At the recent Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans the winners of this year’s Spirit Awards Winners were:

World’s Best NEW Cocktail Bar
Le Lion - Bar de Paris - Hamburg, Germany

Best New Product
Fever Tree Mixers

Best Cocktail Writing
Gary Regan (San Francisco Chronicle)

Best Drinks Brand Representative/Brand Ambassador
Xavier Padovani – Hendrick’s Gin

Best Cocktail Menu
1806 Bar in Melbourne, Australia

Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book
Imbibe by David Wondrich

Best Classic Cocktail Bar
Milk and Honey, New York City

Best Drinks Selection
Salvatore at Fifty

Mixologist/Bartender of the Year
Nick Strangeway – Hawksmoor, London, England

World’s Best Cocktail Bar
Milk & Honey New York

Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award
Dale DeGroff - King Cocktail

So now we know. A collection of the great names of the cocktail world including such luminaries as Gary Regan, Dre Masso, Angus Winchester and Naren Young have just produced the definitive list of the world’s top bars. And here they are:

1. Milk & Honey, London
2. Milk & Honey, New York
3. PDT (Please Don’t Tell), New York
4. Salvatore at Fifty, London
5. Le Lion de Paris, Hamburg
6. Bayswater Brasserie, Sydney
7. Death & Co., New York
8. Flatiron Lounge, New York
9. Hemingway Bar @ The Ritz, Paris
10. Shochu Lounge, London
11. The Bar @ The Dorchester, London
12. La Capilla, Tequila, Mexico
13. The Experimental Cocktail Club, Paris
14. Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant & World’s Best Tequila Bar, San Francisco
15. Harry’s New York Bar, Paris
16. Star Bar Ginza, Tokyo
17. Montgomery Place, London
18. Trailer Happiness, London
19. Bramble, Edinburgh
20. Melbourne Supper Club, Melbourne

The wonderful all singing all dancing Martin Miller’s Gin Tour moves on to Brighton this week for a day of cocktail competitions, master classes and cocktail demonstrations which will take place on Tuesday 5th August. Then it’s Dublin for the final stage of the 2008 Tour from Wed 6th to Thursday 7th August. Check out www.martinmillersgin.com for more info

The gorgeous London Gin (the blue one) is now available in Selfridges in Oxford Street and in the Berry Brothers Shop in St James in London. It’s also now at B’ham Bullring and Manchester Exchange Square. And if you missed Andy Pearson’s fab new cocktail for the London Gin – the Lady Grey recently featured on BBC2’s “Something for the Weekend” – check it out here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/ladygrey_89479.shtml

Here’s a top tip for any Gintimers who happen to be in Paris any time soon. The Oh So Unusual Experimental Cocktail Club have just opened a NEW CLUB and we urge you to check it out. It’s not quite officially open or technically open but more like “prohibition style open”. Address is 16 RUE DES BERNARDINS, PARIS 05 District, about 10 minutes walk from Notre Dame… A Green Door….a White Window…No Name…Just a very heavy door…you knock…the door open… and fantastic cocktails.

The Tales of the Cocktail, a culinary and cocktail festival in New Orleans’ French Quarter, recently celebrated Beefeater Master Distiller Desmond Payne’s 40 years as a distiller in true New Orleans style. To mark his Ruby Jubilee a deputation from the Mayor’s office presented him with the keys to the city. Fittingly five of New Orleans’ finest mixologists also prepared specialty cocktails in honour of the occasion. These drinks reflect the flavor and flair of two of the greatest cocktail cities in the world – New Orleans and London – and celebrate one of the most influential people in the gin industry, Desmond Payne.

The Desmond
4 parts Beefeater Gin
4 parts balsamic vinegar
3 parts fig preserves
3 parts orange marmalade
2 parts elderflower liqueur
1 sprig of basil
1 large strawberry
1 fresh egg white or pasteurized equivalent
Orange zest for garnish
Muddle the basil, strawberry and balsamic vinegar, and then strain. Add 4 to 5 drops of the mixture to the fig
preserves, orange marmalade, and elderflower liqueur and thoroughly blend. Keep refrigerated overnight.
Place fig/orange blend and the remaining ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously until frothy. Strain into
a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a little orange zest.
- Created by Marvin Allen
White London
1 1/4 parts Beefeater Gin
1/2 part Cointreau
1/2 part lemon juice
1/4 part cream
3 teaspoons sugar
1 egg white
1/4 muddled cucumber
1 cucumber slice for garnish
Muddle cucumber in a shaker. Add remaining ingredients and shake vigorously. Serve in a cocktail glass and
garnish with a cucumber slice.
- Created by Rebecca Tarpy
Payne’s Pleasure
1 1/2 parts Beefeater Gin
1 part simple syrup
3/4 part lemon juice
2 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar
Splash of club soda
Squeeze of a fresh lemon wedge (approximately 2 teaspoons)
1 sprig of mint for garnish
Add blueberries, sugar and squeeze of lemon wedge in a blender and purée. Combine purée and remaining
ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain the mixture into a highball glass and top with club soda.
Fill the glass with ice and garnish with fresh blueberries and a sprig of mint.
-Created by Lu Brow
General Pakenham’s Revenge
11/2 parts Beefeater Gin
3/4 part Cointreau
3/4 part fresh lemon juice
1 bar spoon red pepper jelly
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
1 small pepper for garnish
Combine ingredients in mixing glass, fill shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish
with the pepper.
-Created by Chris McMillian
The Desmond Cup
11/2 parts Beefeater Gin
2 parts fresh lemon juice
1 part simple syrup
2 cucumber medallions
2 orange wedges
Muddle cucumber and oranges in simple syrup. Add Beefeater Gin and lemon juice. Shake and strain over an
ice filled highball glass and garnish with an orange wedge.
-Created by Chris Hannah

The folks at Gintime thought the best thing about this year’s Bar Show in London was the opportunity to escape to the Beefeater Distillery in Kennington. No loud pumping music, no flashing lights, no shouty people, the Distillery was an oasis of calm after the madness of Earl’s Court. And far more inspirational as it played host to a truly outstanding programme of events starring the great and the good of the cocktail world. Sasha Petraske of the famed Milk and Honey in New York went head to head with Nick Strangeway of London’s Hawksmoor on the respective merits of both cities’ cocktail styles. Jason Fendick and Tobias Blazquez-Garcia gave valuable insight into Spanish cocktail trends. The history of cocktails through the ages was presented by Anistatia Miller, Jared Brown, Dan Warner and special guests. There was also a rare opportunity to hear Gary Regan, Mr. Mixology himself, in conversation whilst the hard core Beefeater brand education came in the form of tours of the Distillery followed by tutored tastings conducted by Master Distiller Desmond Payne. A Beach Party for 500 at the Stationhouse in Notting Hill on the closing night brought down the curtain on a fabulous two days. Check out the Gallery below for who was there.

The Gintime Tutored Tastings sessions at Taste of Edinburgh attracted hordes of eager gin fans keen to explore the delights of premium gin. As Gintime Editor Geraldine Coates explained: “There’s a massive interest in gin at the moment. What was great about the Taste events was that our audiences were made up of ordinary consumers who wanted to find out more about their favourite tipple and were really interested in the array of flavours that different botanical recipes have. The feedback was tremendous with lots of people saying they had had no idea how much craftsmanship was involved in making gin. As that was the whole point of the exercise we were delighted too!” Gins featured in the Tutored Tastings were: Hendrick’s, Martin Miller’s, The London Gin, Seagrams, Tanqueray and Whitney Neill.

Beefeater Gin is the only globally recognised gin to still be made in the heart of London and to celebrate, Beefeater Gin are opening the doors of the Kennington Distillery throughout BAR.08 on 17th and 18th June, Earl’s Court, London. Even better the Beefeater team will take you there and bring you back! All you have to do is visit the Beefeater stand in the foyer at Earl’s Court One, book your ride in a fabulous complimentary Beefeater taxi and you’ll be whisked in style to the Beefeater home to participate in an exciting programme of activities. You’ll meet legendary Master Distiller, Desmond Payne, who will show you around the Distillery and lead tutored gin tastings. Brand Ambassador, Dan Warner, and a wealth of industry stars such as Anastasia Miller, Jared Brown and Gary Regan will talk about the best ways to serve Beefeater Gin. Or just chill in the Beefeater garden where special guest New York bartenders, Naren Young (Bobo) and Alexander Day (Death & Co), together with London’s finest, will serve up the luscious libations and tasty treats.

The Distillery Tour operates every 30 minutes from 11.00am with the last session at 5.00pm. Taxis run from Earl’s Court One from 10.15am each day and will return guests to Earl’s Court One from the distillery all day. The last taxi will leave the Distillery an hour before the show closes. If you’d like to secure your place in advance just email beefeatergin@chivas.com with your preferred date and time.

The Cocktail Demonstrations Tuesday 17th June 2008

• 12 noon: New York style with Sasha Petraske
• 1.00pm: Gin cocktails through the ages, with Anistatia Miller, Jared Brown, Dan Warner and special guests
• 2.00pm: An audience with Gary Regan
• 3.00pm: Spanish style with Jason Fendick and Tobias Blazquez-Garcia
• 4.00pm: The Cocktail Ashes - the ultimate bartender quiz. Hosted and compared by Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown

The Cocktail Demonstrations Wednesday 18th June 2008

• 12 noon: Gin cocktails through the ages, with Anistatia Miller, Jared Brown, Dan Warner and special guests
• 1.00pm: An audience with Gary Regan
• 2.00pm: European style with Nick Strangeway and special guests
• 3.00pm: New York style with Sasha Petraske
• 4.00pm: All Star Finals