Tree's Company

This blog has previously reported on the Shoreditch's forthcoming urban jungle hangout, Monkey Shoulder Whisky's Tree house at the Truman Brewery.



However, this week saw The Big Chill festival at Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire, be the host venue for inaugural outing of Monkey Shoulders tree house installation.



Situated at the top of the the 'Enchanted Garden' the walk to the top of the hill was well worth it. The delightfully designed wooden tree house bar overlooked the festival and the picturesque Malvern Hills. The charming bar staff sold three delicious Whisky based cocktails, with the cheekily named 'Show Me the Monkey' being a personal favourite.



The weather was nearly as beautiful as the 4 gorgeous chimpettes, as the the Tree House was bathed in sun all weekend and looked equally as stunning at night. Combined with some fantastic music, the tree House was the place to be at the big chill.



If, as it seems, Monkey Shoulder are looking to make their brand more youthful and communal than the rest of the whisky category, then they are on the right path.

Tanqueray Tables

The lovely people from TriMedia (I'm looking at you Sarah and Jo) invited us to their press launch of Tanqueray Tables. It's Tanqueray gin's (now annual) summer promotion.

Here's the detail from their press release:

"This summer marks the return of the ever popular ‘Tanqueray® Tables’ – a series of evenings offering you the opportunity to drink delicious cocktails and nibble on sumptuous canapés in a unique al-fresco venue.

Due to popular demand, the makers of Tanqueray gin has reviewed its ‘for one night only’ policy and is hosting intimate cocktail evenings at No. 4 Hamilton Place from Monday 10 to Friday 14 August, to offer more people the chance to experience an evening to remember.

With its spectacular terrace overlooking Hyde Park and dating back to the 17th Century, the normally off-limits No. 4 Hamilton Place is full of Edwardian features and lists the Duke of Wellington as a previous tenant.

Hosted by the makers of Tanqueray gin, together with toptable.co.uk, guests will sample an intensity of flavours thanks to specially designed cocktails and canapés.

A team of chefs and top mixologists have devised a menu of canapés and cocktails inspired by the depth of flavour found in Tanqueray gin. Each canapé contains an element of gin and will be served with cocktails to compliment the flavours even further."

Their mixologists mixed up some stunning cocktails that took us out of our gin and tonic comfort zone



The English Summer Presse, made from a blend of Tanqueray gin, rhubarb eau de vie, fresh lemon, mint and raspberries with a top of soda and dash of elderflower and cherry liquer was heavenly.



And their English Garden, made from apple juice and elderflower was fab too.



The canapes all had a bit of Tanqueray gin floating around in them somewhere. Our favourites were:



Cured Scotch Salmon - with black pepper, gin, poppy seeds and orange.



Sun Dried Tomato Risotto Beignets



Yellow Fin Tuna with Wasabi



Pan Roasted Monkfish with Parma Ham was good too, but very salty



Duck Pancakes weren't bad either

The Tanqueray Tables idea is a great one. Especially for a super premium spirits brand. It's a great way of getting the right target audience to sample you gin, in ways they had never considered and in a very sophisticated setting. And pay for the priviledge. Nice one Tanqeray.


A table for 4 costs £50.00 and includes canapés and cocktails
Tables must be booked for 4 people

Find out more at www.tanqueraytables.com

Hendrick's Horseless Carriage

Hendrick's are being unusual, with is very usual for them. Their latest bonkers idea is to curate a collection of unusual curiosities, partly submitted by the public. The collection is being housed in a horseless carriage and is touring the UK; starting in Edinburgh before travelling south to London through Manchester.

Here's what David Piper, Agitator of the Absurd and Carriage Host has to say about it:

“It is indeed a most curious phenomenon – that every object, idea, or occurrence I chance my eyes or mind upon, seems indefatigably odd. There can be no other conclusion than the existence of a further sense – so to sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, can be added ODDNESS. Those who are deprived of it shall not be called blind, but bland.”

To book your place in the carriage for dinner, simply fill in their registration form and upload an image of something odd. It's a great idea and promises to be very special.

It is thoroughly in line with their brand behavior and is bound to generate a lot of PR during the hot summer months when we all crave a nice refreshing G&T. The fact that it's a road trip will mean that they get exposure across the country. And guess what... the ingenius Bompas and Parr are involved. So expect some fun and games. Brave clients.

Monkey Shoulder Treehouse in Shoreditch

Monkey Shoulder is trying to recruit younger drinkers by creating a treehouse in Shoreditch. Check out the details from their press release below and having a look at their website.

Secret hideaway: Made from reclaimed whisky barrel timbers, the Monkey Shoulder Tree House is the perfect place to unwind, relax and enjoy an ice-cold Monkey Shoulder Triple Malt Scotch Whisky cocktail, served direct to your table by the Monkey Shoulder chimpettes.

Carefully crafted: Just like the whisky itself, the Monkey Shoulder Tree House has been carefully crafted. Made by Cheeky Tiki, the conceptual designers behind London’s Mahiki bar, the Monkey Shoulder Tree House Bar is made from ¹pine, larch and cedar wood and also includes timber from reconditioned oak whisky barrels. The Monkey Shoulder Tree House is a friendly space for up to 40 guests in the bar area
and surrounding pods, which are accessed by a walkway, and offers plenty of outdoor seating. At night, the Tree House will be transformed by the warm glow of orange lanterns on the inside and outside of the wooden structure.

Monkey mixology + board games: If you’re the sporting type you can indulge in a little healthy competition, Monkey Shoulder style, playing original board games, like backgammon and snakes and ladders, which are carved into reconditioned whisky barrel heads and used as table tops. Bond with your mates, or make new ones, over an ice-cold Monkey Shoulder Tree House cocktail, made by Monkey Shoulder’s smooth, Scottish, mixologist and Monkey Shoulder Whisky front man, Jamie Forbes. He’s a modern cocktail genius and even if you’re not a whisky drinker before you visit the
Monkey Shoulder Tree House, you will be by the time you leave.

Contemporary whisky cocktails include Show Me The Monkey, combining Monkey Shoulder Whisky, Drambuie, apple juice and fresh mint, and the Monkey Mule, a modern twist on a classic, mixing Monkey Shoulder with fresh lime, sugar, syrup and ginger beer.

Where and when?: Celebrate the start of the whisky season with the perfect autumn rendez-vous at The Monkey Shoulder Tree House Bar in Ely’s Yard, at the Truman Brewery, in East London.

STOP THE PRESSES

They have done it , they have solved the big one. Barcardi have produced a premixed Mojito. The world is a faster if lazier, less fresh and not so tasty. Brilliant, well done Bacardi.

Tanqueray Tables in London's Hidden Garden

From Tanqueray Press Release:

"This summer marks the return of the ever popular ‘Tanqueray® Tables’ – a series of evenings offering you the opportunity to drink delicious cocktails and nibble on sumptuous canapés in a unique al-fresco venue.

Due to popular demand, the makers of Tanqueray gin has reviewed its ‘for one night only’ policy and is hosting intimate cocktail evenings at No. 4 Hamilton Place from Monday 10 to Friday 14 August, to offer more people the chance to experience an evening to remember.

With its spectacular terrace overlooking Hyde Park and dating back to the 17th Century, the normally off-limits No. 4 Hamilton Place is full of Edwardian features and lists the Duke of Wellington as a previous tenant.

Hosted by the makers of Tanqueray gin, together with toptable.co.uk, guests will sample an intensity of flavours thanks to specially designed cocktails and canapés.

A team of chefs and top mixologists have devised a menu of canapés and cocktails inspired by the depth of flavour found in Tanqueray gin. Each canapé contains an element of gin and will be served with cocktails to compliment the flavours even further.

To find out more about the venue and to reserve your table, log on to www.ueraytables.com. Tables are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment."

It's a good example of a consitent brand behavior. Previously Tanqueray's "Taste for Life" photography event at Liberty's in conjuntion with Magnum and Flickr showed that the brand is au fait with the playing in a refined, elegant world backed up by and facilitated by the internet. This colaboration with Top Table is part of the same coherent activation. It's also good to see a brand confident enough to repeat last year's platform. If it isn't broken. Don't fix it.

Bacardi's on fire!

Bacardi 151 rum is not for the faint hearted. At almost 76% alcohol, this rum is flammable as well as potent. The bottle labels were updated in May and now include 8 warnings about the highly flammable spirit. The bottle also includes a flame arrester.

The first warning tells consumers not to use this product for flaming dishes or drinks, so what exactly should they use it for? This has caused alot of confusion amongst food and drinks bloggers as there is no sign of this product on Bacardi's US website.

Image from Bev Law