Inventory for November 20th, 2016

Welcome to this week’s inventory! Today we take a look at former Artesian bartender’s move to Hong Kong and the sloe gin forecast which might just ruin the 2017 holiday season. Furthermore: the fact that Portland’s Aviation Gin was sold off to a New York based marketing firm, and a new cocktail mixer produced in Charleston, South Carolina. Cheers!

Ticket at the ready? After celebrating their first successful fair in New York in October, the Raw Wine fair is set to make its second debut in Berlin. The 28th of November will see growers from all over the world set up their precious bottled goods in Berlin Kreuzberg’s Markthalle Neun. Last year was a doozy, so make sure to come early and get ahead of the game by glimpsing at the floor plan, that way you’ll be sure not to miss out on special gems (we hear there’s a Spanish grower bringing his orange wine that have never been tasted before!). Tickets, glasses, go!   

Former Artesian Bartender Balazs Molnar Joins Hong Kong’s Lobster Bar

The drinks business reports that “Balazs Molnar, who trained under the tutelage of Alex Kratena and Simon Caporale at London’s Artesian, has joined Hong Kong’s Lobster Bar as head bartender.” Molnar says “Bartending is a kind of freedom for me, to be creative, to create amazing memories for guests, and to entertain people. We need to ensure that everything is perfect at the bar, from the music to the service down to the snacks guests are having.” He’ll be in good, familiar company in Hong Kong: Lobster Bar came in at 27th place in this year’s World’s 50 Best Bars.

Bittermilk: Cocktail Mixer Compounds

A Charleston-based bottled cocktail mixer caught our eye this week. The team around husband and wife team Joe and MariElena Raya “seeks out to simplify the process of making craft cocktails at home. Bittermilk is a line of cocktail mixers made for cocktail enthusiasts by bartenders with real ingredients. Crafted and bottled by human hands in Charleston, SC. The labor is in the bottle, just add booze.” A top notch line with beautiful packaging, we only wish we had access here in Germany!

Sloe Gin Shortage Forecast for Christmas 2017

Hold on to your hats folk and stock up on your booze, because this year’s sloe berry season has been disastrous, which led the Woodland Trust Scotland to predict a sloe gin shortage for the 2017 festive season. The Spirits Business reports that “The culprit is a fungus called Taphrina pruni that causes a condition known as ‘pocket plum’. This leads to distorted fruit forming on plums, damsons, and sloes. It prevents stones from forming and the fruit never ripens.” The Woodland Trust’s George Anderson mentioned that he forages around Edinburgh and East Lothian himself and he would estimate that the sloe harvest is over 80% less than usual. Disastrous seems to be the right word here.

Portland’s Aviation Gin Just Got Sold Off to New York

The Portland-based distillery House Spirits has sold its Aviation Gin to a New York marketing firm called Davos Brands. House Spirits will still be responsible for production, but is now the spirit’s distiller, no longer owner. “The official line—the one in the press release—is that the sale will help the Aviation brand grow much bigger than it has already.” Wweek points out that Davis has been responsible for Aviation’s sales and marketing since December of 2014, meaning they’ve already had access to Davos’ connections and resources while still maintaining ownership of their brand. Willamette Week assumes that House Spirits is eager to increase its whiskey sales, and that all money made off of the gin sale will go into making more whiskey to “effectively transform House Spirits into a single-malt whiskey distillery, alongside more niche brands like Krogstad aquavit and a forthcoming Guatemalan rum.” Because whiskey needs to be aged before it’s sold, “the sale of the Aviation brand is essentially funding House Spirits’ ability to make a vast quantity of whiskey that can’t turn a profit for years .” Sounds like simple math. Spokesperson Alexandra Sklansky announced that “In the near term it’s about focusing on building our American single malt program and working behind the scenes on a rum program.” Interesting move, definitely one to watch to see how this pans out.