Great Wine and Spirits to Gift this Father's Day

Words by Colin Hampden-White

With so many choices of premium sparkling wine and Champagne on the market, I wanted to highlight two I’ve had recently. One traditional, and one non-alcoholic and from England. Both excellent. I have also found some amazing rum, cocktail pouches, a big, luscious, marvellous Malbec, and a couple of gins, one with sweet pineapple and ginger because dads like sweet things too!

Roger Daltray

I first tasted this on release before the pandemic. It was released for The Who on their 50th anniversary and having tasted it again a few days ago, I am pleased I thought so much of it in 2019, because I am still hugely impressed. Sometimes when a celebrity has a bottle made for them, it can go horribly wrong, and the juice in the bottle isn’t that good, but in this instance it is excellent. The design is also excellent giving the impression of a premium product yet not being overly showy. The design holds onto the brand identity of The Who well. The Champagne itself made by Charles Orban, has finesse and intensity. Made with 45% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier, there is good complexity with lots of citrus notes and hints of vanilla and brioche. A percentage of the price of each bottle goes to Teen Cancer America too so should you find yourself with your hands on a bottle, you can sip knowing you are doing good.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 12.5%
Find here: £95

Wild Idol

A little while ago I tried and very much liked the Wild Idol Rosé, and the white takes off where that left off. There is the same elegance of fruit and balanced acidity giving a satisfying drink, not too acidic like a lot of sparkling wine and not too sweet. Lots of floral aromas and delicate fruit give elegance. This is the second time I’ve tried a non-alcoholic sparkling and thought it benefited from not having any alcohol and the first time was its pink sibling. Bravo Wild Idol!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 0.0%
Find here: £35

 

Santiago de Cuba 11 Years Old Extra Añejo

11 years old is old for a tropically aged rum. So when one comes along from one of the best Cuban brands one expects it to be very good, and this is certainly that. It’s rich with lots of fruity esters and brown sugar flavours which perfectly balance each other, there is huge complexity with pineapple, and spices including cinnamon and cumin. A little banana and caramel and a touch of black cracked pepper on the finish. A decadent rum perfect for decadent dads.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £39.83

Luigi Bosca | Malbec Selección de Vistalba 2020

This is a stonking wine for the price. Wines from Argentina are always good value as they are subsidised for the UK market but this wine punches way above its price mark. It’s a big rich wine with lots of red fruit and floral aromas and dark fruit flavours. There is some spice and liquorice too. It is drinking now but will certainly age for at least 5 years and is a perfect wine to serve up with a big steak or a hearty bean casserole. You might want to pick up two bottles though because once dad gets a taste we’re not sure he’ll want to share!

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14%
Find here: £16.99

MYXD Dad Box

A box full of cocktails! What’s not to like? Well, not a lot really. Finally, cocktail pouches are delivering very good cocktails akin to one you would receive from a good bartender, and in a lot of cases even better. I’ve been served some pretty dodgy cocktails in my time, and with these pouches not only do you get a good cocktail, but you also get them consistently. Super for sharing and easy to put together. Literally, chill add soda to some and pour. What could be easier?!

In the box:

Long Island Iced Tea where they have combined Flor de Caña 4 year old white rum with vodka, gin, tequila, triple sec, sugar syrup, organic citric acid, lemon bitters and cola reduction.

Smoked Banana Colada combining coconut rum, single cream, banana syrup, coconut syrup and smoky Scotch whisky.

Pinapple & Jalapeno Mai Tai where Flor de Caña 7 Gran Reserva Rum is the star of the show, accompanied by triple sec, jalapeno syrup, orgeat, organic citric acid and pineapple juice.

Popcorn Old Fashioned mixing Benchmark 8-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon, popcorn syrup and fragrant Angostura bitters.

Penicillin combining Benchmark 8-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon with Smokehead peated single malt whisky, ginger and honey syrups, organic citric acid and lemon bitters.

If you wanted to you could add garnishes like orange for the Old Fashioned or Pineapple leaves for the Colada, they make them look pretty, but if you can’t be bothered, they are still going to taste great.

Size: 100ml - 150ml
ABV: 13.7% - 26.5%
Find here: £28.95

 

Bullards Pineapple, Ginger and Lime Gin

Pineapple is a flavour I would normally associate with rum rather than gin, but in this case, it works beautifully giving tropical sweetness to balance the lime and the ginger that comes through to give a little heat and spice. The gin is very smooth and makes a very good G&T, but where it shines for me is with ginger ale. Again, something I’d normally mix with rum or whisky, but with this gin, it makes a great spicy long drink and remains fresh which is perfect for this time of year.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £40

Lind and Lime Gin

A gin with a very nautical feel. This is the first spirit to come from the Port of Leith distillery in Edinburgh and is inspired by Dr James Lind who came from Edinburgh. He noticed that patients who had scurvy and were eating citrus fruits were showing good signs, which explains the lime in the gin, and how we know how to cure scurvy today. Not that I think there is enough lime in the gin to cure scurvy! But it certainly tastes good. The cap label says there are flavours of lime, pink peppercorn and juniper, and that’s the perfect tasting note for this gin. It literally “does what it says on the tin”, and with 44% abv, those flavours are delivered effortlessly. My gin of the moment, and a perfect dad day present for a gin loving dad.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 44%
Find here: £34.95

If you still don’t feel like you’ve found the perfect present, have a browse through our wine and spirits pages as they’re packed full of delicious drinks to try!

The Three Drinkers in Ireland Wins Award for ‘Best Contribution to Wine and Spirits Tourism’

The Three Drinkers are delighted to announce that their TV series The Three Drinkers in Ireland has won the award for ‘The Best Contribution to Wine and Spirits Tourism’ at The Drinks Business Awards 2022.

What are The Drinks Business Awards?

The Drinks Business Awards is an annual, global competition that recognises and rewards the work of top performers across the international drinks industry over the previous twelve months.  Now in its 20th year, it is one of the most trusted and internationally respected awards in the drinks industry. 

Helena Nicklin from The Three Drinkers says “We are delighted to have been recognised for this award as it is all about what we set out to do, which is bring a new audience to wine and spirits through travel, food and tourism rather than just appeal to a drinks niche.”

Who are The Three Drinkers?

The Three Drinkers are drinks experts, writers and broadcasters Helena Nicklin and Aidy Smith, joined by a deliciously diverse revolving roster of ‘third drinker’ guests. As well as this, their second Amazon Three Drinkers TV series, they also produce the popular ‘Bring a Bottle’ podcast, run the drink, travel and lifestyle-focused online magazine thethreedrinkers.com and have a growing social media/influencer presence (@thethreedrinkers @HelenaSips @Sypped).

More about The Three Drinkers in Ireland

The Three Drinkers in Ireland is an aspirational, gastronomic journey through the picturesque island of Ireland. Drinks experts Aidy Smith and Helena Nicklin with special guests Beth Brickenden and Eulanda Shead-Osagiede explore a variety of Irish drinks, from whiskey, gin and poitín to cider and Irish cream, take a deep dive into Ireland’s incredible food scene and showcase some traditional activities such as bog snorkelling, cheesemaking, eel fishing and Irish dancing.

The Three Drinkers returned to our screens in March this year with a brand new, six-part series on Amazon Prime called ‘The Three Drinkers in Ireland’.

Mara Barrat from Bord Bia says “Ireland is renowned for producing high quality, sustainable food and drink. So, it is really important that we work with the right partners to showcase this to the world. Working with The Three Drinkers was excellent as through their global reach, production expertise and innovative production style, we are able to demonstrate the premium quality and sustainability of Irish produce and furthermore tell the story of the passion, love and craftsmanship of Irish food and drink producers. We are also very excited about what this series will do for Irish food and drinks tourism."

Julie Wakley, Head of GB at Tourism Ireland says: “Tourism Ireland was delighted to work with The Three Drinkers, to create this exciting new series. With many people set to watch the series on Amazon Prime and beyond, it promises to be a great way to shine a spotlight on Ireland’s great food and drink offering, rich culture and spectacular landscapes.”

Episodes 1-5 of The Three Drinkers in Ireland are currently available in 160 countries and territories across the globe with Episode 6, in which Colin Hampden-White also appears, airing imminently. The episodes will also be available on major airlines and in China from Summer 2022. You can watch The Three Drinkers in Ireland here.

Judges quotes

The “all-embracing, global TV coverage had a “bigger reach” than other entries in the category.” Aside from its phenomenal reach, judges admired the producers’ tenacity in getting the show made. One said: “It’s not an easy thing to sell around the world. They should be applauded for their hard work in getting this made. There’s not enough booze on telly…”

4 Simple and Delicious Bourbon Cocktails

Words by Aidy Smith

We love bourbon on its own, but this American spirit can also be a really interesting base spirit for a ton of exciting cocktails! The notes of vanilla and oak are great to mess around with and see what works with what. You can go sour, sweet, bitter - whatever takes your fancy!

If a bourbon cocktail sounds tasty but you’re not quite sure where to start, how about starting with one of our four favourites below!

Classic Old Fashioned

This list would not be complete without including the Old Fashioned, and for that reason we’ve put it slap bang at the top! We’re not sure if it’s magic or just good mixology, but there’s something about the simple mix of bourbon, sugar and Angostura bitters that gets our taste buds raring to go! Make one today with this simple recipe!

Ingredients

50ml bourbon
pinch of brown sugar
splash of water
2 drops of Angostura bitters
twist of orange to garnish

Method
Place the sugar, orange peel, water and bitters in a tumbler and muddle (crush gently with the back of a spoon). Fill the glass with ice and add a little whiskey bit by bit while stirring. Garnish with a twist of orange. 

Boulevardier

Do you like Negronis? We certainly do! If you are a Negroni fan, why not mix it up for a change and make a Boulevardier! It’s essentially a Negroni with the gin swapped out for bourbon so it’s super simple and still boasts that tasty, boozy bitterness...

Psst, if you really want to up your Negroni game - check out our article on the best Negroni recipes!

Ingredients

45ml of bourbon
25ml sweet vermouth
25ml of Campari
twist of orange to garnish 

Method
Chill a cocktail glass by placing it in the freezer. Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass and fill two thirds of the way with ice. Stir for around 30 seconds to chill and strain into the cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of orange.

Manhattan

For the majority of us, living in Manhattan (or at least the glamorous part of Manhattan) isn’t very realistic. New York City actually has the highest living cost of any city in the United States! However, what we can do is mix up a Manhattan - wherever we are in the world…

The Manhattan is normally made with rye whiskey, so try to find a bourbon with a high rye count in it to truly get an authentic Manhattan. Here’s our favourite recipe:

Ingredients

50ml bourbon
25ml sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash oranges bitters
brandied cherry for garnish 

Method
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a brandied cherry. 

Bourbon Sidecar

The Sidecar is a cocktail that often hides away on cocktail menus, sometimes not even being featured at all, the poor thing! We shan’t pity it too much however, as the Sidecar still packs quite a bit of a punch… It’s citrusy and boozy with a nice bit of sweetness coming from the sugared rim. Though normally made with cognac, today we’re swapping the cognac out for bourbon. The bourbon gives a really interesting vanilla element to this cocktail that deepens it delightfully!

Ingredients

50ml bourbon
25ml Cointreau
12.5ml fresh lemon juice
1tsp simple syrup
caster sugar
orange twist for garnish 

Method
Using a small amount of lemon juice and caster sugar, sugar the rim of the glass. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake with ice until ice cold. Strain into a glass and garnish with the orange twist - delicious!

Looking for more great cocktail ideas? How about checking out these great Old Fashioned Variations? Or, if a Martini is more up your street then we’ve got some great recipes to check out here too!

TalkTV: Summer wine from the South of France

With airlines cancelling everyone’s holidays right now, let’s bring a splash of Southern French sunshine to our lives. These wines are made by two superstar winemakers of the South France who between them, make huge amounts of wines of all styles and levels across the key appellations of Languedoc and Roussillon. They are Jean-Claude Mas from Paul Mas and Gérard Bertrand.

Paul Mas Heritage Clairette du Languedoc 2020

Veteran wine producer Jean-Claude Mas, descendant of Paul Mas has launched an initiative to nurture the lesser known, heritage wine grapes from the region. This wine is made with 100% Clairette and comes from the smallest and most historic appellation in the Languedoc in the South of France. Clairette has been produced for over 2,500 years in the area, since the time of Greeks and Romans. Jean-Claude uses his expertise to see how the grape responds to different soils and microclimates and has coaxed it into a delicious, soft white wine here with floral notes and flavours of apple citrus and white flowers. Try this with grilled fish and white meats. This was voted as one of the top 100 wines of Southern France at a prestigious competition recently. 

Find it for £9 from Sainsbury’s

Gérard Bertrand 'Côte des Roses' Rosé 2021

You may recognise Gérard Bertrand as he’s a famous  ex rugby rugby player turned acclaimed winemaker. Rosé from this part of France tends to have a little more generosity of fruit than the drier, Provence styles. This bottle is beautifully sculpted too to look like a rose. You’ll want to keep it for your water in any case. Think summer pudding, redcurrant, strawberry, pink grapefruit and roses and grapefruit. Try it with baked white fish and fresh seasonal salads. In 2022, this wine won an IWC award for the 2021 vintage.

Find it for £10.99 mixed six price from Majestic

Orange Gold Organic 2020

Another from Gérard Bertrand, this is his first organic orange wine, made in a Georgian style with southern French flair. Orange wine was the original wine style first practiced over 4,500 years ago. It's a blend of seven classic French white grapes, Chardonnay, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Mauzac and Muscat where the wine is left in contact with the grape skins to give colour and complexity. Think layers of peach, pear, flowers, lemon and ginger with a light bitterness on the finish. Try it with with hard cheeses and spicy dishes.

Find it for £14.99 mix six price from Majestic

See what else we’ve been tasting on talkTV here!

Celebrate Pride with these Top LGBTQIA+ drinks

It’s Pride Month, and we’re celebrating all things LGBTQIA+ not only with a hefty dose of rainbow-themed décor, but by toasting to it in style with tipples that proudly support the LGBTQIA+ community. Whether you’re a community member yourself, or a thirsty ally, here are some must-tries to show your spirit…

Gays Who Wine

This wine club, founded by Shaun Houcke, is all about giving people the chance to meet up and mingle with great vino – without having to resort to a raucous bar. You can also shop from a gorgeously curated online offering – including a weekly changing mixed case, with the likes of rosé fizzes and juicy reds (from £65). Beer drinker? An edit of top pours includes tempting nibbles such as artisan cheese, smoked almonds and sourdough crisp breads (£45). If you need an extra feel-good reason to buy, know that 10% of profits go to LGBTQIA+ charities.

Find out more here!

Luv Jus

Following one helluva time at Tel Aviv Pride in 2016, housemates George and Owen decided to launch Luv Jus – a healthy craft vodka pop that comes in two delicious flavours: pineapple, mint, ginseng and jasmine, or blood orange, pomegranate and ginseng. At just 107kcal per tin, with no added sugar, they’re as gentle on the waistline as they are dangerously sippable, plus have the added bonus of being vegan-friendly and gluten-free. We know what we’ll be drinking come London Pride Week this September… 

ABV: 4.8%
Find here: £14.95 for 6

Stonewall Spirits

A family run brand based in Skegness, Lincolnshire, Stonewall Spirits is committed to supporting and donating to the LGBTQ community all year round. Not only do they do this by re-telling the story of the ‘Stonewall Riots’ throughout their brand, but they also donate £1 to Stonewall UK from every bottle purchased to continue the fight for acceptance and equality in the UK. As if that wasn’t great enough news as it is, they also produce absolutely cracking gins. Mix their Pink Rhubarb gin into a G&T for a beautifully refreshing drink this Summer!

ABV: 40% // 37.5%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £36.95

Digby Fine English

It was during a trip to a Seattle winery that married couple Jason Humphries and Trevor Clough had a lightbulb moment and decided to move back to the UK and go into business together with the aim to bring English sparkling wine to the luxury market. Meet Digby Fine English; the high class sparkling English wine from West Sussex that is outperforming Champagne in blind tastings and winning countless awards. 

Find here: From £32

Proud Beer

The UK’s first ‘queer beer’ was launch back in 2018 by boyfriends Ethan Spidey and Sören Scharf and as well as a beer, is a platform for all that they do for LGBTQIA+ charities. They worked around their day jobs to create their ‘LGBTQIPA’: a truly inclusive drinks brand with a clear message to the businesses to put their money where their mouth is if they truly want to support the community. Ethan explains: “We got fed up with people slapping a rainbow flag on their brand once a year and pretending they cared. We thought, why don’t we start a beer company that benefits the charities we have worked with for years?” Quite right. Cheers!

Find here: From £2.30 a bottle

Gentleman Farmer 

Next time you’re in the US, look out for Gentleman Farmer wines, produced by vino extraordinaire couple Joe Wolosz and Jeff Durham. This Californian vintner duo specialises in producing powerful Cabernet Sauvignon – all dark fruity and earthy character – as well as elegant Chardonnays. Looking for something summer-fabulous to toast Pride month with? Grab a bottle of their delicate blushing pink rosé, with refreshing watermelon and brioche notes on the palate.

Find here: From $35

Crystal Head Limited Edition Pride Vodka

In case the whole bottle-shaped-like-a-skull thing wasn’t already theatrical enough for you, we present Crystal Head Pride edition. Painted in dramatic rainbow tones, this will double as a statement decor piece long after you’ve drained the final drop of vodka (which, by the way, is made using pure Canadian water). It doesn’t just look good though – a percentage of sales goes to the Kaleidoscope Trust, an international LGBTQIA+ human rights charity that works across the Commonwealth, for example by ensuring that trans women in Pakistan have access to safe housing. And if that standard 70cl bottle isn’t quite enough? Plump for the brand new 1.75-litre release, available at Selfridges for a cool £140.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK From £46.48 // US $39.99

Tom Savano Finnish Liberation Cosmopolitan

When you can’t be bothered to mix your own cocktail, Tom Savano comes to the rescue with its premixed pours. And this bottling – comes with a splash of Pride, not only because the Carrie Bradshaw’s drink of choice is said, according to Punch, to have originated in the Cleveland gay scene in the 1980s. It’s also mixed up with Tom of Finland Organic Vodka, named after the gay icon and fetish artist. The vodka’s own association spreads awareness about LGBTQIA+ erotic art, so you can feel extra virtuous with every sip. Chill it right down in the fridge, pour it out in Sex and the City-style cocktail glasses and toast to liberation. 

ABV: 20%
Size: 500ml
Find here: £29

Barefoot Wines

Barefoot takes great ‘pride’ in the fact that it’s been an LGBTQIA+ ally for more than 30 years, since 1988 to be exact. Over the decades this Californian wine brand has partnered with dozens of different LGBTQIA+ organisations and popped up at countless Pride festivals, so you know it’s genuinely supporting the community for the long haul. Choose from the range of easy-drinking wines, perfect for celebrations – whether your bag is a fruit-forward Merlot, a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or sweet Moscato, there’s something here to suit. Bottoms up!

Find out more here (UK)! // From $9.99 (US)

The Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 81

Welcome back to another episode of our Bring a Bottle podcast! This week we chat whisky mixers, weird and wonderful tasting notes, pornstar martini spas and innovative water that tastes like more! Listen in via this player to hear all this and more!

What’s In Our Glass?

We love a dram of whisky but sometimes you just want to mix it up. So, that’s exactly what we’ve done this week using Franklin and Sons mixers and sodas. First up was their Mandarin with Ginger soda (for our US readers, soda in the UK is spring water with flavour) and it worked so well. The mandarin jumped out the glass, it was floral, fruity and then had caramel chiming in from the whisky. A perfect drink for a whisky lover that wants something a bit different or for someone wanting to get into whisky itself.

Next up we went down a more traditional route of ginger ale. Listen in to find out what we thought and the difference mixing drinks with ginger ale makes vrs ginger beer!

Drinks News

We have two crackers this week, Aidy brings some of the weirdest whisky tasting notes made by professionals to the table… toilet duck whisky anyone?! Whilst Helena lets us know about the first-ever pornstar martini spa, (that you can acutally bathe in)!

Drinks Doing Good

We love a drinks brand that does good and Aidy has found one that does just that. Introducing Sea Change wines which are an eco-friendly brand that help fund ocean conservation projects across the globe through the sale of every one of their bottles. Aidy tried their Negroamaro wine, which is produced on the southern edge of Italy and is almost like a blend of malbec and merlot in taste. It’s a big, bold wine with notes of cassis, blackcurrant, cherry, a kick of tobacco and dark chocolate and the great news is it’s only a tenner!

Size: 750ml
ABV: 12%
Find here: £10.49

Drinkers Discovery

Let’s talk water. We’re supposed to drink 6-8 cups a day but is it just us or does anyone else find this difficult?! Well, worry no more as Helena has found an innovative brand that has changed the way you will drink water forever, Air Up. Using aroma pods that sit at the top of your bottle, your mind is tricked into thinking that you are drinking flavoured water when in fact you are just drinking water. From apple to kola to iced coffee, there is an aroma to suit all

You can pick up a bottle and aroma pods set here from £30.
Extra Aroma pods are sold in sets of 3 from £6 

Third Drinker Tasha Iny

Third Drink Tasha Iny joins Aidy for a chat all about what’s Mijenta tequilas stunning bottles, where to find the best pisco sour around and female empowerment in the tequila industry. Tasha also shares one of her favourite cocktails to mix up with Mijenta Tequila Blanco which actually happens to be the predecessor of the margarita; The Toreador.

Ingredients
50ml blanco
25ml apricot brandy
25ml lime juice
5mls small squeeze agave
Method
Shake it up, pour it into a glass and enjoy!

Mailbag

It wouldn’t be a Bring a Bottle podcast without one of your fantastic Mailbag questions, this week you asked us all about white Malbec and whether it is actually a thing. Listen in to find out what we had to say…

To listen to all this and more, along with previous podcasts, click on this link!

Spotlight on Bushmills: The Causeway Collection 1991 Madeira Cask Whiskey

My grandfather and generations of his family were born and raised in Northern Ireland, a stone’s throw from the Giant’s Causeway on the North Antrim coast, the river Bush and its namesake distillery, Bushmills. Bushmills Irish Whiskey was therefore a mainstay in my grandparent’s house. ‘Poppa’ George would always have his evening glass or ‘taoscán’ and when we came up to visit, he’d share one with my dad. The aroma is an early memory of the two of them that I will carry happily forever. 

This year, I am toasting them both with a very special whiskey from Bushmills: The Causeway Collection 1991 Madeira Cask. 

Bushmills & The Causeway Collection 

Bushmills is the world’s oldest licensed distillery with an incredible 400 year history of producing single malt, Irish whiskies with expertise passed down through many generations. It won the only gold medal for whiskey at the famous Paris Expo in 1889 and survived Prohibition, the barley taxes of the 1850’s and even a devastating fire around the same time. Today, it is still a world class distillery with a range of whiskies sought out all over the globe.

The Causeway Collection represents an exceptional range, where whiskeys are left to finish in special casks for a particularly long length of time. The result  is an assortment of concentrated and complex whiskies, each offering multiple layers of delicious flavour as dramatic, they say, as their beloved Giant’s Causeway and the County Antrim coastline on their doorstep.

The Causeway Collection 1991 Madeira Cask

Initially launched in November 2021, only 738 bottles of this limited-edition, thirty year old Madeira cask whiskey are available in Great Britain. It has seen more than thirteen years of maturation in oloroso sherry butts and ex-bourbon casks before enjoying an unrivalled maturation period of fifteen years in first-fill Madeira casks. The result is a deeply flavoured, silky smooth single malt whiskey with a sweet and saline character, notes of stone fruit and moch with a touch of creamy praline.

Find it exclusively at The Whisky Shop

Don’t forget, you can see the Giant’s Causeway in all its glory at the start of episode one of The Three Drinkers in Ireland, now streaming in Amazon Prime!

The Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 80

We are back for a brand new series of the Bring a Bottle podcast! Follow our journey as we make more drink-y discoveries, uncover the latest drinks news ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous and share some great sips that we think should be in your glass!

What’s in our glass?

Episode 80 is all about the best mixers for Cognac, and wow are there some great ones out there! We tried Franklin and Sons Mandarin with Ginger mixer and Pineapple with almond mixer. Both could easily be drunk neat as a nice soft drink, however, when mixed with Cognac the Mandarin with Ginger mixer was a party in the mouth! The toffee and caramel notes of the cognac worked really well with the ginger element, and the citrussy notes matched the mandarin flavours perfectly. The Pineapple with almond mixer was equally as good. It tasted like stewed caramelised pineapples, wasn’t sugary or overpoweringly sweet and the Cognac stood out whilst the pineapple shone through. It would be a great option for someone who was looking to get into Cognac.

Size: 200ml (24 bottles)
Find here: Mandarin with Ginger £17.50 // Pineapple with Almond £17.50

Drinks News

Helena’s news is all about an incredible canned drinks bar in Peckham Rye called Bo Kiri. Introducing a whole new way of doing hospitality, Bo Kiri is a really open space with around 70 fridges inside stocked full to the brim with canned beer, cocktails, wine, hard seltzers – you name it and it’s there! There is a big emphasis on brands that do good and with all the cans available to either drink in or take out you are bound to leave with a smile on your face!

Brands Doing Good

This week we are giving a big shout out to Ukrainian vodka brand, Dima’s Vodka. The vodka itself comes from a 125-year-old distillery on the outskirts of Kyiv and is made with three grains: barley, rye and wheat. It is sweet and velvety smooth making it a great sipping vodka although it works equally well in cocktails too. Since the war in Ukraine began, Dima’s Vodka has really stepped up its efforts to help people in Ukraine by raising money via limited edition bottlings, tastings nights and pre-bottled cocktails, every penny made going to help Ukrainian charities. You can find out more about the latest events and bottlings here.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £35

Drinkers Discovery

This week’s discovery is Tom Savano cocktails and specifically the Patagonian Sunset Passionfruit Martini. It is made from a blend of Fairtrade Quinoa vodka, Fairtrade Argentinian passionfruit liqueur and Madagascan vanilla with a touch of lime. Unlike a lot of passionfruit martinis, it is a lot less cloying and sugary sweet making for a great drink. The brand works tirelessly to source organic, Fairtrade ingredients for their cocktails and puts real emphasis on helping you to get the best out of your home cocktail experience by telling you exactly how to enjoy your drink right down to the temperature and garnish! If you haven’t already, look them up!

Size: 500ml
Find here: £29

In other news, we discuss kummel and Unicum (no, we’re not making those names up) and tackle the mailbag question ‘Is there a difference between Cognac and Brandy?’ amongst much more. Listen in here today!