Why African spirits are an exciting frontier in the world of booze February 17, 2022 Even the most experienced of bartenders could perhaps be forgiven for having a blind spot when it comes to African spirits. While the continent has a long and varied distilling history, its produce has tended to be consumed on the continent rather than exported. But a wave of new distillers are hoping to change that. [...]
Cruise control: The world’s best river cruises for wine lovers February 15, 2022 Sailing along the mighty rivers of Europe can be a delight for the palate as well as the eye. A new generation of river cruises will allow discerning passengers to taste their way through the land of the noble grape: fine Austrian Sekt; chilled tawny Port; and Riesling from Franconia in the northwest of Bavaria. [...]
In the mood for love: Valentines’ wines February 11, 2022 Wine and romance have been active bedfellows since ancient times. The Greek and Roman Gods of Wine, Dionysus and Bacchus respectively, also presided over poetry, fertility, parties and other “Bacchanalian” delights. In possibly the first ever version of the ‘get out of jail free’ card, those who got a tad too hedonistic were said to [...]
The A-Z of wine: This week, B is for… Beaujolais February 10, 2022 How do you pronounce Beaujolais? Boh-zholl-ayy What’s this then? A French wine region, located between the city of Lyon and the southern end of Burgundy. Best known for making reds from the Gamay grape. It’s possibly a part of Burgundy, depending on who you talk to, although it’s usually considered part of ‘wider Burgundy’. The [...]
French Bloom: The women taking on the booze biz with no-alc wine February 10, 2022 Top model Constance Jablonski and foodie entrepreneur Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger have launched French Bloom, a “fully organic, fully alcohol-free, fully French sparkling drink” that they say has the sophistication and complexity to rival wine. Both women were juggling the various aspects of work, family, and social life when they were inspired to create something that could [...]
Veggie all the way: British Airways launches plant-based menu at Heathrow February 4, 2022 British Airways (BA) announced today it will soon launch a plant-based menu at its Heathrow lounges, before rolling it out across the US. “We’re committed to ensuring we deliver a premium proposition for our customers throughout their journey with us and when we do so, we need to ensure that sustainability is at the heart [...]
Toast the partygate PM with a special Boris brew January 29, 2022 If the endless partygate scandal has put you in the mood for a drink, one brewery has the beer for you. Perfect 10 pale ale by Congleton-based Beartown Brewery is equally at home being drunk in the garden or sitting at your desk in the office, and is said to pair excellently with Colin the [...]
The best places to celebrate Lunar New Year in London January 29, 2022 Next Tuesday will see celebrations across the world for the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year. Each year is represented by an animal, with 2022 being a year of the tiger – specifically a water tiger, said to represent strength and bravery. Most importantly, it’s an excuse for a nice party, with [...]
The whisky diaries: Tasting a very special 39-year-old January 27, 2022 Some whiskies want to get you drunk, some want to challenge you, but The Singleton 39 Year Old is a super premium single malt that really wants to take you to dinner. While the first release in The Singleton’s Epicurean Odyssey series, a 38-year-old single malt launched in 2020, tasted of baked apples and caramel, [...]
For casual wine tasting there’s no better place than Humble Grape January 27, 2022 If you are looking for a fun and simple way to get out of your wine comfort zone then let me recommend Humble Grape. With various locations around London, I stopped into my local one in Battersea for a casual dinner and discovered ‘Tasting Tuesdays’ where, for only £15, one can try four wines selected [...]