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UK premium mixer brand Franklin & Sons has partnered with Holy Grass Vodka & Angostura Bitters to give away 100 limited edition cocktail kits and a five-star stay/Michelin star dining experience in central London in the lead-up to National Vodka Day.
The competition comes as new data reveals that Vodka has rocketed in popularity across the UK, with vodka sales up +405% over the past year in UK venues.
“Vodka is at the core of many popular cocktails across the UK, from classics such as the Vodka Martini and Cosmopolitan, through to modern favourites like the Passion Fruit Martini,” said Tom Singleton, Brand Director at Franklin & Sons.
“This National Vodka Day, we’ve partnered with Holy Grass Vodka and Angostura and are thrilled to share our take on the trending hard seltzer with fans of vodka across the UK.”
UK residents will have the chance to win prizes totalling over £2,500 in celebration of National Vodka Day this Tuesday 4th of October. 100 kits are up for grabs in an online giveaway, containing the ingredients for a premium, limited edition, vodka-based cocktail worth over £10 each.
These ingredients can be used to create the ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Seltzer’ cocktail, which Singleton comments is a light, rounded drink with citrus guava and lime notes, featuring the faint sweetness and smoothness of Holy Grass Vodka and depth from the tropical orange and spices of the bitters.
“To create the serve, add 50ml of Holy Grass Vodka and a dash of Angostura bitters to an ice-filled glass. Stir, and top up with Franklin & Sons Guava & Lime Soda. For the perfect serve, garnish with a wedge of lime,” he explains.
To try this limited-edition cocktail, all that participants have to do is head to the Franklin & Sons website and enter the giveaway using this form. 100 winners will be chosen randomly to receive the cocktail kits containing all the ingredients for the perfect seltzer serve.
Entrants can also celebrate National Vodka Day in true style, with the chance to win a remarkable five-star stay and Michelin star meal in Belgravia, just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace – with this grand prize worth over £1,500 in total. To enter, simply follow @franklinandsons, tag a friend who you’d share the experience with, and like the post.
The winner will be hosted by The Goring Hotel, a luxury Belgravia hotel dating from 1910. The winner will also be given £200 to spend on the hotel’s amenities which include an upscale cocktail bar and an acclaimed restaurant.
The competition is for over 18s only, with full terms and conditions at www.franklinandsons.co.uk
Local boy, Harrison Kenney, the current global Patrón Perfectionist(s), would be the first to encourage all Australian bartenders to grab a shaker and enter the competition that has changed his life and skills, before entries close at the end of next week.
The brand is asking bartenders to create a recipe reflecting their homes and the unwavering commitment to quality that goes into every drop of PATRÓN tequila. The entry challenge, called Hometown Hero, will require entrants to develop a cocktail that blends PATRÓN Silver tequila with the bartender’s local culture, using ingredients from a prescribed list, the Pantry. The initial entry submissions will be judged on appeal, appearance, inspiration, and originality.
Bartenders were invited to attend Academia PATRÓN Perfectionists state roadshows hosted by Joey Chisolm (PATRÓN Tequila Execution Manager) and Harrison Kenney (Global PATRÓN Perfectionist Winner 2022) showcasing the educational module “Discovering Deliciousness”. Focusing on flavours, ingredients, techniques, topical trends in the tequila category and mixology, the Academia PATRÓN Perfectionists modules support professional growth, as well as the preparation for the PATRÓN Perfectionists competition entry.
“It was a privilege to win the prestigious Global Patrón Perfectionists title for a cocktail that I created to represent Australia, a country with one of the greatest bar scenes in the world,” said Kenny. “I can’t wait to see the calibre of entries for this year and how the talented bartenders of Australia showcase their hero ingredients. Bartenders – if you are thinking about taking part, do it.”
Following the education and entry stages, each participating country will judge the cocktail creations to shortlist up to 10 bartenders, who will compete in the national final due to take place in November in Sydney. This year’s national finals will engage bartenders across various topics and challenges. The bartenders’ cumulative scores across the challenges will determine the national winner in each market.
This year, a special Wild Card Entry will also be selected by a global judge from the contestants of the national finals. All national winners and the Wild Card winner will go on to the much-coveted global finals experience taking place at Hacienda Patrón, Mexico, in March 2023. During the global finals, bartenders will undertake a new series of challenges, testing each part of a bartender’s skillset.
Entries are open until 10:59 AEDT on 7th October 2022 via the entry portal academiapatron.com
Cuban rum brand, Havana Club, has launched “Havana Club Create”, a digital solution that digs into the brand’s rich history and origins, allowing you to create your very own unique label design using a combination of graphics and colours inspired by Cuban culture.
Havana Club Create gives you the opportunity to express creativity through three distinct visual universes inspired by the streets of Havana, the city which gave the brand its name.
Whether you feel closer to “Graphic Scenes” with drawings and paintings taking inspiration from symbols of Cuban tradition, “Neon Waves” with bright colours, reflecting Havana’s vibrant streets at night, or “Blooming Walls” painted in vivid pastel colours, to merge historical and artistic changes – every combination bears the spirit of Havana and of Havana Club.
In total, there are 81 combinations to make your bespoke Havana Club 7 labels
Havana Club Create provides 81 possible combinations within the graphic universes to design both front and back labels in your own unique style with the option of adding a personal message to the front label.
Once the masterpiece is complete, it is free to download and ready to be shared on social media networks directly from the platform, including static visual images and pack shots.
For more information and details, go to havana-club.com
Global Tequila brand PATRÓN is collaborating with the acclaimed Mexico City-based sculptor Sebastian to release the 2022 limited-edition PATRÓN Mexican Heritage Tin in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Released annually, the limited-edition PATRÓN Mexican Heritage Tin is brought to life by a new artist each year that visually shares the stories, traditions, and culture of Mexico through stunning one-of-a-kind designs.
For this year’s limited-edition PATRÓN Mexican Heritage Tin, Sebastian tells the story of one of the oldest traditions in Mexico that continues to be honoured at PATRÓN Tequila—the harvesting and cutting of agave piñas. The boldly crafted and vibrant tin design is an overhead view of the agave heart—one of the three 100% naturally perfect ingredients that are masterfully combined to create PATRÓN Tequila.
The design is inspired by the detailed cutting process of the agave piña that’s steeped in natural geometric design and a key component of the handcrafted production process by our familia of jimadors.
“Celebrating Mexican culture and creative perfection, this collaboration carries on PATRÓN Tequila’s legacy of aligning with progressive pioneers who share the values of passion, drive, and dedication to hard work. This year, we are honoured to have partnered with Sebastian to bring the traditions of Mexico to life through the PATRÓN Mexican Heritage Tin,” shared Kathy Parker , President and Global Chief Marketing Officer for PATRÓN Tequila.
“Between our commitment to time-honoured traditions and Sebastian’s artistry, we’ve created a dynamic collaboration of passionate mastery between brand and artist.”
Best known for his monumental works of steel and concrete displayed in Mexico and around the world, Sebastian’s abstract geometric forms and bold colours are inspired by the Mexican landscape and natural shapes found in the regions of Mexico in which Sebastian resides.
“I’m honoured to be collaborating with PATRÓN Tequila—a brand that is as proud of its Mexican roots as I am and equally committed to handcrafted perfection,” Sebastian shared.
“For the design of the tin, it was important for me to honour the traditions of Mexico that celebrate natural elements like the agave plant and piña imagery. This collaboration highlights our passion for craftsmanship, and I look forward to sharing this piece of art with the world while they enjoy the world’s finest tequila.”
The limited-edition PATRÓN Mexican Heritage Tin includes a bottle of PATRÓN Silver and is available at local retailers across the US, as well as select international markets while stocks last. Additionally, the tin can be purchased via patrontequila.com
Jameson believes in a world where there are no strangers, only friends you have yet to meet, so it is no surprise that the brand’s new campaign is an open invitation to seek out and embrace those spontaneous, serendipitous moments that spark new connections and cherished memories.
“Jameson has always understood the power of togetherness, especially those that are seemingly random or unexpected,” said Pam Forbus, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer, Pernod Ricard North America. “Widen the Circle celebrates those powerful encounters that authentically bring new friends together and ultimately make the world feel like a smaller place.”
Widen the Circle builds upon the world’s number one Irish Whiskey’s 240-year legacy of craftmanship, collaboration and celebration of life’s everyday moments, both big and small. Anchoring the campaign is a :30 second TV spot starring Irish comedian, actor and writer Aisling Bea – the creator and star of BAFTA award-winning show ‘This Way Up’ and star of Netflix’s ‘Living with Yourself’ – whose witty tone raises a toast to those who embrace authentic, unexpected and often cheeky moments when people find their kindred spirits.
“As a comedian and performer, I always look to connect with my audience. It’s those small moments when you recognize a kindred spirit in the crowd that make for the most memorable sets,” said Aisling. “And when that unspoken bond happens over a Jameson Whiskey? Well, there’s nothing better in my opinion.”
Created by TBWA\Dublin, “Widen the Circle” is a 360-degree campaign running on TV, online video, social and e-commerce.
For more information, go to JamesonWhiskey.com
BlockBar will exclusively auction an extra-rare vintage of 1800 Colección Tequila to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
1800 Tequila worked closely with celebrated surrealist artist Leonora Carrington, prior to her passing, to curate a unique decanter titled “El Rey del Tequila” complementing 1800 Colección rare extra añejo tequila. Carrington created only 15 of these silver-sculpted masterpieces fifteen years ago, never released for public sale.
One of these prized decanters is available for the first time as an ultra-exclusive collectable with a starting bid of USD $25,000 exclusively on BlockBar.com, the world’s first DTC NFT marketplace for luxury wines and spirits.
The buyer will be invited to visit Jalisco, Mexico for a private tequila tasting at La Rojeña distillery, Latin America’s oldest distillery and the birthplace of tequila. They will also tour Leonora’s Carrington’s exclusive art collection showcasing her connection to the heritage of 1800 Tequila and allowing for a complete immersion in the land that inspired both Carrington and 220 years of 1800 Tequila quality and tradition.
“We’re delighted to mark Hispanic Heritage Month by hosting our first ever tequila auction with the iconic 1800 Tequila,” comments Dov Falic, Co-Founder and CEO of BlockBar.
“1800 Tequila has a history of partnering with world-renowned artists and this unique, never-made-available-before decanter designed by surrealist artist Leonora Carrington makes this auction highly desirable for tequila and art lovers alike,” he continued.
Only produced and released in the finest years of production, 1800 Colección Tequila is the pinnacle of liquid superiority and a result of a delicate artisan process meticulously supervised by Master Distiller Alejandro Coronado. who creates a specially balanced blend between it and the finest aged tequila reserves. 1800 Colección Tequila begins with the selection of the highest-quality agaves that have reached optimum maturity.
Following the 1800 Tequila tradition, the agaves are steam cooked for several days in stone ovens, obtaining a selected extract, which is then distilled twice, followed by several years of slow ageing in ex-single malt whiskey casks. The result is an exquisite, distinctively aged extra añejo tequila with a silky consistency, deep golden colour and smooth, mellow taste with a subtle touch of caramel, honey and almond that is one of the finest vintages in existence – numbered, limited and certified.
“Always at the forefront of culture, 1800 Tequila partnered with BlockBar to release its first NFT to bring the centuries-old tequila-making tradition to a new audience who appreciates luxury spirits and unique, high-value art,” says Lander Otegui, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Proximo Spirits.
“A decades-long champion and benefactor of art and culture, 1800 Tequila will contribute 50% of the proceeds from the 1800 Colección Tequila NFT sale directly back to the Council of Leonora Carrington for the preservation of various collections including drawings, sculptures and textiles. With a new generation of luxury spirits drinkers and art collectors, this will be the first of many 1800 Colección Tequila NFTs to come.”
Information on the full terms and conditions and, of course, bids can be placed via BlockBar.com. The users who successfully check out will receive an NFT representing the 1800 Colección Tequila physical bottle, which is stored with BlockBar until the bottle owner is ready to redeem.