Whiskey. 13
British Distillery East London Liquor Company
East London Liquor Company and Sonoma County Distilling Co. of California, USA Announce a Collaborative Distillation Project
Respective whisk(e)y distillers, Andy Mooney and Adam Spiegel, will produce a single batch wheat whisky to be matured in ex-Sonoma Rye barrels. The collaboration will be East London Liquor Company’s first wheat whisky, following the casking of its pioneering London Rye® in 2015.
- Beginning the distillation on the Thursday of London Cocktail Week (6 October) at East London Liquor Company’s home in Bow Wharf, guests are invited to drop by the distillery from 10-11am to watch the process and ask questions to the distillers
- Visitors can also taste all three whiskeys from Sonoma County Distilling Co., each of which is stocked in East London Liquor Company’s on-site bottle shop, as well as the white dog spirit of the distillery’s forthcoming London Rye® whisky, matured from the end of 2018
- East London Liquor Company’s restaurant will also be hosting a meal for whiskey fans on Wednesday, 5 October to celebrate the partnership
- The rustic three-course menu will be styled as a ‘Sonoma Supper Club’ and offers a whiskey pairing for each dish, including cherrywood-smoked eel, smoked ribeye with malted garlic and sorrel, charred corn succotash and bread and butter pudding. Tickets are available for £45.00, to book email jonathan@
eastlondonliquorcompany.com
LONDON’S BEST NEW WHISKEY AFFAIR RETURNS
An Exciting Event For Any Casual or Serious Fans of Scotch and Bourbon
The Whiskey Affair continues it’s nationwide tour by returning to Reading on the 22nd October! Coming on the back of their hugely successful Guildford event, it’s a lively and fun night out for any fans of whiskey where they can discover new brands and blends – with the event split into four sections – scotch, bourbon, whiskey and whiskey cocktails – there’s something for all levels of knowledge from beginners right through to connoisseurs.
The event takes place at The Great Hall, London Rd, Reading, RG1 5QA and has two sessions. The afternoon session is 1pm-5pm and the evening 7pm-11pm. Tickets are £8 each and available here now. This new festival started in London last year and has moved nationwide in 2016. It originated from a simple idea: to allow people to comprehensively explore the world of whiskey against a backdrop of For the Whiskey Affair Reading, they’ve stepped it up another gear. Alongside live music and representatives from the brands, they’ve got tasting sessions, free samples from a number of new brands, an array of spectacular moonshines from the guys at Shine London (warning: it packs a punch!) All these factors and more mean you’re in for a great night and even friends and partners with no interest in whiskey can sample the cocktail menu and still enjoy the night. And who knows – with a variety of whiskeys ranging from smooth bourbons to spiced whiskies, you may even be able to change their minds…
Organiser Catherine Jackson is keen to evangelise about the whiskey possibilities and share her enthusiasm with a wide audience:
“Back when I started my affair with whiskey, I had so many friends who were knowledgeable about different whiskeys and I was often lost as to where to start. I wanted to dip my toe into the differences and similarities within the brands and learn how to judge which finishes and ages suited my tastes more but I wanted to do so with friends and have a good night out at the same time.
There are some wonderful, smaller independent distillers involved next to household names so there is a true mix of
brands to sample. We’ll have wonderful live music from Becki Short and speakers to provide our entertainment
for the evening and a photo booth will allow a permanent (and occasionally risqué!) memory of the night. It’s
going to be great fun and we can’t wait to share it!”
Email:info@thewhiskeyaffair.co.uk
HIGHLAND PARK SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
BRINGS MIDSUMMER SOLSTICE TO LIFE
Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whisky, the ‘Orkney Single Malt with Viking Soul’ distributed by Maxxium UK, celebrated Midsummer Solstice with events for over 200 consumers.
The brand hosted its Midsummer Social events on June 21 and 22 at Dalston Roof Park in London to mark the official start of summer. The narrative of Highland Park is deeply rooted in Nordic traditions. The people on Orkney (1 in 3 have Viking ancestry) take huge pride in honoring the spirit of their Viking ancestors by hosting a week’s worth of events dedicated to Midsummer Solstice, when the evenings are at their longest.
The celebrations were hosted by global brand ambassador Martin Markvardsen and included torchlight whisky tastings in a bespoke bothy, Highland Park infused cocktails, boilermakers with 40ft Brewery, Nordic inspired food curated by Root + Bone as well as live music from DJ Eelke Kleijn and acoustic band Slow Club. Several bars surrounding Dalston also featured special Highland Park Solstice serves on their bar menus.
The celebrations were broadcast to a global audience with both evenings streamed live on Highland Park’s Facebook page, resulting in over 6,500 fans tuning in to watch.
Mike Mackenzie, Highland Park Brand Manager said: “Our Midsummer Social celebrated Highland Park’s Viking heritage and the start of summer. The events gave us a great opportunity to provide consumers with a unique insight into Highland Park and a true taste of Solstice style celebrations”.
Mackenzie continued: “Now that summer is well underway, we’re already looking forward to celebrations for Winter Solstice later this year.”
Issued by The BIG Partnership on behalf of Maxxium UK
About Highland Park
Established in 1798 on Orkney, Highland Park is one of the most remote Scotch whisky distilleries in the world. For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection. Its range of 12, Dark Origins, 15, 18, 21, 25, 30 and 40 year old single malts is consistently acclaimed by connoisseurs and experts. Highland Park has won a string of prestigious awards across its portfolio, most recently Highland Park ICE Edition was awarded 99 points and the Chairman’s Trophy at the Ultimate Beverage Challenge. While Highland Park 12, 15 and 18 Year Old were all awarded 96 points or above and the Tried and True Award at the Ultimate Beverage Challenge.
Changes Announced at Jim Beam Bourbon
Jim Beam Bourbon Announces First-ever Global Packaging Redesign
29 February 2016: Jim Beam®, the world’s No.1 bourbon, has undergone a transformation with all-new global packaging, marking the first time significant changes have been made to the brand in decades. As of mid-2016, the Jim Beam portfolio will have a unified, premium look in more than 100 markets around the world. Maxxium UK is rolling out the new packs from March, beginning with Jim Beam Bourbon followed by Jim Beam flavours, including Jim Beam Apple, Jim Beam Honey, Jim Beam Maple and Red Stag by Jim Beam, Jim Beam Rye and Jim Beam Devil’s Cut.
This global packaging upgrade comes two years after the launch of Make History®, the first global marketing campaign for the iconic American brand, which traces its history to 1795. The updated bottle and exterior styling will better represent the premium bourbon inside, which is not changing and still follows the same Jim Beam family recipe used during the past two centuries. This redesign will contemporise the Jim Beam brand while celebrating its rich heritage at a time when American Whiskey is performing at +9.6% MAT volume in the UK.
The new Jim Beam bottle has a bolder structure with a clean label design featuring premium finishes, refreshed distiller portraits and a refined “rosette” logo, harmonising the flavoured product range. Jim Beam Devil’s Cut and Jim Beam Rye feature a bolder, more rectangular bottle structure with premium label enhancements, including extra fine detailing, crafted borders, real gold foil finishes, refined embossing and matte paper stock. It also includes a matte finished shrink sleeve along the closure.
Maxxium UK’s Marketing Controller for Imported Whiskey, Janice McIntosh, says: “We are continuing to Make History in 2016 with the launch of Jim Beam’s new, unified, premium packaging that reflects the quality and heritage that goes into every bottle.
“In the UK, Jim Beam is performing strongly with volume sales of the portfolio +10.2% MAT. The new packaging design comes at the perfect time for the brand as more consumers continue to discover Jim Beam, helping to grow the bourbon category. The new packs support our customers as they take advantage of the bourbon boom and meet shopper demand for premium, quality brands with heritage.”
Seventh Generation Master Distiller and Jim Beam’s Great-Grandson, Fred Noe: “This represents another historic milestone in my family’s history. I’ve always been proud to see the faces of every Beam Master Distiller displayed on Jim Beam bottles across the world and these bottles feel even better in my hands when pouring this fine bourbon.”
The new packaging for the Jim Beam portfolio will be available on shelves from April in the UK. This includes Jim Beam Bourbon, Jim Beam Apple, Jim Beam Honey, Jim Beam Maple, Red Stag by Jim Beam, Jim Beam Rye and Jim Beam Devil’s Cut.
As an ongoing evolution of Jim Beam’s successful Make History campaign, the premium packaging launch is being supported with in-store point of sale showcasing the upgraded bottles and advertising featuring global brand partner, Mila Kunis.
Additional packaging imagery and information is featured on the Jim Beam Twitter page @JimBeamUK.
For more information, please contact: Jennifer Cirillo or Simone Harvey
INTRODUCING THE ARDMORE PORT WOOD FINISH
The Ardmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky, distributed by Maxxium UK, has launched The Ardmore Port Wood Finish.
The new expression is distilled with the same traditional methods used at the distillery since 1898, before being double-cask matured for 12 years in traditional American white oak ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in European half port pipes.
The release of The Ardmore Port Wood Finish follows the success of The Ardmore Legacy, which replaced Ardmore Traditional Cask as the distillery’s core expression. A lightly peated, sweet dram, The Ardmore Legacy offers the ideal introduction to peated single malts.
The newest member of this emerging portfolio, The Ardmore Port Wood Finish is a unique expression with a touch of sweetness. Ruby gold in colour this single malt is full of spiced fruits with a subtle smoky finish.
Peter Sandstrom, Marketing Director, Maxxium UK said: “Following the success of The Ardmore Legacy, which has established its status in the peated single malt category, the launch of The Ardmore Port Wood Finish further cements the quality and taste of the brand’s portfolio.
“The Ardmore Port Wood Finish is an excellent whisky made using the same traditional distilling methods for over 100 years. It is a unique and premium expression – with notes of sweet red apple and honey with the subtlest hint of charcoal smoke and a smooth, long, lingering finish culminating in the trademark Ardmore dryness – it is a whisky that offers a taste that sets it apart.”
The Ardmore Port Wood Finish is bottled at 46% ABV and is available from specialist whisky retailers at the RRP of £49.99.
Issued by The BIG Partnership on behalf of The Ardmore
For further information please contact Fiona Hendrie/Laura Hutchinson at The BIG Partnership
Tel: 0131 557 5252 Email: fiona.hendrie@bigpartnership.co.uk / laura.hutchinson@bigpartnership.co.uk
