Well it’s that time of year again, the weather’s turned cold, the shops are packed full off people battling to spend their money as fast as possible and every bar has mulled wine or hot spiced cider bubbling away. Yep the run up to Christmas is in full swing, like it or not. So I thought rather than simply trot out a few recipes for hot cocktails or recommend where you should go for your office party, I’d instead work up a list of booze related presents to suit every relative or friend. So below is the official b&t cocktail and spirit Christmas list.
The great thing about giving spirits or cocktail related goodies for Christmas is that you’re likely to be able to share in the enjoyment of the gifts. I know they say that the pleasure is in the giving rather than the receiving, but as far as I’m concerned the pleasure is also in the sipping. So below you’ll find some of my favourite tipples, bits of cocktail equipment and booze related paraphernalia that should help you to have a very merry Christmas indeed!
If you’ve been to and English fete and flower show you probably spent some time in the ‘home produce’ marquee – the location where you’ll find the finest home-made jams, pork pies, bread, chocolates, wines and spirits that the village has to offer. Well the recent launch of a small batch sloe gin and damson vodka by artisanal spirit producer Sipsmith, was a little like that; a celebration of all that’s good about making your own food and drink. Those attending received a warm village welcome to the ‘garage’ that’s home to Prudence, Sipsmith’s beautiful hand-made copper still (and the first in London for almost 200 years).
The evening had a festive feel to it: tinkling glasses, sparkling lights and the aroma of home-cooked food, easily blended with the merriment of writers and clients who clearly loved being immersed in the hand-crafted ambience of Sipsmith. To enhance the festivities and emphasise the ethos of Sipsmith, guests had been encouraged to make a food item using sloe berries and damsons plums and, in true village fete tradition, their efforts were duly tasted and judged for ‘best in show’. The aromas of home cooked pie, pungent cheese and the finest small batch spirits wafted down the narrow row of houses in this Hammersmith back street.
When I wrote recently about liqueurs and the different rules governing how they’re made, I had a lot of people telling me how useful it was to see those guidelines spelled out. There’s a lot of confusion surrounding spirits and their differing rules, so I thought I’d have a go at putting down on paper the regulations for most of the major spirit categories. When we talked about this over a rum or two at b&t HQ, it seemed like a great idea, but then I started the research…
The problem I ran into right away was that every country seems to have their own set of regulations defining each type of spirit, which means to arrive at one definitive list of rules is nearly impossible. However, after a little research I’ve managed to compile some guidelines for each spirit category, and have written more straightforward interpretations for some of the confusing legal definitions that make up the ‘rules’. So if you’ve ever wondered what makes some gins ‘London Dry’ or have queried the difference between bourbon and scotch, here’s my attempt at unraveling some of those mysteries that make up the defining rules of spirit production. You might want to fix yourself a cocktail as this is one of the longer blogs I've written… and this is just part one!
If you’re in the UK you’ll have been enjoying the unusually early appearance of the sun in our April skies, which of course means that barbecues have been fired up in record numbers over the past week or so. It seems to me that my drinking habits change the moment the sun starts shining and, without even thinking about it, I turn to white spirits and crisp refreshing summer cocktails to keep me cool.
I’ve expressed my opinion here before about making cocktails at home; in times gone by the home ‘cocktail party’ was a regular occurrence, and any home worth it’s salt had a well stocked drinks cabinet, if not a full bar. I’m an advocate of making drinks at home and believe that it’s well past time for this tradition to be revived, so when Bombay Sapphire sent me an invitation to a ‘cocktail master class’ I thought there might be a chance to try something a little different. The guest list for this event was made up of food and drinks writers and bloggers, but maybe just maybe Bombay would let me send in a consumer to infiltrate the evening.
In my day job I spend a lot of time educating bartenders about bourbon, and this week during a tasting session I was asked to discuss how to adapt some classic recipes to suit different bourbons. All too often we are presented with ‘the recipe’ for making a certain drink, but just saying 20ml of vermouth or 50 ml of gin doesn’t always lead to creating a well balanced drink. The moment you change one ingredient the balance of the drink changes.
Looking at my drinks cabinet I have just realised that there are certain bottles that get used a lot more than others. Havana Club 7 year old Rum, Geranium Gin, Siete Leguas Tequila, Sagatiba Velha Cachaca, Wild Turkey 101, these bottles seem to need replenishing rather often. But why is it that I have formed a bond with these brands? It’s not as though I don’t have other great rums or tequilas to choose from, but I seem to often find myself drawn to my old favourites.
It’s been a hectic couple of weeks for me, with distillery visits, new products being sent to me, catching up with master distillers and the first Imbibe bar show, not to mention a food and cocktail pairing hosted by Courvoisier and Bompass & Parr. I guess I can’t complain when every day there seems to be something new to try or someone new to meet.
My opinions on the subject of gin have always been pretty clear, I like my gin to taste of juniper! I am on record as saying that I have a problem with many of the new wave gins that seem to hang themselves on an unusual ingredient and forget that gin is primarily about juniper balanced against a range of botanicals which add complexity and structure to the spirit.
We’ve been treated to an early burst of sunny weather over the last week or so and it has got me thinking about summer drinking. Obviously there are plenty of bars and pubs with terraces or beer gardens, but sometimes there is nothing better than inviting friends over, firing up the bbq and having a few drinks in the garden!