fits in really well with their ongoing sampling presence at Taste of xxxx events

Well done Tanqueray and Jo and the team at Trimedia and thanks for the incredible goodie bag.

Jim Beam Launches Red Stag

2009-05-29T14:36:00.004Z

Jim Beam has launched Red Stag and is billing it as "a different breed of bourbon". It's infused with black cherry and is going down very well in the blogosphere:

Seen through the glass praises it for being:

"impressively authentic" and potentially "wicked tasty". He also recognises its potential as the base of "cocktails and recipes".

Liquor Snob is also a fan, which is to be expected given their longstanding affair with Jim over Jack.

"We think it's safe to say you won't be disappointed, and if you are - send us whatever's left in your bottle... Don't tell the folks at Beam this, but we'd happily pay more than $18 for a bottle of Red Stag."

On Huffington Post they reference some very positive feedback from Chuck Chowdrey, an American whiskey writer:

"I think the quality of the infusion, the depth of the flavors is pretty sophisticated," he said. "It doesn't taste like they threw some flavor house cherry flavor in there."

To support the full launch, Red Stag is being promoted via a collaboration with Kid Rock who has been a lifelong Jim Beam fan. For more information click here.

Throw Away your Prohibitions - Whisky Tasting Session

2009-05-29T14:17:00.002Z

Ever since I first read about The Tasting Sessions, via Londonist’s report on their Generation XO cognac event, where they showcased Courvoisier Initiale, I was hooked. So when the chance to participate in an unusual whisky tasting in a speakeasy popped up, I got rather excited.

The idea behind The Tasting Sessions, is to find surprising and interesting ways of experiencing wine and spirits tastings. They are always held in cool venues and find a way of being different but in a way that sets off the liquid being tasted. Their speakers tend to be very entertaining and the diverse crowd is full of people you’d like to spend the evening talking to. Their model is to showcase top class, unusual drinks in an interesting manner.

To get into the event you had to utter the password before you were let into the illicit speakeasy called Barts on Sloane Avenue. It proved to be a brilliant venue as you’ll see from the photos below.

Before the official tasting kicked off we tucked into some awesome whisky cocktails such as a stunning Manhattan and a Whisky Sour. Whatever ice needed braking, was smashed by the time the tasting officially started!

We were guided through a flight of 6 whiskies by Jen Dickson from The Whisky Exchange with each dram being paired with a cheese by La Fromagerie’s Jon Schofield. For each whisky we were encouraged to position it on a tasting map which helped to give us a frame of reference.

We started with Clynelish 14 year old which had a salt and pepper finish that meant it paired very nicely with some strong Tobermory cheddar from the Isle of Mull. Whilst the cheese matched well, it was the salty, caramely chocolates that appeared that stole the show.

My favourite whiskey came next. Stranahans from Colorado is an American single malt whisky which makes it very unusual. It contrasted strongly with the Clyenlish and had a mellow, vanilla note running through it. I’d love to have a bottle to tuck into whilst writing. The Doddington cheese is well known for its caramel flavours and nutty characteristics which brought out the almost desert like quality of the whiskey.

An Irish whiskey from Connemara emerged next with a puff of smoke that gave away it’s peaty charms. It matched well with a cheese from the Basque region called Zelu Korlaria.

Ever since seeing Lost in Translation, I’ve wanted to learn more about Japanese whisky. The Nikka Yoichi 10 year old was well balanced and, in my mind, quite delicate. Whilst I liked the whisky, the star was the Ami de Chambertin soft cheese washed in brandy from Burgundy which I am ashamed to say I had several helpings of!

Then we were subjected to the humiliation of a blind tasting where a peppery, slightly banana-ry spirit was showcased which blew the tasting apart. It was paired with a lemony, salty soft goat’s cheese which should have rung a few alarm bells as the “whisky” turned out to be El Tesoro Paradiso tequila. The idea was to show that top quality, aged tequilas can be sipped and enjoyed just like a whisky. I’m hoping Angella and Hayley think about hosting a tequila tasting soon as this is a really interesting area.

We finished on a stratospheric high with a glass of Port Ellen 1978 8th Release which is extremely rare and more importantly delicious. My palette by this point was pretty overwhelmed, so all I can say (rather hopelessly) is that it was very complex. Which meant it had to be matched with a pair of cheeses, making it the John Prescott of the whisky world – Two Cheese Port Ellen. The parmesan crumbled and gave a salty, granular edge whilst a Bleu d’Avergne added a creamyness and salty tang.

Hats off to Hayley and Angella. The whole event was brilliant from start to finish. Jon and Jen were both cracking experts and made the complicated world of whisky and cheese seem fun and accessible.

Barts is a tremendous venue and added to the illicit mystique of the night. I’m just upset I didn’t make the most of the dressing up box – given that I had a marmalade stain on my shirt the gorilla outfit would have been a huge improvement!

I’m now waiting on tenterhooks to see what The Tasting Sessions dreams up next. We should think about working with Hayley and Angella to showcase some of our drinks in their events as they have yet to do a rum, tequila or bourbon event.

All photos are courtesy of Nathan McDonald

The Acid Test

2009-05-21T16:53:00.003Z

If you were to let Selfridges include your brand in their centenary celebrations, you’d better be pretty sure that your branding can stand up to the test.

With the brief being “we’ll turn your product Selfridges yellow – with maybe a bit of black”, the challenge would be fairly daunting for brands that rely on a plethora of “brand assets”. However, if you’ve decided that simplicity is key for brand recognition, you’re in with a chance of adding your name to an unfortunately short list of successful world iconic brands.

Here’s a few that made the grade.

In the Black

2009-05-06T16:08:00.010Z

Central London hotspot Sketch was the destination for Smirnoff Black's Modern Gentleman's Masterclass.

The evening was based arounds a trio of pursuits followed by those of a chivalrous disposition. However, the tailors and barbers were merely a sideshow to the vodka based mixology.

Tristan Stephenson, Smirnoff Black's brand ambassador served a 'Spring Molecule' that contained, amongst other things, basil caviar. The caviar is produced through sphererification a technique popularised by Albert and Ferran Adria at El Bulli. A good time had by all, and as we all know, the Black is better than the Red.

Hennessy Black

2009-05-05T10:15:00.003Z

Hennessy have launched a new cognac for the first time in decades. It is designed for mixing, not unlike Courvoisier Exclusif which has been around for a few years.

Here's what Spirit Me Away said:

"For the first time in 48 years, the folks over at Hennessy are launching a new cognac to the market. Hennessy Black is the name, and they are focusing on mixability with it. Rolling out in 10 markets initially (they include Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, New York City, Ohio, Washington DC and Massachusetts), Hennessy Black is accompanied by a Swizz Beats “theme” song sure to grab it some name recognition. You can hear it and check a video at their site. I haven’t tried it yet, so here’s some more info from the press release til I have my own report."

"Hennessy Black is a new highly versatile, decidedly different cognac. This exciting new distinctively smooth blend allows consumers more ways to enjoy Hennessy and tastes great on its own or mixed. It is Hennessy’s first major new launch since Hennessy V.S. was introduced in 1961. Hennessy Black offers an intriguing new choice for social occasions and will aim to take Hennessy beyond the cognac category to be the premium mixed spirit of choice. Its consumption versatility will be supported through the creation of a new drinking ritual as it is perfect for enjoying up (shot) or down (mixed drink).

Packaged in a sleek, bold black bottle, Hennessy Black is a versatile blend of 35 to 45 unique, pale and gold colored eaux-de-vie selected for their elegant floral characteristics. These are subsequently aged in French oak barrels previously used by Hennessy for at least five years. Hennessy Black has a more gentle wood influence. The result is a different expression of Hennessy Cognac: lighter and fresher with scents of jasmine, daffodils and orange flowers that are delicately mixed with hints of citrus, honey, and fresh grapes to create a distinctively smooth cognac with surprising finesse balance, floral notes

Hennessy Black comes to market with a variety of mixed drink recipes that highlight its mixability and sophisticated flavor and can be served as simple, easy to make drinks or enhanced shot options, with ice or without. They include; HENNESSY BLACK Ice, neat with a dash of lemon juice and simple sugar with a sugar-dipped lemon slice; HENNESSY BLACK Bull, coffee liqueur and cola served as a layered shot or long over ice; HENNESSY BLACK Spice, with fresh ginger, a dash of simple syrup, lemon juice; and HENNESSY BLACK Royale, with champagne, a dash of lemon juice and simple syrup."

Visit the Hennessy Black site here.

Limited Edition Grey Goose Bottles for Cannes

2009-05-05T10:10:00.002Z

A limited edition range of Grey Goose bottles by Jacques Garcia for the Cannes Film Festival.

From Vodka and Co.

For more information and images visit Popsop

Educated Guess Wine Bottle Design

2009-05-05T10:07:00.004Z

Found on Liqurious "but from Roots Run Deep originally.

"Educated Guess Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the winery’s first release and our flagship wine. The name “Educated Guess” came about during a lively, second bottle of wine conversation about winemaking styles, vineyard sites, and the progressive escalation of wine prices without comparable increases in quality. The discussion then proceeded to the “art vs. science” aspect of winemaking and after a few more glasses of wine…“Educated Guess” was born!!!

So ask yourself this question: Have you ever found yourself in a wine shop or restaurant perusing the wines and wondering…how do I choose the best wine for the money? You may admire a label, recognize a name, or recall a great review…in essence you’re making an “Educated Guess.” This is exactly what goes on in the vineyards and wineries around the world. Should we pick the grapes now or wait? How long should we barrel age our wine? Should we use French or American Oak, or both?

We use our knowledge, intuition, and years of experience to make the best possible decisions; however at the end of the day it still remains an “Educated Guess.” At Roots Run Deep we have done all of the Guesswork for you, and produced the richest, ripest, and most complex wines you can buy for the money. So when you won’t settle for less, “Buy Educated Guess.”

Oh, and everyone wants to know about our unique label. Our label was designed to tell the story of how you can make an educated guess in winemaking, not to give you nightmares about your high school chemistry class. It shows you actual winemaking formulas that are either induced or naturally occur during a specific winemaking process. For those of you who aren’t chemists and want to know more about what the 5 formula strings on the label mean, please email us and we will happily send you more information. For the rest of you, drink up and enjoy!!!"

I love this. It's a wine with an idea behind it. And that's rare. I'd love a bottle of this. It looks so fun.

Best Glass EVER

2009-05-05T10:02:00.003Z

Found on Liqurious but originally on Kyouei design

"it is a glass for drinking a lot.

a device consists of a bulb shaped container with the glass below.
when the amount in the glass decreases, a constant amount is poured from the tank into the glass.

never overflowing from the glass because of air pressure and water pressure."

Sheer genius. They also do very cool stuff with red wax which could be fun for Maker's Mark.

Courvoisier Chocolates from Bissinger's

2009-05-05T09:46:00.003Z

From Just Drinks:

"The Licensing Company North America has launched a chocolate collection of Beam Global Spirits and Wine's Courvoisier Cognac brand in the US.

Beam previewed the chocolate truffle range - a collaboration with chocolate maker Bissinger's - at the Fancy Food Show, in San Francisco earlier this month.

The truffles combine a version of Courvoisier's XO blend with 55% dark chocolate and are presented in a black box bearing the gold Courvoisier crest.

Courvoisier truffles are available through the Bissinger network of stores in the US as well as from its website, and selected retailers globally."

According to Bissinger's

"Napoleon would have loved this harmonious, yet complex blend of Courvoisier and dark chocolate. Smooth, intense couverture is accented with aromatic fine cognac. The long finish is highlighted by the characteristic Courvoisier warmth, integrated with lingering chocolate notes."

You can get your hands on these chocolates here.

The Swines'

2009-04-27T16:49:00.005Z

Sounds like a tipple strait out of Heston Blumenthal's drinks cupboard or the mind of Lewis Caroll, but bacon flavoured vodka (Bakon Vodka) is here, whether it stays is for time to tell.

Here at Beam Team we are intruiged as we have yet to try out this out. I suggest tomorrow morning with our eggs.

Rory Finlay: Building Brands People Want to Talk About

2009-04-23T14:21:00.003Z

Rory Finlay, Beam Global's CMO, was part of an Economist Marketing Forum discussing word of mouth and new models of marketing. To find out more watch the video below:

It's great to see our vision of Building Brands People Want to Talk About being talked about. It's like meta talkability.

Lighten Up

2009-04-06T15:18:00.009Z

One puports to do something for you, while the other does something for the enviroment, both want you to be necking their products.

PSFK have drawn our attention to Pepsi developing what they call an 'eco-friendly' vending machine, that emmits 12% less greenhouse gases, through use of carbon dioxide, instead of HFC's for cooling. Without wanting to criticise any movement in the green direction, I think 'eco less-bad' is more accurate, but realise it does not have quite the same ring to it.

Vitamin water have created a pop-up shop in SoHo, NYC, a part of a push for their new V10 (10 calorie flavoured water).

They have some quirky ideas within their temporary installation, all revolving around the 10 theme, such as this photo booth.

However, as for the product, one blogger on Nitrolicious.com commented that 'Vitamin Water is awesome, but that new 10 calorie stuff is CRAP! I accidentally picked one up at the bodega the other day. So gross…'

Could it be that the the flavour in the original comes in calorie form, surely not?

Party Trick

2009-04-03T14:58:00.006Z

Always on the lookout for for drinks paraphernalia here at Beam Team, the Absolut Mini Bar has caught our eye.

Vodka & Co have drawn our attention to the fridge that neatly opens into two compartments for ice and fruit.

The cocktail revolution has a new weapon.

Social Media Tastings on PSFK

2009-04-02T12:54:00.002Z

My latest article for PSFK. This time about the way that the power of social media is being harnessed for wine and spirits tastings.

"Online tastings are hardly new. Brands such as Laphroaig have done worldwide whisky tastings over the Internet. But with the advent of Twitter we are seeing them evolve and become more popular as people find new ways to engage and educate.

Recently in London, Robert McIntosh and Bibendum wines invited a group of around a dozen food and wine bloggers to a Twitter wine tasting at the Saatchi Gallery. For an hour we tasted 3 wines which had also been sent to a bevy of wine and social media enthusiasts who couldn’t make it in person."

For the rest of the article click here.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Actions Speak Louder.....

2009-03-30T13:56:00.014Z

There seems to a trend in the drinks industry that disposes of our favoured medium, the written word, in favour of using imagery to conjure up the flavour of the drink.

Chateau Petrogasm's quirky concept has been around since the summer of 2007. It requires contributors to submit the name and price of a wine as well as a picture that they believe best represents the wine, however bizzare.

While some imply subtle notes of flavour such as this 2003 Kirralaa Bushvine Shiraz, Australia ($10)

Others however, such as the 2005, Osborne Solaz Shiraz/Tempranillo, Tierra De Castilla, $8.99, despite the blogs brief, leads one to think of the original words that popped into the contributors head.

This rather lovely idea is popping up elsewhere too. Firefly tonics, who go from strength to strength, are running a competition where contributors upload pictures that best represent the drink, whether it be wake up or chill out. The winners will have their entries on half a million firelfy bottles. Reward enough for some but they will chuck you some firefly bottles too.

Liquorsnob.com highlights how this idea can be taken into a more adult direction, Three Olives Vodka have launched a competition to 'See Your O-face'

Not a bad prize, $10,000 for the winner, but surely, like 'The Wicker Man' the original is the best.

A picture paints a thousand words, not a new concept, but one that can be taken on by Beam to build up a raft of expressions associated with their products.

Diageo Keeping Spirits Up

2009-03-30T09:19:00.011Z

'One last Drink' by erix!

Somewhat at odds with their cut backs the drinks giant Diageo has predicted a growth in the U.S spirits market in the forthcoming year. The expected growth, while small at 0-1 percent (sales volume) , in current conditions, is growth nonetheless.

Corroborating this blog's previous insight into the impressively robust performance of whisky's with with a following, such as Makers Mark and Jack Daniels, Ivan Menezes, Diageo's North American head, said in an interview on Tuesday during the Reuters Food and Agriculture Summit in Chicago that "The consumer shift is toward strong brands with strong credentials and strong heritage,"

Good news, but not for the new boys.

Glenmorangie Event at Barts Speakeasy

2009-03-27T10:48:00.003Z

I ventured out to Barts on Sloane Avenue having been tipped off by a friend at work. It claims in the same breath to be both "a new concept for eating and drinking" and London's worst kept secret.

I'm not going to give the game away and just leave this signs as clues for you...

We were greeted by a shifty looking chap in prohibition era get up who asked us for a password before letting us into the drinking den.

Once inside we were overwhelmed by the design. Its brilliant. Quirky. Inspiring. As if it has been curated by someone with far too much time on their hands. We loved the "computer says no" Mona Lisa and the luggage racks. It transforms a room in an apartment block into a speakeasy by paying attention to minute details.

A dressing up box encourages everyone to get stuck in too...

... which was embraced wholeheartedly by the buzzing crowd.

The evening was sponsored by Glenmorangie who were launching their soda siphon (which we've covered before). Drinks such as Glen'Malone (whisky, ginger, lemon grass and soda) and Sweet as Candy (whisky, candied orange, rose cordial and soda water) initially put some of the girls off. But once they'd got past the idea of whisky there was no stopping them. Personally, I loved the gingery cocktail and thought the idea behind the event and its execution were fantastic.

It would be a great venue for a Le Nez event, or better still a whisky event or two. I'm quite keen to organise a party there soon. I just hope this article is enormously unpopular and no-one finds out where it is!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Heineken Disco Keg

2009-03-25T17:39:00.002Z

As far as I can make out, this was a Brazilian promotion that saw these disco kegs being sent to bloggers as a way of driving traffic to the Heineken Radio site.

From Brainstorm 9

Jameson's Belfast Film Festival

2009-03-25T17:33:00.004Z

Jameson's activity in Belfast focuses on their sponsorship of the Belfast Film Festival. The popcorn ad-shell injects some fun into the promotion and gives a nod towards the famous 3M busstop ad which is filled with money.

All material is from Chris Kileen's site who has also featured some interesting work for Stoli.

Fentiman's Coasters

2009-03-25T15:13:00.002Z

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Fentiman's coasters encourage you to form a bottom shape with your fingers, thumbs and other flaps of skin to make them look like bottom cracks. The cut out in the coaster then acts as a "window" - a bit like seaside stocks.

These are some of the best coasters I've ever seen. Interactive. Playful. Brilliant. Whoever made these, hats off to you. You deserve all the awards in the world.

Diageo Cuts Back

2009-03-12T10:27:00.003Z

From the Glasgow Evening Times:

"Around 650 workers at the Diageo Johnnie Walker factory in Kilmarnock will be sent home for a week in March and a week in April following an internal review. They will, however, continue to be paid while production is halted.

And Diageo today stressed that the hi-tech plant in Hill Street remained viable and had a long term future...

A company spokesman said: "In response to our current volume outlook we have decided to temporarily close our Kilmarnock packaging site for two weeks during which the employees affected will continue to be paid.

"We will continue to work closely with employee representatives during these difficult times - and ensure regular communications with all our employees.""

For more on this have a look at Luxist's article on Johnnie Walker and also a more detailed look into the Diageo restructure.

Say Fromage

2009-03-12T10:12:00.003Z

From the Say Fromage website:

"Sayfromage is an alternative way to record and present the people who attend events or parties.

Sayfromage provides a digital photobooth that people use to take pictures of themselves and their friends. The privacy provided by a small curtain allows people to relax and control the pictures taken.

The photographs can then be projected on to a wall or printed for people to take home.

Then the pictures are published on this website the next day for everyone to see and share.

High resolution prints are available to order, so everyone can have their favourite pictures."

It could be a really cool bit of kit to take to on trade events, especially for our tequila brands...

1800 Tequila Sneaker Creation Site

2009-03-10T17:53:00.003Z

Spotted this over on Alcademics. Looks a lot of fun. It's a mash up between Nike and 1800 Tequila that lets you splatter your trainers with their brands street artwork.

Have a look at GourmetKickz and Alcademics.

Islay Elements

2009-03-10T17:49:00.002Z

Very cool design for a range of Islay Elemental whiskies...

Designed by Speciality Drinks Ltd.

Spotted on Liqurious and showcased on Below the Clouds.

I like it. It's fresh and different. And the elemental aspect appeals to my nerdy instincts.

Wooden Cocktail Glasses from Etsy

2009-03-10T17:43:00.003Z

From Etsy via Liqurious.

I love these glasses. It would be awesome to partner with the designer to create a range for one of our brown spirit's brands using the wood the barrels are made from.

Interesting Article on Belvedere's "Switcheroo"

2009-03-10T17:30:00.003Z

Really interesting observation from Alcademic's brilliant blog about the launch of Belvedere IX and their on premise strategy:

"It wasn't until the new Belvedere IX product launched that I noticed the marketing switcheroo happening with some ultra-premium vodkas. For a while, Belvedere has been running those Terry Richardson photos with Vincent Gallo portraying Belvedere as the vodka of choice for downtown young rich partiers. It was clear they were trying to modernize their image away from a stuffy, "important" vodka into a fun one.

Then they launched Belvedere IX, a product enhanced with ginseng, guarana, acai, and other herbal uppers. Not only is this clearly aimed at the nightclub market, the initial release was only in nightclubs. I love the bottle, but was surprised at the approach.

It finally occurred to me that the marketing strategy was to overtake Grey Goose as the club vodka of choice. I don't know the actual numbers, but Grey Goose is probably 90% of all bottle service sales. The Belvedere photo above looks more like it's taking place in a diner than the VIP booth at a club, but the parallels are there. And this product may be the first ultra-premium "enhanced" vodka, or at least the first one with a strong unflavored ultra-premium vodka behind it."

It's going to be fascinating to see if this catches on at. Grey Goose, as Alcademic's observes seem to have switched their focus to the off trade. Strategically this makes a lot of sense given that the recession is driving people out of bars and into at home parties.

I am still struggling to cope with the look of IX. Is it me or does it look hideously cheap and tacky? But then again when was I appointed arbiter of good taste?

Basil Hayden Fashion Week Cocktails

2009-02-20T16:23:00.003Z

Great coverage of an event from Basil Hayden, one of Beam's special bourbons. From Intoxicologist. All images are from Beam Global.

"Tailored specifically for celebrated designer Cynthia Rowley to debut with the 2009 Collection during NYC Fashion Week, the Basil Hayden Wish received a comment of “Perfect” for the show by the designer herself. The Basil Hayden Wish embodies Rowley’s assertive, yet whimsical spirit while pulling inspiration from the rich red hues and wishbone features from the 2009 Fall Collection. Cynthia Rowley Fashion Show Bar Featuring Basil Hayden Wish - Beam Global Spirits & Wine Photo Credit

Fashion week draws a sexy crowd of elite trendsetters, stylists and models who desire to wrap themselves in luxury and fanciful delight. And why not? Beverage staples during a typical Fashion Week consist of champagne and vodka. The Basil Hayden Wish brought a refreshing twist to the predictable cocktail scene and started a new fashion trend of its own by becoming the new luxury cocktail of choice for the fashionable “It” crowd.

Blushed with a hint of passion and bitten with the tang of lust this cocktail is sure to fill you with a desire for fashion and flavor."

Personally I'm really interested by the insight that people are bored of champagne and vodka cocktails and want something with more depth. The kind of depth that you get from high quality brown spirits. There's a lot in this.

Bacardi Relaunches its Flavor Range

2009-02-20T16:05:00.002Z

From their Press Release:

"BACARDI® today announced the launch of new global packaging for its flavored rum brands to showcase the premium quality of its rums. The re-designed bottles and outer shippers have a bolder, more modern look to further capture the attention of adult consumers.

The redesigned bottle is more slender in shape and utilizes colorful, new label designs to more prominently display the dynamic taste of each BACARDI Flavored Rum, including: BACARDI® LIMÓN™; BACARDI® O™; BACARDI® PEACH RED; BACARDI® RAZZ™; BACARDI® BIG APPLE™; BACARDI® GRAND MELON™; and BACARDI®COCONUT™. The innovative bottle design is the perfect mix of style and sophistication.

“The new global packaging of the BACARDI Flavored Rum family of brands showcases the bold, vibrant and distinct qualities of these outstanding flavors,” said Gordon Chisholm, brand director, BACARDI Flavored Rums. “It further strengthens the Bacardi leadership position within the flavored rum category, as well as our role as a premium spirits producer. We are very excited about the evolution of the brand and its continued growth.”

For more info visit The Intoxicologist Is In

Glasstique

2009-02-20T16:01:00.002Z

From GreenerGrassDesign

Absolutely love the clever glass design. Nice. Another great find from Liqurious.

Cool Wine Bottles

2009-02-16T18:37:00.002Z

I love the teardrop design on the label. Very cool indeed.

Spotted on Liqurious initally, but this article is from Lovely Package who have a fantastic site that showcases the best packaging from around the world. The design was done by nine99 design.

Also check out return of the living red:

And Strait Jacket:

Bugsy's Bar Cocktail Ads

2009-02-16T18:34:00.003Z

Such a good idea. Can't believe these were used to promote a bar. It would work so well for a spirits brand.

From The Arab Aquarius:

"Saatchi & Saatchi, Prague did this awesome ad campaign for Bugsy’s Bar in Czech Republic. The ads were photographed by Bohousek Pospisilu with creative director Jakub Hanzlicek. Living Cocktails indeed!"

Via Liqurious.

Hopside Down

2009-02-16T18:32:00.002Z

This is doing the rounds of all the design blogs. I love the idea and am looking forward to getting my hands on one.

Cool glassware will never cease to interest me.

From Fred.

Belvedere's New IX Vodka, Inspired by the Night

2009-02-16T18:28:00.003Z

As ever, Luxist is on top of all the premium drinks launches and trends:

"Belvedere is introducing a new super-premium vodka made with nine special ingredients created to "embody the spirit of the night." Belvedere IX (right), which comes in glam-punk style black and pink graffiti-tagged bottle, will initially be available only in select nightclubs.

IX's nine key ingredients are ginseng, guarana, acai, ginger, sweet almond, jasmine, eucalyptus, cinnamon, and black cherry, "blended seamlessly to create a warm and enlivening note on the nose." The ingredients are individually distilled in micro-batches before being expertly blended with 100 proof Belvedere Vodka and artesian water.

IX is described as "bold and intricate with uplifting sweet spice followed by invigorating ginger warmth," and "smooth yet intense, with menthol complexity tempered by sweet almond and jasmine undercurrents," finishing with "a characteristic Belvedere flourish of vanilla and white pepper."

The bottle's distinctive design is the result of a collaboration with artist and fashion designer Andre Saraiva. It's inspired by Saraiva's iconic graffiti seen on the streets of Paris since the late 1980s. Described by Sam Keller, director of Art Basel Miami Beach, as a "social alchemist," Saraiva also co-owns Paris' Le Baron nightclub."

Also, have a look at Spirit Me Away's review here.

Alfa Romeo Wines

2009-02-16T18:23:00.001Z

This is a bit of a weird one. But hey, why shouldn't Alfa Romeo have a range of Italian wines that are designed to look like the iconic Alfa Romeo grill?

Via Liqurious.

Vessell Glasses

2009-02-16T18:20:00.005Z

I spotted the glasses on Liqurious and thought they are just the ticket for the blog. Visit Vessel for more information.

I've got a lot of time for beautiful glasses that enhance the drinking experience.

Bompas and Parr Smello-Vision

2009-02-16T18:09:00.004Z

Given our Le Nez de Courvoisier project, we are fascinated by anyone who does anything intereting in the world of aromas.

So when we saw this in the Guardian Guide on Saturday we got quite excited. Especially given that Bompas and Parr are part of The Courvoisier The Future 500...

From the Guadian Guide:

"Those looking for a whiff of alternative scents to the perfumed ones exchanged between lovers today can find plenty at a special screening of Peter Greenaway's The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover. Viewers will receive scratch'n'sniff cards laced with delicate aromas linked to scenes involving rotting flesh and dusty books, as created by culinary deviants Bompas & Parr, who also infiltrate the food concession with aphrodisiacs and gold-coated weenies. It's all part of jotta.com's inauguaral craft fair, featuring a fashion workshop on Wednesday and illustration market next Sunday."

Unfortunately we've missed the boat this time. It would have been great to have been part of the event rather than Bulldog gin. Maybe we can collaborate on a similar event in the future.

Naked Scot - Causes Controversy

2009-02-13T12:01:00.005Z

From Luxist:

"Australian liquor producer ASM Liquor operates under the premise that spirits without chemicals will deliver less of a hangover. The company has a range that includes vodka, rum, gin and tequila with the quirky names, Vodka O, Kinky Nero dark rum, Kinky Lux white rum, Jinn Dry Gin and Tequila Blu. The latest is a whisky called Naked Scot. As Bill Dowd reports ASM Liquor has the whisky distilled on the Isle of Mull and aged three years. They claim that the whisky is free from residual herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides (it doesn't mention if the product is organic)."

You can see the range of other spirits they have launched below:

When you read the article on the Dowd's Spirits notebook you realise that this product has caused a stir. David Williamson, Scotch Whisky Association said in a comment:

"As you can imagine, we were surprised to read (this) article ... and the
inference in the headline. To be clear, as a result of the science of the whisky distillation process, there is absolutely no question of "residual herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides" being in a bottle of Scotch whisky. The inference made is inaccurate and misleading.

Can I ask that the point be clarified in a future article, please? That would be much appreciated.

Separately, there also appears to be some confusion as to whether the brand is a single malt or a blended Scotch whisky. This may be a result of the PR material being distributed by ASM Liquor, and it is a good example of why the new Scotch whisky regulations -- which should be implemented later this year -- are needed to avoid potential consumer confusion. The regulations will require that it is made clear on the bottle what category of Scotch whisky it is.

You should also be aware that initial enquiries at the only distillery on Mull raise the need for further investigation of the product."

Whatever the outcome, it's getting talked about. But a 3 year old Scotch sounds pretty iffy to me. And if Naked Scott is setting the benchmark in terms of quality, I doubt the rest of the range will be any good.

And as an aside. I couldn't hate the tartan cap on the bottle any more!

Liquor sales slump -- but not whiskey

2009-02-13T11:57:00.002Z

From the ever brilliant Luxist:

"Prevailing wisdom says that when times are tough people drink the cheap stuff. While that may be true for the most part, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States shows that sales for whiskey are up (4.3% by dollar value and 1.3% by volume in 2008) fueled by a love for whiskeys like Jack Daniels and bourbons like Maker's Mark. The last few years brought big numbers for top shelf vodka, tequila and rum but right now super premium whiskey is the hottest growth category for spirits. The classic appeal of bourbon and its use in traditional, simple cocktails may be part of the appeal. Sales of liquor in restaurants and bars are down over all as more people drink at home."

For the full LA Times article that this is from click here.

64 Calorie Drink from Miller

2009-02-12T18:17:00.003Z

Ads for "Diet" Miller that play on the fact it only has 64 calories.

This ad ran during the Super Bowl

Smart executions. The print ad has a very feminine slant. When you've got a clear USP from an innovative product the ads are easy.

From Whole lot of BS

Glenmorangie Siphon Set

2009-02-12T17:57:00.002Z

Glenmorangie have brought back the long lost soda siphon, but given it a bit of a modern twist. Or to use Jess's expression they've given it a "jhujh" (or however you spell this ridiculous expression).

From this site.

Veuve "Ice Blizzard"

2009-02-11T11:34:00.004Z

Another month, another amazing new trendy, super cool, uber designed bit of kit from Veuve, this time by Thomas Lemaire.

Can someone stop them doing this please. They are making the rest of us look bad. Or maybe we should think laterally and do something fresh and different.

Via Trends Now.

Gran Centenario

2009-02-11T10:52:00.004Z

Not Cot have written a fantastic article about Gran Centenario's launch of their new hibiscus infused tequila called Rosangel. Rather than lift the post, you're much better off having a look at the post over on Not Cot. This particular post was written by Liqurious enthusiast Married with Dinner.

The whole event was executed perfectly and is a lesson to us all in how to execute a new product launch in the world of premium spirits.

Hennessy 44

2009-01-29T12:46:00.003Z

From Hennessy's press release:

"In recognition of one of the most defining moments in American history, Hennessy is introducing a limited edition bottle honoring the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States. In honor of this momentous occasion and furthering Hennessy’s long standing commitment with the urban community, a percentage of proceeds from the Hennessy 44 Limited Edition bottle will be donated to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to help cultivate a new generation of leaders."

The Hennessy 44 Limited Edition bottle will feature a redesigned label, black capsule, and a special 44 seal featuring the date of the inauguration. Only 180,000 (750ml) uniquely numbered collector’s item bottles have been produced and will be available for sale in Washington DC, Maryland, Illinois, Metro New York, and Georgia from January 12th, 2009.

During the inauguration weekend Hennessy will join the celebrations at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund reception, the Radio One Inauguration Gala, the NNPA Gala, and the Hip Hop Summit Action Network Inaugural Ball. Celebrities will be invited to autograph commemorative bottles for a later auction to create additional funds for scholarships through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

The limited edition bottles will be individually numbered and will be line priced with Hennessy V.S. For more information on Hennessy V.S Limited Edition Inauguration Bottles and the Thurgood Marshall College fund, please visit www.hennessy.com or www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org. "

And here are my thoughts - great idea to tie in with the biggest story for a long time. It links to success and the urban community. Piggybacking is always an easy way to gain publicity.

It has undoubtedly been picked up and talked about very widely. Just google Hennessy 44 and you are flooded with hits.

But... the reaction hasn't been entirely positive.

Some comments on Jump the Turnstyle:

"Uggh- I can’t read the small copy, but it looks to be all worded in such a way where where Obama’s name is not mentioned specifically , therefore it doesn’t have to be licensed- big time crapitalism"

From New York Mag...

""Hennessy’s roots in the urban community"

When will companies just come out and say "the black [or African-American] community" instead of using "urban" as a code word?

Also, does a Digital Underground shout-out fifteen years ago really count as "roots"?"

....

"Disgusting stuff.

Dewars for the win."

....

"The idea that a smooth customer like BHO would ever drink Hennessy is beyond ridiculous. The only way I can imagine that happening is if for some strange reason Michelle left him and, crazed with grief, he drank everything else in the bar and Hennessy was all that was left. THEN, maybe. Otherwise, no."

....

"Obama needs to get some Laphroaig Quarter Cask or Lagavulin as his presidential drink of choice. If you can't smoke in the White House you might as well drink something that tastes like smoke."

....

"Obama strikes me as having subtle, complex tastes. No cloying, easy Hennessy for him. I suspect his brandy is Germain-Robin - and it's American, so it's patriotic to drink."

....

From One Plus Infinity:

"The president-elect isn’t much of a drinker, but if anything’s going to drive you to the liquor cabinet, it’s being the leader of the free world. He might want to find a different brand, though: North Korea’s Kim Jong Il is said to be a huge Hennessy fan."

It's interesting that they never mention Barrack Obama in the copy. The reference to 44 is far more subtle and no doubt avoids a few lawsuits and usage costs.

You can buy your very limited edition of 180,000 commemorative Hennessy 44 on ebay here.

Negativity and bitterness to one side... the idea has been well executed and has been talked about far and wide strengthening Hennessey, and by dint of them being category leader, cognac's, roots in the African American market.

Bombay Sapphire: Spirit of Exploration FAIL

2009-01-29T11:56:00.004Z

Interesting story from a disgruntled travel writer called Christine Gilbert, on Almost Fearless...

"The recent Spirit of Exploration Contest held by Bombay Sapphire (the gin in the blue bottle) asked bloggers, like me, to write a single essay about, wait for it, The Spirit of Exploration. At first I thought this was a great idea and even sent it to some of my online contacts encouraging them to submit. But it occurred to me: this was a blog with no traffic, they wanted free content from bloggers, the bloggers would hopefully send their readers to the site and if you won (by getting the most positive votes, ie. you sent the most traffic), you get a jpg icon that says “Bombay Sapphire Winner” to post on your blog. You write, send them traffic and get nothing but a jpg I could have made in Photoshop.

Disappointed, I decided to write a snarky version about the Spirit of Exploration and submitted it as my form of protest. I began,

“The “spirit of exploration” is a carefully designed play on words intended to make you purchase high end liquor.”

I then proceeded to cram the essay full of random observations about travel, listing as many countries as I could and generally being a wise ass. They posted it. Clearly they weren’t even reading these things. If you’re curious, you can read the full version here."

It's a great example of how decently brands should treat people but don't. Whoever was running the Bombay Sapphire blog really should have known better. Because this is quite embarrassing.

It also highlights the delicate way that blogger initiatives need to be executed. There's nothing worse as a blogger than to get some ill thought out, flaky approach from a brand your not really engaged with.

Remy Martin Louis XIII in Wallpaper

2009-01-27T10:52:00.004Z

From Wallpaper.

Remy Martin has commissioned Christophe Pillet to create "limited edition accessories [designed to] get cognoscenti everywhere reaching for their new glasses".

"His involvement is the first step in what Louis XIII sees as an ongoing collaboration with 'contemporary creative geniuses', so what better backdrop to the decadenet digestif than chef Mathias Dahlgren's dining room in Stockholm's Grand Hotel? Designed by ahead of the curve interiors expert Ilse Crawford, the Michelin-starred restaurant oozes elegance and modernity in equal measure, and, for Louis XIII, includes pieces from Wallpaper's pick of rising stars - Italian Martino Gamper, who recently reworked furniture originally designed by Gion Ponti, quirky Dutch designers Kiki van Eijk and Joost van Bleiswijk, who both graduated from the star proidcing Eindhoven Design Academy and Brit Franbk Flavell whose wing backed chair won him first prize in a desingn competition hosted by British manufacturer Ercol. Proof if any were needed that our next generation of design genius is as strong as ever"

A little bit of searching uncovered previous work between Christophe Pillet and Remy on Coolhunting.

It's a very natural thing to do and is a brilliant way of building a luxury world. On a more commercial note, it allows Remy to place designer POS in the world's best bars and hotels which is notoriously hard to do. On top of this is generates talkability in the design world and is good PR.

Champagne taste. Champagne money.

Edible Cocktails - Don't drink on an empty stomach

2009-01-27T09:53:00.003Z

Brilliant post from Flavorwire about the trend for edible cocktails as an offshoot/cross over of molecular gastronomy (sorry Herve) and experimental bartending. It's a fascinating world and reminds me of the sensational gin fizz I had at El Bulli.

Image from Khymos

"A few years ago, I knew a pair of girls who swore by eating a bowl of rice before a night out. They claimed that the carbs slowed down the effects of the drinks later on. [Editor's note: Or, if your name is Ripsy, preventing such wacky hijinks as drunk yoga.] It’s a nice thought that may hold a grain of truth — like the recent discovery that 3 to 5 cups of coffee per day prevents dementia — but their plan seems a little backwards. Why not just find a drink that slows you down? (I recommend the cautionary harshness of an Angler’s Cocktail: four parts gin, three dashes of Angostura bitters, three of orange bitters, and three of grenadine, shaken and poured over ice.)

Or better yet, why not kill two birds with one stone and just eat your cocktails?

For the gourmets, the field of molecular gastronomy has given us new approaches to classic drinks. The well-publicized New York bar Tailor offers a variety of intriguing “solids.” Their Gin Fizz has the consistency of a sugary Peep (and was about the size of one) but their Rum and Coke tasted a bit like the watery bottom of a rail drink. And honestly, it’s unclear whether a drinker (eater?) can expect to feel any effects from these foodie morsels. As much as cocktail obsessives like to talk about channel knives and Pre-Prohibition recipes, we can’t forget why we came to a bar rather than an ice cream parlor.

So for us practical drinkers there are jello shots (think Body Shots, but with less Tara Reid). That’s right: just because you no longer have a fake ID doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy a taste of spring break. And there’s no need to stick with Everclear now that you’re of age; try some more unusual variations. I’d recommend Tasting Table’s pumpkin pie shots. The weather’s still cold enough to eat pumpkin pie, and vodka never goes out of season. Your mom would be proud.

Image from Tasting Table

If you’re looking just for a snack to augment your drinking, then there are plenty of options other than beer nuts. Though the alcohol content is close to nil, I think the best are these gin and tonic cupcakes.

Image from Yum Sugar

They’re a great dessert, and they leave you with a nearly full bottle of gin, another of tonic, and slices of lime to keep you busy while you wait for them to bake. Now what could you make with those three?

Come to think of it, maybe you should have had that bowl of rice first…"

I guess a more traditional version of this would be a boozy trifle or a Christmas pudding swimming in brandy!

Wooden Barrel Hotel in the Netherlands

2009-01-26T17:45:00.005Z

From Fun Fever:

"The De Vrouwe van Stavoren Hotel in the Netherlands salvaged four wine casks from Switzerland and converted them into rooms. Formerly filled with 14,500 liters of Beaujolais wine from the French chateau, each now holds a modest two-person room with standard amenities and even an attached bathroom and a sitting room.

The one thing that might bother you, if you’re not a wine enthusiast, is the smell of wine that the barrels still maintain. All in all the Barrel Hotel, in Stavoren, northern Netherlands, makes for a very pleasurable experience. General rates for a cask room are from 74-119 Euros a night with discounts of up to 75% off depending on season. If you go in the wintertime, a wine cask room can be as low as 18 Euros a night, cheaper than most hostels."

Reminds me of the park in Germany where you could spend the night in a luxury sewer hotel. Weird. But fun. Could be a great way of developing a tourist angle at our distilleries.

Hooker's Delight Martini Glasses

2009-01-26T17:34:00.003Z

Beautiful martini glass concept. Witty. Stylish. Something you want to talk about.

I found it on NotCot, but it's originally from Greece is for Lovers where you can buy them.

Would't it be great to commission some innovative glassware for one of our brands. The possibilities are so interesting. Historically this is something that Bombay Sapphire have excelled at.

Jameson Ads

2008-12-23T15:15:00.005Z

These two ads for Jamesons were both in Shorlist last week - but they don't really feel like they are from the same brand...

Is that a problem? Yes. The "Seriously Playful" ads should reflect the same personality as the "cult film" promotion. Personally, I don't they don't seem to gel very well.

What are Jameson basing their "cult films" credentials on? And also, what are they basing their seriously playful ads on? Because it's triple distilled and Irish? And does this matter? I mean, Heinken claimed to refresh parts of the body other beers couldn't reach...

I've got a soft spot for Jameson because a drunken Irish vicar christened me "Jonathan Jameson Brown" rather than "Jonathan James Brown"! But even with this, Seriously Playful just seems a bit too try hard and contrived.

Glenfiddich Whisky Ads

2008-12-23T14:52:00.007Z

Here are 3 Glenfiddich brand ads... based on the idea that taking time makes better whisky. All quite generic. And it's a territory we constantly dance around with all of our spirit brands.

These two are for Glenfiddich 15 Year Old - which go into more depth about coopers and aromas. All very product focussed. Very discerning. All very whisky.

I like the clean look and feel. The fact that they match the base brand ads will greeted with cheers of delight from the consistent look and feel merchants...

It's all very safe and far from revolutionary. Old school stuff.

Some top end PR for Patron and a slur on Moet in the Metro

2008-12-23T14:49:00.003Z

Well done Patron. Good PR for them. Less good for Moet. Being associated with Wayne Rooney probably isn't really in line with LVMH's "luxury credentials".

Remy Martin - History of a Legend

2008-12-23T14:30:00.002Z

I had never realised that Remy's equivalent to Jean-Marc Olivier at Courvoisier is Pierrette Trichet. I had, very ignorantly, assumed that all the cognac master blenders were men. Apparently, women have a better sense of smell, in general. So it makes a lot of sense.

QR Coasters

2008-12-18T13:10:00.003Z

I'm looking forward to an opportunity to use QR coasters in a promotion. It seems like a really simple way of allowing interested consumers to opt in to access more information about our brands. Would be a great way to showcase drinks recipes, access additional information about the brands or use a launch pad for other promotions...

I found these coasters on Shop QR Me

Imagine if you could download a piece of music that was designed to make your drinking experience more immersive... see this post about music enhancing the taste of wine from earlier in the year.

Atelier Moet

2008-12-18T13:01:00.006Z

Moet's idea to set up an Atelier where you can personalise bottles of their champagne with swarovski crystals is a good idea judging from the amount of coverage it is getting online and in newspapers.

Putting the tackiness of the idea to one side, this "innovation" has given people a reason both to buy Moet over its rivals, but more importantly has given people and jouranlists a reason to talk about Moet.

Here's GQ's piece:

"Champagne is always a welcome Christmas present, so the new Atelier Moët store may well be your best friend this festive season. Open from 3 to 28 December (so prime for New Year’s too), Moët & Chandon’s temporary pop-up store on London’s New Bond Street will customise your bottle of bubbly with the name, monogram or indeed date of your choice spelt out in Swarovski crystals. Opt to pay £50 for next-day delivery of a 75cl bottle, or £75 for while-you-wait, with larger sizes up to the 1,500cl Nebuchadnezzar also available. Gives a new meaning to the term “sparkling wine”."

You can see from the map below that this pop up promotion is running in several major cities around the world: Paris, London, Milan, Madrid, Macau and Singapore.

The US version of the Atelier is called My Moet which seems a lot less premium to me. But there you go. Also, because of the crazy booze regulations in the US you have to link out to distributor sites which are disgustingly off brand and lack any sense of class whatsoever. O well.

It's certainly bucking the anit-bling trend that seems to be taking over the world right now. But maybe we all need a bit of sparkle in our lives?

Camus Cognac 3.128

2008-12-18T12:51:00.004Z

"Coganc house Camus has unveiled their latest special edition, Cuvée 3.128. The Camus Cuvée 3.128 is its first super-premium offer and represents a new flagship for the house. It is a blend of three unique eaux de vie from leading vineyards belonging to one family. The 128 refers to the total of the ages of the three eaux de vie use in the blend (41, 43 and 44 years old).

There are just 3,068 bottles available in the batch. When those are sold a new limited edition will be created with a different blend of spirits. It comes in a Baccarat crystal decanter designed by French artist Serge Mansau, and is topped with necklace of pearls. It sells for $2,500."

Now I am sure 3.128 seems like a clever name. And it is different to all the other names in the luxury cognac category. But... isn't it just a bit odd? Imagine the conversation...

"I just got a massive bonus and bought a bottle of Camus cognac for a small fortune. Bloody good stuff it is too"

"What's it called?"

"Ermmm... 3.128"

Not exactly the same as saying "L'Esprit de Courvoisier" or Remy Treize" or "Black Pearl" or "Paradis by Hennessy" is it?

And at this level, where image is so important... isn't it crucial to have an impressive name?

But the bottle is beautiful. So everything's fine.

Glenmorangie Signet

2008-12-18T12:45:00.003Z

From Luxist:

"I've been hearing lots of buzz lately about the Glemorangie Signet, people really want to get their hands on this bottle. The whisky is causing a stir for several reasons, the first that it is not touting the age on the bottle and the second that the whisky uses a chocolate malt mixed in with barley to create the mash. The word being used to describe it is "voluptuous" and both a Businessweek article and Bill Dowd seem to heartily concur while John Hansell of Malt Advocate seems a bit more reserved although he does declare it to be a fun whisky. It has notes of sherry, maple, marmalade, tobacco and yes, chocolate.

The age of whiskies in Signet hasn't been revealed but it's likely a younger concoction and a smart move to make one at a time when Scotland is feeling the pinch of a shortage of older whiskies ready to tap. The Signet is priced like an older whisky, $185 a bottle but so far the tasters seem to think its worth it. It should start showing up in stores this month."

Sherry, maple, marmalade, tobacco and chocolate sounds delicious. The use of chocolate in the malting process is very interesting, acting as a very simple point of difference.

In addition, this is a good example of generating both online and traditional PR with opinion formers in the early phase of the launch to create credibility and desire before Christmas.

Add the mystery of how old the whisky is and it's a talkability recipe.

Remy Martin 1989 Vintage

2008-12-18T12:41:00.004Z

Great idea from our rivals at Remy brought to you from Luxist:

"Rémy Martin has announced their first single-harvest cognac since Rémy Martin 1965. Rémy Martin has chosen a cognac crafted from the legendary 1989 vintage. Hot summer days combined with cool nights for ideal maturation of the Ugni Blanc grapes. Georges Clot, Rémy Martin cellar master at the time, strove to select the best plots from over a thousand exclusively located in Grande Champagne vineyards, choosing eaux-de-vie from four estate-owned plots. After 18 years of ageing in Limousin oak barrels which were kept separately in a dedicated Rémy Martin cellar, it was decided at the annual tasting in 2007, that Rémy Martin 1989 was reaching its peak.

Tasting notes highlight clove and fig with an intense lingering mouthfeel. It is sold in a black frosted bottle with a resealable wooden cork hand dipped in wax to create a unique seal for each bottle and sells for $300."

Vintages are a good idea, especially when they coincide with a birth year. I remember getting a bottle of 1982 Chateau Brown for my 21st birthday which was very special.

As ever, a well pitched limited edition gives people yet another excuse to talk about the brand.

Russian Standard Vodka Brings Miss Russia Girls to US

2008-12-18T12:31:00.003Z

From Luxist

"Russian Standard Vodka, which bills itself as Russia's #1 luxury vodka, has embarked on a nine-city U.S. tour with a gaggle of gorgeous contestants from the Miss Russia Pageant. In each city, the models are toasting the U.S. and providing fans "an insider look into Russia's most popular cities, cultural heritage and legendary nightlife." The Russian beauties, including Alina Ivanova (above) pictured at the Russian Standard distillery, are currently in Miami making their way to New York for a Nov. 19 finale.

The Miss Russia Pageant is Russia's national beauty pageant which draws contestants from over 70 regions and serves as a springboard to national and international fame for many young women. The annual Miss Russia winner receives a $100,000 cash prize, free use of an apartment for a year, a university stipend and a modeling contract. Russian Standard vodkas are made with only the finest local ingredients, "uniquely conforming to the formula for vodka established in 1894" by famed Russian scientist Dimitri Mendeleev for Russia's Czars."

CSR anyone?

Macallan Masters of Photography Rankin Edition

2008-12-18T12:16:00.004Z

From Luxist and Brand Republic:

"Scottish whiskeymaking and Scottish photography combine with the launch of The Macallan Masters of Photography Rankin Edition. Rankin is a famed Scottish photographer and he was chosen to Easter Elchies House, the "spiritual home of The Macallan." He spent a summer interpreting the The Macallan Estate through his camera lens. The result is 1,000 unique bottles of The Macallan Fine Oak 30 year old single malt whisky each bearing an original Rankin image, captured on Polaroid. Since Polaroid was discontinued this year,The Masters of Photography represents the end of an era. The black-and-white pictures include artistic studies of the lovely Tuuli, Rankin's muse, shown on this bottle, as well as pictures of Easter Elchies House, shots of craftspeople at the distillery, and still life images of the surrounding flora and fauna at the estate. Each bottle comes in a black leather box lined with velvet and containing an original Rankin Polaroid. Each bottle will have an individually printed label which matches the specific Polaroid contained within the box and a booklet of authenticity signed by Rankin. Each bottle sells for around $1,300."

This is really impressive stuff. A great way of putting together a product that people really want. What I like most is:

1. Even though this is a limited edition of 1000, it is interesting to people above and beyond people who might buy a bottle.

2. The photography of Rankin draws in people who are interested in art, design and photography who wouldn't otherwise have felt connected to Macallan

3. The photography gives people the ability to disperse the Macallan story - given the range of the shots this idea is spreading beautiful little nuggets of Macallan around the web

4. The black and white style of Rankin's photography feels very premium and on a basic look and feel level gives Macallan the gloss that it is well known for

5. Given that each photograph is unique it makes each bottle very special. Typically, limited editions will feature a signature and numbering... but this goes much further... making each bottle feel precious

6. It's worth talking about

World's Oldest Cognac for $6,000 a Shot

2008-12-18T12:08:00.003Z

From Luxist

"The luxe Lanesborough Hotel in London has just acquired the world's oldest bottle of cognac, distilled in 1770, and is offering it to patrons of their plush Library Bar (above) for £4,000, or about $6,000, per shot. That's considerably more than the ultra-expensive Louis XIII Black Pearl Magnum cognac my colleague Lisa Palladino wrote about last summer, which cost $2,500 per shot. In addition to the 240-year-old tipple, the Lanesborough, a St. Regis property, just installed a new walk-in cigar humidor, the first of its kind in a London hotel. The humidor houses 1,000 cigars and contains 25 private lockers for the personal collections of top patrons, who can enjoy Cuban and even pre-Castro smokes in the hotel's posh Garden Room."

I wonder what "brand" is behind this? Not many of the cognac houses were around in 1770 apart from Remy and Martell,so it might well be an indepenent cognac. It's interesting that several people have picked up on the fact that you can legally smoke cigars at the Lanesborough as the big selling point!

This was also covered on Just Luxe