Alhambra Reserva 1925 – drinks review
Independently-owned Alhambra Beers, a celebrated brewery in Spain, was founded in 1925 and is named after the Alhambra Palace in its home town of Granada....
Affordable Fizz from Les Grands Chais de France
Les Grands Chais de France Group is a company based in the Northern Vosges region of France. It’s run by the Helfrich family. When Joseph...
Parlay Ultra Black Rum – drinks review
The label uses a strong old gold and black design which sets well on the inky dark rum in the tall slim bottle. The artwork...
Massucco Wines – drinks review
For many years Loris Massucco has been working hard, supported by the experience of several generations of family wine makers, to create his new, innovative...
Ozeki Dry Sake – drinks review
If we are new to sake we will likely be looking for a mild flavour and a light sake. Yes, sake does indeed have a...
Shirataki Shuzo Atoaji Kiriri Uonuma Junmai Sake – drinks review
The quality junmai sake, made in Uonuma City in Niigata, is a pure sake made of just 100% Japanese rice polished to 65% of its...
Craft Spirits by Eric Grossman – review
Well, this is right on trend. Cocktails have become the cornerstone of every restaurant bar, and we want to try our hands at barista-ing at...
Sake: The History, Stories and Craft of Japan’s Artisanal Breweries – book review
I was told to expect a book. I was told to expect a big book. I was told to expect a coffee-table book. What I...
Taruzake Sake – cedar difference – travel review
Sure, the world of sake is new and mysterious to most of us. Japan’s national beverage is made of few ingredients but there are many...
Sake in situ – the overlooked tourist attraction in Japan – travel review
A dream came true for me recently and it was courtesy of the Japanese Ministry of Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). That might sound unlikely when...
Umbria’s Autumn Gastronomy with Valentina Harris – travel review
Valentina Harris is perhaps our most celebrated and prolific Italian food writer, TV presenter and chef. Yes, the lady truly is Italian, although one could...
The Sparkle of Vilmart & Cie – travel review
The Champagne house Vilmart & Cie was founded in 1890 by Désiré Vilmart and is considered by many an authority to be perhaps the leading...
Discover Japanese Sake with Discovery Channel – travel review
We are invited to ‘Travel with Sam to Japan and uncover the secrets of sake’. But the first questions are likely to be ‘Who is...
Koichi Saura – Samurai for Sake – interview
We, at least in London, are becoming more familiar with Japan’s iconic national beverage. We are tempted to take our first sips in the increasingly...
Toshie Hiraide, Sake Samurai Japan – interview
Japan has many icons. Sumo, sushi, kimonos are among the first that spring to the non-Japanese mind …along with sake! Japanese food and sake are...
Sake in London? It’s an education – drinks review
Half a decade ago one could find Japanese Sake in London. Yes, of course one could. The ordering of such a beverage would usually elicit...
Winter Cocktails by Maria del Mar Sacasa – review
Cocktails! We tend to have a vision of summer evenings, flowery dresses, sipping colourful libations in some place exotic. But for those of us who...
Port and the Douro – travel review
I would love to tell my readers that I am an expert on that full and iconic beverage but until recently Port was that festive...
The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion by Duane Swierczynski – review
Well the title The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion encouraged me to think that this was going to be a rather serious tome, probably penned...
Whisky & Cheese Matching at the Athenaeum – bar review
This was our first visit to this most charming of central London hotels. Its location is hard to beat, being on Piccadilly and between Green...