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Amathus are pleased to be sponsoring the opening of the UK's first shop dedicated to all things Moomin! The Finnish children's programme, The Moomins, will now have its very own store in Covent Garden in London. The opening launch event is on Wednesday 7th December and will be sponsored by our Finnish brands Koskenkorva vodka and Lapin Kulta beer. The Ambassador of Finland Mr. Pekka Huhtaniemi and Ms Sophia Jansson - niece of Moomin creator, Tove Jansson - will both attend the opening. 

  

 

 

We are excited to announce that the second of our two stores is now open - our Soho branch, on Wardour Street! Come and have a look at our exclusive range of top-end quality wines, spirits and liqueurs. Our knowledgeable team of staff will be able to assist your every beverage need and help offer their expert advice, so you are sure to find the products you are looking for. Please stay tuned for the announcement of our official launch events at both our locations and news about all our upcoming events!

 

 

 

 

Continuing their fantastic "Tequila Season", Café Pacifico/ La Perla are holding two weeks dedicated to Mexico's second celebrated spirit, Mezcal - featuring our very own Del Maguey brand! There will be great value Margaritas and flights of the range. Make your way down to these fantastic Mexican venues around London and enjoy your evening with our brand.
More information about Del Maguey>>>

 

 

 

 

"Tequila, the national drink of Mexico is being celebrated for the summer season in Café Pacifico.."

As part of their exciting "Tequila Season", Café Pacifico/ La Perla are hosting a summer of Tequila celebrations and we are delighted to support this with Calle 23! There will be great value Margaritas and flights of the blanco, reposado and anejo versions of the tequila. Make your way down to these fantastic Mexican venues around London and enjoy your evening with our brand. More information about Calle 23>>>

 

 

 

 

 

We are excited to announce that the first of our two new retail stores will open this week, the Leadenhall Market branch. Come and have a look at our exclusive range of top-end quality wines, spirits and liqueurs. Our knowledgeable team of staff will be able to assist your every beverage need and help offer their expert advice, so you are sure to find the products you are looking for.

 

 

 

Liqueur and eaux-de-vie producer Joseph Cartron was awarded with an array of prestigious awards at this year's International Wine and Spirit Competition. The high quality brand picked up an astounding 5 awards at the annual event!

 

 

 

 

"Tequila, the national drink of Mexico is being celebrated for the summer season in Café Pacifico.."

As part of their exciting "Tequila Season", Café Pacifico/ La Perla are hosting a summer of Tequila celebrations and we are delighted to support this with Calle 23! There will be great value Margaritas and flights of the blanco, reposado and anejo versions of the tequila. Make your way down to these fantastic Mexican venues around London and enjoy your evening with our brand. More information about Calle 23>>>

 

 

 

Joseph Cartron has been awarded with gold medals in the 2011 Liqueurs Masters Competition.

Cartron specializes in the production of high quality liqueurs, crèmes, ratafia, marc and eaux-de-vie, with a team of craftsmen using age old recipes. A stringent fruit selection, time and patience, natural ingredients and depth of flavour are just some of the criteria included in the Cartron charter of quality. More information about Cartron>>>

 

Grof Degenfeld has achieved a whole host of accolades over the past 12 years, including numerous Decanter Awards and International Wine Awards. The Hungarian wine producer is proud to cultivate their vines organically and focuses on the quality of their products and sustainability of their vineyards as their upmost priority. The result of which can be justified by the continued outstanding quality of their wines. Below we have listed just a sample of their most recent achievements.

 

We are proud to annouce that our exclusive liqueur brand, Cartron, has just won a Grand Gold Medal in the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. The accolade was given to Cartron's Creme de Peche de Vigne de Bourgogne (18%).

Since its creation in 1994, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles has set itself up as the “wine worldchampionship” with almost 7000 participating products from the four continents. As a whole, these samples represent more than 500 million marketed bottles.

Solely made up of professionals, the jury of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles brings together the best international wine experts every year. Their 40 nationalities guarantee the diversity and the unique character of the event.

 

 

 

We are proud to announce that 5 of our agency wines have won awards at the Sommelier Wine Awards 2011! Click on the wines below to try them for yourself.

Gold Award Winner: La Barbotaine Sancerre Rouge 2009

Silver Award Winner: Idiom Bordeaux Blend 2006

Bronze Award Winners: 34° Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Bushnell Single Vineyard Zinfandel 2007, and Granbazan Ambar Albarino 2009

 

 

 

Tovaritch! vodka has been awarded a Gold medal in the International Spirits Challenge. As well as this, in 2010 they were awarded with The Vodka Masters, for the fourth year in a row, from Spirit Business, the magazine leader in the spirit publishing business. This award monitors all vodka brands in the market to test and assess the top quality vodka, testing the taste and the purity of the raw material.

The major power of the brand is the quality versus the price: a multi-awarded high premium quality (100% grain) with the price positioning among low-premium vodkas! (additional information)

Eugenio Litta, Founder and CEO of Tovaritch Spirits SA says “Thanks to these activities... Tovaritch Vodka is confident to increase sales and brand awareness of its product, positioned in some of the most exclusive outlets available in Europe, US and Asia.”

 

Vodka Tovaritch, a five times distilled spirit, made with organic grain and pure spring water in the outskirts of St Petersburg, has also closed some significant brand agreements with the following initiatives:

***Pouring Vodka Summer 2011 at Amnesia, the re-known hip dance club in Ibiza, and will be the Vodka of Choice in most of the outlets on the Balearic Islands of Ibiza and Formentera. A special Bottle has been designed for this important initiative.
***Official Vodka for auction house Phillip de Pury & Partners, London.
***Official Vodka for prestigious Kimberley Music Festival in Nottinghamshire, UK.
***Official Vodka for Brasenose Ball in Oxford, the year end Ball for Graduates Students in Oxford University

 

CHERRY HEERING ® liqueur has pitched to the best bar talent from around the globe for their cocktail making talents and providing a fashionable twist on some of the most iconic Mad Men® cocktails from yesteryear. The competition is culminating at a smashing bash on the spectacular rooftop at Ogilvy & Mather, the depicted home of the Mad Men agency on May 16th - where it all began in New York City, as a part of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic.

Inspired bar men and women have created delicious cocktail entries after some of the most prominent Mad Men drinks aptly named the Betty Draper Breakfast (Bloody Mary), The Three Martini Lunch (Classic Martini), The Expense Account (Manhattan), The Richard "Dick" Whitman (Side Car), We got the Business!(Whiskey Sour) and Another New Secretary (Sloe Gin Fizz).

 

After weeks of submissions, the judging panel have narrowed it down to these final four finalists from Heering Goes Mad (Men):

***The Cocktail: Madhattan, Mixologist: Xavier Herit, Hometown: New York City, USA, Establishment: Daniel
***The Cocktail: Sour Cherry Sidecar, Mixologist: Stacy Nikkila, Hometown: New York City, USA, Establishment: The Boom Boom Room
***The Cocktail: The Affiliate , Mixologist: Charles Joly, Hometown: Chicago, USA, Establishment: The Drawing Room
***The Cocktail: We Got the Business, Mixologist: Jamie Stephenson, Hometown: Manchester, England, Establishment: Corridor

The top four Heering Goes Mad (Men) finalist were selected and reviewed by an elite professional judging panel comprised of spirits trade, entertainment media and top tastemakers in New York City prior to the big event, at the famed Lambs Club under the supervision of Head Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, famed Cocktail Guru, Sasha Petraske, Laura Lane, OK!Magazine, Daniel Curtis, The Robb Report and Sheila Marikar, ABC News Now.

The exciting and iconic Heering Goes Mad (Men) night will benefit DIFFA, Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS and tickets are available by going to:

http://tickets.manhattancocktailclassic.com

Guests will be able to enjoy some of the most famous Heering inspired cocktails such as the Blood & Sand and new cocktails from Xanté and Coffee Heering and mingle with exciting celebrities as they are ushered back to a time when the good time was in your face, no strings attached and toast was always in order. In addition, guests will be among the very first to try the four Heering Goes Mad (Men) finalist creations as imbibers.

 

 

 

We are proud to announce that François Voyer received a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition held in March, for their XO Gold Cognac.

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition held its 11th annual competition this March 18-20. This year’s panel of 33 judges from across the industry tasted and scored a record number of entries - 1,106 products from 61 countries. The esteemed judges awarded Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze medals to the participating brands, as well as three special awards to honor outstanding achievements from the year.

 

 

 

 

Heering have launched a fantastic competition for mixologists around the globe. They are giving you the chance to make a cocktail based on six of the iconic cocktails featured in AMC's hit TV series Mad Men. The winning cocktails will be present at a spectacular rooftop event in New York City, setting of the TV series. Read below for all the details of what to do and how to enter.

Buy your Cherry Heering here >>>

 

 

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition held its 11th annual competition this March 18-20. This year’s panel of 33 judges from across the industry tasted and scored a record number of entries - 1,106 products from 61 countries. The esteemed judges awarded Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze medals to the participating brands, as well as three special awards to honor outstanding achievements from the year.

Del Maguey Single Village Mezcals won several awards, and most importantly, also walked away with a top award, being named ‘Distiller of the Year’!

 

Their other awards were as follow:
• Double Gold Medals: Del Maguey Vida, Del Maguey Minero, Del Maguey Chichicapa
• Gold Medals: Del Maguey Santo Domingo Albarradas
• Silver Medals: Del Maguey San Luis Del Rio

For a complete list of results, go to: www.sfspiritscomp.com

 

 

The Notting Hill Arts Club are hosting an evening for Peruvian Pisco on Tuesday 1st March. We are supporting the event with every one of our Pisco's being featured on the evening. It is set to be a night full of great Pisco tasting, fantastic food and an exciting line up of DJ's!

 

Behold: The Cuban Sandwich Cocktail!

Flor de Caña rum, one of our exclusive agency brands and one of the most awarded rums in the world, is rolling out its most lip-smackingly delicious savoury cocktail yet: the Cuban Sandwich cocktail. This innovative, savoury cocktail is made with ham, pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, delicious bread infusions and garnishes and, of course, Nicaragua’s premier rum, Flor de Caña. The Cuban Sandwich cocktail is the latest culinary cocktail offering from Flor de Caña, following the launch of the hugely successful Cheeseburger cocktail in 2010 in the U.S. By taking the Cuban Sandwich deli favourite, and turning it into a satisfyingly hearty cocktail, Flor de Caña is set to continue to underline its reputation as the most versatile and bartender-friendly rum going.

Maribel Viteri, Global Marketing Manager of Flor de Caña rum, commented, “Latin influence has never been more prevalent in the U.S. with Latin cuisine, culture and music becoming mainstream in cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Miami, it is only natural for Flor de Caña to create a cocktail that celebrates this cross-over appeal, and which also extends its mixology-forward reputation.”

Creator of the Cuban Sandwich cocktail, Trevor Burnett (of the cocktail consultancy Tipicular Fixin) says, “The Cuban Sandwich Cocktail was dreamed up not only to pay homage to Flor de Cana’s Latin roots, but also to show off how versatile this rum is when it comes to mixing up a cocktail. The Flor de Caña Grand Reserve 7 year old rum imparts a smoky complexity to the ham that a neutral spirit could never achieve. The smooth tasting rum also complements both the peppery spices and more mellow notes found within a Cuban sandwich itself.”

The Cuban Sandwich cocktail champions the fact that the savory cocktail trend is not going away anytime soon. By incorporating meat infusions, savory spices, and non-traditional garnishes into cocktails, forward thinking mixologists continue to be excited by the possibilities of mashing up their favorite dishes with Flor de Caña rum.

Ingredients:
*1 part mustard brushed ham infused Flor de Caña Grand Reserve 7 yo
1 part lime or lemon juice
1 part simple syrup
1/4 part kosher dill pickle juice

Method:*Brush your choice ham with honey mustard and roast to caramelize ham. Slice the ham thinly and place the strips in a mason jar. Pour Flor de Caña Grand Reserve 7 yo into the mason jar of ham and fill until the ham strips are completely covered. Refrigerate for one week and strain contents of the mason jar over a cheese cloth. Reserve the liquid. Add all of the above ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into serving glass.
Glass:Rocks glass filled with cracked ice.
Garnish:A skewer of Swiss cheese cubes and a toasted bread stick/cigar.

Click here for more Flor de Caña cocktail ideas!

 

Earlier in the month we announced that Cherry Heering was going to hold a charity auction in aid of the DIFFA on the 6th December 2010. Heering donated a rare vintage from 1890. The original bottle of Cherry Heering was listed for online bidding through CharityBuzz.com a few weeks beforehand, and was made available to the public via the live auction at the New York branch of the international auction house, Sotheby’s.

The coveted rare vintage ultimately went for a whopping $3,200 and the entire affair generated a total $83,000; proceeds of which benefited the charities DIFFA and God’s Love We Deliver.

 

This amazing charity event, hosted by Apres, raised a total of £26,150 for the evening, to go to this incredible charity! A massive Thank You to all those that attended and we are ecstatic that we were able to help raise the money that will be going to such a great cause. 

 

 

New Zealand Winegrowers invites you to the 

NEW ZEALAND WINE ANNUAL TRADE TASTING
Tuesday 11 January 2011 in London

Although a small country, New Zealand is blessed with an extraordinary diversity of climates, soils and personalities. New Zealand Winegrowers would be delighted to introduce you to them. 

Meet our winemakers - John Forrest, Kevin Judd, Paul Bourgeois from Spy Valley, Sam Weaver from Churton, Matt Thompson from Delta, Michelle Richardson and Patrick Materman from Pernod Ricard to name a few!

 

Including SELF POUR THEMED TABLES:

- New Zealand Chardonnay versus Chablis – A head to head tasting
- Regional and sub-regional NZ Sauvignon Blanc – Taste the diversity
- Table of the unexpected – Surprise yourself
- New Zealand Syrah – The one to watch!

TIME: 10am - 5pm

 

Please RSVP to Sarah at New Zealand Winegrowers by 5 January 2011

E: sarahl@nzwine.com T: 020 7973 8079

VENUE: The Nursery Pavilion (entrance off Wellington Place) Lord's Cricket Ground, St John's Wood Road, St John's Wood, London NW8 8QN

 

 

Featured wineries include:  Akarua, Allan Scott, ARA, Ata Rangi, Babich, Bascand, Boreham Wood, Brancott Estate, Carrick, Churton, Clos Marguerite, Cloudy Bay, Craggy Range, Cypress, Delta Vineyard, Deutz, Elephant Hill, Escarpment, Esk Valley, Fairhall Downs, Felton Road, Forrest, Framingham, Georges Michel, Giesen, Greywacke, Grove Mill, Herringbone Hills, Hunter's Wines (NZ), Jackson Estate, Kim Crawford, Lawson's Dry Hills, Lime Rock, Lindauer, Man O' War, Michelle Richardson, Mount Diffi culty, Mud House, Nautilus, Nobilo, Oyster Bay, Palliser, Pegasus Bay, Sea Level, Seifried, Selaks, Sherwood, Spinyback by Waimea, Spring Creek, Spy Valley, St Clair, Staete Landt, Stanley Estate, Stoneleigh, Te Kairanga, Te Mata, Teece Family Vineyards – (Mt Beautiful Wines), Tinpot Hut, Tohu, Trinity Hill, Vavasour, Vidal, Villa Maria, Waipara Hills, Waipara Springs, Waipara West, Wairau River, Waterfalls Road, Wild Earth, Wild Rock, Wither Hills, Yealands.

 

 

Cherry Heering, considered the original cherry liqueur, has plans to release a rare vintage from 1890 for the first time in history. The original bottle can be found and bid on online at Charitybuzz.com lot # 253504 from now until December 6th at 12 pm EST.

The bottle will also be made available to the public via a live auction at the New York branch of the international auction house, Sotheby’s, on the evening of December 6th. The value of the rare blend is estimated to be worth over $100,000 (approx £62,500)

The 1890 vintage was discovered in the Heering cellars in Denmark where it had been perfectly aged since production more than 120 years ago. Only a few bottles were found, all perfectly preserved in original casks, hand packed in wooden casings, and exquisitely marked with the original Royal Arms as purveyors to The Royal Danish and Imperial Russian courts as well as his Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales.

”This vintage is really well kept, providing notes of chocolate and cigar - as if they really rolled everything into the whole spirit,” noted panelist Ganim. “I was eager to see how long it can be aged and still maintain a refined taste. It is deep, more rounded, more impactful – this is my favorite.”

The blend’s immaculate condition prompted the Sotheby’s auction. All proceeds will benefit the charity organization DIFFA, Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids. Fashion has been the communication platform for the Cherry Heering brand for quite some time, and this is an opportunity for them to give back.

Click here to find out more information about Cherry Heering

Click here to view our range of Heering products

 

 

 

 

Amathus are proud to announce that we will be supporting the "Party in the Name of a Great Cause", hosted by Apres London - an elegant yet quirky club and lounge in the West End - helping to raise money for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

The Event will be kicking off at 9.30pm on the 9th December 2010.

As well as making a personal donation to this amazing charity, Amathus will be helping out at the event by sponsoring some brilliant Beers and the following two Cocktails!:

Caña Sling it:

40ml x FDC7
20ml x Cherry Heering
20ml x Lime juice
20ml x Orange juice
20ml x Pineapple Juice
20ml x Gomme syrup
2 dashes x Angostura bitters

Cherry Monster:

40ml x Calle 23 Blanco
30ml x Cherry Heering
25ml x Lime juice
10ml x Agave syrup

The evening and entertainment is laid out as follows:

9pm: open for champagne and Canapés

Entertainment and hosting with fire breathers, magician and Sax player

10pm: Charity Auction to begin (ALL proceeds to go to the charity) including: Tracey Emin Art, Salvador Dali Art, Moet Vintage Balthazar (12l), romantic weekend at the Mandeville Hotel, action packed adventure day at the Trocadero, Santa Little helper Christmas show, luxury photoshoot by celebrity photographer George Garnier, Selfridges VIP day shopping Spree (£500), Hamleys Shopping Spree (£500) and much more...

11.30pm: Entertainment and party to move into the basement club venue for “Party in the name of a GREAT cause” to begin.

Entertainment, live acts and DJ to continues for the rest of the night

3am: Carriages

Click here to find out more information about Apres

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year we returned to the BBC Good Food Show at the Birmingham NEC. The show was jam packed full of exciting food and drinks enthusiasts and there was an amazing response to both our wines and spirits featured at the show. We showcased a wide range of products from various years and styles ensuring there was something to suit every taste. From the expressive South African brand Auction Crossing in the wines through to the exquisite cognac Francois Voyer XO, the show were a resounding success in terms of education, awareness and sales! 

More information on our upcoming events

 

We have launched some fantastic cocktail suggestions for some of our leading brands to help you experience different ways to enjoy your favourite spirits. Check out our featured cocktails here - from the original classics like the Singapore Sling, to the innovative Hungarian based Madhatter there will be something to tickle your taste buds

Flor de Cana (Rum) Cocktails
Palinka (Eau de Vie) Cocktails
Heering (Cherry & Coffee Brandy) Cocktails

 

We're pleased to welcome Hammer, a Norwegian spirits producer, into our portfolio.  Hammer Aquavit recently won a gold at the IWSC 2010 and the Hammer London Dry Gin is among the purest of its kind, created with wild herbs and spices and produced according to a 200 year-old tradition.

 

The Idiom Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Cabernet Franc 2006 received a prestigious international accolade when it was awarded the South African Red Bordeaux Varietal Trophy for the over £10 category at the 2010 Decanter World Wine Awards held recently in London.

“We are very proud of this achievement. Our vineyards in the Helderberg are still young but are showing great promise. This is only the third release of the Bordeaux-style blend,” says Alberto Bottega, proprietor of Da Capo Vineyards in the Helderberg, which is one of the southernmost Wine of Origin Stellenbosch properties. “When I started this project in the late nineties, I initially set out the vineyards with the aim of trying to make a great Bordeaux blend as I considered that to be the epitome of winemaking. This award, in some ways, is a fulfilment of that dream.”

To date, each release of the Idiom Bordeaux Blend has managed to receive a number of significant awards. “The maiden 2004 blend,” recalls Bottega, while trying to describe the character of the wine that was awarded Double Gold in 2006 and then selected shortly thereafter by SAA’s panel for their First and Business Class Onboard listing, “was initially quite reserved and austere as it was Cabernet Sauvignon dominated. It took more than a year in bottle for the fruit to open up. Now it is super soft with deliciously deep, dark berry notes. “

The subsequent 2005 vintage won no less than 4 gold medals locally and abroad, and was one of only two South African reds to be awarded Gold at the 2009 UK Sommelier Wine Awards, a competition that is getting increased attention from the London restaurant trade. “We were also thrilled to receive the Trophy for Best South African Bordeaux Blend of 2008 at South Africa’s Wine-Of-The-Month (WOTM) Club annual awards. ”

Buy Idiom wines at Amathus Drinks

 

Check out our new bin ends list - your last chance to buy some of these fantastic products.