One Drink, Three Ways: Franklin and sons Mandarin and Ginger Soda

One Drink, Three Ways is the signature feature by The Three Drinkers. Join The Three Drinkers’ Helena, Aidy and Colin as they take one bottle and create a trio of phenomenal serves which you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. From rums and whiskies to gins and wine styles, the three help you get the most out of your glass. It’s time to get liquid on lips.

Franklin & Sons create tonic waters, soda, premixed cans and soft drinks. Founded in London in 1886 they are pioneers in the soft drinks space, seeking out only the best natural ingredients to create unique flavoured drinks. From Rosemary and Black olive tonic to Guava and Lime soda, there are tons of options to enjoy with your favourite mixers or to just sip neat. Today we are sharing with you three of our favourite mocktails/cocktails using Franklin & Sons Mandarin and Ginger soda.

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Helena’s Choice: The Lowball

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The Lowball

Ingredients

50ml Everleaf Forest

20ml Orange & Fennel Cordial

120ml Franklin & Sons Mandarin & Ginger Soda

We all love a cocktail but sometimes you want to drink something that’s tasty without the added alcohol and so I’m mixing things up a bit this time and going for a no-low option. This cocktail is zesty and refreshing with a beautiful warm spicy finish. The perfect drink for a warm summer night. 
Method: Pour all the ingredients (excluding the soda) into a highball glass and then add ice and top with the Mandarin & Ginger Soda. Gently stir to mix.

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Aidy’s Choice: The Northern Mule

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The Northern Mule

Ingredients

50ml Spirit of Manchester Gin

15ml Lime Juice

10ml Ginger Syrup

120ml Franklin & Sons Mandarin & Ginger Soda

Being from up North it would be wrong not to give this beauty a shout out! A twist on the classic Mule, this version uses gin instead of the traditional vodka making for a very light and refreshing Summer drink. 
Method: Pour all the ingredients (excluding the soda) into a mule mug, add ice, and top with the Mandarin & Ginger Soda. Gently stir to mix and garnish with a sprig of mint and crystallised ginger.

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Colin’s Choice: Old Fashioned Spritz

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Old Fashioned Spritz

Ingredients

50ml Woodford Reserve

15ml Demerara Syrup

3ml Angostura Bitters

150ml Franklin & Sons Mandarin & Ginger Soda

I love an Old Fashioned and would possibly go as far as to say it is one of the best whisky cocktails around. The addition of the Mandarin and Ginger soda in this spritz version transports this traditionally wintery drink into a cocktail that is a delight to sip on a balmy Summer evening. The bitterness of the cocktail works harmoniously with the soda giving it an edge of sweetness that will keep you coming back for more.
Method: Pour all the ingredients into a highball glass, stir and top with Franklin & Sons Mandarin & Ginger Soda. Garnish with orange peel and a cherry.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not check out One Drink, Three Ways: Wine Cocktails with Barefoot Wine, One Drink, Three Ways: The Macallan 12YO Double Cask or One Drink, Three Ways: Remy Martin VSOP Cognac?

One Drink, Three Ways: Wine Cocktails with Barefoot Wine

One Drink, Three Ways is the signature feature by The Three Drinkers. Join The Three Drinkers’ Helena, Aidy and Colin as they take one bottle and create a trio of phenomenal serves which you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. From rums and whiskies to gins and wine styles, the three help you get the most out of your glass. It’s time to get liquid on lips.

Barefoot believes that wine should never be taken too seriously and that no one should ever be judged by the flavours they prefer. A truly inclusive wine brand, Barefoot prides itself on supporting good people and good causes, giving back to marginalised communities through charity events and creative partnerships. With their large choice of red, white, pink, bubbly and even canned wines, there is something in the range for everyone, so grab a glass, taste and experiment! Who says you can’t substitute spirits for wine?

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Helena’s Choice: The Pinot-Colada

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The Pinot-Colada

Ingredients

250ml Barefoot Pinot Grigio

40ml Coconut rum (or rum liqueur)

100ml Pineapple juice

Pineapple slices to garnish

Large wine glass

Nothing says summer more to me than a kiss of rum in a long drink and this Pinot-Colada recipe (see what we did there) brings together the refreshing, pear and baked apple notes of Pinot Grigio with tropical pineapple and rum vibes. It’s a fiesta in a glass! Method: Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all the liquid ingredients together for a long, wet shake. Next, pour everything into the glass, including the ice. Garnish with a slice of pineapple and a stripey straw. Cheers! Cocktail umbrella optional.

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Aidy’s Choice: The Barefoot Paloma

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The Barefoot Paloma

Ingredients

90ml Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc

75ml Fresh grapefruit juice or Grapefruit soda

15ml Fresh lime juice

Sugar syrup to taste

Salt & lime wedge (optional)

Highball glass

You know how much I love a Paloma and this wine-based version has knocked my socks off. Traditionally made with Tequila, this version replaces that tang of Mexico’s iconic spirit with the grassy, citrus vibes of Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc with the grapefruit juice. Perfect for those less keen on spirits but searching for a long cocktail. Method: Cut a lime and rub the juice around the rim of the glass. Next, fill it to the top with ice, then pour in the Sauvignon Blanc, grapefruit juice, lime juice and sugar syrup. Stir well, then garnish with a lime wedge. Ta-da! A great alternative for Cinco de Mayo or any time of the year. 

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Colin’s Choice: Summer Sangria

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Summer Sangria

Ingredients

1 x 750ml Bottle of chilled Barefoot Jammy Red

225ml Pomegranate juice

60ml White Rum

50g Pomegranate seeds

1 x Sliced apple

1 x Sliced orange

2 x Cinnamon sticks

Jugs

There’s not much more fun than a jug of sangria on a hot day at a party and this version is sensational in the sunshine, combing real, fresh fruit and spices with one of Barefoot’s unashamedly bold and beautiful, soft and fruity reds. Simply double up the recipe to batch this sangria by the jug! Method: Ridiculously quick and simple, pour the whole bottle of chilled Barefoot Jammy Red wine into the jug along with the rum and pomegranate juice and stir. Next, throw in the sliced fruit and seeds before stirring again. Pour into a highball or wine glass and enjoy!

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not check out One Drink, Three Ways: Tanqueray Gin, One Drink, Three Ways: Glenturret Triple Wood or One Drink, Three Ways: Cocchi Vermouth di Torino?

One Drink, Three Ways: Noilly Prat Original Dry Vermouth

One Drink, Three Ways is the signature feature by The Three Drinkers. Join The Three Drinkers’ Helena, Aidy and Colin as they take one bottle and create a trio of phenomenal serves which you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. From rums and whiskies to gins and wine styles, the three help you get the most out of your glass. It’s time to get liquid on lips.

Originally used as a tonic for medical purposes, a vermouth is wine that has been infused by botanicals and fortified with spirit. It can be dry or sweet, red or white and currently, most vermouth comes from France and Italy, though we are starting to see other brands appear globally. Noilly Prat is the original French vermouth and their dry white is the benchmark. Created in the fishing village of Marseillan in the south of France using local grapes high in acidity such as Picpoul, grape juice is part-fermented, then fortified to 18% to keep the sweetness. After that, some of the liquid is aged in casks inside and some outside in the elements, allowing a slow oxidation to take place. The two are blended, then macerated with a herbs and spices for several weeks before resting and bottling.

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Helena’s Choice: The Original Apéro

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The Original Apéro

Ingredients

Tumbler or wine glass

50ml Noilly Prat Original Dry Vermouth

Lemon or lime slice and /or rosemary sprig

Ice

Perrier water to taste

In the heat of the south of France, simplicity is king and it's easy to forget that with Noilly Prat Original Dry, you don’t actually need anything at all other than a large chunk of ice, a twist of lemon and if you can rustle one up, a lovely view. If you’re particularly thirsty, you could spritz it up with some Perrier water. Serve as an aperitif before any meal or more drinks and it’s the ideal way to cleanse the palate. I like mine with a sprig of rosemary too for that extra southern French je ne sais quoi.

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Aidy’s Choice: The Vodka Martini

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The Vodka Martini

Ingredients

Martini Glass

25ml Noilly Prat Original Dry Vermouth

25ml Grey Goose Vodka

Dash of orange bitters

Twist of lemon

No vermouth, no Martini. It really is such a key player in this classic cocktail and Noilly Prat is the go-to. My recommendation is to have 50% vodka (I like Grey Goose) to 50% vermouth, stirred together simply in a mixing glass over ice, then poured into a cool glass. Add a dash of orange bitters if you’re feeling a bit crazy and garnish with lemon. It’s simple and super elegant.

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Colin’s Choice: The Pink Daisy

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The Yellow Daisy

Ingredients

Nick & Nora glass

30ml Noilly Prat Original Dry Vermouth

30ml Gin

5ml Triple Sec

5ml Pastis

Maraschino cherry or Rosemary to garnish

Ice cubes

Going a little left-field with the vermouth cocktail here, there’s a surprising combination we discovered recently that just works and will appease those Martini drinkers who prefer gin to vodka. The Pink Daisy is an explosion of French flavours from the vermouth to the pastis and the triple sec and it looks rather glamorous too. Combine the wet ingredients in a mixing glass over ice, stir, strain and pour. The cherry gives it extra retro pizazz though if you’re not into that, rosemary works too!

If you like this, check out our other One Drink, Three Ways pieces on Macallan Whisky, Tanqueray Gin or Rémy Martin Cognac.

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One Drink, Three Ways: London Dry Gin (Tanqueray)

One Drink, Three Ways is the signature feature by The Three Drinkers. Join The Three Drinkers’ Helena, Aidy and Colin as they take one bottle and create a trio of phenomenal serves which you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. From rums and whiskies to gins and wine styles, the three help you get the most out of your glass. It’s time to get liquid on lips.

April 9th is Gin & Tonic Day for some parts of the world, the US especially, but to us in the UK, it’s another great excuse to bust out some of our favourite gins! With lockdown due to the coronavirus, the drinks cabinet may be either running low or feeling a little samey, so we thought we’d share another One Drink, Three Ways to help you spice up your sipping. In this version, we’re going for a London Dry style of gin and there is no better, classic choice than Tanqueray.

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Helena’s Choice: The Negroni

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The Negroni

Ingredients

Rocks Glass or Tumbler

35ml (.75 oz) London Dry Gin (Tanqueray)

35ml (.75 oz) Red Vermouth

35ml (.75 oz) Campari

Ice

Orange wheel or twist garnish

A cheeky Negroni, though so simple to make, feels deliciously indulgent as the sun goes down and the kids pop off to bed. A classic recipe is to use the rule of thirds and take one part gin to one part vermouth and Campari. Simply pour over ice, stir and garnish with your orange wheel or orange twist to taste. Turns the lights low and the music up. Who needs to go out anyway?

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Aidy’s Choice: The Strawberry Sour

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The Strawberry Sour

Ingredients

50ml (1.75ml oz) London Dry Gin (Tanqueray)

25ml (0.9 oz) Lemon Juice

15ml (0.5 oz) Strawberry Syrup (we like Monin)

1 Egg white

One of my all time favourite cocktails is a Strawberry Gin Sour. The perfect amount of sweetness and acidity intertwine with this great quality gin and the smoothness from the egg white brings everything together. The best part is, they’re super easy to create but make you look like a total pro (it’s that egg white foam!). I’ll never get bored of these beauties. Whether rain, sun or snow, you can drink one whenever the hell you want! Add everything to shaker with ice, mix vigorously with your shake face, strain out the ice and shake one more time to emulsify. Fine strain into a cocktail glass.

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Colin’s Choice: Raspberry Lemon G&T

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Raspberry Lemon G&T

Ingredients

Copa glass

35ml (1.25 oz) London Dry Gin (Tanqueray)

85ml (3 oz) Mediterranean tonic

Ice

2 Lemon wedges

6 Fresh Raspberries

The whiff of spring we saw recently had many of us reaching for a Gin and Tonic. It’s the ultimate springtime sip and there are so many ways to change it up, often just by adding different garnishes. My current go-to version has a hefty chunk of lemon and a small handful of raspberries. Served in a large copa glass, you can keep the berries on the top, giving the drink an irresistible springtime aroma.

One Drink, Three Ways: Remy Martin VSOP Cognac

One Drink, Three Ways is the signature feature by The Three Drinkers. Join The Three Drinkers’ Helena, Aidy and Colin as they take one bottle and create a trio of phenomenal serves which you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. From rums and whiskies to gins and wine styles, the three help you get the most out of your glass. It’s time to get liquid on lips.

Many people may still be of the impression that cognac is just for old men playing Boules in the south of France, but they would be wrong. Cognac is having a comeback. This grape spirit made by twice-distilling wine is finding favour with a younger audience thanks to its soft, citrus and fudge notes and its incredible versatility. You can use any cognac for these recipes especially if it's a VSOP, but for these drinks, I’ve chosen Remy Martin as I find it particularly soft and fruity, with a delightful, orange citrus kick, making it perfect for cocktails or sipping alone. Here are three ways to drink it:

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Helena’s Choice: The Highball

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The Highball

Ingredients

Highball glass
25ml (.75 oz) Remy Martin VSOP cognac
50ml (2 oz) Ginger ale
Ice
Orange wheel or twist garnish (optional)

I discovered cognac and ginger as a simple, refreshing sip while on a recent trip out to the region. It’s ideal for when you want something more substantial than a Gin & Tonic with a richer, spicier flavour. My tip would be to use ginger ale rather than ginger beer or else it can be too sweet. Simply pour one part cognac and two parts mixer over ice and stir. Garnish with an orange wheel or twist to pep it up a bit.

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Aidy’s Choice: The SideCar

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The Sidecar

Ingredients

Coup or Nick & Nora glass
50ml (2 oz) Remy Martin VSOP cognac
25ml (.75 oz) Lemon juice
25ml (.75 oz) ) Orange liqueur (triple sec)

For me, there’s nothing quite like a SideCar to brighten up the day. It’s one of those cocktails that you can sip anytime of the year and never fails to bring excitement to my tastebuds! A great quality cognac can make or break this drink, so it’s important to choose wisely, in this case Remy’s VSOP. The orange liqueur (Triple Sec) is equally as important as it becomes the backing vocals of the song, so make sure to choose something with vibrant flavour. Play around with few different liqueurs as each brings something totally different to the party! Finally, I love nothing more than to serve these beauties to people who claim not to like cognac; you’d be surprised how many people I’ve converted! Add all items into a Boston glass or cocktail shaker with ice and shake well before straining into your cocktail glass.

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Colin’s Choice: French 75

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French 75

Ingredients

Champagne flute or coup
25ml (1.25 oz) Remy Martin VSOP cognac
10ml (.25 oz) Fresh lemon or orange juice
10ml (.25 oz) Simple syrup
Brut (dry) Champagne to taste
Shaker & ice
Lemon peel twist to garnish

This classic, aperitif recipe has an elegant, Parisian feel thanks to the bubbles. Be careful though; the combination of sugar and champagne will start your evening with a bang! If the lemon is a bit acidic  for you, you could try freshly squeezed orange juice, which works just as well. Combine all the ingredients bar the champagne into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a champagne flute or coup, then top up with the bubbles. Garnish with a twist of your lemon or orange peel. 

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This article was created in partnership with Remy Martin.

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How to Invest in Whisky

Words by Colin Hampden-White

Casks at Lagavulin distillery

As we finally recover from the colder weather in the UK, there is a parallel with the chilly investment market. Whisky warms not only the cockles on a cold day, but as the market for alternative investments has heated up, whisky offers potential in this arena too. Colin Hampden-White gives us the lowdown on how to invest in whisky...

Investing in whisky

There are two principle ways to invest in whisky: one is to invest in bottles. These can be old or new bottles, and the brand or distillery of bottle is important. Then come casks of whisky. In the case of casks, the distillery from which the whisky comes is of lesser importance. A good return, between 10% - 15%, can be made from whisky casks from almost any distillery, as the blended whisky market always needs them.

Investing in bottles of whisky

The challenge with bottles is that it’s difficult to invest serious money as you need an awful lot of them to make it worth investing at all. Finding the right bottles, at auction or new releases, takes time and expertise and even then, a return is not guaranteed and you really need to know your shallots from your onions.

Investing in whisky casks

Casks are a different prospect. As blenders will always need whisky, there is a stronger market for casks. Scotch whisky casks are a simple asset, held in bond in Scotland and no duty is levied whilst it stays in bond. As whisky is considered a depreciating asset, there is no capital gains payable on its sale. So how does one buy the right casks? Diversity is the key to good investment portfolio. Casks can be bought freshly-filled to well-aged. A cask at zero age is called a ‘new fill cask’. The liquid is called ‘new make spirit’ and will legally become whisky after three years and a day. Casks can also be bought at any age beyond. The casks become more expensive as they gain maturity and the rate of return grows exponentially the older it gets.

Another consideration is the type of oak the whisky is stored in. Whisky can be stored in what is known as a first fill a refill or a rejuvenated cask. Think of the cask like a tea bag. The first fill is like an unused tea bag which gives out lots of flavour. The refill is a lightly-dunked tea bag. This takes longer to impart flavour to the whisky. Whisky in a first fill cask may be very good for a return on a young whisky, say up to twelve years old. When buying an older cask, a refill will be much better. An old first fill cask may make the whisky taste too woody.

There are blended whiskies that like to have a good percentage of rejuvenated casks. These are much-used casks whose surface wood has little flavour left, so a couple of millimetres are shaved off the inside to expose active wood, ready for reuse. They have a different flavour profile, impart flavour at a similar rate to a first fill cask, so blenders can use the whisky earlier and they are less expensive.

Lastly there are two types of oak cask: European oak and American oak, providing the whisky with different flavours. American oak gives vanilla, coconut and sweeter flavours whilst European oak gives spicy and nutty flavours. European oak casks are much rarer in the industry and are more sought after. They are more expensive, but can give a great rate of return. Around 90% of the Scotch market uses American oak casks and 90% of Scotch sold around the world is blended whisky. So whisky from a European oak cask (ex-Sherry for example) is a sound bet. If the whisky is sold to an independent bottler rather than for blending, and perhaps further maturing before bottling, then a first fill European oak cask would be more desirable.

How do you find whisky casks to buy?

In general terms, the best investment would be a range of casks including new make and aged casks in a mixture of American and European oak. If you’re buying a very old cask or wanting a longer term investment, I would suggest a re-fill cask. So how and where do you find and buy casks? You can’t just rock up to a distillery and pop a cask in the boot. Whisky brokers only deal with the industry, however there are companies who can buy from brokers and do deal with private investors. Of course, you can find brokers on the internet. But for reliability of service and quality of product, you might look at The Whisky Market Ltd. I have been in the whisky industry for many years and have consulted to them for over five years, so they understand the market well.

So settle down one evening with a dram that’s old enough to vote and contemplate owning more than just a bottle or two. Here are some recommendations:

Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch 2

As we move through the batches of Tun 1509, past batches have sold out and become more valuable over time. Batch 7 is out, so finding this batch 2 on the market is a sure fire bet. In the UK batch 6 can still be found, but it won’t hang around for long.

Batch 2 USA
ABV: 50.3%
Size: 750ml
Buy it now for $499.99

Batch 6 UK
ABV: 50.4%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £300

Limited edition bottles of Kilchoman can also give good returns in the longer term. Here we have two possibilities. The first is still available in the USA and is sold out in most of Europe and is a vintage expression. By nature there will be only a certain amount of 2007 year old whisky at this age. The second is also a vintage, but from it’s bottling year rather than distillation year. Again as a limited, vintage release this will become rarer as time goes on.

Kilchoman vintage 2007 USA

ABV: 46%
Size: 750ml
Buy it now for $139.99

Kilchoman Fino 2020 UK

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £149.95

For further purchasing at retail, auction and casks these following companies are trusted and well known in their field.

Retail: thewhiskyexchange.com

Auction: scotchwhiskyauction.com & www.whisky.auction

Cask sales: www.casktrade.com