Jameson adds some more flavour to its range, Código 1530 releases one of the most expensive Tequilas in the world, and there’s bubbly panic among the NYC elite. The Nightcap returns!
It’s Friday! This is very good news. But it’s also Friday the 13th, which is less so. Bad luck, you see. If you’re not familiar with this, according to Western superstition every Friday that falls on the 13th of a month is considered a cursed day. Why? All kinds of nonsense reasons. It’s a superstition. Black cats are considered evil too. And that can’t be right. Because cats are excellent. We all know this. Still, if you are wary of the dreaded day, then perhaps you’ll enjoy the safe and familiar ramblings of The Nightcap. No harm can come to you just reading a boozy blog… right?
The MoM blog was home to all kinds of wonderful content once again, like Ian Buxton’s review of the intriguing new book Drunk by Edward Slingerland, or the journey through shochu our in-house educator Richard Legg’s took us on, or Millie’s look at the seven new international bars that are giving us the travel bug. Elsewhere, Henry enjoyed a rare Balvenie, the simple pleasures of the Highball and an outrageously old Port, while Adam recommended some interesting cask-finished whiskies and celebrated a drinks brand making a difference on World Elephant Day. Oh, and we’re hiring if anyone fancies working for the greatest company in the world. We have t-shirts (sometimes).
Now on with the Nightcap: 13 August edition!

Look! It’s Jameson Orange. Just like actual Jameson. But with orange.
Jameson introduces orange whiskey
The world’s biggest Irish whiskey is introducing a new flavoured bottling Jameson Orange (at 30%), which combines Irish Distillers’ classic expression with natural orange flavouring. The intention was to make a modern, low sugar and still whiskey-focused twist that exploits the popularity of flavoured whiskeys and spirits as well as building on the success of Jameson Cold Brew. “The concept behind Jameson Orange was to create a product which would appeal to a growing audience of flavoured spirits fans, that draws on the quality and integrity of our award-winning triple distilled Irish whiskey,” says Brendan Buckley, international marketing director at Irish Distillers. “Jameson Orange’s flavours are inspired by a classic whiskey cocktail, and we’re confident that this focus on taste and quality will appeal to a broad audience of whiskey fans, bartenders, and curious spirit drinkers.” Jameson Orange will be on its way to MoM Towers soon, while a second flavour variant, Jameson Lime & Ginger, inspired by the signature Jameson serve, will follow soon after.

At $3,300 a bottle, this is one of the most pricey Tequilas we’ve ever seen
Código 1530 releases one of the most expensive Tequilas in the world
Código 1530 is no stranger to extravagant Tequilas (check out this Extra Añejo!), but the brand has really outdone itself with its latest expression. The new release has a price tag of $3,300 a bottle, making it one of the most expensive Tequilas on the market. And with only 350 bottles of the spirit available, it’s also one of the rarest. Why is it so special? Well for a start it’s a 13-year-old extra añejo Tequila, which is remarkably old. Most añejos on the market are matured for one-to-three years and the aforementioned Extra Añejo spent six years in cask, which would typically be seen as a huge amount of time. This bottling, however, blows it out of the water. Plus, it was finished for six months in a Cognac cask, which again is not common and certainly not the cheapest way to mature your Tequila. Federico Vaughan summarised the bottling by saying “our 13-year Añejo is in its own category”. It was bottled with no other sugars, colours or flavourings, and the tasting notes tell us to expect sweet vanilla with cocoa powder and cinnamon, followed by earthy peat and exotic spices. Bottles will be available through Código 1530’s website but it’s a shame so few will get to taste it. That’s the world of rare and pricey booze for you. You can at least head to the distillery page and pick up another Añejo to get an idea of what you’re missing.

Max Macfarlane’s expertise will be put to good use in the new venture
Distil invests £5m into new Ardgowan Distillery
Distil UK (not to be confused with Distell) has announced that it will be investing up to £5m into the new eco-friendly Ardgowan Distillery in Inverkip, Scotland, which hopes to be producing spirit in 2023, as well as welcoming tourists. The owner of premium drinks brands including RedLeg Spiced Rum, Blackwoods Gin, and newly launched TRØVE Botanical Spirit, will provide an initial tranche of £3m, with the potential of an additional loan of up to £2m to follow. The investment will see Distil build a permanent home for Blackwoods Scottish Gin on the site, including stills, a gin school, and visitor centre, while the company will also gain access to Ardgowan’s master whisky maker, Max Macfarlane (formerly of Highland Park, Glengoyne, Bunnahabhain, and Tamdhu fame), to develop a separate Distil blended malt whisky brand yet to be revealed. Martin McAdam, CEO Ardgowan Distillery, says “We welcome this investment and are excited that Distil has chosen Ardgowan as the home for Blackwoods Gin. The Distil team is knowledgeable, passionate and very much aligned with our vision for the project. We welcome their investment and look forward to working together in an ongoing partnership to help both sides achieve ambitious goals.”

We’re impressed by what we’ve seen from Torabhaig so far
Torabhaig Distillery releases second single malt
Torabhaig Distillery is all set to release the second expression from its Legacy Series of single malt Scotch whiskies. Following the sold-out success of the first ever expression from Torabhaig Distillery in February this year, Legacy Series 2017, the second expression of Torabhaig single malt will be Allt Gleann – The Legacy Series. Named after the burn (stream) that flows down the side of the distillery in Teangue on the Isle of Skye, this eagerly-awaited release will be bottled in small batches at 46%, and drawn from no more than 30 casks. Allt Gleann is the second of four expressions to be released under the Torabhaig Legacy Series, which will chart the process of developing the style and character of the eventual core bottling, Torabhaig Single Malt Whisky 10 Year Old, due to be released in 2028. For those who missed out on the first expression, Allt Gleann will be released in larger quantities, in four separate batches throughout 2021 and 2022. Neil Mathieson, chief executive at Mossburn Distillers, told us after the first launch that the “next two releases are looking like they will be heavier in peat” and that’s certainly the case with this one, which is more robust and full-bodied than the first expression. The fruity new make character is still present too, and it’s another promising dram that suggests this is a distillery worth keeping an eye on.

The first round is on the good folk of Inverness it seems!
How cheap is your city’s pint? Study reveals all
Holidu.co.uk has released a study about the price of beer in a number of UK cities and popular holiday destinations for Brits. Inspired by the desire to give travellers as much information as possible, the search engine for holiday rentals set out to establish how much a pint of beer costs at home and abroad. It compared beer prices in top rated UK pubs, capturing both ends of the UK market by studying the price of beer in top-rated pubs and Wetherspoons pubs to give insight into how much a tourist is likely to pay compared to a local. To view the results and full methodology of the study just here, but these are the headlines: London is really expensive. Shocking. In fact, the top three most expensive are London (£4.50), Edinburgh (£4.40) and Birmingham (£4.40), which is pretty much what you’d expect. On average, the cheapest place to buy a pint of beer in the UK is Inverness (£3.10), followed by Swansea (£3.60) and Glasgow (£3.70). Book your staycations accordingly. Of course, if you did want to venture abroad, avoid Dubai (£10.00) or Sydney (£6.50) and instead head to Krakow (£1.30) or Bali (£1.60), as the study worked out the cost in the top 50 tourist destinations for Brits as well. So, assuming you’re basing holiday destinations on beer prices, you’re now good to go. Which is what we all do. Right?

Can this combo fail? No. No it cannot.
Dewar’s Highballs and Truffle burgers? Yes, please!
If there’s two things we love at Master of Malt, they are Highballs and burgers. So as you can imagine we were pretty excited to hear about a partnership between Dewar’s and fancy London burger joint Truffle. The special Dewar’s X Truffle London menu runs from 19-21 August at Truffle London Soho (go here to book). It features delicious Highballs created by Mark Low from Mr Lyan Studio using Dewar’s new Caribbean Smooth and Ilegal Smooth whiskies, alongside delicious meaty hamburgers. For example, a Dewar’s Ilegal Smooth Highball, made with Ilegal mezcal cask whisky, St-Germain Elderflower liqueur and soda, goes with Truffle London classic burger, “a classic beef & smoked bacon patty in a brioche bun, topped with sweet fig jam, crispy onions, gooey raclette cheese and smothered in their favourite truffle mayonnaise”, according to the press release. Isn’t your mouth watering just thinking about this? But what’s even better is prices start from £10 for a burger and a Highball. We are so there.

Get your tickets now!
Pergola Paddington to host Oktoberfest celebration: Wunderbar!
Who’s in need of a good horn-blaring, stein-sloshing Bavarian knees up? Everyone? Great, because West London’s largest alfresco drinking and dining destination will be transformed into a beer hall reminiscent of those on the Theresienwiese in Munich, serving up real German beers, delicious Bavarian food, and a hearty helping of ‘Gemütlichkeit’ in celebration of Oktoberfest. Tonight (well, for six weeks), Matthew, Pergola Paddington will be Wunderbar, a spin on the traditional festival. Expect live DJ sets, a Bavarian Oom-pah band, ‘Wunderbrunch’ bottomless brunches, gingerbread house building, a ‘Pink’ LGBT+ Oktoberfest party, as well as the chance to be crowned Beer King & Queen of Wunderbar, with a prize of free beer for a year. Pergola Paddington has even teamed up with Camden Town Brewery to create an exclusive Oktoberfest Lager which will only be available at Wunderbar for a limited time only. Wunderbar will run from 18 September – 31 October. Tickets, which start from £10 and include a stein of beer or a beer cocktail, are now available here. It’s recommended you book in advance, particularly as we might do a big MoM office outing… Now, where are my lederhosen?

Congratulations to you, Lorenza!
Lorenza Pezzetta takes over at the Artesian
It’s all go in London’s most prestigious hotel bars. Last week the American Bar at The Savoy announced a new head bartender, an actual American, Shannon Tebay. Now the much-garlanded Artesian Bar at the Langham has a new lady in charge, Lorenza Pezzetta. She joins the Artesian, consistently in World’s 50 Best, from a spell working in private members clubs including the legendary Annabel’s. Originally from Italy, she has worked at Cipriani Downtown Ibiza, The Berkeley, and The Connaught Bar before taking the role of bar manager at Artesian. “It is such an honour to be joining the team at Artesian, not only an iconic bar but part of Langham Hotels & Resorts, a hospitality brand I have always admired. Artesian is the perfect place for me to home in on my experience and bring the knowledge I have acquired whilst working at London’s most prestigious private members clubs and five-star establishments. It’s quite easy to see why the bar is beloved by all, it’s a privilege to be a part of such an incredible team, to be part of Artesian’s next chapter and most importantly to welcome guests back in!”, she commented.

The sun sets on a troubled Hampton Beach. You’re in our thoughts and prayers.
And finally… Panic among NYC elite as Hamptons runs out of Champagne
The Hamptons are the playground for New York’s elite. Think Saint Tropez, Ibiza and Southwold all rolled into one. But there’s panic on the immaculate beaches because there’s a shortage of Champagne. Yes, according to The New York Post, desperate millionaires and billionaires are having to make do with Prosecco or even cava! Ian Duke from Southampton Social Club said: “The most popular nightclub items — the high-end champagnes from Moet Chandon or Dom Perignon — can’t be found.” How are people meant to live without such staples? Another club owner Zach Erdem is using his private plane to fly in Champagne for his wife’s birthday party. Inevitably, some are blaming Covid but this isn’t the first wine shortage to hit the Hamptons, those with long memories will remember the two Great Rosé Crises of 2012 and 2014. America’s elite is nothing if not resilient, however. They pulled through then, and they’ll pull through again.