Week in pictures

A British duo crossed the finishing line of the “world’s toughest rowing race” in first place on 14 January.

Brits Mike Burton, 53, and Tom Salt, 30, beat 15 international teams to win the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, having completed the gruelling 3,000 mile race from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in 41 days, 2 hours and 38 minutes.

A flavour of the east was brought to Auckland Airport where Bacardi Global Travel Retail is offering its customers a free rickshaw ride to their gate, courtesy of Bombay Sapphire East.

Anyone purchasing two bottles of the spirit can be whisked to their gate in the rickshaw which will be at the airport until 31 January.

A micro-brewing revival is underway in Northern Ireland where in centuries past nearly all towns and villages had at least one brewery.

New brewers blazing a trail include the Inishmacsaint brewing company in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

db caught up with head brewer Will Twomey and Tom Lucus from the West Berkshire Brewery in Yattenden at an event in Soho on Thursday.

The craft brewery is giving local residents and beer lovers alike the chance to buy shares in its expanding company. 

Terry Pennington of Santa Rita Estates introduced the company’s 2014 South American Wine Workshop in London this week. The “Cabernet Family Genetics” theme saw consultant Brian Croser predict big things for Cabernet Franc.

A colourful and unique range of “day of the dead” Mexican craft beer was launched by Cerveceria Mexicana in Tecate, Mexico’s third largest brewery, with labels designed by local artists.

The six-strong range includes a porter, an IPA and pale ale marking a departure from Mexico’s tradition of focusing on light lagers.

(L-R): Roberto Vicente, winemaker for Campo Viejo; Elena Adell, chief winemaker for Campo Viejo; Gabriel Savage; Clara Canals, winemaker for Campo Viejo.

db’s Gabriel Savage travelled to the Spanish region of Rioja this week to test out the wines of Campo Viejo and Ysios wineries. The trip explored Domecq Bodegas’ plans to cultivate a luxury position for Ysios, as well as Campo Viejo’s research into white Rioja.

Ysios winemaker Luis Zudaire stands outside its distinctive Calatrava-designed winery which owners Domecq Bodegas hope will help to boost the Rioja brand’s luxury repositioning.

From one piece of Basque architecture to another: db stopped off to admire Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and its equally famous “puppy” by Jeff Koons.

Michael Palij MW, proprietor of Winetraders, tasting some of his wines at the tasting.

The annual portfolio tasting of Winetraders – a UK-based importer of single estate Italian wines – took place at the Museum of London near Barbican on Wednesday, 15 January.

The Tower of London looked more like a zoo when db visited for the Corney & Barrow Burgundy 2012 en primeur tasting on 15 January.

db hoofed it to new Theatreland gastropub The Ape & Bird in Seven Dials this week to interview its owner, Russell Norman, who is better known for his three-strong Polpo chain, which specialises in small plates inspired by those found in the bacaros of Venice. In addition, he also runs Depression era New York diner Spuntino in Soho, Jewish deli Mishkins in Covent Garden, and the soon-to-reopen Poletto in Soho, headed up by Florence Knight.

The Ace of Spades and d’Ussé Cognac was flowing like water at the after party of the New York leg of hip hop mogul Jay-Z’s Magna Carter World Tour.

Perrier-Jouët launched the 2006 vintage of its prestige cuvée Belle Epoque in style this week at new Champagne-focused restaurant Tirage on Bishopsgate where the fizz was paired with various Peruvian-themed canapés, including yellowfin tuna carpaccio, pan fried foie gras, red mullet tiradito and honey roasted barbary duck breast.

In keeping with the Americana theme we predicted in our top ten food and drink trends of 2014, Steam & Rye, a new joint venture between nightclub impresario Nick House and model Kelly Brooke, serves up irreverent cocktails playing on American history, from the Gold Rush to the Monica Lewinsky. During our visit this week we tried the Maize Balls, made with Mount Gay Extra Old rum, sugar, lemon and caramel popcorn syrup, and the cheekily titled “Fluffer”, which blends Don Julio Tequila, lemon and marshmallow syrup.

Cocktails at Steam & Rye come in an array of inventive receptacles, from pill boxes and sticks of dynamite, to lanterns billowing with dry ice.

And finally… Why the long face? Jason Bailey of Purple PR cosies up to a new furry companion in the room of curiosities upstairs at Steam & Rye.