DrinkBritain

Tiny price for a tiny tot

Master of Malt have introduced a mini-delivery charge for its popular Drinks by the Dram whiskies, with a new flat rate of £2.45 for a single 3cl bottle.

For those wanting a few, the standard £4.95 super saver rate  remains the most cost-effective method.

And if you are contemplating a bit of research, the first of a number of tasting sets has gone online, including the Scottish Whisky Regions set and further afield, the Whiskies of the World set. With hundreds of tiny bottles to choose from, Master of Malt sales director Ben Ellefson says they have “many, many more ideas up our sleeve”.

Touring Scotland by dram

A bit of watch that space perhaps…

www.masterofmalt.com

How do you like your gin?

Gin is leading the charge for British drinks at Imbibe 2010, the new show from the guys behind Square Meal and Imbibe on 13-14 July at Earls Court.

Targeted solely at those in the bar and restaurant industry and covering all drinks types, with 13,500 visitors already registered, it’s likely to be a busy couple of days.

With half a dozen premium players – Sipsmith, Sacred, No 3 London Dry, Greenall’s, Geranium and Whitley Neill – there’s every chance to see what it is about these gins that is catching people’s eye – and palates. continue reading…

Don't be shy, there's plenty to go around

Now is a great time to be a whisky explorer. Although nothing beats a trip around the distillery – see below for some ideas on where to get started if you are heading to Scotland this Summer – Charles Maclean’s World Whisky, out last year, is to be joined by Dave Broom’s World Atlas of Whisky this autumn. Typically beautiful – well it is produced by those lovely people who brought you the World Atlas of Wine and Dave’s other evocative book, Rum – this sizeable tome is likely to be a welcome addition to any malt-lover’s bookshelves.

Placing this most complex of products in its context, both in terms of history and flavour, is a fascinating exercise. Where else can a dent in the production vessel have a pivotal role on the final taste – or be so imprtant that any new containers must replicate said “flaw”?

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The welcoming party

So the scene was set – an array of fine British drinks ready to welcome their French fromage shaped cousins.  A little nervous perhaps. As our Vive le Cheese ambassador, food & wine writer, Katrina Alloway, had said, what grows together goes together. So were we attempting too much?

But, I reasoned, we Brits have never been shy about exploring. And there had been many interesting sightings from fellow flavour-nauts – the malt maestro himself, Dave Broom, broke off from finalising his World Atlas of Whisky to say that Lagavulin 16yo [a traditional smoke-fest from Islay] was ‘a killer’ with Roquefort.

A tweet exchange with thewinesleuth suggested that Astley’s late harvest sweetie – a new discovery for both of us at the recent English wine trade tasting – might go well with a light blue or crumbly goats cheese. Artisanal cidre is such a legendary cheese partner, it would be rude not to see if the affinity crosses the channel. And as for beer…

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Our correspondent north of the border writes

The remote beauty of Abhainn Dearg

The newest and most remote distillery in Britain, Abhainn Dearg on the Isle of Lewis, has released its first batch of New Make Spirit – as yet it is too young to be legally called whisky. Around 100 people gathered at McSorley’s Bar in central Glasgow on March 16th to watch Marco Tayburn, founder of Abhainn Dearg, and Bill MacIntosh, chair of Glasgow’s Whisky Club, officially launch the Spirit of Lewis.

Although I couldn’t make that evening, I ventured along the next night to see what was happening. continue reading…

Whisky lovers visiting London have much to entertain them. It may not be within stretching distance of any distilleries of the whisky kind, but the range on offer more than makes up for this omission. For those dining out, the Athenaeum, Boisdale and the Albannach are three of many to keep you amused. If you fancy adding to your bottle collection, head to the West End, as we found out when we joined the charming Jenny Linford on one of her Gastro-Soho Tours on Saturday.

Jenny Linford, she who knows

Writer and broadcaster Jenny, author of Food Lovers’ London (revised edition out this June) and The London Cookbook, is the perfect guide. Full of colourful anecdotes, we step into tardis-like Chinese supermarkets no-one knew were there, receive an introduction to Soho’s last two traditional Italian delis (the pasta is to die for), and frequent coffee bars ancient (Algerian Coffee Stores) and modern (Princi, from Wagamama founder, Alan Yau). continue reading…