Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 104

We are together for Episode 104 and the season finale of the Bring a Bottle podcast! This will be the last episode for a while, so it’s a time for reflecting on the trends and value monsters of the year just passed and predict the trends for 2023. Top cocktails of the year, Mezcal, Martini, Dry January tips, a Buy it or Bin it that misses the mark and much more! Happy New Year drinkers!

What’s In Our Glass?

The perfect party wine, we’re loving the Graffigna Malbec Genuine Collection in this episode. Malbec is probably the greatest all-rounder red there is, and for an Uco Valley bottle, this is amazing value; concentrated with ripe berries and bursting with flavour.
Helena brings DeRosier raspberry chocolates along which go perfectly with it, and Aidy suggests pigs in blankets or aged gouda as another perfect match. To be honest, whether main or dessert, this elegant easy-drinking Malbec loves most dishes!

Size: 750ml
ABV: 13.5%
Find here: £9 Sainsbury’s (often on offer so keep your eyes peeled!)

Drinks News

We look back at the most popular cocktails of the year and what do you think number one was? Dirty Shirly was a surprising 3rd, and Espresso Martin 2nd... what would your top be? Listen to find out!
Also, the Duke of Sussex pub has dipped into the Royal controversy by realising a, ‘Harry’s Bitter’ brew... some love it, some think it’s going too far, what about you?

What will be a big drinks trend next year?

We’d love to see Mezcal trending in 2023, and with Margarita and Picante so popular, tequila is getting there but we’re predicting more short serves. Helena’s crystal ball also fancies Vermouth to pick up more of the spotlight so we shall see!

Bang for Buck

A big shout out to Crémant de Loire from Lidl, a Chenin-based Champagne alternative that punches well above its pricepoint. Lees aging, a splash of Chardonnay, and weight and waxiness from Chenin – the balance is impeccable, and it would sing if served up beside something like salmon mousse.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 12%
Find here: £8.99 Lidl

Martini

If you love a Martini then you don’t want to miss this segment. Opposing the most famous Martini drinker of them all, Aidy says to never shake them! He likes to stir his Savoia vermouth in, whilst Helena prefers Cocchi vermouth. Sweet vermouth can overpower the vodka or gin in your glass, so consider trying a ‘vermouth rinse’ if you find this problematic!

Dry January

We’ve been singing the praises of Franklin and Sons tonic and soda for a while, and they’re perfect for a Dry January stand alone. Also, consider Wednesday’s Domaine for a great value non-alcoholic wine. It’s creative, fun and tasty to boot!

New Year’s Eve

What is our favourite cocktail for the big night? For a sparkling option, French 75 is hard to beat. For something with oomph, Death in the Afternoon! Or... what about Aidy’s homemade experiment? Grand Marnier, honeycomb syrup, bitters all shaken and topped up with Cava! Who knows, maybe that will be the top cocktail of 2023?

Buy it or Bin it

It looks like a dark Irn Bru, hits you with aniseed and sambuca... but there’s chocolate in there too? It’s Chocolate Absinthe Liqueur, by Devil’s Botany. The bottle is beautiful, but the drink inside doesn’t quite hit the mark with us when trying it neat. However, to bring balance to a savoury cocktail, it may well be ideal!

Listen in to our final podcast episode for all this and more!

Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 99

Episode 99 welcomes back a familiar face from a couple of episodes ago, and that’s Jason Myers! It’s a very special rum that we sip on too, the Madeira Cask from Mount Gay’s Master Blender Collection. Listen for our verdict on this, as well as a sweet Frizzante wine called, ‘the wink’, the brand new virtual reality wine-sniffing experience, and the best wine Jason has ever tried!

Our Guest Drinker

If you didn’t catch Episode 97, then Jason is a hospitality CEO currently involved with Grosvenor pubs, opening new and exciting projects regularly, like The Hare & Hounds in Newbury, and Wild Thyme and Honey in the Cotswolds. He loves his wine and whisky and has worked and travelled around the world seeking out amazing food and drink experiences. Welcome back, Jason!

What’s In Our Glass?

Filling our glasses in the podcast studio this week is a beautiful rum from Mount Gay’s Master Blender Collection, the Mount Gay Madeira Cask Selection. Mount Gay is the world’s oldest rum distillery, and their Mount Gay Madeira Cask Selection is special stuff. A bit of a step away from the other bottles in the collection, you’ll find notes of orchard fruit, pear, grapefruit, vanilla, butterscotch and a really nutty note coming from the Madeira cask. It’s super balanced with a deep complexity to it and with only 2706 bottles made it’s a delicious treat that we are sure will be snapped up fast!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 55%
Find here: £160

Drinks News

Have you ever heard of an olfactometer? Well, it’s a machine designed to deliver odours of some kind, and a Swedish University collaboration has created a wine-sniffing virtual reality experience with it. The user enters a virtual wine cellar, and scores points depending on correct guesses of the aromas in each bottle. We think that after all that you’d be desperate for a taste that isn’t virtual, but the experience still sounds fascinating!

Drinkers Discovery

L’Occhiolino is a sparkling red wine, which translates as, ‘wink’ from Italian. It’s a very unique style of Frizzante from Emilia-Romagna, and although you might not take to it unless you like sweeter wine, it’s a lot of fun. At 7.5% ABV, it’s weaker than your usual Prosecco, and that’s a good job because it is very moreish! If you like a new wine flavour with a yeasty quality, then it’s definitely worth giving a go. We love the bottle too - it would make for a lovely present.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 7.5%
Find here: £12

Mount Gay Distillery Fun Fact

Ironically, way back in 1703 it was a man called John Sober who originally started the small distillery at the top of Mount Gilboa, Barbados. After a while, Sir John Gay Alleyne, a fourth generation Barbadian was introduced, and his innovations grew the distillery so much that the entire distillery took his name!

Instant Sommelier

Listen to find out what Jason’s favourite wine of all time is (this is a guy that’s tried many remember!), as well as his other go-to’s for different occasions.

The Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 78

Welcome back to another Bring a Bottle podcast! This week it’s all about garlic vodka, fancy bottled mocktails and drinks from Latvia. Listen in below for all this and more!

WHAT’S IN OUR GLASS?

This week we’re revisiting Deanston Virgin Oak highland single malt Scotch whisky but this time it’s all about its versatility in cocktails – listen in to check out our favourites and Aidy’s interesting garnish suggestion.

ABV: 46.3%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £34 // US $36.99

Drinks News

What do you look for on a wine list? A recent study has published some rather surprising results Plus, we reveal some top tips to make life easier when ordering wine in a restaurant.

Bang for Buck

Listener, Milton, contacted us and told us all about his bargain supermarket finds. Like, for example, a magnum of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for… drumroll please… only £28! Want to know how he does it? You know what to do ;)

Drinks From Around The World

This week Aidy transports you to Latvia to sample Riga Black Balsam, a traditional herbal liqueur made with many, many different natural ingredients. And yes, it includes tree bark! The best bit? You enjoy it served in your coffee or poured over ice cream.

ABV: 45%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £21.50 // US $33.59

No/Lo

Ever wanted a mocktail that actually tastes like what it says on the can? Well, Helena selects a quartet of really tasty mocktails from Savyll Beverage Co and tells us all about them. Available in cans or bottles from £12 for four, these vegan and gluten free drinks give that great authentic classic cocktail flavour without the booze.

Size: 250ml
Price: UK £11.99 for 4 // US sysco.com

Mailbag

A great question this week, “What is chill filtering?” . Listen in as we take you through what it is, why it happens and whether we think it’s a good thing or not.

Don’t forget to get in touch with us on Instagram to send in all your mailbag questions and of course to listen in ;) Cheers!

The Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 77

Oh l' amour, it’s that time of year again. But whether you celebrate Valentine's day, Galentine's day or ‘give yourself some love’ day, we have some great tips so listen in to episode 77 for all our romantic cork popping inspiration.

WHAT’S IN OUR GLASS?

Why it’s the perfect whisky choice for Valentine's day! It’s Deanston 17 year old Pinot Noir finish limited edition. It’s luscious and elegant with red meadow berries jumping out from the wine cask finish and has a smooth and creamy finish. Nom!

ABV: 50%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £110

Drinks News

Believe it or not, research has been done on which animals can hold their booze the best. You’ll be surprised at the results! Plus the 400 year old winery discovered that’s changing the way people think about the history of alcohol.

Buy it or Bin it!

We taste test Kylie Minogue’s pink prosecco. An easy drinker to get the conversation started at parties, but did it end up in the bin? You’ll have to listen in to find out!

ABV: 11%
Size: 750ml
Find here: £9 (stocked in most major supermarkets)

Drinks From Around The World

Let us introduce you to Mamajuana, the national drink of the Dominican Republic. A spiced beverage made from rum, red wine, spices and - wait for it - tree bark! (Does anyone else feel like there’s a bit of a tree bark theme going on here?!)

Bang for Buck

Bang for Buck is back and it won’t leave you disappointed as Helena shares a proper pink fizz that using a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir blend is made in the same way as Champagne and tastes just as good. Introducing Codorniu Anna Rosé Cava!

ABV: 12%
Size: 750ml
Price: £11

Mailbag

This week it was a question we often get asked and it is a brilliant one at that “When a wine is described as something like strawberry, is there actually strawberries in it?” Listen in as we explain just what tasting notes mean and why they are described as they are.

Don’t forget to get in touch with us on Instagram to send in all your mailbag questions and of course to listen in ;) Cheers!

The Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 76

Episode 76 has landed and it is Chinese New Year - the year of the tiger. As if by magic, we have a whisky that pairs perfectly with Peking duck, pancakes and hoisin sauce - listen in below to find out more!

WHAT’S IN OUR GLASS?

This week we’re sipping on Jura 18 year old. A whisky that perfectly showcases the signature style of Jura with its light peatiness that is harmoniously intertwined with caramel. Aged in ex-bourbon AND premier grand cru Bourdeaux barrels, this whisky is perfect for a little ‘you time’.

ABV: 44%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £65.99

Buy it or Bin it!

It’s back, and we’re not sure how we feel about it this week. It’s vodka from The Wasabi Company - we will let you take an educated guess at what it might contain… but where did it end up? You’ll have to listen in to find out!

ABV: 40%
Size: 500ml
Find here: £29

Drinks From Around The World

We don’t want to get you too excited but we cover two drinks this week. Have you heard of Byarozavik? It’s a traditional drink from Belarus made from birch sap that helps to keep low cholesterol levels. And with an extra nod to the new lunar year, Helena tells all about the world’s most popular spirit that you’ve probably never heard of.

Drinker’s Discovery

Helena has discovered Cannabrew, a craft beer brand that produces CBD lagers and cider. Crisp, pure and fresh they have 15mg of CBD per can meaning they are all about the chill without any hempy taste. What’s even better? For every case sold they plant 2 trees so there’s nothing not to love!

ABV: IPA 4.5% // Cider 4%
CBD: 15mg
Find here: IPA £37.19 for 12 // Cider £37.19 for 12

Mailbag

Last but by no means least: “Why is aged wine seen as being so good?” We fill you in on whether older really does mean better and if so which bottles to look out for.

Don’t forget to get in touch with us on Instagram to let us know what you think and don’t forget to listen in!

The Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 75

Welcome back to the Bring a Bottle Podcast! It’s our first podcast of 2022 and with brand new sections, more drinks news and the usually lighthearted fun, boy are you in for a treat. Here’s just some of what you can expect from this week…

WHAT’S IN OUR GLASS?

This week we have such a treat in our glasses, Fettercairn Limited Edition 16 Year Old 2nd Release 2021. It’s aged in three different types of sherry cask, resulting in tropical notes with delicate dry fruits and spice on the palette and in our opinion is the perfect introduction to the Fettercairn style.

ABV: 46.4%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £69.95

Buy it or Bin it!

We have a brand new section ladies and gentlemen where we taste a product and decide whether we would buy it or bin it! Following the theme of Dry January, this week we taste test Brothers zero-alcohol toffee apple English cider. What’s the verdict - you’ll have to listen in to find out!

Drinks From Around The World

Which country could it be this week? Well, as this podcast came out on Burn’s Night it seems only fitting that we start with Scotland. Aidy brings a certain can of fizzy pop that’s apparently made from girders! No prizes for guessing the brand, but did you know it’s delicious cooked with pulled pork and as an ingredient in cupcakes?

Drinker’s Discovery

Producer Helena brings a bottle to the table this week and that is Monsoon Valley wine from Thailand served at The Giggling Squid. This naturally leads us on to the topic of why you should never dismiss wines from lesser known countries or unfamiliar regions… check out which lesser-known countries/regions we rate by listening in above!

Mailbag

Last but by no means least: “I’m going to a Burns Night party, what drink goes with haggis?”. Get in touch on Instagram and let us know what you think and make sure you listen in here to find out our answers!

The Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 62

It’s that time again! Time for another episode of the Bring A Bottle Podcast! Today we’re chatting about a myriad of things, but here’s a quick rundown of everything you need to know!

Make sure to listen to the full podcast so you catch up on all of this and more!

What’s In The Glass?

This week, Helena and Aidy are enjoying a dram of the delicious Fettercairn 12 Year Old Whisky! This whisky is full of tropical fruit flavours with a hint of ginger cake. The vanilla and caramel notes complement the fruit brilliantly and make for a whisky that is flavourful while being light and refreshing. 

Fettercairn uses a unique ‘cooling ring’ on their stills, drenching the stills in fresh, clear mountain water to capture only the finest vapours. This is a great, smooth Scotch that is a must-try this Autumn!

ABV: 40%
Size: 70cl
Find here: £38.95

Who Is The Third Drinker…?

This week we’ve got the wonderful Beth Brickenden with us, a long time friend who you might recognise from an episode she featured on a while back! Though she hasn’t brought Vanity Von Glow with her this time, she’s certainly brought her sommelier skills to help us with this week’s tasting challenge… 

To find out more about Beth and what she does, follow her on Instagram at @my.corkscrew.and.i 

What Wine Do Beavers Like?

Yep, beavers. Those little furry things that definitely don’t look like they’d be into fine wine. Well, as it turns out, beavers go MAD for wine grapes. 

Montes Wines, an experimental wine producer in Chile, like to plant their grapes in really crazy locations, and this can lead to some… unwanted visitors. Montes planted a variety of grapes on an untamed islet in Southern Chile, unaware that they would be meeting some furry friends all too soon. Of the Albarino, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes planted on the islet - only one wasn’t chomped through by an army of beavers. Can you guess which one?

If you guessed Sauvignon Blanc - you’d be right! In their accidental nature experiment, Montes Wines have found empirical evidence that Chilean beavers are fussy winos who won’t settle for a New World Sauv Blanc. This Sauvignon Blanc is set to be released soon, listen in to hear the name Helena thinks it should be given…

Chardonnay in a SODA STREAM?

Don’t jump out of your seat just yet, we promise this isn’t a practice we’d let anywhere near the Bring A Bottle Podcast. However, it did come up as a possible way to impress a date on a budget… 

What we want to know is, would it work and what would it taste like? According to the depths of the internet, it actually does work - but can get dangerous! If you’re not careful, you won’t just be committing a crime on the wine world, but could also explode your machine. Don’t try this on carpet, and NEVER try this with red wine.

As for the taste, well, it’ll only be as good as the wine you put in. A bargain cooking white is not going to magically transform into a premium champagne just because it’s been made bubbly!

Read All About It: Exclusive Winebird Sake Vinalogy!

You won’t get this anywhere else, but we’ve just heard that Winebird (aka Helena) has given us a BRAND NEW and EXCLUSIVE Vinalogy for Aldi’s new sake! What’s a Vinalogy I hear you cry? Well, it’s a beautiful, elegant way of understanding wine (or sake) through storytelling - rather than just facts and figures!

If you want to find out Helena’s exclusive verdict on traditional Japanese sake amongst much, much more, you’ll have to pop on Episode 62 of The Bring A Bottle Podcast!

Cheers!

The Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 61

Another week and another fun-filled podcast awaits as well as another delicious dram! You can listen to the full podcast via the player below or via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify. Here’s a little snippet of what we got up to:

What’s in our Glass?

This week we’re enjoying a cheeky dram or two of Jura 10 YO whisky. A 10 year old expression, it’s initially aged in American white oak bourbon barrels before being finished in Oloroso sherry butts. With its subtle smoke, robust vanilla and a lovely Christmas cake note to it, it is a very lovely dram. You can find out more about Jura distillery via this episode of our podcast and if you want to find out even more about Jura distillery then check out The Three Drinkers do Scotch Whisky on Amazon Prime.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £28.95 // US $56.99

Drinks News

Helena tells us all about what vodka and stiff napkins have in common whilst Aidy lets us know what he has discovered about Space beer!

Dine First Wine First

In this week’s ‘Dine First Wine First’ Aidy and Helena chat all about what to pair with your bottle of Viognier. Viognier, a white wine that hails from the Rhone valley in the South of France, is noted as having an oily texture, low acidity and lovely fruity notes of apricot and peach. If you like Chardonnay, you’ll no doubt like this. Helena recommends trying bottles from the Condrieu wine region and we’ve got to say, we’re curious to try her wine-food pairing suggestions too…

Mixology with Aidy

Aidy pops on his mixology hat and lets us know all about fruitier whisky cocktails. Check out his pineapple whisky sour below (we’ve tried it and YUM… just sayin’)…

Pineapple whisky sour
60ml good scotch like the Jura 10 year old
25ml Lemon juice
25ml Pineapple juice
2tsp caster sugar
1 egg white
Pineapple garnish

Method:
Place the sugar, whisky, lemon juice, pineapple juice and egg white into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for 15-30 seconds. Strain into an old fashioned cocktail glass and serve.

Drinkers Discovery

You will have definitely heard of sake, but, have you heard of Umeshu?! Well, you need to because this Japanese ‘plum wine’ (it actually has nothing to do with wine) is stunning and a great addition to sparkling cocktails. Find out how you can make your own at home via the podcast!

Mailbag

Aidy and Helena tackle the question ‘I’ve learnt through your podcast that the size and shape of a wine glass affects the taste of wine, but, is this the same for cocktails?’ Find out what they have to say by listening in today!

This article only just touches on some of the topics waiting to be discovered so if you enjoyed this then make sure to check out Episode 61 of The Bring a Bottle Podcast now!