Meet the French wine region the experts have their eyes on: Ventoux AOC

Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of hosting a wine tasting event in the sky. Why would I hang from a crane 100ft above terra firma to talk to an audience over dinner about wine, you may ask? We did it to highlight the magic ingredient that one unsung hero French wine region has that means it will be one to watch in the future as the world gets hotter. That region is Ventoux AOC and the magic ingredient is altitude. 

What and where is Ventoux AOC?

You’ve seen those films that make you want to buy properties in the south of France, right? Luberon, the Vaucluse Mountains…You may also be a keen cyclist and an avid follower of the Tour de France. This part of the world is where you will find Ventoux; nestled in the south-eastern part of France’s Rhône Valley, signposted by the famous ‘Giant of Provence’ aka Mont Ventoux, sitting at 1912m ASL and  providing a beautiful - and very useful - backdrop to a winemaking revolution that has been taking place over the last twenty years.

Wines with Altitude

Helena hosting the Ventoux event with London In The Sky

Ventoux is an AOC, which stands for Appellation d’Origine Controlé. It’s a wine term that describes a delimited area where there are strict winemaking rules around what grapes and techniques you can use, with an aim to maintain the character of the wines from that area and to keep the quality high. To date, Ventoux has been more of a hidden gem region, outshone by its more glamorous, famous neighbours such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas, despite having wines of similar styles (and lower price tags!), but the focus is starting to change. Why? Global heating is a sad reality and the difference these extra degrees are having on grape production are really starting to show. Some say that in ten years, the more famous regions may even be too hot for growing fine wine grapes.

Enter Mont Ventoux, with its higher altitude vineyards that benefit, crucially, from much cooler night time temperatures than many other Rhône regions. What this diurnal swing does to the grapes is cool them quickly, thus concentrating aromas and flavours and preventing the wines from tasting cooked and flabby. This is the reason that wine writers and winemakers alike say that they would put their money here in Ventoux.

Ventoux AOC wine grapes & wine styles

Ventoux is most famous for red blends, which make up 54% of all the wines. Pinks sit at 40% and whites at just 6% currently, but watch this space for more Ventoux blancs; white grapes love limestone from the windy slopes of the mountain. 

In Ventoux, you’ll find classic, familiar Rhône valley blends but wines here certainly have a distinctive freshness. The rosé wines are fragrant and fruity, with notes of ripe cherries, raspberries and flowers. The white wines are generally floral, citrussy and elegant with characteristic notes of hawthorn and acacia and the reds offer rich notes of leather, liquorice, truffles, black fruit, and pepper. Keep an eye on Syrah from Ventoux, by the way. It’s one of the red grapes really starting to turn heads.

The boyband and girlband of wine grapes.

You know me and my ‘vinalogies’, well I have always thought of the red and white blends of the Rhone Valley as pop bands, made up of grapes that each bring their own distinctive personality. The main players for reds are Grenache Noir, who is the youthful, cute one. Think soft strawberry and subtle spice. Next up it’s Syrah, the brooding, complex soul who probably plays the guitar. Think plum spice, grilled meat and herbs. We also have the party animal, Mourvèdre, the one with wild hair and who is full-on and meaty, needing the other grapes to tame it. Joining these three are Carignan and Cinsault, the former offering the geeky piano playing and lyrics skills that while a bit skinny, can scrub up quite nicely when needed and the latter, the light-hearted, perfumed pretty boy that gets lots of attention.

On the white side, the leads are Clairette, the elfish blonde who is lean and saline with flowers in her hair; Roussanne, the sassy redhead with her richly aromatic notes of  lime and blossom; Grenache Blanc, the curvy one giving good body a complex herbaceous note and finally, Bourboulenc, the exotic, if a touch needy one, which when treated properly, can give great acidity and structure with a hint of smoke and spice. 

Ventoux wines to try

At the event in London in the Sky, we tasted a fair few fabulous wines. Here are our top pics from the night:

PINK

Rhonéa ‘Passe Coline’ 2020  (Grenache noir 95%, Carignan 4%, Syrah 1%)

A punchy, pretty and fruity pink with an interesting backstory about a demanding lady called Colline who wouldn’t pass the bottle around the table. Almost luminous in the glass, it’s a vibrant pink that’s great by itself or with lighter bites, such as cold cuts. 

Find it here for £10.50

WHITE

Cave de Lumières ‘Aubépine’ 2020  (Clairette 40%,Grenache Blanc 30%, Roussanne 30%)

A light, fresh and floral style with the most stunning bottle you’ll see! Aubépine means ‘hawthorn’, which properly sums up this crisp and refreshing white. 

Find it here for £12.90

Château Pesquié ‘Quintessence’ 2019  (Roussanne 80%, Clairette 20%)

Another legendary producer and this is the top of their white wine tree. The Quintessence leads gloriously with sassy Roussanne, offering a white that’s lemon-lime and viscous, with a refreshing saline note and great aromatics.One to be savoured in the glass. 

Find it here for £18.50

RED

Domaine de Fondrèche ‘Persia’ 2019  (Syrah 90%, Mourvèdre 10%)

This icon red from Fondrèche is brooding and complex with notes of grilled meat, licorice and dried herbs. It’s a meal in a glass with an effortless freshness. You could even keep this for a couple of years and it will sing.  

Find it here for £20.99

Chêne Bleu ‘Abélard’ 2012  Grenache Noir 85%, Syrah 15%)

From another stellar producer, the Abélard is big, bold and beautiful, all about ripe blueberry, spice and chocolate. It’s a gloriously indulgent, rich, velvety red where the extra years of aging add tobacco leaf and cedar complexity. Have it with red meat or a stew - or even some hard, nutty cheese. 

Find it here for £55

Can Music Make Wine Taste Better?

Music: A simple, yet incredibly complex pleasure with the power to alter our emotions and even change the way we perceive things. It has been at the forefront of human expression for thousands of years and over time has become even more powerful as new forms continue to emerge.

In the past decade, plenty of research has been carried out to suggest music can even affect the ways in which we interact with wine. So, let’s delve in to this and find out just what power music has when it comes to wine, and whether it can really change the way we perceive, purchase and even taste our vino?

Can Music Influence What Wine We Purchase?

According to a theory known as the 'Priming Effect', the answer to this is yes. There have been various studies over time monitoring this phenomenon, but one of the most significant took place in 1999 when scientists decided to look into the influence of music on wine purchases in wine stores.

When German music was played, a much higher concentration of German wines was purchased and the same was the case for both Spanish and Italian music and wine. It seems this 'Priming Effect' increases a particular area of our memory, influencing other decisions we make, which in this case means the wine that we purchase.

Can Music Influence How We Taste Wine?

A chap named Adrian North partnered up with Montes Winery to explore how listening to different types of music could affect the tasting notes we give the wines we drink. In order to do this he first found 4 songs and associated 'characteristics' with them, without any wine being involved. He then formed 5 different groups based on those songs:

·       Group 1: Powerful and heavy characteristics (Carmina Burana by Orff)

·       Group 2: Subtle and refined characteristics (Waltz of the Flowers from Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker')

·       Group 3: Zingy and refreshing characteristics (Just Can't Get Enough by Nouvelle Vague)

·       Group 4: Mellow and soft characteristics (Slow Breakdown by Michael Brook)

·       Group 5: Control group characteristics (No Music)

Participants in each group were given a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon and Chilean Chardonnay, and after 5 minutes of tasting, they were asked to describe the wines. The researchers found that the participants tended to describe the wines in similar ways to the characteristics of the music that was playing, regardless of whether they were drinking a red or white whereas the control group had a totally different set of results.

This explains why the ambience of a venue is so important and therefore why the majority of high-end restaurants will always have elaborate music playing in the background. It would also explain why people spend a lot more money in restaurants that play classical music as opposed to other forms.

Can Music Directly Affect the Quality of Wine?

Now, this question still leads to a very mixed answer although there is some evidence to suggest that music may improve the quality of wines. In fact, big names such as Cloudy Bay and De Morgenzon have already taken to the art of music in attempt to improve their wines by using outdoor speakers to play music to their vines 24 hours a day.

According to Hylan Applebaum (owner of De Morgenzon winery), music has strengthened his vines and enhanced their health. His reasoning is that as the vines increase in size due to the effect of the music, they gain a larger surface area, which in turn increases the rate of photosynthesis, sugar, and therefore concentration of flavor within the grapes.

While some laugh at his views, scientific research in South Korea has actually shown that when classical music was played to rice plants, it triggered two genes within the plant (rbcS and Ald), resulting in a better quality crop. The same was found when a similar experiment was carried out with onions!

So, there you have it. We've discovered that music can influence the types of wine we buy, allowing us to perceive we've made a better purchasing decision. We've also come to understand that music can alter the tasting profiles we give wines, deeming them as better quality. Finally, we've explored the possibility that music can trigger genes in plants, possibly resulting in better quality crops.

While more and more evidence is producing compelling results to suggest that music can in fact make our wine taste better, a lot of skepticism still remains. You've read the story. Where do you stand?

Thursday Club with talk RADIO: Summer Sips from Sainsbury's

On the Thursday Club this afternoon: More summertime sips and this time, from Sainsbury’s. Here are some wines you may or may not have heard of before, but they are certainly worth chilling and bringing out on hot days, even the red! 

Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine, France. Taste the Difference.

Muscadet is a 70’s favourite but it’s coming back as people reach for cleaner, cool, bone dry, more neutral wines. The grape is actually Melon de Bourgogne, which really makes no sense as Bourgogne means ‘Burgundy - a totally different region! Muscadet wines are famously slightly spritzy with earthy, grape flesh notes and a chalky texture. It hails from the far west of the Loire Valley in France. Perfect with shellfish.

£7.50 from Sainsbury’s

Cono Sur ‘Bicicleta’ Viognier, Chile.

Cono Sur is a big Chilean brand but one you can rely on to make seriously easy drinking, inexpensive fruity wines that are great examples of type. Her, they’ve taken France’s Viognier grape and given it the New World Touch. On the opposite end of the spectrum to Muscadet, Viognier is the sun goddess of wine. Think ripe peach and apricot, with coconut oil and a garland of white flowers. Viognier is great with lightly spiced food, especially Thai. 

£7.50 from Sainsbury’s

Beaujolais Villages, Coteaux Granitiques, France. Taste the Difference

Beaujolais is another seventies throwback in a way but these days, it’s certainly not the strawberry bubblegum stuff that could strip paint. The grape used is Gamay for the reds and it comes from central France, just below the Burgundy region. There are several quality levels of Beaujolais, from the early drinking, ‘bubblegum’ nouveau style, to the more serious Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages and then the 10 ‘Cru’, which each have names you might know such as Fleurie or Morgon. Gamay is a light bodied red with very little drying tanning, that is known and loved for its fresh cherry and red berry fruit. 

£9.50 from Sainsbury’s

Thursday Club with TalkRadio: Tequila Special

This week it’s all about Tequila! We’ll be discovering some top serves to get the very most out of your bottle. Forget shots, this week it’s all about smooth sipping and appreciating some of the finest liquid known to mankind!

Tequila Dobel Diamante

Made with 100% pure agave and formulated using a blend of Extra-Añejo, Añejo and Reposado tequilas. This complex spirit gives you a mix of sweet flavours – caramel, honey and maple alongside a nutty vanilla finish. An indescribable smoothness and a long finish that leaves you wanting more.

ABV: 40% // Size: 700ml // Find here: £54.95

Spicy Margarita

50ml Tequila Dobel Diamante
25ml Lime
4 Slices of Chilli
10ml Agave Syrup

Herradura Reposado

The Original Reposado. Tequila Herradura introduced the world to Reposado in 1974 and has been setting the standard ever since. Aged longer than industry standard for 11 months, Reposado has a rich amber color with notes of cooked agave, vanilla and butter. This additional time spent resting in charred American White Oak barrels creates a smooth, sweet finish with a slight taste of spice.

ABV: 40% // Size: 700ml // Find here: £43.64

Chocolate Orange Margarita

50ml Herradura Reposado
15ml Grand Marnier
20ml Lime
1 Dash Chocoalte Bitters
1 Dash Vanilla Bitters

Storywood 14 Year Speyside Añejo

Bottled at cask strength, Storywood Double Oak is at the top of the range of their Cask Strength Limited Editions. Raised over 14 months in single malt Scotch whisky casks and Oloroso Sherry casks. Honey and caramel merge with cherry and dark fruit notes for a radically rare tequila. Limited to around 500 cases a year.

ABV: 40% // Size: 700ml // Find here: £53.20

Tequila Old Fashioned

50ml Storywood Double Oak Anejo
15ml Agave Nectar
1 Dash Angosturra Bitters
1 Dash Orange Bitters

Top Tip: When making margaritas, use Grand Marnier to hit that cocktail up a notch!

To see more of the bottles we’ve featured on Thursday Club click here!

Vermouth and Tonic: Your New Go-To Summer Drink

Move over G&Ts – there’s a new summer cocktail staple in town, and it blends tonic with a less-likely partner: vermouth.

You might think it sounds unusual, but this mix is taking a leaf out of the book of long-established Italian aperitivo culture. These savoury drinks not only pair great with nibbles such as charcuterie, crisps or tapas; V&Ts pack big flavour minus the standard knee-wobbling alcoholic punch of gin (most vermouths, which are classified as an aromatized fortified wine, come in at around 15-18% ABV). That means you can enjoy a lighter, lower-alcohol drink that still tastes great, without the effects going straight to your head.

The good news, too, is that vermouth brands have been seriously upping their game – and there are some delicious new pours out there to try. Here’s our pick of the best vermouths for V&Ts, from dry whites to sweet reds. Happy summer drinking…

Azaline Saffron Vermouth

With its bold, distinct nose and flavour profile – heady saffron, fruity blackcurrant, earthy cardamom, bitter gentian – this newly launched French brand, produced by Dijon’s Gabriel Boudier (of Crème de Cassis fame) is exactly the kind of vermouth that shines when mixed with tonic. The idea is that it’s the flavours of the Silk Road, all laid over a base of cherried, Burgundian Pinot Noir. Compared to many red vermouths Azaline is on the drier side, which means it doesn’t taste overbearing even when paired with a sweeter tonic such as Fever-Tree. Bravo!

Size: 750ml
ABV: 17%
Find here: £24.95

Regal Rogue Daring Dry Vermouth

With all those fragrant botanicals vying for attention, sometimes it’s easy to forget vermouth is made with wine. That’s not the case with Regal Rogue. All four of its vermouths – which range from an extra-dry white to semi-dry white, red and rosé – let their Australian wine bases shine, whether that’s Chardonnay, Cabernet or organic Shiraz. They’re all tasty, but our favourite for V&T purposes is the Daring Dry, made with citrussy Sauvignon Blanc and white pepper, resinous juniper, thyme and olive leaf. Think of it as a complex, savoury white wine spritzer perfectly on-point for 2021.

Size: 50cl
ABV: 18%
Find here: £19.50

Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino

There are a lot of funky new vermouth start up brands out there – but Cocchi is not one of them. Smooth, silky and very gently medicinal, this Italian Vermouth di Torino has been made to the same recipe since 1891. And as the saying goes, why fix what ain’t broke? Whether you’re drinking it straight, mixing it into a Manhattan or lengthening it out with a V&T, this syrup-hued red vermouth is a stunner. The rooty, fruity and bright character from the combination of wormwood, rhubarb and citrus makes it delicious with a small slug of lighter, understated mixer – try, perhaps, London Essence’s Original Tonic.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 16%
Find here: UK £24.45 // US $19.99

La Quintinye Vermouth Royal Extra Dry

With a botanical roll-call of 27 different plants, this French white vermouth – made in the Charentais vineyard at Maison Villevert, and fortified with local Pineau des Charentes – is seriously complex. The Extra Dry is exceptional in a martini, but we also love it in a V&T where its floral, citrus and herbaceous notes can really shine. Fancy a bit more sweetness? The generous, stone-fruity palate of the Royal White is also a worthy partner for tonic. Fun fact: the vermouth is named after the botanist who was commissioned by King Louis XIV to create the epic kitchen gardens at the world-famous Palace of Versailles.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 17%
Find here: £21.45

Seven Sisters Dry White Vermouth

This Sussex-made vermouth is produced by Rathfinny Wine Estate, so you know real care has gone into the grapes – the winery even goes as far as distilling its own spirit using estate-grown bounty. Seven Sisters is rich and fruity-floral on the nose thanks to a base of Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, but when you sip the palate is bone-dry – with savoury notes of bitter gentian, wormwood and angelica creeping in along with a zesty kick of pink grapefruit and bitter orange. This is a brilliant pick in a V&T for anyone who wants flavour but shies away from sweeter styles; you’ll get complexity and a rounded mouth-feel without losing out on taste.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 17%
Find here: £25

El Bandarra Vermut White

The bottle is, of course, fantastic. But even if it wasn’t such a looker we’d love this vermouth – fruity and gently spiced, with a creamy, rich undertone of vanilla custard. It’s made from white Garnacha and Xarel-lo grapes that have been infused with a whopping 40 botanicals, but despite that big flavour El Bandarra still feels delicate and light in the mouth, and comes in at a pretty low 15% ABV. It just goes to show the Spanish – who have been in the throes of a serious vermouth trend for several years now – really know what they’re doing when it comes to this fortified wine.

Size: 100cl
ABV: 15%
Find here: £22

Hotel Starlino Rosso

The USP of this Italian red vermouth? It’s aged in bourbon barrels, imparting a deep golden hue, honeyed character and spiced oak notes. It’s on the sweeter scale of vermouths, but if you’re into dry don’t let that put you off; use a light tonic such as Navas (or even a soda water) and you’ll lengthen out all that sweetness while still enjoying that tawny-esque flavour. Or sod the V&T and just sip it in a rock glass over a theatrically large ice cube.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 17%
Find here: UK £19.84 // US $29.99

CUCIELO Vermouth Di Torino Rosso

CUCIELO makes two vermouths – one red, one white – and they’re both pretty knock-out in a V&T. The Rosso follows the classic style of Vermouth di Torino – complex, rich and fresh – but the company is firmly 21st-century when it comes to environment outlook. The plastic-free bottle is 100% recyclable, with even the Art Deco-style labelling being printed on natural cotton paper. We’d keep measures of tonic short with this one; just a splash is all you need, to pull out the orange, rhubarb and pomegranate notes of the vermouth and let it shine.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 16.8%
Find here: £22.70

Lustau

It’s sweet, it’s pink, it’s irresistible. Pink vermouth is a relatively new phenomenon and while it’s not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no denying that on the right occasion (read: glorious sunshine) it can be dangerously drinkable. Lustau’s version is smooth, generous and balances fruitiness with a tawny-like savoury character to make it feel grown-up. We like it served with a slug of Double Dutch Indian Tonic – and, obviously, cloudless blue skies.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 15%
Find here: £18.95

Looking for more vermouth cocktail recipes? Then how about checking out our Cocchi Vermouth One Drink Three Ways article, or, if premixed cocktails are more up your street then have a look at these Perfectly Premixed Negronis!

The Best Irish Whiskey Distillery Tours

Wherever you stand on whiskey, gin, Poitín and other spirts, when heading to the Emerald Isle, a distillery visit is pretty much essential, especially with the exciting brands coming out of the country. Whether you’re making for cosmopolitan Dublin, busy Belfast or the rugged Wild Atlantic way, here are our picks of the best Irish distilleries you can currently visit.

Jameson Distillery Bow Street, Dublin

If you’re coming to Ireland to drink, you’ve got to come to Jameson. The world’s best-selling Irish whiskey has, as you might expect, a world-class tasting set up in Dublin to match its reputation. Visit the Bow Street distillery any day of the week for a 40-minute tour round the historic brick-fronted building, join 90-minute whiskey blending masterclass or to enjoy a cocktail-making session shaking up three Jameson-studded delights. They even serve drinks to go – the perfect aperitif ahead of a night on the town.

More info and booking details here.

Waterford Distillery, Waterford

Boutiquey distillery Waterford has set itself no small goal: it wants to produce the world’s most ‘unique, complex and profound whisky’ (yep, that’s spelled the Scottish way, without the ‘e’). On a tasting tour, find out what they’re doing to make the dream real – from the big stuff like a terroir-driven approach, featuring ‘single origin’ barley from a select few Irish farms, to the little things like their eye-catching, blue, glass bottles. The sessions are currently on ice due to covid, but keep eyes peeled on the website to find out when they return.

More info and booking details here.

Slane Whiskey, Co. Meath

It’s hard to beat this setting. Slane Whiskey is set on the rolling green estate of Slane Castle, a scenic pile on the River Boyne – a venue that’s also played host to Rolling Stones, U2 and Bruce Springsteen concerts. Ahead of a tasting in the Stalls Bar – the smooth triple-cask blend is all vanilla, butterscotch and baking spice notes – take a tour of the distillery. By the time you leave, you’ll know all about Slane’s sustainably grown estate barley, and its maturation in virgin oak, seasoned Tennessee whiskey and oloroso sherry barrels.

More info and booking details here.

Bushmills Distillery, Co. Offaly

With 400 years of history under its belt, this is the oldest licensed distillery on the planet – and another must-see for your list. Bushmills’s tour is a great introduction to whiskey-making in Ireland, too. As well as hearing about the production process, you’ll visit the towering copper stills, spy ageing barrels and sip two, free samples at the tasting bar. While you’re waiting for the tipples to wear off, have a poke around the gift shop and stock up on your favourite bottles.

More info and booking details here.

Kilbeggan Distillery, Co Westmeath

When this leading Irish distillery, set on river banks to the west of Dublin, was closed in the 1950s, its surrounding namesake town rallied together and bought it. These days, Kilbeggan is owned by Beam-Suntory, but it still retains a local charm with its stone-fronted walls and atmospheric barrel ageing rooms. The hospitality goes beyond paid-for tours; you can also join free daily demonstrations as experts shake up cocktails, brew Irish coffees or share tasting notes from a selection of whiskeys and other spirits, such as Ireland’s famed poitín (traditional Irish, distilled white spirit).

More info and booking details here.

Dingle Distillery, Co. Kerry

Dangling off Dingle, on the epic Wild Atlantic Way driving route, this is one of Ireland’s finest modern artisan distilleries. It’s only been producing since 2012, so it’s early days yet, and your visit will shed insight into the indie side of the whiskey-making and gin-making craft. While you’ll have to hold out for tours to restart (thanks, coronavirus), when they do you can expect them to run multiple times a day, and include a tasting of the distillery’s rowan berry-infused gin and creamy vodka. Bring along a designated driver, and you can pair it with a scenic drive along Ireland’s prettiest coastline.

More info and booking details here.

Clonakilty Distillery, Co. Cork

In the far reaches of Ireland’s south, family-owned Clonakilty is known for its maritime-influenced whiskies. Heritage barley is grown on its own farm and barrels are carefully aged in a coastal warehouse licked by sea-salted winds. Even though the distillery only opened to the public in 2018, it’s already quite the destination. There’s a shop, make-your-own-gin sessions and a restaurant called The Whale’s Tail, dishing up burgers and salt cod fishcakes. But best of all? They run evening tours, so you can go sipping right before your dinner.

More info and booking details here.

Tullamore Dew, Co. Offaly

Now here’s one to get excited about! Best-selling brand Tullamore Dew is getting a shiny new tasting experience, set to open this August in the Irish Midlands. Details are still thin on the ground – watch this space – but expect visits to feature plenty of pours of their honey-hued spirit made with all-Irish grain, and ranging from the smooth original bottling to quirky finishes in ex-cider and XO Caribbean rum casks.

More info and booking details here.

Pearse Lyons, Dublin

It’s not the setting you’d expect from a distillery squirrelled away inside a former church, but indie, family-owned Pearse Lyons in Dublin’s historic Liberties neighbourhood is exactly that, down to the stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings. Pews have been swapped for shiny copper stills and hourly tasting tours will take you through the history of the building, neighbouring graveyard and distillery. A food and whiskey pairing experience is on tap if you feel like an extra treat.

More info and booking details here.

Sliabh Liag, Co. Donegal

Here’s one to add to your watch list. Sliabh Liag Distillers, in the country’s far northwest, is County Donegal’s first legal distillery in 175 years. And when its new distillery opens this autumn in Ardara on Ireland’s scenic Wild Atlantic Way, you’ll be able to join tours taking you through the production history of Irish whiskey, gin and poitín. Of course, due to ageing requirements the whiskey won’t be ready for a while, but while you wait, sample Sliabh Liag’s sublime range of gins, infused with Irish seaweed.

More info and booking details here.

Looking for more places to visit? Then how about checking out The Best Scotch Whisky Distillery Tours or if it’s more whisky information you are after then you'll find plenty here!

Pisco Highball

When asked to name a cocktail with pisco in it, we can guarantee that most people will say ‘Pisco Sour’. Now don’t get us wrong, Pisco Sours are delicious, but this Pisco Highball takes less than half the effort of a sour and is just as tasty. Give it a go and let us know what you think!

Ingredients

50ml Pisco (we recommend Barsol)
120ml Ginger ale
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Lime wedge to garnish

Method

Fill a tall glass full of ice and pour the pisco on top. Add in the lime juice. Pour the ginger ale over the top, give it a quick stir and garnish with a lime wedge. Simple!

For more yummy cocktails why not check out The Marmalade Sour or this Clover Club Cocktail?!

The Best Rums for Summer

The sun is shining, the temperatures are climbing – it’s time to crack out the rum! Even if your holiday is in Britain this year, you can celebrate tropical-style with our pick of the best rums for summer…

Eminente Reserva 7 Year Old

Besides being slightly obsessed with that scaly bottle – an echo of the crocodile that slithers across the label – we also love this Cuban rum for its freshness. Made with 100% Cuban sugar cane, its rich tobacco, smoke and coffee notes are tempered by floral and cherry dancing across the palate. At the price point you’ll probably want to drink it neat, but if you’re feeling summer-festive, there’s no shame in mixing it into a very posh Dark ‘n’ Stormy or smooth rum-based Old Fashioned.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 41.3%
Find here: £43.95

Equiano Rum

Why make rum from one distillery when you can make it from two? Equiano is a classy meeting of Barbados’s Foursquare distillery and Gray’s in Mauritius. The former’s rum is aged in American white oak, the latter’s in French oak and Cognac casks, then they’re blended and aged in ex-bourbon casks. It’s a novel idea, with a deliciously distinct result: a marmalade, raspberry and caraway-noted rum, rich in chocolatey notes. It does more than just taste good, too; named after Olaudah Equiano, a freedom fighter involved in the abolition movement, the company donates 5% of annual profits towards equality projects.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £39.90

Havana Club Añejo 7 Years

The Cuban brand is a staple on UK shelves, so you’ve probably tried Havana Club’s entry-level white rum at some point. But if you’ve never sampled the Añejo 7 Years, it’s time to get involved – with its buttery, toffee, cigar box notes, it’s a complex pour meant for straight sipping rather than the usual mixing. We’re especially big fans of that creamy, rich finish, pretty darn impressive at the price point.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £25.45

Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva

Hailing from Venezuela, this smooth sipper is made from a blend of exclusive rum reserves, aged for up to 12 years. We love the retro-styled bottle, but the liquid is pretty darn delicious too; think aromas of dark chocolate, toffee and liquorice, and a long fudgey finish on the palate. You could drink it on the rocks, but it also shines when mixed into classic cocktails – anyone for a rum-based Manhattan?

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £36.95

Don Papa Sherry Cask Finish Rum

This isn’t a spirit for just slugging into your rum and cokes – but you probably could tell that from the price. This crafted rum from Philippines-based rum brand Don Papa is designed for slow, meditative sipping. A whole lot of work has gone into it; it’s first aged for four years in ex-bourbon casks in the steamy foothills of Mount Kanlaon, then decanted into a range of sherry casks where it rests for 18 months before being blended and bottled. The result: tons of complexity and a deep, dark flavour – think rich chocolate, star anise, caramel and prunes, plus plenty more.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: £69.50

Hattiers Premium Reserve Rum

A British-made rum? Well yes, kinda. Hattiers is produced by an indie rum blender in Devon – but using aged spirits hailing from throughout the Caribbean and South America. Soft Dartmoor water is used from blending the rums hailing from Guatemala, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Panama, and the result is a refined, sippable number with peach and cinnamon aromas, and a palate of stewed orchard fruit, spice and chocolate. It’s complex enough for rum fans, but approachable enough for newbies, too.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £36.90

Mount Gay Eclipse

Mount Gay is synonymous with Barbados, and you can’t go to many places on this island without running into a golden glass of its rum. This, their classic bottling, is named after the ‘double phenomenon’ of a solar eclipse and the passing of Hailey’s comet in 1910 – though the distillery company itself dates back to 1703. When you’re after an entry-level rum with notes of honey, vanilla, tropical fruit and spice, this one’s a no-brainer. Perfect for cocktail-making sessions with friends.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £23.50

Blackwell Black Gold Fine Jamaican Rum

Ever heard of Island Records? It’s the music label home to superstars including Bob Marley – and it was founded by Chris Blackwell, the same man who created this Jamaican Rum. You might wonder how a music exec got into distilling, but Chris’s mother’s family once owned J. Wray & Nephew and the Appleton estate – so, arguably, it’s a natural fit. And his affordable Jamaican rum, made to a traditional recipe, is just what you need for a rum punch – spicy, oaky and caramelly, with tropical fruit hints.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £27.15

Enjoyed reading this? Then how about checking out The Best Rums to Elevate Your Cocktails or 7 Rums That Scream Luxury?