El Jimador Bartender Cup: the Great European Tequila Challenge hits the streets of London for 2011
Join the Tequila revolution for el Jimador's annual European Tequila challenge taking place at Cable, 33A Bermondsey Street Tunnel, London, SE1 3JW, on Monday 21st November from 6pm.
After the success of its trailblazing event in Barcelona last year, Mexico's number one selling tequila is bringing its second annual bartender competition, the El Jimador Bartender Cup, to the streets of London. El Jimador will challenge sixteen of Europe's best bartenders to draw on the freshest ideas in mixology. The challenge: to define the future face of tequila. The bartenders will battle to create the best drinks in three categories: original long drink, original cocktail and original shot.
Marian Beke of London's Nightjar and El Jimador's global ambassador, world-renowned tequila expert Rubens Aceves, will lead a Tequila master class at this event. After the competition, guests will enjoy top London djs and spectacular acts at the event's after party.
Exclusive Cava Flight at Iberica Marylebone
From Monday 24th October for a limited time, Iberica Marylebone will be offering consumers the opportunity to sample a Cava Flight of Castillo Perelada Cavas with their superb Tapas menu – three delicious Cavas from the beautiful Penedès region, south of Barcelona, in Northern Spain.
Cava is enjoying a surge in popularity as a high-quality, wallet friendly alternative to champagne. Coupled with the government's recent decision to allow bars to sell different measures, Castillo Perelada has designed bespoke wine flight trays. This will enable consumers to experience different styles in 125ml measures, including tasting the award winning vintage Cava Gran Claustro, bringing a little theatre to the dining table!
- Castillo Perelada Brut Reserva Cava NV
Green apples and pears with silky bubbles
- Castillo Perelada Brut Rosado Cava NV
Delicious ripe red berry aromas, clean and bright
- Castillo Perelada Gran Claustro Cava 2007
Full and rounded with toasty aromas, slightly dry and smooth – Awarded Best Cava Trophy, New Wave Spanish Wine Awards 2011
Castillo Perelada is a family run winery producing Cava using the same traditional method as Champagne. Castillo Perelada use the ancient cave-like cellars of their majestic castle to age the Cava, which is where the name 'Cava' derived from.
Iberica Marylebone is at the very centre of Spanish cuisine and culture. It offers the best in Spanish cuisine with seasonal gastronomic tapas, but also a delicatessen selling artisan produce. It is situated at 195 Great Portland Street, W1W 5PS. The nearest tube stops are Great Portland Street and Regent Street.
The Cava Flight at Iberica Marylebone costs £18.00 (plus 12.5% service charge) for 3 x 125ml glasses.
Innis & Gunn at the Three Wine Men Christmas Tasting, Lord's Cricket Ground, London, 3rd & 4th December
Pioneering Scottish oak-aged beer maker Innis & Gunn, will be the only beer exhibiting at this exciting event hosted by three of the UK's best loved and most respected drinks broadcasters and writers – Oz Clarke, Olly Smith and Tim Atkin.
This weekend event will see Lord's filled with tables heaving under the weight of fantastic wines from all over the world along with Innis & Gunn's core range and some of their delicious Limited Edition Beers. These goodies will all be available to taste and discover by thousands of visitors expected to attend this two day event. You can find out more details and buy tickets at: threewinemen.co.uk/what-is-on
Lorraine Kelly @ Pixley Event
The lovely Lorraine Kelly joined Pixley Berries at the Hereford Courtyard Theatre for a foodie evening to raise money for charity. The determinedly not-from-concentrate cordials are a minimum 60% fruit blended with sugar and water - with absolutely no additives, nor preservatives – and are grown and pressed in Ledbury, Herefordshire, on Pixley Court Farm. Lorraine is a big blackcurrant fan and was delighted to receive bottles to take home for her family!
Duvel Collection Collaborates with New Artists
Following on from the success of last year’s inaugural Duvel Collection with designers Eley Kishimoto, Denis Myers and Parra, the Belgian speciality ale has collaborated with four new artists to launch its second collection.
Handpicked by Duvel, the four internationally renowned designers have worked with the generous contours of the glass to create bespoke designs for Duvel lovers and art fans.
This year, Duvel has collaborated with Belgian artist and sculptor, Arne Quinz; producer, musician and graphic designer, Daan Stuvyen; typographer and artist, Stefan Glerum; and Emil Kozak. Contact julie@randr.co.uk for more information.
Brown’s Hotel launches Beer & Barley Spa Treatments
Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair has launched three luxurious beer and barley spa treatments. Using British grown Maris Otter barley and beer, guests can now indulge in a blissful body wrap, a pale ale pedicure and a honey & barley facial.
Barley and beer aficionados, Tom Sandham and Ben McFarland, were man enough to try the treatments – check out the YouTube clip to see how they got on.
Contact julie@randr.co.uk for more information.
Britain's Backing Beer
In January Restaurateur and food writer Mark Hix and our very own beer guru Rupert Ponsonby launched a movement to grow awareness of the brilliance of beer and its many styles. They intend that their initiative will forge closer links between those involved in growing, retailing, serving or legislating on beer in the UK, as well as boosting the service of beer at tax-payer funder events.
Comments Ponsonby: "Beer massively underplays its strengths. It so often adopts the meekness and humility of the Trappist monk, rather than the voluble style of the opera diva, as practiced so effectively by wine. And whereas wine has pride and verve and a language which adds value to its category, we expect the future of beer to grow of its own accord. Beer is often left to speak for itself. It won’t, unless we work more closely together to encourage all Britons to embrace our National Drink."
The first event took place at Mark Hix’s Brewer Street Club and brought together over 100 people from within the world of beer. More events are planned throughout the year, including a lunch at, the Michelin starred, Quilon restaurant next month.
Beer Genie website launched
www.beergenie.co.uk is a new website delivering a treasure trove of trivia (and fact) on the sociability of 'beer' - together with a wide selection of free-to-use photography.
Beer Genie aims to provide a resource not just for journalists and the general media, but also for pubs, restaurants, marketing companies and the general public.
Written in a lively, easy to understand style, www.beergenie.co.uk takes a stroll around beer's role in British culture through many convivial occasions such as weddings, barbecues and picnics. It also highlights beer's history, production and cornucopia of styles. The website examines beer's Pandora's Box of natural ingredients and what each contributes to a beer's colour and flavour. It confronts the myth of the beer belly (beer has zero fat or cholesterol) and gives handy tips on matching beers with food in the home or in the growing number of top restaurants.
Contact: natasha@randr.co.uk
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