The world’s most refreshing summer drinks, from Ribena to Rooh Afza July 22, 2021 What do you drink in heatwaves? A lightly chilled Bardolino or an easy-drinking Beaujolais? Cider? Coconut water? Homemade elderflower cordial? Iced mint tea? Robinson’s Barley Water? Sachets of healthy, re-hydrating Dioralyte? For me it has to be Ribena. Dr Vernon Charley, a scientist at Long Ashton Agriculture and Horticulture Research Station near Bristol, invented “Ribena” [...]
Three new gins that prove small-batch distilling is alive and well July 22, 2021 You may have thought that the hand-crafted gin market had run out of USPs but three new small-batch gins show there is no drought of new ideas. New Zealand’s Scapegrace Gin, just launched in the UK, is the first black-ish gin. Because of botanicals including aronia berry, butterfly pea, saffron, pineapple and sweet potato, it [...]
Meet the modern drinks-makers taking low-alc to the next level July 21, 2021 If you fancy a gin and tonic but don’t want the baggage of calories or a hangover, we may have the drink for you. Low-alc spirit-alternative Mooze is described by its makers as an “almost gin” – at just 12% ABV it’s not allowed to be sold as a gin but, according to Mel Sims, [...]
‘I told staff to delete the app’: Hospitality reacts to pingdemic crisis July 20, 2021 While the government was hailing the arrival of so-called “freedom day” yesterday, the threat of rising Covid cases and the “pingdemic” forcing staff to self isolate has left the beleaguered hospitality industry with little to celebrate. One restaurateur told City A.M: “Our ability to operate hangs in the balance by some fairly crude geolocation tech”, [...]
Discover the wonders of the Wiltshire Wine Trail July 20, 2021 Stonehenge has a rival tourist attraction. The newly-opened Wiltshire Wine Trail takes you to three vineyards in the ancient county – Bluestone, a’Beckett’s and Whitehall. All offer tastings, tours and some wonderful names for wines. Paul Langham headed the national English and Welsh wine trade body for many years and now his a’Beckett’s vineyard in [...]
Bitter Summer: Asterley Bros’ Vermouth and Amaro July 16, 2021 Summer might finally be arriving in London this weekend, with a forecast for sun and temperatures expected to hit 30°C on Sunday. It’s the perfect weather for a tall, refreshing cocktail made with ice-cold tonic water and an Italian aperitivo. But if England’s loss in the Euros has left a bitter taste in your mouth, [...]
How to discover new wines without breaking the bank July 15, 2021 When it comes to choosing a wine, people tend to stick to what they know. A recognisable wine like a Malbec or a Sauvignon Blanc can feel like a safe bet, or you may be wary of mispronouncing a wine you have never seen before to that snooty looking waiter. Restaurants know the more popular [...]
Visit one Scottish distillery where you can sleep, and one where you can eat July 15, 2021 Just when you thought Scotland had run out of islands to make whisky on, the Isle of the Roe Deer has released its inaugural whisky. Isle of Raasay Distillery also became the first distillery to offer accommodation, located within sniffing distance of the mash tuns of this state of art distillery, housed inside an old [...]
Could coffee-infused wine be the ideal post-Covid date fuel? July 14, 2021 If you were asked in a pub quiz what the UK’s favourite supermarket wine is, you might guess Hardy’s, Blossom Hill, Yellowtail, Barefoot or Casillero del Diablo. You probably wouldn’t think of an Australian red that commemorates people who committed serious crimes such as impersonating an Egyptian, stealing a shroud from a grave, counterfeiting copper [...]
Liquid Diamond: The only wine celebrating National Emoji Day July 14, 2021 This Saturday 17 July is National Emoji Day – a holiday that celebrates and validates our obsession with the graphic icons invented by Japanese designer Shigetaka Kurita in 1999. This may seem entirely unrelated to the world of oenology, but at least one viticulturist is blending smiley faces, love hearts and thumbs ups with their [...]