Bob’s Bitters Breathes New Life Into 2 Classics

How do you improve on something that already works beautifully?

For Bob Petrie, the answer came not from reinvention, but refinement. The founder of Bob’s Bitters, a name that’s become quietly iconic behind countless bars, has revisited two of his earliest creations, breathing new life into them for 2025.

The result: Ginseng #2 and Tonka #2. Two bitters that feel less like a reboot and more like a conversation between past and present.

Why Change a Classic?

After years of seeing his bitters in the hands of bartenders around the world, Bob began to notice a shift. Palates were evolving. Drinks were lighter, fresher, more layered. Cocktails weren’t just about punch; they were about balance.

So, he went back to the lab. The goal wasn’t to modernise for the sake of it, but to draw out more depth, more emotion, more versatility. Something that could work just as well in a Martini at dusk as it could in a smoky Old Fashioned after dinner.

Ginseng #2: Grounded, Gentle, and Full of Quiet Energy

There’s something meditative about Ginseng #2. It opens earthy and smooth, a gentle hum rather than a shout, before giving way to a whisper of citrus and floral wood. Beneath it all, that telltale bittersweetness of ginseng lingers, balanced by a light sweetness and a flicker of white pepper warmth.

It’s refreshing in the way a walk through a botanical garden feels refreshing, calm, clear, alive. The kind of bitter that doesn’t just complement a drink; it completes it. Perfect for those who believe a Martini should taste like elegance, not effort.

Tonka #2: Deep, Indulgent, and Unmistakably Bold

If Ginseng #2 is serenity, Tonka #2 is seduction. It’s rich, aromatic, and full of character. That sweet, creamy tonka note entwined with hints of praline, spice, and dried fruit. It’s the scent of old books and caramelized sugar; the flavour of something that lingers long after the glass is empty.

Ideal for Old Fashioneds and Manhattans, it adds a smooth, rounded depth that turns familiar cocktails into something quietly indulgent. It’s not loud; it’s confident.

Small Batches, Big Emotion

Bob’s Bitters has always been about precision. Every bottle is crafted by hand, every batch made in small numbers, and every flavour built with patience. But what makes this release special isn’t just the craftsmanship; it’s the feeling behind it.

Because bitters, as Bob knows, are never the star of the show. They’re the thread that ties everything together. The invisible detail that makes you pause after a sip and think, “That’s perfect!”

To taste the new Ginseng #2 and Tonka #2, visit bobsbitters.com, and discover what happens when a master distiller decides to chase balance, not trends.

Sweet Heat Meets Sustainability: Penrhos x Oddbox’s Pear & Chilli Gin

Can gin be both spicy and sustainable? Absolutely. Case in point: Herefordshire-based Penrhos Spirits and food-waste heroes Oddbox are turning up the temperature with their latest collaboration, the Pear & Chilli Gin. 

Crafted from “imperfect” pears and locally grown jalapeños that would have otherwise gone to waste, this limited-edition release brings together heat, sweetness, and sustainability in one striking 70cl aluminium bottle.

Only 500 bottles have been created, each one celebrating the oddities that make nature interesting. It’s the UK’s first-ever pear and chilli gin, a pairing that taps into the global “swicy” trend (sweet + spicy) dominating 2025’s flavour charts. Think fruity warmth with a lively kick, a drink made for adventurous palates and chilly autumn nights.

How did two waste-fighting brands bottle “sweet heat”?

This isn’t the first time Penrhos and Oddbox have joined forces. Their first collaboration, a cucumber and apple gin, sold out in 2023. But this year’s release took things up a notch. After a record-hot British summer produced an unusually fiery jalapeño harvest, the Penrhos team spent months perfecting the balance.

More than 20 recipes were tested by Penrhos’ tasting panel before the winning blend emerged: a gin with a genuine hit of chilli heat that doesn’t overpower the juicy, orchard-fresh pear base. It’s a “sweet heat” designed for sipping, gifting, and creating cocktails that surprise.

The team behind the bottle describes it as their “most challenging gin yet,” and it shows. The result is vibrant, bold, and just the right side of daring.

What does it taste like and how should you drink it?

The Pear & Chilli Gin is a versatile spirit that leans into its dual personality: bright and crisp upfront, with an unmistakable warmth that builds on the finish.

Both brands have leaned into this playful duality with a “Pick Your Pearsonality” quiz, helping drinkers discover if they’re sweet, spicy, or bold and serving up matching cocktail recipes. 

Highlights include:

• The Spiced 75 – a sparkling pear-and-chilli twist on the classic French 75.

• The Picante Pear – zesty, fiery, and perfect for those who like a little bite.

• The Farmarita – a gin-based margarita with a pinch of heat and a pear garnish.

Each serve celebrates the gin’s unique flavour, whether you’re chasing warmth, sweetness, or both.

Why this gin matters

Beyond its bold taste, this launch reinforces what both Penrhos and Oddbox stand for: rethinking how we use and value our food. Oddbox’s rescued produce and Penrhos’ recycled aluminium packaging (which cuts carbon footprint by 91% compared to glass) make this more than a drink. It’s a statement on sustainability done right.

For anyone seeking a Christmas gift that’s equal parts stylish, sustainable, and conversation-starting, the Penrhos x Oddbox Pear & Chilli Gin fits the bill. It’s available exclusively at penrhosspirits.co.uk and market.oddbox.co.uk for £34.95 (70cl, 42% ABV).

Black Lines' Festive Favourite Is Making Its Dairy-Free Comeback

Every year, there’s a quiet moment when Christmas truly begins. For some, it’s the first snowfall. For others, it’s Mariah Carey resurfacing on the radio. But for a certain crowd of cocktail lovers, it’s the return of that bottle, the one that sells out before most people have even found their tinsel.

Black Lines Oatnog is back.

And just like that, the festive season feels official.

The Reinvention of a Classic

The beauty of Oatnog lies in its simplicity. It doesn’t shout for attention with glitter or gimmicks; it earns it. Each bottle blends smooth rum, Oatly Barista, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, bringing all the nostalgic warmth of traditional eggnog, but without the dairy, eggs, or heaviness. The result is comfort redefined: luxuriously creamy, gently spiced, and endlessly sippable.

It’s a drink that feels both familiar and forward-thinking. As the UK’s appetite for plant-based indulgence continues to rise, Oatnog has quietly cemented itself as the country’s most coveted festive cocktail. Four consecutive sell-out runs have turned it from a niche curiosity into a full-blown Christmas tradition.

How Did Black Lines Turn a Drink Into a Tradition?

Founded on the idea of making fantastic cocktails accessible, London-based Black Lines has built its reputation on premium pre-batched serves that don’t compromise on quality. Its drinks pour like something from a cocktail bar, but without the theatrics, queue, or guesswork.

Oatnog captures that ethos perfectly. You can drink it chilled over ice, where the vanilla sweetness meets the spice of rum in perfect balance. Or, serve it warm with a dusting of nutmeg, letting the aroma fill the room. It’s versatile, vegan, and comforting in that quietly luxurious way that defines modern British drinking culture.

Can a Cocktail Really Do Good?

Beyond the bottle, there’s heart to this year’s release. For 2025, £1 from every Oatnog sold will go toward vital aid for children and families in Gaza. In an era where conscious consumption matters more than ever, Black Lines continues to prove that pleasure and purpose can coexist in a single pour.

It’s a small gesture with real impact, something that makes each glass taste a little warmer, and the ritual of gifting or sharing that much more meaningful.

A Modern Classic in the Making

Priced at £20, Oatnog is available through Whole Foods, Selfridges, and Black Lines online store until Dec. 23, 2025, or more likely, until it sells out. Given its four-year streak of vanishing from shelves, this season looks set to be no different.

Black Lines has found the sweet spot between tradition and innovation: a drink that feels both classic and current. Because what began as a clever alternative to eggnog has become something much bigger: a modern symbol of the season.

Perhaps that’s what makes it special. In every pour, there’s nostalgia, craft, generosity, and just the right touch of rebellion. A reminder that some traditions aren’t inherited; they’re created.

How GABA Labs Is Making ‘Feel-Good’ Drinks Without the Alcohol

Can a drink lift your mood and help you connect, without a drop of booze? Turns out, yes.

It’s Friday night in London, and the mood is bright. Someone pours what looks like a smooth whiskey, golden in the glass, aromatic and rich. Except, it isn’t. There’s no alcohol here, no sharp burn, no hangover waiting in the wings. Just science, plants, and a very clever rethink of what “a good drink” can be.

Meet GABA Labs, the London-based biotech changing the way we socialise. Co-founded by Professor David Nutt, one of the world’s leading experts on how alcohol affects the brain, and David Orren, the team has built something groundbreaking: a functional drinks platform that delivers the calm, connected feeling we associate with alcohol, without the alcohol itself.

Can Science Recreate the Feeling of a Drink?

The answer lies inside the brain’s own chemistry. The GABA system, responsible for feelings of calm and relaxation, is the body’s natural counterpart to alcohol’s effects. Instead of stimulating it through ethanol, GABA Labs found a way to support it using a carefully crafted blend of plant-based ingredients.

Their new platform, based on the same GABA-enhancing formula that powers SENTIA Spirits’ GABA Red, Black, and Gold, can now be adapted to create all kinds of familiar drinks. First up? Gabyr, a collection of functional beers, and Cask, a whiskey-inspired alternative. Both are designed to taste recognisable and feel satisfying, without the side effects that usually follow a night out.

For Orren and the team, this isn’t about replacing alcohol; it’s about broadening what’s possible. They see a world where socialising and self-care don’t sit on opposite ends of the spectrum, but exist comfortably side by side.

Why Drinkers Are Craving Something New

The timing couldn’t be better. Across the UK, more than three-quarters of adults are moderating their drinking habits, while younger generations are embracing what’s become known as “zebra striping,” switching between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks during the same night. The message is clear: people want balance.

These new functional drinks speak directly to that cultural shift. They’re made not just for how people want to taste, but for how they want to feel. For the first time, a non-alcoholic option offers that subtle lift, the gentle buzz of connection, without the crash that usually follows.

What Makes GABA Labs’ Approach So Different?

Unlike most zero-proof spirits or imitation beers, GABA Labs’ platform isn’t about simulation; it’s about stimulation, in the most natural sense. Their GABAergic botanicals work with the body’s own systems to gently enhance mood, sociability, and relaxation. The result feels familiar, not artificial, a drink that lets you unwind while staying clear-headed and present.

Rather than chasing perfect replicas of whiskey or beer, the team focused on creating an entirely new category of functional, mood-enhancing drinks. Their work blurs the line between science and social experience, showing what’s possible when innovation meets intention.

A Glimpse Into the Future of Social Drinking

This launch is just the beginning. The same research driving Gabyr and Cask is also paving the way for Alcarelle, GABA Labs’ next-generation molecule currently under development. It’s a vision of the future where people can enjoy all the positive effects of alcohol, connection, confidence, calm, without the toxicity or risk of dependence.

For now, these natural, plant-based products offer a taste of what’s to come. They invite us to raise a glass to a new kind of celebration; one that’s grounded in clarity, connection, and choice.

The future of drinking isn’t about giving something up. It’s about gaining something better: A drink that fits the way we want to live, and mornings we actually want to wake up to.

To experience the new wave of functional drinking, Cask is now available online for £34.25.

The New 007: What Will James Bond Be Drinking in 2025?

Nemiroff’s experts predict a sharper, more tactical evolution of the classic Vodka Martini.

It’s not just Bond fans placing bets on who will replace Daniel Craig, the next tuxedoed icon may also be changing what’s in his glass. Ukrainian vodka house Nemiroff has entered the conversation, reimagining what the world’s most famous cocktail could look like for a new era of espionage and sophistication.

Because when Bond evolves, so does the drink that defines him.

Shaken, Not Stirred, but Smarter

What does a martini look like when the man behind it is younger, more deliberate, and arguably more self-aware?

Nemiroff’s mixologist Yulia Terletska believes the answer lies not in reinvention, but refinement. The new Bond Martini, she suggests, is still vodka-forward and fiercely shaken, yet “clean, sharp, and deceptively simple,” a mirror of a character who now thrives on precision rather than theatrics.

This Bond doesn’t have to announce himself to command a room. His drink speaks for him: minimal, meticulous, and effortlessly modern.

A Modern Classic: How the 2025 Martini Differs

Traditionally, the 007 formula combines gin, vodka, dry vermouth, and a lemon peel garnish. Nemiroff’s prediction for 2025 pares things back and introduces a subtle twist: a dash of orange bitters.

It’s a quiet revolution; one that brings aromatic warmth, citrus, and spice, deepening the complexity without losing the purity of the base spirit. In short, a cocktail as strategic as its drinker.

The Modern Bond Martini (Nemiroff Edition)

Ingredients:
60ml Nemiroff De Luxe Vodka
10ml Dry Vermouth
1 dash Orange Bitters

Method:
Shake hard over ice for 15 seconds.
Strain into a frozen martini glass.
Express and discard a lemon twist.

The result? A martini that’s still unapologetically Bond, but one step ahead of everyone else in the room.

A Drink Fit for Any Mission

Whether it’s sipped in Monte Carlo, savoured atop a Berlin rooftop, or poured at home for a quiet celebration, the new Bond Martini feels right for a world that values intentional luxury over excess. It’s not a “healthified” rework or a chase for trends. It’s a statement of evolution … of taste, of control, of quiet confidence.

And if history has taught us anything, Bond always knew when to adapt.

So, as we await the next name behind the bow tie, one thing seems certain: the martini glass will never look quite the same again.

Curious to mix it yourself? Explore Nemiroff’s full vodka collection, including the De Luxe Vodka used in this reimagined Bond Martini, available now via Nemiroff on Amazon UK.

A New Chapter in Craft: Guinness Opens Its Gates in Covent Garden

How does a 265-year-old brewery manage to feel brand new?

It starts with a smell. That unmistakable roasted sweetness of malt drifting through Covent Garden’s cobbled lanes. And just ahead, through the mist, the black gates gleam. On Dec. 11, 2025, those gates will swing open, welcoming London into the long-awaited Guinness Open Gate Brewery, a place where tradition and experimentation share a pint.

What Happens When Heritage Gets Curious?

For decades, Guinness has been about consistency, the perfect pour, the same every time. But this new space? It’s all about play.

Inside the 54,000-square-foot Old Brewer’s Yard, brewing takes on a modern edge under Master Brewer Hollie Stephenson. This is where Guinness loosens its tie: think craft IPAs, crisp lagers, and small-batch stouts you’ll never find anywhere else.

Visitors can dive into the “Step Into the Pint” experience, a cinematic journey through Guinness’ history, before heading to the 232 Bar to master that famous two-part pour. (Spoiler: it’s harder than it looks, and infinitely more satisfying when you get it right.)

This isn’t about rebranding. It’s about rediscovering. The thrill of seeing a legend learn a few new tricks.

How Does Guinness Taste When Michelin Stars Get Involved?

You’ll find out at Gilroy’s Loft, where Chef Pip Lacey (formerly of Hicce and Murano) is running the show.

Named after John Gilroy, the creative mind behind those vintage Guinness ads, the rooftop restaurant pairs British coastal flavours with skyline views. Expect freshly shucked oysters and line-caught fish, perfectly paired with the world’s most iconic stout.

Downstairs, The Porter’s Table flips the concept of comfort food into something altogether communal. Menus change with the seasons, ingredients come from just beyond the city, and everything, from aged meats to buttered vegetables, celebrates connection over complication.

And if you prefer things simpler? Chef Calum Franklin’s courtyard pies are waiting outside, flaky, golden, and served with that first sip of Guinness that somehow always tastes like home.

Can a Brewery Become a Cultural Home?

Beyond the bar, The Guinness Vaults will host gigs, pop-ups, and cultural nights beneath the streets. Above, sustainability quietly drives the show, from CO₂ recovery systems to water recycling labs, proving that progress doesn’t need to shout to be heard.

The project will create 250 jobs and is expected to welcome half a million visitors each year, making this not just a new venue, but a living, breathing part of London’s fabric.

Because Good Things Take Time (and Taste Even Better in London)

Guinness could have chosen anywhere for its new home. But Covent Garden, with its blend of heritage, theatre, and energy, feels almost poetic. It’s where the brand’s past meets London’s present.

When those gates open, you’ll find more than great beer. You’ll find a story. One still being written, one best told over a perfectly poured pint.

So, raise your glass. Because yes, good things are coming, and they’re already on tap in Covent Garden.

You’ll find the Guinness Open Gate Brewery nestled within The Yards, Covent Garden. Tour tickets will be released in November. Keep an eye out for the first drop.

A Taste of Art Deco Magic: Pierre Marcolini Arrives in Notting Hill

It’s the kind of London morning that feels like it’s been dusted with icing sugar. Westbourne Grove hums softly, coffee cups clinking, pastel doors catching the light, and then, between the florists and vintage shops, something new appears. A boutique that doesn’t just invite you in, but glows.

On Nov. 21, 2025, Maison Pierre Marcolini opens its latest store in Notting Hill, and it’s not just another chocolate shop. It’s a love letter to craftsmanship, nostalgia, and the quiet thrill of beautiful things done properly.

What Happens When Brussels Meets West London?

Pierre Marcolini isn’t new to the capital. His creations already grace the shelves of Selfridges, Harrods, and Liberty. But Notting Hill feels different, more intimate, somehow. The neighbourhood’s creative rhythm, that blend of vintage romance and modern flair, mirrors his own approach to chocolate: art meeting emotion, precision meeting pleasure.

Marcolini, who was elected the "Best Pastry Chef in the World" in both 1995 and 2020, brings an exceptional level of savoir-faire to this destination.

Pierre Marcolini

He once called Notting Hill “a cultural hub full of creativity,” and it’s easy to see why he was drawn here. The new boutique feels perfectly at home among the pastel façades and artisanal cafés, bringing a touch of Belgian refinement to West London’s bohemian swirl.

How Does Chocolate Become Art?

Inside, the Art Deco Collection takes centre stage, a confectionery gallery of geometric lines and golden shimmer. Imagine advent calendars reimagined as miniature mansions (£54), windows that open not to trinkets but to chocolate jewels. 

Decorative 1930s-inspired boxes include the Christmas Mosaics, which reveal bars arranged in satisfying symmetry, eight or 16 at a time (£23.00 or £39.00). The showstopping Christmas Baubles (£25.00) glint like ornaments that might actually taste better than they look, filled with 16 Hazelnut Dragees.

Each piece tells the same story: discipline, detail, and the belief that beauty belongs in every bite.

What Makes This Collection So Captivating?

The Yule Logs are a masterclass in flavour and form. The award-winning L’Envol Log layers a dark chocolate mousse over hazelnut praliné and crème brûlée, all on a cocoa Joconde biscuit. 

The Coco-Yuzu-Shiso Log is brighter, combining light coconut mousse and yuzu cream with a crunchy black sesame praliné. The Oviédo Log features São Tomé & Príncipe milk chocolate mousse, hazelnut-lime praliné, and Madagascar vanilla crème brûlée.

Negroni Kumo

Then there’s the Kumo, Marcolini’s Japanese-inspired pastry, reborn for London in a Negroni edition that pairs pure Equateur - São Tomé & Príncipe chocolate ganache with a hazelnut dacquoise biscuit sponge.

And for those who prefer to sip rather than slice, the “Nectars Creations” bring chocolate into the realm of the ritual drink. Served hot or cold, in flavours like Speculoos and Piedmont Hazelnut, they blur the line between café culture and couture.

Can Luxury Be Quiet?

The new boutique doesn’t shout for attention. It lingers in the senses: the scent of cocoa, the soft gleam of gold, the rhythm of calm. In a season built around speed, Pierre Marcolini’s world asks us to pause, taste, and remember that luxury isn’t about excess; it’s about intention.

This holiday season, Notting Hill gains a new kind of ritual: the quiet pleasure of stepping off the busy street and into a space where time slows, flavour deepens, and life tastes a little sweeter.

Address: Pierre Marcolini, 97 Westbourne Grove, London, W2, 4UW
The latest collections are also available online.

OMOSS: The Sea Moss Drink Stirring a New Wave of Wellness

When former athlete Marley Finn talks about balance, he’s not referring to just the physical kind. It’s a philosophy that extends to how he eats, moves, and now, how he creates. That idea sits at the heart of OMOSS, the UK’s first ready-to-drink sea moss beverage that’s quietly reshaping how people think about wellness.

Launched in 2025, the brand has already been crowned Best New Organic Drink Product at the Natural & Organic Innovation Awards, but its real success lies in something deeper: a return to nature’s rhythm.

So, can a centuries-old ocean superfood really redefine modern hydration?

A taste of the tide

For generations, sea moss (Chondrus Crispus) has been woven into the cultural fabric of Ireland and the Caribbean. Known as a “strengthening tonic,” it was used to restore energy, aid digestion, and support the immune system. It’s one of the most nutrient-dense plants on the planet, packed with iron, magnesium, zinc, and calcium, yet naturally light in calories and fat.

But for most, it wasn’t the easiest thing to love. Its texture was thick and slippery; its taste, distinctly oceanic. Finn, who discovered its benefits during his athletic career, knew the ingredient had untapped potential. What if the power of sea moss could be bottled: clean, refreshing, and effortless?

Working alongside a team of UK food scientists, he set out to do exactly that. The result was OMOSS: a smooth, functional beverage made with 50% pure organic Irish sea moss extract, sustainably harvested from the wild Atlantic coastline. Each recipe is layered with botanicals that complement both flavour and function, striking a balance between science and simplicity.

• Clean delivers crisp hydration with lime and monk fruit.

• Pomegranate pairs Ashwagandha, Gotu Kola, and Holy Basil for adaptogenic calm.

• Tropical blends mango, Lion’s Mane, and Ginkgo Biloba for cognitive support.

Each 250ml bottle retails at £4.50, free from sugar, preservatives, and artificial flavours, a rare example of wellness that’s both indulgent and honest.

From athlete’s ritual to everyday renewal

Finn’s journey from professional sport to entrepreneurship wasn’t driven by performance metrics but by a desire for reconnection, to his body, his values, and the natural world. He envisioned a drink that supported active living without the noise of marketing jargon or synthetic additives.

Marley Finn, founder of OMOSS

That same philosophy runs through every element of OMOSS. Each flavour encourages a moment of pause; hydration as a form of self-care rather than a means to an end. It’s designed not just for athletes, but for anyone navigating the pace of modern life and seeking something cleaner, calmer, and more conscious.

Turning tides, literally

The OMOSS story doesn’t end with what’s inside the bottle. Its mission extends to the ocean itself. The brand donates 4.4% of profits to Project Zero, supporting marine restoration and coral reef protection across the globe.

This partnership comes to life at The Coral Collective’s “Thirty Six for Coral” exhibition at the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat on the French Riviera, a landmark event coinciding with the 2025 UN Ocean Conference. Through this initiative, OMOSS stands as the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage sponsor, bringing together art, activism, and ocean conservation under one purpose: to turn the tide on the climate crisis.

For Finn, it’s proof that wellness can be holistic only when it’s reciprocal, when what restores us also restores the planet.

The quiet future of wellness

In a world obsessed with more (more caffeine, more claims, more clutter), OMOSS represents a quieter revolution. It’s not shouting for attention. It’s creating a ripple. Every sip is an invitation to slow down, to nourish, and to think differently about what “wellness” really means.

Because true vitality, as OMOSS reminds us, doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing better. And sometimes, it’s about letting nature do what it’s always done best.