Bartenders are at the heart of PATRÓN. They’ve always been hungry for opportunities to showcase their artistry, creativity, and individuality – and for years, the gave them that stage. With its pause over the past couple of years, PATRÓN been looking for new ways to reconnect with our bartender community, to educate them on our craft and values, while giving them a meaningful platform to display their own. 

Enter the PATRÓN Picante Margarita Challenge 

PATRÓN has made a call on bartenders across our four core provinces (Vancouver, Calgary, Ontario & Montreal) to create their own bold interpretation of the PATRÓN Picante Margarita – built with PATRÓN Reposado and their unique expression of “spice.” 

How it works: 

• Bartenders will craft their signature cocktail and capture it in a short-form reel. 
• Content will be shared on social media, as well as submitted to PATRÓN. 
• Each cocktail will also be featured for a full month in their establishment, allowing local communities to experience their creation firsthand.  

Judging & Selection: 
PATRÓN local Canadian Brand Ambassadors will evaluate the entries on creativity, appearance, taste, and overall appeal. The top four bartenders – one from each province – will be crowned as winners. 

The Reward: 
The winning bartenders will be invited to the PATRÓN Hacienda in Jalisco, Mexico, for an exclusive immersive experience celebrating craft, culture, and community – the ultimate recognition of their talent. 

This challenge reignites PATRÓN’s commitment to nurturing bartender artistry while reminding the trade that at the heart of every cocktail is both craft and passion.

Penderyn Distillery, Wales’ pioneering whisky maker, will be making waves at Whisky Live Paris 2025 (27–29 September) with the global debut of Serpent’s Tears by Penderyn – an extraordinary bottling that not only launches their new North Wales distillery in Llandudno but also marks the first peated whisky to emerge from Wales in 125 years.

With Whisky Live Paris established as the world’s largest whisky and fine spirits fair, Penderyn is gearing up for its most ambitious international showcase to date. The unveiling of Serpent’s Tears will headline Penderyn’s Paris presentation, offering international connoisseurs, retailers, and whisky writers a glimpse – and taste – of this daring release. Alongside this much-anticipated newcomer, Penderyn will also present its full award-winning range, admired globally for its elegance, finesse, and innovation. This includes their icon of Wales, Copperopolis.

A Spirit Reborn in North Wales

Serpent’s Tears is the very first whisky distilled and bottled at Penderyn’s state-of-the-art facility in Llandudno, which opened its doors in 2021. Built on the site of the historic Old Board School, the distillery represents both a revival and a new frontier for Welsh whisky-making. The launch pays homage to North Wales’ rich folklore, industrial heritage, and maritime history, while introducing one of the rarest styles ever produced in the country: a richly peated single malt whisky.

Stephen Davies, CEO of Penderyn Distillery, said:

“Serpent’s Tears is a landmark release not only for Penderyn, but for Welsh whisky. This is the first peated whisky to be created in Wales in over a century, and to bring it to life at our Llandudno distillery is something historic and very special. When we opened our doors in North Wales, our ambition was to innovate, to explore new styles, and to pay tribute to a region steeped in tradition. This whisky embodies that vision.”

The Taste of Serpent’s Tears

Described by the distillery as “a sight and taste to behold”, Serpent’s Tears is a sensory experience from pour to finish.

Nose: An autumnal day in a glass. Dry leaves, orchard fruits, wood smoke – dry logs on the crackling open fire. Some creamy notes in the background and heavy toasted bread.

Palate: Sweet peat, soft vanilla cream, sugared pancake with burnt edges. Baking apples with the hint of malt and a touch of peppery spice and clove.

Finish: Warming soft peat that lingers in the mouth with a barley sweetness.

At 46% ABV, the whisky is bottled without chill-filtration or colouring, ensuring an authentic expression worthy of its historic significance.

Stephen Davies commented:

“Whisky lovers who know Penderyn for our light, fruit-driven and elegant style are in for a revelation with Serpent’s Tears. This is Penderyn with a new dimension: smoky, bold, complex, yet still unmistakably ours. It respects the traditions of peated whisky but brings a modern Welsh twist that is uniquely Penderyn.”

Showcasing the Distillery’s Award-Winning Range

While Serpent’s Tears will dominate attention, Whisky Live Paris visitors will also be able to sample the breadth of Penderyn’s acclaimed portfolio. From the beautifully floral Madeira Finish that originally placed the distillery on the global map, to sherried expressions, limited releases, and the Icons of Wales collection, the stand will offer a true celebration of Wales’ whisky credentials on the world stage.

Stephen Davies added:

“Our range continues to win awards and recognition across the world, and Whisky Live Paris gives us the chance to show the full breadth of Penderyn’s craft. But with Serpent’s Tears, we are adding something completely new to our story – a whisky that reflects both our innovation and our roots. It is a proud moment for everyone at Penderyn.”

A Landmark for Welsh Whisky at Whisky Live Paris

Whisky Live Paris provides an unrivalled platform for this historic launch. With thousands of visitors expected, including international retailers, trade partners, collectors and whisky aficionados, the event will amplify Penderyn’s milestone moment.

Stephen Davies concluded:

“When we started back in 2000, our dream was to re-establish Wales on the global whisky map. Today, 25 years later, we are leading a true revival and pushing into bold new territory. Serpent’s Tears is more than a release – it’s a statement of intent from our Llandudno distillery and from Penderyn as a company. To launch it in Paris, at Whisky Live, is the perfect way to share this new chapter with the world.”

Event Details

• Whisky Live Paris 2025
• Public sessions: Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 September
• Trade session: Monday 29 September
• Location:  Grand Halle de la Villette, Paris

Penderyn invites visitors to its stand throughout Whisky Live Paris for the first chance to experience Serpent’s Tears alongside the rest of its distinguished whisky collection.

FALLON, Nev., Sept. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- – one of the only true farm-to-glass American Whiskey brands – is proud to announce its highly-anticipated Frey Ranch Harvester Series: Second Harvest, a one-of-a-kind wheat whiskey that perfectly highlights the sustainable and slow grown grains cultivated and harvested exclusively on the Frey Ranch farm in Northern Nevada. The release of "Second Harvest" coincides with the distillery's annual Whiskey Harvest – a period between August and October when Co-Founder and Whiskey Farmer Colby Frey harvests the corn, wheat, barley, rye, and oats that are used to make all Frey Ranch whiskeys. For this limited-edition release, Colby and his wife Ashley again tapped the extraordinary talents of Master Blender Nancy Fraley, who cherry picked her favorite single barrels alongside the Freys and Frey Ranch Master Distiller Russell Wedlake to create a unique whiskey blend.

Whereas the brand's inaugural Harvester Series ("First Harvest") release leaned heavily into a rye-dominant blend, "Second Harvest" is a blend of predominantly 100% wheat whiskey. Compared to "First Harvest" with its peppery spice, "Second Harvest" has a softer, rounder and sweeter taste profile with a smoother, creamier mouthfeel that is ideal for sipping neat. Capitalizing on the growing popularity of wheat whiskeys among collectors and connoisseurs, "Second Harvest" showcases the soft, white winter wheat that Colby's family has been growing for generations.

With Nancy at the helm of the blending process, this group of whiskey dynamos carefully selected several barrels – drawing from the diverse array of single barrels and mashbills available from Frey Ranch's stock of farm-grown whiskey. With barrels ranging in age from eight years & seven months to four years & six months, the blend of this exquisite sipping spirit features 52.5% of 100% Wheat Whiskey, followed by 14.25% of Four Grain Bourbon, 9.5% of 100% Unmalted Barley Whiskey, 9.5% of 100% Malted Barley Whiskey, 9.5% of 100% Barley Whiskey (half malted & half unmalted), which is rounded off with a whisper of Quad Malt Whiskey at 4.25%.

At 122.44 proof, the resulting Second Harvest blend delivers an aroma of hot chocolate spiked with crème de menthe, a hint of muddled mint, whipped cream, and banana pudding topped with lemon meringue, biscotti dipped in caramel macchiato, almond butter, and nougat. The palate presents waves of Sierra Nevada alfalfa blossom honey, shortbread, crème brulee, toasted marshmallow, Greek baklava with walnuts, orange marmalade over a hot buttered croissant, and freshly cut tangerine peels. The finish is soft and creamy from the wheat, yet it lingers on the tongue with custard notes and light orange citrus.

While the liquid inside the bottle is a testament to the high-quality, slow grown grains harvested by Colby, the bottle itself is an homage to the Frey family's legacy of farming in Nevada. The traditional Frey Ranch stopper is replaced with a vintage tractor topper made from 100% recycled metal. The bottle is nestled in exterior packaging reminiscent of a grain silo – a cheeky nod to the grains silos that pepper the picturesque landscape at the Frey Ranch farm in Fallon. The Frey family motto "Be good to the land and the land will be good to you" is prominently featured on the packaging as a reminder of Frey Ranch Distillery's commonsense approach to sustainability.

With an SRP of $249.99, only 600 numbered bottles are available for purchase, limited to one bottle per person both online and in the Tasting Room. Starting Friday, September 26 at 10am PST through Monday, September 29^th at 12midnight, exactly 333 will be available online via a . On Saturday, September 27, an additional 150 bottles will be available exclusively in the Frey Ranch Tasting Room in Fallon, NV. In the coming weeks, a very limited number of bottles will be available at select retailers across Nevada and California.

24 September 2025 – With just two weeks remaining until the unveiling of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025, sponsored by Perrier, the bars ranked from No.51 to No.100 have been revealed for the ninth consecutive year. The annual list is created from the votes of a panel of more than 800 independent experts, including acclaimed bartenders, educators, cocktail authorities and award-winning drinks writers.

The 51-100 List in Numbers

• The 51-100 list includes bars spanning 34 different cities across the world

• There are 16 new entries on the list including from Bangkok, Barcelona, Buenos Aires,

Florence, London, Medellín and New Delhi

• Bars from the USA lead the extended list once again with eight bars from across five cities:

Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco

• Europe leads the way with 15 bars on the list, including four from Spain and four from Italy

• The 51-100 list includes 12 bars in Asia, three of which are in Hong Kong

• Mamba Negra and Bar Carmen from Medellín and Vender from Taichung mark the first ever

entries from these cities

For the full press release and 51-100 list, please see the attached file.

Attachments:

The World's 50 Best Bars 2025.pdf

[ ]

703 kB