Berry Bros. & Rudd, Britain’s oldest wine and spirit merchant, launched its No.3 London Dry Gin in Hong Kong this month. The event was marked by a star-studded affair at the Alfred Dunhill store in Central, where the tipple du jour was generously served to VIP guests by some of the city’s leading barmen, including Peter Kendall from Sugar, Sam Jeveons from Café Gray, and Matthew Radalj from Republik.

Like most London Dry, the new spirit is distilled using fresh juniper berries, which are then combined with Angelica root and Moroccan coriander seeds to form a smooth, yet moderately spicy finish.

Staying true to its namesake, No.3 is further accented by a trio of fruit flavours – Grapefruit peels, Cardamom pods, and Spanish Orange.

Commenting on the launch, esteemed gin aficionado Geraldine Coates, who assisted with the label’s development, was clearly overjoyed with the final product. “Brilliantly, and indeed unusually, Berry Bros. & Rudd actually listened to what we said and incorporated our suggestions,” she noted, adding that she was nothing if not “delighted” with its quality.

No. 3 London Dry Gin is currently available at Berry Bros. and Rudd’s Lee Gardens store. 70cl bottles go for HK$438 a pop.

Where to buy?

Hong Kong Wine Shop, 307-308, The Lee Gardens, 33 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Tel: 2907 2112

Berry Bros. & Rudd is organizing a tasting of Urlar Estate wine at their store in Causeway Bay.  Mr.Angus Thomson of Urlar Estate will be present at the tasting to give tasters some insights into his wine. Using organic and biodynamic principals to grow their wine, Urlar Estate is preserving and enriching the soil that grows their wine. Pop in to Berry Bros. & Rudd if you are in the neigbourhood.

Wines available for tasting:

• 2008 Urlar Sauvignon Blanc
• 2008 Urlar Riesling
• 2008 Urlar Pinot Noir

Details

• Venue: Berry Bros & Rudd, 307-308, The Lee Gardens, 33 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay,
• Date: Monday, July 27, 2009
• Time: 6.30-8pm
• RSVP: required, call Amanda Parker at 2585 6004

(Nuits St.George)

Berry Bros & Rudd is putting together a series of tastings in June featuring a handful of renowned Burgundy producers. These unique tastings hope to showcase the qualities and characters of new and old vintages, and to explore the expression of the Montille wines from famous areas of Burgundy such as St. Aubin, Meursault Volnay, Nuits St Georges, Chambolle Musigny and Beaune. The event schedule includes:

• 18 June 2009, Lunch with Mr.Etienne de Montille at the China Club
• 18 June 2009, Burgundy wine from Domaine de Montille at Bo Innovation
• 19 June 2009, Masterclass on Burgundy wines from de Montille Stable

Topical Lunch with Mr. Etienne de Montille

• Venue: China Club, 13-15/F., The Old Bank of China Building, Bank Street, Central
• Date: Thursday 18th June,2009
• Time: 12.30pm-2.30pm

Fine Wine Dinner: with Fine Burgundy Wines from Domaine de Montille

• Venue: Bo Innovation, Shop 13, 2/F J Residence, 60 Johnston Rd, Wan Chai
• Date: Thursday 18th June, 2009
• Time: 7.30pm-10.30pm

Masterclass: Burgundy Wines of the de Montille Stable

• Venue: TBC
• Date: Friday 19th June, 2009
• Time: 6.30pm-8.30pm

For further details on these programs, contact Amanda Parker

• Tel: 2585 6004
• E-mail: school@bbr.com.hk

Berry Bros & Rudd is organizing a complementary Bordeaux tasting at their shop in Lee Gardens, Causeway Bay on May 15, 2009.  The only catch is, it starts at 3.30pm, so unless you’re in the business or the boss, nipping off early for a wine tasting at 3.30pm may be a little tricky. Nevertheless we hoped that we’ve given you ample time to plan ahead!

Details

• Venue: Berry Bros & Rudd, 307- 308, The Lee Gardens, 33 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay. Hong Kong.
• Date: Friday, 15th May 2009
• Time: 3.30pm-5.00pm
• Price: complimentary

Berry Bros & Rudd is organizing a wine tasting at the Riedel Room in JW Marriott Hotel on May 6, 2009.  For those who have always wondered whether the shape and size of a wine glass can change your perception of wine, then this is a tasting you cannot miss. The actual tasting involves an appreciation experience of 4 wines, in the correctly crafted Riedel glass.

Details

For many beginner wine drinkers, buying a bottle of wine can be a daunting task, it is easy to feel overwhelm by the range of varietals, blend, prices, country of origin and vintage.

Fortunately, there is now a wide variety of wine appreciation courses available in Hong Kong for both the serious and curious wine aficionados. Some of the best courses in town are offered by Berry Bros &Rudd, the Hong Kong branch of the renowned London wine merchant. For beginners, there is a 3 hour ‘Introduction to Wine” course which introduces participants to wine styles, storage of wine and how to identify the characteristics of major grape varieties.

The next series of courses will begin on April 27 for HK$995/person.  Since the minimum class size is 6 people, its a great idea to grab 5 of your friends to form your own class.