Driver Magazine - Issue 2 of 3 2025 - Magazine - Page 39
A LIFESTYLE IN MOTION
BY
MAX
RIESEBIETER
The last few weeks have been flat out — but in the best possible way. Most of my time has been wrapped up with
Coachbuilt Whisky, and it’s been a mix of racing, cocktails, and a lot of good company.
It actually started with a quick detour to Glastonbury, where I headed down to check out The Pop Up Hotel’s setup before
Silverstone. The journey wasn’t exactly glamorous — I was running on fumes after taking my dad to see Guns N’ Roses at
Wembley the night before — but it paid off. Wandering into the site, I ended up catching a glimpse of Margot Robbie midphotoshoot for her gin brand Papa Salt. Safe to say, that perked me up faster than any coffee could.
From there, it was on to Silverstone, where we sponsored The Pop Up Hotel. If you’ve not been, it’s like glamping on
steroids — proper luxury pitched up trackside. We hosted tastings, met a brilliant crowd, and even had Jenson Button join
us for a whisky talk. There’s something surreal about sipping a dram while a world champion casually shares his take on
the spirit.
Next stop was Birmingham Cocktail Weekend. Different vibe, but just as fun.
Instead of racing engines, it was a city buzzing with energy, with bars full of people out to try something new. We ran a
whisky and cocktail tasting at The Barrel Store in the Jewellery Quarter,
which was a brilliant way to show how versatile the spirit can be. And over at
Grain & Glass, also in the Quarter, Coachbuilt had cocktails on the menu all
weekend — it was great to see people discovering the whisky in a fresh way,
mixed and playful, rather than just neat. For us, it was a chance to meet a
whole new crowd of whisky drinkers, and for them, hopefully, the start
of something lasting.
Somewhere between BCW and Spa, I squeezed in a stag weekend
getaway. On paper, it should have been wild. In reality? By night two we
were all crashed out, working our way through an obscene Chinese
takeaway while a film played in the background. Most of us are in our
forties now, and with kids at home, the energy levels just weren’t quite
what they used to be. It wasn’t the riot we’d promised ourselves — but
honestly, it was perfect in its own way.
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