Spirits – Page 6 – Keep It Overproof!

The 10 best breweries in the world 2020, according to Ratebeer’s users

The beer world’s answer to Tripadvisor, Ratebeer, has just released its top 100 brewery ranking for 2020. The ranking is based on 10 different weighted scales, which look at factors such as user reviews of the past year and top performing beers, but also includes historical all-around performance, a brewer’s strength across a range of styles, and a few other factors to compare newer and older, larger and smaller brewers under a single method of processing. While the vast majority of brewers are based in the US this year, Ratebeer’s top 10 has featured producers from around...

HK Deliveroo offers Coronavirus relief measures for local F&B businesses

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Deliveroo Hong Kong has announced a 15-20% discount in commission fees for its restaurant and wine merchant partners to support them as numbers of dine-in customers fall due to the coronavirus situation. Due to the impact brought by Covid-19, the Hong Kong government has imposed school closures until 16 March and extend the work from home arrangement for civil servants for another week until 23 February. As per official advice, a number of local offices have followed the government’s lead or minimised employees’ office working hours. Because of the special arrangement and also public...

Taiwan’s Yilan Distillery to produce rubbing alcohol to stop coronavirus

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

The Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corporation (TTL), the largest manufacturer and distributor of cigarettes and alcohol in Taiwan, has said it will temporarily halt the production line at the Yilan Distillery and start to manufacture rubbing alcohol instead to help counter Covid-19. The coronavirus concern has driven skyrocketing sales for hygiene and healthcare products around Asia. First, it was the face mask craze, and the list for panic-buying even extended to toilet roll. Known as an effective sterilising agent, rubbing alcohol has seen shortages as a result of the outbreak. In Taiwan, TTL...

What is Burgundy? Part Two: The Middle Ages

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

When we left the story at the end of the first part, the Franks had conquered the Kingdom of Burgundy in AD 534. Although rolled into their wider domains, which they were beginning to refer to ‘Francia’, the Merovingian dynasty of Frankish kings did sometimes style themselves as kings of ‘Francia et Burgundia’. The course of Frankish history for the next two centuries is very complex and we have more than enough complexities to contend with so, in short, the Merovingians gradually saw their power stripped away by overbearing nobles, most particularly the mayors of the...

ProWine Singapore postponed

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

ProWine Singapore, due to be held this March, has been postponed it has been announced due to concern over Covid-19 (coronavirus). Informa markets the organisers of the FHA-Food & Beverage show in Singapore, which the ProWine event is held alongside, has said that with the latest developments of the Covid-19 virus the event was being pushed back to a later date for health reasons. Martyn Cox, event director, Hospitality, Food & Beverage – Singapore for Informa Markets, said: “The safety and well-being of our exhibitors, event attendees and staff is our top priority. There...

db Eats: Ampéli

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

db’s resident bon vivant, Lucy Shaw, heads to smashing Greek newcomer Ampéli on Charlotte Street for sensational smoked cod’s roe, subtly spiced potato burik, and a cherry-scented Xinomavro. The concept: Perhaps it’s ‘The Durrells’ effect, but the Greek islands are definitely having a moment in the UK. While Brits have long flocked to Crete and Corfu, lesser known islands like Milos, Tinos and Sifnos are becoming increasingly popular with travellers keen to keep away from the crowds of Santorini and Mykonos. The Greek islands offer beleaguered Brits...

English wine industry ‘must do more to be sustainable’

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Daniel Ham, founder of Offbeat Wines, believes that the English wine industry must increase its commitment to the environment, and hopes his story will encourage others to pursue sustainable, organic and biodynamic projects. Daniel Ham, founder and head winemaker of Offbeat Wines. Ham, the former winemaker at Langham Wine Estate in Dorset, has now left his position to establish his own sustainable winery on a biodynamic farm in Wiltshire. Speaking to the drinks business, he called for a more coordinated approach to sustainability, following the lead of bodies such as Comité Champagne. While...

Cité du Vin expands to Beijing

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Cité du Vin, Bordeaux’s wine museum, has announced it will build a new site in Beijing. The wine museum, spanning over 18,000 square meter, will be situated at the heart in the Zhong Pu Hui Wine Village, Fangshan District of Beijing. The museum buildings have taken inspiration of the landscape of St-Emilion and the complex will be surrounded by vineyards. In a joint venture with the city’s government, the new site will be located 40km southwest of the capital’s city centre and is scheduled to open in 2021, with an estimated €60 million (¥459.8) construction...

How the Coronavirus has impacted Hong Kong’s restaurants

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

The Coronavirus situation has been developing rapidly in Hong Kong. Taking the safety of customers into consideration, some restaurants have decided to suspend their operations. As the number of people infected keeps rising in Hong Kong, there is a fear of community outbreak. People are being encouraged to stay indoors. To ensure customers’ confidence, many restaurants and bars have taken additional precautionary measures, such as instructing staff to wear face masks, regular body temperature-checks, and reinforcing stricter hygiene and cleaning procedures. Some hotel restaurants have...

Bombay Sapphire launches long-awaited rtd gin into grocery channel

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Gin brand Bombay Sapphire has launched its first RTD in a can, which will roll out on supermarkets shelves next month. The brand, which is owned by Bacardi, Bombay Sapphire’s VP Victoria Morris said it had frequently been asked when it was planning to enter the rtd market, but it had taken its time to get a drink that did the brand justice. “The development of Bombay Sapphire® & Tonic took time for good reason, as we know our consumers expect only the very best from us and we are extremely proud to say that we’ve created a Ready-to-Drink befitting to the...

Category: Spirits