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News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Cocktails That Taste Like Stories: Spiced, Stirred, And Infused With Culture
Last Updated: These curated cocktail recipes are more than just sips. They are a mood, a moment, and a statement crafted to match the energy you are chanelling this season. Not all cocktails are created equal, and these aren't your run-of-the-mill bar orders. Whether you're craving something smoky and spiced or crisp and citrusy, this curated lineup delivers more than just flavour. Each cocktail is a mood, a moment, a statement, crafted to match the energy you're channelling. 1. DEWAR'S Espresso Martini This isn't your everyday espresso martini. Crafted by Myles Carroll, DEWAR'S Brand Ambassador, it's a dessert and a conversation starter all in one. Ingredients: 45 ml DEWAR'S 12-Year-Old Whisky 30 ml fresh espresso (chilled) or cold brew 25 ml masala syrup Method: Shake hard with ice and strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass. Garnish with coffee beans or a piece of dark chocolate. Expert Tip: For the masala syrup, crush 30 black peppercorns, 1 knob of ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, 10 elaichi, and 10 cloves. Add 500ml boiling water, steep for 1 hour. Strain and mix with 200g sugar and ½ tsp salt. Refrigerate. Crafted by Bacardi India, this citrusy, honeyed Scotch cocktail is light yet flavourful, making it ideal for summer afternoons or laid-back gatherings. Method: Fill a highball glass with ice. Add whisky, lemon juice, honey syrup, and bitters. Serve in a highball glass. Top with soda water and stir gently. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a sprig of mint. 3. The Weller Paper Plane This cocktail is balanced, bold, and effortlessly confident. Ingredients: Method: Shake all ingredients with ice until well-chilled. Strain into a coupe glass. 4. The Patrón Margarita Classic, edgy, and refreshingly real, this drink is SPF, respect, and peace in a glass. Ingredients: Method: Shake all ingredients with ice. Pour into an old-fashioned glass rimmed with salt. Garnish with a lime wedge. 5. Golden Elixir This refined yet grounded cocktail blends tradition with modern flair. Ingredients: Method: Shake Scotch, honey, lemon juice, and bitters with ice. Strain into a black salt–rimmed wine glass. Top with soda. Serve in a wine glass and garnish with an edible flower or lemon twist. view comments Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: July 28, 2025, 18:24 IST News lifestyle » food Cocktails That Taste Like Stories: Spiced, Stirred, And Infused With Culture Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
BBC News
06-07-2025
- BBC News
Photographer to recreate childhood River Spey trip in dad's canoe
A documentary photographer is to spend a year exploring the Spey using a canoe he travelled down the river in with his dad almost 30 years Smith was 10 when he made his first full descent of the 98-mile (158km) river from its source in Highlands' Monadhliath mountains to where it meets the sea at Spey Bay in 39-year-old will photograph and film the Spey and the surrounding landscape, and interview people he meets along the Mr Smith said: "I aim to capture a snapshot of what the Spey Valley looks like now." When he was a boy, Mr Smith made frequent trips to the Spey and Cairngorms with his family and also his high school in North said: "I made my first full descent of the Spey with my dad David and some of his friends."I can't remember how many days we took, but I have vivid memories of certain rapids and features on the river which I am going to be looking for."He added: "Now the river is very much my home. It's only a stone's throw away from my house and my gallery." The Spey is famous for its connections to whisky and has more than 50 distilleries, the highest number of any of Scotland's whisky Spey cast, a technique used in fly fishing on fast-flowing rivers, is named after the river and was developed in the 19th Smith said he would be documenting the industrial and leisure activities on as well as its less well-known said shipbuilding once thrived at Garmouth, a small community near the mouth of the Spey."I think the river has a bit of mystique to it," he added."It is also quite an unusual river in that it doesn't meander that much for quite a big river." He said the Spey Valley had changed since his first descent almost 30 years ago, with communities such as Aviemore, Grantown-on-Spey and Kingussie growing in 2023, beavers were reintroduced to locations near the Smith added: "There are also areas of rewilding, such as at Glenfeshie."The documentary photographer will make a summer descent of the Spey this month, and a winter one in January for his year-long Smith will also circumnavigate on a bike the Spey Basin, the river's 1,158 sq mile (3,000 sq km) catchment area, and cycle upstream from Spey Bay on the Moray Firth coast to river's source at Loch Spey."It's a very personal project, I'm very passionate about it," he said.
CNA
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Eat, Drink, Singapore - Sip, savour and celebrate SG60 in style
CNA938 Rewind The Great Palate 2025: Whisky & Spirits Edition is happening next weekend on 5 & 6 July 2025. Cheryl Goh finds out more about this year's special SG60 showcase, and how the whisky scene has evolved over time here with Michelle Lu, GM of Malt & Wine Asia and also overall in-charge of Great Palate project.
Los Angeles Times
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Beach Boys hailed in own home town
Since the Beach Boys are one of the handful of best rock groups in history and this is their home town, it is no wonder they received a series of standing ovations over the weekend at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Though the group played the Whisky a few nights last fall, the Saturday night concert was in a real sense a homecoming for the group that popularized Southern California girls, surfing and other teen-oriented activities during the 1960s. Along with record producer Phil Spector, the Beach Boys were the most important and permanent force in rock music in the 1960s before the rise of the Beatles and the many other English groups. Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys' leader, captured teen themes and moods better than anyone since Chuck Berry. Though Brian watched it all from the wings Saturday (he has not been a regular member of the Beach Boys' concert lineup for years now), the rest of the Beach Boys went through some of their early hits (such as 'I Get Around' and 'Good Vibrations') and some of their more recent recordings for nearly two hours, enjoying it all apparently as much as the capacity audience. Since then, only The Band, perhaps, has come close to the smooth use of harmony in rock. Similarly, the Beach Boys have an instrumental discipline that allows them to integrate the traditional rock unit (drums, bass, guitar) with piano and a five-piece brass section perfectly. The focus in the Beach Boys' music is always crisp. The songs move forward with economy and direction. There is no flashy, self-defeating, self-indulgence in the music. While the early songs continue to receive the greatest audience response (there were audience requests for 'Surfin' U.S.A.' all night), the Beach Boys have moved forward steadily since the mid-1960s when their 'Pet Sounds' album became a mini-classic. The group's current 'Sunflower' album was named one of the year's best by several rock reviewers. But the group continues to have an identity crisis. The problem is that a large share of the rock audience continues to think of the Beach Boys in the past tense. Most of the post-'Pet Sounds' work has gone unheard. The group's last top-10 record was in 1966. In recent months, the Beach Boys (Dennis and Carl Wilson, Alan Jardine, Mike Love and Bruce Johnson) have begun an active campaign to upgrade its image. They recently toured Europe, have scheduled some key U.S. concerts (including New York's Carnegie Hall on Wednesday) and plan some further promotion of the 'Sunflower' album. If the rock community (which often tends to pay more attention to new acts and trends than to established talents) will give them a chance, the Beach Boys may make it to the top once again. It should be pointed out, however, the Beach Boys were guilty of some sloppiness Saturday. They should stick to business between songs rather than slow down the pacing by unnecessary chatter. And, there's no reason they should waste time allowing Bruce Johnson to sing Elton John's 'Your Song.' The group has too much at stake now not to make every moment on stage count.
Forbes
05-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
A Japanese Whisky Check-In With The President Of The House Of Suntory
Every year, the Yamazaki Distillery attracts visitors from all over the world. Suntory Global Spirits Suntory (and by extension, commercial Japanese whisky as a distinct style) celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023. Once an unassuming domestic spirit that rarely left its local market, Japanese whisky has become an international cultural phenomenon in the 21st century. The rapid growth of the category, especially in the Western world, caught many by surprise. Today, Suntory's Japanese whisky products have a foothold in many key regions, but the global whisky consumer market has matured significantly over the last decade. Suntory is focusing its efforts on authenticity, innovation and reaffirming its commitment to quality over quantity. What does the Japanese whisky category look like today, and what will it look like years from now? I recently spoke with the new president of The House of Suntory to find out. The walk from Midtown Manhattan to 11 Madison Ave on a 70-degree April afternoon buzzed with the classic mid-week hustle and bustle of New York City. After a brisk walk through busy city streets, my arrival at the building's lobby was a welcome respite. It was cool, quiet and nearly spotless, with walls adorned from floor to ceiling in stunning marble. Hibiki 30 Year was a willing photo subject at Suntory Headquarters in NYC. Chris Perugini The feel of the lobby was merely a primer for the moment the elevator doors opened to the 12th floor. Suntory Global Spirits headquarters is a transformative sensory experience, and for a brief moment, I was in another world. The lobby was filled with greenery, a flowing fountain, and a 'signature scent' that was faint yet distinctly floral. There were plenty of office activity during my visit, but aside from the people I was actively talking to, I barely heard another sound the entire time I was there. After a brief tour of the office, I was led to a tech-enabled conference room that adjoined another space used for traditional tea ceremonies—a true East-meets-West dichotomy. That's where I sat down to speak with the man in charge of the most successful Japanese whisky brands in the world. In addition to being the new president of The House of Suntory, Masaki 'Mory' Morimoto just relocated to New York City after spending the vast majority of his life in Japan. Throughout his thirty-year career with Suntory, Mory has had a direct hand in transforming the company's Japanese whisky portfolio from humble beginnings as a domestic product to the global powerhouse it is today. What drew Mory's interest in Suntory in the first place? Masaki "Mory" Morimoto is the new president of the House of Suntory Suntory Global Spirits 'I was attracted by Kakubin when I was a university student. I decided to join Suntory because I was interested in beer and liquor products,' says Mory. 'When I worked in the Tokyo office, I was in charge of almost all our whisky products as a brand manager, as a senior manager, and as the president of the business in Japan.' Mory spent the last few years in Singapore before relocating to New York City in early 2025, after his appointment as the new president of The House of Suntory. The move to the United States will give him first-hand access and exposure to their 'most important' market. American whisky drinkers, in particular, have been drawn to Japanese whisky for over twenty years. The allure of Asian culture in the United States is nothing new, and Japanese whisky appears to be no exception. In hindsight, the global success of the category shouldn't have surprised anyone, but raises an important question. If Japanese whisky has been around since the 1920s, why did it take until the 21st century for the category to permeate American whisky pop culture? Japanese whisky wasn't internationally recognized throughout the 20th century, so it was never thought of as an export product. 'We could not sell our products outside of Japan. Most of our sales came from the Japanese market,' recalls Mory. That all changed shortly after the turn of the century, when in 2003, Yamazaki 12 Year Old was awarded the gold medal at the International Spirits Competition in the UK. As was the case for 'off-the-radar' international whisky brands in the early 2000s, competitions like these were widely covered, and award-winning brands were thrust onto a global stage. Yamazaki 18 Year was Suntory's first product exported to the United States in 2004. Suntory Global Spirits For Mory and his team, the ISC victory was proof of concept that Japanese whisky could succeed in international markets. As he recalls, 'It was a big trigger to start exporting and marketing outside of Japan.' Mory wisely chose first to target a large export market that was culturally resonant with Japan. 'I was a brand manager of the Yamazaki and Hakushu brands, and I decided to promote those brands in the United States first.' The rest, as we know, is history. Yamazaki was first launched in the U.S. in 2004. Just ten years later, Suntory Holdings purchased Beam Inc. for $13.6 billion to form Beam-Suntory (now Suntory Global Spirits). 'The integration of Beam and Suntory was an opportunity to expand our product distribution, deliver our brand story and share the history and uniqueness of our Japanese whisky brands.' says Mory. In 2019, this partnership was tangibly celebrated in the U.S. in the form of Legent—a bourbon born from the collaborative efforts of seventh-generation Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe and Shinji Fukuyo, Suntory's longtime Chief Blender. With over 20 years of true export experience under its belt, Suntory had every opportunity to do what many distilleries did during the market's concurrent growth period: greatly increase production. Distilleries all over the world have invested heavily in production equipment, infrastructure and staff—all in an attempt to meet insatiable consumer demand. More fermenters, more stills, more warehouses and round-the-clock production are way more common now than they were just a few years ago. Suntory has invested in production as well, but not solely to make as much whisky as possible. 'Suntory wants to prioritize quality first. We've planned our production from a long-term point of view, while gradually improving the supply situation,' says Mory. 'Suntory adopts a very traditional method of whisky making.' The still room at Yamazaki Distillery features direct fired stills. Suntory Global Spirits Japanese whisky is generally characterized by a light and delicate distillate, achieved through precise distillation techniques that, compared to other distilleries around the world, are more of a science than an art. 'Suntory revived a very traditional fermentation system and distillation process. I think that balance is critical to create a quality whisky,' says Mory. Suntory's distilleries still use wooden fermentation tanks and direct fire pot stills, production techniques long forgotten across much of the global whisky industry. In 2023, during their 100th anniversary, they introduced floor malting at both Yamazaki and Hakushu as well as a new process to cultivate yeast at Hakushu. That's not to say that increasing production isn't part of the long-term strategy. Mory continues, '[Over] the last 10 years, we have invested money to build a new warehouse. Last year, we built a new facility with floor malting and developed an R&D center to test our spirits.' Suntory has warehouses at Yamazaki, Hakushu and their Ohmi Aging Cellar, and has expanded capacity across their storage locations multiple times over the last decade. Suntory is also committed to sustainability and conservation, and has increased these efforts throughout the 21st century. 'Most of our products are made from water,' says Mory. 'We spend a lot of water, so we are investing in water.' Suntory launched their "Natural Water Sanctuary" program in 2003. These conservation areas around their plants recharge more than double the groundwater used by their Japanese facilities. Suntory aims to become net water positive by 2050, meaning they will cultivate more water worldwide than their plants consume. In 2024, Suntory announced another breakthrough in an effort to decarbonize its whisky manufacturing, with a successful trial of direct-fired distillation at Yamazaki using 100% hydrogen instead of conventional natural gas. 'We spent a lot of money to develop [this] new distillation system,' says Mory. The company plans to first bring this technology online at commercial scale at Hakushu distillery, with expanded implementation across their facilities as their final goal. The ascent of Japanese whisky on the world's stage came with an unfortunate side effect: a more deceptive counterpart masquerading under the same name. Hakushu Distillery Suntory Global Spirits As a domestic product, Japanese whisky was largely self-regulated, with the understanding that the basic concepts of whisky classification in other countries should also apply in Japan. Under these unwritten rules, single malt Japanese whisky was understood to be made at a single distillery from 100% malted barley—distilled, aged and bottled in Japan. Similarly, blended Japanese whisky was to be made from a combination of malt and grain whiskies sourced from multiple distilleries. By the middle of the 2010s, however, Japanese whisky had become so popular that some spirits producers decided to skirt some (or in some cases, all) of these assumed production requirements. Their main target? A relatively unassuming U.S. market. Store shelves became flooded with unknown products that looked the part claiming to be 'Japanese whisky.' (I explored the concept of 'fake' Japanese whisky in depth in 2024.) Many of these bottles are are actually shochu labeled as 'single grain whisky.' Worse still, other bottles contained whisky that wasn't made in Japan at all. 'We want to protect and maintain our reputation and the integrity of Japanese whisky rather than our market share,' says Mory. Casks of Yamazaki whisky aging in a Suntory warehouse. Suntory Global Spirits Suntory is a member of the Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association (JSLMA), which established guidelines in 2021 to standardize Japanese whisky's production requirements. These standards officially took effect in April 2024, but they aren't protected by the Japanese government or industry-wide oversight. Without these protections, there are no enforceable penalties for breaking the rules defined by the JSLMA. That hasn't stopped the organization from trying to highlight whisky that follows their standard. 'The JSLMA has announced two initiatives,' says Mory. 'The first is [the development of] a trademark for Japanese whisky. Members will be allowed to use this logo on their label. Ideally, by the end of this year, we will be able to apply it to our products.' The JSLMA's second initiative centers around broader legislative efforts to protect the category and to that end, Suntory is working with both the Japanese and U.S. governments to recognize the category legally. Now in its second century of operation, Suntory is further diversifying its global marketing approach, continuing its focus on established markets while expanding into new regions with significant growth potential. Suntory Toki is made for mixing and was designed with Tokyo's highball-centric culture in mind. Suntory Global Spirits 'In an advanced whisky market, we want to focus more on quality and storytelling in the U.S. and key markets in Europe and Japan. Looking outside these markets, there's a huge opportunity to expand our business, especially in Asia and South America.' With immense resources and capital at their disposal, Suntory has the ability to take their business in any direction the want. After a candid, informative conversation with Mory to learn about the long-term strategy for their portfolio, I expect Suntory to continue their reign as the torchbearer of the Japanese whisky category for many decades to come. This interview was edited for clarity. Follow me on Instagram at singlemaltsavvy.
