Drinker Discoveries: 5 New Products For Your Next Socially Distanced Gathering

A The Three Drinkers, we love all things drinky, be they wine, beer or spirits-related, no and low drinks, bitters or even gadgets and lifestyle products. Here’s a selection of some things that have delighted us recently and tickled our tastebuds. This week’s list curated by Helena Nicklin. Find her @Winebird (Insta) @TheWinebird (Twitter).

Russell’s Hand Sanitiser

The team at Copper Rivet Distillery in Kent are some of the unsung heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic, switching production of their spirits to alcohol for hand sanitiser that will kill viruses as well as bacteria. The result here is Russell’s Hand Sanitiser, which at 70% alcohol is powerful enough to kill the nasties but the addition of Jojoba oil and vitamin E mean your hands stay soft while you use it. The beauty is you can get it in handbag sized 60ml bottles, 500ml bottles and even 5 litre bottles for businesses. I got the 5 pack of 60ml bottles: one each for the family. Find them here and while you’re at it, stick a bottle of their brilliant, premium gin, vodka or whisky into your trolly to support them. They deserve it. 

Instagram: @copperrivetdistillery

Mead: Loxwood Mead

Mead is back. Who knew? This fermented, honey-based drink was popular with Henry VIII and his medieval buddies but evidence of mead has been found in China from 7000 BC! At Loxwood Meadworks, they are reimagining mead for a modern era. This ‘honey wine’ uses 100% honey rather than grapes and you drink it chilled in just the same way. Crisp and floral with a delicate, honey flavour and just a hint of natural sweetness, this is a delightfully different drink and perfect for summer. Find it for £15 here.

Instagram: @loxwoodmeadworks

Vodka: Pure Vodka Lite

This brand new British vodka has just hit the market. Their aim was to be the ‘good guys’ in the spirits market with this uber clean and crisp vodka distilled from organic wheat and cut to just  20% (rather than the usual 40%). We tested it and you would never guess it was lighter in alcohol. A great choice for more mindful drinking. They have regular vodka too. Find it for £30 here. 

Instagram: @pure_WM

Beer: Duette Beer

Is it a beer? Is it champagne? No, it’s Duette! Created by House of Après, this sparkling brut beer was produced using champagne and Kölsch lager yeast. The result is a richly flavoured beer with the fine bubbles and complexity of champagne with the freshness and hoppiness of a pilsner and brewed to 11.5% like a sparkling wine. Totally unique, produced sustainably, unfiltered, unpasteurized and made for sharing. Find it for £14.99 for 75cl or £8.99 for 35.7cl here.

Instagram: @duettebeer

Bitters: Bitter Union Aromatic

Bitter Union has a fantastic range of flavours for their bitters, which are all produced in England in micro batches using natural ingredients and no added sugar. There are five flavours currently and I love the Aromatic, with its complex, warming notes of cherry and cinnamon. Splash some into tonic (it’s also great with lemonade) for a more interesting no - alcohol thirst quencher, but it also really rounds off whisky or rum cocktails such as a Dark & Stormy or an Old Fashioned. Find them all here for £12.95 each for 100ml along with some cocktail recipes. 

Instagram: @bitterunion

Like these? See out last Drinker Discovery post as well as our guides to underrated Irish drinks, Mindful Drinking and the best Scottish gins to explore.

Want us to consider your product? Email sophie@thethreedrinkers.com

Drinker Discoveries: CBD Bitters, New Spirits, Great Wine and Gadgets

At The Three Drinkers, we are lucky enough to receive various samples of new drinks and lifestyle products over time. In these Drinker Discovery guides, we pick our absolute favourites as well as entertaining drinks news snippets we’ll think you’ll appreciate. Here are some that I have particularly enjoyed recently.

OTO CBD bitters

Not just good for cocktails, I have this in my morning coffee. OTO’s non-alcoholic, CBD bitters adds a warming, spiced aromatic note and depth of flavour to many types of drinks and none of that acrid, hemp note. The CBD element is a huge added bonus that really does feel like it calms anxiety and assists sleep. I love this. Find it and other luxury CBD products including face creams and roll on oils here. RRP £79 for 100ml (2500mg CBD).

Instagram: @oto_cbd

Winesave Pro

We’re always interested in products that can prevent us wasting wine and recently, I’ve been using the Winesave Pro when I’ve already popped a cork (usually on that extra bottle I probably shouldn’t have opened). Simply stick the thin tube in the bottle and give it a couple of squirts so the Argon gas can replace the oxygen and keep your wine fresh for longer (make sure you replace the cork or screw cap straight away). I tested it on various styles of wine over three weeks and was really impressed. A great, budget wine saving product. Find it here for £29.99.

Instagram @Winesavepro

Aloha 65

This brand new, spirit-based drink blew my minds when I tasted it as it does not fit into any regular drinks box easily. With its vibrant packaging, it promises a taste experience that delivers too. The team infuse spirits at 27% abv with fresh pineapple with lemon, ginger and other herbs and spices as well as local chillies for a fabulous kick. It’s vegan too. Have it as chilled shots or in a plethora of cocktails. They make an epic hot sauce too. Summer barbecues, here we come! Find it here for £26 for 70cl.

Instagram @alohasixtyfive

White Wine: Mar de Frades Albarino 2019

White wine of the week for me is this citrussy, saline Albariño (that’s the grape) made by the winemaking legend that is Paula Fandiño in Rias Baixas in northwestern Spain. This is THE region for world class Albariño and this vintage from Mar de Frades also has peachy, tropical flavours underneath those Atlantic, wet rock and sea spray notes. It’s a must with fish and seafood even on a cloudy day. A little blue ship appears on the bottle when its chilled to perfection too. Lovely touch! Find it here for £18.95.

Instagram @mardefrades

Red Wine: DV Catena Malbec 2018

My red wine of the week punches so far above its price tag, I had to look twice at it. Rich and concentrated with notes of cocoa, coffee bean, grilled meat and violet, this is a serious red wine that will love a barbecue. While it is drinking very well now, you could actually leave this for a couple of years to mellow further. Truly excellent value. Find it here at Sainsbury’s for £10 (down from £12) on offer for July.

Instagram @catenawines

In The News: God Save The Clean!

This tickled me. I love how carpet stain remover company Dr Beckmann commissioned artist Fanny Gough to paint a portrait of the queen in red wine on a carpet to demonstrate how good it was. I’m stocking right up. It’s got my vote! Find it here for £11.26

Like this? Check out some of our other guides : Gift Ideas for Drinks Lovers, Best Gins for a Martini and Must-Know Premium Californian Wine Producers.

One Minute Wine Ace: Cabernet Sauvignon

You can generally presume that all professional, male rugby players have certain elements in common: they are full in body, fairly heavy and well structured. There are forwards who pack a slightly bigger punch and backs who are a tad more refined and lean, but generally speaking, you can always tell a rugby player a mile off, no matter where in the team they play. It’s the obvious build and all those purpley-black bruises that do it! And with all their years of training and experience, you can take a bet that their playing quality is going to be pretty reliable, no matter which country it is that they play for. They also tend to need a few years to chill out and mellow…

Yes, Cabernet Sauvignon is the professional rugby player of the wine world. This heavy-duty grape variety has the thickest skin of all the grapes, giving it lots of tooth-drying tannin and plenty of brawn! ‘Cabernet’, as it’s often known, is a hardy, well-structured grape that makes pretty reliable wine just about anywhere. This is why you can find it all over the world now. When at its very best, it can sometimes take a few years to mature, so bear that in mind when you’re picking one out. Look for a concentrated, dark blue-black and purple colour with distinctive, spicy blackcurrant and cedar flavours. In some cases, you’ll also spot a telltale minty or eucalyptus note, which is often a hint that it’s from a warmer climate.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON TASTING TOUR

Cabernet Sauvignon makes pretty reliable wines from many places globally, but here are four key styles to start your journey with,

Cabernet 1: Be prepared to spend some cash and head to Bordeaux, France: the Old World home of Cabernet, where it’s usually blended with Merlot among other grapes. Look for one from the Left Bank of the river Gironde for a classic earthy, cedary number that’s Cabernet dominant. Heard of Chateau Margaux? That’s a Cabernet-dominant, Left Bank Bordeaux wine.

Try: Château de Lamarque, Haut-Medoc, 2015 for £22.95 from Corneyandbarrow.com.

Cabernet 2: Compare your Bordeaux with a Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra in Australia for a fuller-bodied, juicier version with tonnes of ripe blackcurrant and a characteristic mint and eucalyptus twang. Coonawarra is one of Cabernet’s classic, New World homes. 

Try: Wakefield Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon for £17.99 or £15.99 mix six price from Majestic.

Cabernet 3: At a similar price and standard to Bordeaux, you could also try some serious Cabernets from Napa Valley, California for a style that is somewhere between the two above: big wines made in a Bordeaux style, but with a pleasing extra dollop of fruit.

Try: Illustrious Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, £36 a bottle or £32.40 mix 6 price from Laithwaites.

Cabernet 4: For something a little more entry-level price wise, check out what they can do with Cabernet over in the warm Colchagua Valley in Chile. Here, Cabernets are about full-on, sweeter, blackcurrant-scented wines with a savory, smoky kick. You can get some great ones for £6 or so but there are also some super-serious wines coming out of Chile too. 

Try: Montes Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile, £9 from Coop.

Like this? Try our other One Minute Wine Ace articles on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cotes du Rhone and Sauvignon Blanc.

Wine Finished Whiskies: Where to Start

Words by Colin Hampden-White

We all know we love whisky, and today 90% of whisky is simply matured in an ex bourbon cask, and they are very nice. But there is a way to excite our palates even more. A small proportion of ex bourbon cask matured whisky is placed in a different type of cask, and these are mostly ex wine, port or sherry casks. This adds extra colour, complexity and flavour to the whisky. The amount of extra flavour depends on the quality of the cask and how long the whisky is left in the cask. The use of these casks at the end of a whiskies maturation, known as finishing, means there are a world of new flavours to experience and variations on our much loved favourites. These are a few of the best examples catering for all pockets, to start your wine finished whisky adventure.

Glen Moray port finish

One of the best value finished whiskies on the market, this Port cask finished whisky was introduced in 2014 and had been a firm favourite of ours. Initially matured in ex-bourbon casks, this whisky is then placed in tawny Port casks for the last eight months of its maturation to give huge amounts of extra flavour and complexity. With flavours of butterscotch, redcurrants, vanilla, raisins and a touch of cinnamon, this is a dram for those who want a big bang for their buck. Trust us, once you have tried this one, you will be going back for more.

 ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £26.95

Glenfiddich Grand Cru

The folks at Glenfiddich clearly enjoy exploring new cask types for their whisky. Whether it's peaty whisky in rum casks, or making good use of icewine casks, the distillery certainly has some experimental flair. And if experimental flair is what you're after, Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 Year Old is the perfect thing. This single malt initially ages in American and European oak casks, before being moved over to rare French cuvée oak casks. The influence these casks have had on the whisky is fantastic, lifting the palate with notes of baked goods and fresh fruit.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £220

Glenmorangie lasanta

Glenmorangie are known for their expertise in finished expressions of their whisky. This is the 12 year old, sherry cask finished expression from Glenmorangie, called The Lasanta. It first matures in bourbon casks before being moved over to Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for a finishing period. It’s rich and creamy with dark chocolate, dried fruit and fresh honey. The effect of using Pedro Ximénez as well as Oloroso gives a sweetness to balance the spice. For those who like both, this whisky will be right up your street.

 ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £41.75

Glen Scotia 14 Year Old Tawny Port Finish - Campbeltown Malts Festival 2020

This is a limited run of high strength Glen Scotia. I tasted this at the on-line Summerton Whisky Festival and is a belter! The extra ABV is held in check by the rich berry fruit flavours imparted by the tawny port cask, and there is still plenty of the fruity and salty flavours typical of Glen Scotia. There is still enough sweetness given by the fist maturation in first fill ex-bourbon casks. For those who like their whisky big and strong, give this a go.

ABV: 52.8
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £74.95 

Spey Tenné port finish

The Spey Tenné is a single malt from the Speyside Distillery. Owned by Harvey's of Edinburgh, this distillery only started in 1990 and it is producing some incredible whisky. This one is initially aged in bourbon casks before enjoying a 6 month finishing period in Tawny Port casks, giving a subtle ruby hue and a vibrant, fruit-filled flavour profile. Being 46% and bottled in very smart packaging, this is a great whisky for a gift. Although if you taste this one, you won’t want to give it away.

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £39.95 

Glenfiddich Winter Storm – Ice Wine Finish

A second whisky from Glenfiddch in the guide, the eagerly-awaited second batch of Glenfiddich's Winter Storm once again sees well-aged whisky from the legendary distillery. It is finished in casks that previously held Canadian icewine (made using grapes harvested while frozen, resulting in a powerfully sweet elixir). Released as part of the Glenfiddich Experimental Series, malt master Brian Kinsman believes that only older whiskies can stand up to the intense influence of icewine, which is why Winter Storm is built around 21 year old single malt. This is one, like the Glenfiddich Grand Cru, is for those who like older whiskies that also have a lovely fresh fruity core.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £199 

Hinch 10 sherry cask finish

A 10 year old whiskey from Hinch, which takes its name from the nearby town of Ballynahinch. The distillery is based just south of Belfast in the grounds of the Killaney Estate. The blend was initially matured in American oak before being treated to a six month finish in Oloroso sherry casks from Jerez. It's then bottled at 43% ABV, released as part of the Time Collection. Like most Irish whisky this is very smooth, but has a spicy edge to it because of the sherry cask influence, making this whiskey smooth yet characterful.   

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £43.95

Balvenie 21 Port wood

One of my all-time favourite whiskies. This has all the fruity flavours one expects in Balvenie, and then a big rich dark fruit dollop given by the port casks. It is indulgent and hedonistic. An additional period of maturation in 30 year-old port pipes has given this aged Balvenie an extra level of depth and concentration of flavour, adding potent fruit and smoke notes to the silky-smooth full-bodied palate. Rich, indulgent, after-dinner Speyside at its best. For the epicureans out there, get stuck into a bit of this. 

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £149.95 

Mindful Drinking: Fine Wine in Half Bottles

If you’re anything like me and my other half, you may be looking at your lockdown alcohol consumption over the past couple of months and thinking ‘oops!’ When did a glass of wine a night become a bottle? Or more sometimes, if we’re honest.

I know that it's unrealistic - in my household anyway - to think that we are going to give up drinking entirely, but we do realise that we can and should tone it down now and think about more mindful drinking. Yes, we’ll take more nights off booze a week but there’s one thing we know would really help: smaller bottles. If the bottle is smaller in the first place, you really have to think about what you’re doing before opening another and often, just that pause to think is enough. With that in mind, I looked for places to find half bottles of wine, but not just any rubbish wine - really good wine. Thankfully, the half wine bottle world is growing quickly, so the choice is now better than it has ever been. Here are some great wines in half bottle that I found of varying styles and price levels for every budget: 

Half bottles of white wine (37.5cl)

Macon Blanc Villages, Louis Jadot, 2018, £8:30 from Morrisons
Soft, easy drinking, melon-scented Chardonnay with a touch of vanilla. 

Chablis, Louis Jadot, 2018, £10.99 from Wholefoods
Cool, dry, classic Chardonnay from Chablis with a characteristic, savoury tang and a leafy note.

Sancerre, Reverdy Terre de Maimbray, 2017 £13 from Dulwich Vintners
Sauvignon Blanc at its most elegant and understated from its spiritual Loire Valley home. 

Kumeu River Chardonnay, New Zealand, 2017 £15.95 from the Little Fine Wine Company
Full-on, fruity Chardonnay with toasty, smoky oak. 

Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc, 2011, £17 from Dulwich Vintners
A glorious, weighty and aromatic blend of white varieties led by Viognier, from the Languedoc. 

Condrieu, Guigal, 2017 £22.50 from the Little Fine Wine Company
Creamy, apricot and blossom-scented Viognier at its finest from its most famous appellation.

Half bottle of Rosé wine (37.5cl)

Côtes de Provence, Whispering Angel, 2019, £10.95 from the Little Fine Wine Company 
Pale and pretty, dry and complex with a saline tang from one of Provence’s famous producers.

Half bottles of red wine (37.5cl)

Beaujolais Villages ‘Combe aux Jacques’, Louis Jadot, 2018 £6.85 from Tesco & Morrisons
Light in its feet with crunchy, strawberry and raspberry notes. A perfect summer red. 

Rioja Crianza, Beronia, 2017, £7 from Ocado 
Brilliant, concentrated Rioja, packed with spicy red fruit with a touch of tobacco-smoke.

Zinfandel, Seghesio, Sonoma County, 2017, £18.95 from The Little Fine Wine Company
A modern, more elegant style of Zin with notes of damson jam and cinnamon spice.

Chianti Classico, Fontodi, 2016, £14.50 from The Little Fine Wine Company
Old-school Chianti Classico with a cool, mineral core, tangy red fruit and fresh herb notes. 

Morey St Denis, 1er Cru, Lignier, 2013, £21 from Dulwich Vintners
Moreish (!), Burgundian Pinot showing some secondary tobacco and leather notes. Delicious.

Half bottles of Champagne  (37.5cl)

Mumm Champagne, NV, £18 from Ocado 
Rich, brilliant value bubbles from a well-loved house.

Bollinger Special Cuvée, NV, £23.99 from Ocado
Weighty, complex Champagne with toasty, brioche notes.

Billecart Salmon Brut Rosé NV, £ 36 from Dulwich Vintners
The benchmark for elegant pink fizz. Delicate colour with red apple skin and patisserie notes.

If you like this, check out our piece on the best no and low alcohol drinks and Small Beer.

The most UNDERRATED Irish drinks

We all know the big brands from Ireland, for beer there is Guinness, the quintessential Irish stout, for whiskey there is no brand bigger than Jameson, and for a reason, Jameson is a fabulous whiskey, in the world of liqueurs there is Bailey’s Irish Cream, known the world over, and in the world of Cider, we know Bulmers, which is Magners to those of us outside of Ireland. But what of the brands we don’t know so well? Here I compile a short list of the smaller producers of drinks in Ireland that should be on your list to try.

Ballykeefe Irish Gin

There are lots of gin brands popping up all over the place, at the last count in the UK alone there were over 400 different brands, in Ireland there are two brands to really look out for. The fist on this list is from the Republic of Ireland and is Ballykeefe. This gin is not trying to be different; it is simply trying to be good, and it succeeds.  It is made in a classic style, but rather than using wheat it is made from potatoes which gives it a slightly earthy flavour. Great for a gin and tonic and excellent in a traditional martini, this is a great crisp yet flavoursome gin for all occations.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £39.95

The Legendary Silkie Irish Whiskey

Named after the legendary Silkie water spirits of legend which shapeshifted into irresistible beings, this whiskey is made in Donegal is on the North West coast if Ireland, it is about as far away from the capital Dublin as you can go. Here lies the Sliabbliag distillery, which is relatively new, and is tiny by comparison to most other whiskey distilleries, but the liquid it produces is wonderful. It is typically Irish being very fruity and very well balanced. Easy to drink and smooth enough to have by itself yet has enough character to go well with mixers. If you’d like to try something fairly unknown but tastes great, I’d give this a go.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £29.95

Waterford

Waterford distillery are producing its first bottle of whiskey this year, and it is going to be amazing whiskey, I have been to the distillery and tasted many of the samples. The distillery takes it’s grain for over 80 farms around Ireland and distils these grains separately. At Waterford they believe the flavour from different types of Barley and Barley from different farms tastes different. They distil all the grain in the same way and mature them in separate casks, and then take all these different whiskies to make a blend of giving a super smooth and flavoursome whiskey. In the future they are going to be creating single farm whiskies showing how different they can be and showing how the land effects the grain which in turn effects the flavour of their whiskies. Intriguing stuff!

For news of the release sign up here

Kilbeggan

This little distillery is owned by one of the largest whiskey companies in the world, Beam Suntory, and they know a thing or two about making good whiskey. However, the distillery has had a licence to distil since 1757, so Beam Suntory are continuing in a long tradition of whiskey being made in County Westmeath, the distillery closed between 1957 and 2007 because of the downturn in Irish whiskey. Kilbeggan is typically Irish by having a fruity, tropical Flavour profile. Double-distilled, the whiskey is produced from a mash of malt, barley, and about 30% rye, said to reflect the traditional practice of using rye, which was common at 19th century Irish distilleries, but has since virtually died out. So for a fruity whiskey with a peppery edge, give Kilbeggan a try.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £26.99

Coole Swan Irish Liqueur

Coole Swan is the only Irish Cream Liqueur that combines single malt Irish whiskey, Belgian white chocolate and fresh Irish cream to deliver a distinctive, balanced, subtly sweet taste and a smooth mouthfeel throughout.Gluten free,100% natural and a low ABV - Coole Swan explores a new side of Irish cream liqueurs. Serve Coole Swan neat or over ice, but always chilled. You can also add Coole Swan to you baking, your coffee and, notably, your cocktails - the possibilities are endless with Coole Swan. The bottle, based on the design of old Victorian milk bottles, is slimline and fits easily in the fridge. Unopened Coole Swan lasts 2 years on the shelf. However, once opened place in the fridge where Coole Swan lasts for 6 months. For a very tasty, but lower alcohol Irish liqueur, Coole Swan is my strong recommendation.

ABV: 16%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £24

Jawbox

Jawbox Gin comes to us from the Ards Peninsula, on the north-east coast of Northern Ireland. This small batch gin is made with a combination of 11 botanicals, including juniper, lemon, cubeb, angelica, coriander, cassia, orris root, grains of paradise, cardamom, liquorice root and Black Mountain heather. The distillers recommend trying this with ginger ale and a squeeze of lime. If you like gin with a peppery kick up front and soft spices on the palate, this also makes a good martini.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £27.99

Glendalough

Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey is a single grain Irish whiskey, initially matured in American bourbon barrels before enjoying a finishing period of six months in Spanish Oloroso Sherry casks. This comes bottled at 42% ABV, brought down to this strength by Wicklow mountain water. A rather tasty release presented by Glendalough, rich in vanilla, caramel, Christmas spices and dried fruit notes. Founded in 2011, Glendalough produces whiskey and gin from a distillery in Newtownmountkennedy. It is the third-biggest premium gin brand in the country and recently signed a deal with Coca-Cola HBC Ireland to distribute its products, so we’ll be seeing more of this gin in the years to come.

ABV: 42%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £33.45

Micil Poitín

This wouldn’t be a good list of the best of Irish drinks if we didn’t include a Poitín, and this is a brilliant example. The botanicals used in Micil Irish Gin are pot distilled rather than added after distillation, and include bog myrtle, hawberry, heather, and the very same locally-picked Connemara bogbean used in Micil Irish Poitín. If you like white spirits which are complex and herbal in nature, then this is going to be right up your street.

ABV: 44%
SIZE: 700ML
Buy it now for £29.95 

If you would like to learn a little more about Irish whisey, then this article on Waterford may give you a fascinating insight into modern Irish distilling.

The Best Scottish Gins To Explore

Guess what? The sun is out. Cue the rain and thunder to begin the second you read this line (hopefully not). No but seriously, having presented a TV Series all about Scotland I picked up a gin discovery or 2 (or 7) along the way – and in today’s guide that’s exactly what I’ll share with you. Simple really, some absolutely stunning Scottish gins. Alrighty, delve in.

Loch Ness Gin

I adore this gin. When your family have lived on the banks of Loch Ness for over give centuries, you naturally have a great understanding of the area. Kevin and Lorien Cameron-Ross decided to take their knowledge of the local plants and herbs, intertwining that with their favourite spirit, Gin. Suffice to say whatever those pure waters of Loch Ness are doing to the refining process is working. Each limited-edition handmade batch is created from their home and the small-scale operation allows them to maintain the quality they set out to achieve with their liquid. While the monster may remain a mystery, knowing I’ll enjoy this gin is not.

ABV: 43.4%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £46.95

Côtes Du Roussillon Firkin Gin

As wine and spirits are two of my favourite things, it’s no surprise at all to find a wine-cask finished gin on this list and Firkin are by far one of the best out there. Being a limited edition release, there’s not that many of them out there, so if it sounds like your thing, you may want to act now. The casks previously held some of the finest Mas Cristine Côtes Du Rousillion, the result of which imparts a stunning rich plum and blackberry into this gin. Honestly, well done folks – it’s gorgeous. We tasted this in Part 2 of The Three Drinkers do Scotch Whisky, as well. There was a Chardonnay finished gin too, but as you’d expect it was so popular… it is no more!

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £35

Rock Rose Gin Spring Edition

There’s something about Rock Rose’s bottle that I find so enticing. Maybe it’s the porcelain or the wax seal, or the vibrant colours, hell, I don’t know, but it tastes bloody amazing. The sun is shining and we’re in the heart of Spring, so this seemed like an obvious choice. Distilled with local ingredients like coltsfoot, dandelion and gorse flowers which only grow during Springtime this seasonal treat embodies a cool refreshing sweetness bound together by a soothing yet earthy liquorice backbone. Also, no need to ever throw these gorgeous bottles away – keep them as a vase of serving water when you’ve got friends over. See, look at that – added value. 

ABV: 41.5%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £34.00

Daffy’s Gin 

Produced in Edinburgh by a former winemaker and whisky distiller, the stunning illustration on each and every bottle was designed by none other than Robert McGinnis, the man behind the James Bond movie posters. Named after the goddess of gin, this wonder was designed to be served in its purest form over ice. But honestly, it tastes delicious regardless of the serve.

ABV: 43.4%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £32.95

Tanqueray No. 10

Would you believe it, this little gem has been around for over 20 years?! Launched in 2000 it was named after the number of the still in which it was produced, Number 10. Created in small batches with a plethora of fresh citrus fruits, this has become one of the iconic gins of the world so much so, it’s the only one to secure a spot in the San Francisco Wold Spirits Competition Hall of Fame. A mean burst of citrus and pepper spices is what you can expect upon tasting and quite frankly it makes a kick-ass martini or gin sour.

ABV: 47.3%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £28.59

Edinburgh Raspberry Gin

Based right in the heart of Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh Gin has been distilling great liquid since 2010. They may be readily available across the country, but they still operate on a small-batch system. Gin purists may roll an eye at the ‘raspberry’ connection, but I have to say – at 40% the gin is there and the fresh Scottish raspberries and raspberry leaves really do add a refreshing fruity (but not sickly-sweet) burst making this a perfect contender for the warmer Spring and Summer days.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £24.95

Hendrick’s Gin 

Ahh Hendrick’s, we know you from your whimsical and slightly odd TV ads, but we also associate you as being a gin for the people with your rose and cucumber flavours, galore. Seriously, there’s a reason this is one of the UK’s top gins, distilled at their Gin Palace in Girvan by Lesley Gracie, one of the top names in gin innovation. Back to the gin, it’s versatile, smooth and creates a fabulous G&T alongside being a killer choice for cocktails.

ABV: 41.4%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £31.55

Liked this? Why not check out The Best Gins for a Martini?

The Three Best Whiskies To Invest In

Over the last few years whisky investment has become more and more lucrative. But as that whisky investment has evolved, the focus is broader than Macallan, Macallan, Macallan. In fact, there are many people who feel Macallan has reached the top of its investment potential. Like Karuizawa, prices have levelled off for all but the million-pound bottles. The question is what to invest in next.

Sherry cask whiskies still seem to do very well. The Asian markets have shown a preference for sherry cask whiskies and whiskies with a good age statement. Add to this limited bottlings, or even bottles from single casks, and this gives a clear path for investment. Single cask bottles over eighteen years old matured in ex-sherry casks would be a good bet. There are some popular brands already starting to emerge. 

Glendronach produces a run of single cask bottles every year. These increase slowly in value. This is because they may be single cask bottlings, but there are quite a few casks bottled, so they are not as rare as one might think. These would be bottles for the longer-term investor. There is one distillery producing very few single cask bottlings, and they bottle their whisky having only matured it in ex-sherry casks. That distillery is Tamdhu. Their single cask bottles are difficult to find and already have a loyal following.

Single malt whisky might be the mainstay of whisky investors, however there are blends worth considering. Johnnie Walker produces limited editions from time to time, most notably for their Blue Label range. They produce a limited bottle for the Chinese New Year under the animal for that year. They produce whisky for films occasionally, for example Blade Runner 2049 has a Blue Label limited release. Last year there was the Ghost and Rare range producing bottles with a good amount of Brora and Port Ellen in them. These two distilleries are now closed and very rare. 

This brings me onto the third whisky in which to invest: whisky bottles from closed distilleries. By nature, there will be no more of this whisky produced and therefore it will become more limited as time goes by and the bottles drunk. Some closed distilleries are more popular than others. For example, the aforementioned Port Ellen and Brora distilleries already command very high prices and have cult followings. However, lesser-known distilleries such as St Magdalene, which used to be in the lowlands or Caperdonach in the highlands, would be good bottles to look out for.

Finding the odd good bottle in which to invest can be tricky, and it’s not always clear whether it may be a good investment or not. The bottle market can be fickle, even if it is good overall. This brings me back to the subject of casks about which I have written before. I think casks are a good way of investing in whisky. If you can spend £1,500 or more it is possible and easy to manage. I advise a cask company called Cask Trade in London who are a great source of advice on everything to do with casks. The do not broker whisky so all the stock they hold they own, and you can buy direct from them.

Whether it be bottles or casks, I find hunting them down is always fun and exciting. For bottles, I would use two auction houses: Scotchwhiskyauctions.com and Whisky.auction to buy from and to call for advice. For buying new releases both the Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt are reliable and each has extensive stocks of new, and past, releases that find their way back onto the market. Happy hunting!

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