Festive drinks December 2, 2014 Drinkable delights for a very merry Christmas Courvoisier XO If it’s good enough for Napoleon, it’s good enough for your loved ones. Award-winning Courvoisier XO is rich, full-bodied and smooth. £70.95 thewhiskyexchange.com D1 Daringly Dry Gin There’s no G&T like a Daringly Dry G&T. Complete with funky bottle. £39.95 harveynichols.com Balblair 69 This exceptional single [...]
This Father’s Day our cocktail columnist says go for gin June 10, 2014 This sunday is Father’s Day. Therefore, as if by edict from some central authority, people up and down the land will mindlessly buy their dad a bottle of whiskey. I like whiskey more than the next person, but in a minor gesture of defiance against “the man”, I suggest this Father’s Day you should go [...]
Mix it up: Drop the Jägerbombs for the sophisticate’s explosive drink January 14, 2014 There are two competing theories of the human condition. The first suggests we are rational beings acting on free will, while the second assumes the environment determines our actions. I tended to err on the side of free will – that was, until the invention of the Jägerbomb. You don’t like Jägerbombs, do you? What [...]
Emerging markets prove thirsty for spirits with a taste of luxury August 23, 2012 WITH results as strong as its premium scotch, Diageo more than met expectations yesterday, topping up its share price and buying a round of applause for its exposure to emerging markets growth. Profit before tax rose 32 per cent year on year. One of the interesting aspects is exactly what the emerging markets are buying. [...]
GOING OUT November 16, 2011 November is for locals, with new London bar openings in all corners and for all tastes. The D&D group have just opened Carom in the Meza space on Wardour Street (above Floridita). This Indian bar/restaurant will be serving subcontinental wines and whiskeys never before seen in Great Britain in the large, refurbished space. Azulito, a [...]
Shake it up with London Cocktail Week October 9, 2011 F Scott Fitzgerald did it for me. He immortalised the mint julep in the Great Gatsby and ignited an ongoing appreciation for the craft of the cocktail. This may have been the turning point where I realised there was more to cocktails than kahlua and milk, and that the trusty barometer of sophistication was not [...]
Jazz, cigars and pop stars come to Docklands May 11, 2011 WITH finishing touches being made to Battery Club in Canary Wharf, the owners are not resting on their laurels. They’re in the midst of launching Alphabet City, a hip new members only dining room, bar and lounge at the O2. With all manner of pop star after-parties in the mix, locking down a founder membership [...]
Emerging markets to buoy Pernod Ricard October 12, 2010 LOOK to the top of any global blue-chip company these days and you’re likely to find an accountant playing a key strategic role and not simply doing the books. Gilles Bogaert, managing director of finance at Pernod Ricard, is no exception. Having originally joined the French drinks giant in 1995 as an internal auditor, Bogaert [...]
William Grant seals C&C deal July 1, 2010 William Grant & Sons yesterday completed its purchase of C&C’s spirits and liqueurs division for €300m (£246m) The Scottish distillery will now own brands including Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Carolans, Frangelico and Irish Mist, The new business will operate as William Grant & Sons Irish Brands Ltd. Its portfolio already includes Glenfiddich and The Balvenie [...]