A Comprehensive Coffee Experience at Industry Beans

The Melbourne-based roastery, cupping lab, training facility and café is a caffeine fiend's dream

by Chérmelle Edwards Melbourne-based brothers Trevor and Steven Simmons recently departed the familiar streets of Fitzroy for London to receive the 2014 British Design Award for Restaurant and Bar Design for their multi-functional specialty coffee shop, Industry Beans. The siblings (having already opened a coffee shop in Northcote) are fascinated by all parts of the coffee-drinking experience; from the selection and roasting of the beans …

Penny Blue XO Mauritian Rum

An island spirt with a rich history and strong character that needs no mixer

Nearly 1,000 kilometers off the coast of Madagascar lies the island nation of Mauritius. Known mostly for its beaches and lush mountains, Mauritius is also home to a long tradition of rum-making, utilizing the island’s rich sugarcane crops. The Medine Distillery has been producing rum since 1926 and the Penny Blue XO is their rarest, most carefully crafted offering yet. Limited to small batches, where …

The Single Malts at the Heart of Dewar’s Blended Whisky

A look inside three distinct distilleries that define the iconic brand

There’s a reason why Dewar’s is most likely your father’s, and grandfather’s, whisky. It’s more than their heritage (which dates back to 1846) and it extends well beyond their groundbreaking commercial done with the Edison Illuminating Company back in 1898—the first live-motion advertisement to be made. Really, it’s about the blend. They successfully combine over 40 single malts, mostly obtained from competitors’ distilleries (a method …