King of Soho Gin honours dandy and porn baron

A new gin launched in London last week to honour legendary Soho porn baron Paul Raymond. As reported on db.com, King of Soho London Dry Gin, made by Thames Distillers, is the brainchild of Raymond’s son Howard. A colourful character, Paul Raymond opened the UK’s first strip club in 1958 and launched soft porn magazines Men Only and Escort, leading him to be dubbed the “King of Soho."

Housed in the former Doric Ballroom in Soho’s Walker’s Court, Raymond’s club was attended by the likes of actors Peter Sellers and John Mills. He was named the richest man in Britain in 1992 with an estimated fortune of £1.5 billion. His eventful life was turned into a film, The Look of Love, released this year with Steve Coogan cast in the title role.  

“My father’s favourite tipple in the ‘60s was gin, a drink reminiscent of the parties and clubs of that era. London is now driving an international renaissance of gin and fittingly, The King of Soho Gin is distilled in the heart of London,” said Howard Raymond. The 42% abv, juniper dominant gin is made from 12 botanicals, including citrus, grapefruit, angelica root and cassia, and is distilled in two small pot stills.

Featuring a fox-tailed dandy in a red jacket and top hat reading a book and carrying a French horn, the gin’s blue glass bottle seems a hat tip to another King of Soho – Sebastian Horsley. An artist by trade, the self-styled dandy lived in Soho, dressed in a signature red velvet suit and top hat, and was vocal about his reliance on local prostitutes.

He is best known for having undergone a voluntary crucifixion without painkillers in the Philippines as preparation for a series of paintings on the subject. Horsley was found dead in his Soho flat on 17 June 2010 after a suspected heroin overdose. Marc Almond, Will Self and Stephen Fry attended his funeral. 

Skinnygirl hopes to sparkle with Prosecco

Skinnygirl, the low-calorie wine and pre-mix cocktail brand founded by US reality TV star Bethenny Frankel, has added a Prosecco to its ever-expanding line-up. As reported on db.com, the brand has launched the northern Italian sparkler in a bid to capitalise on the growing thirst for the Prosecco in the US and improve upon its 23% dip in sales over the first half of 2013.

The 11% abv fizz is a limited edition release aiming to offer “guilt-free” enjoyment over Christmas and the New Year, with a 750ml bottle carrying an RRP of US$19.99. Its makers describe the wine as: “delicate and fruity with a hint of honey, a touch of sweetness and a fresh finish.”

In addition to Skinnygirl Prosecco, the brand also launched three new lower alcohol single varietal wines this week: Skinnygirl Chardonnay, Skinnygirl Pinot Grigio and Skinnygirl Cabernet Sauvignon, all weighing in at 10% abv. In order to appeal to its health conscious female audience, each of the wines claims to boast 100 calories per 5oz serving compared to an average of 123 calories found in non-diet wines.

The Chardonnay is described as: “a complex combination of white peach, French oak vanilla and orange blossom”, while the Pinot Grigio offers “aromas of tropical fruit balanced with a hint of natural grape sweetness.” The Cabernet Sauvignon meanwhile, has “aromas of dark berries and warm chocolate, mature tannins and bright acidity.”

Joining Skinnygirl Moscato and the brand’s original trio of wines, the new single varietal wines make the Skinnygirl range 20-strong, including the likes of a Cherry Vodka and a premix Mojito. Skinnygirl is the brainchild of entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel, who appeared in American reality TV show The Real Housewives of New York City.

50 Shades of Grey wines released

It had to happen, didn't it? Along with the branded fluffy handcuffs and leather whips, the latest item to be pimped by the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy is wine. A fan of the odd drop of red herself, 50 Shades' ever-savvy author E L James had the bright idea of releasing a duo of wines inspired by the erotica, called Red Satin and White Silk (of course).

While most £11 wines are keen to flag up their unique terroir and hand-picked grapes, all that was leaked (sorry) about the 50 Shades pair is that they are "made from grapes grown in California." This will unlikely be a deterrent to die hard fans, who will no doubt be dying to get their mitts on a bottle. Both the red and the white carry a simple black label framed by a metallic diamond-shaped pattern and run with the tagline: “You. Are. Mine.”

“Wine plays an important role in Fifty Shades of Grey, adding to the sensuality that pervades a number of scenes,” says James, adding, “I’ve always had a penchant for good wine, so combining two of my passions to blend Red Satin and White Silk was a natural extension of the series. I hope my readers curl up with a glass as they enjoy the romance between Anastasia and Christian.” 

White Silk 2012 is a blend of Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc, and offers "floral aromatics of lychee, honey and pear tempered by flavors of grapefruit with a faint hint of butterscotch." Marrying Petite Sirah and Syrah, Red Satin 2009 meanwhile, is said to boast flavours of black cherry, cocoa powder, caramel, vanilla, cloves, spices, and, somewhat fittingly, leather. 

Wine and the City cannot be responsible for any flirtatious behaviour that arises as a result of sipping Red Satin and White Silk and advises proceeding with caution.

Snake pickled in wine bites woman

It’s the year of the snake and the feisty creatures are in a fighting mood. A woman in northern China had to receive hospital treatment last week after a snake preserved in rice wine jumped out of the bottle and bit her hand. As reported by The Drinks Business, the surprise attack happened when the woman, surnamed Liu, from Shuangcheng went to top up the bottle with more wine.

Remarkably, the reptile, which had been pickling for three months, was still alive. Liu, who received treatment at a local hospital for inflammation, had bought the snake wine to try and cure her rheumatism. It is a widely held belief in China that such wines boast medicinal properties.

This is not the first incident of a pickled snake seemingly coming back to life. One Mr Zhang of Hubei Province was bitten by a snake in 2009 that had been preserved in a bottle of rice wine for two months. While in 2001, a villager from Guangxi Zhuang died a day after being bitten from a pickled snake. Makes the Tequila worm seem rather wimpy… 

Professor Green to open a London nightclub

Red-haired rapper Professor Green is to open a London nightclub in collaboration with mixologist Gerry Calabrese. Dubbed “an East End club in the heart of the West End”, Ink is set to open at Number One Leicester Square this month. As reported on db.com, the club, which will play a mix of urban and rock ‘n’ roll music, takes its name from Pro Green’s passion for tattoos. 

Cult tattoo artists Nikole Lowe and Neil Ahern’s body art will be displayed on the walls of the fifth floor venue alongside graffiti murals and neon sculptures. Inspired by the cocktails served at Calabrese’s East London bar, The Hoxton Pony, libations will be made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients, syrups will be made in house and sharing platters of “East End tapas” will be served.

Son of famed Italian-born, London-based mixologist Salvatore Calabrese, Gerry Calabrese owns The Hoxton Pony bar in Shoreditch and the Hoxton Gin brand. Last year he founded Baroque, a Mayfair nightclub next to his father’s bar at The Playboy Club specialising in Champagne fountains. Also in on the project is Gerry’s mixologist brother, Jon Calabrese, who heads up The Hoxton Pony.

This isn’t Green’s first foray into the world of drinks – last year he released a beer called Remedy in collaboration with craft brewers Signature Brew. An American Pale Ale made from British hops, Remedy is said to boast “smooth malty flavours” “robust hops”, “citrus aromas” and a bitter finish. Born Stephen Manderson, the 29-year-old rapper has released three solo albums and eight hit singles.