The week in pictures

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have helped to shine a light on Canada’s growing wine industry by paying a visit to British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. Their Royal High Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, visited the Taste of British Columbia festival, hosted by Mission Hill Family Estate, on Tuesday, and were accompanied by its owner Anthony von Mandl.

During their visit, the pair sampled some of the province’s best food along with select Mission Hill wines, including its 2012 Oculus – a Bordeaux-style blend – and its 2012 Perpetua – a single vineyard Chardonnay.

Angostura master distiller John Georges at Cane & Grain in Manchester

Angostura Rum master distiller, John Georges, was in the UK to launch the brand’s new 15 year old expression – Angostura 1787. Georges brought the first bottles over from Trinidad and Tobago to present showcases of the range with UK brand ambassador Sean Duprey in London and Manchester. A partnership with London Cocktail Club will being Georges back to London for London Cocktail Week (3-9 October) and for London Rumfest (22-23 October). The first shipments of Angostura 1787 will arrive in the UK in November with a guide selling price of £59.99 a bottle.

Lorena Vasquez, master blender for rum producer Ron Zacapa, helped launch Japanese fusion restaurant Zuma’s “evolving cocktail system” at its Miami venue this week. Claimed to be the first system of its type, the Zuma Zacapa Live Solera is a custom-designed cocktail installation; replicating Zacapa’s famed ‘Sistema Solera’ slow-aging process. This system features four American oak barrels connected to each other by copper tubes. The first three casks are individually seasoned, with flavours associated to the Zuma city location, allowing the Zacapa rum to trickle through the barrel system to take on a character unique to that location. The ‘Zuma Zacapa Live Solera’ Miami cocktail features tropical coconut, pineapple and nori flavours. A further eight Zuma Zacapa Live Soleras are set to launch at Zuma restaurant aross the world, including London, New York, Istanbul and Rome.

Jennifer Le Nechet has been named the world’s best bartender at this year’s World Class Bartender of the Year competition. Le Nechet emerged victorious from a four-day final battle in Miami having impressed the judges with a range of “spectacular” and “vibrant” Steampunk-inspired drinks. Normally found in Paris’ Café Moderne, Le Nechet, is also the first woman to win the title.

The Diageo run event is now in its eighth year and this was the biggest edition to date with close to 10,000 bartenders entering.

Team db headed to Mayfair on Wednesday for the launch master of mixology Simone Caporale’s (previously of Artesian at The Langham) residency at the Libare Bar at Italian restaurant Sartoria, in partnership with its chef patron Francesco Mazzei.

Guests were treated to an evening of cicchetti and cocktails curated by Caporale, including a Martinis, Negronis and a fragrant spritz laced with blood orange liqueur.

Major treats from the Far East were also a feature of db‘s week in drinks courtesy of Bibendum. The wholesaler, which is playing a central role in spreading the word about sake to the UK on-trade, invited two of its producers, Akita Shurui Seizoh Co and Shiraki Brewery, to London for a 12-course sushi and sake pairing dinner prepared by Endo Kazutoshi (pictured), ex head sushi chef at Zuma.

Guests were treated to some stunningly good sushi, including unagi rolls, otoro aburi nigiri and a special wagyu beef nigiri with parmesan which chef Kazutoshi created in honour of John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols – one of his favourite bands.

A surprise element of the event at the Dead Doll’s House in Islington was that the sakes were served in beautiful edo kiriko (cut glass) glassware handmade by Horiguchi Kiriko Inc – about as bling as sake receptacles get, typically costing upwards of £300 per glass. 

The sakes from Akita Shurui Seizoh Co, Niizawa Brewery and Shiraki Brewery ranged from ‘Atago no Matsu’ sparkling (served with panko-fried yellowtail, truffle honey and citrus zest) to Takashimizu Junmai Daiginjo (served with carabineros prawns and caviar) to Takashimizu Kimoto Junmai (served with otoro sashimi, smoked salt and wasabi), finishing with an oloroso Sherry-like 20-year-old Daruma Masamune sake.  

db’s Chloe, Nuria and Natasha donned their hard hats for a sneak preview of The Ned – a hotel, club and collection of restaurants – currently under construction in the City of London.

Set in the iconic former Midland Bank building, The Ned was designed by Sir Edwin ‘Ned’ Lutyens in 1924. The heritage building will open in early 2017, hosting nine restaurants, 252 bedrooms channeling 1920s and 1930s design. A range of men’s and women’s grooming services and ‘Ned’s Club’, where members have access to a rooftop pool, gym, spa, hamam and late night lounge bar (below), will also be a part of the complex.