NLN EVENTS MARCH 2023

The latest liquor industry Events

Delgados Tequila launches UFC partnership

Delgados Tequila, backed by the team at Superdrop, officially launched its partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), hosting its first initial activation in Australia in February. The launch party, hosted at the iconic Leederville Hotel in Perth, saw 500 guests come together to welcome the weekend of UFC Fight #284, with the chance to meet VIP super star UFC athlete guests such as Charles Oliveira (UFC Former Lightweight Champion), Kai Kara-France (#3 UFC Flyweight Division Athlete) and Carlos Ulberg (UFC Light Heavyweight athlete). Delgados Tequila’s sponsorship was also echoed throughout the weekend with pop up bars and exclusive giveaways for consumers, as the brand was introduced to the world with the global pay per view distribution of UFC.

Carlos Ulberg, Kai Kara-France and Charles Oliveira

Retailers get in the spirit for Sydney WorldPride 2023

Australia’s Pride celebrations this year were extra special, with Sydney the location for the WorldPride festival. It’s the first time the event has come to the southern hemisphere, bringing thousands of people down under for the festivities, which ran from 17 February to 5 March, and incorporated the usual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. The drinks industry was out in force during the 300+ events on the festival calendar, all designed to recognise, celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community.

Part Time Rangers launches new flavour

Brown-Forman’s Part Time Rangers RTD brand took over Manly Wharf Bar to introduce new flavour, Peach Penguin. A portion of the proceeds from this flavour are donated to Little Penguin conservation efforts in WA, with the brand also launching a scholarship to work with conservation efforts on Penguin Island. At the event, temporary penguin tattoos were on offer, while Little Penguin themed trivia was hosted by Environmentalist Laura Wells. This ran into an afterparty hosted with cultural agency, Life Without Andy, which saw live DJ sets from Lucy Lucy and Tori Levett.

Image credit: Zoe Holling

Hickson House celebrates first birthday

Sydney distillery and bar, Hickson House, has celebrated its first birthday with a party and a new release – the Hickson Rd. Wild Rosé Summer Cup. The new product is a collaboration with Australian vermouth brand, Regal Rogue, blending the Hickson Rd. Australian Dry Gin with Regal Rogue organic Wild Rosé vermouth. Guests to the birthday event were able to experience this new product in its specialty serves, alongside other curated cocktails that showcased other products of the Hickson Rd. range.

SKYY Vodka supports SailGP partnership with pop-up bar

Campari Australia’s SKYY Vodka celebrated its partnership with worldwide sailing competition SailGP, with a pop-up bar at Watermans Cove, Barangaroo when the contest sailed into town in February. Australian Idol presenter Scott Tweedie hosted a welcome event for the weekend of activity, where SKYY Vodka cocktails were served alongside seafood catering from LANA Dining with chef Alex Wong. The captain of the Australian SailGP team, Tom Slingsby, spoke at the event, explaining how vodka had replaced rum as the sailors’ drink of choice when off-duty.

Image credit: James Gourley