Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 101

It’s Bring a Bottle Podcast Episode 101 and with us in the studio this week is Jack Charlton, traveller and lover of all things drinks who began at Café Rouge when he was 15 and is now Head of Brand Ambassadors for Remy Cointreau in the UK! There’s incredible Mount Gay rum to be sipped, odd advent calendars to be discussed, Jaffa Cake Vodka to be tried and a machine to completely transform your Hot Choc experience! Listen for all that and more!

Our Guest Drinker

Jack Charlton fell in love with hospitality working at Café Rouge when he was 15, later finding his passion for drinks too and becoming Head of Brand Ambassadors for Remy Cointreau in the UK. His younger years were filled with travelling the world alongside his parents, seeing Prague, Cuba and Zimbabwe to name just a few places. You can hear some tales from these trips on the podcast! Welcome, Jack!

What’s In Our Glass?

A delicious rum from the world’s oldest rum distillery, Mount Gay’s Black Barrel blend is distilled in traditional copper pot and column stills, matured for up to 7 years in American whiskey casks, and further aged for 6 months in heavily charred Bourbon casks. Unsurprisingly, that toasted oak comes through, as does gingerbread and the rich vanilla and pineapple you might expect from a golden Bajan rum. 

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £36 // US $29.99

We’re also sipping Mount Gay’s deep, dark and brooding XO Triple Cask Blend. Sitting in a combination of American whiskey, bourbon and Cognac casks creates a beautiful balance, with a lovely underlining oakiness, notes of waxy pear and sticky toffee fig pudding. A large coconut water ice cube with this poured on top would be incredible to accentuate the coconut notes further.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £54.59 // US $66.99

Advent Calendars

We’re talking advent calendars and in particular the weirdest ones we’ve come across. Biscuits for pets? Dumplings? What would your ideal advent be, or maybe chocolate can’t be beaten?

How Can you Enjoy Hosting A Dinner Party?

All the stress and build up of hosting a dinner party can end up ruining the experience for the host themselves, and that can’t be right, so we’re looking at ways to avoid just that. From prepping to delegating, take these tips and hosting will become a pleasure and not a chore!

Buy it or Bin it

The colour of onion skin... gingery on the nose... whiffs of something very familiar, is it Terry’s chocolate orange? Almost. It’s Jaffa Cake Vodka. The Jaffa cake is bold on the nose, and much subtler on tasting so don’t worry that it’s overpowering or anything. This would sing wonderfully in an espresso martini with a Jaffa cake or two on the side.

National Hot Chocolate Day

Hot chocolate day is just around the corner so we chat about some of the best available. Hotel Chocolat and their Velvetiser isn’t just another underwhelming kitchen gadget – it’s incredible. Listen to find out more about this dream machine!

What pairs WELL with Mount Gay rum?

We’re thinking of indulgent mouth-watering pairings to sit beside this rum – choc, cheese, steak etc. For vegetarians, grilled crispy cabbage and anything with smokiness and umami like nutty mushroom dishes and miso would also work a treat.

This only covers the tip of the iceberg though so to hear what else we get up to, listen in today!

Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 100

A century of Bring a Bottle podcasts! Congratulations to us if we do say so and thank you, loyal listeners! We have both Aidy and Helena in the studio for the 100th special, and there was only one person to complete the trio – the legendary Colin Hampden White. This episode is packed to the rafters with our best bits, so you really won’t want to miss this one. There’s vagina beer, behind-the-scenes television moments, the biggest drinks trends, cask buying advice and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let the reminiscing commence!

Our Guest Drinker

For Episode 100, it had to be our original third drinker, the one and only man of many talents... Colin Hampden White! It’s been too long! Journalist, editor, photographer, presenter, judge... a true Three Drinkers legend. He may no longer be with us every day, but we love him on the podcast, and you can keep up to date with all his drinks news on our website and all things Colin on his Instagram at @champdenwhite.

What’s In Our Glass?

We’re toasting to our century with the gorgeous Westland whiskey. Made in Seattle, Westland American Oak is their flagship release, using 5 different barley varieties in a 5-malt mash bill. This creates a distinct malt whiskey that’s super smooth and soft with a gentle peppery note you’d expect from rye whisky alongside notes of chocolate custard. It’s unusual but boy is it good!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £48.96

Westland also produces a special Sherry oak cask whiskey called Garryana, an oak that only grows in the Northwest of America. Many peated whiskies use 100% peated malt, but this actually makes use of more non-peated malts locally grown in Washington State. As a result, there’s less out-and-out smoke (although still present), and more orange peel, roast banana, almonds, as well as green herbs and pistachio.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 50%
Find here: £164.99

Peach Whiskey Sours

Here’s one Aidy prepared earlier! Using Westland American oak he’s got the balance of peach just right, providing the small kick of sweetness needed without becoming overbearing. It’s a sublimely fresh cocktail with the Westland whiskey kick at the heart of it and gorgeous chocolatey flavours from the bitters coming through. A really well-rounded and complete sipper.

Ingredients
50ml Westland
15ml lemon juice
5-7ml peach syrup
Chocolate bitters

Method:
Simply shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and enjoy!

The Best of Drinks News

We’ve uncovered all manner of drinks news over the last 99 episodes, so we’re taking a moment to recap on our favourites. Who could forget Vagina Beer? The first beer to use vaginal lactic acid in the world! Or the dreamlike situation an Italian town found themselves in when red wine started to run from their taps! And the elephant in the room (and most likely snoozing in the corner), the time a group of thirsty elephants guzzled down pots of Mahua liquor in India. That’s right, we only cover the most important news here at The Three Drinkers.

Drinks Trends Through The Years

Drinking and everything that comes with it is constantly changing as the world does the same, so what are the biggest trends we’ve noticed?

Colin looks at the gin craze that began in the late 90s and shows no sign of slowing down, despite the prediction every year that it will! He also recommends the fabulous Audemus Pink Pepper Gin by the way – sweet and spicy and a big hit of pepper on the nose!

Helena takes us through the rise of CBD drinks and how brands like Goodrays, OTO, Tripp and INTUNE have overcome misconceptions to produce super-popular drinks with big benefits. Check out our Best CBD Drinks if this is something you want to explore, especially over the gloomy winter period!

Down with the kids as ever, Aidy talks about the super sweet drinks captivating younger drinkers. Think Smirnoff Ice, WKD, VK etc. (‘etc’ isn’t one by the way, even if it sounds like one!) Tasting almost indistinguishable from fizzy drinks, they’re many drinkers’ first experience of booze and something that Aidy was partial to in his youth ;)

Favourite Part of our Scotch TV Show

The Three Drinkers have got up to all sorts filming the show, and discuss their favourite moments, from missing Land Rovers to Aidy falling on his face in a barley field. Good times indeed... not so much for Aidy.

Best Drinkers Discoveries

Helena praises Cream Liqueur, like the fantastic value-for-money Spice Ginger Biscuit Irish Cream Liqueur by Sainsbury’s. Aldi’s Ballycastle also gets a nod, and the Vegan Cream Liqueur by M&S more than meets everyone’s approval.

Colin’s discovery is Axia, an expertly crafted aromatic Mastiha from Greece that behaves like a gin or flavoursome vodka. It’s dry and versatile, so would be amazing in a Bloody Mary, Margarita, or even G&T equivalent!

Aidy draws attention to Bitters, and how just a drop or two can completely elevate a cocktail. Especially around Christmas, festive bitters like Cacao or Orange work amazingly to spark up a Martini, Sidecar or G&T!

How to Buy a Cask and What to Look Out For

Buying a cask is a cautious game so this is a must-hear segment for anyone thinking of getting involved in the new year! It’s packed full of advice on due diligence, red flags, green flags, and lots more! There’s even a top investment tip thrown in!

Mailbag

The all-important Mailbag – What should we be drinking Christmas morning?

Colin’s beloved whisky gets a mention even here!

Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 96

Episode 96 of the Bring a Bottle podcast is out now! There’s perfect bonfire booze, vegan OatNog, the new Monopoly game that could be the source of controversy, and some hilarious confessions thrown in for good measure! Listen in via the player below.

Our Guest Drinkers

Joining Aidy in this episode are two guests! Entrepreneur Jay Akbar is the brains behind the decanter concept Wolf Whiskey, but he also gets involved in boxing, bouldering and he’s even written his own book! Welcome, Jay! @wolf_whiskey_

Completing our line-up is Lewis Stairs, founder of the Sunday Cocktail Club Instagram account. By day, Lewis is into software and tech but by night he is a mixologist, experimenting with so many different drinks that he’s built a shed to house them all! Great to have you! @sundaycocktailclub

What’s In Our Glass?

We can’t get enough of the Glen Grant lately, and over the last few episodes, we’ve enjoyed both their 10 and 12 year old single malt Scotch so it seems only right that this week it’s the 15 year old in our glasses! Matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, it’s eventually bottled at a hearty 50% ABV. It has a really well-rounded bold and fruity flavour profile and a rich vanilla oak char running throughout. It is a beautiful example of a classic Speyside whisky!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 50%
Find here: £59.95

Classic Highball Cocktail

For those wanting to mix it up, it would work really in an Old Fashioned, however, it would work equally well in a classic Whisky Highball. Recipe below!

Ingredients
50ml Glen Grant 15YO
Soda (to top up)
Freeze dried apple (garnish)

Method
Sometimes simple is best and topping up the Glen Grant with soda over ice and a nice garnish (the apple works incredibly well) lets the amazing flavour of this whisky shine through.

Drinks News

Just in time for Christmas, a Napa Valley Monopoly has been released! The key wineries, restaurants, and landmarks of one of the most coveted wine regions in the world are all included, but will there also be controversy over who missed out?

The Perfect Cocktail for Bonfire Night – Toffee Apple Hot Toddy

This truly is a wonderfully warm cocktail for cool Autumn nights and perfect for sipping as you watch a bonfire crackle.

Ingredients
25ml toffee vodka
30ml bourbon
40ml apple juice
Splash of lemon (optional)
Cinnamon stick (garnish)

Method
All you’ve got to do is heat everything up and take it with you in a flask! Only add the lemon if you enjoy a slightly sour edge, but we think it pairs nicely. Let it sit for a while to infuse the cinnamon and enjoy! You can check out Lewis making it here.

Buy it or Bin it

We try a switch up on the festive classic of Eggnog this week. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla intertwine with rum and oat milk to create Oatnog! Black Lines Drinks have created this vegan alternative to be enjoyed hot or cold this Christmas, and for every bottle sold, they’re donating 5 meals to Londoners in need, so try it and see what you think!

Size: 750ml
ABV: 6%
Find here: £20

If you enjoyed these snippets then make sure you listen in to the rest of the episode here.

The Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 86

It’s that time again and this week we have a very special podcast for you as we are joined by the fabulous Bruce and Paramjit Nagra, owners and producers of Crazy Gin, as we talk about some rather risqué drinks news, what it is like to be a woman in the drinks industry and a wine brand doing good. We also sample a very questionable drink in ‘Buy it or Bin it’ and of course, sip away on Crazy Gin’s Lassi and Punjabi Chai gin! Listen in via the player below for all this and more!

What’s in our glass

First up is the Lassi Gin. Thought up after a bad Indian takeaway, the idea behind this gin was to create a British Indian fusion drink just like there is British Indian food. It pushes flavours together that people wouldn’t normally associate working together and wow if it doesn’t do just that! The main botanicals are turmeric, coriander and black pepper, as well as juniper, pomegranate, black cumin and yoghurt. Then whole thing is also fat washed with ghee leading to a really smooth gin that you can enjoy neat at 41%. We reckon it would work beautifully in a martini and equally well in a G&T with for example, a coriander garnish!

Size: 500ml
ABV: 41%
Find here: £39.95

The second gin we sip on is the Punjabi Chai Gin, another very tasty gin, this one taking inspiration from their Grandma’s secret Chai tea recipe. It has botanicals of vanilla, black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, juniper and black pepper and is fat washed with coconut. It also has a unique colour derived from the use of not just any old saffron but ultrasonic saffron!

Size: 500ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £39.95

Drinks News

There’s nothing like having a pint at a pub and company ‘Nothing on Events’ have taken this well-loved past time one step further, introducing naked pub meets! First held in Guildford, Surrey, the aim behind these meet-ups is to put an end to body shaming. Listen in to see whether we’ll be participating…

Buy it or bin it

This week’s wonderful treat for our buy or bin it segment is a warm no-low drink. It’s vegetal, smoky and seaweed-y. It’s very earthy and has a taste of kale and spinach to it. ‘What is it?!’ we hear you ask, why it is organic, premium ‘Duckshit’ tea from the Guangdong province in China! The question is who decided to buy it and who is binning it?!

Drinks Doing Good

We love a good chat about drinks that do good and this week we are giving a shout out to wine brand ‘Madame F’ as they have donated money to the founding and building of Britain’s first LGBTQIA+ museum, Queer Britain. That’s not all though, they are also holding a yearly bottle design competition where they give a cash grant to artists from the LGBTQ+ people to help them explore their artistic nature and the winner then has their art placed on the bottle.

Mailbag

Finally, it wouldn’t be a podcast without one of your mailbag questions and this week we tackle ‘What is London Dry Gin?!’ Listen in to hear the answer!

If you want to listen in to more of our podcasts just follow this link!

The Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 84

Welcome back to another episode of our Bring a Bottle podcast! This week we chat about tasty mixers for your rum, give a shoutout to brand new vodka brand, Vodka 4 Peace, taste test a drink that looks like alcoholic pink chocolate milk in buy it or bin it and Aidy catches up with the wonderful Briget from Étän Rum! Listen in to hear all this and more via the player below!

What’s in our glass?

We’re taste-testing mixers for rum this week and we’ve got our hands back on Franklin and Sons Pineapple and Almond soda*. When you drink this mixer on its own the pineapple really stands out, however, we found that when mixing it with rum there is a real marzipan note to it as the pineapple is toned down and the almond shines through. The mixer itself is a great drink to enjoy if you just fancy a nice drink that isn’t alcoholic but we’re curious to see what it would taste like with mezcal…

Size: 200ml
Find here: £17.50 for 24 bottles

* For our American friends, soda in the UK is flavoured water.

Drinks doing Good

We love to shout out about drinks brands that are doing good and this week we’re putting Vodka 4 Peace in the spotlight. Set up by peace-loving entrepreneurs including Anastasiia Rosinina who was forced to leave Ukraine this year, the brand has been created to help Ukrainians in need and to support humanitarian organisations worldwide. The vodka itself is a premium grain-based vodka, triple-distilled under German quality standards and 100% of all the profits made from sales will go to charities to help until 2026 with £5 from every bottle also being donated.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £29.90

Personal News

Helena has been busy helping Wines of New Zealand with their petition to get a white wine emoji. You can find out more here. Aidy on the other hand has been getting into the art of journaling!

Buy it or Bin it

Buy it or bin it is back and this week we have a drink that looks like alcoholic pink chocolate milk and smells like raspberry blancmange! ‘What is it?!’ we hear you ask… it is in fact, Dead Man’s Fingers Raspberry Rum Cream Liqueur! A definite guilty pleasure, this would taste amazing poured over ice cream, be that vanilla, strawberry or chocolate!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 17%
Find here: £15 

Third Drinker

Aidy catches up with Briget, one of the five fabulous sisters behind rum brand Étän, to discuss where the idea of Étän rum came from, what it tastes like, the BEST street food you can find in Cameroon and the most underrated rum cocktail you need to try. Listen in to find out more and if you want to get your hands on a bottle of Étän rum, here are the details…

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £40

Mailbag

Finally, it wouldn’t be a Bring a Bottle podcast without one of your fantastic mailbag questions. This week you asked ‘What are the differences between light and dark rum?’.

Listen in to all this, and a whole lot more, by clicking on this link!