LAPHROAIG DISTILLERY CROWNED WHISKY VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR
Laphroaig Single Malt Scotch Whisky, distributed by Maxxium UK, has been awarded the Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year in Whisky Magazine’s global Icons of Whisky 2014 competition.
The annual industry awards, organised by Whisky Magazine, recognise the very best people and places in the whisky industry around the world. The awards involve country heats to find the best companies in the leading whisky nations of the world, which then compete against each other for the overall Icons of Whisky.
Laphroaig Distillery Manager, John Campbell said: “As the No.1 selling Islay single malt whisky we are thrilled to be recognised as one of Whisky Magazine’s prestigious global Icons of Whisky. For nearly 200 years, we’ve worked hard to ensure that the distillery reflects the same distinctiveness one would find in a bottle of Laphroaig. From guided tours to our Friends of Laphroaig loyalty program, we welcome visitors into the family by gifting a plot of Islay land they can call their own while offering a truly memorable experience.”
The Whisky Magazine editorial panel noted that the Laphroaig Distillery “offers a warm welcome to visitors from across the world. From a walk through tour to owning your piece of Islay, Laphroaig has stamped its mark on the visitor [centre] experience.”
The Laphroaig Distillery also won the Scottish Icons of Whisky last year and is the current holder of the Drammie award for best distillery tour in the world, which it has won for two consecutive years.
To find out more information about Laphroaig or how to become a Friend of Laphroaig please visit www.laphroaig.com. Please enjoy our brand responsibly www.drinkaware.co.uk
THE MACALLAN UNVEILS MASTERS OF TASTE COLLABORATION WITH THE WORLD’S BEST RESTAURANT, EL CELLER DE CAN ROCA
The Macallan today unveils its latest exciting collaboration – The Macallan Masters of Taste – bringing together the supreme craft and innovation of two of the world’s leading masters to create the ultimate taste experience.
Sitting at the very top of the World’s Best 50 restaurants*, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain has come together with The Macallan, the world’s ultimate luxury single malt Scotch whisky, to collaborate and innovate in the field of taste and cuisine.
The Roca Brothers – Joan, Josep and Jordi – have combined their collective vision and diverse skills to extraordinary effect that saw them secure the world number one position in April 2013. A Catalan family restaurant at heart, El Celler de Can Roca’s philosophy is grounded in an evolutionary and modern approach.
The Macallan continues to sit at the pinnacle of single malt whisky, by combining an unwavering commitment to the highest quality with a passion and desire to innovate and challenge the traditions of whisky making.
Together these partners share the core values of craft, mastery, skill and innovation and have collaboratively crafted a new vision of bringing the worlds of whisky making and craft cuisine together to create something totally unique.
The Masters of Taste will see The Macallan and the Roca Brothers unite their creativity and thinking to create an ultimate experience in taste.
Ken Grier, Director of The Macallan, said, “We are truly excited and honoured to be collaborating with the Roca Brothers to launch this major new initiative. Joan, Josep and Jordi are not only inspirational; they are world-class innovators whose commitment to their craft is exceptional”.
Whisky and cuisine have a long-standing connection but never have any two partners come together to really explore what this could, and should mean. Our collaboration is set to break down classic perceptions of food pairing and enter into a whole new, awe-inspiring world of taste and flavour experience.”
Commenting on the collaboration, Josep Roca of El Celler de Can Roca said, “It is both a pleasure and an exciting challenge to work with The Macallan team. We combine knowledge, effort and hard work to improve in areas that individually we could have never imagined we could achieve, and all that with a strong commitment to innovation.”
The most immediate outcome of this exciting new collaboration will be “The Ultimate Dinner with The Macallan and Roca”, six prestigious charity dinners held at El Celler de Can Roca during June and July 2014.
The dinners are open to a very limited number of people globally at a cost of $10,000 per head. With a key focus on charitable giving, the net proceeds from the dinners, together with a further contribution from The Macallan will go to charity. The restaurant will open exclusively for these dinners on the six dates in June and July 2014**.
“The Ultimate Dinner with The Macallan and Roca” will involve the most exquisite combination of gastronomy and whisky making. From exclusively designed dishes, inspired by the flavour and character of The Macallan, to an outstanding range of The Macallan whiskies from unreleased single cask malts through to M, the world’s most expensive whisky, The Macallan in Lalique 62 year old and the oldest single malt ever released by The Macallan distillery. The combination of this menu and the collection of fine whiskies served are being exclusively created for these charity dinners and will not be served anywhere in the world aside from on these six occasions.
This exciting partnership is underpinned by Spain and the significance it plays in how both partners have evolved and are shaped today. For The Macallan its inherent connection with Spain is extremely strong through its commitment to Spanish oak sherry seasoned casks. This factor is the most influential in the final flavour and character of this single malt. For El Celler de Can Roca, their Spanish heritage has heavily shaped their ethos and enabled them to establish themselves as the leading force in Spanish cuisine.
For more information on booking “The Ultimate Dinner with The Macallan and Roca” please visit: www.themacallan.com, email themacallan@rocadinners.com, or call +34 93 222 33 44 (from 9:00 – 18:00 GMT+1 time).
* Organised by Restaurant magazine, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is an annual snapshot of the opinions and experiences of over 900 international restaurant industry experts. What constitutes “best” is left to the judgement of these trusted and well-travelled gourmets. www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners/el-cellerde– can-roca/
** There are only six available dates: June: Sunday 29th and Monday 30th. July: Sunday 6th, Monday 7th, Sunday 20th and Monday 21st. The restaurant will be exclusively opened on these dates
for these charity dinners only as it is usually closed on Sundays and Mondays.
For more information please contact: Laura Hutchinson or Linsay Moore on firstname.lastname@bigpartnership.co.uk or via 0131 557 5252.
Follow us on Twitter: @The_Macallan, @CanRocaCeller, #macallanmasters
Jim Beam Makes History With New Global Campaign
11 March 2014: Maxxium UK is launching Jim Beam’s new global campaign, Make History in the UK this month. The first multi-media global campaign for the world’s number one bourbon begins with a new television commercial featuring the brand’s new spokesperson, award-nominated actress Mila Kunis. With significant trade support and activation throughout the year, Make History is a ground-breaking initiative that inspires consumers to make their own mark in history in the same way Jim Beam has.
The TV advertising, which features the Hollywood actress, will break in the UK on 16 March with 30-second ads across multiple media channels such as ITV, Channel 4 and Sky. The campaign also includes online and digital advertising underpinned by PR.
From its humble beginnings as the first bourbon produced in 1795 to becoming the number one bourbon in the UK and across the globe, Jim Beam’s inspirational story is the motivation behind Make History. With taglines focused on encouraging consumers to Make History such as We’ve Made Our History Now Make Yours!, Come As A Friend, Leave As Family and Be The Story Others Tell, the campaign will deliver unprecedented visibility across the trade.
Make History will be activated across the off-trade, including Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose. In store visibility is key with eye-catching displays and innovative POS. The iconic Jim Beam Stillhouse is also being used as an important visual element across the retail trade, with replicas on display in the top Jim Beam depots across the country. The campaign will be heavily supported in depot with POS and retailer incentives and reinforced with a strong Make History presence online.
Consumers can win their chance to make history with on-pack promotions offering trips to the US including the Ultimate Road Trip across America. The activity in the off-trade will also be supported with in-store sampling.
The campaign will be activated in the on-trade with Make History kits to drive awareness and promote the Ultimate Road Trip competition. This will be complemented with a range of high-quality POS items as well as tent cards, posters, seasonal Make History Jim Beam serves and glassware. Bartenders will be supported through bourbon education sessions with training conducted by mixxit, Maxxium UK’s expert cocktail team. Bartenders can also take part in a Jim Beam Make History challenge, which will reward the winner with an historic Jim Beam experience.
Jim Beam’s rich history of producing bourbon goes back over 200 years. Jim Beam has continued to make history by being a pioneer in the category, recruiting consumers through innovation. Red Stag by Jim Beam was the first flavoured bourbon, launched in 2011. This was followed in 2012 by the first honey-infused bourbon to arrive in the UK, Jim Beam Honey. This commitment has resulted in strong Jim Beam performance across the UK trade with volume +13% year on year with +20.2% growth in the on-trade and +11.7% in the off-trade1.
Maxxium UK’s Marketing Controller for Imported Whiskey, Eileen Livingston says: “The UK is one of the largest markets in Europe for Jim Beam and Make History is set to make 2014 an historic year for the brand. Make History embodies the story of Jim Beam and the seven generations of Beam distillers who have been proud of their history, yet keen to make history of their own — innovating ahead of their peers and cementing the brand’s standing as a category leader.
“We are excited to introduce the new campaign to the UK and delighted to welcome Mila Kunis to the Beam family! In 2014 we will share a little of our own history while also encouraging consumers to follow in our footsteps and be inspired to make their own history.
“Our Jim Beam family of products is diverse and appeals to many consumers. This year we are determined to fuel the category growth in the UK even further by supporting the needs of customers across the on- and off-trade with our Make History campaign. This is the right time to execute an initiative of this scale and the year ahead is set to create momentous events for both Jim Beam and our customers.”
For more information, please contact: Jennifer Cirillo or Simone Harvey
Tel: 020 8544 6917 or e-mail
: j.cirillo@lime-pr.co.uk, s.harvey@lime-pr.co.uk
THE GLORIOUS RAMMY RETURNS TO LEAD HOMECOMING SCOTLAND’S WHISKY MONTH
The Edinburgh Whisky Stramash is returning to Scotland’s capital in May to lead a programme of events as part of Homecoming Scotland’s Whisky Month. Celebrating Scotland’s national drink, the two-day experiential event, which takes place on 24th and 25th May, will once again take over the famous Surgeon’s Hall in the heart of the city’s historic Old Town.
Designed to appeal to consumers with an appetite for adventure, as well as whisky purists open to intrigue, Whisky Stramash will bring whisky inspired fun and frivolity to Edinburgh, with high-jinx character and thought-provoking activities. Big name brands including The Dalmore, Isle of Jura, Dewars and Glenfiddich, as well as small independents within the industry, are already signed up to showcase their whiskies in their own inimitable style.
Not your average whisky event, the Whisky Stramash has attracted over 4,000 whisky lovers from across the globe since its launch in 2012, and is devoted to bringing whisky to the masses in its own unconventional way. It showcases new ways to enjoy whisky with madcap molecular mixology stations as well as bring famous whisky brands to life with immersive and interactive experiences.
Scott Martin, founding partner, Whisky Stramash commented:
“Whisky is a core part of our Scottish heritage that has been enjoyed for hundreds of years and we are privileged to have been selected to lead the celebrations throughout Scotland this year. What started out as a boutique event organised by myself and Darroch Ramsay has very quickly grown into a world-class celebration of our national drink, with a whole month of events now devoted to it.
“We are working closely this year with some exciting whisky brands to ensure this year’s event will be our best yet, with plenty of imagination, ridiculous secrecy, and our signature modern take on good old fashioned fun, bringing whisky into the modern-day world.”
Tickets are on sale now from Ticketsoup. Ticket prices are £26 per person.
Event session times: 12:00, 17:00
Price: £26.00
Event Tel: 0844 481 8898
Issued by The Big Partnership
For further information/images please contact Mhairi De Luca or Ruth Minto on 0131 557 5252 or email mhairi.deluca@bigpartnership.co.uk / Ruth.minto@bigpartnership.co.uk
The Tweeddale Blend To Be Brought Back Home
Businessman Alasdair Day revived the 100-year-old artisan blend, originally made in Coldstream, using his great-grandfather’s recipe.
He now wants to create a craft distillery with a cafe, visitor centre and a retail outlet in the Caberston farm buildings, to encourage tourism to the Borders.
If his plans go ahead, the venture would create around 12 jobs on the Walkerburn site.
Alasdair said: “We are currently in discussions with potential investors to raise the funding – £5 million – required.
“The proposed distillery in Walkerburn will produce 100,000 litres of pure alcohol a year which will be matured for three years before becoming Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
“As a young kid we took holidays in the Borders as my family owned houses here, so the area is very close to my heart.
“I spent years looking for a suitable site for the distillery. It needed to be somewhere with a good water supply, and the building needed to be suitable for visitors.
“The latter is quite important, as it will not be purely a distillery but also a visitor attraction.”
The news comes shortly after Mossburn Distillers announcement – see page 21 – of plans to build a £40 million distillery at Jedforest Hotel near Jedburgh.
Between 1818 and 1837 the Borders was home to three distilleries, but is currently the only region in Scotland not to have one.
Alasdair is hoping the change that by getting his project up and running by 2018.
The entrepreneur has worked in the food industry for 20 years and set-up his company, Stonedean Limited, with the sole intention of re-creating The Tweeddale.
Mr Day added: “Walkerburn is close to Glentress and Traquair, both hugely popular tourist spots, so it is the right kind of area.
“It is my aim to return my great grandfather’s whisky The Tweeddale home to the Scottish Borders.
The Tweeddale was originally born in Coldstream’s J&A Davidson in 1820, which was taken over by Alasdair’s great-grandfather Richard Day in 1923.
Between 1939 and 1940 the he business was wound down and The Tweeddale was no longer made, with Richard selling off his stock of whisky casks over the years.
But his cellar book was passed down through several generations in the family and in May 2010 the first batch of the whisky was made again for the first time in 70 years.
