Notorious Beam Team

With cheesy disco drinks a thing of the past and dressing garish blue cocktails with sparklers a distant memory, people are waking up to the fact that the cocktail is not just a means to an end. It certainly doesn’t belong solely on your best friend's hen night or during the first week at the Freshers' week.

The cocktail has recently been going from strength to strength. After a period in the doldrums during the '80s it has found its feet again and since the Millennium the mixed drink is back, it’s here to stay and it’s a little more grown up this time with cocktail bartenders looking to chefs and sommeliers to understand flavour, balance and depth of taste, today’s cocktail is infinitely more refined than that of yesteryear.

But away from style bars or five star hotels where do your get hands on one of these delights? West Eleven cocktails was set up to look after the people who want a great drink, but not necessarily in a bar environment.

West Eleven have selected classic styles of cocktails and tweaked them to add a modern twist. The range includes the Elderflower Collins, Passionfruit Mai Tai, Blueberry Bramble, Classic Mojito and Pomegranate Cosmo. These are real cocktails in a bottle, made from the finest, freshest and most authentic ingredients. They taste as fresh and as balanced and as premium and as lovingly prepared as if the bartender was standing right in front of you. I have sampled these cocktails and have to say they are delicious!


Visit the website at www.westelevencocktails.com and watch the cocktail ads which are like mini brand animations, very nice.

From the quite brilliant Presentation Zen blog:

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Gallo Family Vineyards has released a limited-edition handbag style wine box for their White Grenach variety, which is claimed to be the UK’s most popular rose wine. Designed to be an ideal gift for parties, the clutch bag-shaped box holds the equivalent of two bottles of wine (1.5l) and it's easily into a fridge.


The wine handbag won the award for 'Best Packaging and Design' at the drinks business awards 2008.


The big wine trend for this summer looks to be Rose on the rocks. In keeping with the current trend for unusual consumption, E&J Gallo are aiming to persuade consumers to drink rose over ice with its 'Rose on the Rocks' campaign. It plans to roll out gift packs containing over-size wine glasses and an ice tray. A sponsorship tie-up with the two biggest bagged-ice makers will result in the campaign featuring on 500,000 bags. An extensive sampling push will also be rolled out over the summer months.

Sputnik Vodka Announces New Flavours Basil, Rose Petal and Horseradish.


Seeking to build on a fan base that reaches from St. Paul's to St. Petersburg, Genuine Russian Sputnik Vodka launches three versatile new flavours to orbit the chic UK drinks scene. True to the brand's pioneering spirit, Sputnik's new offering is vodkas flavoured naturally with Rose Petal, Basil and Horseradish. The new flavours will be available to UK vodka connoisseurs in June.


Sputnik Marketing Director Lenny Musatov wants to teach vodka drinkers in the UK that "there is much more to vodka drinking than simply getting a buzz. Vodka is a huge part of socialisation in Russian culture - think of it as 'tea time' Russki style. Sputnik's Basil, Horseradish and Rose Petal vodkas will complement the sophisticated British palate whilst introducing the richness of Russian traditions to the UK cocktail culture".

The inaugural flavours reinvent old favourites, allowing mixologists' creativity to run wild and encouraging the creation of as-yet unheard of cocktails and a trend towards savoury as well as sweet tipples - think Sputnik Spicy Horseradish Caipi'russkas' and Sputnik Rose Petal-politans. The new Sputnik flavours offer bartenders the option of using these naturally infused, unique blends in their drinks to provide flavours that are difficult to source naturally.

The new drinks will be some serious conversation starters, which is in line with a Russian tradition that disallows drinking in groups of less than three in order to prevent dull conversation. Only 2% of the vodkas sold in the UK are Russian, giving Sputnik the opportunity to responsibility tutor Britons in the Russian Experience of enjoying vodka as a complement to snacks. This concept is commonplace in Russia, as they know that to keep your wits about you while enjoying vodka with friends it is important to pair the drink with food.

All three flavours will be held to the same rigorous standards as Sputnik's original; the new versions of Sputnik will be triple-distilled to create Sputnik's premium signature flavour and truly Russian essence of 'zhivaya voda' (water of life). Using a closely guarded secret vodka recipe that dates to the 1890s, Sputnik is steeped in tradition. Alongside Sputnik's rich heritage is a strong desire to explore and a thirst for innovation illustrated by Sputnik's unique taste that strongly appeals to flavour-forward UK vodka fans.


The new Sputnik website aims to educate consumers about how Sputnik should be consumed to maximise the vodka experience. Similar to the Mexican ritual of salt and lime for tequila, the Russians also have a specific way of drinking their national pride. These rituals guarantee that you maximise the pure vodka taste and experience.

1. Toast
2. Exhale the breath from your lungs
3. Down your chilled vodka in one
4. Grab a slice of rye bread or snack
5. Smell it deeply
6. Then consume it

By following these steps, not only will you be walking in the footsteps of Russian forefathers, but you will also be enjoying the best that vodka has to offer.

"Extravagant Nightclub Experience and $250,000 Bejeweled 'Jagger Dagger' Debuts NEW YORK, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Launching this spring, the ultimate expression of "Luxury Reborn" is the Jade Jagger for Belvedere collaboration, composed of an extravagant nightclub ritual and the exclusive "Jagger Dagger." With this new initiative, Belvedere is further established as the hottest vodka -- smooth, creamy, peppery and brimming with the energy of the night.

The fabulous "Jagger Dagger," designed by rock 'n' roll legacy andcelebrated jewelry designer Jade Jagger, boasts an 18-carat white gold hiltstudded with 12 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds, 42 stunning pieces ofpale sapphire and is inlaid with a central blue lapis lazuli square sittingabove the blade. The Jagger Dagger's handle is bound with a twisted thread of white gold and crowned with a giant moonstone and lapis lazuli bead. A limited number of these ultimate ice daggers will be created, eachwith a retail value exceeding $250,000. The Jagger Dagger's blade iscrafted from mirror-polished carbon steel and adorned with an engraving ofthe delicate frosted tree branches that decorate the Belvedere bottleitself. These precious ice daggers will be sold at a select number ofworld-famous retailers, including Harrods in London. A range ofidentical-looking daggers-studded with 12 carats of white topaz, 42 piecesof stunning aquamarine and valued at $10,000 each -- will also be availableat exclusive retailers for trendsetting party-goers wanting to enjoyBelvedere's "Jagger Dagger" experience for themselves. "I was excited when Belvedere asked me to design this ice pick forthem," says Jade Jagger. "I drew my inspiration from medieval daggers andworked with the finest stones to create the pieces, which are fun and workto bring a pure experience to enjoying vodka."

The "Jagger Dagger" will be part of an extravagant and outrageous experience when a magnum of Belvedere is ordered at select exclusive nightclubs. Currently a trend in top European night spots, revelers can nowenjoy their Belvedere cocktails with chiseled chunks of hand-cracked ice, increasingly in demand among discerning vodka drinks. The irregularsurfaces of hand-cracked ice melt down more slowly than traditionalevenly-shaped ice cubes, keeping the vodka cold without diluting its rich taste and potency. The ritual is completed with a giant block of ice andtableside ice-picking service with the bejeweled "Jagger Dagger," providedby servers suited in Jagger's Jezebel collection. This exclusive experiencewill be available at top nightclubs around the globe -- including 1OAK inNew York, Crystal in London and VIP in Paris. "We are extremely excited about collaborating with Jade Jagger and thecreation of the Jagger Dagger," says Sergio Dias, president, BelvedereVodka. "Belvedere continues to embody true luxury and the Jagger Dagger Experience is the ultimate expression of Belvedere's commitment toinnovation that no other super-premium vodka brand can offer.

With the Jagger Dagger, we are offering consumers a unique experience that can befound nowhere else." The Jade Jagger for Belvedere collaboration launches this spring with aseries of star-studded events in the world's party capitals, starting inMumbai then moving on to New York and Los Angeles, London, Cannes (during the film festival) and ending in Ibiza during the height of party season.Jade Jagger will be in attendance at all events, along with guests chosenfrom her glamorous circle and musicians, photographers, celebrities,designers and models. About Jade Jagger Jade Jagger is the embodiment of today's true style leaders. Having carved a feted reputation as an artist, creative director and visionary jeweler, Jade Jagger was appointed creative director at Garrard, the Royaljewelers, where her dedication and design innovation saw her reach a newgeneration by revolutionizing the company's creative communication. Jade Jagger currently resides in London and Ibiza.

About the Terry Richardson Advertising Campaign The Jade Jagger for Belvedere collaboration follows the launch of thebrand's new advertising campaign, presenting Belvedere's message of LuxuryReborn to a wider public. The campaign was created and directed byavant-garde American photographer Terry Richardson. An ex-punk rockerturned fashion photographer extraordinaire, Richardson, like Jagger,embodies Belvedere's spirit of authentic artistry and luxury coupled with ago-anywhere social savvy. To mark the launch of the Jade Jagger forBelvedere collaboration, Terry has photographed Jade in a series ofstriking images, each of which will bring to life the downtown, luxury appeal of the collaboration."

This is being covered in all the newspapers and is a very clever way of getting publicity and talkability outside of the bar... but just as importantly is a great way of getting visibility and listings in luxury bars.

From Deidre Woollard the luxury spirits expert at Luxist...

"Scotch whisky is getting more and more popular.The Scotch Whisky Association has reported that the value of exports reached a new high of £2.8b billion last year. With the rise in exports comes the demand for more and more premium bottles inspiring whisky distillers to create more and more expensive bottles. Case in point, the latest from Highland Park, a 40-year-old single malt whisky which is the oldest in their portfolio. The whisky is described as a "a balance of toffee, dark chocolate, orange zest and heather peat smokiness" and comes in an oak stained wood box with a leather booklet explaining the history of the brand. The whisky will sell for £899 per bottle. Hopefully this whisky won't get lost in transit like some of their 32-year-old single malt recently did."

From Luxist's Deidre Woollard:

"I've been to plenty of wine pairing dinners but what about a dinner based around vodka. The Zyr Vodka Maker dinner at WIld Thyme in Southampton, NY on May 16 offers an entire meal that uses the vodka infused with a variety of flavors. It starts with hors d'oeuvres paired with a classic martini; followed by a martini of scallop ceviche paired with cilantro and jalapeno infused Zyr; curry seared Ahi tuna with a cucumber peanut relish with is paired with a peanut infused Zyr; American red snapper with white asparagus spears, brown butter and pistachio paired with Zyr infused with lemon zest; seared duck breast and foie gras with peppered melon and black olive vanilla sauce paired with an aged infusion of cantaloupe and pepper Zyr martini; a sorbet of wildflower blossoms; and finishes with a caramelized banana and chocolate spring roll with roasted almond ice cream paired with something they call a banana transfusion, a puree of banana blended Zyr digestif. This unique meal costs $85 and the phone number for Wild Thyme is 631-204-0007."

Sounds delicious... but wouldn't it be so much better with some nice cognac or tequila?

Exciting news hot off the press!

We emailed Wahaca this morning with some picures showing how our chiles are getting on to see if they could tell us what type of chiles we are growing. Loyal readers will recall that we were given some chile seeds when we ate at Wahaca which we have since planted and lovingly nurtured...








Then, to our delight an email arrived from none other than the Queen of Wahaca herself... Thomasina Miers. The legend who won Master Chef! Without going into massive detail...

"They look like jalapeno from the round, wide stem...these were seeds we were giving out before Christmas. If you planted them since them, they'll be serrano chillies which are smaller and thinner...they look like jalapenos to me but you could do the taste test. Serranos should be a little hotter and have a grassier, more citrus flavour."

Wow! This is some of the most exciting news we have ever had. Thomasina even offered us the chance to write a feature for Wahaca's next newsletter!

Thank you Thomasina! We'll be round soon for that shot of tequila you mentioned!

Fascinating article from the BBC that could influence some of our sampling techniques and lead to talkability.

"Playing a certain type of music can enhance the way wine tastes, research by psychologists suggests.

The Heriot Watt University study found people rated the change in taste by up to 60% depending on the melody heard.

The researchers said cabernet sauvignon was most affected by "powerful and heavy" music, and chardonnay by "zingy and refreshing" sounds.

Professor Adrian North said the study could lead retailers to put music recommendations on their wine bottles.

The research involved 250 students at the university who were offered a free glass of wine in exchange for their views.

Brain theory

Four types of music were played - Carmina Burana by Orff ("powerful and heavy"), Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky ("subtle and refined"), Just Can't Get Enough by Nouvelle Vague ("zingy and refreshing") and Slow Breakdown by Michael Brook ("mellow and soft")

The white wine was rated 40% more zingy and refreshing when that music was played, but only 26% more mellow and soft when music in that category was heard.


MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS
Cabernet Sauvignon: All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix), Honky Tonk Woman (Rolling Stones), Live And Let Die (Paul McCartney and Wings), Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who)
Chardonnay: Atomic (Blondie), Rock DJ (Robbie Williams), What's Love Got To Do With It (Tina Turner), Spinning Around (Kylie Minogue)
Syrah: Nessun Dorma (Puccini), Orinoco Flow (Enya), Chariots Of Fire (Vangelis), Canon (Johann Pachelbel)
Merlot: Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay (Otis Redding), Easy (Lionel Ritchie), Over The Rainbow (Eva Cassidy), Heartbeats (Jose Gonzalez)
Source: Montes wines

The red was altered 25% by mellow and fresh music, yet 60% by powerful and heavy music.

The results were put down to "cognitive priming theory", where the music sets up the brain to respond to the wine in a certain way.

"Wine manufacturers could recommend that while drinking a certain wine, you should listen to a certain sort of music," Prof North said.

The research was carried out for Chilean winemaker Aurelio Montes, who plays monastic chants to his maturing wines.

Mr Montes said: "It was therefore a natural extension to link with Heriot Watt and to scientifically determine the impact that music has on how wine tastes."

Previously, Professor North conducted supermarket research which suggested people were five times more likely to buy French wine than German wine if accordion music was played in the background.

If an oompah band was played, the German product outsold the French by two to one."

From Communicadores.

From the Londonist:

"If a few months from now you’re sipping a cocktail at one of London’s trendier cocktail bars and you notice a few squishy gold flecked bubbly pearls floating around in your glass, don’t be alarmed; that’s just Cointreau Caviar. Yes, Londonist has seen (and sipped) the future of booze, and it’s ridiculously over the top, rather tasty and derived from a scientific molecular mixology process.

Last night saw Cointreau’s London launch of what it has dubbed Cointreau Caviar: solid iridescent pearls of Cointreau liqueur with edible flakes of 24-carat gold inside. The pearls have the look and consistency of, well, caviar and add a nice little burst of ‘ooh’ to a drink. The process to make the Cointreau Caviar involves a simple laboratory-style technique and a few natural ingredients … and turns bartenders into mad scientists. As of yet, no London spots are serving what Cointreau calls an “innovative and startlingly transformation set to create a whole new wave of cocktail culture,” a claim Londonist finds a bit difficult to swallow. However, our sources suggest that come summer, a few drinking establishments of note will be adding these morsels to their line up. We hope to keep you posted. Cointreau reckons their caviar can be added to a range of cocktails such as cosmopolitans or used to enhance even the bubbliest glass of champagne. Hey, why not?"

Photography by Chris Osburn.

Interesting commentary on the effects of economic downturn and the Absolut issue from Wine and Spirits Daily.

"How is the economy affecting Fortune Brands’ spirits portfolio? That’s the million dollar question. Most of the spirits companies (other than Brown-Forman) have been reluctant to admit that the U.S. economy has taken much of a toll. The general consensus is that consumers view spirits as an “affordable luxury.” Sure, there might be a slowdown in value spirits brands, but premium and super-premiums continue to grow. In an age of premiumization and trading up, spirits companies are generally more concerned with their premium and up brands anyways. Most spirits companies also seem to think they will have no problem bouncing back from a slowdown and that the dawning recession is merely temporary. Declines in the on-premise are perhaps the biggest thorn for distillers, but most claim it’s not a significant change.

“What we have seen a little bit is a little less consumption at bars and restaurants and more people buying at their local liquor store, but it's not that significant,” Fortune ceo Bruce Carbonari told WSJ earlier this month.

In the first quarter, spirits sales were flat in the U.S., but Fortune says some of that was a result of larger-than-usual seasonal reductions in distributor inventories.

"While our reported spirits sales were relatively flat, shipments of spirits were adversely impacted in the U.S. by larger-than-usual seasonal reductions in distributor inventories that don't reflect the health of our brands in the marketplace," Carbonari said in a statment. "Had distributor inventory movements been consistent with the prior year, our worldwide spirits sales would have been solidly higher.”

Spirits sales increased at the premium end of the portfolio, reflecting favorable mix shift and Fortune’s continued focus on growing premiums. On a depletions basis, Fortune’s global premium brands grew in the U.S. and demonstrated strong growth in the U.K., Spain and Germany, as well as in Russia, India and China."

...

First quarter depletions for Jim Beam were off in the first quarter, but Fortune is still expecting another strong year for Beam. The next generation of Jim Beam’s market campaign will rollout in the second quarter.

Sauza had lower shipments overall in the quarter due to inventory movements and tough comps. Depletions were strong in the U.S., however, and super-premium Sauza Hornitos continued to see strong growth.

Courvoisier increased double digit net sales on strong increases in the U.S. Maker’s Mark also experienced strong depletions overall.

WEAKENING ECONOMY. There was a lot of economy talk in today’s conference call. Overall, Fortune maintains that the economy has not had a large impact on spirits sales, although it has taken a toll (albeit it small) on value brands and the on-premise. Florida and California in particular have experienced a slowdown.

“We have seen no significant changes in the U.S. market...we’ve seen some change on-premise versus off-premise...geographic slowdowns correlates to the housing market, which we are seeing most heavily in Florida and California, especially on-premise,” said Carbonari.

“We have not seen the softening U.S. economy have a meaningful impact on total consumer demand...we benefit from our strong premium position,” cfo Craig Omtvedt.

“We had a good Christmas season...we have not seen trading down. The premium brands grow more than the value side and we’ve seen this trend for awhile now. The cocktail is still an affordable luxury and people aren’t willing to give that up. We’ve seen very little trade down at this point,” said Carbonari."

All from Johnmcd's Flickr set.

Again from Jean at NotCot heres some activity from 1800 Tequila - I like the comment at the end: "totally random… but does anyone else find themselves reading 1800 Tequila as 1-800-TEQUILA?"

"Prepare to see Tequila in a whole new light… especially if you live in SF, Chicago, Detroit, or Atlanta, where the first set of 1800 Tequila Artist billboards are now popping up to show off some of their beautiful and crazy Limited Edition bottle collaborations! And rolling out soon will also be chances for people to submit art for upcoming billboards/bottles… and SNEAKERS!

From the press release:

A unique mix of palette and palate, this new initiative celebrates the talents of nine artists — Jorge Alderete (Mexico City) , Jeremy Bacharach (Chicago), Glenn Barr (Detroit), Will Chambers (Chicago), Chris Dean (Detroit), Kim Dosa (Atlanta), Josh Ellingson (Oakland), Hannah Stouffer (Oakland) and Urban Medium (Atlanta) — who have been commissioned to design collectible limited edition bottles. (There are only 1800 of each design, which will be available for a Pop Art price of $34.99 at high-end liquor stores).

The specially commissioned artworks will be unveiled as part of an $8million outdoor advertising and promotional campaign across the country — a new-generation museum that brings art to the people. For those who are unable to view the high-impact billboards in person, the campaign will also be available online at www.1800Tequila.com.

NotCot is brilliant. Look at what Jean got sent recently. Her post highlights the importance of blogger PR and remarkable packaging.

"Mmmm matte black box, tied up in leather cord, sealed with a big glossy wax seal… along with an enticing black envelope sealed with a matching wax seal, containing silver sheets of paper… it was far too fun to bust open this latest press release to land on my doorstep this morning and discover this beautiful bottle of the freshly launched “100 proof, 100 percent agave, super-premium tequila”, 1800 Silver Select Tequila. This comes from the 1800 Tequila folks (who just started the crazy billboard artist collab campaign i told you about earlier this week)… Really, the unboxing experience was too fun not to share, see the pictures below.

My favorite quotes from the press release… “If James Bond had to give up his martini, shaken, not stirred, he’d switch to 1800 Select Silver”… “For a male-oriented, status-conscious market, driven by luxury and opulence, in which authenticity and perception is all, ordering the best is what counts”… “This is a premium drink for the bon vivant who requests his single malt scotch by name, and who will now be equally fastidious about his favorite brand of tequila.” I love the marketing speak - these made me giggle a bit, and hey marketers, we ladies like our premium drinks and single malt scotches too!

So seeing as i just woke up, and tequila isn’t quite how i start my mornings… i haven’t taken a shot yet, but will update later with how this “raises smooth to new heights”… but for now, be intrigued, and see the pics after the jump of how much fun this gorgeous packaging is!"











Great coverage for 1800 Silver Tequila. And the shot glass in the lid thing has sparked a bit of conversation too... See the video below.

From the ever brilliant Springwise expanding on their notion of Tryvertising - or sampling as we call it:

"Wine may be enjoying new popularity, but that doesn't mean the average consumer isn't still daunted by the knowledge it takes to pick a bottle they'll like. We've written about several efforts to simplify the process, and now WineSide is taking a novel approach by offering wines packaged in sample-sized tubes.

WineSide offers both sweet and classic wines in patented, flat-base glass tubes with screw tops carefully engineered to protect the wines' flavour. The sweet wines—which include Sauternes and Muscat, for example—are available in 6cl tubes, while the Pomerol, Chateau Neuf du Pape and other classic wines can be purchased in 6cl or 10cl sizes. WineSide's collection represents a range of appellations and producers; tubes are available individually or by the box, which can be chosen to provide an introduction to a variety, year or region. Kicking off retail sales, the products are available exclusively at Colette in Paris this month.

In addition to giving consumers a new way to sample and discover wines, WineSide's tube format also promises to give vintners new tryvertising capabilities at relatively low cost. The French company's website is still under construction, but it says it is looking for distributors. One to get in on early!"

Sounds neat and looks very smart. Plus the link with Colette is guaranteed to get them trendy coverage and make them seem desirable. But isn't selling little bits of wine to Parisians a bit like selling sunshine to the Sahara?

Here is the latest deisgner collaboration between Karim Rashid and Veuve Cliquot. Setting the standard in the drinks world for collabroations that are both practical/functional as well as being visually stunning and PR worthy. Who wouldn't want a pink champagne bucket/chandelier.

As pointed on Where's the Sausage in relation to previous collaborations:

"Secondary packaging. Snore, right? Boring boxes. Catatonic cartons. Well, not if you're champagne brand Veuve Clicquot.

They have turned secondary packaging into an artform and this has played an important role in making the most stylish champagne. More importantly, its also helped them become the world's number 2 premium champagne, with a 23% share of the all-important US market.

On New Year's eve I tried out the box that turns magically into an ice bucket, and it actually works! A remarkable bit of packagaing design, with plastic seals to make it watertight. The Paint Box has four mini bottles in a funky yellow ice bucket that looks like a paint can. And the limited edition version of La Grande Dame by Andre Putman would make the perfect present for someone (very) special."

Here's some quotes from the Media Kit that Nourinda sent me:

"Veuve Clicquot Rosé inspires Karim Rashid:

Globalight is an innovative and unique reinterpretation of a chandelier. For a moment… so romantic… so rosé… so Veuve Clicquot

Created by Karim Rashid, the limited-edition Veuve Clicquot Globalight is an invitation to romanticism. This ultra contemporary chandelier creates a soft pink halo of light and a dream like atmosphere wherever it goes. It transforms an intimate candle lit dinner between partners or friends. It keeps Veuve Clicquot Rosé at the ideal temperature for 2 hours.

Veuve Clicquot Globalight is a state-of-the-art technology and design piece. The highly sophisticated system provides light without warming the lamp and transferring heat to the bottle of champagne. Zumbotel, a world expert in lighting, has conceived and manufactured this unique and complex technology. The pink light is the heart of this unique piece and it creates a romantic ambiance wherever it goes.

The wine has a luminous colour with an attractive pink hue. The wine works its magic - this delectably full champagne can be enjoyed as a true delicacy. A deliciously fruity wine in early bloom, this is a wonderful aperitif to be shared as a twosome or simply with friends. Its superb rosé colour adds a daring, contemporary and romantic touch!

“When Veuve Clicquot asked me to design a new project for their champagne, to continue the sensual integration of the immaterial and the material as I had done with the Loveseat, I immediately drew an elliptical scribble around the VC rose bottle as if to denote the intent – this is what I must do – and thought how could I bring light and champagne together? – and suddenly realized that my scribble was the idea in itself – ‘surround the bottle with illumination’ – embrace the bottle with a dynamic energetic magnetism – encapsulate the bottle with warmth, so I literally made an elliptical object and designed Globalight – like a purse, or a handbag, the ovaloid vignettes the champagne – lights it, glorifies it, and embraces the fabulous pleasurable experience of drinking my favorite champagne."



And here is what Veuve say about Karim Rashid

"A world renowned designer, an iconic creator of design and light pieces, and a source of daring, playful, minimalism and sensual inspiration – Karim Rashid collaborates with the House of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin for the second time. Following the release of the “Veuve Clicquot Loveseat”, Karim Rashid drew inspiration from Veuve Clicquot Rosé to create “Globalight”, a multi functional design object representing modern romanticism.

An award winning English-Egyptian artist living in New-York, Karim Rashid is a leading figure in the fields of product and interior design, furniture, lighting and art. His work is in the permanent collections of 15 Museums world wide including MoMA in NY."

It's a win-win-win-win for Rashid, Veuve, the trade and consumers. It premiumises Veuve, gains awareness and desire for their trendy rose and gets a lot of talkability. Coolhunting is covering it so chances are it will appear in Sunday Supplements and so forth in the run up to Spring and Summer. Perfect.

From Coolhunting:

"Limited to a run of 500 (only 50 of those will be available for the U.S. market), the Globalight will be available on Eclicquot in May for $4,000."

In addition, tactically Nourinda's emails were very clever. The story was embargoed until Wednesday. But a few bloggers broke this just because bloggers like to break rules. Much better to say not to do something because bloggers are likely to do the opposite. So then she sent an email out lifting the embargo and opened the blogging floodgates. Very clever online PR.

Bloggers were sent 5 key visuals shown in this post as well as a "media kit" featuring a beautfully presented rationale for the design. Good learnings for everyone at Beam about how to do online PR and luxury marketing.

For other Veuve designer collaboration posts click here for the Porsche design work and here for the Karim Rashid loveseat.

And I've just noticed that there is a proper review of the Veueve design theme on NotCot - so take a look.

And you have to have a look at their design workshop microsite which is very slick - and seems very genuine. Reminds of the Audi design studio.

NotCot has picked up the collaboration between Courvoisier and LRG to promote Courvoisier's Exclusif cognac that is great for cocktails.

Here's the roundup from NotCot with pictures.

"On collabs i didn’t see coming… Courvoisier is going all out on their new Exclusif Cognac! Including a multi-city tour (LA, SF, Houston, Miami, NY) this spring to show off an exclusive line designed by urban/skate brand LRG, inspired by Courvoisier… including a Napoleon Rubberband Jacket.

Ok, but seriously, we both know that’s not why i’m posting this. What grabbed me is that they even customized some limited edition gadgetry - iPhones, Blackberries, and iPods to be specific, and i’m surprised, but i’m kind of loving the the napoleonic/spy logo thing thats going on, and while orange isn’t usually my color, this shade is kind of interesting on electronics… check out more sneak peeks after the jump!"