The Best Tequila for a Margarita

Which tequila should I use for a Margarita? Given that the Margarita was the most popular cocktail last year, this is a question on the lips of many a drinks lover. From bargain bottles that produce knockout cocktails to top-end master mixes, these are tequilas guaranteed to bring the oomph needed to your Margaritas!

Best Bargain Tequilas

El Sueño Tequila Silver

The result of five generations of tequila producers, this is a really top cocktail tequila. Don’t be put off by the fact it’s a ‘mixto’ (not 100% agave), this beats many ‘purer’ brands hands down. After the 70% agave, 30% is locally grown sustainable piloncillo which provides a nice sweetness. The vegetal agave note is expectedly subtle with lovely grapefruit hints and overall, El Sueño represents top-notch value in a Margarita.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find here: £21.90

Tapatio Blanco Tequila

Tapatio is much loved among tequila drinkers because it’s largely unchanged since the 1930s, and for a silver tequila it’s the gold standard for value. Made traditionally, it’s brimming with blanco character; think raw agave, a little citrus, earthiness, and pepper. It’s intense so will more than hold its own in a Margarita. Iconic.

Size: UK 500ml / US 1L
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £23.39 / US $43.99

El Espolòn Blanco Tequila

Cirilo Oropeza is a hugely respected distiller producing fantastic tequila in the Jalisco highlands and you’ll often see this bottle used by mixologists. The pure agave goes straight to bottling without aging, retaining fresh agave up front and centre, supported by a pleasant sweetness and floral undertone. We’ve praised their bottle before but it’s a Day of the Dead skeleton riding rooster so we have to point it out again. Now that’s a bottle you want to see coming out for the Margaritas.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £26.49

The Butterfly Cannon Blue

As if the beautifully designed bottle isn’t enough to win you over, the aesthetics carry over to the liquid itself with the vivid blue hue changing colour once mixed! If that’s still not convinced you, then every purchase also supports butterfly conservation! Still no?! Prickly pears and clementines support punchy agave flavour with added complexity from strawberry, melon and fig. This is a tequila that has so much going for it and is simply stunning in a Margarita.

Size: UK 500ml / US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £29.04 / US $27.99

Mid-tier

AquaRiva Blanco

This super smooth Blanco uses 100% Blue Weber agave grown in the volcanic soil of the Jalisco highlands. The nose has an intriguing tang which opens up into a surprisingly herbal and peppery palate that’s super crisp and zesty. There’s a sharpness to this Blanco that really stands out and makes for an intense Margarita. Top-notch for the price.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find here: £31.74

1800 Silver Tequila

The eye-catching bottle based off the Mayan pyramids puts a lot of pressure on the liquid inside, and it lives up to it. Double distilled and blended with an array of white tequilas, the result is a seriously well-rounded profile that is delicate, floral, fruity and herbal and all whilst being refreshing and silky smooth. It’s exceptional and between you and me, tequila lovers would probably pay more for the quality but let’s not tell 1800 that! It brings so much depth of flavour to a Margarita..

Size: UK 700ml / US 750ml
ABV: 38%
Find here: UK £33.99 / US $28.99

Top end

VIVIR Tequila Reposado

Vivir roughly translates as, ‘to live’ from Spanish and if you’re lucky enough to use this in your Margarita then you are well and truly living your best life. It’s a gorgeous bottle of buttery and caramelly reposado from the 6 months of bourbon oak cask aging. There’s a really lovely vanilla hint too, but don’t think that all of this overpowers the agave – that remains front and centre and anchors everything with vegetal earthiness. A benchmark premium reposado that will transform a Margarita to a whole new level.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £43.95

Código 1530 Rosa

If you’re a seasoned Margarita drinker then you might want to mix it up a little bit. If this is the case, this is the tequila for you. Bright berry notes shine through due to aging in ex-Napa Cabernet wine barrels which works amazingly well with the smooth and earthy tequila. It looks and tastes incredible and will make you a floral pink-hue Margarita, unlike anything you’ve tried before.

Size: UK 700ml / US 750ml
ABV: 35%
Find here: UK £46.24 / US $60.99

Truth be told, you would be more than happy sipping away at most of the above bottles, but if a classic Margarita isn’t doing it for you, then check out The Best Sipping Tequilas for a completely different but still equally magical experience!

The Best Cocktails to Make for Valentine’s/Galentine's Day

If you can’t have a cocktail on Galentine’s and Valentine’s Day then when can you really? No matter whether you’re impressing your date, want to dish out something special to your gals or just to treat yourself, these beautiful cocktails make the best company.

Whatever your tipple of choice, there’s a cocktail that you’ll fall in love with waiting below!

Raspberry Daiquiri – for the rum lovers

Daiquiri is often dismissed as a slush-puppy style cocktail that’s overly sweet, but not this. It’s stunningly simple and when made correctly, it absolutely hits the spot. The raspberry and lime add a nice fruity tang to the syrup that works harmoniously with the rum for a seriously moreish cocktail.

Ingredients
50ml rum (white ideally, e.g., Havana Club 3YO)
30ml raspberry-lime syrup (try Monin)
10ml lime juice
Raspberry stick (garnish)

Method
Heat sugar and water in equal parts and throw in some raspberries and a squeeze of lime – to your preference. Once cooled, shake this and the remaining ingredients until cold and strain twice! Delicious.

Chocolate Martini – for the vodka lovers

If you’ve forgotten the chocolate box on Valentine’s, then don’t worry because this is even better. Deliciously sweet and silky smooth, the Chocolate Martini verges on dessert territory so it’s as indulgent as cocktails get – perfect for Valentine’s!

Ingredients

50ml vodka
25ml Irish Cream liqueur
30ml chocolate liqueur (like Godiva)
1 tbsp of melted chocolate
A sprinkling of cocoa powder

Method
You can drizzle the melted chocolate in a spiral or use a pastry brush to paint chocolate streaks along the glass. Save a little for the rim (or use the liqueur) and roll the glass in cocoa powder before chilling. Shake everything else with a generous handful of ice until it feels extremely chilled, then strain it into the glasses! Top Tip: If you half a strawberry lengthways then it’s the perfect natural heart garnish!

Tequila Mockingbird – for the tequila lovers

Much more than a pun, this is a gorgeous cocktail that varies across the world. Watermelon is underused in mixology because it lacks flavour when used sparingly, or it dilutes the drink too much. However, when combined as ice cubes it’s sublime and too good for just summertime. The jalapeño adds some spice to your Valentine’s Day too in this juicy, sweet and pleasantly earthy mix.

Ingredients
50ml blanco tequila
15ml lime juice
15ml agave syrup
3 watermelon cubes
1 slice jalapeño

Method
You can plop the watermelon ice cubes in (literally frozen cubes of watermelon), or to get more flavour muddle them and jalapeño in the bottom of the cocktail shaker. Add the other ingredients and fill with ice. Shake vigorously until well chilled and strain twice over into a glass. Use a good tequila!!

Blinker – for the whiskey lovers

Unfairly overlooked for a Valentine’s cocktail, we can’t leave whisky out and this Blinker is so simple and elegant that it’s easy to love. In the same vein as a classic Whiskey Sour, grenadine was originally used as a sweetener, but we prefer raspberry syrup!

Ingredients
50ml rye whiskey
50ml grapefruit juice (any colour)
15ml raspberry syrup/grenadine
Raspberries (garnish)

Method
Heat and stir demerara sugar and water in a 1:1 ratio and add a handful of raspberries to form a pulp before straining and allowing to cool. That’s the hard bit done, now you just shake with ice, strain and serve! Skewered raspberries make for a special final touch.

Pink Gimlet – for the gin lovers

This is a gorgeous tangy Gimlet with added fruity sweetness from the use of pink gin. The grapefruit and lime accentuate citrus notes in the gin and depending on the gin you use, a dash of syrup will balance things out perfectly. Especially if you use fresh juice, this will be packed with intense flavour and beguiling freshness.

Ingredients
50ml pink gin (Mirabeau Rosé Gin is perfect)
25ml syrup
50ml lime juice
75ml pink grapefruit juice
Rose petals (garnish)

Method
Simply pour all the ingredients into an ice filled cocktail shaker and shake together, then strain into a glass. Garnish with half a wheel of lime or even better, some rose petals, and you’re all set.

La Violetta – perfect for the sparkling wine lovers

Sparkling wine screams celebration, and the La Violetta is a wonderfully versatile fizz cocktail for Valentine’s Day. You can use whatever bubbles you have, Lambrusco, Champagne, Cava, Prosecco – it all works! For your taste, just leave out or add in a dash of syrup depending on the wine you’ve gone for. The lush floral aroma of the créme de violette works so well with most gin botanicals, and with the citrus and beautiful bubbles it's so refreshing too.

Ingredients
30ml dry gin
15ml lemon juice
15ml créme de violette
30ml sparkling wine
Tbsp of syrup (optional) 

Method
Wine aside, shake everything and double strain into your glass. Top up with fizz and stir gently! Voilá!

That’s cocktails locked down, but if you have your eye on the spirits and wines to go in them or just fancy something simpler, then check out the rest of our Valentine’s Guides! There are the Best Sprits and Best Sparking Wine and Best Pink Gin here.

Viajante 87

Listen to us when we tell you: Go try Viajante 87 as soon as you can. This newly opened experimental bar is by Los Mochis and the agave-based drinks menu is crafted with a zero waste approach. ‘Waste’ from Los Mochis restaurants is used as the inspiration for each cocktail and is used to infuse the tequila or mezcal, added to the cocktail itself, or to create a garnish. The bar gives the impression of a speakeasy, located in the basement of 87 Notting Hill Gate. The decor is elegant and dark, making each guest feel like a VIP as they sip on their drink and nibble on the bar snacks. 

While you can get overwhelmed by the menu, the bartenders and staff are all incredibly knowledgeable and will manage to find the perfect drink for you. Each cocktail is based on a classic cocktail, just with added twists and the Viajante flair. Every drink has a unique palette and presentation, however we would recommend the Smoked Earth. The name does describe the flavours perfectly: a savoury cocktail with beautiful smokiness. If you are searching for something sweeter, you could try the Lana in Tulum, with a lovely freeze-dried strawberry garnish adding that extra zing. 

Although the kitchen is not fully renovated yet, we did get a small taste of what is going to be on offer such as the guacamole with homemade tortilla chips, truffle guacamole on crispy rice, and baked crab taco-maki. We can confirm- the food tastes even better than it sounds.  

Viajante 87 is great for one on one drinks, whether it is for a special occasion or even just a treat-yourself-moment.

Ambience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Value:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Range:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall: 10/10

Address: Basement, 87 Notting Hill Gate, London, W11 3JZ

Budmo! Dima’s Cocktail Book Supporting Ukraine

Dima Deinega is the man behind namesake brand, Dima’s Vodka, an award-winning triple-grain expression picking up prestigious gongs from the IWSC, World Vodka Awards and Vodka Masters… and now, he’s also the man behind, ‘Budmo!’, a book of vodka cocktails from his homeland.

If you’re wondering, Budmo (pronounced Bood-more) means, ‘let us be’ and is the shortest and most popular Ukrainian toast, usually featuring a hierarchy of toasts around the table. Dima’s book celebrating the art of toasting features fifty essential recipes created by expert mixologists from Kyiv cocktails bars, celebrating vodka’s special place in the culture. As Dima himself puts it, “Vodka is an integral part of the Ukrainian lifestyle with generations of expertise and tradition behind it. With different regional flavour profiles, it crosses class and status boundaries and is suffused into the country’s culture, uniting the nation.”

Highlights include the Kyiv Mule, The White Ukrainian, the Beetroot Bloody Mary and Parovoz Bar’s Green Pea Cocktail, a smoothly shaken cocktail entwining the richness of Dima’s Vodka with green pea shoots and celery bitters! You even get a QR code to walk you through making each one, as well as insight into the exciting Ukrainian bar scene, vodka infusions (nalyvkas), traditional pickles and beautiful accompanying photos.

Most importantly, a minimum of £5 from every purchase goes towards First Aid Ukraine in their time of need, and you can purchase the book on its own for £25 or combine it with a gorgeous bottle of Dima’s for £55 (the perfect star of the show for your vodka cocktails).

Super inventive recipes, stunning Vodka, and the opportunity to support and celebrate Ukraine – Budmo to that we say.

If it sounds like it’s up your street, please visit Dima’s website to learn more about their premium products and purchase the cocktail book!

The Best Hot Toddy Cocktail Variations

What is a hot toddy?

There’s nothing quite like a hot toddy to soothe the winter chill in our bones is there? The history of the hot toddy is by no means set in stone. In India, toddy has long been a fermented palm tree sap concoction, and by the end of the 1700s, it came to mean, ‘a beverage made of alcoholic liquor with hot water, sugar, and spices’ in the United Kingdom.

One man credited with its popularity is Robert Bentley Todd, an Irish physician who prescribed hot brandy, cinnamon, syrup, and water in the 1830s to his patients with flu. Now that sounds better than tablets to us!

These days, the winter warmer is loved by many to jump-start mornings, soothe colds, and sore throats, as a nightcap, or just to heat up during the chilly nights. So versatile! And the good thing about that is, there are tonnes of room to adapt the recipes...

So, without further ado, here are our best hot toddy variations, whatever you’re in the mood for, and even if you don’t like whisky!

For the traditionalists: The Original Hot Toddy

Some recipes are as simple as whisky + sugar + water, and others read more like full shopping lists, so we’ve kept it fairly simple with cloves and cinnamon for mellow and warming spice, honey for sweetness, lemon juice to cut through and of course, a gorgeous splash of whisky at the heart of everything. Balanced and beautiful, it’s soothing comfort in a mug.

Ingredients
1 clove
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
100ml-150ml hot water
35ml Whisky (Johnnie Walker Black Label is great)
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
Lemon wheel (garnish)

Method
Grab your favourite mug or handled glass and add the water. Mix in the whisky, lemon juice and honey until it’s completely disappeared. Chuck in the clove and the cinnamon if you like it. Most important of all, have a taste and adapt it how you like! You can add some sugar, or some more lemon, or even a splash of whisky if it’s not got enough oomph.

For the bourbon drinkers: Ginger Toddy

Bourbon works just as well as Scotch in a Hot Toddy, so it’s just down to your preference, but we love it with the ginger here. Those warming spicy notes, with vanilla and caramel bourbon hints create a delicious bakery feel to the cocktail. This is guaranteed to leave a lovely zing in your mouth and warm you down to your toes!

Ingredients
35ml bourbon
15ml ginger syrup
100ml hot water
Lemon wheel (garnish)

Method
Combine the bourbon, ginger syrup and hot water in your favourite mug and stir thoroughly, adding a splash of lemon juice if you want extra zing! Then enjoy!

For the cider drinkers: The Hot Apple Toddy

Now be aware that this has a serious kick to it because the water is being swapped out for apple cider. You can still add cinnamon and a clove if you wish, but if you’ve used a good cider then there should be bold enough flavours without. Along similar lines, if you’d prefer an even fruiter version, use apple brandy instead of whisky! Oh so satisfying and that subtle tang is lovely.

Ingredients
1 tsp honey
100ml apple cider
35ml whisky or apple brandy
1 cinnamon stick (optional)

Method
Heat up your cider in a saucepan and pour this into your mug or glass coated with honey at the bottom. Add your whisky and optional spices and stir well.

For the gin lovers: Hot Gin Toddy

There are even options for you gin lovers out there. The Hot Gin Toddy relies on the beautiful botanicals in the gin, with the heat opening them up and giving them a new lease of life. It’s just as warming, but with a pleasantly aromatic profile that’s surprisingly light and refreshing too.

Top Tip: Dry gin will work better because the botanicals tend to react to hot water more reliably.

Ingredients
1 tsp sugar
35ml gin (dry)
100ml hot water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick (garnish)
1 lemon wheel (garnish)

Method
Super simple, just mix everything really well with the hot water and give it a final stir with the cinnamon stick. Make sure the water isn’t boiling hot because this may be too harsh on the gin.

For the rum drinkers: Hot Rum Toddy

Rum fits so nicely into the Hot Toddy recipe, with those warming spices and underlying sweetness accentuated beautifully. Whilst Scotch has always been the Hot Toddy go-to in the UK, rum used to be far more readily available in America, so this or brandy was usually used. Any rum works, but we would suggest dark rum for that deep caramel flavour, and the spicier notes.

Ingredients
1 tbsp honey
35ml rum (preferably dark)
100ml hot water
1 cinnamon stick
Lemon wedge (garnish)

Method
Stir together everything so that the honey is completely dissolved and drop in the cinnamon stick giving it plenty of time to diffuse. Garnish with a lemon wedge to finish, and squeeze in a little juice if you prefer! Truly a fireside sipper that gives the original a run for its money.

For the vodka drinkers: Toffee Apple Hot Toddy

This may ring some bells because we recommended it as the perfect Bonfire Night cocktail when Lewis Stairs, founder of Sunday Cocktail Club joined us in Ep.96 of the Bring a Bottle Podcast. It’s gorgeously smooth, with that slightly sweeter bourbon intertwining with crisp toffee vodka. The apple juice completes the hot toffee apple vibe, and it’s a fantastic option if you’ve got a sweeter tooth.

Ingredients
25ml toffee vodka
50ml bourbon
40ml apple juice
Splash of lemon (optional)
Cinnamon stick (garnish)

Method
All you’ve got to do is heat everything up in a saucepan until it’s hot throughout, but not bubbling. Keep some cool apple juice behind to cool it down if needs be. We love the very subtle sour edge that the lemon provides, but feel free to leave it out – it’s your creation! Feel free to check out Lewis making it here.

For the non-alcoholic drinkers: Apple Berry Toddy

There are lots of alcohol-free hot toddy variations using different types of tea, but we wanted something that still has the boozy profile to it... just without the booze itself. Step up Crossip Rich Berry, perfect for mulled wines but also hot toddies. It’s packed with rich blackberries and cherries, and a lovely layer of spice. Obviously, there isn’t quite the power that comes from a spirit, so swap out the water for some lovely hot apple juice and it’s a warming winner with heaps of flavour.

Ingredients
25ml Crossip Rich Berry
125ml Apple Juice
Lemon (garnish)

 Method
Like every hot toddy, it’s easy to pull together. Just heat everything together and decant! A little squeeze and garnish of lemon is a nice finishing touch. The only difficult bit is trying not to finish it all in one sitting!

If you are looking for more delicious drink ideas this January, why not check out our recommendations for the best no and low alcohol drinks?

Words by Calum Ecroyd

One Drink, Three Ways: Mirabeau Gin

One Drink, Three Ways is the signature feature by The Three Drinkers. Join The Three Drinkers’ Helena, Aidy and Colin as they take one bottle and create a trio of phenomenal serves which you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. From rums and whiskies to gins and wine styles, the three help you get the most out of your glass. It’s time to get liquid on lips.

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Mirabeau is always one of our top choices for quality and value when it comes to rosé, so when they announced their journey into juniper a couple of years ago, we had high expectations! We were not disappointed. 

In this gin, there are the familiar base botanicals of juniper, citrus, orris root, angelica root and coriander, but inspired by the surroundings of the Saint Tropez estate, it’s the Riviera twist of herbs like bay, thyme and rosemary alongside the neutral grape spirit and base distillate of Mirabeau Classic Rosé that really grabs your attention. The result is a fantastically fruity and well-rounded gin with fresh citrus character that’s bursting with floral notes, rose petals and lavender. Those herbs add an extra kick at the end too for an extremely satisfying and complete drink with all the glamour of the Côte d’Azur.

There really is plenty here to enjoy neat, but with so many appealing notes, it only makes sense to get some stunning cocktails going eventually...

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Helena’s Choice: Mirabeau Pink Gimlet

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Mirabeau gin is perfect for a characterful, gin sour style cocktail. The lime and grapefruit play up to the citrus in the gin and are pitched perfectly against the sweet syrup. Everything tastes incredibly fresh and balanced while showing off the beautiful, fruity gin. Simply pour all the ingredients into an ice filled cocktail shaker and shake together, then strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with half a wheel of lime and that’s it. You’re transported to the French Riviera!

Mirabeau Pink Gimlet

Recipe

50ml Mirabeau Dry Rosé Gin

25ml Simple Syrup

50ml Lime Juice (1 lime)

75ml Pink Grapefruit Juice (1/2 a Grapefruit)

Crushed Ice

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Aidy’s Choice: Mirabeau Rosé Negroni

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Negronis are, by their nature, one of the most adaptable cocktails and I adore this rosé led version. All three work together to elevate the fresh floral and citrus notes, and the underlining herbs add a tonne of depth from the background to round it off. Immensely refreshing and a lip-smacker alright. Simply add the Mirabeau Dry Rosé Gin, Lillet Rosé and Luxardo Bitter Bianco into a tumbler filled with plenty of ice and stir gently until the ice starts to melt. Take the zest of a grapefruit and wipe it around the rim of the glass. Pinch the zest to express a little oil, add it as a garnish and enjoy!

Mirabeau Rosé Negroni

Recipe

25ml Mirabeau Dry Rosé Gin

25ml Lillet Rosé

25ml Luxardo Bitter Bianco

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Colin’s Choice: Mirabeau Rosé G&T

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There are cans of Mirabeau Dry Rosé Gin & Tonic in Waitrose, but this cocktail version is a notch above if I can be so bold. The floral Mediterranean tonic with its herbal notes complements similar notes in the gin and provides a really light and refreshing base. The Angostura bitters emphasise the citrus fruitiness and embolden the cocktail to become more than just a refresher. 

Place some ice in a large wine glass and gently wipe the rim of the glass with the zest of grapefruit. Pour in the Mirabeau Riviera Dry Rosé Gin, the tonic, and add the drops of angostura. Stir gently with the sprig of rosemary which also makes the perfect garnish once you’re finished. Perfection.

Mirabeau Rosé G&T

Recipe

50ml Mirabeau Dry Rosé Gin

150ml Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic

4 drops Angostura Bitters

Zest of Grapefruit

A sprig of fresh Rosemary

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £35

We’re always mixing up new cocktails at Three Drinkers HQ, so make sure to check out the rest of our recommendations here!

One Drink, Three Ways: Glen Grant 15-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch

One Drink, Three Ways is the signature feature by The Three Drinkers. Join The Three Drinkers’ Helena, Aidy and Colin as they take one bottle and create a trio of phenomenal serves which you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. From rums and whiskies to gins and wine styles, the three help you get the most out of your glass. It’s time to get liquid on lips.

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We’ve been working our way through different ages of Glen Grant Scotch whisky lately and loving every sip. Their 15-year-old spirit is matured in a balanced combination of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks before eventually being bottled at 50% abv. Oomph! Behind that inviting gold colouring is a superbly well-rounded bold and fruity flavour profile, with rich vanilla oak char laced throughout. If you like Speyside whisky, you’ll love this.

You might have seen our Glen Grant 10-year-old cocktails, but these are a lot simpler with fewer ingredients. Put simply, all the hard work has already been done for you at the distillery and in this case, less is more. Enjoy!

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Helena’s Choice: Classic Highball

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With more and more drinkers looking to take their first steps on the whisky road, highballs are a great, accessible way to start the whisky journey before hitting the stuff neat. With such a flavoursome, well-rounded Scotch, a classic highball is the perfect way to enjoy a delicious 15-year single malt at its peak! Simply pour the whisky into a highball glass with ice and top it up with soda. Sublime.

Classic Highball

Recipe

50ml Glen Grant 15 YO

Soda

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Aidy’s Choice: Bobby Burns

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Here’s a classic Scotch cocktail if ever I saw one. Made in the same vein as a Rob Roy but superior (if I do say so myself), this is a deliciously boozy cocktail. The three liquids balance out really well to create a rich and subtly spicy concoction that is dangerously sippable. You can mix up the ratios to your taste, but all you’ve got to do is stir everything with ice, strain into a glass and serve with a nice orange twist! 

Bobby Burns

Recipe

40ml Glen Grant 15 YO

20ml sweet Vermouth

10ml Benedictine

Orange twist

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Colin’s Choice: On the Rocks

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A big lump of ice and a generous pour of beautiful whisky – sometimes you can’t beat simplicity. This Scotch certainly isn’t one to wilt in the limelight, so it performs well on the rocks where you can experience all of its layers. Just sip and enjoy as the ice melts.

On the Rocks

Recipe

50ml Glen Grant 15 YO

Big piece of ice

ABV: 50%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £59.95 // US $80.99

For a slight change of pace, check out our options for the younger 10-year-old Scotch!

8 Sparkling Wine Cocktails To Serve This Festive Season

You can’t beat adding some fizz and sparkle to festive proceedings with sparkling wine cocktails. They’re super simple to make, refreshing, delicious and they’re amazingly versatile when it comes with food pairings. From classics to more unusual concoctions, these are 8 of the best cocktails using various sparkling wines!

Negroni Sbagliato

Don’t be surprised if younger family members bring this cocktail up, because it went viral on TikTok recently after House of the Dragon star Emma D’Arcy announced her love for it. In short, it’s a Prosecco Negroni. This makes for a lighter Negroni, perfect if you’re not a big fan of the usual bitterness Negronis can have. An extra dry Prosecco like Giusti Rosalia works perfectly because the slight sweetness counteracts the spirits’ bitterness.

Ingredients
25ml Prosecco
25ml Campari
25ml sweet vermouth
orange slice (to garnish)

 Method
Pour the Campari and vermouth into a rocks glass and fill it with ice. Top up with Prosecco. Stir gently to chill and garnish with the orange slice. Voilà!

Mimosa

Any sparkling wine of your choice will do for a Mimosa, but we’ve gone for Cava. It’s the light and fresh option that’s perfect for pretty much any special occasion, and Christmas is no different! Just sparkling wine and orange juice here, so it’s perfect to ratio to your liking. If you’ve got a sparkling wine that you particularly love, go heavy on that! But if Nan’s on her 3rd Baileys before the turkey’s even out of the oven? Maybe it’s a good idea to up that OJ before handing her one.

Ingredients
100ml Cava
100ml orange juice 

Method
It’s just a case of combining the two in flutes here, so make sure you’ve got a sparkling wine that you love, and a good quality orange juice! It couldn’t be simpler.

Top Tip: Remember, chill everything to avoid using ice as this will kill off the bubbles!

Bellini

Famously easy to make, this a reliably refreshing Italian cocktail with only two ingredients – Prosecco and peach. It was supposedly named after Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini because the drink’s gorgeous colour reminded the Venetian bartender of Bellini’s warm colour palette!

Ingredients
60ml peach purée
160ml Prosecco
Peach slice (garnish)

Method
You can buy peach purée but unless you’re a Bellini lover, you probably won’t have it in the cupboard. All you have to do is blend some peeled peaches until smooth and refrigerate. When it’s time to serve, strain into a flute, top up with Prosecco and gently stir. If you’ve got a peach left, of course a slice as garnish tops it all off!

Kir Real

Crème de Cassis is a gorgeous blackcurrant liqueur from Dijon in France and topping it up with a sparkling white gives you the Kir cocktail, created in 19th century France. Using Champagne instead creates the Kir Royale, but we’ve gone for Spanish Cava to create a much better value Kir Real. It requires the same time-consuming method as Champagne, there’s just more of it about! But it’s far closer a Champagne than something like a Prosecco so works great for this. Bubbly bite with juicy fruity sweetness! Fit for a royal indeed.

Ingredients
1 tbsp crème de cassis
Cava
Blackberry (optional garnish) 

Method
Nice and simple. Pour your crème de cassis into a Champagne flute and top up with Cava! A fresh or frozen blackberry or lemon twist makes a great garnish.

Rosé Aperol Spritz

Aperol Spritz was created in Italy and is now officially Germany’s favourite cocktail. If you want to inject some summery feeling into your festive season, or maybe you’re somewhere sunny for Christmas, then this Rosé version is there for you. The passion fruit juice is ideal for bridging the gap between the subtle bitterness of the Aperol and the fruity wine. The result is a fruitier, more refined Spritz that’s a very drinkable switch up. Who says it's just for summer?

Ingredients
50ml Aperol
75ml rosé
30ml soda
30ml passion fruit juice
Lime wedge (garnish)

 Method
Pop one ice cube in your glass and combine the Aperol with rosé. Top up with soda and juice, stirring gently to avoid breaking up the fizz, and then garnish with a lime wedge! Enjoy!  

The Golden Dram

Scotch cocktails can often be thought to be dark and moody affairs, but this unusual pairing with sparkling wine changes that. Combined with an Angostura-soaked sugar cube, you create a unique and refreshing cocktail that’s probably not quite like anything you’ve tasted before.

Ingredients
Angostura bitters-soaked sugar cube
25ml Scotch
100ml Prosecco

 Method

Drop a single sugar cube into your Champagne flute and soak with a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then add Scotch before topping up to the top with Prosecco! Stir lightly to slowly dissolve the sugar and you’re all set.

Top Tip: If you like your cocktails sweeter, soak the sugar cube in a teaspoon of honey too!

Black Velvet

Legend goes that the Black Velvet was thought up by a London steward as Britain mourned the death of Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert in 1861. Whether that’s true or not, it certainly looks the part. Traditionally, it uses Champagne, but we’re using this opportunity to shout out Crémant. It’s a sparkling wine made using the same method as Champagne, and although it was once looked down upon, the current crop of Crémant producers have upped their game and it massively punches above its price point! You can find decent bottles for under £10, and still pull together a delightful Black Velvet that blends the bitter richness of Guinness, with the fizzing lightness of the wine.

Ingredients
100ml Guinness
100ml Crémant

 Method
Super simple apart from a drop of bartending technique. Fill half a Champagne flute with your crémant, and top up the rest with Guinness, pouring over the back of a spoon to achieve beautiful layering.

Rosé Bowler

This is an adaption of the Champagne bowler that dates back to the 1930s, but we’re going all out on the strawberries using rosé instead. The trio of grapes with brandy, dry white, and rosé provide a really interesting foundation for the muddled strawberries, and the good thing about this is, if you’ve picked up some berries that aren’t as sweet as you’d like, the rosé picks up the slack.

Ingredients
3 chopped strawberries
20ml brandy (preferably Cognac)
30ml dry white wine (like Chardonnay)
60ml rosé
Dash of syrup (optional)

 Method
Chop 3 strawberries and muddle them well in a shaker. Add your brandy, white wine and ice and shake well. Pour into your glass (without straining) and top up with Rosé.

Top Tip: We know winter strawberries can be a bit hit and miss, so if it’s still not sweet enough just re-introduce the syrup from the original Champagne recipe!

If you’re in the process of planning your Christmas offerings, then make sure to complete your set up with some Boozy Crackers that look stunning and taste delicious inside (the drinks inside that is, not the cracker itself).

And if you’re looking for the perfect Prosecco to make the above, take a look at our Best Proseccos for Under £15 here!

Words by Calum Ecroyd