New Orleans bar Jewel Of The South has been awarded the Michter’s Art Of Hospitality as part of the third annual North America’s 50 Best Bars awards.

“Jewel of the South has created a community that provides exceptional hospitality and customer service that always stands out and keeps customers coming back time and time again,” explained Emma Sleight, Head of Content for North America’s 50 Best Bars. 

“In addition to offering that quintessential dose of traditional southern hospitality, they serve alongside a cocktail menu that is synonymous with Chris Hannah’s love for New Orleans and the bar’s French Quarter location.

A reimagined, classic New Orleans tavern set in a renovated 1830a Creole Cottage, Jewel Of The South presents a cocktail program that is steeped in history while showcasing classic techniques with innovative seasonal flavours.

The award-winning cocktails on the menu focus on riffs that showcase the historic city, with drinks that include The French 75, The Jewel Sazerac, and the Brandy Milk Punch. Emphasizing historic ingredients, the cocktail program gives guests the chance to soak in the city’s past while simultaneously sipping on the future.  

“Winning the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award is such a thrilling recognition, and coming from an area in our country where we pride ourselves on exactly that, it’s especially fantastic,” said Chris Hannah, Partner and Bartender, Jewel of the South.

“I’m even more excited to reveal to our staff that we’ve won this amazing award for literally what we emphasize to them every day: that our most important asset here at Jewel of the South is hospitality.”

Exemplifying that magical synergy between exceptional drinks and exceptional hospitality, Jewelo Of The South is proving the validity of its name by offering a warm welcome to every guest who walks through its doors.

“Congratulations to Chris Hannah, Victoria Espinel, John Stubbs, Paul Greagoff, and the entire team at Jewel of the South on this wonderful recognition,” said Matt Magliocco, Executive Vice President of Michter’s Distillery. We join in celebrating the Jewel of the South team on a great honour for their establishment and the New Orleans bar community as a whole.” 

The North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024 awards ceremony will take place at the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende in Mexico on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Returning to Mexico for the second year in a row, the awards aim to provide consumers with an exceptional list of expert-approved drinking destinations across North America.

The countdown to the list of North America’s 50 Best Bars and the awards ceremony will also be broadcast to a global audience who cannot attend in person. Cocktail lovers are encouraged to watch through The World’s 50 Best Bars Facebook page and 50 Best Bars TV YouTube channel.  

Italian aperitivo brand Italicus has announced Esmerelda Castrogivanni from Sips Drinkery in Spain as the global championship winner of the 2024 Art of Italicus Aperitivo Challenge.

Castrogivanni’s award-winning concoction, ’Alloway’, inspired by the English pop art pioneer Lawrence Reginald Alloway, captivated judges with its blend of Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, white bitter and apple soda. The drink was uniquely garnished with an edible napkin made of apple jam and caramel.

“With ‘Alloway’, I wanted to provocatively make people reflect on the concept of art and what it represents for each of us,” Castrogivanni explained.

“To do so, I was inspired by what pop art represented in the 1950s, an artistic movement that revolutionised the world of art, making it accessible to ordinary people and no longer just to a few”.

PIN IT

Esmerelda Castrogivanni’s ’Alloway’

Esmerelda has earned herself the prestigious title and an exclusive mentorship at Cafe La Trova with Julio Cabrera in Miami. “Having won this prestigious title represents a very important achievement for me, which will help me grow further on both a professional and personal level,” she continued.

Second place was awarded to Jan Križaj from Kavarna Moderna in Slovenia, with his cocktail ‘Congelato’ which consisted of Italicus, dry vermouth, pesto and tomato cordial, garnished with Grana Padano with tomato powder.

Stephanie Wullschleger from Herz Bar in Switzerland was awarded third place, creating ‘Lucha Libre’ a cocktail made with Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, kiwi-jalapeno cordial and soda, garnished with a Red Kiwi.

The competing bartenders presented a creatively curated cocktail to a panel of esteemed judges including Giuseppe Gallo, Founder and CEO of Italicus, Paloma Difford, Managing Director of Difford’s Guide, and Julio Cabrera, Maestro Cantinero and owner of Cafe La Trova, Miami, who scored each candidate using their expertise to ensure a fair and insightful evaluation process.

“The Art of Italicus Aperitivo Challenge is a program designed to discover and showcase emerging talents in our industry year after year,” explained Giuseppe Gallo, Founder and CEO of Italicus.

“This competition serves as a creative platform, allowing bartenders to express their artistic sensitivity and imagination without any barriers or limits. This year, we had the honour of witnessing a competition featuring young bartenders of the highest calibre in both technique and style,” Gallo continued.

The Rolling Stones’ Rum brand, Crossfire Hurricane, is set to unveil a special limited-edition bottle gift set to coincide with the band’s highly anticipated Hackney Diamonds U.S. Tour.

Set to kick off on April 28 at NRG Stadium in Houston, the has been designed to embody the spirit of rock and roll while paying homage to the band’s iconic journey.

“This commemorative box set of Crossfire Hurricane Rum is not just a celebration of our US tour, but a toast to the incredible journey we’ve shared with our fans,” said The Rolling Stones.

The limited-edition collection features a deluxe box set including the Hackney Diamonds bottle—a sleek black gloss glass container with a striking gold top—adorned with the iconic Rolling Stones tongue logo, and a flagship bottle of Crossfire Hurricane Rum, all encased in a keepsake box.

Crossfire Hurricane Rum invites fans to ‘take your tongue for a ride’ as they host concert post-show parties in select cities. The brand is also offering rock and roll fans a chance to win two VIP tickets to see The Rolling Stones at the tour’s show in Santa Clara, California, on July 17, 2024.

The sweepstakes is now open and runs through June 15, 2024. For official rules, how to enter, and prize descriptions, visit www.crossfirehurricane.com/tour-rules.

The gift set will be available at select retailers across the US, with its release aligning with The Rolling Stones’ tour schedule. Additionally, concertgoers can purchase the gift set via in-stadium digital billboards and have it delivered directly to their homes via ReserveBar.

For more information about Crossfire Hurricane Rum, please visit crossfirehurricane.com or follow @CrossfireRum

The iconic Italian red bitter brand Campari is launching its ‘We Are Cinema’ campaign, coinciding with its partnership with the Festival de Canne.

Celebrating its third year as an official partner at Canne,  Campari has been inspired by its role as a curator of aperitivo occasions to explore human stories to inspire some of the world’s greatest cinema.

Celebrating real-life moments that can become remarkable stories, viewers of the new campaign can expect a melody of cinematic moments artistically brought to life and told through the vivid red lens of Campari’s creativity.

PIN IT

As both the festival and campaign unfurl, Campari will again host and promote a series of events from the Campari Lounge in the Palais de Festival, overlooking the famous red carpet.

“We are delighted to return to Festival de Cannes, this year bringing our passion for cinema and stories through our global We Are Cinema campaign to the iconic Festival setting,” said Julka Villa, Campari Group Head of Marketing.

“With a strong and enduring legacy in the cinema world, creativity and passion remain at the heart of everything we do. This year, we look forward to continuing to bring this to our audience through a program of remarkable moments throughout the Festival.“

This year, the brand also introduces Hyde Beach by Campari, a new iconic space on Boulevard de Croisette, where stars and guests will be welcomed, and events hosted throughout the festival.

PIN IT

Amongst their exciting program, Campari is honoured to announce both new and returning collaborations:

• Cole Walliser will be based in the Campari Lounge, interviewing guests and celebrities. The director and celebrity host, famous for the behind-the-scenes GlamBOT clips, will eagerly tune into his entertaining dispatches covering the red-carpet action from the lounge.
• Campari is also rejoining forces with The Hollywood Reporter, recording a special festival edition of the Awards Chatter podcast with Kevin Costner, director, writer, producer, and star of Horizon: An American Saga. Costner will join THR’s Executive Editor of Awards, Scott Feinberg, live to talk about his return to the big screen Western, premiering at this year’s Festival de Cannes.
• One of the most anticipated events is the Official Cannes After Party for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. During the festival, Campari will host this star-studded event at Hyde Beach by Campari to celebrate the latest instalment of this epic franchise.
• Campari will also partner for the third year with Breaking Through The Lens, a non-profit organisation which empowers women in film by facilitating access to vital funding. Together, they will host the ‘Crossing Borders’ gala to celebrate women transcending cultural borders. The evening will include a panel discussion with renowned actress Diane Kruger, who will be joined by other industry figures – including Campari Group Head of Marketing Julka Villa – to share their unique experiences.

More than an aperitif, Campari’s unmistakable characteristics, the brand has long been a source of passionate inspiration. Since its birth, Campari has always been at the forefront of cocktail culture, inspiring passion in bartenders worldwide.

With Camparino in Galleria, master mixologists serving up their famed cocktails – including Negroni and Campari Spritz – the Campari Lounge and Hyde Beach by Campari are the perfect places to raise a toast to inspiring stories and the talent behind them.

Please follow Campari’s social media channels for further information @campariofficial @CampariUSA.

Venezuela Rum brand Santa Teresa 1796 has been named as the “Rum of the Year” at the Berlin International Spirits Competition, one of the most respected spirits competitions in Europe. Outperforming a field of 80, Santa Teresa was awarded a gold medal after receiving a score of 95 points.

“We feel great pride and honour that our exceptional rum has one more success under its belt,” said Andrés Chumaceiro, Director of Operations at Santa Teresa. “Santa Teresa 1796 flagship, not just for its awards, but because, wherever there is a bottle of this rum, anyone can feel represented in it because it symbolises second chances.”

The victory complements two other recent accolades received by the rum: the Los Angeles International Spirits Competition, where Santa Teresa 1796 triumphed in the Best of Division Rum category, and the Denver International Spirit Competition, where the rum was also awarded a gold medal.

This brings the Solera rum’s gold medal count to 58, with over 100 medals in total.

“These 58 gold medals are a testament to the rum artisans,” continued Chumaceiro. “Our Maestors Roneros, who, with their knowledge and unmatched palate, managed to create Santa Teresa 1796; from each of our master coopers to each of the masters of rugby, who teach us by their example of the power to transform.”

Santa Teresa is the first rum producer in Venezuela, with over 227 years of tradition and expertise. It can be found in over 70 countries, proudly displaying the Denominación de Origen Controlado Ron de Venezuela.

For more information, go to santateresarum.com

Independent whisky bottler Boutique-y has announced the cocktail competition you have all been waiting for.

Pitting industry professionals against amateurs, bartenders against the off-trade, and influencers against at-home mixologists—the brand has launched the ultimate cocktail competition, Boutique-y Vs The World.

A first for the brand, the competition is open to ALL (18+, of course! who reside in the UK). The winner will receive a true ‘money can’t buy’ prize—a bottle of their very own whisky.

Working alongside Boutique-y’s Head of Whiskey Sam Simmons, the winner will participate in everything from choosing the cask to helping to design the label.

They will then receive bottle number one of their own TBWC limited edition whisky, which will be available for sale on Master of Malt. And we don’t need to tell you about the bragging rights!

So what do you need to do? Create the ultimate Boutique-y cocktail.

PIN IT

Each entrant will use the celebrated Canadian Corn Core Whiskey as one of five ingredients. These five ingredients need to be inspired by the word MOOSE (five letters). The Moose, of course, can be found on the distinctive red label of That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s Canadian Corn Whiskey.

Points will be judiciously awarded for the serving itself, its drinkability, the creativity of the ingredients used, the garnish, the name and the story behind it.

No additional points will be awarded for Canadian fancy dress, but you’ll be forever a legend in the eyes of the team at That Boutique-y Whisky Company.

Divided into UK regions, the shortlisted entrants will be invited to make their cocktails in live heats (commencing on the 17th of June) across FOUR NIGHTS OF FUN. Expect celebrations, drinking some tasty whisky, and, importantly, making new friends.

Winners of these heats will be invited to ‘the Canada of the British Isles’, Manchester! (Yes, they know, but nobody calls it that.)

The Final will be held in Manchester on the 4th of July, purely to stick forks up to Canada’s neighbours across the Southern border because that’s how they do things at Boutique-y HQ.

“So, how do I enter?” Well, it’s a cunningly simple entry process! Simply visit www.thatboutiqueywhiskycompany.com for all the information and to enter your winning cocktail by 20th May 2024.