This IWD, meet the women changing the booze industry March 8, 2021 The world of beer, wine and spirits has also been dominated during our lifetime by men, with phallocentric brands including Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walker aimed squarely at male drinkers. But it wasn’t always so – for thousands of years brewing was undertaken by women. And as we celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), there are [...]
Mother’s Day gifts: Make 2021 a lockdown to remember March 6, 2021 As the first mother’s day under lockdown rapidly approaches, this year it’s more important than ever to get your gift just right. This year we have focused on the amazing food options you can lavish upon your wonderful mother – or you could even buy two and eat them together over a nice, long Zoom [...]
WandaVision S1E9: Can the finale live up to the hype? March 5, 2021 *** WARNING: This review contains spoilers for all episodes of WandaVision *** So we arrive at the finale of WandaVision. If you’ve been following the series, or these reviews, then you’ll know that the previous episode has caught you up with everything you need to know. We’ve found out the identity of Agatha (Kathryn Hahn), [...]
Best of travel: Rampaging through Dartmoor in an Aston Martin March 5, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Adam Hay-Nicholls’ tour through the rugged terrain of Dartmoor in an Aston Martin Vanquish. ••• It’s the tail-end of dusk in Devon and silence is broken. Thundering down the twisting A382 from Exeter to [...]
Pop quiz: How much do you really know about German wine? March 5, 2021 At this time of the year my palate changes and I start craving more refreshing styles of wine. I always end up rediscovering German wines – like an album you played to death and haven’t heard since last summer. I love reconnecting with these wines. German wines have a bad reputation in the UK. I’ve [...]
Should you look at Irish whiskey as an investment? March 5, 2021 With St Patrick’s Day on the not-too-distant horizon, thoughts inevitably turn to iconic festivities to be enjoyed. For many this involves toasting a taoscán of Irish whiskey. The day and drink are synonymous with each other. But this year maybe you should think about investing instead of drinking your whiskey? The Irish end their toasts [...]
City Spirits: Put the G&T to the side for a refined rum revolution March 5, 2021 If you’re after a quick and refreshing sundowner, there are fewer drinks easier to throw together than a gin and tonic. The quintessential afternoon tipple, the humble G&T has been the key vehicle for the phenomenal growth in gin – both in sales and in the sheer variety of bottles available to try – over [...]
Coming 2 America: Eddie Murphy sequel is past its best March 4, 2021 COVID may have scuppered many studios’ plans, but Paramount Pictures made the best of unforeseen circumstances, selling many titles to streaming services including comedy sequel Coming 2 America. The follow up to the 1988 Eddie Murphy hit was purchased by Amazon for a reported $125m, believed to be a record for streaming rights. A sequel [...]
Freelance creatives could fall through cracks of Rishi budget March 4, 2021 This week Rishi Sunak announced his investment-led recovery budget, pledging an additional £408m stimulus package for the culture sector. This is fantastic news for a creative sector particularly vulnerable to the impact of the COVID pandemic. The government has divided this relief package into three parts: £300m for the Cultural Recovery Fund (supporting cultural organisations [...]
The Dissident examines Saudi murder of Jamal Khashoggi March 4, 2021 On 2 October 2018, Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by agents of the Saudi Arabian government at their consulate in Istanbul. The assassination sent shockwaves around the world, as it came to discover the unthinkable act of a government brazenly killing a writer known for his criticisms of them. What this meant for [...]