F*CK COVID Gin, Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2021, Spirited Awards winners, World’s 50 Best Bars announcement, Mr Black x St Ali, Bacardi Spiced Rum and more in this week’s industry news.
F*CK COVID Gin – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
Whisky Bible 2021
Jim Murray has named Beam Suntory’s Canadian bottling Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye as World Whisky of the Year in his Whisky Bible 2021. Sazerac was given the second place spot with Stagg Jr Barrel Proof Bourbon while Indian whisky Paul John Mithuna from the Paul John Distillery in Goa secured the third place spot.
Meanwhile, Murray has drawn criticism for his descriptions of some whiskies, the use of sexist language and comparing different spirits to women. (source)
The World’s 50 Best Bars 2020 Announcement
The World’s 50 Best Bars has announced that the list will be unveiled as part of a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday, 5th November. The online event will be preluded by four special award announcements in the weeks running up to the ceremony:
- 8th October – Michter’s Art of Hospitality.
- 15th October – Campari One To Watch.
- 22nd October – Altos Bartenders’ Bartender.
- 29th October – The World’s 50 Best Bars 51-100 list.
On 5th November, the streamed ceremony will begin at 3pm UK time, culminating in the announcement of The World’s Best Bar.
Spirited Awards 2020
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation has announced the winners of the Spirited Awards 2020 in a live stream. The first round winners was announced on September 21 and the final round on September 24. The first round winners list can be found here and the results of the final round here.
Tasting Australia Spirit Awards
Closer to home, another spirit awards ceremony took place on the weekend in South Australia. Here is the list of the winners of Tasting Australia Spirit Awards 2020 in all categories.
From Our Socials & Recommended Reads
- Mr Black X St Ali is a new a special limited edition Single Origin Coffee Liqueur (source)
- Bacardi has released Bacardi Spiced Rum, a new spiced expression ahead of summer (source)
- Bombay Sapphire has released Bombay & Tonic 10%, the world’s first ever double serve pre-mixed gin with double the strength and flavour (source)
- Old Young’s Distillery in WA has a created F*CK COVID GIN, a gin that gives the pandemic the middle finger. The gin is described on the label as follows:
“A dark, dark, time befell the nation. The pandemic had sent the country into lockdown. What was a distillery to do? The Old Young’s crew resolved to make a gin to sum up the mood of the people, with a simple two word title. F*CK COVID. And so… the project began.⠀
Only an angry, defiant gin would do, With fiery Tasmanian pepper berries, healing honey from the distillery’s resident bees and bottled at 60%, this was a gin to punch the pandemic right in its stupid fucking face.”⠀
I think we can all drink to that.⠀
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