Week in pictures

Jamie Goode! Mark Hix! And, err, Vanessa Feltz! Find them all here as we look back on seven days in the drinks industry.

 

 

 

 

 

Edinburgh-based barman Colin McMillan looks suitably taken aback as he is named the winner of the Glenfiddich Malt Mastermind competition at Boisdale of Bishopsgate, London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glenfiddich brand ambassador Jamie Milne (top right) stands with the finalists in the competition. The winner received a trophy, £1,000 in cash and a VIP trip to the Glenfiddich distillery to taste a range of rare expressions of the malt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bloom Cocktail Competition winner Simone Caporale with judges; G&J Greenall master gin distiller Joanne Moore, Bar magazine editor Mark Ludmon and Graphic Bar manager Sarah Mitchell at Searcy’s St Pancras.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bertrand Verduzier, house ambassador for Champagne Henriot, introduces the 2003 vintage at its UK launch, held last week at Les Deux Salons brasserie in London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A treasure trove of 168 bottles of ancient Champagne were discovered at the bottom of the Baltic in July of this year and the government of the Aaland Islands unveiled the find in the capital, Mariehamn. Pictured here is a bottle of now-defunct Champagne brand Juglar, which at that time belonged to the house of Jacquesson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cork was checked by experts to prove that this Champagne is indeed authentic and nearly 200 years old. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Finlandia Vodka Cup UK Final took place at The River Room bar on the second floor of London’s Millbank Tower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the entrants does his thing behind the bar as he bids to win a chance to enter the world final of the competition, which takes place in Lapland in early 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A line-up of winners in the Casillero del Diablo charity tennis challenge. Proceeds from the wine trade competition will go to the Benevolent and the Chilean Earthquake Appeal. From L-R : Georgina Collet, PLB (runner-up), Peter Cook (winner), Jason Duggan, Casillero del Diablo, Antonia Hadfield, AHA Wine (winner), Jaime Delage (runner-up).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrea Bricarello, head sommellier at Galvin restaurants, with Markus Kirnbauer of Austrian winery K&K Kirnbauer, at 28-50 restaurant in London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you ever have the misfortune to encounter this disgusting excuse for a drink, steer well clear. The bacon-flavoured vodka left db wretching for the vast part of the evening last Saturday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jamie Goode and Jean Marc Sauboua at at Denbies Wine Estate for the inaugural Sparkling Wine Review to benchmark sparkling wines from 13 different regions across the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ayrton Senna’s 1987 GP Lotus in the Macallan Lounge at the MPH Prestige and Performance Motor Show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

db‘s senior staff writer Gabriel Savage prepares to tuck into a pork pie which achieved Twitter fame through her attempts to find a decent drink pairing to go with the treat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The porky beast, generously made for db by Lionel Nierop of Bid for Wine, was ultimately found to go best with 20yr old palo cortado sherry, though Gabby "wouldn’t say no" to a cider either. Then again, when has she ever?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes folks – Vanessa Feltz has made it into our week in pictures! Here she is, between MC Brian Turner and her musician fiancé Ben Ofoedu at the Tabasco British Bloody Mary Challenge at Hix Restaurant & Champagne Bar, London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(l-r) Judges Charles Campion, Mark Hix, Tom Parker-Bowles and Nick Strangeway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Competitors in action at the Challenge, which featured bartenders from all over London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The latest in our rather pointless series of db team members looking annoyed to be photographed at their desks. This time… it’s editorial assistant Rupert Millar!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kaye Rawlings (l) and Michelle Williams (r) of Richmond Towers Communications huddle for warmth as the PR firm took db out for some pre-Christmas cocktails in London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Patrón ice bar adds a touch of cool to the party hosted by Tateossian at Christie’s in London to unveil the winning designs created for the luxury jewellery brand by Central St Martin’s graduates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lead sponsors of the Leeds International Film Festival, anCnoc Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, offers samples at the anCnoc Single Malt Film Festival Favourites event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re renowned for having our finger on the pulse when it comes to technology here at dbHQ. So imagine our excitement when the latest mobile phone model landed on our desk last week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of our resident teccie – production manager Mile Budimir – we couldn’t get the thing to work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, somebody clearly needs to brush up on their spelling at the Southwark Tavern by London Bridge. Churchill might have tolerated one mistake, but to make the same one twice?…

db, 29.11.2010