I haven’t written about grappa for a while, and my previous articles focus a lot on specific distilleries. I thought it might be helpful just to offer an all-rounder on the category, a beginner’s guide to grappa, if you wish. Let’s start with the basics. What is grappa? Grappa is a spirit made using what […]
We all have those bottles at the back of the bar or cupboard that are simply collecting dust. Perhaps you aren’t sure how to use them or maybe it was a gift. Or perhaps it’s an expensive bottle of whisky that you are savouring and only having a dram or two on special occasions. Over […]
When you are new to whisky, it can be a minefield to choose ones suitable for a beginner’s palate. There’s always the fear of not liking something and ruining the whole experience at the first few yards. You want something easy sipping, nothing overly complex, but with still enough oomph to make you want to […]
Green Chartreuse, the king of liqueurs, has a bright green colour and complex flavour. It is an ancient herbal liqueur produced by Chartreuse monks in France. The taste is unique, with sweet but herbal notes. A very enjoyable liqueur served on its own and in many cocktails. A brief history Back in 1605, the Chartreuse […]
I have teamed up with The Whisky Cellar to give away a bottle of their latest (very) limited edition single malt. The Whisky Cellar is a new Edinburgh-based independent bottler and their Private Cellars Selection is fully based on quality scoring rather than price point, age, colour or distillery name. They source unique casks from […]
These days you can find all sorts of Martini cocktails, ranging from the classic recipe to fruity versions, many of which are named merely on the basis of the cocktail glass used. In this article we will separate the Martini from the Martinis… What is in the Martini? The original Martini was, and still is, […]
Are you short of cocktail ingredients? Perhaps you haven’t had the chance to go food shopping or couldn’t find everything you planned to buy. Or maybe you stocked a bit too much at the beginning of the pandemic. Here’s how you can create Christmas drinks using your emergency larder, which surely is full of many […]
This year we are celebrating Christmas and NYE in a very different way to what we are used to. In many places house guests aren’t recommended or they are limited to very few. Restaurants and bars may remain closed or with restricted timetables and seating, so we have no choice but to create our own […]
The classic Negroni is made with equal parts of gin, bitter (most often Campari) and sweet vermouth, but the cocktail’s ever-increasing popularity has helped to create a huge variety of unique Negroni recipes. Whether tequila, rum or mezcal as its base count as a Negroni is debatable (Boulevardier is not called a Bourbon Negroni…). Perhaps […]