Whisky Just Hatched from the other Side of the World!

Words by Colin Hampden-White

With a title like that, one would assume that I am about to write about yet another Australian or even Tasmanian whisky. But this whisky is one of those rarities which comes from New Zealand.

The distillery is relatively new, being established in 2015 in the Cardrona Valley in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Founded by Desiree Whitaker and run by her and her family, the distillery is of a reasonable size with five stills. Two built by Forsyths in Speyside, a Carl continuous still, a Carl finishing still and a 600 litre copper gin still. As well as whisky they also produce gin, vodka and liqueurs.

They recently released their first whisky, “Just Hatched”. This first release was released at cask strength and is a marriage of whisky from ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, and marks the distillery’s spirit coming of age at over three years old.

As with all new whiskies the proof is in the pudding. So far they have won a gold medal at the IWSR, New Zealand’s best single malt at 12 years and under at the World Whisky Awards, and their gin was listed in the World’s 50 Best Gins.

How does the whisky taste?

The nose shows the whisky has a good degree of complexity for a young whisky with aromas of scones and cream with sweet Winegum fruit in the background. With a little air, the scones become sponge cake as the vanilla builds up and there are zesty lemon aromas. The palate is sweet with honey with a florality like honeysuckle flowers. Vanilla fudge is the base with nuts and a touch of spice on the edge of the palate. There are also some mixed citrus flavours keeping it all fresh. The finish brings out the cereal notes and the fresh citrus becomes more like boiled sweets. A little dry oak brings the finish to a close.

The whisky is certainly complex for a three year old whisky. If I’d tasted it blind I would have never guessed its age. It is very easy to drink for a cask strength whisky and very moreish. 

Just Hatched

Cardrona Just Hatched

There are new expressions being released all the time, a pinot noir cask finish was released last year, and they recently released a pink gin matured for four months in pinot noir casks from the Felton Road distillery. A portion of the sales going to cancer charities.

ABV: 64.4%
Size: 350ml
Buy it now for £73.95

If you have a penchant for new whiskies being released from outside Scotland, then Irish whiskey from Roe & Co is one to read about.

Hit for Six: The Best of Whyte and Mackay

Two whisky glasses on a table

Words by Colin Hampden-White

Whyte and Mackay are experts at blending, especially with Richard Paterson at the helm as master blender. Although they own four distilleries, until recent years it has only been the Dalmore that has had the big budgets spent on it. Over the last few years things have been changing. First of all, the whiskies from Jura distillery got a complete make-over and a completely new range introduced. Immediately one could see a huge improvement. This improvement must have been in development for many years, with Richard laying down the right stocks to implement the plans we have now seen. 

Next to receive a revamp was Fettercairn, a whisky brand that has had its fans and detractors in the past, and with expressions varying in quality from Fior to Fasque. The recently released new range is quite a different story. It has expressions at all ends of the age statement range, from 12 years old all the way up to 50 years old, and quite a few in between. Lastly there is Tamnavulin. Here they have released some incredible old whiskies. I recently tasted a 1973, 45 year old as part of my judging for the IWSC awards, and it did exceptionally well amongst great company.

Away from the single malts, the great blending company that is Whyte and Mackay continue to experiment with blended whisky and a new brand called Whisky Works. This is led by a brilliant blender whom Richard Patterson brought to Whyte and Mackay a few year ago: Gregg Glass has a great blending background having worked previously for blenders extraordinaire, Compass Box. (See us chat to him in Episode 5 of The Three Drinkers do Scotch Whisky).

The releases keep on coming and I have a few favourites: Fettercairn has released a sumptuous 16 year old, The Dalmore a new sherry cask select 12 year old, Jura a winter edition and a red wine cask finish cask edition, and one of my new all-time favourite young blends: an 11 year old blended Scotch from Gregg Glass under the Whisky Works brand. 

With all these new expressions coming out of the woodwork (literally), I took a little look at their back catalogue and one of my all-time favourites to see if it still stood up. Thankfully, all the efforts being placed in new expressions are certainly not taking their focus away from my favourite expression from The Dalmore: King Alexander III. This brought me to six whiskies from White and Mackay, blended and single malt, and both new and old. I highly recommend them.

 Jura Winter Edition

Jura Winter Edition

This is a warming and rich whisky initially matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in ex-sherry casks. The idea for this whisky was to bring flavours more associated with mainland whiskies to the coastal flavours of an island whisky. The casks give warm spices and indulgent apple pie flavours. A real winter warmer. There are also hints of tropical fruit on the palate and vanilla with a touch of cinnamon. If you like mulled drinks and Christmas cake you should love this. Exclusive to Tesco for now in litre size bottles perfect for sharing. 

ABV: 40%
Size: 1000ml
Buy it now for £45

Whisky Works Quartermaster 11 year old 

Whisky Works Quartermaster

From the experimental mind of Gregg Glass, this 11 year old blended whisky marries grain from the highlands of Scotland with single malts from the Speyside region. The single malts have been through four (hence the name of the whisky) different maturation and finishing methods giving plenty of complexity. Rum barrels were used to mature the grain whisky, and then they were finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. The malt whiskies were matured in a mixture of American white oak and sherry butts from Jerez. There was a limited release of only 2,134 bottles and, at the time of writing, still on sale at Mast of Malt.

ABV: 48.4%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £68.95

The Dalmore 12 year old Sherry Cask Select

Dalmore 12 Sherry Cask Selection

The Dalmore is well known for having a close relationship with Spain as the whisky is often matured in ex-sherry casks. This expression celebrates this relationship and as Richard Paterson says “between the union of the Scottish highlands with the warmth of the Andalusian sun”. Firstly the whisky is matured for ten years in ex-bourbon casks and then two years in ex-sherry casks from bodegas with whom Richard has personal relationships in Jerez. These casks are made from both American and European oak and are then seasoned with a unique blend of aged Oloroso and sweet Pedro Ximénez casks. The result is fabulous; unctuous and complex with distinct flavours of sundried fruits and fresh Scottish orchard fruits. Plenty of fudge and caramel back up the fruit and with a spicy finish, this is a brilliantly concocted 12 year old dram. 

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £45 (on special offer at time of writing)

Fettercairn 16 Year Old

Fettercairn 16

This is a very interesting expression from Fettercairn released at the beginning of summer this year. Not many whiskies are distilled using chocolate malt (heavily kilned barley, more commonly seen in craft brewing)! The other I can bring to mind is the excellent Glenmorangie Signet. The Fettercarin is initially matured in first-fill American oak bourbon casks, before being put in sherry and Port casks, and is bottled at 16 years of age. There's plenty going on here, and it's all impressive stuff. One wonders why more brands aren’t using chocolate malt. This is a very different whisky from Signet although the chocolate malt lends some familiarity. If you like Signet, then you will love this.

ABV: 46.4%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £73.26

Jura Red Wine Cask Finish

Jura Red Wine Cask Selection

This expression has been matured in ex-bourbon casks before being finished for 18 to 24 months in red wine barriques. It is incredibly well-balanced and rich with berry flavours and dried raisins. There are also creamy caramel and vanilla flavours and a touch of cinnamon spice. These sound like bold flavours, yet the whisky remains delicate. A great expression to try for those wanting to experiment a little with new whiskies. For the moment, this can be found in the UK in Sainsbury’s in a one litre bottle and is brilliant value.

ABV: 40%
Size: 1000ml
Buy it now for £40

The Dalmore King Alexander III

The Dalmore King Alexander III

As mentioned before, this is one of my favourite whiskies. Richard Paterson uses six different types of sherry casks, blended together, to create this rich and moreish dram. With loads of dried fruit and spice, complex manuka honey and fudge, it is an indulgent treat. I’d suggest this drinks well not just after a rich meal but during the meal. It would match well with roasted meats just as well as with chocolate puddings or crème brulé. A whisky for indulgent foodies.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £174.90

There we have it, six of the best from Whyte and Mackay. Now that didn’t hurt did it!

If you’d like to try whiskies that have been finished in wine casks having been matured in ex-bourbon initially, then why not give these whiskies a go

Blended Scotch v Single Malt Scotch Whisky: What Should I Buy?

Words by Colin Hampden-White

Blended Scotch Malt Scotch thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

Whisky is made of three ingredients; grain, water and yeast. Malt whisky uses malted barley which is barley that has been brought to the point of germination by soaking, then drying, before it is then used to make the malt whisky. Whisky can be made by using other grains like wheat or maize too and this creates grain whisky. Blended whisky is a mixture of grain whisky and malt whisky. In the case of blended Scotch whisky, the whisky must contain 15% of malt whisky, all the whisky must be aged in oak barrels (casks) for three years, and it must also be over 40% abv.

The difference is relatively simple, but a preconception that blended whisky is not as good as malt whisky needs to be unpicked. 90% of the whisky produced and sold globally is blended whisky, and 90% of that blended whisky is inexpensive supermarket whisky. This leads to the idea that blended whisky is not as good as malt whisky which, for the majority of whiskies, is true; it will be aged for less time and the barrels used will generally be not as high quality as those used for malt whisky. However, there are blended whiskies that are just as good as malt whiskies and sometimes quite a bit better.

The concept of the blend is to be harmonious. They can still have their own character, but, using the analogy of an orchestra, single malt is like a solo instrument, i.e. a violin, whilst a blend is like the whole orchestra playing together. One of my favourite whiskies is a blend:  Johnnie Walker Black Label, which requires around forty different whiskies. 

There are whiskies for everyone at all levels. Here are three of my favourite blends and three of my favourite malts at three different price points. What they all have in common is that they are excellent whiskies, and at the different price points the blends can equal the quality of the malts, and vice versa.

Blended Scotch Whisky

Johnnie Walker Black Label

Johnnie Walker Black 200

Johnnie Walker Black Label is my go-to whisky. It is brilliantly complex with an underlying fruity base, lots of caramel and vanilla flavours, but also a hint of smoke running through the whisky too. In 2020, Johnnie Walker celebrated its 200th birthday! It is incredible to think it has been two centuries since John Walker founded this whisky brand, which has gone on to become world-famous. As part of the festivity surrounding this milestone, a limited edition bottling of Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old was released, designed in collaboration with fashion house Alpha Industries. It contains the same whisky as the regular 12 and is the same price, but I think the bottle gives it a little extra panache. 

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £29.95// US $29.99

Chivas Regal 18 year old

Chivas Regal 18

A richly indulgent blended Scotch whisky from long-time favourite, Chivas. The Chivas Regal 18 Year Old was personally created by Master Blender Colin Scott, including over 20 single malts from around Scotland, Colin is about to retire this year, but his legacy will live on in this excellent blended whisky, you can even see his name on the presentation box. Definitely no stranger to awards, this one. It even took home the International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014 Trophy for Blended Scotch Whisky! A great whisky to sip and savour, but also rather good for cocktails if you fancy giving them an upgrade.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £59.83 // US $99.99

The Tweeddale 28 Year Old – The Evolution

Tweeddale 28 evolution

This is the oldest of the Tweeddale range to date. This delicious blended Scotch whisky boasts an impressive 28 year old age statement and a flavour profile packed full of cooked fruit, festive spice notes and lifted oak. If you’d like to experience a blend that has youthful sweet fruits, but also impressive oak balance and has older whisky flavours running throughout, then this is a sure-fire bet.

ABV: 52%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £139.95

Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Highland Park 12 year old – Viking Honour

Highland Park 12 year old thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

Highland Park's spectacular 12 Year Old expression had a full-on Viking make-over in 2017, (the 18 Year Old is also getting a redesign, too). Stylish new livery and matching sub-name (Viking Honour) aside, the malt remains the same, it is complex with a certain sea air quality and salinity balanced by honey. This is a single malt with lots of character and I’d have it as my solo instrument any day.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £29.95 // US $54.99

Talisker 18 Year old

Talisker 18

Talisker comes from the Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland, this expression has spent 18 years in casks, some of which used to hold Bourbon and some Sherry. The whisky is sweet and smoky with spicy flavours intermingling with the smoke and it has serious credentials. Back in 2007 it won the Best Whisky in the World category at the World Whisky Awards. For me, this is one of the best value versus price single malt whiskies in the world.

ABV: 45.8%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £75.95 // US $169.99

Tomatin 30 Year old

Tomatin 30

Tomatin 30 year old is one of my favourite 30 year old whiskies, and that is before I consider the price. Finding a 30 year old whisky at under £300 today is pretty difficult, and this is one of the best whiskies of this nature. It is full of honey and spice but has a lot of tropical fruit to balance all the spice and pepper. There is plenty of complexity. Unlike the Talisker, there is no smoke, so if you’re not a fan of smoky whisky, then you should love this. It is indulgent and has finesse at the same time.

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £299

I would be a happy chap if those six whiskies were the only whiskies I could drink from now on. None of them have outrageous levels of smoke or are too sweet and all have complexity. They are my perfect six pack. If you’re intrigued by Scotch and would like to discover some great bang for buck bottles, how about trying a few of these bottles?

This 80-Year Shipwreck Whisky Is On Auction

80 year shipwreck whisky auction  thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

Imagine tasting a whisky that was salvaged from the bottom of the sea, plunging to the depths of the ocean over 80 years ago. Well, it’s possible. Every few years we hear of a new discovery across the world of wine and spirits, salvaged from long-forgotten shipwrecks. The latest to find its way back to surface is none other than the SS Politician which ran aground during WWII.

The ill-fated vessel was on its way to Jamaica from Scotland and carrying more than 28,000 cases of whisky when it hit the rocks by the Outer Hebrides. After several years of attempting to salvage its contents by the government, they gave up. The rugged shores were too treacherous to achieve such a mission, so the locals decided to take it upon themselves to claim the bounty. Named as ‘whisky rescue’ the actions of these folks were deemed upon as thievery by the tax collectors and eventually anyone proven to have lifted cargo from the ship was chased by HM Customs and Excise, given no duty had been paid on such bottles. For that reason, few have ever publicly come forward.  

80 year shipwreck whisky auction ship thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

Until now, more than fifty years after the controversial plunder attempt. But it wasn’t thievery that got these bottles to surface, it was a chap known as George Currie who was working on a subsea cable off the Hebridean coast when he hit pay dirt. Accompanied by his team of divers, a VAT 69, Ballentine’s and four bottles of Gibbey’s (no longer produced) saw the light of day after 80 years. All in perfect condition with their wax seal.

At the time of writing this article, the chosen auction bottle sits at £6,000 with just 4 days remaining on the auction. If you click here you’ll see what it eventually went for. In 2013 a very similar duo of aged whisky was auctioned together for £12,050, so it would seem the current value remains. 

80 year shipwreck whisky auction bottles thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

A stunning Burgundy colour sits within the bottle with an airtight wax top and high-fill level, suggesting there’s been very little oxidation. Remembering that whisky doesn’t really ‘age’ within the bottle, you are still looking at an 11-year old scotch, but nonetheless, it has one hell of a story, doesn’t it?!

If you plan on bidding… good luck!

The Best Value Fruity Scotch Whisky

Best Value Fruity Scotch Whisky thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

The showstoppers of Scotch whisky tend to be either powerful smoky whiskies or big rich sherry bomb whiskies. These extremes have their dedicated followers and certain cultures around the world have a preference for them. For example smoky whisky is particularly loved in Germany, and sherry cask matured whisky is loved in Hong Kong and China. However most whisky falls outside of these two styles, and it is fruit flavours which give them their popularity. Here are eight fruity whiskies which have great quality and are also fabulous value for money. They just happen to all begin with “Glen”.

Glen Moray Classic

Best Value Fruity Scotch Whisky Glen Moray thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

This "Classic" expression is the entry level bottling from the Glen Moray distillery. It has made one of our top lists in the past and is probably the best value single malt Scotch whisky today. It is distilled in Speyside which is known for sherry cask matured whiskies, but like most of this list, although they are distilled in Speyside, they are still part of the highland region which has a fruity character at its core.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £21.90

Glenmorangie Original

Best Value Fruity Scotch Whisky Glenmorangie Original thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

The Original is the flagship single malt Scotch whisky from the Glemorangie Distillery in the Highlands. Matured in a combination of first-and-second-fill American white oak casks for 10 years, the expression is a benchmark for creamy, approachable fruity single malt. A long-running go-to dram for many whisky enthusiasts (including us here at The Three Drinkers), this stuff is brilliant as an aperitif, though more than suitable for enjoying on a cooler evening.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £32.95

Glen Grant 10 year old

Best Value Fruity Scotch Whisky Glen Grant thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

A great beginner's whisky right here from the Glen Grant Distillery, produced in tall pot stills. This 10 year old Speyside single malt, having spent a decade in bourbon casks, boasts oodles of light, malty notes. A top dram for warmer weather, and full of lovely fruity orchard flavours with a little toffee and a touch of peat. It’s like eating a toffee apple at a summer BBQ.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £29.90

Glengoyne 10 year old

Best Value Fruity Scotch Whisky Glengoyne thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

Completely unpeated which is unusual in the highlands, this Glengoyne is soft, fruity and very quaffable. A fine single malt! Not known to many, but Ian MacLeod, the owners of Glengoyne are creating great whisky and are beginning to really shout about it. It’s going to be found in more and more shops and I’m sure it’s going to be loved.

ABV: 43%
Buy it now for £37.39

Glenfiddich 12 year old

Best Value Fruity Scotch Whisky Glenfiddich thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

This classic Speyside from Glenfiddich was the Winner of a Gold Medal at the 2007 International Wine and Spirit Competition and has been the best selling single malt in the world for several years. Aged for 12 years in American and European Oak casks this whisky has classic fruity apples and touches of honey. Macallan might be known as the king of Speyside, but this whisky should be an emperor.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £31.95

Glen Keith Distillery Edition

Best Value Fruity Scotch Whisky Glen Keith thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

This Fairly unknown whisky is the first permanent no age statement single malt from Glen Keith that the distillery in Speyside has released. Matured in ‘traditional’ American oak casks and bottled at 40% ABV, the release of this laid-back malt is very welcome indeed. The distillery had a complete refurbishment a few years ago and now the liquid from the distillery is being bottled. Once a cult fruity Speyside whisky, it’s sure to regain that status.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £29.75

Glenlivet 12 year old

Best Value Fruity Scotch Whisky Glenlivet thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

Excellent 12 year old single malt from the Glenlivet Distillery in Speyside, which enjoys its maturation in both European and American oak casks. It's an immensely popular expression which disappeared from shelves in 2015, but has since returned! A great example of the character of Glenlivet's whisky, boasting a bounty of orchard fruit, fragrant florals and honeyed malt notes carried on a creamy mouth feel.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £36.25

Glen Elgin 12 year old

Best Value Fruity Scotch Glen Elgin Whisky thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

A very soft and fruity 12 year old Speyside dram, distilled at the Glen Elgin distillery. Glen Elgin is very well known for having a very fruity palate, mixing orchard fruits with tropical fruits. It might be soft on the palate making it very easy to drink, but it is full of flavour and, although owned by Diageo, it’s not that well known. A little secret for those of us who love fruity whisky.

ABV: 43%
Buy it now for £41.45

To continue your exploration of whisky why not check out Sherry Bombs: The Best Sherry Matured Whiskies In The World or Wine Finished Whiskies: Where To Start

3 Simple, Smoky, Whisky Cocktails For Your BBQ

Words by Helena Nicklin

smoky cocktails for your bbq the three drinkers

Ardbeg, one of our favourite Islay distilleries has created ‘Smoke Sessions’ video guides to barbecuing meat and smoky drinks with grilling legend DJ BBQ (you can read about those here). The cocktail recipes looked so good however, that we got the lowdown for you on how to make them. Here they are: three epic, seriously smoky whisky cocktails for your summer barbecue. You’re welcome!

Smoky Apple Cider

smoky apple cider the three drinkers

Ingredients:

• 50ml Ardbeg Wee Beastie
• 50ml apple cider
• 50ml ginger beer
• 25ml freshly squeezed lime juice
• Demerara vanilla sugar to taste

Method

Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice, then stir and strain into a tumbler or a jar. Garnish to your taste with a cinnamon stick, star anise or even a slice of red apple. Take this from summer to winter by making it in a batch, warming it up and serving with a ladle. Amini toffee apple, if you can find one makes a special garnish for halloween too.

Maple & Bacon Old Fashioned

maple and bacon old fashioned the three drinkers

Ingredients:

• 50ml Ardbeg Ten Years Old
• 15ml maple syrup (to taste)
• 3 dashes orange bitters

Method

Stir all the ingredients together and serve over a large cube of ice. You can have fun with the garnishes here: try a rasher of streaky bacon as a stirrer, add a spring of torched rosemary or simply, an orange twist. 

An Oa Bloody Mary

bloody mary with ardbeg the three drinkers

Ingredients:

• 50ml Ardbeg An Oa
• 100ml roasted tomato juice (find one with garlic and herbs if you can)
• 1 dash hot sauce
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 25ml lemon juice
• 12.5ml Pedro Ximenez sherry

Method

Combine all the ingredients into a mixing glass, add ice and then pour again into a second mixing glass, straining the liquid as you do so. Repeat a few times until the mixture is super smooth and well blended. Rim your glass with celery salt and add your garnish. For this, we recommend dill or even grated horseradish. 

Like this? Read about Ardbeg’s Smoke Sessions with DJ BBQ here, or look at the best sherry matured whiskies or even best bang for buck sipping bourbon.

This Summer: The Smoke Sessions with Ardbeg Whisky and DJ BBQ

Words by Helena Nicklin

DJ BBQ The Three Drinkers ardbeg

It’s great news for fans of smoked meat and smoky whiskies as world-renowned Islay Distillery Ardbeg teams up with the brilliant master of the grill: Christian Stevenson aka DJ BBQ.

Launching today, The Smoke Sessions is an online series designed to offer the ultimate guide to barbecuing and smoking meat as well as the preparation of smoky whisky cocktail serves. In the sessions, DJ BBQ will explain and demonstrate the fundamental laws of smoke, wood and heat while spinning the decks in his inimitable style. All the while, Brendan McCarron, Ardbeg Distillery’s Head of Maturing Whisky Stocks will help creating spectacular, smoky drinks using Ardbeg Ten, An Oa and Wee Beastie.

“The taste of braided beef fillet alongside an Ardbeg Ten Old Fashioned is just awesome, and a sip of hot Wee Beastie punch with a slow smoked pork shoulder is unrivalled,” says DJ BBQ. “My smoky barbeque recipes share so many characteristics with the flavours of Ardbeg whisky, and they complement each other perfectly. The laws of wood, heat and smoke are so important to barbecue and single malt alike, and once mastered, you’ll become a barbeque boss!”

Watch  DJ BBQ create amazing recipes such as the 18-Hour Whisky-Smoked Pulled Pork, served with Ardbeg Wee Beastie Hot Apple Cider, Coal-Roasted Beef Plait served with Ardbeg Ten Maple & Bacon Old Fashioned, and Whisky Planked, Pit-Smoked Salmon served with Ardbeg An Oa Bloody Mary.

DJBBQ smoke sessions ardbeg the three drinkers

How to Watch

To watch the Ardbeg Smoke Sessions, tune into Ardbeg’s Instagram Live on Friday 24 July at 8pm BST to watch DJ BBQ kick it all off. Keep an eye on all of Ardbeg’s social channels and the videos can be watched at any time on YouTube here: 

Law of Heat 

Law of Smoke 

Law of Wood

How to Taste

Cocktail fans will be able to order DJ BBQ’s Maple and Bacon Old Fashioned for delivery across the UK, via Mothership on the Drinks At Home platform, for a limited period from 21 July 2020.

Like this? Try this piece on the Ardbeg releases ranked by smokiness and What is peated whisky?

One Drink, Three Ways: Aloha 65


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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.

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aloha 65 one drink three ways the three drinkers

This brand new style of spirit isn’t quite a gin, a vodka or anything else. It’s a refreshing, all-natural spirit with a tropical vibe, infused with fresh pineapple, ginger and lemon, a few herbs and a wonderful kick from local scotch bonnet chillies. Invented on the west coast of the U.S in a surf bar, it became so popular, the owners decided to bottle it. Delicious as a chilled shot, it's also extremely versatile; a great ingredient for relaxed cocktails at sundown and is vegan to boot, so a great crowd-pleaser. At 27% abv, it's also more social and session-able than other spirits. Here are three ways you can try it this summer at your barbecue. ..


Helena’s Choice: The Alohan

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A refreshing, long summer serve with a burst of flavour and spicy kick. Perfect for batch cocktails and so simple to make. Simply pour 1 part Aloha 65 into a jug or pitcher. Add 2 parts ginger ale, a tonne of ice, lemon slices and sprigs of mint. Serve in highball glasses, jars or a copas.

alohan aloha 65 the three drinkers

The Alohan

Recipe

1 part Aloha 65

2 parts Ginger Ale

Ice (lots)

Lemon and mint to garnish


Aidy’s Choice: The Aloha Colada

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The Pina Colada was recently tipped to be the number one cocktail ordered when bars reopen after lockdown, thanks to its celebratory, summery vibe! Here’s a much more interesting version of that, using Aloha 65 and its super simple to make. Just stick everything in a blender and blitz it for a few seconds before pouring into cool, large wine glasses or tiki glasses. Umbrella optional!

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The Aloha Colada

Recipe

Ice

60ml Aloha 65

50ml coconut milk

75ml fresh pineapple juice

1 tbsp sugar syrup (2 parts white sugar to 1 part water)

Juice of ½ lime

Slice of pineapple and cocktail umbrella to garnish


Colin’s Choice: The Aloha Old Fashioned

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Those who know me know I love all kinds of Old Fashioned recipes from the classic to the quirky. This is definitely the latter but it really works and is a much better option for sunny evenings. Stir all the ingredients together with ice, then strain into a tumbler and garnish with orange and a cherry, if you have one. Superb!

aloha old fashioned aloha 65 the three drinkers

The Aloha Old Fashioned

Recipe

40ml Aloha 65

20ml Bourbon

2 dashes of bitters

Large ice cubes

Orange peel and a maraschino cherry to garnish.

Like this? Try our other One Drink, Three Ways articles: The Macallan, Tanqueray Gin and Noilly Prat Vermouth.