Last week during Art Week 2016, Bombay Sapphire and AC Hotels debuted ‘The Journey to Discover the World’s Best Gin & Tonic’ with celebrity photographer Nigel Barker. Evoking AC Hotel’s Spanish roots, Bombay Sapphire’s North American Brand Ambassador, Gary Hayward, teamed up to help develop an exclusive Earl Grey ACGTrecipe to be launched nationwide at the hotels. As the G&T is one of the world’s most popular cocktails, Global Brand Ambassador and renowned photographer Nigel Barker will be unveiling the world’s first Gin & Tonic glass this 2017 – heightening the classic cocktail’s taste, aroma, and trigeminal effects.
RECIPE
The ACGT
1.5oz Sapphire East
1/2oz AC custom made Earl grey tonic
(Made from quinine, bergamot, lemongrass, grapefruit, bitter orange, lavender, cinnamon, citric acid and sugar.)
4oz club soda
Build in a highball glass with ice and Garnish with lime wheel and large orange twist
AC HOTELS BY MARRIOTT® JOINS FORCES WITH CELEBRATED PHOTOGRAPHER NIGEL BARKER TO DEBUT EXCLUSIVE GIN &TONIC AND WORLD’S FIRST SPECIALLY DESIGNED GIN & TONIC GLASS
The ACGT, which launched at AC Hotel Miami Beach during Art Week Miami 2016, furthers the brand’s commitment to innovative beverage & food offerings through design
Bethesda, MD, USA – December 1, 2016 – AC Hotels by Marriott®, the modern, design-driven, lifestyle brand from Marriott International, Inc., has joined forces with its global brand ambassador Nigel Barker using Bombay Sapphire Gin to debut a custom crafted small-batch tonic and first-ever specially designed Gin & Tonic glass.
The Gin & Tonic (or Gintonic as it is known in Spain) has become the unofficial drink of Spain, primarily attributed to the country’s cocktail culture, which celebrates the Gin & Tonic as an art form. Committed to continuously elevating and enhancing its cocktail program, Spanish-born AC Hotels, a team of leading spirits, food & nutrition and design professionals, crafted an exclusive Gin & Tonic, and the first-ever specially designed Gin & Tonic glass, only available to guests of AC Hotels beginning summer 2017.
“We are excited to unveil AC Hotels’ exclusive ACGT, the product of an innovative collaboration with Nigel Barker and partners that share our same vision of creating meaningful experiences complemented by modern, purposeful design,” said Benoit Racle, Global Brand Director, AC Hotels by Marriott. “The ACGT evokes the Spanish heritage of AC Hotels, emphasizes the artistry of Bacardi’s House of Bombay Gins and is heightened by Nigel’s keen eye for design.”
Barker, an entrepreneur, celebrated fashion photographer, New York Times best-selling author, TV personality and furniture designer; Gary Gruver, with Marriott International’s Global Beverage team; and Rohan V. Tikekar, Professor of Food & Nutrition at the University of Maryland invested two years in research and development to create this unique recipe. The exclusive AC Hotels cocktail combines exotic ingredients from all over the world with Bombay Sapphire East Gin, the world’s first Gin specifically designed to pair with tonic. This combination of uniquely crafted botanicals including Thai Lemongrass and Vietnamese Black Peppercorn are presented with garnishes of fresh orange and lemon peels to emphasize the flavor profile.
To accompany the ACGT, Barker and Gruver developed the world’s first specially designed Gin & Tonic glass designed to heighten taste, aroma and trigeminal effects (palate experience), as well as trigger psychological and visual stimuli. The unique design aligns with AC Hotels’ philosophy that purposeful design improves our lives.
“Inspired by a glass I bought in Biot, France at the age of 22, this new AC Hotels glass design will be a refined traditional tumbler and highball style glassware with a heavier and thicker glass bottom that enhances the tasting experience,” said Barker. “This design puts emphasis on the beauty of the small details, a fundamental approach to AC Hotels.”
Bombay Sapphire Brand Ambassador Gary Hayward, adds, “The Gin & Tonic has long been Bombay Sapphire gin’s classic cocktail and is allowing us to share the world’s best Gin & Tonic with people globally. Working with a talent like Nigel Barker we are proud to serve the ACGT in the world’s first ever Gin & Tonic glass. The collaboration further cements Bombay Sapphire’s place in the creative community and commitment to art and design.”
Research at the University of Maryland informed the glass’ unique design and construction – from a substantial glass bottom that extends nucleation longevity (keeping contents colder, longer) to a relatively straight and narrow design that minimizes surface area and loss of carbon dioxide (keeping the tonic bubbly longer). Additionally, the glass will have a smooth interior surface and as few nucleation sites as possible.
An exclusive launch of AC Hotels’ new ACGT was revealed on November 30, 2016 at AC Hotel Miami Beach during Art Week Miami 2016. The party also previewed Barker’s artistic glass design sketches and 3D printed prototypes.
Based on the belief that purposeful design improves lives, AC Hotels carves away what is unnecessary to provide guests with thoughtfully designed moments of beauty; experiences that elevate their stay and help them focus on what is important to them. AC Hotels’ guests get only what they need, without paying for what they don’t. The result is sophisticated yet unpretentious style, innovative beverage and food programming with locally inspired experiences for both guests and locals.
AC Hotels currently offers a portfolio of more than 90 hotels globally. Growth plans include more than 60 hotels set to open within the next three years throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.
To learn more about AC Hotels by Marriot, please visit: http://achotels.marriott.com
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About AC Hotels by Marriott:
AC Hotels by Marriott®, a lifestyle brand that celebrates a new way to hotel complemented by a European soul and Spanish roots, boasts more than 90 design-led hotels in Brazil, Denmark, Italy, France, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and the United States. Design-driven AC Hotels edit away the unnecessary to remove friction, providing thoughtfully designed moments of beauty, allowing guests to focus on what’s important to them. Property highlights include high-design guest rooms and public spaces with sleek furnishings and intuitive technology features. For more information, visit ac-hotels.com. For more information, visit http://achotels.marriott.com.
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Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is the world’s largest hotel company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with nearly 6,000 properties in 120 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts. The company’s 30 leading brands include: Bulgari®, The Ritz-Carlton® and The Ritz-Carlton Reserve®, St. Regis®, W®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, The Luxury Collection®, Marriott Hotels®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Renaissance® Hotels, Sheraton®, Delta Hotels by MarriottSM, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Tribute Portfolio™, Design Hotels™, Gaylord Hotels®, Courtyard®, Four Points® by Sheraton, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, Residence Inn®, TownePlace Suites®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Aloft®, Element®, Moxy® Hotels, and Protea Hotels by Marriott®. The company also operates award-winning loyalty programs: Marriott Rewards®, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood Preferred Guest®. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com and @MarriottIntl.
