The female founders bringing boxed wine into the 21st century April 6, 2021 As recently as a year or two ago, if you asked for an example of an oxymoron, “luxury boxed wine” would have been a pretty solid answer. But changes in attitudes towards packaging and a shift in drinking habits have led to the rise of a new generation of boxed booze. Laylo is one of [...]
Hot cross bun gin and other Easter-themed boozy beverages March 31, 2021 Spotting a gap in the market and a niche in the religious calendar, the Manchester Drinks Company has launched an Easter-themed liqueur that blends sweet fruits and spices to create an alcoholic hot cross bun in a bottle. Richard Benjamin, director at Manchester Drinks Co, says: “Easter isn’t just about indulging in easter eggs, it’s [...]
Why Belgium may represent the next frontier in the whisky world March 30, 2021 On his first visit to Edinburgh, in the first pub he went into – Deacon Brodies Tavern on the Royal Mile – the first drink Tom van Gyseghem had was a glass of Caol Ila 18-year-old. It inspired him to become a distiller, set up Thistle Spirits in his home city of Brussels and, with [...]
The Indian wine market is hotting up: Meet the makers March 30, 2021 At last count, there were 17,000 Indian restaurants in the UK, but only a fraction of a fraction with anything approaching an Indian wine list. Now, the UK has its first Indian wine specialist offering a range of premium bottles curated by India’s first and so far only official Master of Wines. Wines in India, [...]
How to sell sherry to Gen-Z, and other spirits breakthroughs March 15, 2021 The last 12 months have been full of challenges, although the one that’s been on the mind of Tim Holt is how to sell fine sherry to Gen-Z. “There’s a dual image of sherry with the young,” he says. “You have the OAP association, especially with standard supermarket sherry offerings. But at the same time [...]
The companies finding the perfect house plant for you March 12, 2021 Before lockdown, house plants were around to brighten up the place. Now for many of us, they are our best friends and sole confidants, helping pull us through the long, lonely days. During the pandemic, sales of indoor plants have spiked, with a host of new subscription delivery services cropping up to meet the demand [...]
The man who transforms grey urban spaces into green oases March 10, 2021 The last year has taught us the importance of outdoor spaces, little oases of green amid the grey expanse of the city where we can safely meet even during a pandemic. But what exactly goes into creating such a space? We caught up with someone who knows: Nigel Dunnett, professor of Planting Design, Urban Horticulture [...]
Need to get away? Why not become a winemaker in Portugal? March 9, 2021 We are all asking the same question. “What will be the first thing we’ll do when lockdown ends?” But few of us will answer: “Buy myself a vineyard in Portugal, make myself 288 bottles of wine, and learn how to be a professional goalkeeper.” But one winery in south Portugal is offering a “Winemaker’s Experience” [...]
Why poitín, Irish moonshine that was illegal until 1997, could be the next big thing March 8, 2021 “It’s Ireland’s original national drink,” says sixth generation independent poitín producer Padraic O’Griallais. He uses the 17O-year-old recipe of his great great-great-grandfather Mical Mac Chearra from Connemara to distill his own version of “Irish moonshine”. The recipe, which includes Connemara ‘bog bean’ is realised in the first legal Poitín distillery in Galway. First distilled by [...]
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 [...]
