Archive For November 2021
The Father of All Rums from the Philippines The name ‘Don Papa’ was inspired by Papa Isio, a leader of the revolution in the Philippines against the Spanish. He led his island to independence before joining the main revolutionary movement. This national hero is prominent on the striking brand label, which was designed in New…
… in Classy Knightsbridge It’s a not-so-crazy pizza experience at Crazy Pizza. It’s rather more a polished and smart affair with fun touches. It’s as swep-up as one can imagine but perfectly accessible for pie-lovers of all ages. Crazy Pizza is found right next to Harrods. Just exit the Underground and follow the pedestrian street….
Here is another lovely cocktail from Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka Hive-Mind Add all ingredients to shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into chilled glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg. Ingredients 50ml Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka 30ml Espresso 15ml Ramsbury Estate runny honey Pinch of sea salt Garnish Grated nutmeg For more delicious cocktails visit…
Delicious Plant Jars, and hamper-worthy I love cooking but towards the end of the year there are plenty of distractions – like that little thing called Christmas. There isn’t always enough time in our hectic lives to cook from scratch, but I still want to present delicious food, and Merchant Gourmet solves the dilemma. Merchant…
This worthy tome isn’t a cocktail recipe book, and I would venture to say The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails is for the serious cocktail drinker. By that I don’t mean those who drink a lot of mixed alcoholic drinks but rather those who want to know and understand every element that helps to…
It’s approaching the season. That time of year when we might be entertaining a little more than usual. We need a well-stocked bar, and that space should definitely include a vermouth or two. Azaline Vermouth earns its place for both its packaging and its taste. But what is vermouth? The name ‘vermouth’ is the corrupted…
The gift that keeps on giving Bullards have created a distinctive gin and it’s been inspired by Norfolk, with its coast and its wooded landscape. The company has been around in that county since 1837. The convenient Coastal Gin set with its blue azure-coloured bottle and pouch combination is bound to be a hit this…
…and every other day David and Peri met in the airport in Rome back in 1985 and discovered a common interest in Italian food. A few years later they launched a small batch of premium Lunaio Extra Virgin Olive Oil, produced on their Southern Tuscan farm. They started scouring Italy for other dedicated producers who…
A wonderland of houses, creative constructions and cookies Gingerbread is a delightful festive presentation of 38 projects, gingerbread recipes and templates for creating beautiful centrepieces. The fairy tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’, in which the children discover a house made entirely of gingerbread, sweets and cake, inspired the trend for making beautiful constructions based on this…
International foods at Waitrose and Ocado It might seem a bit early to be thinking of planning your festive meals, but a bit of organisation now will really help Christmas catering run smoothly. Unearthed products will fit perfectly with your traditional foods but will add a little international interest. Most of us will have missed…
Some may be predicting a winter of discontent but that coolest of cool brands, Rock Rose Gin, is anticipating extreme contentment despite cooler weather. The reason? The Scottish distillery has just released its Rock Rose Winter Edition 2021. A juniper-led, earthy gin featuring fragrant pine notes, this iteration has been created with the thought…
A parcel of festive flavours It’s party time – or soon will be. We might not be hosting a dozen for Christmas dinner, but many of us will be planning drinks parties with perhaps a little fizz. We need some canapés to go with that smart wine, but we also want something a little different….
From Farm to Glass Ramsbury is a farm with a distillery. It lives on 19,000 acres of land on the Ramsbury estate, with the grain-milling shed, a key part of the gin-making process, next door. They even source water from their own well for the distilling. Fallen trees are chopped to heat the bio-mass boiler….
Citrus and sea air Chile has become famed for producing some of the most popular expressions of Sauvignon Blanc in the world. They tend to be great value for money. Garuma Sauvignon Blanc from Leyda Single Estate offers character and easy sipping without a big bill. Leyda Estate is found on the west side of…
It’s approaching the festive season and we are stocking up with pallets of sweet treats, gourmet savouries and drinks by the crate. But those beverages don’t have to be alcoholic. We want our guests (and ourselves) to have the choice of some soft drinks, and they should be special too. Gusto Organic Drinks have you…
Not Your Nan’s Sherry XECO is the sherry-based dream of three women who have long shared a love of this oft-overlooked fortified wine. Sherry has been ubiquitous down the decades. Everybody seemed to have a bottle of dubious quality and unknown age. It was found at the back of the sideboard but came out each…
Bakes, Cakes and Treats for All Seasons That came around quick! It’s heading towards Christmas. Soon it will be time to bring down the Christmas tree from the loft even though it only seems about six weeks since we struggled to put it up there. We seek out gifts and treats for friends and family….
Build Your Own Ukulele with a Kikkerland Kit ‘I am building my own ukulele,’ I said. They laughed, but only for a moment, and then said ‘You know that instrument is really popular? Started with that song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.’ And plenty of other pieces of current music have the ukulele as part of…
This ‘improper’ martini uses Orangecello instead of the better-known Limoncello and a dash of clove to create a drink that is simple to mix yet tantalizing to taste and perfect for Autumn and Winter celebrations when a something more than a dry martini is called for. That sensual mix of orange and clove is Autumn…
Travel with a Twelve South PlugBug Duo It’s a while since we travelled, and we are looking forward to it. Along with the excitement goes packing, and that includes a pile of technology which will need charging and, if one is lucky, in more than one country! No need to take several adaptors: Twelve South PlugBug…