SPECIALLY FOR THE GENTLEMAN

A new/old version of the famous Chivas Regal whisky was introduced to a select few who managed to find their way to The Scotch of St James club this September.

Tucked away down a courtyard, this has been a haunt of the rich and the famous since Jimi Hendrix played his first UK gig here in the 1960s, and has maintained its celebrity status since restoration work earlier this year.

Chivas has picked up on the revival of interest in craft and quality, evident in all sectors of the market. This is  emphasised by the numbers of micro breweries popping up all over the place, as drinkers turn away from mass produced brews back to local real ale; and in collections at London Fashion Week, and in textiles (see Style p1).

 “Modern gentlemen like to be stylish and distinctive,” said James Slack, global brand director of Chivas Regal, “ in the way they dress, what they drink. But, above all, they embrace craftsmanship, heritage and substance – this is a mark of their success and confidence”

Above, Tom Stubbs elaborates on the connections between style and cocktail and model; left, Chivas Regal's new tin box; below, two other models, the classic three piece suit by Chester Barrie.

To tap into the new appreciation of craft and originality, the company has brought out Chivas 12 “Made for Gentlemen”, a 12 year old blended Scotch whisky, in a limited edition, the bottle contained in a collectible tin box. Price around £25.

To illustrate how this whisky meets the requirements of today’s gentlemen, some pretty potent cocktails were served up, using Chivas as a base, to go with three models in current styling.

Master of ceremonies for the presentation, which included explanations of style esoterics, was Tom Stubbs, designer, wearing a suitably modern bespoke suit from Thom Sweeney, as seen above. Designer Tim Little created the tin, and he is also owner of Grenson shoes, which supplied the hand crafted footwear worn by the models.

Just which cocktail went with which outfit we now can’t quite remember, but it was certainly a novel mix of cocktails, style and quality, or even Chivas, craft and style.

Go to www.chivas.com/madeforgentlemen for further information.