While I was in Rio for Diageo Reserve World Class I went to a couple of really cool seminars on “Retro Chic” and “Luxury Trends”, here’s what I picked up in the process thanks to a very illustrious panel comprising of Sasha Wilkins (Liberty London Girl), Mark Izatt (Vertu), Tony Chambers (Wallpaper*) and Dylan Jones (GQ UK) check it out!

PS. I’m loving their choice of Retro Chich shoes!

I also tweeted all the gems I heard at the Luxury Trends seminar which I thought were really interesting!

Introducing the Diageo Reserve Retro Chic Collection

BLOOD & SAND
This is pretty much the untouched recipe from one of the early 20th century’s lesser-known cocktail masterpieces but mentioned in many serious cocktail guides from the 1930s and 1940s onwards. It’s named after an iconic Hollywood movie and is one of the great whisky recipes, with character and great flavour in balance.

SUMMER GLORY FIZZ
Based around the family of sparkling sours and a great 19th century classic (the morning glory fizz). This is perfect for the art of celebration that is at the heart of CÎROC® vodka and it’s a chic modern twist using a combination of ingredients typical to France.

WHISKY BLUE ZINGER
A subtle variant on the old-fashioned, with a nod to the sweet Manhattan, two of the most legendary cocktails, both of which were stalwart drinks of the mad men era. This balances the scotch with the light aromatic wine notes of Dubonnet, a hint of bitter-sweet chocolate liqueur and finished with vanilla grains and fine-grated tonka bean.

GRAPEFRUIT JULEP
The ‘julep’ is part of the family of minted ‘smash’ cocktails similar to the legendary mojito that became immensely popular in the mid to late 20th century. It’s a classic refresher and this one’s twisted using pink grapefruit for intensity and a hint of pomegranate and honey sweetness.

THE DEAN.
This drink is a nod to Dean Martin’s Sicilian heritage and a 21st century twist on his favourite dry martini (made with TANQUERAY® London Dry Gin).

TEQUILA OLD-FASHIONED
This drink celebrates vintage cocktails from the 50s & 60s, most of which contained only three ingredients. It reinvents this concept giving it a modern twist and unexpected combinations.

ZEGRONI
This was a variation on the timeless classic the Negroni, dedicated to a famous Italian aristocrat. It’s the personification of an era of simple elegance and this cocktail twist works beautifully with Zacapa, and it was created by Mark Huang from Taiwan who won the Gentleman’s Drinks Challenge at World Class in 2011.