Thursday Club with Talk Radio: Festive Aperitifs

We’re feeling festive today on the Thursday Club! Here is an eclectic mix of delicious drinks, all perfect for this time of year. We’ve a flavoured gin, a spiced rum and a fortified wine.

Hortus Rhubarb & Ginger Gin (37.5%)

If you’re looking for something to elevate your G&Ts there’s something seriously moreish about this tangy rhubarb number. Try it with a Mediterranean tonic and a slice or add it to cocktails. The Hortus gin and gin liqueur range from Lidl is showcasing some delicious flavours at the moment. 

Find it at Lidl from £14.99

Liberté Spiced Rum (40%)

Spiced rum is quite simply a rum that has been flavoured in some way, either with fruit, spices or herbs. This one features a blend of Trinidadian and Dominican rums aged in ex-bourbon casks. Smelling sweet but finishing drier than you would expect, this is all about coffee bean and cocoa powder, vanilla, orange peel and cinnamon. Good enough to sip alone and excellent in a dark and stormy.

Find it at Lidl for £14.99

Malamado Fortified Malbec (18%)

This is a top end Malbec red wine made in a style similar to port. ​​Wine is fermented as normal but stopped early to keep the residual sugar, then fortified with grape spirit to 18%. Fermented aged for just over two years in aged French oak. Soft and dark purple with notes of dried fig, blueberry nuts and baking spice. Try it mixed for a different kind if aperitif:

15 ml Malamado Malbec,

25 ml Aperol

15 ml Red vermouth

25 ml Grapefruit juice

Find it for £15.99 for 75cl from TasteArgentina.co.uk, Field & Fawcett, NY wines.

£9 for 50cl from various supermarkets.

Best Flavoured Gins For Your Money

Words by Colin Hampden-White

There is a lot of gin on offer at the moment and many of them are flavoured. Like many drinks, however, some feel better in our glass at certain times of the year. We consider Pimm’s to be a summer drink for example, along with rosé wine and elderflower on the non-alcoholic side. In the same way with gin, most people would leave a spiced gin for Christmas time but are more likely to enjoy a flavoured gin in the summer. So without further ado, here are some of our favourite flavoured gins to enjoy this summer.

Gordon's Sicilian Lemon Distilled Gin

Gordons make a classic gin and this gin has all the DNA of its better known brother, but with a twist of lemon. The lemon flavours are lovely and fresh - perfect for a warm summer day. With Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic, this gin is a delight. Rather than a slice of Lemon try using some rosemary as a garnish to give some extra spring in its step, or a sugar rim to add some sweetness.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 37.5%
Find it here: £14 

Beefeater Pink Strawberry Flavoured Gin

Strawberries are one of the first fruits of summer and make us immediately think of warmer weather, Wimbledon and cream tea by the seaside. This gin encapsulates all that in a glass. It goes well with tonic but is also very fresh with some soda water and a few slices of strawberry as a garnish to give it an extra boost.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 37.5%
Find it here: £14.00

Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb and Ginger Gin Liqueur

One would normally associate ginger with autumn, but this little number is all about summer. The ginger is fresh and the rhubarb gives lovely red fruit flavours. At 20% it is a little sweeter than a gin with more alcohol and makes a fabulous long drink with tonic, soda, or even lemonade. It’s a great lower alcohol option for the lengthening days. 

Size: 500ml
ABV: 20%
Find it here: £16.50

Malfy Con Arancia (Blood Orange), Italian Gin

As fruits and flowers continue to ripen over the summer months, the aromas in the air begin to concentrate and this gin is all about concentration. The blood orange flavours are very concentrated, but fresh in flavour not confected. Sip it over ice with soda and a sprig of thyme to be transported to the south coast of Italy where this gin hails from. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 41%
Find it here: £25

Zymurgorium Turkish Delight Gin

Much like the roses that are now in full bloom, this gin gives a sense of a true British summer. At 18.8% it has a sweet touch just like the sugar dusting on Turkish delight. This gin is an absolute delight mixed with Fentimans tonic and garnished with a slice of grapefruit.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 18.8%
Find it here: £16.89 

Kopparberg Premium Gin Strawberry and Lime

This is the second Strawberry gin on our list, but it has a twist with fresh zesty lime flavours added in. A slice of lime is best to add to this drink. It will be good with most tonics as long as they are not too sweet, but we think Barker and Quin Hibiscus works very well and adds to the complexity in the glass.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 37.5%
Find it here: £16

Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Distilled Gin

Our favourite gin on this list is this one. The flavours are so fresh one could have imagined the oranges squeezed in and the floral flavours are complex and lively across the palate. We like to keep this bottle in the freezer and sip it slowly neat over ice to while away the warm summer evenings.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 41.3%
Find it here: £17

Miniature Gin Set (Pack of 8)

If you haven’t tried many flavoured gins yet, then this little sample pack may just be the thing for you. Try out eight flavours here and discover which of them you like the most before buying a full bottle. These are lovely with soda, tonic or simply over ice as non of them are particularly strong.

ABV: 23-27%
Size: 400ml
Find it here: £29.95

If you’d like to read more about fancy gins, then head over to Aidy’s article on the most luxurious gins on the planet.