Blended Scotch v Single Malt Scotch Whisky: What Should I Buy?

Words by Colin Hampden-White

Whisky is made of three ingredients; grain, water and yeast. Malt whisky uses malted barley which is barley that has been brought to the point of germination by soaking, then drying, before it is then used to make the malt whisky. Whisky can be made by using other grains like wheat or maize too and this creates grain whisky. Blended whisky is a mixture of grain whisky and malt whisky. In the case of blended Scotch whisky, the whisky must contain 15% of malt whisky, all the whisky must be aged in oak barrels (casks) for three years, and it must also be over 40% abv.

The difference is relatively simple, but a preconception that blended whisky is not as good as malt whisky needs to be unpicked. 90% of the whisky produced and sold globally is blended whisky, and 90% of that blended whisky is inexpensive supermarket whisky. This leads to the idea that blended whisky is not as good as malt whisky which, for the majority of whiskies, is true; it will be aged for less time and the barrels used will generally be not as high quality as those used for malt whisky. However, there are blended whiskies that are just as good as malt whiskies and sometimes quite a bit better.

The concept of the blend is to be harmonious. They can still have their own character, but, using the analogy of an orchestra, single malt is like a solo instrument, i.e. a violin, whilst a blend is like the whole orchestra playing together. One of my favourite whiskies is a blend:  Johnnie Walker Black Label, which requires around forty different whiskies. 

There are whiskies for everyone at all levels. Here are three of my favourite blends and three of my favourite malts at three different price points. What they all have in common is that they are excellent whiskies, and at the different price points the blends can equal the quality of the malts, and vice versa.

Blended Scotch Whisky

Johnnie Walker Black Label

Johnnie Walker Black Label is my go-to whisky. It is brilliantly complex with an underlying fruity base, lots of caramel and vanilla flavours, but also a hint of smoke running through the whisky too. In 2020, Johnnie Walker celebrated its 200th birthday! It is incredible to think it has been two centuries since John Walker founded this whisky brand, which has gone on to become world-famous. As part of the festivity surrounding this milestone, a limited edition bottling of Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old was released, designed in collaboration with fashion house Alpha Industries. It contains the same whisky as the regular 12 and is the same price, but I think the bottle gives it a little extra panache. 

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £29.95// US $29.99

Chivas Regal 18 year old

A richly indulgent blended Scotch whisky from long-time favourite, Chivas. The Chivas Regal 18 Year Old was personally created by Master Blender Colin Scott, including over 20 single malts from around Scotland, Colin is about to retire this year, but his legacy will live on in this excellent blended whisky, you can even see his name on the presentation box. Definitely no stranger to awards, this one. It even took home the International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014 Trophy for Blended Scotch Whisky! A great whisky to sip and savour, but also rather good for cocktails if you fancy giving them an upgrade.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £59.83 // US $99.99

The Tweeddale 28 Year Old – The Evolution

This is the oldest of the Tweeddale range to date. This delicious blended Scotch whisky boasts an impressive 28 year old age statement and a flavour profile packed full of cooked fruit, festive spice notes and lifted oak. If you’d like to experience a blend that has youthful sweet fruits, but also impressive oak balance and has older whisky flavours running throughout, then this is a sure-fire bet.

ABV: 52%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £139.95

Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Highland Park 12 year old – Viking Honour

Highland Park's spectacular 12 Year Old expression had a full-on Viking make-over in 2017, (the 18 Year Old is also getting a redesign, too). Stylish new livery and matching sub-name (Viking Honour) aside, the malt remains the same, it is complex with a certain sea air quality and salinity balanced by honey. This is a single malt with lots of character and I’d have it as my solo instrument any day.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £29.95 // US $54.99

Talisker 18 Year old

Talisker comes from the Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland, this expression has spent 18 years in casks, some of which used to hold Bourbon and some Sherry. The whisky is sweet and smoky with spicy flavours intermingling with the smoke and it has serious credentials. Back in 2007 it won the Best Whisky in the World category at the World Whisky Awards. For me, this is one of the best value versus price single malt whiskies in the world.

ABV: 45.8%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £75.95 // US $169.99

Tomatin 30 Year old

Tomatin 30 year old is one of my favourite 30 year old whiskies, and that is before I consider the price. Finding a 30 year old whisky at under £300 today is pretty difficult, and this is one of the best whiskies of this nature. It is full of honey and spice but has a lot of tropical fruit to balance all the spice and pepper. There is plenty of complexity. Unlike the Talisker, there is no smoke, so if you’re not a fan of smoky whisky, then you should love this. It is indulgent and has finesse at the same time.

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £299

I would be a happy chap if those six whiskies were the only whiskies I could drink from now on. None of them have outrageous levels of smoke or are too sweet and all have complexity. They are my perfect six pack. If you’re intrigued by Scotch and would like to discover some great bang for buck bottles, how about trying a few of these bottles?

Super-Premium ‘Vodka’: Belvedere Heritage 176

Words by Helena Nicklin

The drinks industry is a fascinating place to be and we are constantly tasting drinks that delight and surprise. One such tasting happened with the launch of this wonderful spirit from Belvedere, the sophisticated vodka brand owned by luxury goods company LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey). Enter stage right, Belvedere Heritage 176. Why the inverted commas around vodka in the title? The Heritage 176 is only distilled to 92% pure alcohol rather than the 96% that legally defines the spirit as vodka, hence why you’ll see ‘spirit drink’ on the label. For all intents and purposes however, it is essentially a particularly tasty vodka.

Tasting Vodka’s Past

The vodka industry has seen a plethora of artificially flavoured, sickly sweet vodkas flooding the shelves over the past few years but happily, it looks as though those days are coming to an end and there is now a strong movement back to the authenticity of the liquid in the bottle. Alone however, vodka has always been a spirit that tends to split the judges. To some, it’s an uninteresting, inoffensive, neutral spirit. Others are fascinated by the subtle complexities that the various raw materials give it. I was always somewhere in the middle if I’m honest until I met some premium brands that made me think twice about how beautiful fine vodka can be in its simplicity. 

The Belvedere Heritage 176

Belvedere itself is a premium brand that deserves to be taken seriously. While vodka can be made with just about anything you can ferment, from potatoes to all kinds of cereals, Belvedere is made in Poland purely with local rye over their eight farms to add character and spice. It has a citrusy finesse and a vanilla creaminess that makes it fine enough to sip alone as well as add to cocktails. They’re leading the way for more characterful vodkas, with two other, single estate releases  (Smogóry Forest and Lake Bartężek) focussing on rye from different ‘terroirs’, taking their lead from the wine world. 

Their new baby, Belvedere Heritage 176, is made using Polska rye and purified water with nothing else added. More importantly however, it’s made the old fashioned way, by producing a malted rye spirit. In a nutshell, this involves controlling the germination of the barley by steeping it, then drying it in a kiln to become ‘malted’ barley, where it can then be fermented as the starches have been broken down into fermentable sugars. While malt whisky lovers will be very familiar with this process, sadly this traditional method has all but died out with the vodkas in Poland (and other spirits worldwide) as it's much quicker and cheaper to use additional enzymes (diastase and amylase) to do this job of breaking down the starch. The Belvedere Heritage 176 is bringing the process home with this traditional malting method, heating the barley to a whopping 176 degrees (hence the name) to dry it, which gives it additional, bolder, rich aromas and flavours of walnut, toffee fudge, cream and vanilla with a subtle, spicy kick and seductive viscosity.  So strong is the resulting rye spirit from the distillation, only 2% of it is needed in the blend (with the regular vodka) to give it this moreish character. 

How to drink Belvedere Heritage 176

Such is the character of this spirit, it is enough to have it alone over ice, maybe with a twist of lemon. It will however, make a fantastic addition to any cocktail, especially vodka martinis, but here’s a super simple recipe that blew us away with its subtle, sweet notes of fudge, citrus and macadamia nut cream:

Ingredients

50ml Belvedere Heritage 176
5ml Honey syrup (3 parts good honey stirred with 1 part boiling water)
4 Dashes Walnut Bitters (we love Fee Bros Black Walnut Bitters)
Lemon peel twist

Method
Combine the ingredients in a mixing glass and stir well for a solid minute. Pour into a tumbler with ice - preferably one large block rather than smaller shards - and garnish with the lemon twist. Utterly delightful.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £34.95

Enjoyed this? Make sure you check out One Drink, Three Ways: Belvedere Organic Infusions or The Best Value Vodkas For Martinis.

A Drink Made With Poo That’s Good For You!

Words by Sara Lawrence

While most people cringe at the mention or sight of creepy crawlies, Antcicada, an insect-focused experimental kitchen based in Tokyo, gets their culinary inspiration from them.  Going a step further however, they have teamed up with the Mitosaya Botanical Distillery, located an hour outside Tokyo in Japan, who have created a unique spirit called ‘Sansha’.

Sansha – Silkworm Poo

Sansha refers to silkworm droppings which, according to Chinese medicine, offer improvements to blood flow and relief of joint and abdomen pain. In fact, this excrement has been used in all sort of treatments since ancient times, so if you ever need an excuse to enjoy a tipple, just mention those benefits and grab a glass of Sansha.

How Sansha spirit is made

To create Sansha, the distilling team sources silkworm droppings from cultivated silkworms at a one hundred and fifty-year-old silk farm in Yamanashi prefecture. Silkworms primarily feast on mulberry leaves and their droppings still contain undigested bits of these leaves. You might notice a subtle but distinct aroma from Sansha that is reminiscent of the plant. The process starts with the fermentation of organic mulberries with a rice spirit. The resulting spirit is then mixed with dried silkworm droppings and distilled to create the final product.

On the nose, you’ll pick up subtle notes of gyokuro green tea, prune, seaweed and mulberry. In the glass, you’ll notice a muted green colour. It’s a pleasantly surprising flavor and your palate will feel refreshed. 

Adventurous folk will love the opportunity to have a taste, if you can get your hands on some. Sansha is certainly a drink to remember – and perhaps the only spirit in the world that you can proudly claim tastes like shit. 

See more on the Distillery website here.

5 CBD Drinks to Chill You Out This Autumn

CBD infused drinks seem to be all the rage right now with more and more popping up all the time. We’ve given a few a go and put together a list of some of our favourites for you to enjoy.

What are CBD drinks?

Panic not, we are not sitting here in ‘The Three Drinkers Towers’ getting high each day; we’re high enough on life as it is! CBD is short for cannabidiol which is a naturally occurring molecule produced by plants in the cannabis family and unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which gives you the “high” associated with marijuana, CBD does not. Recently, there has been a lot of research poured into its use and more and more information about its health benefits, including deep relaxation and stress relief, has come to light, hence the increase in the number of beverages now including it. So, enough of the chat, let’s get down to the good stuff.

Dead Man’s Fingers Hemp Rum

You can always count on Dead Man’s fingers to create an exciting drink with their large range of different flavoured rums but the product that has got tongues wagging this time is their creation of the world’s first CBD hemp rum! Expect herbal grassy notes, pine, coffee and a spicy finish. Enjoy it neat or mixed with some ginger ale - trust us, you’ll love it!

ABV: 40%
Find it here 

Silent Pool Distillers Colorado High CBD Gin

Unlike most CBD infused drinks which have 10mg CBD, this one is packed with a whopping 200mg of Coloradan CBD meaning you only need a small serve of it to feel the relaxing benefits of the CBD! Smooth with a refreshing grapefruit citrusy note, this gin is both effective and delicious. Serve it with Fever Tree tonic and a wedge of grapefruit for the ultimate drink.

ABV: 40%
CBD: 200mg
Find it here

Doña Sofia CBD Cocktails

Recently launched in the UK, this is a really lovely drink. We tried the Gin and Tonic version and found it to be really rather yummy! A lovely balance between the soft bitterness of the tonic and citrus along with the relaxing properties of the CBD make this a drink we will definitely be going back to. Their Rum & Cola and Vodka & Lime flavours should be launching later this month.

ABV: 5%
CBD: 10mg
Find them here

Weedka Vodka

An idea born in Amsterdam in 2018, what better a place we hear you say, this multiple award winning vodka is made from high-quality quintuple distilled grain vodka infused with cannabis terpenes giving it a very smooth and unique taste. Serve it neat or mix it with cola to make a very tasty cocktail.

ABV: 40%
Find it here

OTO CBD Bitters

An excellent addition to any drink, we are big fans of OTO CBD bitters. Whether it be a dash in your morning coffee, a drop in your lunchtime water or a splash in your evening cocktail, OTO’s non-alcoholic CBD bitters elevate any drink and really do feel like they calm anxiety and help you to relax.

CBD: 2500mg
Find it here

Have you tried any CBD beverages you’d recommend? If so, send us an email to sophie@thethreedrinkers.com

If you liked this, have a gander at Drinkers Discoveries: 5 New Products for your Next Socially Distanced Gathering and don’t forget to check out 12 Hilariously Unfortunate (and Downright Naughty) Drinks Names

What is rye whiskey and what should I buy?

Words by Colin Hampden-White

What is rye whiskey? Essentially, rye is a grain from which some whiskies are made. There are two main types of rye whisky: the first is American rye whiskey, which is similar to Bourbon but must be made with at least 51% rye. The second is Canadian whiskey, which, to make things complicated, can be labelled as rye for historical reasons but may not actually contain any rye in its creation.

Many other countries make rye whiskies, some of which are excellent and have recently won top medals in spirits competition. These, along with American rye whiskies, will state the fact that they are made from 100% rye whisky on the label.

American rye whiskey, as well as needing to be made from over 51% rye, is also made with corn, malted barley and wheat. It has to be distilled to no more than 80% ABV and can only be filled into barrels at no higher than 62.5% ABV. It must be aged for a minimum of two years and not blended with any other spirits in able to to be called straight ‘rye whiskey’.

In Canada, despite rye not actually having to be used, the whiskey must have a character that is historically associated with Canadian whiskey, and rye characteristics are included in that flavour profile. These days, most Canadian whiskies are blended to achieve this character trait. They blend corn and wheat in used barrels and even use a small amount of flavouring, which is created from a mash (the porridge created to make the liquid which is then fermented and distilled in whiskey making), using rye. Usually though, the blend can be as much as 90% corn or wheat.

Like elsewhere, there are whiskies that are 100% rye and Canadian whiskey has a few more rules: They cannot use barrels larger than 700 litres and the liquid must be aged for a minimum of three years, like Scotch. Unlike Bourbon (but again, like Scotch), the barrels can be new or used.

What is the taste profile of rye in whiskey?

Rye makes a big difference to how whiskies taste. Rye creates a spicy and a peppery flavour, especially on the back of the palate and finish. Bourbon distilled from at least 51% corn is sweeter and typically more full-bodied. Historically, rye was used more in the past and in fact, many bartenders are returning to rye in cocktails as it creates a dryer style, especially in a Whiskey Sours, Manhattans or Old Fashioneds.

With so many different rye whiskies on the market now it is difficult to navigate through the shelves or on-line stores to find something you might like. Here is a shortlist of ones to try and there should be a style to suit everyone, from the easy-going, Canadian rye to a full-bodied rye from Finland and a few countries in between….

Canadian Club

I’ll start in Canada with Canadian Club, which is a slightly easier going style of rye whiskey. The proportion of rye isn’t stated, but the flavours are there and are sweet and slightly spicy, but not as sweet as a Bourbon, and the whiskey is smooth for rye. I think this is a great start to trying rye and a brilliant price point at under £20.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £17.95

Jim Beam Rye

Crossing the border into the USA, there are plenty of options. The first I would try for a full-on rye experience is Jim Beam Rye; spicy right from the first sip and brilliant in cocktails. It has a caramel undercurrent keeping everything in balance. This is the best value rye whisky at under £30.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £24.90

Rittenhouse Rye 100 proof

Staying in the USA, but raising the bar a little, I would choose Rittenhouse Rye 100 proof. This is a very aromatic rye and packs a good punch at 50% ABV. The typical rye flavours come through on the palate rather than the nose, with lots of fruity chocolate and orange flavours. Complex and spicy, this rye gives a more rounded flavour, rather than being overly spicy.

ABV: 50%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £44.75

Balcones Rye 100 proof

My final choice in the USA is a big step up in the world of rye. It is more expensive, but gives you a full on rye experience as it is made from 100% rye. This was created for the tenth anniversary of the Balcones distillery. Made with several different varieties of rye this whisky is complex and spicy with plenty of power from a heightened ABV. It is chocolatey with orange zest and honey, cinnamon and baked apples on the nose. The palate is even more complex and full-bodied with chocolate and tobacco joining the flavours. The finish is dark brown burnt sugar and hints of char and dry oak. It’s one of my favourite rye whiskies.

ABV: 50%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £67.25

 Millstone 100

Sailing across the pond, my first stop would be in the Netherlands with Millstone 100. This isn’t the cheapest rye in the world, but there is good reason for that. It is made from 100% rye, completely in small pot stills, matured for 100 months in new American oak barrels and bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV). It is hugely aromatic with hints of thyme on a brown sugar base. There is lots of cardamom and lemon zest. A full, complex and delicious rye whisky. 

ABV: 50%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £73.95

 Adnams Rye Malt

Rye whiskey is even made in England so for my last suggestion I’m heading to the country in which I live. Adnams produce a brilliant example of rye whiskey made with English-grown rye from Reydon. It is said in old English that “rey” means rye and “don” means hill, and the rye has been grown in Reydon for centuries. This rye takes on the traditional style of rye with a large proportion of rye (75%), and a smaller proportion of barley. It is aged for at least five years in French oak and is not chill filtered, allowing all the flavour to reach the bottle.

ABV: 47%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £44.95

Having travelled all over the world in search of great rye whiskies these are the ones I would bring home. At the start of my rye journey I would try the inexpensive Jim Beam, and at the end of my journey I would drink the Balcones. From an old established distiller to a pretty new one, they are both from the USA. The rest of the world is catching up fast and there are some brilliant expressions that I would happily have in my cabinet. If you’ve enjoyed the journey and want to learn a little more about whiskies from the USA, then try these brilliant bourbon whiskies.

This 80-Year Shipwreck Whisky Is On Auction

Imagine tasting a whisky that was salvaged from the bottom of the sea, plunging to the depths of the ocean over 80 years ago. Well, it’s possible. Every few years we hear of a new discovery across the world of wine and spirits, salvaged from long-forgotten shipwrecks. The latest to find its way back to surface is none other than the SS Politician which ran aground during WWII.

The ill-fated vessel was on its way to Jamaica from Scotland and carrying more than 28,000 cases of whisky when it hit the rocks by the Outer Hebrides. After several years of attempting to salvage its contents by the government, they gave up. The rugged shores were too treacherous to achieve such a mission, so the locals decided to take it upon themselves to claim the bounty. Named as ‘whisky rescue’ the actions of these folks were deemed upon as thievery by the tax collectors and eventually anyone proven to have lifted cargo from the ship was chased by HM Customs and Excise, given no duty had been paid on such bottles. For that reason, few have ever publicly come forward.  

Until now, more than fifty years after the controversial plunder attempt. But it wasn’t thievery that got these bottles to surface, it was a chap known as George Currie who was working on a subsea cable off the Hebridean coast when he hit pay dirt. Accompanied by his team of divers, a VAT 69, Ballentine’s and four bottles of Gibbey’s (no longer produced) saw the light of day after 80 years. All in perfect condition with their wax seal.

At the time of writing this article, the chosen auction bottle sits at £6,000 with just 4 days remaining on the auction. If you click here you’ll see what it eventually went for. In 2013 a very similar duo of aged whisky was auctioned together for £12,050, so it would seem the current value remains. 

A stunning Burgundy colour sits within the bottle with an airtight wax top and high-fill level, suggesting there’s been very little oxidation. Remembering that whisky doesn’t really ‘age’ within the bottle, you are still looking at an 11-year old scotch, but nonetheless, it has one hell of a story, doesn’t it?!

If you plan on bidding… good luck!

A Modern Classic for Every Drinks Cabinet: Fifty Pounds Gin

Words by Colin Hampden-White

Photo Courtesy of Fifty Pounds Gin

In the heyday of the gin industry, there was no quality control. Gin was often mixed with turpentine and other nasties and licences were easily obtainable with a simple application. The ease of production led famously to the massive over consumption of gin at the time, which in turned caused huge social problems. In an effort to combat this gin ‘epidemic’, the Gin Act was imposed in 1736, which lumped high taxes on distillers, forbade the sale of the spirit in quantities of less than two gallons and required an annual payment of fifty pounds for a retail licence. All this however, had little effect beyond increasing smuggling and driving the distilling trade underground and the quality was still variable, to say the least. 

The birth of the London Dry style

By 1826, the invention of the column still made the distillation of neutral spirits more practical and enabled the creation of the more quality-driven ‘London Dry’ style that continued to evolve during the 19th century. London Dry Gin became a quality designation for pure gin that is made with natural botanicals and has no flavouring or colouring added after distillation, only water. London gin had upped its game.

Why ‘Fifty Pounds’ Gin?

No, it’s not because it costs fifty pounds (in fact it’s substantially less at £34.95). Fifty Pounds Gin takes its name from the 1736 Gin Act. It is a London gin, triple-filtered to achieve optimum smoothness and distilled in small batches. At 43.5% ABV, it’s a gin that works equally well neat or in cocktails and G&Ts. The exact recipe is secret, but Fifty Pounds are open about the botanicals they use which include juniper from Croatia, coriander seeds from the Middle East, orange peel from Spain, angelica root from Western Europe, savoury from France, liquorice powder from Southern Italy and grains of paradise from the Gulf of Guinea in Western Africa.

The beautiful bottle itself has a tapered shape which harks back to the Georgian time when there was no nasty plastic bubble wrap and bottles had to fit snuggly together like sardines to prevent breakage. Testament to the small batch process, each bottle also bears an individual distillation batch number as well as a note of the year that it was distilled.

A very limited edition: ‘The cask at the back’

Back in the nineteenth century, gin was transported in oak barrels, some of which used to contain sherry. The barrels were re-used when transporting the gin between various places. Fifty Pounds have called their limited edition ‘Cask at the back’ as it refers to barrels that were stored at the back of the warehouse and thus were harder to grab and so stayed there a bit longer. The gin these barrels contained had a much deeper colour and unique character, quite different from the rest. If they had come from sherry casks, these differences were even more pronounced.  

Charles Maxwell, master distiller for Fifty Pounds Gin, wanted to recreate the flavour profile and texture of this special type of gin, so produced a limited run of what he called ‘Fifty Pounds Gin - Cask at the Back’, using American oak casks which used to contain very old, sweet, Pedro Ximenez sherry. Maxwell describes this limited edition gin beautifully as having “classic aromas of juniper and citrus fruits predominant with hints of wood and tasted oak along with floral notes and delicate hints of raisins, prunes and nuts. On the palate there is a gentle and attractive sweetness at the start, it is warm, smooth, very complex and balanced with a long finish which leaves a delightful sensation of roundness”.

Only 500 bottles of Cask at the Back were created and the edition is already, sadly, sold-out. Don’t despair however, we have one bottle to give away, signed by master distiller Charles Maxwell himself!  Here’s how you can enter:

How to drink Fifty Pounds Gin

Incredibly versatile, this is a classic, London dry gin, yet it has a seductive viscosity and balanced aromas that means you could sip it by itself if you so desire. It makes a cracking G&T and a marvellous dry Martini, but one drink we would urge you create with it is a Gimlet. Incredibly easy to make at home, our little twist on the classic Gimlet uses fresh lime juice instead of cordial. The gin easily stands up to the strong flavour and the lime will give you an extra freshness (not to mention a boost of vitamin C). Here’s the recipe: 

Ingredients
50ml Fifty Pounds Gin
The juice of two limes
Splash of simple honey syrup (optional)
Lime wedge for garnish

Method
A Gimlet can be stirred or shaken, but we’d suggest combining the gin and the lime in a glass with ice and stirring. Add the simple syrup to taste if you’re using it and stir. Pour into a classic cocktail or Martini glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

Over the summer, London Dry Gin is a perfect spirit for mixing with tonic and making a whole host of cocktails. With its classic juniper-led flavour profile and crisp clean nature, there is not another spirit like it. And of the myriad of London dry gins on the market, Fifty Pounds Gin stands head and shoulders above many – and it looks as good as it tastes.

Buy Fifty Pounds Gin Here

Clover Club Cocktail

A classic cocktail that has been around since at least the 1910s, the Clover Club Cocktail is rich, silky and has a wonderful balance of sweet and sour. To be honest there is nothing not to like about this pretty pink cocktail. Be warned, once you’ve had one you’ll be hooked!

Ingredients

50 ml gin, we used Fifty Pounds Gin
20 ml lemon juice
20 ml raspberry syrup, we used Monin raspberry syrup
1 egg white
2 raspberries, to garnish

Method

1. Add the ingredients to a shaker, and shake vigorously without ice for around 30 seconds or until the egg white has emulsified.

2. Add ice and shake again until the drink is well-chilled.

3. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Thread a couple of raspberries onto a cocktail stick and balance on top.

4. Sip and enjoy!

   N.B. Instead of raspberry syrup, you can muddle 3 or 4 fresh raspberries and 15ml simple syrup (1 part sugar, 1 part water).

Fancy trying your hand at more cocktails? Then, check out this Rosé and Grapefruit Sparkle cocktail or one from our One Drink, Three Ways Cocktail Series.