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News
Week in pictures
Balls, Borthwick and breakfast beers all feature in our latest round up of day-to-day life in the drinks industry.
db‘s Gabby Savage works her way through the bar menu at Benares Restaurant in Mayfair, London, but we’re the ones who are green with envy.
db was invited to spend a few days at the Budejovice Budvar brewery in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
Just what everyone needs at 9.30am – a breakfast beer to prepare for a day of beer.
Inside the brewery’s state-of-the-art facility, the wort is extracted during the mashing process. Wort contains the sugars that will be fermented by the brewing yeast to produce alcohol.
The Czech Republic is a rather unique country, in that it can go from being beautiful…
…to downright bleak within a matter of metres.
Budvar owns its own hotel in the town of Ceske Budejovice. The Maly Pivovar (Little Brewery) was originally one of the hubs of the town’s brewing trade, with beer brewed here from the 1500s until 1856.
It’s like 2007 all over again as db was able to enjoy a cigarette to accompany the after-dinner beers.
Czech food: Meat, dumplings and, errr, that’s about it.
By day, the town square is an eerily silent throwback to pre-war Eastern Europe. The town was fortunate to avoid most of the modifications made to urban areas during Soviet rule, meaning the buildings retained their brightly-coloured exteriors.
By night the eeriness gives way to spectacular illuminated facades. The town hall is seen in the background behind the focal point of the square – the fountain.
Just what every town needs – the Torture Museum in World Heritage town Ceske Krumlov.
Jade Jagger appeared at The Gallo Rosé and Beach Blanket Babylon party at Notting Hill Carnival in London during the Bank Holiday weekend.
Jilly Goolden unveiled the world’s largest natural cork sculpture at Speaker’s Corner in London’s Hyde Park, to tell the story of cork from bark to bottle. The giant cork was equal in volume to 4,001 bottles of wine.
Callum McNicoll of Glengoyne Distillery, chef Tom Lewis of Monachyle Mhor, Scottish rural affairs secretary, Richard Lochhead and Stephanie Kennedy of Glengoyne Distillery barbeque some porkers made with 17 Year Old Glengoyne Whisky at the launch of Eat Scottish Venison Day.
Best Newcomer award winner Roisin Conaty (centre) with Mark Given, brands director – Foster’s and Nica Burns, producer of the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
Judges pore over entries in the drinks business‘ Wine Innovation Awards at The Worx in Parson’s Green, London.
The garden of the newly-opened Grand Union bar in Wandsworth, south London, is a mecca of colour and comfort. It’s just a shame it’s opening as summer’s ending.
db had one of the best seats in the house at Twickenham for the London Double Header featuring London Irish, Harlequins, Saracens and Wasps. The domestic rugby season’s annual curtain-raiser was sponsored by Côtes du Rhône.
Former England rugby captain Steve Borthwick joins fellow players for a discussion on the season ahead in the Saracens hospitality suite before the event.
db‘s Marinel FitzSimons enjoys a glass of Roederer 2003 at the Square Mile Ball at the Hurlingham Club.
Guests tucked into the Roederer selection over dinner.
Prof Rob Slotow (right) of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), head of the Amarula Elephant Research Project, celebrates the news that the Amarula Trust has committed to a further three years of financial support. He is seen here with Lorien Kee, global marketing manager for Amarula (centre) and Bruno van Dyk (left), the executive director of the UKZN Foundation.
Czech toilet doors leave little to the imagination.
The country’s advertisements don’t mess about either.
db, 06.09.2010