Tag Archives: Drinks

Something for The Weekend: Aldi Launches UK’s first Prosecco Rosé

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Aldi aka Drinks Retailer of the Year* has done it again and we have to hand it to them, they continue to impress wine buffs and lovers alike. This time they have become the first UK supermarket to sell Prosecco Rosé DOC and this is just the tonic we need to toast away our lockdown woes. What we do know about Aldi is that they continue to be King in the drinks market because they not only have fantastic quality wines but their prices are pretty attractive too and we all know high quality, low cost is the customers perfect combo. 

So, what makes it different to other sparkling rosé we may already be acquainted with? Quite simply, to become Prosecco, similarly to Champagne, the liquid would have to be produced in the main Prosecco regions in Italy. It must be made with Glera grapes and must be made with at least 85% of these particular grapes to legally be labelled Prosecco. This ensures that the wine is of the utmost quality and is typically labelled with a DOC seal. In fact, Prosecco Rosé DOC was only approved for production in May of this year and now It is finally available for you to try. 

Aldi’s soft pink Prosecco is made with a stunning blend of Glera and Pinot noir grapes producing elegant and soft notes of summer fruits and peach with a gentle citrus twist. But there’s no need to wait until summer to enjoy this delicious treat, Aldi’s Prosecco Rosé is the perfect aperitif and a luxurious start to toast the festive season and toast away 2020… 

Yes it’s available to buy RIGHT NOW! In-store and online and comes in both a full size 75cl (£6.49) and miniature size 25cl (£2.29) with a case of 6 coming in at under £40!!!! 

Whatever you’re celebrating, end of 2020, Christmas, Election results… ahem, look no further than this delicious bubbly Pink Prosecco. Cin Cin!

https://www.aldi.co.uk/c/wines

*Awarded by Retail Industry Awards

Aldi stores continue to open 7 days a week and a currently operating a 30 minute priority window before opening for Elderly and Vulnerable customers Mon-Sat

With a  30 minute priority window for NHS and Social Care workers Mon-Sun.

London Cocktail Month ft Lugger Rum 

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Our second instalment of our Cocktail (week) feature, showcases a stunning small-batched spice rum, hand crafted in none other than Devon! The award winning Lugger Rum packs a spicy punch and blends together the rums of Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana bringing you the best of the Caribbean which can certainly be enjoyed throughout the Winter.

Spicy notes of nutmeg, cloves and vanilla which are aged in bourbon oak barrels were designed to warm your cockles and your spirits. The rum is not overly sweet making it a perfect addition to a hot toddy or cocktail recipe, we’ve featured our favourites below. The bottle itself is very stylish and looks sexy on your bar shelf, after all, award winning rum needs to be displayed in a bottle worthy enough of its contents. Lugger Rum has a story to suit its sophistication, named after the Lugger boat which is depicted on the bottle, they were used to smuggle contraband into Lyme Bay. Ohhhh Rum me hearty! We reckon this will be the key to any rum lovers hearty and a great addition to your home bar this winter or perhaps a very nice gift.  But for now, let us toast to Cocktail Month, may we make our cocktails as exciting as our favourite bars. 

Signature serve:

Pour over ice with a twist of Orange

Cocktail Idea:

Caribbean Coffee – Literally the best after dinner treat

Ingredients:

75ml Dark Roast Coffee

25ml 2:1 Demerera Syrup

40ml Lugger Rum

Double Cream

Nutmeg 

Method:

Brew Coffee.

Add sugar to taste… this is to your preference

Add Rum 

Pour a Jigger of cream onto the back of a teaspoon over coffee

Grate Nutmeg

Enjoy.

To find out more or to purchase Lugger Rum please check out lymebaywinery.co.uk

and selected Waitrose stores

Festive Cocktail Guide Vol. 1 ft Italicus

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It’s that time of the year again… and to kick it off, we bring you our favourite festival tipples guaranteed to wow your guests and to top your Christmas lists. 

Impress your guests this Festive season by creating a cocktail using a fine and majestic liqueur. Italicus is made from Rosolio di Bergamotto and was actually the main Aperitivo drunk by the King of Savoia.

This exquisite liquor is made from Bergamot from Calabria, Cedro form Sicily, Roman Chamomile, Lavender, Melissa Balm, Yellow Roses, Gentian. 

The result; a finely aromatic and floral flavour with light notes of citrus which certainly mixes well with a number of mixers, garnishes and other spirits.

Italicus has already won numerous awards including a few for the packaging which is utterly show-stopping, another reason to grab a bottle this Christmas. The beautiful design will certainly wow sitting atop your bar or drinks cabinet. 

Italicus can be served in a number of ways

Negroni Bianco:

35ml Italicus

35ml London Dry Gin

35l Dry Vermouth 

Served: In a tumbler with 3 olives.

Italicus Cup:

50 ml Italicus 

25ml Pink Grapefruit

Top with Soda add a Pinch of Salt and 3 Olives

Italicus is priced at RRP £29.95 for 70cl bottle ABV 20%

https://www.rosolioitalicus.com

Firefly collaborate with Mr Lyan for new ‘Superfly’ Drink

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Firefly, the all natural juice drink brand, are on a mission to inject a little sunshine into your drinks. Aside from their already fruity offerings which include some of our favourites; Lime and Ginger, Pomegranate and Elderflower and Peach and Green Tea to name a few, they have decided to follow on from the success of their recent Mojito inspired Kiwi, Lime and Mint combo to bring you a swoon worthy collaboration with award winning bartender, Mr Lyan himself.

Having won several awards for his innovation and influence within the drinks industry, Ryan Chetiyawardana aka Mr Lyan, has an impressive repertoire under his belt. Some of his best assets include his book, ‘Good things to Drink with Mr Lyan and Friends’, his impressive and successful retail range of bottled cocktails and of course his award winning bars, Dandelyan at the Mondrian Hotel and White Lyan in Hoxton (now Super Lyan).

Inspired by the lighter, brighter days ahead, Superfly marries the flavours of Cascara, Wormwood, Kola Nut, Green Coffee, Grapefruit and Redcurrant to bring you a unique all natural, energising and fruity new drink to enjoy on its own or, as Mr Lyan recommends, mixed in with Scotch or Gin. Serve in a tall glass with a sprig of mint as garnish. As well as the deliciously botanical taste of Superfly, the bottle is also a delight with a unique and bright design you would be proud to have stacked in your fridge or on a drinks trolley.

Superfly is now available from Mr Lyan’s bars, Selfridges stores and Ocado.

Baileys Launch New Iced Coffee Cans

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Hip Hooray, the Sun’s out and finally we don’t need a fireplace to enjoy the delicious taste of Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur. Introducing the pick-me-up you’ve been waiting for… Baileys Iced Coffee. For the very first time Baileys lovers’ can enjoy the delicious taste of Baileys on the go in a convenient single serve can. Available in Iced Coffee Latte and Iced Coffee Mocha, the creamy, velvety combination of Baileys Irish Cream, pure milk and Arabica and Robusta Coffee go down as smooth as silk. Pure refreshing indulgence from start to finish. It’s a revelation, who doesn’t love an iced coffee, but on a lazy Saturday afternoon with the sun shining bright we like it laced with Baileys. So swap your regular Irish coffee with a Baileys Iced Coffee, we tried ours as a digestif and this will be firmly on our menu for all the warm summer evenings ahead of us…

Baileys Iced Coffee Latte (200ml, 4% ABV) and Baileys Iced Coffee Mocha (200ml, 4% ABV) will be available in a store near you for RSP £1.90.

Find out more here; Baileys

Good Karma, Now On-The-Go: Karma Cola Launch New Cans

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Fact of the day: 1.9 billion colas are drank every day. Yes, BILLION. That is over a million a minute. Now Karma Cola are putting the Karma into cola. 

Ethical, organic craft cola eyes food-to-go and take home market with its #DrinkNoEvil mantra
and striking new 250ml cans and multipacks.
Karma Cola review

Karma Cola have launched new 250ml cans and multipacks. We tried the range and loved it. I loved their Karma Cola while our writer James loved their Lemony Lemonade. Their Gingerella is not only delicious, but the design if so fun and retro. Try them out for yourself.

The folks at Karma Cola are at it again, giving UK consumers more reasons to indulge in tasty, organic soft drinks in an ethically cool way.

Alongside their original, sleek glass bottle counterparts, Karma Cola and Friends – Gingerella ginger ale and Lemony lemonade – will soon be available in squat new 250ml aluminium cans. The snack size format, which is smaller than a standard canned soft drink (330ml), is set to take on the growing ‘food-to-go’ market encouraging retailers to offer an ethically sourced fizzy drink made with real organic and Fairtrade ingredients.

As well as food-to-go outlets, the cans were created to appeal to the on-trade, where mixologists have been looking for natural mixers to accentuate the flavours of premium and craft spirits.

Unlike other soft drinks, Karma Cola & Friends are made with natural organic and Fairtrade ingredients, including organic cane sugar, real cola nut, vanilla, lemon and ginger, no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives.

There’s a lot of good karma in these small cans of premium pop. Named ‘The World’s Fairest Trader’ in 2014 by Fairtrade International, Karma Cola is making a big difference for cola nut farmers in a small village in Sierra Leone, sending part of the proceeds from the sale of every product back to invest in community projects.

By sourcing Fairtrade cane sugar, they help small-scale sugar farmers in India to be paid fairly for their crops, feed their families and create better lives for their communities.
They say at Karma Cola, when you’re thirsting for cold drink, don’t be tempted… drink no evil.

Karma Cola, Gingerella ginger ale and Lemony lemonade cans will be available in Waitrose stores, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Ocado.com and Waitrose.com from April, RRP £1.25.
Four packs of Karma Cola, Gingerella and Lemony cans will also be available at RRP £3.95 – perfect for the take home market.

Karma Cola cans

@KarmaColaUK #DrinkNoEvil

Searcys Launch Own Brand of Champagne.

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Renowned Champagne house Searcys known for their longest Champagne bar in Europe, have gained sparkling reputation in all of their 120 years of operation. Starting out as a catering service, the brand has grown from strength to strength so it makes sense that after such an extensive time serving up the luxury drink to thirsty patrons, that they have just launched their own unique blend of Champagne.

Don’t let the fact that this Champagne not having been on the market for as long as some of the big boys put you off, they have cleverly selected a blend which is perfectly drinkable alone or with food. The blend itself an instant hit with only 2% Chardonnay grape which certainly for myself removes the headache, overbearingly dry factor.

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To make the launch of their very first own brand Champagne even more unique, Searcys have ensured that a taste of their delicious Champagne will be a truly fascinating experience. The drink is served in an innovative tower of six glasses, The ‘Coupe Stack’. The ‘Coupe Stack’ is designed to let the Searcys Selected Cuvée perfectly flow like a waterfall and fill each glass perfectly. This was demonstrated a couple of times at the launch to much ooo’s and aaahhh’s each time the brave pourer took to the challenge.

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To encourage customers, Searcys are giving lucky punters the chance to win a meal for two at SixtyOne Restaurant and all you have to do is share your ’stackselfie’ before the 15th of March. To share, you must post a picture of yourself with the Coupe Stack onto social media, using #searcysstack. You can find them on Twitter (@SearcysBars), Instagram (@SearcysChampagneBars) and Facebook (Searcys Champagne Bar).

Francis Ford Coppola Wins Prestigious IWSC Wine Trophy

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Not content just making some of the best films in history, Award-winning film director, Francis Ford Coppola has won the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) Trophy for his wine.

 It is not only the Hollywood A-lists in front of the screen such as Brangelina that are producing quality wine. Renowned American film director, producer and screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola best known for films including The Godfather Trilogy and Apocalypse Now, has produced a star IWSC Trophy winning wine from California, Sonoma County.

Francis Ford Coppolawine

The Mission Hill Winery Trophy for Chardonnay was awarded to producer Francis Ford Coppola Presents for its wine Director’s Cut Chardonnay 2012. Judges said that the wine had ‘subtle creamy aromas with touches of white peach and walnut with a lingering mineral back note.’

The IWSC now in its 45th year promotes the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs. It has been quoted as the ‘Oscars’ of the drinks trade and all wines entered from around the world, endure a rigorous blind tasting and are judged by some of the world’s leading drinks experts. Medals featured on winning bottles assure consumers that they are purchasing a quality product