The Cocktail Lovers

Cocktail lovers take note, 11th-17th October is all about one spirit: rum. To celebrate, we chat to the Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell about the category in general as well as how to choose a rum to suit your palate and what's in store at the upcoming RumFest on 16th October.But before we get to the interview, there are the reviews… In this episode we share our thoughts on Dima's Vodka from Ukraine, Amaro Santoni from Italy and the flavours of Japan to be found at Sachi and Sakaya, two bars in one building – Pantechnicon in Knightsbridge.Tristan Stephenson's Curious Bartender Rum Odyssey from our cocktail library brings us back to the rum theme and the cocktail we're making this week seals the deal.What we're mixing:Rum Old Fashioned50ml dark rum (we used Santa Teresa)2 1/2 tsp either Demerara or Muscovado sugar syrup (2 parts sugar to one part water)2 dashes Orange Bitters2 dashes Angostura aromatic bittersOrange peel to garnishMethod:Stir all ingredients over ice in a Rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' WatsonFor more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.comTo see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:Amaro SantoniDima's VodkaCurious Bartender Rum OdysseySachiSakayaSanta Teresa 1796RumFest The RumFest trade event is on 15 OctoberRumFest Live and RumFest online is on 16 October. The live session will be split in two sessions 12-4pm and 5pm-9pm; the online session lasts for 5 hoursSpiced Rum Show 17 OctoberTickets and information from rumfest.co.ukThe Cocktail Lovers podcast is available every fortnight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back!London Cocktail Week kicks off on 1st October, running to 31st October (hurrah!) and to celebrate, we begin our second season by catching up with its founders, Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne to talk why it runs for 31 days, what's on the agenda and what they're looking forward to on the LCW calendar.We keep the London theme going by reviewing two product ranges created by London bartenders. The first is EasyMixt, the ultimate hack for mixing up simple and delicious cocktails at home, followed by Everleaf, a trio of non-alcoholic drinks created to deliver big-time flavour experiences.The Savoy Cocktail Book, from one of the oldest venues in the capital comes under the spotlight in our book review and we head to Soma, one of the newest to check out the super cool decor and try out the Indian-inspired drinks.What we're mixing:BrambleCreated by the late, great London bartender Dick BradsellIngredients50ml/2 parts London Dry GIn25ml/1 part freshly-squeezed lemon juice12.5ml/1/2 part sugar syrup12.5ml/1/2 part creme de mure liqueurMethod:Shake the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup over ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Top with more crushed ice and form into a mound. Drizzle the creme de mure over to create a streaking effect. Garnish with a blackberry and lemon slice. Serve with a small metal, paper or sustainable straw.The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' WatsonFor more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.comTo see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:EasyMixtEverleafThe Savoy Cocktail BookSomaFor the full London Cocktail Week programme and to sign up for your £15 wristband to entitles you to £7 cocktails, masterclasses and events across London, visit londoncocktailweek.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Question: How do we round up our very first (mini) season? Answer: With some incredibly tasty treats to keep your palates primed for what's coming next, that's how!We've got gin – not just any old gin but the gorgeous, bursting with herbaceous goodness Savoury Gin from those clever chaps at Portobello Road Distillery, and we sample the creamy but light and quite frankly, luscious Disaronno Velvet Liqueur.For the last bar review of our first season, we had to go pretty spesh, so we headed back to Claridge's (any excuse) and settled in for a sumptuous cocktail hour at Davies & Brook. Did you know that award-winning Chef Daniel Humm's Michelin-starred London restaurant had a dedicated bar? Well, it does and we recommend getting yourself down there pronto!And our chosen book for this episode is one very dear to our hearts: it's The Negroni: A gaz regan Notion by the late, very great gaz regan (lower case 'g' and 'r' intended). Filled with all kinds of nuggets and noodlings about his favourite drink, it includes variations on this most classic of cocktails from some of the best bartenders in the world. Speaking of which, we check in to the recently opened Argo at the Four Seasons in Hong Kong to talk to Lorenzo Antinori about the dos and don'ts of cocktail garnishes.What we're mixing:Breakfast MartiniCreated by the legendary Salvatore Calabrese aka the Maestro, this drink truly makes for a breakfast (or brunch) of champions. Make it at home and ask for it at Donovan's Bar at Browns Hotel.Ingredients:50ml Gin15ml Cointreau15ml freshly-squeezed lemon juice1 bar spoon fine cut or no peel marmaladeMethod:Pour all ingredients into a shaker and stir to dissolve the marmalade. Add ice, shake and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with shredded orange peel.The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' WatsonFor more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.comTo see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:ArgoDavies & BrookDisaronnoDonovan Bar at Brown's HotelThe Negroni: A gaz regan Notion (currently out of print but have a check on Google)Portobello Road Savoury GinSeason two of The Cocktail Lovers podcast is coming late September. Be warned: it's going to be super cool. Expect more fab insights from movers and shakers from around the globe, more bar reviews (hopefully, Covid will ease up so we can bring you our pick of locations from our travels), more fabulous products and, oh yes indeedy, plenty more episodes. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're flying the flag for Britain. Not in a jingoistic way, far from it. We're merely celebrating a few of the many fab people, places and products that are currently on our radar. It just so happens that they are made or conceived in GB. Like Filey Bay Single Malt Whisky, the first (and only?) whisky made, matured, bottled and batched in good old Yorkshire and The Cocktail Society, a drinks subscription service based in Oxford.As far as reading material goes, we pick out the 15th edition of Difford's Guide To Cocktails, created by UK-based Simon Difford. Packed with 600 new and 900 revised cocktail recipes, it's essential reading for cocktail lovers everywhere. Meanwhile, our bar review takes us to Christina's, a brand new bar shining a light on the best of British ingredients, aperitivo style.Lastly, we check in with Remy Savage at Bauhaus in London to talk all things glassware – from the beautiful range of glassware he's formulated for design company Nude, to how different styles of glasses affect the overall drinking experience. Fascinating stuff.What we're mixing:Dark 'N' Stormy50ml / 2 parts dark rum25ml / 1 part fresh lime juice10ml / sugar syrup2 dashes Angostura Aromatic BittersGinger beerFresh lime to garnishMethod:Mix all ingredients, except ginger beer, in a Collins glass. Stir and fill glass with cubed ice. Top with the ginger beer, stir again and garnish with a wedge of lime.The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' WatsonFor more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.comTo see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:Bauhaus BarChristina'sDifford's Guide To CocktailsFiley Bay Single Malt WhiskyNude x Remy Savage GlasswareThe Cocktail Society Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We continue the summer drinking vibes with some fab products to have on your radar. Such as Sipsmith Chilli & Lime Gin from their limited-edition Sipping Series, and Equiano Light, a new white(ish) rum dedicated to one of the most fascinating men in history, Odulah Equiano. From our groaning cocktail library we pick out 'The New Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need To Know To Think Like A Master Mixologist', a fabulous guide packed with top tips and 500 recipes from King Cocktail, Dale DeGroff.Our bar review sees us soaking up the bright, brilliant and beautiful decidedly summery drinks created by Tato Giovanni at recently opened Sucre and Abajo and we gen up on all things tequila and mezcal with the queen of agave spirits, Ivy Mix.What we're mixing: Piña Colada50ml Equiano Light Rum (or white rum)25ml Coco Re'al Cream of Coconut25ml fresh pineapple juice5ml fresh lime juiceMethod:Blend all ingredients together over crushed ice. Garnish with a dusting of nutmeg and three pineapple leaves.The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' WatsonFor more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.comTo see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:Abajo/SucreEquianoLeyendaSipsmithThe New Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need To Know To Think Like A Master Mixologist With 500 Recipes by Dale DeGroffThe Spirits of Latin America – A Celebration of Culture and Cocktails, With 70 Recipes by Ivy Mix Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sun may not have its hat on but according to our calendar, it's summer so we're choosing our drinks accordingly.Our product review sees us sipping the latest sunshine-centric can from the clever chaps at Empirical Spirits in Copenhagen and for when evenings draw in, we open a tip-top bottled Old Fashioned from the team at Hawksmoor London.We go in full summer mode with this week's book recommendation, the fabulously retro, unashamedly kitsch 'Trader Vic's Tiki Party', however, our bar review is much more serious as we head to the light-filled space upstairs at Swift in Soho.And it's destination Athens where we catch up with Vasillis Kyritsis and Nikos Bakoulis from the award-winning bar The Clumsies (proudly positioned at number three on the World's 50 Best Bars list if you don't mind!) Tune in for their expert tips on pimping up your G&T, using seasonal ingredients and making simple and delicious refreshing drinks.Summer essential: Don't miss the Luxardo Secret Piazza running in the delightful courtyard at Hush, 8 Lancashire Court, London W1S 1EY until end of September 2021. Offering a season of delicious drinks including the Colada Italiana, Piazza Spritz and Dolce Vita, as well as a sumptuous food menu, it's the place to get a taste of the Med without leaving central London. For bookings and further details, see hush.co.ukWhat we're drinking:Tom Collins50ml Old Tom Gin25ml lemon juice15ml sugar syrupSoda waterLemon slice and cocktail cherry to garnishMethod:Add first three ingredients to a Collins glass and stir. Fill glass with ice, top with soda water and stir again. Garnish with lemon slice and cocktail cherry.What we'll be drinking next week…Piña Colada (sound track optional)You'll need:50ml white rum25ml Coco Reàl Cream of Coconut25ml fresh pineapple juice5ml freshly squeezed lime juiceAnd a blender. Be warned: this one is going to be noisy, but it's worth it!The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' WatsonFor more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.comTo see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:The ClumsiesEmpirical Spirits CoHawksmoor at HomeHushLuxardoSwift Trader Vic's Tiki Party Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is packed with all kinds of cocktail-loving goodness – from how to be the perfect host at home to where to go for first-class hosting skills at one of our favourite London hotels.Our drinks cabinet reveals two products from Discarded Spirits Co – a vodka and a rum, both cleverly made with products that would have otherwise gone to waste and we try a bottled cocktail fit for a world famous spy, courtesy of the suppliers to Her Majesty The Queen.The wonderfully witty, packed full of handy tips, Esquire's Handbook For Hosts is our literary pick this week and we learn a whole lot of inventive ways to use store cupboard ingredients in our cocktails from JJ Goodman.What we're mixing:Paloma (in honour of National Tequila Day)50ml Patrón Silver TequilaTwo Keys Pink Grapefruit SodaPink grapefruit wedge to garnishPink Himalayan Salt to rim your glass (optional)Method:Dampen the rim of your Collins glass with water, then gently press into a saucer filled with salt to coat the rim.Fill your glass with ice cubes then pour tequila in the glass and lengthen with Two Keys Pink Grapefruit Soda. With a bar spoon or chopstick, gently mix ingredients together. Garnish with a pink grapefruit wedge. Enjoy!The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' WatsonFor more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.comTo see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:Claridge's HotelDiscarded Spirits CoEsquire's Handbook For HostsFortnum & MasonLondon Cocktail ClubKitchen CocktailsTwo Keys Pink Grapefruit Soda Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just because you're not partaking in full-strength cocktails doesn't mean that you have to miss out on complex, well crafted drinks. In this episode we shine a light on the people and products making no and low abv beverages clever, classy and cool.We review Æcorn Aromatic, a non-alcoholic aperitif that packs a flavoursome punch, and try Crossip, a new range of alcohol-free spirits created by a fitness fanatic bartender Carl Anthony Brown. From our cocktail library it's the aptly titled, bursting with goodness 'How To Drink Without Drinking – celebratory alcohol-free drinks for any time of day' by Fiona Beckett, while our bar review takes us to Tayer + Elementary where creative cocktails of the no, low and full-strength varieties are always on the menu.Camille Vidal, founder of La Maison Wellness is in the hotseat this week talking about how to be a healthy hedonist, advising on how reduce, replace and remove alcohol from your glass without losing any of the flavour experience. What we're mixing: LLB (lemon, lime & bitters)4-5 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters20ml lime cordial or 15ml freshly-squeezed lime juice (the cordial will add more sweetness)Lemonade to lengthenLemon wedge to garnishMethod:Add 4-5 dashes of Angostura bitters to a Collins glass. Gently 'roll' the bitters around to coat as much of the inside of your glass as possible. Fill your glass with ice, then add the lime cordial or freshly-squeezed lime juice and lemonade. Add a few extra dashes of Angostura on top , stir gently with metal straw to combine. Garnish with a lime wedge.Tip: don't forget to add the lime cordial otherwise it's just LB!The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' WatsonFor more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.comTo see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:Æcorn AperitifsAngostura aromatic bittersCrossip DrinksHow To Drink Without Drinking – celebratory alcohol-free drinks for any time of dayLa Maison WellnessTayer + ElementaryCamille's suggested non-alcoholic productsClean CoLyresThree SpiritsCamille's non-alcoholic cocktail recipe:Bright Side SpritzIngredients50ml Seedlip Grove 4250ml grapefruit juice25ml honey water1 teaspoon rose water Top with Fentimans Pink Rhubarb Tonic Water MethodPour your Seedlip Grove 42, grapefruit juice, honey water and rose water into your shaker and add ice. Give all the ingredients a good shake and strain into a wine glass. Then fill your glass with ice and top with Fentimans pink rhubarb tonic water. Finally garnish with a slice of grapefruit and if you have some rose petals to make it extra fancy!For more recipes, product recommendations, how-to videos and events, sign up to lamaisonwellness.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've packed all kinds of cocktail-loving goodness into this issue. We start with a review two of fruity (ish) cocktails: one, Apples, a refreshing, super delightful cocktail in cans from the clever team at Coupette in East London; the other, the unmistakable taste of Jaffa Cakes, distilled into a trio of spirits. Bear with us here, we are very much aware that it sounds like a gimmick but we were pleasantly surprised by the taste.Our books review takes in Beautiful Booze by Natalie Migliarini and James Stevenson and we head over to A Bar With Shapes For A Name to discover how the Bauhaus movement translates into an artfully conceived venue and equally creative drinks.Jim Meehan speaks to us from Portland, Oregon where we check in with him to talk all things Punch, from the ingredients to the glossary and how and when to serve. Last but no means least, JJ Goodman from the London Cocktail Club shares his invaluable cocktail hack for making kitchen cupboard triple sec (file this one under 'essentials')What we're mixing:A Mojito (in celebration of National Mojito Day on 11th July)Ingredients:Approx 10 fresh mint leaves25ml freshly-squeezed lime juice20ml sugar syrup*50ml white rum – we use Bacardí SuperiorLime sprig to garnishMethod:Add fresh mint leaves, freshly-squeezed lime juice and sugar syrup to a Collins glass. Half fill glass with crushed ice and stir to combine ingredients. Top up the glass with more crushed ice. Place the mint sprig in in the palm of your hand and 'clap' together to release the oils, then place in the side of your glass along with a paper or better still, metal straw. (No plastic straws allowed!)*To make sugar syrup, combine equal parts caster sugar and water in a sterilised bottle. Shake to dissolve. Store in the fridge.The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' WatsonFor more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.comTo see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:A Bar With Shapes For A NameApplesBeautiful Booze – Stylish Cocktails To Make At HomeJaffa Cake SpiritsMixography IncTabiki, Portland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We made it our business to be amongst the first in the queue to check out the two bars at the gorgeous new NoMad London, and as we imagined, they didn't disappoint. There's Side Hustle upstairs and Atrium downstairs – if you're cocktail lovers like us, we suggest you make it your business to visit both Keeping our review hats on we try a new spirit drink called Aloha65, discover Baldoria vermouths and extol the virtues of 'Schofield's Fine and Classic Cocktails – Celebrated Libations and Other Fancy Drinks' by Joe and Daniel Schofield.Lastly, we talk to Andy Shannon about Candra Drinks, the fab new website he's co-created with spirited consumers in mind. There's recipes, videos, drinks calculators, recipe searches, playlists – in short everything you need to make amazing drinks at home. It's definitely worth having on your radar.This week's cocktail hack is courtesy of Simone Caporale from Sips Drinkery House, Barcelona.What we're mixing:Sandrae's Hot ToddyHot water1/2 freshly squeezed lemon1-2 tsp honey50ml rum, brandy, whiskyMethod:The beauty is, there is no method! Combine the lemon and honey in a mug, pour in boiling water and top with your spirit of choice. Stir the lot together and adjust to your specified taste. Job done.For more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.comTo see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and check out their websites below:The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T Bone' WatsonAloha65Baldoria VermouthCandra DrinksNoMad LondonSchofield's Fine and Classic Cocktails Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.