Xmas Drinks 2021: The spirits you need on your cabinet over the holidays December 15, 2021 The Botanist Islay Dry Gin is ideal for seasonal cocktails. Made by the experimental Scotch whisky-makers at Bruichladdich, using a rare, salvaged Lomond still, the Botanist combines nine traditional gin botanicals with a further twenty-two ingredients foraged from the island. The resulting spirit is incredibly smooth, enlivened by citrus, mint, and harmonious floral flavours, that make [...]
Whisky casks the new alternative asset class getting investors excited June 28, 2021 Wine, art, now even non-fungible tokens – the list of alternative asset classes is as varied as it is long. But whisky casks are making their arrival at the heart of the market, with the Knight Frank Luxury Index suggesting their values had shot up 534 per cent over a ten-year period. And firms are [...]
Where to enjoy a Martini in London for World Martini Day June 17, 2021 The Martini is universally exalted. It’s subject of countless quotes and lore from Ernest Hemingway to Dorothy Parker; it’s a tool of politicians from Roosevelt to Churchill and even served to Stalin at Yalta; and it was lent yet more glamour from being the tipple of choice of Ian Fleming’s best known character. It even [...]
City Spirits: Cinco de Mayo is the perfect chance to look afresh at tequila May 5, 2021 It’s not been a vintage twelve months for travelling, as we all know. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get away, even momentarily, with a taste of further afield. Cinco de Mayo, Mexico’s biggest party day of the year, is upon us – and one of the best ways to raise a glass to Mexico, [...]
Gin review: Hendrick’s Lunar is a giant leap for spirits fans March 31, 2021 Hendrick’s air of cultivated whimsy would be grating if it were not so consonant with the character of their product. Hendrick’s flagship cucumber and rose-flavoured gin is best known, but in all its varieties, Hendrick’s is inventive, impish, and iconoclastic. The spirits are produced at a distillery in Girvan, Southwest of Glasgow. The purpose-built Gin [...]
Cement the Special Relationship with some American Whiskey March 30, 2021 Earlier this month the Biden administration announced it was suspending Trump-era tariffs on the import of Scotch whisky to the US, reducing the price of single malts for American consumers. If you wanted to reciprocate, there are many long-established American whiskeys you could purchase, but if you’re willing to try something new, your adventurous spirit [...]
Hitting the right note: Piano Works to double bar tabs for May reopening March 23, 2021 After a year of closure caused by lockdown, fans of The Piano Works have not had much to sing about recently. But the iconic ivory-tickling venue today announced it will now be among the first to reopen in May, bringing some much-needed music to their ears. The singalong favourite is now taking bookings for its [...]
City Spirits: Irish whiskey might be the star, but gin hits the spot too March 17, 2021 Above most other calendar dates, March 17 presents itself as the perfect opportunity to throw your inhibitions to one side, and party like its, well, 461AD. St. Patrick’s Day falls on this date each year. But why March 17? This was the day that the man who became the foremost patron saint of Ireland, passed [...]
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 [...]