The Best Old Fashioned Variations

Crowned the most popular cocktail in the world, the Old Fashioned is loved by many, and whilst it can’t be denied that the traditional recipe is an absolute cracker, there are many variations of it that, in our honest opinion, are just as good. So, without further ado let us introduce you to some of our favourite takes on an Old Fashioned.

The Traditional Old Fashioned

A timeless classic. The Old Fashioned cocktail has been around since the mid-1800s and is still just as popular today as it was back then.

Ingredients
60ml rye whiskey
1 sugar cube
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Orange peel to garnish
Maraschino cherry to garnish

Method
Place the sugar cube in a tumbler and dash the bitters on top of it. Muddle to mix. Add the whiskey, fill the glass with ice, and stir for 30 seconds to combine. Twist the orange peel over the drink before putting it into the glass. Add the cherry garnish and you're done!

Rum Old Fashioned

A great take on an Old Fashioned, the dark rum provides oaky notes which work beautifully with the zestiness from the bitters.

Ingredients
50ml dark rum
1 tsp sugar syrup
2 dashes Angostura orange bitters
Orange peel to garnish

Method
Put all the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir until the glass feels cold. Strain into a tumbler over a large ice cube and garnish with the orange peel.

Tequila Old Fashioned

Smooth and savoury, it is an utterly delicious Old Fashioned variation. The aged Añejo tequila provides oaky notes, spice and flavours of roasted agave. YUM!

Ingredients
60 ml Añejo tequila
7.5 ml Simple syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Orange peel to garnish

Method
Add the tequila, simple syrup and bitters to a tumbler with a big ice cube and stir well for around 30 seconds to combine. Garnish with the orange peel.

Gin Old Fashioned

Another great take on an Old Fashioned the Old Tom gin adds a less botanical, sweeter flavour to the cocktail than a London dry gin would while the orange bitters and lemon add a nice citrusy twist.

Ingredients
60ml Old Tom gin
7.5ml simple syrup
2 dashes of orange bitters
Lemon peel to garnish

Method
Add the simple syrup, bitters, and gin in a tumbler with ice and stir for 30 seconds to combine. Garnish with lemon peel and enjoy!

Maple Old Fashioned

Sweet and smooth, the maple brings out the warm, rich, caramel-y flavors in the bourbon perfectly.

Ingredients
60ml Bourbon whiskey
10ml Maple Syrup
2 dash Angostura bitters
Crispy bacon, for garnish

Method
Put the ingredients into a tumbler with ice and stir well to combine. Garnish with a 1/2 slice of crispy bacon. Top Tip: You can substitute the bourbon for rum here to make an equally good maple rum Old Fashioned.

Honey Old Fashioned

Good for someone just getting into whisky, this variation is lighter and sweeter than a traditional old fashioned but just as delicious!

Ingredients
60ml Scotch whisky
15ml honey syrup (1 part honey to 1 part water)
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
2 dashes of orange bitters

Method
Add the whisky, honey syrup, and bitters into a tumbler with ice and stir for about 30 seconds until well combined and chilled. Garnish with an orange peel twist.

Warm Old Fashioned

Perfect for chilly days this cocktail has the same great taste as the classic Old Fashioned and could even rival a Hot Toddy in our opinion!

Ingredients
60ml Bourbon whiskey
1 sugar cube
3 dashes Angostura bitters
1 x Orange slice
1 x Maraschino cherry
60ml hot (not boiling) water

Method
Muddle the sugar cube, bitters, orange slice and Maraschino cherry in a mixing glass. Add the whiskey and mix well then strain into a glass mug. Top up with around 60ml of hot water and enjoy!

Looking for other cocktail variations? Make sure you check out The 10 Best Martini Variations and The Best Margarita Variations!

Could You Drink Pickle Beer?!

In recent years we’ve seen Aunt Bessie’s Jam Roly Poly beer, Warburton’s crumpet beer and even Seabrook Crisps’ Prawn Cocktail flavoured beer so naturally when this exciting bit of news popped up in our inboxes we had to share. Hold on to your hats folks because we are about to introduce you to the UK’s first ever… PICKLE beer!*

* No, this is not an April Fools!

Why Pickle Beer?!

On surveying 2000 people nationwide, Byron Burger, the company behind this brand new product, discovered that 51% of people agree pickles are a must in a burger. 1 in 2 people think that pickles add great flavour and texture to a dish and one third of 18-34 year olds think that pickles are a perfect hangover cure. So, taking all this onboard they have taken the plunge and given the pickle loving nation another pickle wonder to enjoy, pickle beer!

What Does It Taste Like?!

Byron pickle beer has a Saison base and combines a natural dry tart acidity with a subtle herbal fresh dill infusion leading to a crisp flavour with a tangy finish. The perfect pairing with your burgers whether they be meat, veggie or vegan… extra gherkins optional! You can find out what we thought of it in Ep 79 of our Bring a Bottle Podcast!

Find on Deliveroo: £4.99

Enjoyed this? Make sure you check out beer brewed from mushrooms and the perfect pint to pair with mayonnaise!

Two Stunning Pink Drinks

Words by Colin Hampden-White

It’s the beginning of April, the sun is in the sky longer for us in the northern hemisphere, and whilst the temperatures aren’t quite pushing the mercury very high I am starting to think of summer and those long lazy days with a glass of something cool to hand. Recently I have discovered two drinks which I think will become firm favourites in the months to come. One very much an alcoholic drink, although the way it can be drunk can bring the abv down considerably, and another which is alcohol free.

Kyrö Pink Gin

Firstly I want to introduce you to Kyrö Pink Gin. This gin was born from the team in Finland trying to make a pink gin which would please everyone. Now the saying goes that “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time” but this time I think the poet John Lydgate might have got it wrong. This gin has well balanced flavours of strawberry and creamy vanilla with a tang of raspberry in the background. The juniper is very present but not intrusive and there is a little coriander and pepper on the finish too. This is a rye-based gin giving those peppery notes, and all the red fruits come from infused strawberries, lingonberries and rhubarb, which are all foraged. It makes a wonderful gin and tonic and is complex enough for high balls. All in all a great summer drink.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 38.2%
Price: £25.95

Wild Idol

My second pink of choice would be Wild Idol. I have tried many low or no alcohol wines, and none of them really work, so I was sceptical about this as I popped the cork, on what is a gorgeous bottle. It looks exactly like a bottle of premium sparkling wine and is priced as such as well. Firstly, as it pours into the glass, it looks like sparkling rosé, with the requisite mousse and fine bubbles and a bright pink which is not too vibrant to look synthetic, and that’s because it isn’t. Made from several grape varieties and made without the need for removing alcohol the process is pure and gives a lively drink with lots of red fruit flavours balanced with a racy acidity, much like a sparkling wine. It is vegan and gluten-free. Thankfully this is where everything changes from a sparkling wine. I realised that the drink in itself is good and satisfying, giving no need for alcohol or the feeling that I’d like alcohol in it. If I wanted alcohol, I would have poured an alcoholic sparkling wine. This a something which looks and feels special, and anyone not drinking alcohol and served this at any event where others were, would feel no less special.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 0%
Price: £35

J.G. Thomson, the new team in town

Words by Colin Hampden-White

There are plenty of spirits companies out there not only producing whisky but gins and vodkas as well. They usually make these white spirits to keep the company afloat until the whisky is ready. There are also very large companies that produce both white and dark spirits by the nature of the size of their business, and they are very good. However, it is not often a company comes along whose business model is to make a range of spirits by blending and creating rather than purely distilling.

The spirits I am talking about are created in Edinburgh by J.G Thomson, they are made in batches and include gin, rum, and whisky. As a whisky lover, naturally, I wanted to try the whiskies and was delighted to find that they have made whiskies that are easy to understand. Before regionality is talked about at all, it is the flavour that headlines the label.

I had bottles of Sweet, Rich, and Smoky. They were all blended malts with the smoky all coming from Islay. They all tasted as the label described, but there was more to them than that simple label. One could tell these had been created with care and attention. The flavours were complex and incredibly well balanced, which has already borne them fruit with several accolades, including a Masters Medal at the spirits awards for Rich, and several gold medals.

To gain medals these days, whiskies need to stand out from the crowd, as well as being balanced and complex, they need something extra, and these whiskies have that extra pizzazz. My favourite was the Rich, which when visiting good friend Charles McLean recently, I got to try again at leisure with more than a small sample, and it reaffirmed my first thoughts, and Charles too was suitably impressed. But don’t just take our word for it. Try them for yourselves and find out which flavour you enjoy most.

J.G. Thomson Sweet  

Using whiskies matured in new toasted and heavily toasted casks, and a mix of medium and heavy chars, with even more toasting on the cask heads, gives lots of sweet flavours of toffee and custard and maple syrup balanced with orchard fruits and a little spice. There is a little marzipan and spice on the finish too. If it’s a sweet whisky you are after, then this should hit the mark.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £42.50

J.G. Thomson Rich

This expression used ex bourbon casks as well as Oloroso sherry and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks all in varying sizes from quarter casks up to sherry butts. The flavours are certainly rich with lots of dried fruits including figs and apricot with a little citrus zest and spice. The spices are complex with ginger and nutmeg and a little chilli heat on the finish. A touch of honey comes through right at the end. A real fireside sipper.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £42.50

J.G. Thomson Smoky

This final whisky of the trilogy I tried was made with casks all from Islay and matured in ex-bourbon casks as well as Pedro Ximénez casks. There is certainly a good amount of smoke in the flavour of this whisky, but it isn’t a smoke bomb. There are lots of sweet flavours from the PX casks giving balance making this very approachable. It has a little bit of everything with sweet, rich smoky flavours and some spice too. If you like a decent dollop of smoke, then this will set you alight.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £42.50

talkRADIO: Hot Cross Bun flavoured booze for Easter

Easter is coming! Cue a load of Easter-themed boozes on your shelves. Here are some I rather like and all with a Hot Cross Bun theme.

Hot Cross Bun Cream Liqueur (35cl, 15%)

Super indulgent, this lusciously rich, spiced cream liqueur is  made with fresh cream from the Ballyrashane Creamery; Northern Ireland's oldest dairy. Like a creamier Baileys but with that unmistakable currant bun spice note, it’s properly naughty. Serve neat over ice or pour over ice cream. 

Find it in store at M&S for £5 

‘One a Penny’ Beer (44cl, 5%)

They say: “Inspired by the classic Easter Hot Cross Bun, this is a smooth, full, hazy body, like a New England IPA, but without the hops. There is sweetness from vanilla, a distinct fruitiness from raisins and citrus peel, and the slightest hint of complimentary spice.”

Find it at wildbeerco.com for £2.75 a can

Rum: Sweet Little Hot Cross Rum Liqueur (50cl, 18%)

Sweet Little Hot Cross Rum is a unique blend of golden, spiced rum with orange, cinnamon and vanilla with a little sugar to go. It’s sweet but not cloying and has a lovely aroma of spiced dough. Sip cool over ice alone or add it to your Easter cocktails!

Find it at Master of Malt for £24.95

Premium Cocktail: Hot Cross Bun-Hatten (50cl, 24%)

Another delicious creation from Pritish Mody at World of Zing, this is a fabulously balanced cocktail with lots of flavour and a decent enough nod to those currant bun spices. Made using Mount Gay rum and rich vermouth, simply pour over ice, garnish with orange and serve. YOu can add a gift message too when ordering online.

Find it at Worldofzing.com for £25 

Find what else we’ve been tasting on talkRADIO here.

The Best Cocktail Terraces in London

The sun is (finally) coming out and summer cocktail terraces are starting to bloom. Whether you like your alfresco drinks skyscraping and swish, or garden-fringed and intimate, grab your sunnies, gather your mates and book off the afternoon. We’re heading out for cocktails at these must-visit London terraces.  

Bingham Riverhouse

*Technically* this is in Surrey – elegant Richmond, to be exact – but this terrace is definitely worth the extra few minutes on the District Line. An extension of Bingham’s chic (and utterly delicious) restaurant from MasterChef-winning chef Steven Edwards, the intimate strip looks out to lawns and the River Thames, so you can watch boats slink past as you sip. Order a Jalapeno’s Negroni – the perfect smoky-spicy blend of mezcal, Cocchi red vermouth and jalapeño-infused Campari – then follow up with a Laurent Perrier-topped Blackberry Royal, made with the Bingham garden’s rosemary. There’s no need to wobble home after; Bingham’s elegant hotel rooms, with copper baths and sustainable La-Eva toiletries, are dreamy crash pads. Rise for morning bellinis and hangover-busting aromatherapy massages at Bhuti spa.

Book Here 

Native at Brown’s

If you’re seeking a full-on garden terrace vibe, you could do far worse than this central London restaurant. Coddled by rows of lush ferns, and towering trees, if feels the perfect spot to sip a cocktail bursting with foraged flavours – exactly what Native majors in. In a spin on a classic Amaretto Sour, the Meadowsweet Sour uses foraged meadowsweet flowers. The Seasonal Spritz, meanwhile, comes with a dash of zingy sea buckthorn. Cocktails are shaken up with sustainability in mind, too. The espresso martini is made with waste coffee grounds, as well as locally sourced East London Liquor Co vodka.

Book Here 

Fortnum & Mason Royal Exchange, Bank

As we’ve all been pushed outdoors by pandemic dining, some amazing drinking spaces have popped up as a result, including this previously underused patch of pavement outside the Royal Exchange. Sandwiched spectacularly between Cornhill and Threadneedle Street, the terrace at Fortnum & Mason Royal Exchange lets you take in the epic, chiselled panoramas of Bank – a quintessential London scene – over a dry martini or, if you prefer something lighter, a glass of pink Fortnum’s own fizz. Visit in late afternoon, when it’s washed in sunshine, and you won’t want to budge until closing time at 11pm.

Book Here

Hicce

Set on the vast open space by Coal Drop’s Yard, just off Regent’s Canal, Hicce is the pick for when you want a big buzzy terrace vibe, but top-quality drinks too. Book in with a bunch of friends, grab a seat in the sun, and work through the innovative list: Matchagras (shiso leaf-infused Tanqueray, matcha, lemongrass and aquafaba); Hibilep (pandan leaf-infused Bulleit bourbon with hibiscus and pomegranate); Beetarita (mezcal, cherry liqueur, lime, beetroot juice). There’s a brilliant wine selection for your crowd to tackle too, with a raft of skin-contact whites and low-intervention reds.

Book Here

Nest, Treehouse London

If you’re anything like us, after braving the throngs of Oxford Street you’ll be in serious need of a drink. Enter Nest: a skyscraping bar just a few minutes’ walk away, perched at the top of Treehouse hotel, with views sweeping across the capital. Drop your shopping bags and order a Botanical Sour – gin, elderflower, coriander, vermouth and citrus – or a Bee Sting (Calvados, Beesou, honey, banana and citrus). Some time slots incur a minimum spend, so be sure to choose an hour that suits you budget. And, when booking, ask for a comfy sofa seat on the west side – the sun floods it in the afternoons.

Book Here

If you’re feeling more in the mood for a picnic then check out our delicious canned wines and no and low drinks recommendations!

talkRADIO: Alternative White Wines for Spring

Whoohoo! It’s getting warmer! What better time then to try some alternative white wine grapes? Come on, you’ve had enough Sauvignon and Picpoul. Here are three grapes that deserve your attention and some lovely examples to seek out. Happy Thursday Club!

If you like Albarino, try… Assyrtiko

Assyrtiko is THE key white wine grape from Greece and it makes one of those super refreshing white wines that are slick and saline with zesty lemon and citrus notes but a riper, peachy fruitiness with it. The most famous region for it in Greece is Santorini and this one comes  from winery Artemis Karamolegos and is made with fifty year old vines. 

Find it for £14.95 at The Wine Society

If you like Viognier, try… Roussanne

Roussanne  is a white grape hailing from the Rhône Valley that produces powerful, nutty white wines with intense aromas and flavours of flowers, peach, pear and apricot, with baking spice. Exotic, oily and textural, this grape is the opposite of zesty, zippy Sauvignon. Traditionally used in blends like white Chateauneuf du pape, we’re now seeing more of it as a single grape wine. 

Find it for £6.79 at ALDI

If you like Gavi, try… Verdicchio 

Verdicchio is one of the finest white native grapes of Italy and the most important area for them in the the Marche region around Castelli di Jesi. This is an area with many medieval fortresses on many hilltop villages surrounding the central town of Jesi. This complex and crisp dry white is often called the White Barolo thanks to its fabulous ability to age. When young, it has lovely floral aromas and subtle notes of tropical fruit and a yeasty finish. 

Find it for £6 at Tesco

Want to know what else we’ve tasted on talkRADIO with Mike Graham for the Thursday Club? Click here!

The Best Gins to Gift this Mother’s Day

Words by Leigh Andrews

If you want to earn serious brownie points this Mother’s day for that mother figure who loves everything gin, then step away from the toiletries, save the flowers for a garnish and check out these fabulous juniper creations! These ginstastic tipples will get her taste buds tingling and she’ll be bragging to her friends that she got the best Mother’s Day Gift ever!

For the Romantic Gin loving Mum

Eden Mill Love Gin

The bottle screams love - it’s even written on it! Distilled in picturesque St Andrews in Scotland, this is a lightly floral gin with beautifully creamy vanilla sweetness, bursting berries and a slight hint of citrus. Perfect with loads of ice, light tonic and raspberries or neat over ice. Pretty and delicious.
ABV: 42%
Size: 500ml
Find Here: £26.95

Atlas Love Cake Gin

A well-deserved ultimate winner of The People’s Choice Drinks Awards last month, this gin is bound to bring smiles to faces. Influenced by the romantic legend behind Persian Love Cakes, this is a beautiful, lightly sweet gin with deliciously warming spices that linger on the palate. Add hints of icing-sugar dipped Turkish delight and a perfect, light citrusy finish and your mum will soon be asking for a refill.  

ABV: 43% 
Size: 700ml
Find Here: £48

For the Herbaceous Gin loving Mum:

Gin Mare

With Mediterranean vibes sending you to sun, sea, and olive groves this gin is savoury and magnificent! If your Mum loves to be transported to sunnier climates and loves her herby gins, then this one is an absolute winner. It’s fabulous served with loads of ice, some lightly crushed basil, a popped sweet cherry tomato and mediterranean tonic. Sunshine in a glass! 

ABV: 42.7%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find Here: UK £33.95 // US $62.99

Badvo Pitlochry Gin

Imagine walking through the wilds of a Scottish glen with all of the wonderful aromas of the natural botanicals around you. That is this gin! From the very first sip, there is no mistaking this herbaceous gin for a wallflower! Made using only 100% hand foraged botanicals, there’s gorse, heather, a field of cut grass, wild apples, and a subtle finish of mint. GLORIOUS! Serve neat over ice or with tonic and a slice of green apple.

ABV: 45%
Size: 200ml/700ml
Find Here: 200ml £15.95 // 700ml £39.95 

For the Pink Gin loving Mum

Mermaid Pink Gin

Apart from having one of the most ethereal looking gin bottles that anyone in possession of fairy lights will want to fill, this gin is an absolutely outstanding variation of the Isle of Wight distillery’s original Mermaid gin. A light, strawberry sweetness cuts through the savoury saltiness of rock samphire and enhances the citrus finish. Perfect served with your choice of tonic and cut strawberries.

ABV: 38%
Size: 700ml
Find Here: £35.79

Tarsier Oriental Pink Gin

Inspired by the sights and sounds of Southeast Asia, this gin is jam packed full of fabulous exotic flavours such as lychee and red dragon fruits nestling beside peppery juniper and lifted by wonderfully tart raspberries, calamansi lime and a subtly warm, spiced finish. It’s fantastic with tonic, a handful of raspberries and torn mint, and even better when you see the massive smile on your Mum’s face when she takes her first sip!

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

For the Flavoured Gin loving Mum

Whitley Neill Blood Orange

This one is definitely not a liqueur; it’s a gin that has serious oomph! Full strength and packed with sweet orange citrus, it’s a big and bold flavoured gin that doesn’t forget its gin essence. You still get that punch of juniper but that gorgeous blood orange is unmistakable. Your Mum will love the fact that you didn’t think that all she would want was some delicate little flower of a gin. This is for Mums with zest!

ABV: 43%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find Here: UK £27.95 // US $34.99

Anno B3rry Pink Gin

Apart from looking like fun in a bottle, this glorious gin from Anno distillery in Kent contains all the things to make a pink gin sing… and maybe your Mum too! It’s packed full of strawberries from Kent, cocoa (who doesn't love chocolate strawberries?), elderberries and rosehip. It tastes like the best strawberry candy on the palate, with a fresh, bitter chocolate balance and a soft, smooth finish when mixed with tonic. Fabulous!

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find Here: £33.99

For the Navy Strength Gin loving Mum

Locksley Distilling Co VSOT

VSOT means Very Special Old Tom! As far as we know, this is the only Navy Strength Old Tom in existence and it is OUTSTANDING! So smooth with all the incredible depth of velvety sweetness that an Old Tom is known for, the gin is lifted by gentle grapefruit notes and wonderful warming spice on the long finish. It’s one of those Navy Strengths that is easily able to be taken neat, but likewise, makes a killer cocktail like a Gibson or Negroni, or a gorgeous G&T with a wheel of grapefruit.

ABV: 57.5%
Size: 200ml/700ml
Find here: £20/£50

Whittakers Gin Navy Strength

A SUPERBLY smooth gin from the Yorkshire Dales which, despite the hefty ABV ,still lets the flavour shine bright! The fantastic fruitiness of hawthorn berries and bilberries comes right through after the initial hit of that punchy ABV, followed by luscious hints of lemon and a light herbaceous finish. This one will be just the ticket for your Mum to put her feet up and chill out with! It’s perfect in a Martini, neat over ice or with tonic water and a sprig of thyme or lemon.

ABV: 57%
Size: 700ml
Find Here: UK £37.85

For more gin-spirational (see what we did there?!) articles, have a look at What is London Dry Gin and Which Should I Try?, The Most Popular Gin Cocktails or The Best Gin for a G&T!