Is Johnnie Walker Blonde the Perfect First Whisky?

Very few take to whisky on the first sip which is why many dram debutants quickly disregard it, leaving them completely puzzled about what all the fuss is for. If anyone has an interest in changing that, it should be the world’s best selling Scotch blend Johnnie Walker – introducing, ‘Blonde’.

We’ve covered the iconic colours of Johnnie Walker before, and from their complex black label to their sweeter gold, they have been slowly diversifying their range. This blonde bombshell is a blend of whiskies from Cameronbridge and Cardhu that are then matured in American oak giving the whisky delicious notes of toffee and caramel, as well as sweet fruit and vanilla. 

Not only is this specifically made to be a surprisingly sweet scotch, but it’s also one of the most versatile. Whilst it isn’t likely to offer the more seasoned whisky drinkers much in the way of neat sipping, it is ‘made to be mixed’. As a refreshing whisky lemonade or in most whisky cocktails, Johnnie Blonde truly comes into its own. 

By responding to, ‘a change in who’s ordering whisky, and how they’re drinking it’ as brand ambassador Tim Phillips-Johansson said, the hope is that this light and sweet scotch will win more drinkers around from the off, who then fall in love with whisky and go on to explore more challenging and complex flavour profiles – a well-trodden path indeed, and one that many of you might recognise yourself?

So, if you’ve simply never got on with whisky or you just want to try something a bit different, then a bottle of Blonde might surprise you. 

You can find it here for £27.88. If your scotch experiment goes well, then you might want to dive deeper into the world of whisky and explore some of Johnnie Walker’s other colours! You can find our breakdown of those here. 

Oh, one last thing - definitely let us know if Blonde has turned out to be your whisky breakthrough! And congratulations, a whole new world awaits you!

The Perfect Christmas Gift: Wine And Whisky Region Jigsaws

Buying gifts for wine and whisky lovers can be a daunting prospect. The truth is that many of the gadgets out there that propose to ‘change the way you drink forever’ end up gathering dust in a dark corner of your home. They might not work as well as you expected, or you realise they’re nothing more than a novelty. Either way, we think we can do better!

Under the guidance of games developer Ginger Fox, Puzzle Cru have come up with an alternative – beautifully crafted hand-drawn wine and whisky jigsaws. Created by Rebecca Gibb, one of only 418 Masters of Wine in the world, each jigsaw is a map of a particular region showing the finest drinks produced there.

Rebecca said, “The original inspiration came to me in 2016 when I was doing a jigsaw of a map and wondered if anyone had ever done puzzles of wine regions. The answer was ‘no’. Cue the birth of my wine jigsaw puzzle range.”

Relaxing, satisfying, and educational too – what’s not to like?

Take the ‘Wines of Italy’ jigsaw, you can explore Italy’s wonderfully illustrated landmarks from the Alps to Sicily and uncover the diverse wines of each region along the way. Whether the sparkling reds of Lambrusco or the Moscato d’Asti of Piedmont, as assemble the 1000 pieces, you’ll learn a surprising amount about each area and have fun doing it too.

Making up the rest of the puzzles collection are the Wines of France, The Wines of Spain and Portugal, and the Whiskies of Scotland. By the way, the whisky jigsaw is a slightly easier challenge at just 500 pieces so that might help those who want to drink as they go ;)

For more information and close-ups of the charming maps, you can go to Ginger Fox Games here. All four are also available on Amazon, priced at £17.99 except the Whiskies of Scotland which is slightly cheaper £12.99.

The ideal gift for the wine or whisky lovers out there, or maybe just for you? Why not treat yourself?

Could You Drink Mustard Gin?!

Continuing his exploration into gin after his ‘Asian Parsnip’ concoction, television presenter James May has announced his latest unusual gin – American Mustard!

Surprisingly, in the United States itself, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau have very recently banned James May from calling it, ‘American Mustard’ because it isn’t literally a mustard, and apparently people might get confused. As baffling as that is, whilst the ‘American Mustard’ name stays for everyone else, in America it will be printed as, ‘American Ramstud’ –which you might have instantly spotted is an anagram for mustard – crafty!

Yellow mustard seeds are the front and centre botanical, but the American hot dog and burger theme is bolstered by the inclusion of gherkin and tomato too. These experimental flavours sit on a more familiar botanical base including orange, rosemary, angelica root, liquorice, coriander seed, bay and of course, that beautiful juniper. All in all, you can expect a very unique flavour profile with a subtle spice on your tongue and a warmth in your belly, so it could shape up to be a very nice cold evening gin indeed.

It wasn’t just the flavour that caused May to pick mustard, but what it represents, saying, “It is more conceptual; an abstract signifier of America’s greatness. In producing this gin, I am acknowledging the UK’s debt to the Land of the Free and celebrating the special relationship our two nations enjoy.”

The initial release of 500 bottles sold out but not to worry if you’re intrigued and want to get your hands on some the gin has now been officially launched. you can buy the 40% ABV bottle from the James Gin website for £39.

We haven’t managed to try it just yet but we have a feeling mustard could be very hit or miss. If you have managed to get your hands on a bottle, do reach out to us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and let us know what you thought!

The Three Drinkers In Ireland Wins Award For ‘Cultural Contribution To The Spirits Industry’

The Three Drinkers are delighted to announce that their TV series The Three Drinkers in Ireland has won the award for ‘Cultural Contribution to the Spirits Industry’ at The Spirits Business Awards 2022.

WHAT ARE THE SPIRITS BUSINESS AWARDS?

The Spirits Business Awards is an annual, global competition, established in 2019 with the aim of rewarding the people and brands that are doing great things across the industry. There are multiple categories in the awards including celebrating retailers, distributors, marketers, brands, distillers, blenders, and more.

Aidy Smith from The Three Drinkers says “We are absolutely delighted to have been recognised for this award as this is exactly what we had hoped to achieve. When we made this show the idea was to move away from the intimidation that is all too often wrapped around drinks on TV. No abundance of swirling glasses and mundane tasting notes, just some friends on a journey exploring a world they have such a deep rooted passion for while getting to know the region they’re in through travel, food and tourism.”

WHO ARE THE THREE DRINKERS?

The Three Drinkers are drinks experts, writers and broadcasters Helena Nicklin and Aidy Smith, joined by a deliciously diverse revolving roster of ‘third drinker’ guests. As well as this, their second Amazon Three Drinkers TV series, they also produce the popular ‘Bring a Bottle’ podcast, run the drink, travel and lifestyle-focused online magazine thethreedrinkers.com and have a growing social media/influencer presence (@thethreedrinkers @HelenaSips @Sypped).

MORE ABOUT THE THREE DRINKERS IN IRELAND

The Three Drinkers in Ireland is an aspirational, gastronomic journey through the picturesque island of Ireland. Drinks experts Aidy Smith and Helena Nicklin with special guests Beth Brickenden and Eulanda Shead-Osagiede explore a variety of Irish drinks, from whiskey, gin and poitín to cider and Irish cream, take a deep dive into Ireland’s incredible food scene and showcase some traditional activities such as bog snorkelling, cheesemaking, eel fishing and Irish dancing.

The Three Drinkers returned to our screens in March this year with a brand new, six-part series on Amazon Prime called ‘The Three Drinkers in Ireland’.

Mara Barrat from Bord Bia says “Ireland is renowned for producing high quality, sustainable food and drink. So, it is really important that we work with the right partners to showcase this to the world. Working with The Three Drinkers was excellent as through their global reach, production expertise and innovative production style, we are able to demonstrate the premium quality and sustainability of Irish produce and furthermore tell the story of the passion, love and craftsmanship of Irish food and drink producers. We are also very excited about what this series will do for Irish food and drinks tourism."

Julie Wakley, Head of GB at Tourism Ireland says: “Tourism Ireland was delighted to work with The Three Drinkers, to create this exciting new series. With many people set to watch the series on Amazon Prime and beyond, it promises to be a great way to shine a spotlight on Ireland’s great food and drink offering, rich culture and spectacular landscapes.”

The series is available worldwide on Amazon Prime Video and you can now also watch episodes of the series on major airlines such as British Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Iberia, Aer Lingus and more.

Bar Douro

Picture this: It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon and you are in search of the perfect place for an end-of-week treat that won’t break the bank. We have the perfect place for you! Tucked away in the Southwark Quarter by London Bridge is Bar Douro; a Portuguese bar and restaurant. The restaurant is small, intimate and cosy - ideal for rainy days sipping on a glass of red. There is also an outdoor terrace, which is great in the summer.

The menu has various traditional Portuguese tapas divided into 4 sections: snacks, garden, sea and land. These dishes are meant for sharing and the waitress recommended two to three plates per person. What we loved was that she also gave her recommendations based on what reminded her of home - a great personal touch! There is quite a wide price range, from £5 to £17, so you can choose how much you want to splurge on food. Our favourite dishes were the mushroom pie (a new addition to the menu) and the croquetes de alheira.

Now onto the exciting part - the wine. The extensive cellar list is filled with Portuguese wines organised by colour and then by region. This can naturally be confusing if you are not familiar with Portuguese wine regions, so a handy map is included, which also explains the key characteristics of the grapes. What filled us with even more excitement is that on Sundays, Bar Douro has a selection of wines sold at cellar prices (what they are calling “Festa Sundays”). We tried the Domino Foxtrot 2020, a beautiful light red from the Alentejo region for only £20. This wine was a light-bodied, easy drinking red, with notes of ripe red fruits, and went well with the wide variety of dishes we tried. 

Bar Douro is ideal for: Date night, or dinner with a friend. Due to the smaller space, we wouldn’t recommend large groups (4+)

Ambience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Range: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall: 9/10

To see more reviews, click here!

Words by Hannah van Houweninge.

Christina’s Shoreditch

In the heart of Shoreditch is Christina’s; a luxurious bar on the ground floor of the Mondrian Hotel and with their new cocktail menu, it should be at the top of your “to visit” list!

The bar itself is beautifully decorated and on opening the menu, it’s sure to be love at first sight. The new selection of drinks has been curated by the head bartender, Kevin Price Houghton, and focuses on using smaller producers, most of which are UK based. Kevin has also worked with less traditional ingredients such as alexander seed and rosehip. His goal was to make these unusual ingredients more ‘relatable’ by using them in classic cocktails.

The perfect example of this is the Hogweed Martini; a beautifully smooth cocktail, with the added twist of the hogweed, as well as a pickled radish garnish. If you are in the mood for something slightly sweeter though, the Rosehip Cosmo is also a great choice; especially as it has a tangier fruitiness compared to the ‘normal’ cosmo we are all used to. The cocktails range from £13-£15, so they’re slightly on the pricier side, but worth every penny for their flair and character.

The menu also has a great selection of mocktails (£10 each) for anyone who wants to enjoy something delicious without the alcohol buzz. If you’re in the mood for something warmer though, they offer a large array of coffees, lattes, and teas. The tea company used, Nemi teas is also based locally in London. 

Once drinks are ordered, you might be feeling a bit peckish and Christina’s has various artisanal toasted sandwiches and nibbles to choose from. Prices range from £4-£10 and for any fellow vegetarians out there, the Korean Fried Cauliflower (KFC) is mouth-wateringly delicious!

The bar is calmer during the day and can be used for working lunches if you need to get out of your WFH office set-up. Then from around 6pm onwards, it starts filling up, and the music picks up the pace. Currently, on Thursdays and Fridays, there is also a DJ that starts his/her set at 8:30 pm. What more could you ask for in a bar? It covers all bases.

Christina’s is ideal for: Girl’s night, anniversaries, dates and after work drinks.

Ambience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value:  ⭐⭐⭐
Range:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall: 9/10

Words by Hannah van Houweninge

Dr Pepper's New Limited Edition Bourbon Flavoured Drink

Whiskey purists among you may deem it blasphemous to mix such a complex concoction with Dr Pepper, but there are many that do. So many in fact, that Dr Pepper have now launched their own combination!

It has to be said at this point that whilst bourbon flavours the drink, it isn’t alcoholic. It’s advertised as containing notes of oak, vanilla, honey, and cherry, and whilst we haven’t managed to get our hands on any just yet to vouch for this (you’ll see why if you keep reading), we’re intrigued. 

If you stumbled across it on the supermarket shelves you probably wouldn’t notice it as Dr Pepper at all because it’s a very nicely designed silver can with a vintage label, resembling the bourbon bottles of years gone by. However, you probably won’t be finding it in supermarkets anytime soon because there are a few hoops to jump through if you want to get your hands on a can.

In short, you have to win one. If you sign up for Dr Pepper’s rewards, you’ll be able to play a completely free scratch card that will tell you if you’ve won. There are lots of other rewards too if you happen to already be a regular buyer of the original. You’ll have to be quick though, as you only have till November 17th. 

If your luck is in and you do win one, the Fansville Reserve will arrive in a very nice-looking burgundy gift box, and if what’s inside does legitimately taste of bourbon, then it could be amazing for adding subtle whiskey flavouring to drinks without the extra alcohol or to make some first class mocktails. 

When Dr Pepper announced their latest creation, some people responded with revulsion, whilst others desperately want it stocked in supermarkets – which camp do you fall into?

If you’ve tried some then don’t be shy, reach out to us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter to let us know what you thought!

And if you want to be in it to win it, here’s the link! Good luck!

Au Vodka – The Most Talked About Vodka in The World?

If you’re not on social media you might never come across Au Vodka, but since launching in 2016 they’ve been making huge waves in the vodka pool. Through TikTok fame, endorsements from the famous, ‘Gold Gang’ and on-trend innovations like colour changing vodka, they’ve become one of the most talked about premium vodka brands.

Now, if you turn your minds back to Secondary School chemistry, you might remember that Au is the chemical element for Gold. So, if you’ve seen their all striking all gold bottle (or the two gold Lamborghinis on their website), that will make sense. Welsh duo Charlie Morgan and Jackson Quinn thought up the brand in 2015, and over the last few years, it has exploded. By the way, if you follow football, you may know Charlie Morgan better as the ball boy who was infamously kicked by ex-Chelsea star Eden Hazard in 2013. So, it seems he has a knack for going viral, whatever the means!

Charlie gained some profile from this, and with rap DJ Charlie Sloth on board too, Au picked up the pace (ironic for a sloth). With his connections, he established The Gold Gang, an extensive list of well-known ambassadors including AJ Tracey, Big Narstie, Headie One and Tion Wayne to name a few.

Innovations like becoming the first colour changing vodka in the UK have kept Au on people’s lips in more ways than one. Their new Bubblegum flavour begins blue but add a little lemonade and you get a vibrant purple! Pretty cool and perfect for Halloween.

It’s not just the rappers, packaging and bubble gum bamboozling that’s getting attention either, it’s the vodka itself. It’s a 5 times distilled vodka, filtered through charcoal before being put through a high-pressure gold filter chamber! No expense is spared here.

If you want to taste ‘the gold standard’ of vodka and see why it’s getting so much online traction, it’s available for around the £30 mark here and in most supermarkets.

For those wanting to read more vodka news, make sure you check out The World’s Best Vodka in 2022 or if you fancy a martini tonight then The Best Value Vodkas for Martinis is a great place to head.