Drinks – Page 7 – Keep It Overproof!

Seafood restaurant recycles leftover oyster shells to flavour gin

London seafood specialist Wright Brothers has jumped on the flavoured gin train and launched a spirit distilled with oyster shells, Amalfi lemon and kelp seaweed. Produced with partners The Ginstitute Distillery of West London, the gin has has been designed to complement Wright Brothers’ menu of oysters, shellfish and fish. It is a savoury gin with high mineral notes and a pink pepper finish. The fishy liquid has been made in partnership with The Ginstitute, which also produces west London gin label Portobello Road, and “provides a sustainable way to reuse oyster shells from Wright...

db Eats: Opera Tavern

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

db’s resident sybarite, Lucy Shaw, heads to the new-look Opera Tavern in Covent Garden for a fiery nduja Scotch egg, creamy Manchego croquetas and a smoky white from Etna. The concept: Along with Sam and Eddie Hart (of Barrafina fame), Hispanophiles Simon Mullins and Sanja Moll were among the first restaurateurs to reinvent the notion of tapas in London, incorporating influences from their beloved Italy and pioneering the small plates phenomenon in the process. Their first Spanish outpost was Salt Yard on Goodge Street, near my old university campus. Ambitious in their drive to turn the capital...

Diversity of Spanish cuisine a ‘key promotional tool’ for wines

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Industry body Foods and Wines from Spain in the UK plans to ramp-up food and wine pairing events as a way of showcasing ‘modern Spain,’ the public entity’s new director told the drinks business. Fernando Muñoz said Spain’s diverse gastronomy cuisine would be a key promotional focus for wines going forward into 2020. A big part of the campaign, he said would focus on food pairing with premium “organic and biodynamic’ wines, he said. “We want to showcase the modern Spain rather than the traditional side of the country,” Muñoz said. “Spanish producers are increasingly making organic and...

Adrian Bridge: ‘Election 2019 won’t solve Brexit crisis’

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

A senior member of the wine trade has criticised the UK government’s decision to hold a general election in December, arguing that it won’t break the Brexit deadlock. Adrian Bridge on the building site of Fladgate’s €100 million tourist attraction, The World of Wine. Adrian Bridge, CEO of The Fladgate Partnership, told the drinks business that the election was likely to result in another hung parliament, incapable of reaching a consensus on the obviously divisive issue of the UK’s EU membership. “I think that the democratic way to break the deadlock is another referendum...

Pernod Ricard faces legal challenge over alleged harmful drinking culture

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

French drinks group Pernod Ricard has denied claims made at an employment tribunal, during which a former staff member said that there was a “constant pressure” to consume alcohol. As reported by French media site Le Parisien, two former Pernod Ricard employees and one still working for the company reported being under pressure to drink. One former sales manager, referred to as ‘Julien’ in the Le Parisien article, who had worked for the French company for 16 years, told the publication that when he complained about the quantity of alcohol he was expected to consume,...

In focus: Vouvray

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

In collaboration with the drinks business, Rebecca Gibb MW recently gave a masterclass about Vouvray, its history, the types of wines available, and how producers are coping with the changing climate. Aurélie Gigandet and Astrid Boutet-Saulnier On 1 October, at London’s Asia House, Rebecca Gibb MW hosted a masterclass on Chenin Blanc in Vouvray, in association with Vins de Vouvray and the drinks business. During her talk, Gibb explored the history of Vouvray and its association with the grape variety Chenin Blanc, as well as discussing key facts about the region and current trends. Originally...

New data reveals drinks industry deals valued at over US$12bn this summer

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Mergers and acquisitions in the drinks industry between July and September were valued at more than US$12 billion, according to new figures. Research from analyst firm Global Data found that drinks brand sales were valued 328% higher in the three months to September 2019 than they were in the previous financial quarter. The analyst said that the overall highest value acquisition came was Asahi Group’s purchase of Carlton & United Brewers for $11.3bn. The proceeds from the deal are being used to pay off AB InBev’s debt. It said the biggest spirits deal of the three-month period was...

Spencer Matthews disrupts gin industry with low ABV ‘spirit’ brand

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

Former Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews has become the face of a ‘CleanGin’ brand which has already ruffled feathers in the UK’s spirits industry. Spencer Matthews attending his launch of The Clean Liquor Company at The Trading House in London. The company is launching a ‘CleanGin’, a replacement to gin, with only 4 calories per 50ml. Matthews, currently co-starring with his wife in E4’s new series Spencer, Vogue and Baby too, began his TV career on Made in Chelsea, having previously worked as a foreign exchange broker at ICAP in the Square Mile. Now, he is the...

Beer Masters 2019: results in full

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

The year’s Beer Masters showed the development of styles in the sector, as well as the the growth of the low- and no-alcohol category. WHEN WE launched the Beer Masters in 2014, the craft beer industry was starting to mature. Now we’re seeing much more variety in the sector, from barrel-aged imperial stouts and low-ABV pale ales, to hop-forward IPAs and lagers made from leftover bread. We may not yet have seen see smoothie-thick New England IPAs and double-fermented cranberry Goses in supermarkets, but the list of beers entered into our Masters this year shows just how the UK’s everyday beer-drinking...

What you need to know about Prowein 2020

Posted in Beer, Spirits, Wine.

With 2019 coming to a close, the organisers of the drinks industry’s biggest trade show, Prowein, are already looking forward to next year. More than 6,800 exhibitors from 61 Nations showcase their products at ProWein each year. Around 6,900 exhibitors are expected to attend Prowein next year, which will be held in Düsseldorf on 15-17 March 2020. “With almost every kind of relevant product represented, Prowein is the world’s largest order platform for this field. Just as importantly, it offers an indispensable range of networking opportunities for the entire spectrum of players...

Tag: Drinks