- brand
Back in the 1800’s and until the middle of the 1900’s, Ireland was the biggest producer of whisk(e)y in the world. Its whiskey industry then experienced a massive setback in the noughties with only three distilleries left on the Emerald island. It is now making a strong comeback with new producers that are reshaping the position of Irish whiskey on the global spirits map. Launched in March 2017, Roe & Co is one of them. “Three years ago, Irish whiskey was on the rise and Diageo sold Bushmills. The group saw a big opportunity for Irish whiskey and I was
In the small Scottish village of Menstrie, Christine McCafferty, Diageo’s Archive Manager, watches over the historical content of more than 200 brands, both past and present, coming from more than 180 markets. She is assisted in this mission by five other archivists (including a digital archivist), their team assistant and a local conservator. She kindly received me on my last visit to Edinburgh for an enthralling chat about her role and a tour of the impressive archives. Becoming Diageo’s Archive Manager Passionate about history, Christine got hooked with archives work after working for a local archives as part of
Cocktail making is often compared to liquid cuisine. Both work on the association of ingredients and the search for the perfect balance between flavours. Replace flavours with fragrances and you can compare the spirits industry to the perfume industry. The parallels are strong: both work with alcohol they infuse/macerate – one with flavours, the other with aromas -, both attach importance to packaging and brand imagery. So why not apply the principles of perfume-making to spirits production? Applying the codes of the perfume industry to liqueur creation That’s the conclusion Marlène, a graduate from ISIPCA (Institut supérieur internationl du parfum,
On Friday I participated in The Art of Blending, a 1 hour scotch blending masterclass at Chivas Regal’s pop up bar The Blend at the Truman Brewery in London. After quickly sipping a welcome cocktail at the bar, I followed the rest of the participants in the back room, especially designed for classes and private events. After a quick word about the production process of whisky, we were lead through a short tasting of different types of single malts (Speyside, Highland, Lowlands and Islay) and a grain whisky. It was then time for us to play master blenders and make
Mister Bitters is, according to the brand’s website, “Australia’s very first bitters company”. It was started after the owner and bartenders of Lily Blacks, a cocktail bar in Melbourne famous for its extensive collection of more than 300 bitters, started creating their own house blends (including special blends for events such as the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix) under the name Mister Bitters. For approximately two years, their products were used by bartenders in other cocktail bars around town to certain success. Mister Bitters went commercial in May 2014 after the original team associated themselves with Only Bitters, an Australian
Opened in July 2014, Charleston Distilling Company is an independent distillery that produces craft spirits (vodka, gin, whiskey and whiskey liqueur) in small batches right in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina. The distillery produced 12’000 bottles in 2015. Launched only two years ago, Charleston Distilling Co. has already won several accolades in the spirits industry, including silver and bronze medals for its King Charles Vodka (a corn and rye vodka), Jasper’s Gin and Calhoun’s Straight Rye Whiskey. Its range also include Carolina Reaper (a pepper flavored vodka), Jasper’s Bourbon Barrel Gin (an aged gin, yes, aged) and Tolerance (a whiskey
London is home to many gin distilleries but only one is located in the City: the well-named City of London Distillery (COLD for short). Opened in December 2012 the distillery has a range of 5 different gins: London Dry, Old Tom, Sloe Gin, as well as the special Christopher Wren Gin and Square Mile Gin. Since October 2015, they’re all bottled into bottles shaped after the dome of the City’s landmark: St Paul’s Cathedral. (Since I visited the distillery a few months before, the bottles you can see on my pictures are in the old shape). The general production reaches