Taste the Metaverse: Maison Assouline’s cocktail inspired by the digital world digital drinks Best known as a publisher of opulent coffee table books on topics including culture, art, fashion, luxury goods and travel, Maison Assouline, nestled in the heart of Piccadilly, is a self-proclaimed “bastion of elegance”. Its London flagship is located in a century-old bank building, designed by the Cenotaph architect, Edwin Lutyens. With its high shelves [...]
Cash in the Cellar: The New Market for Old Liqueurs bargain booze? Auctions for vintage wines and whiskies are nothing new, nor are record-breaking prices for rare bottles. However, the ongoing interest in cocktails, which only grew as people mixed their own drinks during the lockdown, has boosted a burgeoning market for vintage liqueurs, and for the savvy buyer there are real bargains to be had. Home-mixologists [...]
Quentin Blake designs whisky labels based on Macbeth whisky business Through his namesake Burgess Studio, Lexi Burgess has spent years working on the design side of the whisky industry. This involvement encouraged him to look into the history of distilleries, where the shifting allegiances between the major players – sometimes cooperative and sometimes cut-throat – reminded him of the machinations of Macbeth. That realisation crystalised [...]
Titus Andronicus at The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse review February 4, 2023 Men, killing men, killing men, killing men, killing women, killing men, killing men, killing children… Titus Andronicus at The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse demonstrates that revenge is a dish best served hot and messy. Titus Andronicus was Shakespeare’s first tragedy, and his juvenile enthusiasm for violence and depravity has fascinated and appalled audiences since its earliest [...]
Have a Very Malty Christmas: The best festive whisky December 6, 2022 With Christmas just around the corner, time is running out to restock drinks cabinets or buy gifts for your whisky-loving friends and family. Celebrate the season in style with this eclectic selection of exceptional Scottish whiskies. Ardbeg Wee Beastie The youngest release in Ardbeg’s core range, the five year old Wee Beastie is anything but [...]
The best alcoholic advent calendars for Christmas November 27, 2022 Christmas is coming! Count down the days with one of these alcoholic advent calendars, putting a grownup spin on a festive childhood tradition. WHISKY EXCHANGE SPIRITS ADVENT CALENDAR The Whisky Exchange has assembled a veritable smorgasbord of spirits for the holiday season. Each day will bring a new surprise, with this diverse collection consisting of [...]
House of Hazelwood: Autumn Collection 2022 October 28, 2022 The family behind William Grant & Sons has one of the largest and most diverse collections of Scotch whiskies in the world. The House of Hazelwood, is dipping into their private inventory, selecting and bottling some of their most precious casks, and making them available to the drinking public. In the rolling Scottish countryside, just [...]
Best Halloween drinks to stock up the drinks cabinet October 26, 2022 Halloween means different things to different people. For some it’s a theatrical celebration of the macabre, for others an opportunity to explore the darker aspects of the supernatural, and then there are those for whom it’s just about gorging on bucket-loads of sweets. However you mark the occasion, we have a drink for you. If [...]
The Band’s Visit, Donmar Warehouse, review: Great musical performances October 14, 2022 The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra have been booked to appear at the opening of an Arab cultural centre in Petah Tikva, part of metropolitan Tel Aviv. But a misunderstanding while ordering bus tickets at the airport finds the band stranded overnight in Bet Hatikva, a fictional nowheresville in the middle of the Negev Desert. What [...]
Try 300 cocktails as London Cocktail Week begins October 12, 2022 Break out the tiny umbrellas, it’s time for London Cocktail Week. The award-winning festival is back for its 13th year, and bigger than ever. The concept is simple; buy a London Cocktail Week wristband for £15 and from 13 to 23 October it entitles you to attend non-ticketed events and purchase literally hundreds of tantalising [...]
