The week in pictures

Monday gave the drinks business the chance to sample a selection of Champagnes from the Perrier-Jouët’s prestige cuvée range at the launch of the Perrier-Jouët Winter Garden at the Sanderson

Guests at the launch were treated to two vintage releases, Belle Epoque 2007 and Belle Epoque Rosé 2006, which will be available as part of an indulgent flight served from Perrier-Jouët’s ‘Enchanting Tree’ – along with Oscietra caviar – in the Winter Garden until March 31, 2016.

The two-millionth Land Rover and Defender, built in Solihull, was auctioned at Bonham’s in Central London this week, raising £400,000 for the Born Free Foundation and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

the drinks business was invited to look at but not touch the glittering, one-of-a-kind vehicle which was the main attraction of The Defender 2,000,000 Sale, an exhibition celebrating 67 years of Land Rover Defender production. The invitation was extended by the Wills family, owners of Kilchoman Distillery, who used the occasion to celebrate 10 years of whisky production on the island of Islay.

The International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) has been recognised by PPA Connect for its annual banquet, held in London’s Guildhall to celebrate its award winning wine and spirits producers and products. The PPA Connect awards, which celebrate the achievements within the events sectors, awarded the IWSC Group the Awards Event of the Year 2015 Trophy.

“Our judges struggled to find any weaknesses in this high-quality event”, said PPA judges of the event. “Press coverage generated by the awards was extremely impressive. In addition, the judging process was incredibly robust, complex and on a truly impressive scale, this was the standout winner in this closely fought category.”

(L-R) Ewan Lacey, Michela Nassiz, Bev Steer and Anna Grant.

The IWSC team celebrate their win at the PPA awards, ending 2015 on a high.

Islay gin The Botanist hosted the final of its foraged cocktail competition at Mr Fogg’s Tavern in Covent Garden on Monday. With mixologists from Sager & Wilde, Mr Fogg’s Tavern and the Worship St. Whistling Shop all battling it out, in the end Nikolett Macza of the Nightjar emerged victorious.

Her foraged cocktail, Druid’s Botanist Cup, contained a complex array of ingredients including The Botanist gin infused with mahonia flowers and rowan berries, Caol Islay whisky, Unicum plum liqueur, damson jam, conifer bitters, bee pollen and lemon, and came garnished with frankincense  smoke.

Keen to find out what the fuss is all about, db made its own pilgrimage to Mr Fogg’s Tavern this week, where we were whisked upstairs to its gin parlour, which had been festively kitted out with hanging stockings and santa hats.

Inspired by the fictional character of former actress Fanny McGee, the theatrical theme stretches to the cocktails. Among our favourites was the Barbade, a twist on a dark ‘n’ stormy made with Mr Fogg’s Mount Gay Black Barrel rum, King’s Ginger liqueur, fresh lime juice and honey syrup topped up with ginger beer; and the bonkers sounding Frankenstein’s Reviver, featuring Bulleit Bourbon, Cognac, apple & tarragon syrup, milk and an egg, topped with grated nutmeg and liquorice root.

  Pernod Ricard celebrated Christmas in style this week with a super swish lunch held at celebrity favourite The Ivy in Covent Garden.

The fun kicked off with welcome cocktails made with Pernod Ricard’s spirits, including Plymouth gin and French apéritif Lillet.

We also found time to check out Scottish pop-up restaurant Dram & Smoke this week, housed in a hay-filled old leather tannery in Black Swan Yard just off Bermondsey Street.

Attendees were treated to a selection of Naked Grouse cocktails, including a naked hot toddy on entry, a twist on an old fashioned, and a whisky sour made with fresh lemon juice and orange liqueur.

Among the highlights of the five course feast was this cheeky starter – a duck donut with Iron Bru chili jam, which reminded us of Duck & Waffle’s ox cheek effort.

Also on the money were the smoked mushroom and pickles, lobster broth and this show stopping roasted rack of pork served with chargrilled plums, black pudding and lashings of crackling.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the db office, with the arrival of this festive twist on Jerez’ most famous mascot, Tio Pepe, sent to us by the Phipps PR team.