Inventory for June 15th, 2014

Welcome to our latest inventory! Excitement for the launch of a new Tanqueray gin is in the air. And Andreas Künster is crowned winner by Absolut Invites in Stockholm. We look at the US craft-distillery scene and Hannah Hart of My Drunk Kitchen is set to publish her first book this coming August.

A week that saw countless smashed bottles end on the streets of Berlin following the “Karneval der Kulturen” we’re very much looking forward to a good solid breakfast this weekend. Today we can be found sipping a Bloody Mary and Wheatgrass Smoothies at The Breakfast Market, held at the infamous Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg ) and enjoying the sunset with a G&T at Klunkerkranich.

1) New Release: Tanqueray Old Tom Gin – Sweetened by The Humble Pineapple

In the year 2001 Tanqueray Malacca disappeared from the market, even though the juniper-based beverage was highly appreciated with a good reputation. Bartenders worldwide were taken by surprise. Twelve years after the mysterious disappearance, trademark owner Diageo fulfilled bartenders’ longing cries with a limited edition of 100.000 bottles. Rumor had it, that it was not to be long before the limited edition was a thing of the past and Malacca would be permanently reinstated.

This was not the case, instead we received a new gin. Tanqueray Old Tom Gin, a special edition by master distiller Tom Nichol, is also limited to 100.000 bottles worldwide. Marketed as the remake of gin’s origin, lightly sweetened and especially popular in the 18th and 19th century, Old Tom is an ingredient used in many classic cocktails which are finding a revival through the craft cocktail revolution. With an aroma of fine botanicals and lightly sweetened with beet sugar, sold at approximately 32.50 EUR per liter, it seems Diageo picked a great time to service current market trends.

Soon after the news of the launch had spread, Hamburg’s bar entrepreneur Jörg Meyer wrote a critical piece on his blog. In his opinion the spirits industry is playing “this boring limited edition game to death”.

2) Absolut Invite Winner Hails from Germany

On May 24th and 25th Stockholm played proud host to the Absolute Invite competition, where 12 finalists, who had previously competed in local events to qualify for the international finale, displayed their cocktail creations. A host of nations appeared, although only one can be crowned winner. The winning bartender this year is Andreas Künster from Bijou Bar, Berlin. He paired his drink, the Absolut Elyx Warhol Martini, with a homemade Elxy Warhol perfume. The extraordinary creativity, excellent taste and distinct aroma ended up convincing the jurors.

Absolut Elyx is produced via numerous handcrafted techniques, and during the competition the importance of craftsmanship was heavily emphasized. Andreas first served the jurors his perfume, which acted as a natural, aromatic accompaniment to the sleek and rather simple Martini. Andrei Cioanca from Helsinki and Stefano Hjorth Ceni from Copenhagen respectively took home 2nd and 3rd place. As winner Andreas Künster will be traveling to the Tales of the Cocktail festival, hosted in New Orleans on the 16th of July, one of the most important bar events worldwide.

In 2003 about 70 small distilleries were splattered across the continental US, today there are more than 600 with what seems like another craft gin or bourbon announcement appearing every day. A common problem that craft distillers are dealing with is underestimating the demand. Many small distillers have found that soon after their launch, they were forced to move into larger buildings and buy new stills since their supply was unable to keep up with the demand. What began as a whisper, is now becoming louder: Distillers are worried that the craft-distilling industry is growing too rapidly.

Anxiety about new products being released, although they’re not ready yet, is growing. Words like authentic, craftsmanship and local are being thrown around with a disturbing frenzy, and customers are buying into it. Selling that first bottle is not the hard part, but if the liquor is too rough or funky, consumers will not be coming back for the second. One reason for this is the shortage of trained, experienced distillers. It’ll be interesting to watch how the bubble expands, and hopefully not burst, and we will continue to track the connotation craft-distilling carries over the next ten years. Wayne Curtis has written an interesting piece for the Atlantic about this trend.

4) Cook Responsibly While Drinking Irresponsibly

What began as one funny video for a friend, soon became a regular YouTube sensation. Hannah Hart, of My Drunk Kitchen fame, touched on a very special brand of humor. Self deprecating, attainable and never too serious her videos depict her in the kitchen, usually alone, drinking a wine bottle, or two, and attempting to cook. Grilled cheese without the cheese, onions rings cooked in a hazmat suit and pho soup with so many word innuendos it’s hard to keep up.

Hannah is the antithesis of responsible drinking, lending her an air of authenticity. We’ve all found ourselves on the kitchen floor grasping at a sandwich at some point. My Drunk Kitchen counterbalances the picture perfect, Pinterest ready, glossy food and drink blogs. She’s messy and doesn’t feel the need to hide that, her calculated loss of control draws the view in.

This August Harper Collins will be releasing her first book, drenched with tequila, life advice and never-before-seen recipes. What’ll be interesting to watch is if Hannah’s raw, unpolished voice translates to print. Not only to print, but a print published by one of the world’s largest publishing houses. All the more people now have a stake in her book’s success. Will editors, agents, and publishers allow for that typical Hart humor to elbow its way through, or should we expect a glossed over version of My Slightly Tipsy But Still Totally Appropriate Kitchen? We can’t wait to find out.

5) Shekhar Grover Takes Home The Diageo Global Travel Best Cruise Line Bartender Crown

Shekhar Grover of Royal Caribbean International has been crowned the Diageo Global Travel best cruise line bartender at the Reserve World Class final held on June 12th in Miami. Shekhar impressed the jurors with his showmanship, inventive cocktail skills and unmatched flair for the dramatic. Originally from India Shekhar won out over 5.500 floating bartenders from four of the world’s leading cruise lines. Together with his competitors he was tested on various aspects of the craft, creativity and bartending knowledge.
His signature serve brought home the win—a French Royale featuring Ciroc which was inspired by this year’s Mediterranean theme. As the winner he will be flown in to the Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year Global Final, which takes place from July 28th to August 1st in London, where he will be competing against 50 other bartenders for the “Bartender of the Year” award.