After spending the better part of a decade setting drinks trends at some of Sydney’s top venues, sommelier and mixologist Ed Loveday has stepped out from behind the bar for a new adventure as the ‘Global Rogue’ for Regal Rogue vermouth.
A founding member behind the award-winning ACME, The Passage, and Bar Brosé, Loveday now joins the craft drinks brand to disrupt the Aperitif category in its three core markets: Australia, the UK and the US.
“The world is falling in love with drinking vermouth again and Regal Rogue is turning everything we thought about the classic drink on its head,” Loveday said.
“There’s a lot of excitement around the tradition of aperitivo and light, fresh, low-alcohol serves. ‘Spritz’ is fast becoming the buzz word of the moment in bars and restaurants globally.
“Despite this most consumers still don’t know that vermouth is low in alcohol, having to be at least 75% wine. With my background as a sommelier and bartender I hope to lead the charge in helping people to re-discover vermouth with a brand that is really the embodiment of a modern, sophisticated evolved drinking vermouth – the perfect aperitif.”
Independent vermouth brand Regal Rogue, founded by Mark Ward, was launched seven years ago – as the world’s first ‘quaffable’ vermouth.
With an average of 30% less sugar than traditional European vermouth styles and also a lower alcohol option, Regal Rogue vermouth creates that ‘first drink of the night’ moment, while offering the opportunity of exploration for people to try something new, and an alternative to the traditional G&T or wine.
Regal Rogue is now the number-one selling vermouth through Selfridges in the UK; 2018 will see the company move into the US with selected accounts in California and New York, Nordic countries including Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and South Africa.
