Tag: Champagne

Raffles Hotel celebrates 125 years with Champagne Sling

In celebration of its 125th year, the iconic Long Bar at Raffles Hotel, Singapore has created a new Champagne Sling called the ‘1887’.

Not your standard tipple, the 1887 is a subtle twist on the traditional sling with a base of Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve Champagne. The recipe for this high precision cocktail is a closely guarded secret, but its creator, Randolf Velasco, reveals that Gordons Gin, Cointreau and essence of orange, lemon and lime all play a key role.

The utterly indulgent anniversary sling is available from September exclusively at Raffles hotels worldwide, including Singapore, Raffles Beijing Hotel, Raffles Dubai and Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris.

It was 125 years ago in 1887 that Raffles Hotel first opened its doors and welcomed its first guests. Today, the hotel is virtually synonymous with Singapore, named after the city’s founder, Sir Stamford Raffles.

Throughout the years, the glamorous guest list has read like a Who’s Who of business tycoons and adventurers, politicians and movie stars, authors and writers – all of whom fed in to the stories and legends, both fact and fiction, which have added to the mystic of the hotel ever since.

The Singapore Sling is one such legend. Invented in 1915 by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon at Raffles Hotel, no visit to the city is complete without a stop in the fabled Long Bar to enjoy this great classic cocktail and – in the spirit of tradition – to toss a few peanut shells on the bar floor.

Liz Palmer
@champagnehouses

TNS Report predicts glittering future for Champagne and sparkling wines

It may seem surprising that in these times of economic doom and gloom consumers should be increasing the amount of sparkling wines and Champagne they drink but according to new research by TNS that’s exactly what’s happening.

Based on an independent global survey of over 39,000 people in 17 markets – the Commitment Economy – TNS says that despite the challenging economic environment, consumers are still keen to indulge their taste for the finer things in life. A combination of increased spending among current sparkling wine drinkers and new drinkers in the developing world is presenting wine producers with an opportunity to grow the category by enticing consumers away from traditional alcohol favorites.

Pricing still remains an issue. TNS’s modeling exercise found that Champagne and other sparkling wines could increase their overall share of total drinking occasions from 5.1 percent to 7.8 percent if all those who wanted to drink them were able to. “While we can see a huge worldwide appetite to drink more sparkling wine and Champagne, most people are still held back by cost. These drinks are perceived as indulgences, enjoyed mainly on special occasions,” said Jan Hofmeyr, chief researcher, Behavior Change, at TNS. He added however “the good news for winemakers is that people consider sparkling wines both taste better and offer greater enjoyment than other alcoholic drinks. So, if affordable sparkling wines can be made more accessible, particularly in developing markets, and be positioned as a drink for celebrating life rather than only special occasions, the sector has a sparkling future.”

The greatest growth is likely to come from India and China, says TNS, where current low shares of 0.4 and 0.7 percent could quadruple to 1.9 and 2.5 percent respectively. In more mature markets like the UK and US the share could nearly double, to 9.1 and 6.5 percent respectively. Of all the markets studied, Spain was the only one where consumption of sparkling wines is set to decline, with a potential 0.4 percent drop in market share. However, TNS believes that with increasing international demand, cava producers need not fear if their distribution model is right.

Elsewhere, sparkling wine and Champagne consumption is expected to jump by 4.2 percent in Brazil, off a current market share of 3.5 percent, by 5.4 percent in Nigeria where the current share is also fairly low at 3.6 percent, and by 4.2 percent in South Africa (2.4 percent). Off a much more significant base (12.5 percent), the category is expected to continue to rise (+2.2 percent) in France, Germany (+1.9 percent/9.9 percent), Russia (+2.9 percent/8.1 percent) and Australia (+1.7 percent/7.6 percent).

“The study does not indicate that consumers plan to increase their alcohol consumption overall, more that they would like to drink sparkling wines more regularly,” Hofmeyr pointed out.

 

Source:  LA JOURNEE VINICOLE EDITION N°316

Henri Giraud launches UK Champagne Bar

Champagne Henri Giraud has launched “Giraud Champagne Bar”, its first Champagne bar in the UK .  The Aÿ-based house has set up the in the courtyard of Amuse Bouche in Parsons Green, West London. With seating for 30, the the new champagne bar offers four different Champagnes from the Henri Girard range, by both the glass and bottle: Blanc de Blancs NV, Esprit Rosé NV, Hommage à François Hémart Grand Cru and Code Noir Grand Cru NV.  Other offerings include  smoked ham, fig bruschetta, mini beef skewers with teriyaki sauce and wild mushroom risotto balls canapés.
Source:  Drinks Business

Charles Heidsieck is set to release revamped expressions of Brut Reserve & Rosé Reserve

Champagne Charles Heidsieck is set to release revamped expressions of its Brut Reserve and Rosé Reserve variants in the U.S. next month. The “newly refined” Charles Heidsieck Brut ($65) and Rosé ($80) are made from equal proportions Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Both are aged for more than three years and are packaged in newly designed bottles made in the shape of magnums. The new Brut and Rosé offerings’ labels are a recreation of a 1926 vintage label found on bottles in Charles Heidsieck’s cellars in Reims. Rémy Cointreau USA serves as Charles Heidsieck’s U.S. importer.

Source:  Shanken

Fizz sector set for sparkling growth

TNS Global has recently announced that Champagne and sparkling wine could double their market share in the UK and the US, and quadruple growth in India and China within the next few years.

Having surveyed 39,000 people in 17 markets, TNS shows India and China as having the strongest growth.

The report showed that the combination of an increased spend among those already drinking sparkling wine with the many new drinkers in the developing world is presenting opportunities for sparkling wine producers.

Jan Hofmeyr, chief researcher into behaviour change at TNS, picked out a number of issues holding back more rapid growth in this category, saying: “While we can see a huge worldwide appetite to drink more sparkling wine and Champagne, most people are still held back by cost. These drinks are perceived as indulgences, enjoyed mainly on special occasions.”

However, he added: “The good news for winemakers is that people consider sparkling wines both taste better and offer greater enjoyment than other alcoholic drinks.”

As a result, Hofmeyr continued, “If affordable sparkling wines can be made more accessible, particularly in developing markets, and be positioned as a drink for celebrating life rather than only special occasions, the sector has a sparkling future.”

TNS also stated that consumers do not plan to increase their alcohol consumption overall, but rather that they want to drink sparkling wines more regularly.

 

Source: Drinks Business