As I write, England just beat Denmark in the Euros and will face Italy on Sunday in the final! What else can we do today then, than crack some English fizz and celebrate a few quintessentially English tipples? As a nod to Sunday, we will also take the English gin liqueur and give it a little Italian twist.
The Fizz
Kingscote Sparkling Brut (11.5% abv)
An incredibly aromatic, dry, English fizz, packed full of forest floor flavours. Unusually for most English fizz these days, it’s made in the charmat or ‘tank’ method like Prosecco rather than the more lengthy, traditional method. It is also Bacchus dominant, rather than Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. As a result, it's fresher and more frothy than the Champagne style wines. At under £20 too, it’s an absolute bargain!
Find it here at The English Vine for £16.19 mix six price (£17.99 single)
The Bargain Summer Cup
Austin’s Classic Summer Punch (17.5% abv)
I was recently commissioned by The Sun to do a taste-off of all the supermarket variations of summer punch against the most famous brand, Pimm’s. Aldi’s Austin’s did not only do better than all the other brands as well as being the cheapest, but I also scored it more highly than Pimm’s itself. For your quintessentially English summer punch, just use one part Austin’s to two parts lemonade and throw in some strawberries, cucumber and mint.
Find it here for £7.49 for 1 litre from Aldi
The Sophisticated, Step-up
Rev Hubert’s Garden Gin (20% ABV)
The Reverend Hubert Bell Lester (1868 -1929) was a charming man who apparently enjoyed a good party. He created his ‘famous’ winter liqueur recipe in 1904 for the joyful Christmas gathering of his army colleagues and congregation and the recipe endured. Today, his great grandson Thomas has revived it, updating the various versions and creating everything by hand. This Garden Gin liqueur is a summery version of one of his recipes, featuring rhubarb, plum, sweet pomegranate and tart cranberries. Have it with soda or tonic. It also makes an excellent English Garden Negroni. (⅓ Rev, ⅓ Cocchi (or other white) Vermouth, ⅓ Campari).
Find it exclusively at Master of Malt for £34.95
