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.

Bring A Bottle Podcast: Episode 95

In Bring a Bottle Podcast Episode 95, Helena is joined by the fabulous founder of, ‘All Things Drinks’, Dimple Athavia. They chat about grape powered skincare, a liqueur that smells like baked cherry pie, Helena’s new wine slogan t-shirts and how to explore great wines on a budget! There are some really great recommendations in this episode too that you definitely won’t want to miss, so listen now!

OUR GUEST DRINKER

This week we’re joined by the lovely Dimple Athavia, a wine and spirits enthusiast who used her passion to set up ‘All Things Drinks’, an online drinks company specialising in curating a wonderfully varied selection of craft drinks. As the name suggests, they really do sell pretty much everything! They also want to create an inclusive community within the drinking world that goes beyond retail, educating and connecting those with the same passion. Cheers to that! @dimpsflavourgirl

WHAT’S IN OUR GLASS?

Last week we tried the Glen Grant 10-year-old, and this week it’s the older 12-year-old single malt Scotch that’s gracing our glasses. It has gorgeous vanilla aromas on the nose, and a hint of caramel alongside touches of spice to taste. This isn’t a peaty scotch at all, it’s smooth and gentle and a fantastic option for beginners wanting to try a classic Speyside Malt.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £39.94

Rob Roy Cocktail

Whisky is all too often buried in cocktails but using this fantastic Scotch in a Rob Roy allows it to be the star of the show. The warm vanilla flavours are very much in the limelight leading to a delicious and surprisingly light, cocktail.

Ingredients
40ml Glen Grant 12YO
20ml sweet white vermouth
A couple of dashes of angostura bitters
Maraschino cherry (garnish)

Method:
Shake everything with plenty of ice because dilution is key here. Finish with a gorgeous Maraschino cherry and voilà!

DRINKS NEWS

Did you know that grapes are used in skincare? Brad Pitt’s new, ‘Le Domaine’ range worked with Mirabeau to use grape skins and seeds in an effort to waste as little of the grape as possible. The science behind it is that the antioxidant high polyphenols in wine are good for the skin, and Le Domaine aren’t the first to cotton on to this. Westwell and Pelegrims also use grape extract, and Caudalie use oil from the seeds in their products.

Helena’s T-Shirts

Helena has been busy making her own wine slogan t-shirts, ‘Mama loves Malbec’ and, ‘Talk Terroir to Me’! All made with the environment in mind, there’s no plastic packaging and they’re fully recyclable! You can literally send them back to be recycled when you’re done with them.

Buy it or Bin it

This week’s, ‘Buy it or Bin it’ is super autumnal. If we say it smells like marzipan and almonds, then you might already be able to guess what kind of drink it is? That’s right, it’s Amaretto...well, almost. It’s actually a slight reimagining of it, and it’s called Adriatico. It’s full of morello cherries so combined with the classic amaretto flavours, it smells like a baked cherry pie once you crack it open. It’s drier on tasting than you might expect, and has a surprising saltiness intertwining with cinnamon, cocoa, and subtle coffee flavours. At 28% it’s fantastic over ice and would also work well in a hot cosy cocktail or coffee.  

Size: 700ml
ABV: 28%
Find here: £28.74

Quickfire Questions

What is the best drink for a very hot curry? 
What is the best wine restaurant in London? 
What is the best winter warmer you’ve ever tried?
Our guest has all the answers, and some must-try recommendations too!

Mailbag

We have one of the most famously contested drinks questions this week and it’s, ‘Do I have to spend a lot of money to find really good wine?’ 

Listen in to find out what the sweet spot is for finding value in wine, and how you can still try new and exciting wines throughout the year without breaking the bank! 

Bring A Bottle Podcast: Episode 94

Greetings drinkers! We’re back with a brand new Bring a Bottle Podcast and Aidy is joined by a wine wizard and spirit sage to sip one of the most magical Speyside whiskies going. Also, the drinkers guess the most popular British pub name, plan the ultimate Halloween cocktail, and there’s even some juicy drinking confessions thrown in! Listen now for all that and more!

OUR GUEST DRINKERS

We’re lucky enough to be accompanied by two wonderful guests this week. Firstly, it’s Chris Dennis - a mixology mastermind and spirit sage. Two decades of industry experience mean his name is known at some of the finest bars in the world, like Zetter Town House, Calooh Callay, Milk & Honey, and Trailer Happiness. After co-founding Disrepute in Soho, his newest venture is Heads & Tails in West London where Chris has continued to work with tonnes of different spirit brands... so much so that since 2021, he’s been the Rum and Whiskies Brand Ambassador for Campari, representing some beautiful drinks like Glen Grant and Appleton Rum. Welcome!

Our second fantastic guest is Hannah Crosbie, a food and wine writer extraordinaire! Her understanding of wine is second to none and in sky high demand, so she can often be found curating wine lists for restaurants or hosting a plethora of events at the likes of Soho House and One Hundred Shoreditch. From Mob Kitchen to Refinery29, from Courier and the Evening Standard, Hannah has written for them all. In 2020, she set up the Dalston Wine Club, with the aim of making wine more accessible, inclusive, and welcoming to all. Bravo! We’re delighted to have you!

WHAT’S IN OUR GLASS?

In this episode we’re sipping on a 10-year-old Speyside single malt – Glen Grant because who better to introduce us to it than the official brand rep Chris? Beautifully amber on the eye, it has notes of green orchard, toffee and vanilla. It’s equally quaffable for a whisky beginner or a seasoned drinker and would sit perfectly in a long cocktail topped with Ginger ale.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £29.49

Glen Grant 10 Year Old Cocktail Discovery

The Glen Grant is used in a whisky sour style cocktail – The Brigadoon! Sour lemon intertwined with sweet apricot liqueur blends with the strong Speyside base to create an intense burst of flavour, settling down into complex layers with a subtle nuttiness from the orgeat. It’s incredible!

Ingredients
40ml Glen Grant 10YO
20ml apricot liqueur
20ml lemon juice
10ml orgeat (almond syrup)

Method:
Simply shake everything and serve over ice! Simply delicious.

DRINKS NEWS

From the ones seen in almost every village across Britain, to the weird and wonderful, we all love pub names. Did you know they date back to 1393 when King Richard II ordered every pub to be clearly signposted? Aidy has the list of most popular pub names, and Hannah and Chris get guessing! What’s your guess for top spot?

DRINKS CONFESSIONS

Drink related confessions always throw up something interesting, and this episode is no different. Is a 15k whisky wasted in porridge, or is it just a great start to the day? And find out why Chris was kicked out of a club for just opening a bottle of Champagne (we may have omitted a key detail there.)

Buy it or Bin it

The intriguingly named Tough Nut Moonshine is tried and tested in this episode! There are all kinds of smells going off with this, from Lotus biscoff to Belvita biscuits... but savoury also? It is indeed a tough nut to crack, but a dash of this hazelnut liqueur would really add to an Old Fashioned. It would also make a far more interesting cocktail balancer instead of sugar syrup! Their other flavours look just as alluring, from Sticky Toffee to Lemon Drizzle… a lovely Christmas gift.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 25%
Find here: £24.64

Mailbag

It’s the perfect October question this week, as the drinkers ponder, ‘What’s an easy Halloween cocktail to make at home?’ Their answer features one of the strangest ice ‘cubes’ we’ve ever heard of too – find out what we mean here.

Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 93

Have you heard of Crémant? Made in exactly the same way as Champagne but with decent bottles available for under £10 – you are going to want to listen in to our Crémant special podcast to find out more! That’s not all we cover this week though, we chat to two Crémant producers, Helena is joined by a very special guest and we have a ‘Buy It or Bin It’ you will not want to miss!

Our Guest Drinker

This week Helena has welcomed Libby Brodie to the podcast. As City A.M.’s wine columnist, and passionate communicator of the world of wine without any of the stuffiness, Libby is a true inspiration and her passion and enthusiasm is infectious! You can find her here!

What’s in our Glass?

This week it’s all about Crémant and Helena opens up two stunning examples of it. For those who are wondering, ‘What is Crémant?’ It’s a sparkling wine made using exactly the same method that is used to make Champagne. Once not thought of to be particularly well produced, current-day Crémant is stunning and massively over-delivering given its price and quality. It has continued to fly under the radar for many years but it won’t for much longer if we have anything to do about it! Here are the bottles we tasted this week:

First up was Maison de la Rougerie Crémant Blanc Brut. It’s easy drinking, with a gentle but generous fizz. It’s lovely alone but it would also work perfectly in a Kir Royale! Want to know the even better news? Check out the price!

Size: 750ml
ABV: 12%
Find here: Iceland £8.75

Next up we have Celene Opale Blanc de Blancs Brut. A blend of Muscadelle, Sémillon and Sauvignon, it’s elegant with notes of lemon cream to start that later turn into subtle tropical fruits as it opens up in the glass.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 12%
Find here: £18

Drinks News

We’ve got all the stories this week as we chat about putting vodka into Brita filters (…yep!), Nigel Farage’s latest endeavour…a new trio of red, white and blue gins… Libby fills us in on what she’s been getting up to with The Wine Collective of late, and Aidy and Helena catch up with Crémant producers, Céline Lannoye and Clément Lescouzères!

Buy it or Bin it

It’s creamy, it’s opaque, it’s beige… any guesses?! You’ll have to listen in to see if you got it right 😉

Mailbag

This week the question is ‘You can get a perfectly nice bottle of wine for £6 so why spend more?!’ With working conditions and chemicals in wine cropping up in the answers Libby and Helena give, it’s well worth a listen to find out more.

To listen to our previous podcasts, click here!

Bring A Bottle Podcast: Episode 92

Aloha drinkers! It’s time for a brand new Bring a Bottle Podcast, and it’s jampacked with knowledge and experience this week. Expert guests, refreshing tonics, chili liqueur, cheese chat - we’ve got it all. What drink goes with classical music? Can Aidy guess exactly where a wine is made? Those questions and many more are answered in this one. Listen and as always, let us know your thoughts!

Our Guest Drinkers

We’re treated to two guests this week. First up, Aidy welcomes Georgie Bentinck to the podcast! From PR, Events, Communications, and every creative job under the sun, Georgie’s done it all in food & drink. These days she’s the Head of PR for Campari Group looking after a seemingly endless range of drinks such as Aperol, Campari, Appleton, and Glen Grant. Welcome, Georgie!

Our second wonderful guest is Master of Cheese Dan Belmont. Discovering and teaching for some of the most famous cheese retailers on the planet, Dan branched out further, and in this case, those branches had grapes on. He’s got a particular passion for the wines of his home nation, which you’ll figure out as soon as he speaks! After years of learning all there is to know, Dan took the plunge and founded his own retailer called Good Wine x Good People. Listen to find out what the exciting new concept for his company is!

What’s In Our Glass?

Episode 92 marks the final episode in which we’ll be exploring Franklin & Sons tasty tonics and sodas. In this episode, Aidy’s chosen their Grapefruit & Bergamot tonic, and this time he’s pairing it with Ancho Reyes, a Mexican chili liqueur. 

Ancho Reyes is a perfect addition for your margaritas, or to add a kick to your mixer. Made with Ancho chiles, it’s a smoky spice rather than a fiery spice and is a fantastic option to have if you’re into cocktails. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £36.44 

At the other end of the spectrum, the Franklin & Sons Grapefruit & Bergamot tonic contains pink grapefruit, bergamot, spring water and a new one for us, Cinchona bark extract, which adds a pleasant bitterness to the drink.

Size: 200ml
Find here: £17.50 Franklin & Sons 200mlx24

The two drinks combined work so well - if you like a Bloody Mary, then definitely listen in to Aidy’s recipe as this drink is for you!

Cheese With Dan

Our resident cheese master imparts his wisdom on us with many amazing cheese facts. If you’re lactose intolerant, you might usually skip a section like this but hold up! Dan lets us know that as cheese ages, the lactose decreases, so you can still enjoy cheese! Listen in for this and many other facts!

Drinks News

Our drinkers debate one of the world’s most unique vineyards where the owner actually encourages you to never drink his wine! Producing just 29 bottles a year, each one is priced at $5000 and you can only buy them at the local art gallery in Reggio Emilia. Is it art? Is it a vineyard? Either way, the backstory it is fascinating.

Cocktail and Music Matches

An interesting thought experiment this week as the team match up genres of music with drinks…
What’s the perfect drink partner for trance?
And what cocktail matches the finery of opera?
Find out and see if you agree!

Drinkers Discovery

Aidy’s wine senses are put to the test as he tries to identify a wine Dan brings in. A difficult challenge to pinpoint the wine and where it’s from so how will Aidy fare? You’re not going to want to miss this bit!

Perfecting your Negroni

Finally, Georgie fills us in on how to make the perfect Negroni, and she would know! Listen to find out the common mistake people make!

Bring A Bottle Podcast: Episode 91

Good morning or good afternoon wherever you are! In this week’s Bring a Bottle Podcast, we cover stylish sodas from a Victorian brand, TikTok chili trends, the subtlety of sake, and Helena is put on the spot to match drinks with some of the most popular dishes around. Listen in now for all of that and much more.

Our Guest Drinker

This week, Helena welcomes Eddy Temple-Morris back to the podcast! Eddy is a musician by trade having been in a band since the 1980s, but also a regular voice over the airwaves for the last 30 years. You can currently find him live on Virgin Radio every day from 10-1. If you want to find out more about Eddy and his passions make sure you listen to the podcast today! @EddytempleMorris @eddyTM

What’s in Our Glass?

In this episode, we’re focusing on mixers, and more specifically a company producing premium drinks since 1886 – Franklin & Sons. 

First up in Episode 91, Helena uses the Pink Grapefruit Soda in her own cocktail concoction, the ‘Palovignon’ which goes down very well indeed.

Size: 200ml
Find here: £17.50 24x200ml

Next up is the Rhubarb and Hibiscus Tonic Water. Light, slightly tart and sweet on the nose, Helena and Eddy decide that pink gin or vodka would make the perfect dance partner for it. 

Size: 200ml
Find here: £16.99 24x200ml

Drinks News

Drinkers over on TikTok have been experimenting by adding chillies to their glasses of Rosé this summer and so naturally we had to give it a go! Helena opted for red chillies, but has she judged the amount correctly?! And is the chilli flavour a welcome addition or a waste of good Rosé? Listen to find out!

Instant Sommelier Quick Fire

Eddy fires 3 popular dishes at Helena to see what drinks she would pair with them (not literally, although we are always looking for new features). 

Which wine can complement the fire of a Chicken Madras? 

And which tomato loving wine is perfect for Lasagna?

This and more all answered in the podcast!

MAILBAG

Finally, another mailbag question and Podcast 91’s is, ‘What is the deal with cold sake?’

Listen in to hear what Helena has to say about why your sake might be served hot or cold.

Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 89

Whether it be stunning wine from Côtes de Bordeaux, Duran Duran’s guilty pleasure, a very moreish summer cup or the best wine to pair with duck and hoisin sauce, Helena and special guest, Virgin Radio DJ Eddy Temple-Morris have got a little bit of everything for you in Episode 89 of the Bring a Bottle podcast! Listen in now via the player below!

Our Guest Drinker

This week the podcast baton has passed to Helena and she is joined by non-other than DJ and musical guru Eddy Temple-Morris! Eddy is a musician by trade having been in a band since the 1980s. He’s also been a regular radio presenter for the last 30 years and you can find him on Virgin Radio daily from 10am. To find out more about Eddy and his passions make sure you listen to the podcast today!

What’s in our glass?

This episode is a Côtes de Bordeaux special. Côtes de Bordeaux is a relatively new appellation and has many amazing winemakers within it.

In Episode 89 you'll find us sipping on two different wines produced in this region, the first of which is Château Puynard 2018. It is 100% Merlot. On the nose, it has a leathery, cedary note and to taste it is full of ripe plum and bright red fruits. It would pair perfectly with a beef roast dinner.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14.5%
Find here: Naked Wines £15.99

Next up we have Château de Couronneau Volte Face 2018. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It is a beautiful dark red colour and has savoury, earthy tones to it as well as punchy flavours of black fruits. 

Size: 750ml
ABV: 15%
Find here: vintageroots.co.uk £14.75

Buy it or Bin it

You’re not going to want to miss Eddy’s reaction when Helena surprises him with Reverend Hubert’s Summer Cup. This summer cup is packed full of rhubarb, plums, pomegranate and cranberries and is sweet and summery. The question is though, do Helena and Eddy decide to buy it or bin it?! Listen in here to find out!

Size: 500ml
ABV: 20.1%
Find here: £29.99

Instant Sommelier Quick Fire Round

Eddy also has a surprise as he puts Helena to the test in a quickfire round of questions in which she has to come up with the perfect bottle to pair with different dishes. There’s mention of haggis, duck in hoisin sauce and Thai green curry but which drinks will Helena choose, and does Eddy agree?!

Mailbag

Finally, it wouldn’t be a bring a bottle podcast without our mailbag question and this week that question is ‘Why did James Bond like his Martini shaken and not stirred?’. Listen in to hear what Helena has to say about it!

Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 88

Hello, hello, and welcome back to the Bring a Bottle Podcast! We’re back from our Summer jollies and up to our usual mischief while helping you fall in love with what’s in your glass. From this week onwards though, we’re mixing things up by not only recording podcasts together but also recording podcasts separately with special guests and it just so happens that this week it’s Aidy’s turn!

You can listen to the full podcast via the player below or via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. Here’s a little snippet of what he got up to:

Third Drinkers

Joining Aidy in the studio are Amanda Selby and Keiligh Baker.

Amanda Selby, known as @DrinkWithMeUK, is an online drinks sensation. From wine to spirits she’s worked in just about every drinks job there is working on a huge roster of brands like Jack Daniels, Chambord, Russian Standard Vodka, Finlandia Vodka, Sonoma Cutrer Winery in California, Royal Tokaji in Hungary, we could go on.

Keiligh Baker is a journalist and podcast extraordinaire. On the writing side, she’s worked with everyone from the MailOnline to BBC and the Travel Show publishing breaking news stories. In the podcasting world, she’s been working on a number of hit BBC Shows like Ouch and is currently a producer of the BBC’s disability podcast, Access All.

What’s in Our Glass?

We’re putting Grand Marnier to the test this week. Grand Marnier is an orange liqueur made in the heart of cognac and is more commonly mixed into cocktails than drunk mixed with tonics. We’ve chosen to mix our Grand Marnier with Franklin & Sons Rosemary and Black Olive tonic water and Franklin & Sons Mallorcan tonic water.

The Mallorcan tonic water has a smell reminiscent of an orange spritz! It is lovely and fresh, not too sweet and when mixed with the Grand Marnier a natural breeze of fresh orange marmalade hits you with a refreshing burst of tonic at the end. It’s like summer in a glass!

Find here: £17.50 for 24 (200ml)

The Rosemary and Black Olive tonic water is like a meal in a bottle before you’ve even put any Grand Marnier in the mix – think focaccia! When mixed with the Grand Marnier, orange and rosemary hits your nose and to be quite honest it smells like Christmas and would make for a great aperitif before your turkey! It’s a perfect winter drink.

Find here: £17.50 for 24 (200ml)

Drinks News

Have you ever flown Emirates? Well, for all those of you lucky enough to fly first class with them (please do get in touch we have soo many questions!), you will be pleased to hear that now, not only do you get a double bed, a 3.5 minute hot shower and a huge TV screen, but Emirates has just invested £1.6 billion in unlimited Dom Perignon and Caviar for you to enjoy! Cheers to that!

Buy it or Bin it

In ‘Buy it or Bin it’ Amanda puts our tastebuds to the test with a bright blue liquid that looks like either WKD or an energy drink. We can tell you it is neither of those and we can also tell you that you’re going to love the reactions had when it’s tried! Listen in to find out what it actually is here.

Question Time with Aidy

Aidy has some burning questions for Amanda and Keiligh and the answers involve NYC’s Gangsta Crab, how to make the perfect Martini no matter how you like it best, what life is like working for BBC’s disability podcast, Access All, and finally… stealing your baby’s diffuser and putting it to “much better use” by using it to make cocktails!

Mailbag

This week’s burning question is ‘Why do people rub lemon around the glass when making a martini – is it just theatre or is there a reason?’ Well, there is a reason and although it may seem like quite a bizarre thing to do, it’s really quite an important reason. Listen in to hear Amanda explain more!

⁣Enjoyed this? Well, there’s plenty more to listen to so make sure to check out Episode 88 of The Bring a Bottle Podcast now!