BBQ pioneer teams up with Johnnie Walker Black

Introducing Berber & Q’s Johnnie & Ginger  –

“Celebrate National BBQ Week with a Johnnie & Ginger at Berber & Q Grill House”

Get down to Berber & Q this National BBQ Week to experience their Johnnie Walker Johnnie & Ginger; the perfect pre-dinner drink for your BBQ banquet!

The limited edition cocktail was crafted by Josh Katz, founder of London’s trendy BBQ joint, Berber & Q, to celebrate National BBQ Week. Expertly designed to complement Berber’s famous Joojeh Chicken Kebab, the charred and smokey notes of the chicken are perfectly countered by the light and summery cocktail.

Available at Berber & Q Grill House from 27th May – 2nd June and priced at £9 the Johnnie Walker, Johnnie & Ginger is a smooth start to your barbecue and works wonderfully well for al fresco dining and summer sunshine.

No fear if you miss the rush to get a table at Berber & Q, the Johnnie Walker, Johnnie & Ginger is easily recreated at home with every day, store bought items – please find the recipe below.

Josh Katz, founder of Berber & Q commented: “What a taste experience, the Johnnie Walker Johnnie & Ginger is the perfect start to a barbecue and pairs perfectly with our house Joojeh Chicken Kebabs. The smokeyness of the charred chicken is offset by the smooth whisky and is given a spicy lift by the inclusion of ginger ale. You’ll have to move quickly if you want to sample the Johnnie Walker, Johnnie & Ginger in its true home, although, it’s a cinch to make at home if you can’t make it to our restaurant.”

Berber & Q Grill House is an East London BBQ restaurant by barbecue pioneer Josh Katz. Inspired by the ingredients and flavours of the Middle East, North Africa and across the Ottoman, Berber & Q is flourishing in the ever popular BBQ market.

Berber & Q

338 Acton Mews

Haggerston

London

E8 4EA

Johnnie Walker – Johnnie & Ginger (2 units):

The recipe:

50ml Johnnie Walker Black

15ml lime juice

35ml pressed Granny Smith apple juice

35ml ginger ale

And a little pinch of Zaatar for that Berber touch

The method:

Shake the mix with one ice cube for no longer than 5 seconds

Place the mix in a High-ball glass filled with ice

Top it all up with ginger ale

Garnish with a dehydrated apple wheel and mint sprig

Please drink responsibly and do not forward to anyone under the age of 18.

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere

A Taste of the Islay Festival

Festival season is in full swing and the biggest of them all kicked off this week on Islay. Every year, the Queen of the Hebrides sees its population swell with whisky lovers from around the world, all eager to get their hands on the highly sought-after festival bottlings from each of the island’s distilleries.

Didn’t make the trip? Not to worry – we’ve got the limited edition Ardbeg Drum available to pre-order now so you can get a taste of the festival from the comfort of your own home!

Ardbeg Drum

70cl / 46% abv

Every year Ardbeg release a limited edition to celebrate Ardbeg Day at the Islay Festival and 2019’s release is Ardbeg Drum, inspired by Islay’s history of carnivals. In a first for Ardbeg, this release has been matured in ex-bourbon casks and then rested for a time in ex-rum casks from the Americas.

£99

Expected w/c 3rd June

Pre-Order Now

Friday, June 7th: 

Double Tasting Day! 

3:30-7PM:

Cotton Hollow with 

Master Distiller Darren Lincoln

More Details & RSVP 

4-7PM: 

SIA Blended Scotch Whiskey

More Details & RSVP 

Try popular scotch blend SIA and award-winning bourbons & ryes by Cotton Hollow, with a special visit from Cotton Hollow distillery’s founder and master distiller.

Highland Park launches Søren: a limited edition 26-year-old whisky

Created in collaboration with renowned Danish photographer Søren Solkær, Søren is available to purchase from 23 May

(23 May 2019, London) Highland Park today announces the launch of Søren Solkær 26 Years of Photography – a limited-edition single malt whisky that’s been created in honour of Danish photographer, Søren Solkær.

Best known for his portraits of world-famous musicians including Björk, The White Stripes, Franz Ferdinand, David Lynch, The Arctic Monkeys, R.E.M. and U2, Søren has worked with Highland Park since 2016 to capture the brand’s Viking Soul – taking over 250 images of the people of Orkney, the distillery and the island itself.

Matured in sherry seasoned American oak casks and first fill Bourbon casks, the limited-edition liquid has a spicy nose with a rich heathery peat smoke. The packaging is inspired by a traditional, vintage square shaped box camera and contains a 230-page book featuring a selection of Søren’s work split into three key themes: men, women and places.

The whisky will be available to purchase globally from 23^rd May 2019. UK retailers include The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop and Harrods. RSP £499.

Jason R. Craig, global brand director, Highland Park, said: “We are delighted to be working with Søren on this very special project. He truly embodies a modern day Viking Soul through his unique photographic style and how he gets the best out of all his subject matters.

“Whilst he is best known for his distinctive images of musicians and movie stars, he has worked with us to develop a collection of over 250 images capturing our people at the distillery, our location in Orkney and of course, our whisky.”

Søren Solkær, said: “My journey began 26 years ago when I decided to leave my literature studies and pursue my passion for photography. From my homeland in Denmark, I travelled many thousands of miles with my camera, exploring some of the world’s most fascinating places, absorbing each new environment I found myself in and photographing the people I met which helped me grow into the visual storyteller that I wanted to be.

“During those 26 years, the whisky that now bears my name stayed in just one place, sheltered from the same world I was so busy exploring. A contrast perhaps, but in its quiet warehouse in the remote Orkney Islands, this whisky too was absorbing the environment around it and slowly acquiring rich nuances of flavour and character to mature into the fine spirit it is today.

“We shared a similar journey of honesty and integrity, of patience and craftsmanship to arrive here together, 26 years on.”

For more information visit: www.highlandparkwhisky.com   

Notes

About Søren Solkær 26 Years of Photography

RSP: £499

ABV: 40.5%

Tasting notes

Appearance: Natural cask driven colour, bright

Nose: Cloves, cardamom and raisins

Palate: Rich and spicy, light heathery peat smoke

Finish: Long and lingering

About Edrington-Beam Suntory Distribution UK

Edrington-Beam Suntory Distribution UK is one of the UK’s biggest sprits sales, marketing and distribution companies. It is a joint-venture company jointly owned by Edrington and Beam Suntory.

Edrington-Beam Suntory UK represents leading whiskies brands in categories including:

• Blended Scotch (The Famous Grouse, Naked Grouse and Teacher’s)
• Malt whisky (Highland Park, Laphroaig, The Macallan and Ardmore)
• Japanese whiskies (Yamazaki, Hibiki and Hakushu)
• Bourbon (Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek)
• Imported whiskies (Canadian Club and Kilbeggan Irish whiskey)

It also handles UK sales and distribution for Courvoisier cognac, Snow Leopard and EFFEN vodkas, Roku gin, Sauza tequila, Brugal 1888 rum and a portfolio of liqueurs and specialities (including Sourz, Bols liqueurs, Galliano and After Shock).

About Highland Park, the Orkney Single Malt with Viking Soul:

Whisky has been distilled at Highland Park in Kirkwall, Orkney since 1798.  Founder Magnus Eunson, was a direct descendant of Vikings who settled in Orkney over 1,000 years ago. A butcher and church officer by day and a bootlegger and smuggler by night, he set up an illegal whisky-making operation at a little bothy (a stone hut) at High Park, overlooking Kirkwall.

It is still the site of the distillery today and although we say Highland Park was founded in 1798, that’s actually the year the authorities finally caught up with Magnus.

Few trees survive the gale-force winds on Orkney, this makes the island peat woodless and rich in heather. This helps create the trademark Highland Park flavour profile of aromatic smoky peat and sweet heather honey.

About Søren Solkær:

Søren Solkær is a Danish photographer best known for his distinctive portraits of musicians. He is most recognised as the man responsible for various iconic images of Björk, The White Stripes, Franz Ferdinand, David Lynch, The Arctic Monkeys, R.E.M. and U2

Søren’s photography is characterised by finding a tension point between intimacy and edginess. His portraits are often regarded as cinematic in tone with a distinctive colour palette. The inspirations for his style as a photographer is ranging from filmmakers David Lynch and Wong Kar-Wai through to the works of photographer Philip-Lorca diCorcia and painter Caspar David Friedrich.

Søren has released five fine art photography books: Beat City (2006), CLOSER (2011), SOULS (2011, SURFACE (2015) and Portraits 1993-2018 (2018). His works have been exhibited globally and are featured as part of the permanent collection in The Royal Danish Library and The National Portrait Collection in Frederiksborg Castle, Denmark.

Father’s Day Gift: Bespoke 30 litre casks from Raasay Distillery

Looking ahead to Father’s Day next month (Sunday 16th June), Raasay Distillery‘s bespoke 30 litre casks of Raasay Single Malt which would make a thoughtful gift for whisky-loving Dads.

Proud to chart its own course, Raasay Distillery has launched its bespoke 30 litre casks of Raasay Single Malt. The 30 litre ex-Speyside Scotch whisky oak casks are available to purchase on Raasay Distillery’s website and in person at the distillery.

The smaller casks make the island’s first expression more accessible to whisky lovers and will sit proudly alongside the 190 litre first-fill ex-American whiskey casks currently offered by Raasay Distillery and maturing in the island warehouse. Wood from ex-Speyside casks has been carefully chosen for the smaller casks to ensure the flavours of the final whisky are finely balanced.

All Raasay spirit is produced and distilled on the island, using only Scottish barley, distillers’ yeast and mineral-rich water sourced and filtered directly from a Celtic well on site. A long fermentation period brings a rich, characterful flavour to the Raasay spirit before it even touches the oak of a cask. Once the spirit is ready, both large and small casks are filled by the distillery team and left to age into the first ever Raasay Single Malt.

While the whisky matures, cask owners can come and visit their cask, staying in Raasay Distillery’s four-star accommodation: Borodale House. After the whisky is bottled, owners can also keep their empty cask as a treasured memento.

The legendary independent Campbeltown distillery that commands a worldwide fanbase. Springbank is one of our favourite distilleries. With an ever limited stock year on year, the cult classic distillery always bottles legendary whiskies. The 2019 release is comprised of 60% sherry casks and 40% rum casks.

Limited Stocks

Free UK Shipping

Buy Now

Aberfeldy 1999 Single Cask

Single sherry cask from the Highland distillery bottled 2018 for the distillery visitor centre. Aberfeldy 1999 vintage Highland single malt Scotch whiskey. Single sherry cask #20658 bottled September 2018 exclusive to the distillery visitor centre. Brothers John and Tommy Dewar established Aberfeldy Distillery in 1896 and commenced distilling there two years later in order to guarantee a supply of quality Scottish malt whiskey for their John Dewar & Sons range of blended scotch. Aberfeldy is a Highland malt whiskey distillery situated in the heart of the Perthshire countryside and these days produces malt whiskey for its Aberlour 12 Year to Aberlour 21 Year Old range of single malts. This Highland malt whiskey distiller’s four copper stills produce both un-peated and mildly peated whiskey. Aberfeldy’s old malt barns house Dewar’s World of Whiskey visitor centre.

Shop £599.95

https://youtu.be/YtB5JQkpZzw

Sadly going away, but replaced by something that’s even stronger! Benromach, you can do no wrong. Bought from auction, this thing is a 2014 bottling and has some of the biggest oak notes i’ve ever got form any whisky, let alone being only 10 years old. No punches pulled, nothing hiding behind anything un-natural. A true superstar! Cheers!

Whisky Reviews every Wednesday ~ Facebook.com/whiskytube ~ Twitter.com/whiskytube ~ Youtube.com/whiskywednesay

MSP drops by for a dram at Glen Scotia

Michael Russell MSP visited Glen Scotia Distillery as part of a new campaign to position Campbeltown as the “whiskiest place in the world.”

The Argyll & Bute member was presented with a unique bottling as the distillery prepared for the annual Campbeltown Malts Festival, which gets underway tomorrow [Tuesday 21 May].

During the visit the MSP, who is also Cabinet Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, had an opportunity to see some of the oldest parts of the distillery, which date back to the 1830s and to meet some of its staff.

He also bottled his own whisky, choosing an 18 Year Old Single Malt from Cask 560, a first fill ex-bourbon cask stored in Glen Scotia’s historic dunnage warehouse.

The one-off bottle is dedicated to the MSP and his visit to Glen Scotia, with Campbeltown described on the label as “the whiskiest place in the world” in honour of the region’s illustrious past. In the Victorian era Campbeltown was home to more than 30 distilleries and known as ‘whisky capital of the world’.

Iain McAlister, distillery manager, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Michael Russell MSP to our distillery. We’re very proud of our exceptional single malts and their contribution to both Campbeltown and Scotland’s world-leading whisky industry. Research suggests that Campeltown was the predominant Scotch whisky for almost 100 years.

“Whisky is in our DNA in Campbeltown. After being at the forefront of production distilling has become a way of life here and we’re looking forward to sharing our passion for whisky with visitors to this year’s malts festival.”

Michael Russell MSP, said: “It was great to meet the team at Glen Scotia Distillery and learn more about their award-winning single malts.

“It’s very encouraging to see how Glen Scotia is helping to attract visitors to the Campbeltown and boost recognition of its role in Scotch. I wish it well with its new campaign.”

The 57.4% ABV Scotch gifted to the MSP is among several whiskies due to be sampled straight from the cask by visitors taking part in Glen Scotia’s dunnage tastings during the Campbeltown Malts Festival.

The festival, which runs from 21-23 May showcases the region’s distinctive single malts.

As part of the event, Glen Scotia is set to host two sold-out whisky dinners, a distillery open day, tours and a variety of tastings. New to its programme this year is the Glen Scotia Coastal Connection Tasting session with Master Blender Michael Henry, who will explore Campbeltown’s history, explaining how it has shaped and influenced the town’s whisky heritage to this day.

To find our more visit www.glenscotia.com.

Notes:

About Glen Scotia:

• Independent distiller Glen Scotia has been producing single malt whisky in Campbeltown since 1832.
• Glen Scotia is one of three surviving distilleries in Campbeltown.
• Glen Scotia was named Best Campbeltown Distillery of the Year at the 2017 Berlin International Spirits Competition
• The Glen Scotia 25 Year Old Single Malt Scotch was awarded a Double Gold Medal at the prestigious 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Almost 30,000 spirits were judged by the competition, the largest number of entries in its 19-year history. 

www.glenscotia.com

@glenscotiamalts