Absinthe – Green Hills & Green Fairies of Jura
Originally produced in the Val-de-Travers region in Switzerland and in Pontarlier, France, Absinthe is a distilled anise-flavoured spirit made from herbs including the flowers and...
Jack Daniel’s Lynchburg Lemonade
Jack Daniel’s Black Label Tennessee Whiskey remains the flagship product of Brown-Forman Corporation, one of the foremost international drinks companies. Jack Daniel’s has a range...
Pink Grapefruit Gin by Pickering
This is a summer winner. Pickering’s Pink Grapefruit and Lemongrass Gin Liqueur is complex and surprisingly refreshing for a drink that describes itself as a...
Hayman’s Distillery Tour with Sam and Old Tom – review
Balham isn’t the first neighbourhood in which one might think to find a distillery. But here it is on a small industrial estate, and looking...
Good Beer Guide – Belgium – book review
Beer has changed its image over the last decade. It was once the chosen beverage of older folks who had their favourite brew and they...
Willow & Stone Sparkling Rosé from Kingsland – drinks review
Willow & Stone Sparkling Rosé British wine is selling at £4.99 and has 8.5% alcohol, so a light-in-every-way alternative to more robust traditional wines. It...
Caorunn – the Scottish London Dry Gin – review
The first thing one notices about Caorunn gin is, well, the gin! Its rather classy bottle presents mountain-stream-clear aromatic alcohol in its purest form. It...
Whisky The Connoisseur’s Journal – review
Christmas isn’t far away. The ads on TV herald the coming season and offer the threat of Yuletide gift giving. Men are famously difficult with...
Mezcal Amores – drinks review
Mezcal? Isn’t that a brand of tequila? No – they are slightly different beverages but with great similarities in both taste and production methods. Tequila...
Trolley in the Lobby Bar at One Aldwych – bar review
The name ‘lobby bar’ might give the impression that this is something of an after-thought. Perhaps a venue through which to pass. A prequel to...
Alhambra Reserva 1925 – drinks review
Independently-owned Alhambra Beers, a celebrated brewery in Spain, was founded in 1925 and is named after the Alhambra Palace in its home town of Granada....
Affordable Fizz from Les Grands Chais de France
Les Grands Chais de France Group is a company based in the Northern Vosges region of France. It’s run by the Helfrich family. When Joseph...
Parlay Ultra Black Rum – drinks review
The label uses a strong old gold and black design which sets well on the inky dark rum in the tall slim bottle. The artwork...
Massucco Wines – drinks review
For many years Loris Massucco has been working hard, supported by the experience of several generations of family wine makers, to create his new, innovative...
Ozeki Dry Sake – drinks review
If we are new to sake we will likely be looking for a mild flavour and a light sake. Yes, sake does indeed have a...
Shirataki Shuzo Atoaji Kiriri Uonuma Junmai Sake – drinks review
The quality junmai sake, made in Uonuma City in Niigata, is a pure sake made of just 100% Japanese rice polished to 65% of its...
Craft Spirits by Eric Grossman – review
Well, this is right on trend. Cocktails have become the cornerstone of every restaurant bar, and we want to try our hands at barista-ing at...
Sake: The History, Stories and Craft of Japan’s Artisanal Breweries – book review
I was told to expect a book. I was told to expect a big book. I was told to expect a coffee-table book. What I...
Taruzake Sake – cedar difference – travel review
Sure, the world of sake is new and mysterious to most of us. Japan’s national beverage is made of few ingredients but there are many...
Sake in situ – the overlooked tourist attraction in Japan – travel review
A dream came true for me recently and it was courtesy of the Japanese Ministry of Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). That might sound unlikely when...