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Inventory for April 5th, 2015

Before you go hunting for hidden bunnies lurking in your backyard (or more likely: on your balcony), we’ve gathered last week’s top stories for you. A Canadian entrepreneur believes he can help the consumer bottle age in oak bottles at home, Cologne-based trade show barzone is cancelled, new research implies coffee could help reduce liver cancer risk thus counteracting damage done by booze, Scotch values drops by half in top markets, Amsterdam announces its Perfect Serve barshow, and the Made in GSA competition is now open to applicants.

 

Happy Easter weekend, we hope you’re enjoying the time off! If you’ve spent the past few days labouring over ham or lamb in the kitchen worry not – we’ve got you covered. The already fantastic kitchen at Silo Coffee is being taken over by the guys behind Lode & Stijn for an all-day brunch extravaganza. Expect homemade bread, fantastic coffee, and a whole lotta eggs tomorrow – Monday the 6th of April – from 10am to 6pm.

1) Infusing Oak Bottle for Spirits

You’re surely well acquainted with the concept of aging spirits, particularly whiskies, in oak barrels to infuse them with that special smoky, oak flavor. Canadian entrepreneur Joel Paglione has taken the concept one step further with his Oak Bottle which are “said to provide a solution for the typical oaking process of wine and spirits, which can take months or years”.

The Spirits Business reports claims that the Oak Bottle infuses the same amount of flavor as the traditional process, in just 24-48 hours. Basically, less liquid is infused quicker. No brainer. The product is a result of an extremely successful Kickstarter, which reached its goal within 24 hours of going online and overshot it by five times at finishing. It aims to let anyone and everyone get into the habit of infusions, if that’s a good thing is another question.

2) Barzone No More

Cologne’s barzone trade show was cancelled last week. As the organizers announced on their website the decision was made after they recognised that too little large spirit and beer exhibitors had signed up. Though the numbers of small, specialised exhibitors in attendance rose throughout the years they aren’t enough to carry a trade show as large as this one.

Barzone moved from Berlin to Cologne, opening up a space that Bar Convent has since filled, and this would have been its eighth year. Last year they boasted with a respectable 6,200 visitors and 137 exhibitors.

3) Coffee can counteract Cancer Risk caused by Booze

New research by the World Cancer Research Fund suggests that there is “a link between drinking coffee and a lower risk of liver cancer.” The Spirits Business explains that the coffee compounds are thought to kickstart the body’s defence system and can help reduce inflammation, prevent DNA damage, and increase capacity for the DNA to repair itself.

Professor of Public Health Nutrition Ricardo Uauy explains that there are still many unanswered questions – how many cups a day, does adding milk/sugar make a difference, decaf, etc … – but goes on to state that the World Cancer Research Fund International will further concentrate on this area of study.

4) Top Markets see decline in Scotch Value

That Scotch has been in trouble for a while is no secret, new figures released by the Scotch Whisky Association show that “the export value of Scotch totalled £3.95 billion in 2014, down by £310m on the previous year – a drop of 7%”.

The drinks business reports that the biggest export plummet was in Singapore, with its 39% drop. The SWA blames “weaker economic conditions and political volatility in some markets” for the poor performance and is urging the EU as well as its next government to allow for more open markets and trade agreements.

5) Amsterdam’s Perfect Serve Barshow

Amsterdam’s very own bar show is taking place for the second time on May 25th and 26th of this year. Last year saw many tastings and panel discussions which are surely to be recreated in 2015. Get your early bird ticket here and find some impressions of last year’s event here.

6) Made in GSA Competition 2015

Now in its third year the MIXOLOGY-hosted ‘Made in GSA’ Competition is quickly approaching. The competition aims to single out products made in the three German-speaking countries: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This year special emphasis is being placed on the story behind the drink, which needs to add a certain identity and authenticity to the cocktail. The high calibre jury consists of Oliver Ebert, Thomas Huhn, Kan Zuo, and Arnd Henning Heissen.

The final round was held in Munich for the first Made in GSA competition and Vienna for the second one, this time we’re bringing it home and the finals will be in Berlin on June 22nd. The grand prize consists of a bar tour through Europe. The winner will travel to London, Paris, and Rome for a total of six days and in the company of a MIXOLOGY author.

This year’s speciality category is the very typically German fruit brandy. Applications are open since yesterday, bartenders and connoisseurs are welcome to submit their application online until May 22nd 2015. We’ve broken a personal record with sponsoring brands this year, let’s aim for the same with participating competitors!

Credits

Foto: Two women via Shutterstock

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