Salmon and Spirit - A match made in heaven

Words by Colin Hampden-White

There are few food matches that go as well together as smoked salmon and whisky and one company has gone a step further by curing their salmon in various spirits and then smoking the fish. The results are heavenly. Campbell’s started by curing their salmon with Balvenie. This was such a success that they started to use Glenfiddich, and even moved away from whisky to use another William Grant & Sons brand: Hendricks.

This delicious combination was only available to the restaurant trade, but with the lockdown and distribution issues thrown up by Covid-19, they have been made available to the public. Even better than that, you can buy them together, all three spirit-cured smoked salmon plus one traditional.

The original concept was brought forward by William Grant & Sons working with Michel Roux Jr who took the modern smoking of salmon, added fennel, coriander seeds and star anise, before finishing the fish in Balvenie 12 year old. This was used across the Roux businesses at the Langham in London, Cromlix House, Crossbasket Castle and Inverlochy Castle, and now can be experienced in your own home.

The Glenfiddich salmon was developed after a visit to the Glenfiddich distillery and master distiller Brian Kinsman visiting the smoke house. He then worked with Mark Thompson, brand ambassador for Scotland, to pair the salmon with Glenfiddich IPA. The result was used at bespoke dinners at the distillery and over the 2019 festive season by chef Adam Handling at the Belmond Cadogan Hotel.

The Hendricks smoked salmon was developed by Lesley Gracie, the Hendricks distiller in Girvan. The process involved curing the salmon in sea salt, demerara sugar and botanicals and then lightly smoking it before finishing it in Hendricks Gin. A fantastic compliment to afternoon tea, this smoked salmon was showcased at the Caledonian Waldorf in Edinburgh and the Doyle Collection in London.

All the boxes can be found by going to the shop section of Campbell’s website and the combination box (which is made to order) can be found here and ordered before the 4th of December. It is priced at £45 + £4.99 delivery. Delivery is from the 15th to 22nd and when kept in a fridge will last until the 4th of January.

If you love whisky and gin and are a fan of top notch smoked salmon, this is a real treat for the seasonal festivities.

Sip Like a Celeb: 13 Celebrity Wines Available Right Now

Words by Helena Nicklin

Perfume lines and clothes ranges amongst A-listers are so 2018. It’s all about launching a wine brand nowadays; preferably something that says ‘down to earth sophistication’ that you don’t need a new mortgage to buy. While Cameron Diaz’s ‘clean wine’ and Snoop Dog’s ‘Cali Red’ make their way across the pond, here are some of the best celeb sippers you can buy right now.

Sarah Jessica Parker

sarah jessica parker wine sjp wine the three drinkers

Invivo X Sarah Jessica Parker, Sauvignon Blanc, £12 Sainbury’s (UK), $ 18.99 wine.com (US)

Classic, Kiwi Savvy B, this is ‘girls’ night in’ kind of wine with punchy, tropical fruit aromas, but smooth on the palate and not too tart. You can drink this alone or it will sing with salty snacks and goats cheese. 

Invivo X, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rosé, $19.99 from wine.com. Coming soon to the UK!

From the sun drenched coast of Saint Tropez, SJP’s pretty pink is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah and is an elegantly perfumed, softer style of pink with lots of ripe strawberry and red fruit flavours. Great alone, but it would work very nicely with fruit salad.

Graham Norton

graham norton wine the three drinkers

Graham Norton's Own Sauvignon Blanc, £8 Tesco

Also made by Invivo, the same producer as SJP’s wine, Graham’s Sauvignon has less upfront fruitiness and more savoury, smoky, saline notes while still rocking that classic, grassiness the grape is famous for. A good picnic wine this and a great crowd pleaser. 

Graham Norton’s Own Prosecco, £11 at Sainsbury’s 

The first celebrity Prosecco, Graham has gone for a classic ‘Extra Dry’ style which, ironically, means it has a decent dollop of sweeter fruit rather than actually being dry. Go figure. In any case, these are brilliantly balanced bubbles with indulgent notes of ripe pear and baked almonds. Fantastic party fizz.

Kylie Minogue

kylie wine the three drinkers

Kylie Minogue Rosé, currently £7 down from £9 at Tesco until Aug 10th.

Pale, pretty and perfectly packaged, this easy-drinking pink is from Southern France, but not the usual Provence. Made from a beefier blend of Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, it’s grippy enough for cold cuts, but light enough to enjoy alone. Think crunchy, red fruit flavours and a summer berry scent. Cracking value, Kylie! 

Phillip Schofield

phillip schofield wine the three drinkers

Philip Schofield Benvenuto IGT Falanghina, £24.99 (2.25 litres. Equiv £8.33 per 75cl) from Waitrose

Philip went to Italy for his pair of premium, bag in box wines and has produced two delightfully different drops from native Italian grapes. This eco-friendly white, made with fabulous Falanghina from the South of the country, is easy to love: citrusy and crisp with stone fruit and pear notes, it’s an easy going, summer sipper that’s perfect for parties. 

Phillip Schofield organic Nero di Troia IGT Puglia, £24.99 (2.25 litres. Equiv £8.33 per 75cl) from Waitrose

Earthy, smoky and rustic, like grandma’s homemade jam, this is a great little holiday, red wine, made with grapes native to Southern Italy. Serve it slightly chilled with some grilled meats or cold cuts to get the best out of it. 

Bon Jovi

bon jovi wine hamptom water the three drinkers

Hampton Water, South of France Rosé 2019, £19.51 from Winebuyers.com

Made in Southern France’s Languedoc with the help of superstar winemaker Gérard Betrand, Bon Jovi’s super cool pink was voted the ‘best rosé in the world’ by a top wine magazine when it first arrived. A brilliant balance of fresh peach, strawberry and citrus with a cool slick of saline, this bottle is well worth the price tag. The only question is, why did he not call it ‘Le vin on a prayer?!’ Lolz.

Sir Ian Botham OBE

sir ian bothan wine the three drinkers

Botham & Balfour, English rosé 2018, £12 from Tesco

Is this the first celebrity wine made in England? Produced by renowned winery Hush Heath in Kent, this collaboration with one of England’s greatest cricketers, Sir Ian Botham OBE, is delicate and aromatic with crunchy red fruit flavours, an apple skin tang and a quintessentially English leafy note. 

Botham 80 Series Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, £7 down from £11 at Tesco

Sir Ian Botham is a huge fan of the grape and named his ‘80 Series’ wines in homage to his greatest year in cricket: 1980. This classic Coonawarra Cabernet packs a punch with juicy blackcurrant notes and a mouth filling, minty finish. Smooth enough to drink alone but ideal with beef at your barbecue. 

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt

Angelie jolie brad pitt wine the three drinkers

Miraval Rosé,  £19.99 (£14.99 mix six price) from Majestic (UK) or $21.99 from wine.com (US)

Angelina and Brad loved this winery so much, they bought it. As beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside (and we are still talking about the wine here), this cool and elegant rosé set the benchmark for celebrity wines. It’s a beautifully balanced blend that manages to capture that seductive Provençal salinity so well. 

Studio by Miraval, £9 at Tesco

The baby sister of Miraval above, Studio does a smashing job of offering similar glamour and quality at a much more attainable price. Named as a nod to the recording studio still on site where Pink Floyd recorded their iconic albums, this dreamy drop is smooth and dry with subtle notes of peach and melon. For the money, it’s magic.

Sting & Trudie Styler

sting wine il palagio the three drinkers

When We Dance Chianti, il Palagio, 2018. £12.99 from www.vintageroots.co.uk

A classic Chianti that’s light to medium-bodied with tangy, sour cherry notes and a characteristic whiff of sage and dried herbs. Made with organically grown grapes in the heart of Tuscany at Sting and Trudie’s very own Il Palagio estate, this vino is romantically rustic. A great wine for a picnic and perfect with cheese and salami on focaccia.

Have you tried any celeb wines recently? Let us know over Instagram @TheThreeDrinkers. If you liked this, try hilariously unfortunate drinks names and 6 cracking canned drinks for summer.

5 Genius Inventions To Help You Shed the COVID Weight

Words by Aidy Smith (@Sypped)

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You’re not alone. As most of the world has been in their own version of lockdown the naughty foods have come into our lives a little more than we’d usually allow, same for that glass of something special each evening. The result? For many of us, the love handles have returned. So much for that summer body, eh? Alas, don’t worry about it. The good thing is, there’s a bunch of new tech and various creations which allow you to combat this face-on. Read below for some simple and convenient ways to get in better shape!


Yo-Yo DESK® BIKE

yoyo bike desk the three drinkers

The Yo-Yo Desk Bike isn’t just another piece of exercise equipment that’ll soon sit in the corner collection dust. This bike will become a fully integrated part of your workday routine. Turn a normally inactive portion of your day into an active one and burn through the fat faster. 

Silent motion technology gets rid of noise distractions while you can work from a laptop with ease and even take video calls while secretly burning the calories. For most of us, working from home has become tedious, not to mention the backpain from spending too much time sitting down. This wonder acts as a stand-up desk too, so you can change your position for a healthier posture.  

Basically, work while losing weight and without noticing you’re even working out. Amazing. 

Price: £400
Learn More Here

 

The Gym Keg

the gym keg the three drinkers

This one is incredibly simple, but so powerful. We all know we need to drink more water as it’s something that contributes to shedding the weight. It gets a little repetitive having to constantly fill up a smaller bottle of water, so why not just buy something that holds 2.2L of the stuff. That way you only need to fill it up twice during the day and you’ve more than completed your daily allowance. Just be sure not to overdo it though, 2.7L for women and 3.7L for men are the daily recommendations. 

Price: £16
Learn More Here

 

Noom

Noom app the three drinkers

There’s a hell of a lot of ‘weight loss’ apps out there, but honestly, very few are based on mountains of scientific research across both biological and psychological fields. Noom helps people to lead healthier lives through behaviour change, making you feel like you’re in control of your life so you can make the hard decisions versus being forced into a situation that makes you loathe dieting. It’s kind of like having a nutrionist, health coach and trainer all in one place. 

Daily quizzes educate you and help you understand WHY you need to take certain actions, while the food suggestion features help you make more informed decisions about what you eat without scaremongering you into cutting out everything. Its realistic. You essentially log what food you’re eating which is categorized into green, yellow and red, allowing you to see how healthy you are being. 

The app has shown to directly promote healthier habits, reducing risk of chronic health problems and even reversing diseases. These aren’t just statements either, they continuously publish research in international recognised journals such as  Nature and British Medical Journal (BMJ), which has shown that 64% of Noom users lost 5% or more of body weight, greatly reducing their risk of diabetes and other conditions.

In summary, an app that doesn’t make weight loss feel like a chore is a great start to becoming healthier, so give it a whirl.  

Price: From $200 (£160) per year
Learn More Here

 

Æcorn Aromatic

acorn non alcoholic spirit the three drinkers

Many of us have been guilty of piling on the pounds from drinking too much. The weather has been amazing, happy hour is within reach of your work desk, there’s countless reasons, really. On that note, it’s important to look after your health and a variety of incredible low or non-alcohol options exist, one of my absolutely favourites being Æcorn Aromatic. Not only is it fantastic as a non-alcohol cocktail ingredient, but it makes a stunning G&T alternative. Flavour and texture are two crucial components for me in any non-alcohol drink and this has both in abundance. 

So in sum; get a nice and health tonic water, and to taste preference an amount of this beauty and et voila, your healthier drink awaits. 

Price: £20
Learn More Here

 

Ember Mug

ember mug the three drinkers Aidy Smith

I’m a total geek of new tech and Ember have just solved a problem that affects many of us when it comes to drinks. If you’re trying to be healthy you make yourself a nice cup of herbal are fruit tea, right? But heres the alarming issue. It goes cold way too quickly, then you get irritated, then you become annoyed and after a trio occurrence you just give up. Ember is the first portable mug that regulates the same temperature based on what you program to your phone. So, your healthy brew will never get cold and you can keep topping it up. You can even take tea that has brewed earlier in the day and the cup will actually heat it up. Genius.

Price: £80
Learn More Here

 

Like this? Try our latest Drinker Discovery post, 7 Rums That Scream Luxury, and the World’s best Sipping Tequilas