Titanic anniversary inspires drinks

Drinks companies have been inspired by the tragic sinking of the Titanic, which was laden with alcohol when it sunk 100 years ago on 15 April 2012.

Some brands have created commemorative editions for the anniversary, while others have launched new labels.

Iceberg vodka, Iceberg beer and a special Titanic edition of a Scotch whisky have all been released, while diners can also experience the “last supper” – a menu of the final dinner served aboard the Titanic.

Reports from 100 years ago say that among the provisions when the ship left Southampton were 1,000 bottles of wine and 850 bottles of spirits for the 2,220 passengers and crew.

Beyond the alcohol, more than 1,000 bottles of soft drinks, soda water, lemonade and orange juice were also on board.

The creation of commemorative scotch, beers and wines ahead of the anniversary has attracted interest and criticism, with relations of the survivors accusing drinks brands of cashing in on the Titanic brand.

For example, as previously reported by the drinks business, Iceberg vodka has been criticised from family members of two Titanic survivors, after sponsoring a party to promote a book about their life.

Other releases have got a better reception like The Royal Mint releasing the Titanic £5 coin in remembrance.

Over the following pages the drinks business brings you a selection of the most notable alcohol-based launches and events connected to  the 100-year anniversary of the Titanic.

1. Titanic Irish Whiskey 

Titanic Irish Whiskey is the first whiskey brand to emanate from the city of Belfast in nearly 100 years. It is crafted by the Belfast Distillery Company.

The first two whiskey products in the Titanic range are a 5 & 10 Year old.

It was launched last May and Derek Hardy of the Belfast Distillery Company explained the significance of naming the Whiskey after the ship. “It was important for Belfast to take huge pride in its great history of ship building and whiskey distilling,” he said.

Irish Whiskey has taken an upturn in recent months, as William Grant & Sons has announced a €35 million investment in a new distillery for its Irish whiskey brand Tullamore Dew.

 2 Wine 

A three day Titanic festival is held in a town in the US every year. It is to honor Elizabeth Barrett Rothschild, a Watkins Glen native and Titanic survivor, as well as other local families whose lives were impacted by the Titanic’s sinking.

To celebrate the festival, Atwater Estate Vineyards is selling a limited edition label of their Dry Riesling. A percentage of sales of every bottle sold will be donated to the local historical society.

Riesling is set to take centre stage in the UK this June for the first ever Riesling Summit, organised by Wines of Germany.

3. Scotch Whisky

To commemorate the centennial of the disaster, Berry Bros & Rudd has created a limited edition Scotch whisky.

Called Titanic, their blend was distilled in 1998, aged in sherry casks and bottled this year.

BBR’s Spirits Manager, Douglas McIvor, selected this particular Scotch whisky because it was reminiscent of the Edwardian style popular at that time, although no samples or specific notes on the BBR whisky that was onboard the Titanic have survived.

Berry Brothers & Rudd are continuing to expand as they are to buy Lincolnshire wine merchant Richards Walford.

4. Beer 

The Titanic Brewery have a beer called Iceberg.

It is a combination of Maris Otter pale malt and fine wheat malt.There are also Yakima Galena and Cascade hops.

4a Beer 

Special edition Titanic Centenary bottles have also been launched by the Titanic brewery.

Limited edition bottles have been made by Wade Ceramics. There are 250 in circulation.

The bottle costs £29.95 and is available from The Brewery and Titanic Pubs and selected outlets.

The bottles were first released on 12.13pm on Tuesday 31st May 2011- exactly 100 years to the minute since the ship was launched down her slipway and into Belfast Lough.

5.Cocktails

There is no historic record of what cocktails were made or drunk on the Titanic. A 1911 menu from the Olympic ( Titanic’s sister ship) can help paint a picture of the types of cocktails on offer at the time, as it lists the Manhattan, Tom Collins and John Collins as popular choices.

The Rob Roy and the Robert Burns were also popular cocktails at the time and appeared in The Savoy Cocktail Book (Anova Books, 1931).

These are sure to be some of the most popular cocktails made over the anniversary weekend, especially at the “last supper” events.

6. Champagne 

This is not a new product, but it does give observers some notion of what Champagne may have been on the ship. As a Canadian woman claims to have in her possession a bottle of champagne that was salvaged from the wreckage of the Titanic by her grandfather.

The mystery bubbly is an old bottle of Jeanne d’Arc Vin Mousseux, Cuvee Reserve, which if the story is true was presumably found floating in a wooden box in the Atlantic Ocean.

7 Events 

Restaurants around the world are putting on the “last dinner on the Titanic” on Saturday night. The meal is inspired from the first-class menu served on the final evening of the ill-fated vessel’s voyage.

A Hong Kong Hotel has hosted a “last supper” and diners in the US and UK can also experience this “Titanic” meal.

HIX restaurant at Selfridges has created a version of the tasting menu based on the food served that night, including oysters, duck liver parfait, salmon with mousseline sauce and Waldorf pudding.

The original menu consisted of 20 dishes that would have been served in small portions and eaten one after the other with matched wines.

Chef Mark Hix’s version has taken a contemporary twist on nine of those dishes.

Six of the dishes are accompanied by a chosen wine selection.

7a Events