Latest news with #MerchantHotel
Wales Online
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Snooker legend John Higgins gave up alcohol after embarrassing taxi incident
Snooker legend John Higgins gave up alcohol after embarrassing taxi incident 2025 World Snooker Championship hopeful John Higgins decided to go teetotal after a photograph was taken of the snooker icon snoozing in the back of a cab back in 2018 John Higgins has been alcohol-free for years (Image: 2024 Getty Images ) Snooker legend John Higgins gave up alcohol after he was photographed sleeping in the back of a taxi. The Wizard of Wishaw, 49, had been out with friends after the Northern Ireland Open tournament in Belfast back in 2018. Higgins had downed pints in a bar and caught a taxi back to his hotel room. Cab driver James Crawford claimed he picked up the four-time world champion at the city's Merchant Hotel, with the Scot propped up against the railings outside. They would reportedly make the short journey to a nearby Hilton hotel, with a friend of Higgins asking the driver to ensure he got to his hotel safely. Crawford claimed Higgins started chanting: "Up the Celts! Up the Celts!" after which he was told to stop singing. The cabbie said: "He stopped straight away and I thought, 'That was easier than I expected it to be', but when I turned around he was out of it." He tried to wake up the snooker icon at his hotel as the night unravelled into chaos, having accused Higgins of not paying the fare. The driver alleged: "I told him we'd arrived at his hotel and that the fare was a fiver, but he just turned around and said you're getting f*** all from me. "My mate came to see what was going on and I was trying to calm the situation down and explain who he was - but the next minute he was out of the car and bolting down the street back towards the town." Article continues below The cab driver claimed he went inside Higgins' hotel and left a note with the receptionist to demand payment for the cab ride, with a snap of Higgins asleep in the taxi later emerging online. Higgins, embarrassed by the image, decided to go teetotal after the incident. The world No. 3 said in 2023: "I've not had a drink for five or six years. "You think back and you realise you don't need it to enjoy yourself. You can't go back in life, but there are parties and stuff where you had a great time, but you don't remember them. "I was over in Belfast and I was enjoying some pints with some mates I hadn't seen for a couple of years, and before you know it, you're in the back of the taxi and you've fallen asleep before you're dropped off, and a guy's taking a picture of you. It's things like that that make you think, 'It's no use, it's no use whatsoever." Speaking on the Talking Snooker podcast, he added: "I've never had it that bad where I had to go to meetings, but I realised it's not for me and I've never touched it since. "It's not a part of my life now. I packed it on the head that day and never touched it again. You can never say never, but I don't think I will touch it again." Taxi driver James Crawford accused Higgins of not paying his fare (Image: Daily Record ) Higgins, who has won more than 30 tournaments and was first crowned world champion in 1998, takes on fellow veteran Mark Williams on Tuesday in the World Snooker Championship quarter-finals. The two 'Class of 92' members clash for the sixth time at the Crucible Theatre, where they have a combined seven victories. The Wizard is appearing in his fourth successive Crucible quarter-final – and 19th overall – after edging past Xiao Guodong in the second round. Higgins led 12-10 but wasted two match-winning opportunities as Xiao punished him to level at 12-12, before winning the deciding frame. Article continues below Williams, meanwhile, defeated Hossein Vafaei 13-10 in the second round, sealing his victory with a stunning break of 115. The 50-year-old now has an eighth appearance in the one-table setup in his sights and needs to be at his best against a resurgent Higgins. One of 2019 World Champion Judd Trump and 2023 World Champion Luca Brecel will await the winner in the semi-finals. The match gets underway at 10am (BST) on Tuesday with the opening eight frames. The action resumes at 7pm (BST) with a further eight, before playing to a conclusion at 10am (BST) on Wednesday.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hotel launches £1,000 cocktail - and five other stories you missed this week
A cocktail that costs a whopping £1,000 features is one of our best local news stories of the week. Belfast Live reports that the drink is crafted with the finest Irish whiskey and is available at the city's Merchant Hotel. Elsewhere this week, a deaf dog in Yorkshire is learning sign language in an effort to find a new home, while a seaside resort in Lincolnshire was named the UK's most romantic town just in time for Valentine's Day. You can read the full version of each of our selected articles through the links under each story – or read more top headlines from around the UK's regions on the Yahoo UK local news page. A Belfast hotel has launched a £1,000 cocktail which it described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime experience'. The pricy tipple at the Merchant Hotel has been described as a 'masterpiece of Irish whiskey'. The Merchant Hotel launched its new cocktail menu on Wednesday, including a collection crafted with rare whiskeys by Midleton, Macallan and Michter's, which start at £785 and go up to £1,000. Read the full story from Belfast Live A deaf dog is seeking a new home and is pulling out all the stops to prove that he can be someone's best friend once again. Six-year-old crossbreed Reggie was brought into the Halifax, Huddersfield, Bradford & District Branch branch of the RSPCA last October after his owner died. His colour and the way he responds to hand signals, movement and light indicate that he was born deaf. Read the full story from Yorkshire Live A woman who met her husband on a dating app later learned he was a German aristocrat. But she says despite her luxurious life, he's her "soulmate" with or without the title. Jennifer Von Walderdorff, 39, an author and founder splitting her time between London and Berlin, met her now-husband Maximilian, 38, on Bumble in 2016, with their first date being at Ikea over a plate of Swedish meatballs. Read the full story from My London A seaside town has a new claim to fame as it has been named the most romantic town in the UK. Cleethorpes is best known for its historic pier, wide beach, and it is also the birthplace of Rod Temperton, the songwriter behind some of Michael Jackson's biggest hits including Thriller and Rock With You. However, new data from Tesco shows that more top of the range bouquets are regularly bought throughout the year in Cleethorpes than anywhere else in the UK. Read the full story from Lincolnshire Live A couple from Reading have made the most of their love of food by getting engaged at the supermarket. Morrisons fan Charlie Bullock, 30, enlisted the help of the supermarket's bakers to surprise his partner, Hannah McNaughten, 26, with a giant "Morri Me?" message on an extra big personalised cookie at the Reading store. This was his second attempt at popping the question, as his first try in Barcelona last December failed when a thief attempted to steal his phone that was recording the big moment. Read the full story from The Reading Chronicle The 'ding ding' bell once used on London's classic Routemaster bus is to be reintroduced in a trial aiming to reduce the number of passengers being injured in falls on buses. Transport for London is putting forward a series of initiatives in response to concerns about the number of people being killed or seriously injured either by, or on board, the capital's 8,800 red buses. Read the full story from The Standard
The Independent
12-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
What goes into the £1,000 ‘once-in-a-lifetime' cocktail?
A Belfast hotel has launched a £1,000 cocktail which it described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime experience'. On Wednesday, the Merchant Hotel launched its new cocktail menu, including a collection crafted with rare whiskeys by Midleton, Macallan and Michter's, which start at £785 and go up to £1,000. It's priciest tipple has been hailed as a 'masterpiece of Irish whiskey'. The most expensive, the Midleton Foret de Troncais (£1,000), is described as 'a masterpiece of Irish whiskey, aged in rare French Troncais oak casks and delivering elegant notes of honey, toasted almonds and delicate spice' and is served with Antica Formula and Dubonnet. The Belfast city centre hotel earned the Guinness Book of Records title for the world's most expensive cocktail in 2007 with its £750 Mai Tai. According to Guinness World Records, this was overtaken in 2013 by Club 23 in Melbourne, Australia when 'the Winston', a cognac cocktail, sold for £8,583. The menu, consisting of 21 drinks which start from £14.99, was created by a team led by the Merchant Bar's general manager, Aaron Dugan and cocktail bar manager Emily Doherty. Mr Dugan said: 'We are proud to bring our unique collaboration with three icons of whiskey to life with The Rare & Refined Collection. 'These exceptional drinks have been crafted to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences to be savoured. The lucky few that get to try these drinks will get to relish something truly special. 'And, for those that find the price tag too rich, we have also created an exceptional collection of 21 cocktails, inspired by timeless classics, but with a unique Merchant twist. Named according to their flavour profile, the menu has been designed to help customers match their preferred flavour profiles to their choices. There truly is something to suit every taste.' The cocktail bar at The Merchant has been described as one of the most decorated in the UK and Ireland and will be the first and only bar in Northern Ireland to be awarded the coveted 2 Pin status by the Pinnacle Guide, later this month.
The Independent
12-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Belfast hotel launches ‘once-in-a-lifetime' £1,000 cocktail
A Belfast hotel has launched a £1,000 cocktail which it described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime experience'. The pricey tipple at the Merchant Hotel has been described as a 'masterpiece of Irish whiskey'. The Belfast city centre hotel earned the Guinness Book of Records title for the world's most expensive cocktail in 2007 with its £750 Mai Tai. However, that was overtaken in 2013 by a cocktail which was sold for £8,583 in Melbourne, Australia. These exceptional drinks have been crafted to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences to be savoured Aaron Dugan The Merchant Hotel launched its new cocktail menu on Wednesday, including a collection crafted with rare whiskeys by Midleton, Macallan and Michter's, which start at £785 and go up to £1,000. The most expensive, the Midleton Foret de Troncais (£1,000), is described as 'a masterpiece of Irish whiskey, aged in rare French Troncais oak casks and delivering elegant notes of honey, toasted almonds and delicate spice' served with Antica Formula and Dubonnet. The menu, consisting of drinks which start from £14.99, was created by a team led by the Merchant Bar's general manager, Aaron Dugan and cocktail bar manager Emily Doherty. Mr Dugan said: 'We are proud to bring our unique collaboration with three icons of whiskey to life with The Rare & Refined Collection. 'These exceptional drinks have been crafted to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences to be savoured. The lucky few that get to try these drinks will get to relish something truly special. 'And, for those that find the price tag too rich, we have also created an exceptional collection of 21 cocktails, inspired by timeless classics, but with a unique Merchant twist. Named according to their flavour profile, the menu has been designed to help customers match their preferred flavour profiles to their choices. There truly is something to suit every taste.' The cocktail bar at The Merchant has been described as one of the most decorated in the UK and Ireland, and is the first and only bar in Northern Ireland to be awarded the coveted 2 Pin status by the Pinnacle Guide. The Merchant will officially receive its 2 Pin award later this month.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Belfast hotel launches ‘once-in-a-lifetime' £1,000 cocktail
A Belfast hotel has launched a £1,000 cocktail which it described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime experience'. The pricey tipple at the Merchant Hotel has been described as a 'masterpiece of Irish whiskey'. The Belfast city centre hotel earned the Guinness Book of Records title for the world's most expensive cocktail in 2007 with its £750 Mai Tai. However, that was overtaken in 2013 by a cocktail which was sold for £8,583 in Melbourne, Australia. The Merchant Hotel launched its new cocktail menu on Wednesday, including a collection crafted with rare whiskeys by Midleton, Macallan and Michter's, which start at £785 and go up to £1,000. The most expensive, the Midleton Foret de Troncais (£1,000), is described as 'a masterpiece of Irish whiskey, aged in rare French Troncais oak casks and delivering elegant notes of honey, toasted almonds and delicate spice' served with Antica Formula and Dubonnet. The menu, consisting of drinks which start from £14.99, was created by a team led by the Merchant Bar's general manager, Aaron Dugan and cocktail bar manager Emily Doherty. Mr Dugan said: 'We are proud to bring our unique collaboration with three icons of whiskey to life with The Rare & Refined Collection. 'These exceptional drinks have been crafted to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences to be savoured. The lucky few that get to try these drinks will get to relish something truly special. 'And, for those that find the price tag too rich, we have also created an exceptional collection of 21 cocktails, inspired by timeless classics, but with a unique Merchant twist. Named according to their flavour profile, the menu has been designed to help customers match their preferred flavour profiles to their choices. There truly is something to suit every taste.' The cocktail bar at The Merchant has been described as one of the most decorated in the UK and Ireland, and is the first and only bar in Northern Ireland to be awarded the coveted 2 Pin status by the Pinnacle Guide. The Merchant will officially receive its 2 Pin award later this month.
