Drinks Hamper 2015 by Magazine

GREAT FESTIVE COCKTAIL RECIPES • FAVOURITE WINE REGIONS • FINE WINES • FESTIVE MENUS & RECIPES Matthew Fort’s DrinkS hamper

Matthew Fort’s

DRINKS HAMPER The No.1 coNsumer guide To WiNes & sPiriTs for The fesTive seasoN

the no.1 conSumer guiDe to WineS & SpiritS for the feStive SeaSon

Festive season wine CHoiCes with Master of Wine Dawn Davies

savoY CoCktails

+ Christmas & New Year celebrations

HigH spirits

Old favourites & rare premium brands

Your CHristmas CHoiCes

Festive fine food, wine & cocktails with Matthew Fort

Destination Christmas Winter 2015

Journey to the StarS ... DiScover a galaxy of giftS anD feStive inSpiration at

SelfriDgeS

‘Drinks Hamper will raise your spirits this Christmas!’ — Matthew Fort

Warning from Warninks!

Have you got enough Warninks this Christmas? Warninks rate of sale increases by circa 1133% during December. Don’t miss the opportunity! Warninks is the No. 1 advocaat brand 77% of annual sales are in the 12 weeks before Christmas.

Warninks is bigger than golden rum Warninks is worth £3.8 million in the 4 weeks lead up to Christmas and growing at 10.4% year-on-year.

Warninks classic snowball Warninks is synonymous with the Christmas season. Drink it neat, over ice or in a classic snowball cocktail.

Warninks - a brand Aavocaat not just an Advocaat Warninks is produced in the world’s largest advocaat plant in Middelharnis, Holland.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without Warninks! Source: Nielsen Scantrack 2014

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a Warning from

Warninks! Have you got enough Warninks this Christmas? It wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be Christmas without

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CONTENTS

Welcome to Drinks Hamper

THE SEASON OF GOOD CHEER! MATTHEW FORT’S WELCOME Travelling through the festive season in the company of Matthew Fort, our journey takes us not only across six nations and their most popular Christmas dishes, there is also an exhilarating tour of some of the finest cocktails, premium spirits and wines, as well as a delicious selection of Christmas hampers

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

TABLE-TALK WITH MATTHEW FORT

Guest Editor, Matthew Fort Dawn Davies, head buyer at Speciality Drinks Chris Moore, Head Bartender at The Savoy Hotel, London

Matthew reveals that his culinary interests and fine dining expertise have always been driven by a sense of curiosity and adventure

Festive Cocktails 20

EXPERIENCING THE WORLD’S FINEST COCKTAILS WITH THE SAVOY’S HEAD BARTENDER, CHRIS MOORE Cocktails at the Savoy makes the perfect start to the festive season. Chris Moore who talks to Charles Ford, about himself, the Beaufort Bar, and his inspired prizewinning cocktail creations

COCKTAILS AT THE SAVOY

THE KEY TO COCKTAILS

The Savoy is a haven for all cocktail connoisseurs, where you will find both classic and modern cocktails prepared and served with style and panache

There are many premium spirit and liqueur brands that are the principal ingredient in well-known cocktails

Premium Spirits 50

SPIRITS OF DISTINCTION Premium spirits are at the heart of every good cocktail. Our guide to these luxury brands aims to underline just how special they are

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The Savoy Hotel

EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY THIS FESTIVE SEASON! AT THE SAVOY HOTEL Over the Christmas and New Year period, the world famous luxury hotel brings style and glamour to the festive season

The World of Wine

WINES FOR EVERY OCCASION

WINE UNDER THE HAMMER

A PASSION FOR WINE

A GIFT OF WINE

Comparing notes with Matthew Fort & Dawn Davies

Collecting and investing in fine wine is an attractive option, but uncorking the profit from your collection requires both knowledge and patience

Dawn Davies, a recently appointed Master of Wine, speaks to Charles Ford about her career in the trade, the challenges of pairing wine with food, and her love of the well-made cocktail

Are they sippers, slurpers, quaffers, or gluggers? Choosing the wine that’s the right match for your friends is a serious business, says Dawn Davies

Winter Warmers 84

‘FILL THE FLOWING BOWL!’ Who doesn’t enjoy a glass or two of warming punch on a winter’s night? Here are some winter warmers to tickle your fancy.

Luxury Foods 88

THE FINEST OF THE FINE Of all the luxury foods that may make an appearance on our tables this festive season, there are three products that go back in history as the ultimate gastronomic luxury

Selfridges’ Luxury Hampers Images: 123rf

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THE MOST DELICIOUS TASTES OF THE SEASON WITH SELFRIDGES A selection of delicious food and drink hampers created especially for the festive season

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CONTENTS 89

104

LEGENDS OF LIBATION Enjoying the finer things in life in its liquid form are some famous names, including a great statesman, film stars and notorious hell raisers

A Christmas Journey

108

THE FESTIVE SEASON IN SIX NATIONS

109

BRITAIN

112

FRANCE

116

GERMANY

119

ITALY

122

SPAIN

125

THE USA

128

Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the USA, receive a flying visit from Matthew Fort, who chooses some classic festive dishes, accompanied by Dawn Davies, who pairs these dishes with both classic and more unusual wine choices

No matter how hard chefs and food gurus try to persuade us to take a more enlightened approach to festive feasting, the vast majority of us will be tucking into tradition again

There’s no such thing as a classic French Christmas. It just depends on where you live

Like a number of European countries, Christmas Eve— Weihnachten—is as important as the day itself, with such splendid dishes as spiced carp and Christstollen, with noodle soup and roast goose being reserved on the day itself

The best dish, zampone con lenticchie—stuffed pigs trotter with lentils––is reserved for Boxing Day. For Christmas Day is has to be Panettone, the great Italian Christmas bread-cum-cake

Christmas is time for turrón. Nougat to you and me. There’s hard turrón from Alicante, soft turrón from Jijona, Catalonian turrón de Agramunt, chocolate turrón, fig turrón, egg yolk turrón ...

Americans get their turkey-driven, family-riven celebrations out of the way long before Christmas

And finally … 128

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WINE TALK The vastness of the river of wine knowledge and its tributaries has many of us trying for years to grasp more of that knowledge as it floats by

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INTRODUCING CHAMBORD ROYALE

Please enjoy Chambord responsibly. For the facts: drinkaware.co.uk

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FRUIT DE LA PASSION 150ML MINERAL WATER 15ML TEISSEIRE PASSIONFRUIT 5ML LIME JUICE 1/2 A PASSIONFRUIT or 5ML PASSIONFRUIT PUREE

Using a wine glass, add Teisseire Passionfruit, passionfruit or passionfruit puree, lime juice and mineral water. Top with ice.

VANILLA MACCHIATO DOUBLE ESPRESSO A DASH OF GOURMET DROPS 70ML STEAMED MILK Steam milk with Teisseire Vanilla, ensuring a good amount of froth at the top. Prep a double espresso and top with vanilla froth (but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t add the milk).

BRV313727_15

Teisseire is a registered trade mark of Teisseire France

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Matthew Fort’s

DRINKS HAMPER The No.1 consumer guide to WINES & SPIRITS for the festive season

DamsonMedia Publisher & CEO Kevin Harrington Managing Editor Charles Ford Sub Editor Samantha Coles Design Friyan Mehta Editorial Assistant Hannah Cook Production Director Joanna Harrington Distribution & Production coordinator Iain Wilson Production & Administration Nimar Uddin With special thanks to: Matthew Fort Dawn Davies MW Editorial OFFICE Drinks Hamper Suite 2, 143 Caledonian Road London N1 0SL United Kingdom Telephone: 0044 20 7870 9090 editorial@damsonmedia.com www.themasterchefs.com The opinions expressed in this magazine should not be considered official opinions of The Publisher or Editor. The Publisher reserves the right to accept or reject all editorial or advertising matter. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. IMAGES are sent at the owners’ risk and the Publisher takes no responsibility for loss.

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Welcome

The Season of

Good Cheer! Travelling through the festive season in the company of Matthew Fort, our journey takes us not only across six nations and their most popular Christmas dishes, there is also an exhilarating tour of some of the finest cocktails, premium spirits and wines, as well as a delicious selection of Christmas hampers

Images: 123RF, David Hartley/REX

warm welcome to Matthew Fort’s Drinks Hamper. This year I have chosen an international theme, with dishes and their recipes that are favourites for the festive season across six nations—Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the USA. I hope you will find these choices inspiring and informative. But the main focus of Drinks Hamper is, naturally, drink. I have to thank Dawn Davies for her inspired wine (and sometimes beer) pairings with the dishes I’ve chosen. The business of choosing which wine with which dish is rarely straightforward, particularly when a wide

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range of flavourings have to be taken into account. Dawn, genius that she is, has given us not just one, but two, pairings in each case—a classic combination and then one which will suit the more adventurous. We start, quite rightly, with cocktails. Fascinating insights from Chris Moore, Head Bartender at The Savoy, who makes a visit this Christmas to the hotel’s Beaufort Bar, just the place to start celebrating Christmas. Here you will find some of the best cocktails in the world, and the recipes for some of them are in the pages that follow.

Naturally there’s an extensive section on premium spirits that are at the heart of so many great cocktails. There are musings on champagne and liqueurs, without which no Christmas hamper would be complete. Finally there’s a punchbowl of winter warmers to bring a touch of heat and spice to miserable winter days and keep the chill at bay. So, let me raise a glass to wish you good reading and a very merry festive season! Matthew Fort Matthew Fort’s Drinks Hamper

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WHERE

LAVA ROCK meets

ARCTIC WATERS

FOR MORE ON OUR UNIQUE PROCESS AND AWARD-WINNING SMOOTH TASTE, VISIT REYKA.COM PLEASE DRINK REYKA RESPONSIBLY. TAKK! (THAT’S ‘THANK YOU’ IN ICELANDIC.)

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CONTRIBUTORS

About the contributors MATTHEW FORT

Images: 123RF, David Hartley/REX, The Savoy, Selfridges

began his food writing career in 1986 when he started a column about food in the Financial Times Saturday Review. Between 1989 and 2006 he was Food & Drink Editor of the Guardian. He has written for a wide variety of British, American and French publications. He was Glenfiddich Food Writer of the Year and Restaurateurs’ Writer of the Year in 1991, Glenfiddich Restaurant Writer of the Year in 1992, and Glenfiddich Cookery Writer of the Year in 2005. In 1998 he published Rhubarb & Black Pudding, a book about the Michelin-starred chef, Paul Heathcote. His second book, Eating Up Italy, was the Guild of Food Writers’ Book of the Year in 2005. His book, Sweet Honey, Bitter Lemons, a food portrait of Sicily, won the Premio Sicilia Madre Mediterranea in 2009. Recent television series include ‘Greatest Dishes in the World’; ‘The Forager’s Field Guide’. He co-presented ‘Market Kitchen’ with Tom Parker Bowles. Currently he’s a judge on ‘The Great British Menu’.

DAWN DAVIES MW

CHRIS MOORE is Head Bartender at The Savoy Hotel, London, where he has worked since 2010. He was previously Bar Manager at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze restaurant. Chris has created several award-winning cocktails and also acts as a judge for international cocktail competitions. themasterchefs.com

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is Head Buyer with distribution company Speciality Drinks. She previously worked for nine years as beer, wine and spirit buyer with upmarket UK retailer Selfridges, where she won a series of drink retailing awards for her pioneering approach. Before joining Selfridges, Dawn had an extensive career as an on-trade manager and sommelier with Zuma, Boxwood, The Square and The Ledbury restaurants.

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MATTHEW FORT INTERVIEW

TableTalk

with Matthew Fort In the conversation that follows Matthew Fort reveals that his culinary interests and fine dining expertise have always been driven by a sense of curiosity and adventure

atthew, the best food writers seem to have some traits in common— extremely knowledgeable of course but often quite autocratic, too, in the way things should be done or not done, both in the kitchen and in the restaurant. Do you recognise any of these traits in yourself? MF: Me, autocratic?! Never. I’m the most reasonable of folk. Er, except in my own kitchen. I’ll admit to being a bit bossy there. I think curiosity is more valuable than autocracy.

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Cefalu, province of Palermo. Matthew Fort spent the summer months in Sicily and other Italian islands, researching his next book, A Summer Among the Islands

afterwards. I might have found myself being played by Amy Adams in a film. What style of food writing do you admire and who are the writers who have influenced you? MF: For clarity and elegance of recipe writing there’s nothing to beat Mastering the Art of French Cookery. Nigel Slater has the fabulous gift of making you want to cook

his dishes. When it comes to pure food writing, Elizabeth David, Jane Grigson and Claudia Roden are goddesses in the UK, but my own personal favourite is an American, M.F.K.Fisher. If I could come close to the way in which she weaves personal reminiscence, greed, curiosity, instruction and enthusiasm with grace, humanity, humour and exuberance, I’d be happy. But I can’t.

Images: 123RF, David Hartley/REX

I’ve heard that you are an exceptional cook yourself. Do you have any tips for aspiring home cooks who want to improve? For example, should we practise and learn some classic recipes? MF: The best tip I ever learned was from a friend of mine, who was an exceptional cook. He advised me always put on a pot of water to boil whenever I started cooking because sooner or later I’d need it. I learned to cook by cooking from Mastering the Art of French Cookery by Louise Bertholde, Julia Child and Simone Beck for about a year. I learned basic skills that have formed the basis of how I’ve cooked since. I regret not writing a book about the experience

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MATTHEW FORT INTERVIEW

For those reading these pages now, they’ll be interested to know that you have recently returned from a second six-month adventure, roaming the Italian islands, of which there must be fifty or more, as very necessary research for your latest book, A Summer Among the Islands. You have three earlier food and travel books set in Italy. Of the many obvious attractions, what are the aspects of Italian food and culture that are especially attractive to you? MF: It’s the sheer variety, I suppose. The food of Calabria is so different from that of Piedmont, the dishes of Tuscany have nothing in common with those of Sicily. And those generic differences are reflected in minute particularity in each area, region, valley or village. Italians still have a passion belief in the supremacy of products and their dishes of their region. I remember talking to two butchers about their sausages in Sicily. Each was horrified when I suggested that their admirable products seemed identical to me. They both said that theirs was completely different, came from a different world. They lived 5km apart. Can you talk a little about how your career started as a professional food writer and connoisseur? MF: I wish I could say that it all depended on brilliance, vision, energy, originality, drive and talent. The truth is, it was pure luck. I’ve always been fascinated by food, and loved cooking. One day a perceptive man called J.D.F. Jones came for dinner. He edited the Financial Times weekend magazine at the time. In the course of dinner, he said, ‘You seem to know a bit about food. Would you like to write a column in the magazine?’ I was working in advertising at the time. It never occurred to me you could write about food and be paid for it. But it seemed like a pretty nifty idea, so I did. And then a couple of years later, another great and good man, Alan Rusbridger, rang me up and asked if I’d like to be the Guardian’s Food Editor. That seemed an even better idea, so I gave up advertising, took a 50 per cent cut in guaranteed income and became a happy man.

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Illustration of an Italian Renaissance kitchen. Bartolomeo Scappi, the great connoisseur of regional Italian cuisine, first published his Opera (Work) in Venice in 1570. It contains more than a thousand recipes. ‘Italians still have a passionate belief in the supremacy of products and their dishes of their region.’—Matthew Fort

Just one example of inspirational food writing: Elizabeth David, 1959 paperback, and first published in 1951. ‘When it comes to pure food writing, Elizabeth David, Jane Grigson and Claudia Roden are goddesses in the UK’

A butcher’s stall at the famous local market in Ballaro, Palermo ‘I remember talking to two butchers about their sausages in Sicily. Each was horrified when I suggested that their admirable products seemed identical to me. They both said that theirs was completely different, came from a different world. They lived 5km apart’

It is the sheer variety of Italian food and culture that is particularly attractive to Matthew Fort

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MATTHEW FORT INTERVIEW

‘Today, I believe we are eating our way through a golden period of British cooking’

And since you started writing about food in general and restaurants in particular, are you encouraged by the quality of both the ingredients and the cooking that we have in Britain today, both at home and in restaurants, compared to the austere days of fifty or sixty years ago when, for instance, olive oil was only available at a chemist’s shop? MF: The idea of a British restaurant being among the fifty best in the world would have laughable fifty years ago. Now there are a dozen and could easily be more. Gastronomic Britain has changed out of all recognition in the last half century. The range of restaurants, the variety, the quality of cooking, the brilliance of many of the ingredients produced here, these have all changed immeasurably for the better. Fifty years ago, even thirty years ago, we were still in thrall to French haute cuisine or Italian domestic cooking, usually using imported ingredients. Today, I believe we are eating our way through a golden period of British cooking. All over the country, British chefs are cooking their own food based on our own ingredients. Think of Heston Blumenthal, Sat Bains, Tom Kerridge,

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Fergus Henderson, Jason Atherton, Simon Rogan, Ollie Dabbous, Clare Smythe, Lisa Allen, Nathan Outlaw, Michael Hare … And of course styles have changed, too? Perhaps today’s fashions mean recipes have been adapted for more healthconscious diners? MF: I suppose we’re all much more aware of the connection between healthy eating and healthy living, but I have to say that health isn’t the first thing on my mind when I settle down with a menu. I think ‘Ooo, I’d like that. And I’d like that. And I’d like that. And I think I’ll probably pass on that.’ In other words I’m a firm believe in the pleasure principle over dietary dictat. Both the seasonality and the regionality of food is very much de rigueur, a key aspect of the fine dining menu these days would you say? MF: In theory, that’s true, although some chefs have a weird idea of the seasons and regions. Also, quite legitimate improvements in agriculture mean that we can produce salad or strawberries in this country in months that would have been unthinkable a decade or so ago. Recently

a chef told me that he had sourced the asparagus for a particular dish from France when there was some early season stuff available in the UK because ‘it tasted better.’ He was right. Normally, local is to be preferred because it’s fresher and tastes better. But there’s no point in being inflexible about it. Flavour should always be the deciding factor. For your menus and recipes for the festive season in this new issue of Drinks Hamper with Matthew Fort, perhaps we don’t have to be quite so health conscious over the festive season. What inspired your choice of the dishes and recipes (see pp.108-127)? MF: Oh, come on. If we can’t indulge at Christmas, when can we? Christmas is about indulgence. That doesn’t always mean every dish has to swim in cream and butter, or be stuffed with fat and sugar. I’ve chosen those I’ve featured on the basis that I’d like to eat them. It’s as simple as that. Although whether I’d like to eat them more than roast turkey, Christmas pud and all the usual Christmas fare … hmm, that’s a tough one. But perhaps a bit of adventure wouldn’t be a bad idea. 

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cocktail time at the savoy

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COCKTAIL TIME AT THE SAVOY

Experiencing the World’s Finest

Cocktails with The Savoy’s Head Bartender, Chris Moore

Enjoying great cocktails at The Savoy makes the perfect start to the festive season. Here are some insights from Chris Moore who talked to Charles Ford, about himself, the Beaufort Bar, and his inspired prize-winning cocktail creations

he majestic Savoy Hotel in the Strand, London, has a history and reputation second to none. Although the hotel has been the favourite choice of the rich and famous ever since its doors first opened in 1889, you don’t have to be either to enjoy the elegance of the Beaufort Bar, run by head bartender Chris Moore. Just take a few steps from the busy London street to relax in elegant surroundings and experience some of the finest cocktails in the world, unique to the Beaufort Bar.

Images: 123RF, The Savoy

Chris Moore is one of the brightest stars in the cocktail universe and he’s the driving force behind the Beaufort Bar’s success which has recently included winning the accolade ‘Best International Hotel Bar’. Chris’s career as a bartender is an intriguing story, because it is one that has taken him in a short time from modest beginnings to become one of the top cocktail specialists in the world, as he explains. I was studying at college and I was also playing semi-professional football. I

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needed to work to earn some money so I started as a part-time bartender. Then I stopped studying and I stopped playing football because I’d just fallen in love with working in the bar, even though where I started in my home town of Coventry the bars were very basic, where I poured beers and spirits as you do in any bar. But then I started to get into the mixed drinks and cocktail scene and I was hooked. I remember saying to a friend while I was working behind the bar that one day I wanted to be a bartender at The Savoy. And here I am. But of course, for Chris Moore, there were many stepping-stones between his modest beginnings in Coventry to the heights of reaching The Savoy in London … I moved down to London and worked under the tutelage of Nick Strangeway who opened a bar in the late 90s, and of course Nick is today a highly respected mixologist himself. So that was my first step up, and there were quite a few more steps up I had to take before I arrived here at The Savoy.

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Cocktail time at the savoy Is it the highly developed sense of taste that sets the experts apart from the amateurs in the drinks industry? I wanted to know if Chris thinks this is lucky gift or is taste a sense that can be developed? I think there is an element of natural talent but more importantly taste is a sense that you learn to develop through experience … the more contact you have with different spirits, mixers, and the rest, the more knowledge you gain. If you’re tasting a whisky, for example, put aside the fact that it’s a whisky and then try to ascertain all the characteristics within that liquid. The more you do that, the better you get at recognising the subtleties. You need to be able to recognise three or four hundred flavours because it’s from that knowledge that you get balance in drinks. And you need to have an understanding of bitters, syrups—all the elements that add that final touch of flavour. So what you seek to achieve is balance and consistency. At my suggestion that measurements of the ingredients must be important if consistency is to be achieve, Chris is ambivalent … I think for making cocktails at home you might add a splash of this or that and you know roughly how the drink should turn out—but generally it’s not a method I’d recommend and all the great cocktails have pretty precise recipes with measured ingredients, which means in an evening you will be able to produce the same cocktail for two or three hundred people if necessary. Creating a new cocktail for the Beaufort Bar at The Savoy is a much more intense business than you might imagine, and a very far cry from a splash of this and a splash of that … One of the more recent cocktails I’ve created took ten months to achieve the result we were aiming at. Because it took so long, we ended up calling it The Epiphany. I remember on the last tasting thinking, finally, finally, this is what we’re looking for! So in a way it was reverse engineering … when we started we knew what we wanted to end up with. The idea for this ten-month-in-the-making cocktail came to Chris when he saw a seminar based on apple spirits, in this case Calvados, and apple brandy

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COCKTAIL TIME AT THE SAVOY from the USA. His cocktail concept is a complex strand of flavours combining honeycomb and mead liqueur, calvados, whisky, a blend of two sherries, served with red and green apple twists as well as grated star anise. However, it is another of Chris’s creations that has stolen the limelight to some extent.

This is The Encantador, a cocktail that won the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition in Puerto Rico in February 2015, a cocktail now recognised and requested on more than five continents. The winning recipe, judged to be captivating, enchanting, charming, is as follows:

The Encantador by Chris Moore

›› 40ml Bacardi Superior  ›› 10ml Aperol  ›› 20ml Fresh lemon juice  ›› 15ml Vanilla syrup  ›› 5ml Miclo Framboise eau de vie  ›› 5ml Egg white

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Cocktail time at the savoy

While Chris admits to having worked hard on this concept for a year, it was not only the recipe that took this time; it was also the very precise marketing plan that he devised for his new creation. I think for making cocktails at home you might add a splash of this or that and you know roughly how the drink should turn out—but generally it’s not a method I’d recommend and all the great cocktails have pretty precise recipes with measured ingredients, which means in an evening you will be able to produce the same cocktail for two or three hundred people if necessary. With cocktails, both old and new, you will often find a strand of history attached, and this is true in the

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case of The Encantador, as Chris explains … When it comes to creating a new cocktail I tend to think of a scenario … a girl comes to my bar looking for something fruity, with gin, stirred. The only thing I could think of was Clover Club which is essentially a Gin Sour with fresh raspberries—it used to be made in a Philadelphia club in the 1930s where there would be big burly politicians drinking cognac, so there had to be an alternative of course, so it was this cocktail called the Clover Club. And so the flavour profile of The Encantador was based around that idea but with some modifications. If we look back across the generations, I suggest to Chris that tastes often

change with each generation. Does he recognise those changes in the cocktail choices of today? Changes in taste depend to some extent on where you are, geographically. This might sound bizarre, but in Britain, for example, tastes can differ to those in the USA or other parts of the world. I’ve had an experience myself in other countries where everyone around me is enjoying a certain cocktail but for my taste it’s been too sweet and unbalanced and I turn out to be the only person from the UK saying this is too sweet for me. And so the cocktail scene and cocktails tastes differ from one country to another. In Japan, for example, they love classic drinks, they rarely create one but they do perfect cocktails and

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COCKTAIL TIME AT THE SAVOY

with great precision. Comparing notes for a moment on this spirit of place aspect, we are in agreement that a Dark and Stormy needs the atmosphere of a bar in Bermuda to work it’s deceptive magic, while Chris agrees that he loves a Pina Colada on a beach in Mexico—‘but on a grey winter’s day in London the effect is not quite the same!’ 

THE GREAT COCKTAIL EXPERIENCE For the great cocktail experience, without doubt it is The Savoy that can conjure the memorable moment. The ravishing décor of Chris Moore’s Beaufort Bar is open not only to the hotel’s guests but also to those who simply want to walk in from the street to experience the high art of cocktail mixing from the hands of Chris Moore and his colleagues. The cocktail menu at the Beaufort Bar is itself a work of art, an inspiration themasterchefs.com

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that came from Chris after he had been looking through some of The Savoy’s archives. What he found were menus from the first half of the twentieth century, which changed daily, and with stunning illustrations commissioned from wellknow artists and illustrators of the day. This has been the inspiration behind the Beaufort Bar’s pop-up cocktail book menu, featuring beautifully hand-drawn and painstakingly cut illustrations, the menu’s pages throw open a heady world of characters, tales and scents, with each exquisitely crafted cocktail telling its own unique story. It is the pop-up menu, says Chris, which caps the creation of the Beaufort Bar, which first opened its doors in 2011. ‘We now have the complete offering,’ says Chris, ‘and after four years of being open, this amazing menu completes the concept of the Beaufort Bar at The Savoy.’ 

THE BEAUFORT BAR AT THE SAVOY

Hours of Operation Monday - Saturday: 5.00pm – 1.00am Last orders 00:30am Entertainment Nightly entertainment in the Beaufort Bar, performances start at 8.30pm Evenings of Cabaret & Burlesque take place from 7.30pm (doors open at 6.30pm) on the first Sunday of every month. Dress Code Smart Casual, No Sportswear Reservations The Beaufort Bar accepts reservations from Monday to Thursday, and for Evenings of Cabaret & Burlesque only. Please email savoy@fairmont.com or call the restaurant reservations team on +44 (0)20 7420 2111 between 0900 to 2000 BST. Please note that table will be held for 15 minutes. On Savoy Dinner Dances evenings, there will be a £10 per person cover charge from 8.00pm to 11.00pm.

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COCKTAILS AT THE SAVOY

Cocktails at The Savoy

The Beaufort Bar’s limited edition cocktail menu

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COCKTAILS AT THE SAVOY

The Savoy is a haven for all cocktail connoisseurs, where you will find both classic and modern cocktails prepared and served with style and panache By Brendan Connolly

o you know your Rickeys from your Daiseys and your Slings and Smashes from your Juleps? If not, you will find the answers in The Savoy Cocktail Book. This is not only the most famous cocktail book in the world, it has also been in print for the last 85 years, since 1930 and the heyday of those bright young things, those ‘people of quality’, and that frightfully smart drink, the cocktail.

Images: 123RF, The Savoy

The famous book Harry Craddock (aka ‘The King of Cocktail Shakers’) described his book, The Savoy Cocktail Book, as ‘Being in the main a complete compendium of the Cocktails, Rickeys, Daisies, Slings, Shrubs, Smashes, Fizzes, Juleps, Cobblers, Fixes, and other Drinks, known and vastly appreciated in this year of grace 1930, with sundry notes of amusement and interest concerning them, together with subtle Observations upon wines, and their special occasions. Being in the particular an elucidation of the manners and customs of people of quality in a period of some equality,’ adding, ‘… we only hope it will be found useful by those who are wise enough to secure a copy before the Censor gets upon its track.’ Then Craddock cautions his followers ‘a word of warning; and that is to be particularly careful not to produce the wrong kind of drinks for the great occasions of your life. When, for instance, your tailor pays you a formal call with a view to obtaining a reduction of the amount of credit with him, you will not appease him by offering to split a bottle of Champagne with him, pleading the ghastliness of your poverty the while. And never offer ginger beer to the lady whose favour you intend to curry, however honourably, before the evening is out. Port should rarely be served at breakfast, and it is not correct to offer a parting guest a cocktail, unless you feel you have given him such a bad dinner that he is probably going to have another one somewhere else, and needs an appetizer.’ themasterchefs.com

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Not only is there wit and wisdom in The Savoy Cocktail Book, there are also several hundred cocktail recipes compiled by the then Head Bartender of the Savoy, Harry Craddock, published in London in 1930 and illustrated by Gilbert Rumbold. A rare signed copy of the first edition is currently priced at £2,363.

1930s vintage recipes The following recipes are taken from Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book. Some aspects of the recipes seem almost intentionally vague, suggesting you will have to go to The Savoy to discover how it’s really done, with appropriate finesse and style. Savoy Hotel Special Cocktail* 1 Dash Pernod 2 Dashes Grenadine

French Vermouth Dry gin Shake well and strain into cocktail glasses. Squeeze lemon peel on top. *Peter, 9th Earl of Savoy, brought to England as his wards, eighty-three of the most wealthy and beautiful girls in France. He then married them to the most powerful nobles in England. This is why he wore amour. Mai-tai ½ tsp Powdered sugar 2oz Rum 1oz Triple Sec 1 tbs Orgeat or almond flavoured syrup 1 tbs Grenadine 1 tbs Lime juice Shake with ice and strain into a large oldfashion glass about full with crushed

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cocktails AT THE SAVOY ice. Decorate with Maraschino cherry speared to a wedge of pineapple. Margarita 1½oz Tequila ½oz Triple sec 1oz lemon juice Rub rim of cocktail glass with rind of a lemon or lime, dip rim in salt. Shake ingredients with ice and strain into the salt-rimmed glass. Old fashioned 1 Lump sugar 2 Dashes Angostura bitters 1 Glass Rye or Canadian whisky Crush sugar and bitters together, add lump of ice, decorate with a twist of lemon peel and slice of orange, using medium size glass, and stir well. This cocktail can be made with brandy, gin, rum, etc., instead of rye whisky. Planter’s cocktail ¼oz Lemon juice ¼oz Syrup ½oz Rum Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Rusty nail ¾oz Scotch whisky ¼oz Drambuie Serve in old-fashioned glass with ice cubes. Float Drambuie on top. Champagne cocktail Put into a wine glass one lump of sugar and saturate it with Angostura bitters. Having added to this one lump of ice, fill the glass with champagne, squeeze on top a piece of lemon peel, and serve with a slice of orange. • A variation is to replace the Angostura bitters with cognac.

New inspirations Opened in 2012, under the direction of Head Bartender, Chris Moore, The Beaufort Bar provides a theatrical, art deco setting in which to enjoy cocktails that push the boundaries. Awardwinning head bartender, Chris Moore, and his expert team have created a menu designed to intrigue and excite

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guests with each drink listed entirely unique to the Beaufort Bar. Character Cocktails, served in era-specific vintage glassware and garnished tableside, pay tribute to four of The Savoy’s most famous personalities, and The Impressionist, one of the Beaufort Bars most popular cocktails, arrives at the table with a smoking rose for that element of drama. For guests with more of a taste for champagne, the Beaufort Bar boasts an impressive selection of vintage and

non-vintage champagne by the glass or by the bottle. The bar itself stands on the hotel’s former cabaret stage, which was graced by such luminaries as Carol Gibbons, the Savoy Orpheans and George Gershwin. A tradition of live entertainment continues to this day with nightly performances by both renowned and up and coming talent, as well as monthly evenings of Cabaret and Burlesque.

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COCKTAILS AT THE SAVOY Introducing The Savoy’s Character Cocktails One year after opening, in 2013, Chris Moore introduced his ‘Character Cocktails’, creations inspired by some of the Savoy’s most famous guests. Character Cocktails introduce a touch of theatre to the already dramatic surroundings of the Beaufort Bar at The Savoy. Four new cocktail creations pay tribute to four of the many famous personalities to have stayed at The Savoy; Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Charlie Chaplin and Frank Sinatra. Each cocktail has been created in a collaborative effort by the awardwinning team of mixologists at the Beaufort Bar. Adding an element of surprise and intrigue to the service, the cocktails are served in era-specific vintage glassware and are garnished tableside, in front of the guest, to reflect the inspiration behind the drink.

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cocktails AT THE SAVOY

The Character Cocktails

The Never Ending Story, Ernest Hemingway Created by Lorenzo Antinori and inspired by Hemingway’s time in Cuba and his love of Daiquiri’s. In short, a drink he would approve of. A Cuban inspired mix of Bacardi 1909, Dark Crème de Cacao, lime juice, caster sugar and two dashes of absinthe. Served in a 1930s coupette and presented with a hand wrapped cinnamon cigar.

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Coco, Coco Chanel  Created by Chris Moore and Fabrizio Fiorito. Coco changed the course of fashion history and she also loved to drink. She was known for believing that red wine and caviar would keep her young. Champagne was also a favourite tipple. Grey Goose infused with rose and jasmine, Lillet Blanc, Red Wine and Blackberry Reduction, Moët & Chandon 2004. Served in an 1890s wine glass and garnished with jasmine and rose tea spray and black sugar pearls presented in a small caviar tin.

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Discover our new

Christmas creations

White chocolate and cranberry ganache

Milk chocolate and spicy biscuit pralinĂŠ

Dark chocolate and Christmas tea ganache Marbled dark chocolate and mandarin ganache

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cocktails AT THE SAVOY

The GOLD RUSH, CHARLIE CHAPLIN

Created by Aaron Jones and Lorenzo Antinori. Chaplin was not a big drinker but this cocktail is homage to the characters he played on the big screen and his contribution to cinema. Popcorn-infused Woodford Reserve, Amaretto Disaronno, Vintage Van der Hum, lemon juice, pineapple juice, smoked maple syrup, egg white. Served in a 1920s Hamilton Pall Mall coupette and garnished with a touch of the cinematic.

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Ol’ Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra

Created by Chris Moore and inspired by Sinatra’s declaration that ‘orange is the happiest colour’ and his love of Jack Daniels, so much so that he was buried with a bottle of it. Champagne was also a favourite tipple. Jack Daniel’s Savoy Silver Select, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, Vintage Benedictine, Cocchi Americano. Served in a 1950s whisky tumbler, garnished with a flamed orange and presented on a rare Frank Sinatra 7-in. vinyl.

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BRANDED COCKTAIL RECIPES

The Key to

Cocktails There are many premium spirit and liqueur brands that are the principal ingredient in well-known cocktails. Here are some favourites

Those who create great cocktails, those mixology magicians of the high art of sophisticated taste blends, their creations will frequently take a particular spirit or liqueur as a focal point of a cocktail. Here are some enticing examples that rely on specific brands for their superb results. 34 //MATTHEW FORTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DRINKS HAMPER

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BRANDED COCKTAIL RECIPES

Chambord-Based Cocktails Chambord is an infusion of red and black raspberries, Madagascar vanilla and XO cognac. The liqueur was first created in 1982, and was inspired by a raspberry liqueur produced for Louis XIV, the ‘Sun King’, during his visit to Château de Chambord in the 17th century.

French Martini A chic, classic cocktail to impress your guests. Ingredients ›› 20ml Chambord black raspberry ›› 40ml Vodka ›› 60ml Pineapple Juice Preparation Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Vigorously shake to achieve a foaming head, then strain into a martini glass.

Chambord Royale A festive treat perfect for adding a touch of glamour. Ingredients ›› 15ml Chambord black raspberry liqueur ›› 125ml Champagne ›› A raspberry Preparation Pour Champagne into a flute glass and top with Chambord. Garnish with a raspberry.

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BRANDED COCKTAIL RECIPES

Courvoisier-Based Cocktails Courvoisier VSOP cognac is exquisitely balanced, with notes of peach and toasted almond with the gentle hint of vanilla and jasmine.

Courvoisier Sidecar Ingredients ›› 2 parts Courvoisier VSOP ›› ½ part lemon juice ›› 1/5 part sugar syrup ›› ½ part orange liqueur Preparation Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake hard for a short time. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Chambord Spritz A refreshing cocktail to please the punters. Ingredients ›› 50ml Chambord black raspberry liqueur ›› 125ml Dry white wine (use only dry white wine, otherwise the result will be too sweet) ›› Soda water ›› Ice Preparation Pour dry white wine into a large glass filled with ice. Add Chambord and then top with soda.

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BRANDED COCKTAIL RECIPES

Courvoisier Champagne Cocktail Ingredients ›› 1 part Courvoisier VSOP ›› 1 Demerara sugar cube ›› 2 dashes Angostura bitters ›› Top up with Champagne Preparation Soak a sugar cube in bitters and drop into a Champagne flute. Cover with Courvoisier VSOP and slowly top with Champagne.

Midnight in Paris Ingredients ›› 2 parts Courvoisier VSOP ›› Top up with ginger ale ›› Lime wedge Preparation Build all ingredients in a highball glass over cubed ice.

Jägermeister–Base Cocktails Jägermeister is a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices at a strength of 35% alcohol by volume. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany.

Winter Spice Ingredients ›› 50ml Jägermeister Spice ›› 100ml Mulled wine mix Preparation Mix together and garnish with lime, lemon, orange zest and a cinnamon stick. 38 //MATTHEW FORT’S DRINKS HAMPER

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DISCOVER DISCOVER OUR

ROOTS ROOT56

JÄGERMEISTER WITH GINGER BEER

The origins of Jägermeister can be traced back over 80 years to the small town of Wolfenbüttel, Germany. Since production began here, ginger root has been a key ingredient in our complex blend of 56 herbs and spices. Which is, of course, why Jägermeister goes so naturally with ginger beer – especially served with ice, lime and cucumber. We call it a Root56. A celebration of our deepest bonds, and a worthy accompaniment to yours.

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FRIENDSHIP, LOVE & PLEASURE

A SUPER PREMIUM, LUXURY, 4 GRAIN POLISH VODKA CREATED WITH FRIENDSHIP, MADE WITH LOVE AND DRUNK WITH PLEASURE WINNER OF OVER 70 INTERNATIONAL GOLD MEDALS “U’LUVKA IS MORE THAN JUST VODKA, IT IS A LUXURY SPIRIT. 95/100” ANTONY DIAS BLUE, FOUNDER - SAN FRANCISCO SPIRITS COMPETITION WWW.ULUVKA.COM

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BRANDED COCKTAIL RECIPES

Jäger Sour Ingredients ›› 50ml Jägermeister ›› 12.5ml Lemon juice ›› 12.5ml Sugar ›› 25ml Orange juice ›› 1 Egg white Preparation Garnish with orange and lemon slices.

Jäger Negroni Ingredients ›› 25ml Jägermeister ›› 25ml Filfar Orange Liqueur ›› 25ml Gin Mare Preparation Garnish with orange zest.

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BRANDED COCKTAIL RECIPES

Teisseire-Based Cocktails French brand Teisseire is a range of intensely flavoured syrups that are an important element in many cocktails. ‘We’re famous in France for innovative flavours that taste just like the fruit or flower on which they are based. Every recipe we create is uniquely crafted to obtain a beautiful flavour from the finest ingredients.’

Salted Caramel Americano Ingredients ›› Americano ›› 15ml Teisseire Caramel ›› Tiny Pinch of Sea Salt  Preparation Prepare an Americano. Add a pinch of sea salt, Teisseire Caramel and stir.

Vanilla Macchiato Pamplemousse Rose Ingredients ›› 150ml sparkling water ›› 15ml Teisseire Pink Grapefruit ›› 10ml grapefruit juice ›› 2 slices of lemon Preparation Using a wine glass, add Teisseire Pink Grapefruit, grapefruit juice and lemon slices. Top with sparkling water and finish with ice. 42 //MATTHEW FORT’S DRINKS HAMPER

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Ingredients ›› Double Espresso ›› 15ml Teisseire Vanilla ›› 70ml steamed milk Preparation Steam milk with Teisseire Vanilla, ensuring you get a good amount of froth at the top. Prepare a double espresso and top with the vanilla froth (but don’t add the milk). themasterchefs.com

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BRANDED COCKTAIL RECIPES

Gin Blush Ingredients ›› 50ml gin ›› 100ml tonic ›› 15ml Teisseire Pink Grapefruit ›› 2 slices of lime Preparation Add gin, Teisseire Pink Grapefruit and tonic to rock glass. Top with ice and garnish with lime.

Fraise De Champagne Ingredients ›› 130ml champagne ›› 15ml Teisseire Strawberry ›› Fresh Strawberry Preparation Cut strawberry into thin slices, skewer with a toothpick and set aside. Pour Teisseire Strawberry into champagne glass, top with champagne and garnish with strawberry on rim of glass. themasterchefs.com

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The Master chefs home of Matthew Fortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Drinks Hamper

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BRANDED COCKTAIL RECIPES

Vodka-Based Cocktails Reyka is a small-batch vodka, hand-crafted in Iceland. This vodka comes from Iceland’s first distillery. ‘Water is the most important ingredient in vodka production. So we collect arctic spring water from a spring that runs through a 4,000-year-old lava field. The lava rocks naturally filter the water making it some of the purest in the world. The purity of the water allows the flavor of our vodka to shine through.’

Equinox Ingredients ›› 50ml Reyka vodka ›› 10ml Dolin Blanc vermouth ›› 10ml Lillet Blanc, French aperitif made from a blend of wine, liqueurs, fruits and herbs ›› 10 drops Black pepper tincture (soak whole pepper corns in a small amount of Reyka for 2-3 days) ›› Ice cubes for stirring ›› Garnish with a lemon twist

Ingredients ›› 1 part Reyka vodka ›› 1 part pomegranate juice ›› 6 mint leaves ›› ½ part runny honey ›› Sparkling wine/Champagne

Preparation Chill your glass. Half fill a large glass with ice. Add all the liquid ingredients and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into your chilled glass and garnish with the twist of lemon.

Preparation Add all except sparkling to a glass and stir, strain into a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine or champagne.

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Reyka Crimson Sun

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BRANDED COCKTAIL RECIPES

Liqueur Based Cocktails De Kuyper is the world’s largest producer of cocktail liqueurs. The Cherry Brandy Liqueur is extracted from dark red cherries, subtly enhanced with exotic spices, and blended with fine brandy.

Cherry Brandy Ingredients ›› 25ml De Kuyper Cherry Brandy ›› 125ml red wine (Shiraz) ›› 1 orange slice ›› 1 small piece of cinnamon ›› Pinch of grated nutmeg ›› 1 clove Preparation Either warm all ingredients gently in a pan, or steam in a milk-frothing jug on an espresso machine ¬until warm. Serve in a small wine glass with or without the oranges and spices.

Sólarupprás (Sunrise) Ingredients ›› 50ml Reyka vodka ›› 25ml orange juice ›› Tonic water ›› Stir and float 12.5ml Campari on top ›› Garnish with a whole slice of blood orange Preparation Stir all together and pour over lots of ice in a tall glass.

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BRANDED COCKTAIL RECIPES

Advocaat based Cocktails Advocaat is a traditional Dutch alcoholic drink, comprised of eggs, sugar and brandy. Warninks is produced in the world’s largest advocaat plant in Middelharnis, Holland.

Warnicks Snowball

Warnicks White

Ingredients › 2 measures Warnicks Advocaat over ice › Lemonade › Fresh lime or cordial › Slice of lime › Glacé cherry

Ingredients › Warnicks White › Lemonade › Sprig of mint

Preparation Add the Warnicks Advocaat, lemonade and cordial. Garnish with a slice of lime or glacé cherry.

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Preparation Warnicks White is a premium vodka cocktail liqueur that combines creamy white chocolate with a hint of fresh mint. Drink it neat over crushed ice, or top up with lemonade and garnish with a sprig of mint.

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BRANDED COCKTAIL RECIPES

Tequila-Based Cocktails Patrón tequila is crafted with meticulous precision and care. From hand-harvesting the highest-quality 100 per cent Weber Blue Agave, to the traditional, time-honoured distillation process and individual labeling, numbering, and final inspection of each bottle. Though Patrón has grown to become one of the most recognised and respected luxury spirits brands in the world, it is still exclusively produced in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, in the same small batches and with the same commitment to quality and craftsmanship. You should be able to taste the passion that goes into each bottle of Patrón Tequila.

Perfect Patrón Margarita Invented in the 1930s, the margarita is one of the biggest selling cocktails worldwide. The Perfect Patrón Margarita is the ultimate expression of the cocktail. With 100% agave Patrón Silver, fresh lime juice and Patrón’s orange liqueur, Citrónge, to give extra authentic tequila flavour.

Ingredients ›› 35ml Patrón Silver tequila ›› 15ml Patrón Citrónge (or Triple Sec) ›› 25ml freshly squeezed lime juice ›› 10ml sugar syrup Preparation Chill a martini glass. Pour all 4 ingredients into a shaker, over fresh ice cubes. Shake the drink for 8 to 10 seconds, then pour into the chilled margarita glass. For optional garnish, rim the glass with agave syrup, pink rock salt, and a lime wheel.

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BRANDED COCKTAIL RECIPES

Star Anejo Old Fashioned Ingredients ›› 50ml Patrón Anejo ›› 15ml Taylor’s Velvet Fallernum spiced Triple Sec ›› 2 dashes of angostura biters ›› Orange peel for garnish Preparation Fill a rocks glass with fresh ice. Pour in 50ml of Patrón Anejo. Add 5ml of agave syrup and 3 dashes of grapefruit bitters. Stir for 15-20 seconds, then squeeze over and stir in a slice of fresh orange peel.

Patrón Spiced Apple Ingredients ›› 50ml Patrón Silver ›› 50ml apple juice ›› 50ml fiery ginger beer ›› 2 x lime wedges ›› Splash of tonic to finish ›› Cinnamon stick for garnish Preparation Fill a highball glass with fresh ice. Pour in each of the three ingredients, then squeeze in one lime wedge and discard. Add the second lime wedge into the drink. Top with a splash of tonic water, then stir with a cinnamon stick and leave in the glass for garnish.

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Spirits THE PREMIUM SPIRITS

of Distinction

Premium spirits are at the heart of every good cocktail. Our brief guide to these luxury brands aims to underline just how special they are and why it’s well worth the extra cost when searching for outstanding quality, as are all who appreciate the eau de vie ARMAGNAC People who know and love amagnac, will scorn those who say it is the poor relation to Cognac; they will say it is a spirit of significantly different character, and they are right. Armagnac is a small département in south-western France situated between the rivers Adour and Garonne in the lower foothills of the Pyrenées. Brandy, cognac and armagnac are differentiated by their geographic designations. Both cognac and armagnac are brandies that can only be produced in their designated appellations in France. Although cognac is a better-known eau de vie than Armagnac, the latter is said to attain higher levels of delicacy through its highly aromatic qualities. It is produced via a single distillation of white wine in an

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Armagnac alambic (still) and then left to age for many years in oak barrels before being sold. It is available in vintages that are specific to armagnac. Armagnac is enjoyed straight by most, unadulterated in the glass by water. It’s a strongly charactered spirit to be sipped, unless you are Raymond Chandler’s hardbitten detective … Here is the suave Sheridan Ballou introducing Philip Marlowe to armagnac: Ballou … ‘walked over to a liquor cabinet and swung the two halve of it open. He poured something into a couple

of pot-bellied glasses. He carried one over to me. Then he went back and got his own. He sat down with it on the couch. “Armagnac,” he said. “If you knew me, you’d appreciate the compliment. This stuff is pretty scarce. The Krauts cleaned most of it out. Our brass got the rest. Here’s to you.” He lifted the glass, sniffed and sipped a tiny sip. I put mine down in a lump. It tasted like good French brandy. Ballou looked shocked. “My God, you sip that stuff, you don’t swallow it whole.” “I swallow it whole,” I said.’ The Little Sister, Raymond Chandler, 1949

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the premium spirits

BRANDY

Images: 123RF, Courvoiseir

Claret is the liquor for boys; port, for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy. In the first place, brandy is most grateful to the palate; and then brandy will do soonest for a man what drinking can do for him. There are, indeed, few who are able to drink brandy. That is a power rather to be wished for than attained.’ So Dr Samuel Johnson declared in the 18th century, thus ennobling brandy with this very special accolade. In the 21st century, brandy or cognac retains this special place on the shelf. Brandy is also an important ingredient in haute cuisine and this famous distillation may also be considered to have useful medicinal benefits. It is not for nothing that it is termed an eau de vie. There are numerous types of brandy, with the finest cognacs sipped from large balloon glasses after a notable dinner, to the vital ingredient of, for example, the charming Champagne Cocktail. Is it right to use this noble distillation in the cooking pot? Connoisseurs of the finest cognac no doubt raised their hands in horror when they read that a chef at The Savoy hotel in London had soaked the Christmas puddings in a 200-yearold cognac. The puddings were made to serve 12 people, and the cognac? Of the year 1810, a single bottle is valued at £10,900. And the pudding, with all the trimmings, including a solid gold coin, cost the consumer £23,500 per pud. A pudding for heroes, indeed! Luxury commodity The very best cognacs available to the discerning connoisseur have a distinctly aromatic flavour that combines floral, fruit and spice notes. Exceptional is Le Voyage de Napoleon Courvoisier XO, a cognac consistently recognized as one of the finest XOs in the world. This premium brand is a very special old blend of fine and wellmatured cognacs. The perfect balance of intense flavours has been patiently evolved and nurtured for at least two decades. Tasting notes for Le Voyage de Napoleon Courvoisier XO from Master Blender Patrice Pinet, describe exotic vanilla and cocoa bouquets, spicy amber and cinnamon aromas, and violet floral notes all come together to excite the senses. We should also look forward eagerly to a decent measure of Rémy Martin’s most prestigious Cognac, XO Excellence. Rémy

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Martin, one of the world’s most respected cognac brands, transforms grapes from the Grande and Fine Champagne zones into delicate spirits that are prized by aficionados around the world, particularly currently in China. We can also note that Cognac is deeply rooted to the French soil from whence it comes, adding to the uniqueness of this fine spirit. Distilled from the thin, acidic white wines of the cognac region and aged to maturity in French oak barrels, this special brandy is a strictly controlled appellation. The many rules and regulations that surround cognac production help to maintain the quality— and exclusivity—that make this spirit a coveted luxury commodity. The world’s oldest Cognac is also famous for its development during what can be a very prolonged aging process. What is thought to be the world’s oldest cognac is dated 1767. According to the Wellesley Hotel in Knightsbridge, the 70cl bottle of Coutanseaux 1767, worth approximately £100,000, was discovered in an ancient cellar in France by a cognac collector. At the time, guests at The Wellesley could buy a measure of the cognac for £7,000. ‘Cognac is one of the passions of The Wellesley, we are constantly in search of the finest and most unique vintages in the world to offer to our discerning guests,’ said Giuseppe Ruo, director of food and beverage at The Wellesley since 2012, adding, ‘We have been very excited to welcome cognac enthusiasts to experience an outstanding addition to our distinguished collection.’ The Coutanseaux 1767 was added to The Wellesley’s rare cognac collection which includes

expressions from 1789, 1783, and a Boutelleau 1800. What is cognac? Cognac is, technically speaking, a type of brandy. That means it’s made by distilling wine, and then ageing the resulting spirit in wood barrels. The main difference between cognac and brandy is that the cognac label can only be applied to the spirit produced in a specific geographic region (an appellation d’origine contrôlée)—which is the region called Cognac, in western France, a couple hundred miles southwest of Paris, and just a bit north of Bordeaux. The Cognac region itself is divided into numerous smaller regions, which have different soil characteristics capable of producing different-tasting wines and eaux de vie. While an argument can be made for the virtues of grapes that come from each of the regions, the most sought after tend to be grown in the Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, and Borderies regions. In fact, many cognac houses will brag about pulling their supply from these specific sought-after zones.

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the premium spirits

GIN Gin is back and the last ten years have brought innovative new products as well as the revival of a couple classic styles. London Dry gin still has a lock on the iconic Dry Martini but with the help of the craft cocktail community demand for classics like Old Tom gin and Plymouth is back. New styles have also found a place in craft cocktails. Plymouth Gin dates to 1793 the Black Friars distillery in Plymouth and has a storied history. Lore has it the William of Orange brought gin to England, landing in Plymouth and establishing a distillery. There is little actual support for this bit of lore but let’s not ruin a good story with the truth. Plymouth inspired a classic Plymouth Gin appeared in the first American Dry Martini recipe at the

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Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City; and that was not the only American classic that Plymouth inspired—the Sloe Gin Fizz was a bar staple in postprohibition bars. The first Sloe Gin was produced at Black Friars from sloe berries that grew wild around Plymouth. Another classic, The French 75, is finding its way back on cocktail menus with regularity. The French 75, is simply a Tom Collins substituting champagne for soda. The drink has gained popularity in the latter half of the 20th century as a brandy (cognac brandy) drink. The drink is named after a French Artillery piece that heaved a 75mm shell a great distance, far superior to what available at the time in the United States, the doughboys borrowed these field pieces from the French in the early going during WW1. President Truman as a young gunnery officer commanded a French 75

gun team in the conflict and in the heat of battle reportedly uttered the line: ‘I’d rather be here than be President of the United States!’ Niche markets Christopher Hayman, the Operation Director for the production of Beefeater Gin in the 1970s, purchased the James Burrough Fine Alcohol Division from Whitbread PLC in 1988. The new millennium’s craft cocktail explosion opened the door for many niche market products. The opportunity was not lost on Christopher Hayman, in 2004 with his son James and daughter Miranda he began producing under the Hayman name gin products from historical family recipes. Hayman’s Old Tom Gin released in 2007, is one of the most successful products and of particular interest to mixologists.

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THE PREMIUM SPIRITS

RUM

with hot days but very cool nights. The climate and terroir slows the growth and the agave ripens slowly with harvest often delayed beyond nine years, the resulting tequila has lively acidity and complex aroma and flavour components. The rest of the story is the Camareñas artisanal production methods to process the agave; from the roasting to the crush to the still. Ocho is a unique experiment in ‘single estate’ and in many cases single vintage Tequila; from 2008 through 2013 part or all the harvest from eleven different Ranchos located in a triangle defined by the towns of Arañdas, Atotoniclo and Jesus Maria was used to produce the Rancho Single estate Ocho Tequila. Ocho is tequila at it’s best from one of the leading families in the

Images: Plymouth Gin, Walter Hicks, Tequila Ocho

Variety is the spice of life, and rum has much variety while some varieties also contain some spice—which is fitting, considering that rum was an early product of the Spice Islands, such as Grenada and other Caribbean islands, where first distillation of rum took place on the sugarcane plantations in the 17th century. Rum offers a huge variety from Newfoundland’s Screech Rum, to the Canary Islands’ honey rum known as ‘ron miel de Canarias’, with everything in between, this distillation of sugar cane forms the basis of a vast number of cocktails, including the life-saving hot milk, rum, sugar and nutmeg that may be had on Left Bank boulevards on freezing winter days. There is no doubt that for many of us, rum is an evocative and even romantic spirit. The thought of rum may transport us to Treasure Island, but the smell and the taste of rum will certainly transport us to the Caribbean Islands. Pretty special As you may guess, there are literally hundreds of brands, and there are some pretty special ones, too, for instance, Banks The Endeavour – Limited Edition No.1 – 16 Year Old 1996 Rum, retails at £335 for a 70cl bottle. If you’re looking for a seriously strong but very palatable rum, try Walter Hicks 125, described as ‘a very popular over proof rum’ from Walter Hicks Brewery (St Austell Brewery, Cornwall) made in Guyana. The 125 Navy Rum, which at 125 proof (71.40% vol) is the strongest UK bottled rum available. Arriving directly from Guyana in 45-gallon barrels, it is left to mature for seven years in the brewery’s cellar. 125 Navy Rum retails at around £40 per 70cl bottle.

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TEQUILA Tequila Ocho is produced in the Los Altos region of Jalisco, the Mexican state where most of the tequila production is centered. Tequila Ocho is a collaboration between Tomas Estes and Tequilero Carlos Camareñas. Tomas has single-handedly been responsible for introducing the bounty of Mexican cuisine and the agave spirits of Mexico to Europe and Australia over the last 40 years with his restaurant brands La Perla and Café Pacifico. Climate and terroir Carlos Camareñas and his brother Felipe have deep roots in the Los Altos region and own or lease some of the best Rancho grown agave in the region. The agave is the beginning of the story, grown at the highest altitude of any agave fields in Mexico

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‘Enjoy Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky this festive season’ Enjoy a paradise of flavours this Christmas with the exquisite Glengoyne 12 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Imagine lemon zest, toffee apples with a hint of coconut – matured for 12 years in first fill bourbon and sherry casks, which then lie sleeping within the cool darkness of Glengoyne Distillery’s traditional earth-floored warehouses. Here within Glengoyne’s warehouses, time and wood work together; the golden hue develops, along with a light, sweet finish. It is the perfect way for the taste to end – with the subtle edge of barley shining through. Located beside a picturesque waterfall, which eventually meanders its way to the stunning shores of the famous Loch Lomond, Glengoyne now sits alone in an  area which, more than two centuries ago, was home to eight illicit  distilleries.

This festive season, why not try an exquisite combination of a Glengoyne 12 Year Old with mouth-watering scallop and Isle of Mull crab with chilli and coriander? Notes of coconut and lemon marry expertly with the spice and salty sea flavours of beautiful Scottish seafood. There are seven distinct expressions of Glengoyne to explore, from a 10 Year Old, offering notes of fresh green apples, popcorn and a hint of nuttiness, to a stunning bright amber 25 Year Old which boasts cinnamon, stewed fruits and Seville marmalade, offering a long spicy liquorice finish. The slowest distillation process in Scotland. No-one takes more time and care than Glengoyne. If Christmas is a time for special tastes and flavours, enjoy Glengoyne Highland Single Malt this festive season.

The name Glengoyne is derived from  the Gaelic  ‘Glen Guin’, meaning ‘Glen of the Wild Geese’, which is tucked into the base of the volcanic plug that is Dumgoyne Hill. Glengoyne’s malts, accompanied by delicious food, offer the perfect pairing for all occasions.

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the premium spirits production of tequila ‘puro’, tequila made and bottled in Mexico from 100 percent Weber Blue agave plants. Frederic Albert Constantin Weber was the botanist who first classified Agave Tequilana, the variety used to produce tequila and was rewarded with the appellation Weber Blue Agave. Hunt down these hard-to-find one-of-a-kind collectibles but don’t collect them, drink them! Find them at caskliquidmarketing.com Old favourites Carlos Camarenas produces other easier-to-find artisanal tequila brands that are also favourites, Tequila Tapatio, Excellia, and El Tesoro. Most of the tequila discussed here are produced in three and sometimes four different bottlings that are classified by age, time in barrel. Silver or blanco, is unaged or aged under 60 days in oak barrels, reposado (rested), is aged 60 days up to one year, Añejo is age one year up to three years and a recently added category extra añejo is aged over three years. The resulting tequilas are changed in many of the same ways other traditionally aged spirits like cognac or whisky are changed. The barrel imparts colour and of course multiple aromas and flavours that result for the chemical reaction to compounds in the wood leached out and combined with the strong native flavours of the spirit.

VODKA This spirit is the nation drink of Russia and of Poland, with both countries producing distinguished varieties, some of which have existed since the Middle Ages. The spirit, for imbibers, can have surprising powers of intoxication, which, depending on strength can be considerable. Although vodkas form the base of many modern cocktails, today there are also a great many flavoured vodkas that have found favour as sipping drinks, including blackcurrant, cherry, apple, lemon, vanilla. For those on a true voyage of discovery, there is even a bacon-flavoured vodka which makes an appearance in particular at the Double

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Down Saloon in Las Vegas and New York, which has been famous for the ‘Bacon Martini’ for over a decade. Super premium Vodka is a phenomenal success story unprecedented in the spirits industry; in the United States it accounts for 28 per cent of all distilled spirits consumed. How does a spirit relatively unknown for the first half of the 20th century rocket to such a heights? More importantly, how does one navigate this sea of brands to discern the real, the best, and the ones to

serve? We rely on spirits and wines from trusted sources, Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée to use the French terminology. There are vodkas that represent ‘place’ just as brandies like Cognac and Calvados representative of their appellations. Elyx, the super premium bottling from Absolut, is produced from winter wheat from one estate in Sweden and all Absolut vodka draws water from one source that is so pure that, aside from a particle filtration, no other processing is needed. The two distilleries in Sweden produce all the Absolut sold worldwide.

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the premium spirits Flavour finds favour Although vodkas form the base of many modern cocktails, today there are also a great many flavoured vodkas that have found favour as sipping drinks, including blackcurrant, cherry, apple, lemon, vanilla. For those on a true voyage of discovery, there is even a bacon-flavoured vodka which makes an appearance in particular at the Double Down Saloon in Las Vegas and New York, which has been famous for the ‘Bacon Martini’ for over a decade. Vodka is a phenomenal success story unprecedented in the spirits industry; in the United States it accounts for 28 percent of all distilled spirits consumed. How does a spirit relatively unknown for the first half of the 20th century rocket to such a heights?

WHISKY

Images: Absolut, 123RF

Winston Churchill showed that a taste for whisky can be acquired through perseverance: ‘The water was not fit to drink. To make it palatable, we had to add whisky. By diligent effort, I learnt to like it.’ The many different types of whisky offer the serious sipper a great variety of taste experiences, as well as many great moments for those who love cocktails. The world of whisky is unique and enticing. It’s unique due to its many blends and varieties, whether it’s Scotland’s great aged malt whiskies from Highland or Lowland distilleries, or the finely crafted blends, or the equally famous American rye whiskies, while not forgetting the smooth liqueur whiskies, such as Drambuie. Cocktails, too, such as the Whiskey Sour and the Rusty Nail, are legendary. Irish whiskies are also right up there with the very best. If your palate is awake, you’ll notice the many subtle differences these whiskies promise, as you uncork the bottle and pour a good measure of the amber golden liquid into your best cut-glass tumbler. It is exactly this great range of varieties that makes whisky (as spelt in the UK) or whiskey (as spelt in the USA) such an enticing tasting adventure. The single malts are Scotland’s pride and the majority have been established for generations. How many single malt whiskies themasterchefs.com

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are there? No one seems to have the exact answer. But the number of distilleries operating in Scotland around 2009 was said to be 94, and a professional whisky buyer has listed some 700 single malts. That said, the economic downturn from which we’ve recently emerged, saw the closure of a significant number of distilleries (around 26) and these, such as Banff, Glenlochy, Littlemill, North Bank, and Rose Ellen, to name just five, have a growing rarity value. Remember, too, that single malts are by no means produced exclusively in Scotland. There are single malt distilleries in India, Ireland, England, France, Japan, and Wales. The singles are extremely popular in Japan, which has at least three operating distilleries. The flavours of these whiskies, single malts in particular, are remarkable in their contrasting qualities. To take examples from Scotland, for instance, the Highland malts from Islay have a peaty saltiness that is very distinct from the roundness of a Lowland malt such as Bladnoch, founded in 1825 and using water from Loch Ma Berry. The contrasts are equally remarkable when comparing the whiskies of Ireland. America, too, has its long traditions of whisky distilling, with Kentucky bourbon (such as Jim Beam) and Tennessee whiskey being the most famous (especially Jack Daniels). As many know, MATTHEW FORT’S DRINKS HAMPER// 57

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Perfect for collectors We noted earlier that there are many whiskies that, through age or scarcity, have become collectors’ items. Stephen McGinty, whisky expert at the Scottish auction house McTear’s, thinks whisky is definitely a collector’s dream, ‘The whisky market in general is looking good at the moment. If you have an unusual item, you cannot really go wrong. In the past few years we have bought items from New York and from Japan, but recently we are

becoming more aware of an emerging Indian market, as the Indian middle classes are drinking more whisky, which is boosting the collecting market.’ As well as being a good time to sell, it is also a good time to be holding on to your whisky rarities. For several reasons, whisky is a safer bet than wine. With whisky, a single bottle can be of great value, often because only a hundred bottles have ever been produced. McGinty says, ‘The smaller the quantity, the higher the likelihood of the bottles

Images: Nick Mailer Photography, 123RF

there are significant differences between rye whiskey and bourbon. The latter will be fuller and sweeter than rye and this is one reason why bourbon is now the popular choice in American cocktails such as the Whiskey Sour, the Manhattan, and the Old Fashioned. The scotch category is so much in demand that distilleries are expanding production facilities. Malts once enjoyed by a few aficionados are now more mainstream in their appeal. The smoky, peaty maritime styles like Lagavulin or Laphroaig are offered with more age. The Glenlivet, floral Speyside style malt with honey and heather notes now easy to find in 18- and 21-year bottlings. The Macallan—this is the go to scotch for the fruit notes imparted by the sherry casks—now offers a double wood bottling; sherry cask aged and finished in American bourbon barrels. In some cases the consumer can choose from the same product aged in multiple types of new and used oak barrels! Older malts in the 15 to 30 year range are so popular that demand is out pacing supply—good for the distillers but difficult for the consumer since producers can command top dollar for the older malts. Now we move on to revisit some of our old friends in the blended scotch aisle; rich and full-bodied blends abound, some with unique wood finishes in all categories but especially in scotch.

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the premium spirits increasing in value in the medium term. Also, the spirit in wine decreases and the wine vintages can become declassified. But whisky will stay more or less the same in 20-30 years’ time.’ Furthermore, unlike wine, the storage for whisky is easy and uncomplicated.

Hicks & Healey Cornish Single Malt Whiskey

Here’s something different … For those on the lookout for something different, check out a recent newcomer to the world of single malts. This is a spirit from Cornwall—Hicks & Healey Cornish Single Malt Whiskey—the county’s first single malt whisky in over 300 years. This comes from St Austell Brewery, who tell us, ‘Following the amazing reception for the first batch in September 2011, the second batch, consisting of casks 31 and 32, has been bottled and is ready to be dispatched. Only 381 bottles are available in this batch, each individually boxed and numbered and supplied with two tasting glasses.

Images: Jim Beam, Hicks & Healey

Tasting notes Notes of spice, honey and barley combine with delicate fruits and hints of cocoa and caramel before a late vanilla finish, to make this whiskey ‘faultless and almost beautiful beyond words’. Innovation is rare in the traditional world of malt scotch but John Glaser an American expat living in London is quietly changing that. In 2000 John registered a new whisky company in Great King Street, Edinburgh, Scotland called Compass Box; John began a journey that push the boundaries of blended single malt Scotches and blended Scotch. Since 2000, Glaser has released a series of Limited Edition Scotch whiskies and a Signature Range. John simply refused to follow the pack and it has ruffled some feathers; he released a whisky in 2005 called Spice Tree that employed a very non-traditional ageing technique. A blend of malts from the highland villages of Brora, Carron and Alness were aged in American whiskey barrels with toasted new French oak staves mounted inside the barrel. The resulting whisky showed clove and ginger notes as well as the traditional dill, ash and

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coconut notes that are signatures of American oak ageing. The Scotch Whisky Association pounced, claiming that the words ‘Blended Scotch Malt Whisky’ should not appear on the label. John capitulated, no need to create animosity, but the whisky was worth fighting for and he found another way around the SWA. John used the American whisky barrels but removed the barrelheads and replaced them with new French roasted oak heads. Spice Tree is back and available as one of the Compass Box Signature range whiskies; it is a special bottle that brings a new twist to an old category. John’s talent as blender and his mastery of maturation are opening new doors for the whisky aficionado. John’s blends of single malt scotch whiskeys and bottled malt and grain whiskies have captured the attention of whisky lovers and cocktailians around the world. Asyla is a blend of 50 per cent of the finest malts in Scotland and high quality grain whiskey aged in American Bourbon Barrels. The lighter style of Asyla is ideal for serving as a cocktail whisky straight but craft bartenders are using Asyla as a base for a range of cocktails.

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SAVOY AT CHRISTMASTIME

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry This

Festive Season! At The Savoy Hotel

Over the Christmas and New Year period, the world famous luxury hotel brings style and glamour to the festive season

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SAVOY AT CHRISTMASTIME

Images: The Savoy

at, drink and be merry! This is the Christmas message from one of the world’s greatest and most venerable luxury hotels. Yes, The Savoy is a great destination for food lovers and drink connoisseurs this festive season, whether it’s for a very special Christmas Day Dinner (5 courses, served from 7pm) or the spectacular New Year’s Eve Dinner—a gourmet five-course set menu will be served from 8pm, with live entertainment provided throughout the evening and dancing after dinner. At any time of the year, The Savoy offers guests a choice of no fewer than seven restaurants and bars, each offering something to suit all tastes.

Dining in style You can dine informally in Kaspar’s Seafood Bar and Grill, where an imaginative and ever-changing menu of

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superb seafood specialities is on offer from morning until night. Then there’s Gordon Ramsay’s Savoy Grill, presenting a classic British grill menu with a French touch, while Simpson’s-in-the-Strand and Knight’s Bar remain steadfastly at the top of every Londoner’s list for the best roast dinner in the city, bring you and your guests that unique sense of British style and tradition. The light elegant surroundings of the Thames Foyer offer the perfect setting for a traditional English afternoon tea. Sip classic cocktails or try new creations by award-winning bartenders in the legendary American Bar, or experience the gilded elegance of the Beaufort Bar providing a dramatic background for its ‘Character Cocktails’ (see pp.26-32) and original concoctions, from the centrestage Lalique-style bar. The Savoy’s bijou

tea store, Savoy Tea, offers exquisite teas and bespoke accessories in an imperial Eastern atmosphere.

New Year’s Eve in the Beaufort Bar It’s New Year’s Eve and for just £65 (including a complimentary cocktail) you can join in the fun at the Beaufort Bar from 8pm to 1am. Guests will be able to order from a special cocktail and canapé menu, which has been created especially for New Year’s Eve (not included in the ticket price). Dancing and live entertainment will take place in the adjoining Thames Foyer. The Beaufort Bar provides a theatrical, art deco setting in which to enjoy cocktails that push the boundaries. Award-winning head bartender, Chris Moore, and his expert team have created a menu designed to intrigue and excite

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SAVOY AT CHRISTMASTIME guests, with each drink listed entirely unique to the Beaufort Bar. ‘Character Cocktails’, served in era-specific vintage glassware and garnished tableside, pay tribute to four of The Savoy’s most famous personalities, while the cocktail named The Impressionist, one of the Beaufort Bars most popular cocktails, arrives at the table with a smoking rose for that element of drama. For guests with a taste for champagne, the Beaufort Bar boasts an impressive selection of vintage and non-vintage champagnes, either by the glass or by the bottle. The bar itself stands on the hotel’s former cabaret stage, which was graced by such luminaries as Caroll Gibbons (American pianist and band leader) with the Savoy Hotel Orpheans dance orchestra, and George Gershwin. A tradition of live entertainment continues to this day with nightly performances by both renowned and up and coming talent, as well as monthly evenings of Cabaret and Burlesque.

officially recognised as such in 2011 when he was awarded Best International Bartender at Tales of The Cocktail. The American Bar itself also picked up World’s Best Hotel Bar at these same awards as well as Best Bar in the Virtuoso Best of the Best Awards.   Of the many remarkable attributes the American Bar has to offer its clientèle is The American Bar Menu. The menu takes us on a journey through cocktail history, recreating cocktail popular in a bygone age and bring us right up to date. There are five eras: 1889-1913 – Bittersweet cocktails utilizing forgotten flavours 1914-39 – Pre-dinner/theatre aperitifstyled cocktails 1940-64 – Perfect late-night drinking & digestif cocktails 1965-88 – A selection of fruity and refreshing cocktails

1989-2014 – Restoration & 125th anniversary celebration-style cocktails In addition the menu offers vintage cocktails, temperance, non-alcoholic cocktails, and of course champagne, wine, and spirits. This year The Savoy has a splendid New Year’s Resolution which is ‘to bring a little more glamour to the world’— which is of course something the hotel has always done. This begins with the hotel throwing a spectacular black-tie New Year’s Eve party in the Lancaster Ballroom. A Louis Roederer champagne and canapés reception in the River room kicks off this sparkling evening, followed by dinner and dancing. The fun begins at 7pm until late. Tickets at £440 per person include a champagne reception and five course dinner.

The American Bar This famous Bar will also be celebrating a special New Year’s Eve, with details similar to this of the Beaufort Bar, being able to order from a special cocktail and canapé menu, which has been created especially for New Year’s Eve (not included in the £65 ticket price). The term ‘American Bar’ refers to a bar serving mixed or ‘American’ style drinks, more commonly known as cocktails. As transatlantic travel became more popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many American Bars opened throughout London. The American Bar at The Savoy is the longest surviving of these bars and one of the most iconic cocktail bars in the world. In 1903 the first truly ‘famous’ bartender arrived at The American Bar, a lady named Ada ‘Coley’ Coleman, whose signature cocktail was the Hanky Panky, still a popular choice today. Ada’s successor was the inspirational Harry Craddock, who not only created a number of classic cocktails but who notoriously compiled these recipes into the legendary The Savoy Cocktail Book, still regarded today as the bartender’s bible (see also, pp.26-32). Following The Savoy’s restoration, the American Bar appointed its eleventh head bartender, Erik Lorincz. A worldrenowned bartender himself, Erik was

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SAVOY AT CHRISTMASTIME

THE SAVOY HOTEL’S NEW YEAR’S EVE DINNER Set Menu, Lancaster Ballroom STARTER Seafood Decadence MIDDLE Divine Dover Sole, lobster and langoustine mousse With Beetroot puree, samphire and lemon verbena sauce Or Quail consommé en croute Lemon-martini MAIN COURSE Hay-smoked Hereford beef fillet Bone marrow roasted parsnip with porcini jus Or Line-caught monkfish saltimbocca Borlotti bean and celeriac ragout, Riesling and fine herb broth Or Sautéed sour cream and leek pierogies Braised white cabbage, fine herb nage DESSERT Mandarin Sphere Hazelnut streusel, praline mousse, mandarin compote Or Griottine Pistachio blancmange, sour cherry coulis Or Selection of British and continental cheeses Homemade preserves and crackers Coffee and tea Petit fours

For Thames Foyer, Kaspar’s Seafood Bar and Grill and New Year’s Eve bookings T +44 (0)207 420 2111 savoy@fairmont.com  For Rooms and Suites reservations T +44 (0)20 7836 4343 savoy.reservations@fairmont.com  For Savoy Tea www.shopatthesavoy.com

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Wines WINE OVERVIEW

FOR EVERY OCCASION Comparing notes with Matthew Fort & Dawn Davies MW

ne of the pleasures of the festive season—or any other season, come to that—is the contemplation of the fine wines and spirits we have enjoyed in the past, are enjoying at this very moment, or are about to enjoy in the very near future. We join two experienced imbibers as they ponder on wines and spirits: the good and the great.

FINE WINE Matthew Fort What is a fine wine, exactly? What makes one wine fine, and another not? Is it just a matter of price? Certainly wine lists would have you believe so. Or is there some higher order of criteria, mysterious, cryptic, decipherable only by the great gurus of the wine world? Is it a wine around which you build a dish or a dinner? Or is it a wine that so perfectly matches a dish that you experience that rare pleasure of a gastronomic marriage made in heaven? A good many years ago I was invited to join a tasting of Pommards at Apicius in Paris. There were the sommeliers of several notable restaurants, a fellow who edited a magazine about Burgundian wines, the friend who had invited me, a French journalist of impeccable palate and encyclopaedic knowledge, and me, who had neither of those things. My friend had not warned me that it was to be a blind tasting; we would be

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commenting on each wine—in French. The discovery that I was expected to contribute to the debate very nearly turned my first mouthful to acid. However, we pressed on, through fifteen or so wines going back to 1968, sniffing, swilling, spitting, holding forth. Some of the great names of Burgundy were on display—Boissey, Morey, Montille, Moillard-Grivot, Piat, Faiveley, Jadot, Boillot—and a good many of the wines were pretty splendid even to my rather pedestrian palate. Then we paused for lunch, of a great pie of duck and foie gras, if memory serves me rightly, helped along by several glasses of a Pommard Domaine Pousse d’Or Jarollières 1966. There was just a salad and some cheese after. It was getting pretty late by now, 4pm or so, and I made a move to go.

precious liquor was carefully poured into each of our glasses with a sense of reverence and ritual. The room was silent. Only when all the glasses had been poured with their measure did we begin inspecting the contents. The wine was the faded reddish-brown of bricks left in the sun. It didn’t look very promising, to be truthful. But then I did a little gentle swilling, and stuck my nose into the goldfish bowl. As I did so, several of those around me were doing the same with audible gasps of astonishment. ‘Pas vrais.’ ‘Pas possible.’ ‘Mais il n’y a pas une bouteille de ce en France!’ ‘Le 1928!’

‘Mais, Monsieur Fort, il faut rester,’ I was told firmly. ‘Nous avon quelque chose spéciale.’ I’d thought we’d been drinking quelque choses speciales all along, but I did as I was told. Our glasses were changed to things the size and shape of goldfish blows on slender stems. Presently in came a waiter bearing a double magnum wrapped in a crisp white napkin. A reasonable amount of the

‘C’est formidable.’ ‘C’est plus que ca. C’est fabuleux. C’est un reve.’ … And so on and so on. There was an extraordinary intensity and focus simply on the nose. Fragrance seemed to penetrate to nooks and corners of the brain, sharply defined, dancing and yet balanced. And then a

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Image: Sotheby’s

WINE OVERVIEW

‘What is a fine wine, exactly? What makes one wine fine, and another not? Is it just a matter of price? Certainly wine lists would have you believe so. Or is there some higher order of criteria ...?’

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WINE OVERVIEW sip, a roll around the mouth, over the tongue and under, releasing ravishing flavours, wave after wave of them. Here was a wine that was years older than anything else we had drunk that day, and yet it had a majestic power and vividness that made all the others - and we had been drinking some very good wines seem pallid by comparison. What was it? The vintage was 1928, but who made it? Do you know, I can’t remember. I was too carried away to make a note. But at least I knew what the phrase ‘fine wine’ meant. Dawn Davies People often ask how a fine wine justifies the price. Firstly, if it comes from a great area that produces amazing grapes there is a cost. The amount the vine produces may be lower, barrels cost money, especially high quality new ones. Secondly, the wines may be aged for a long time, and time of course at a cost. Then you get the value the market places on the wine—et voilà, you get to the price of a ‘fine wine’! If you ask me if they are worth their high price, I would say many are but a lot are not.

CHAMPAGNE Matthew Fort The truth is, whether spirits are high or low, there’s nothing better than champagne. Other fizzes have their moments and occasions, but when it comes to celebration or contemplation, you ease out the cork, wait for the pop, listen to the music of bubbles winking in the glass and murmur a word of thanks to Dom Perignon who started it all. Dawn Davies Although Dom Perignon is seen as the daddy of champagne, he actually spent most of his life trying to improve the quality of the still wines. It is an Englishman we have to thank for the bubbles. Christopher Merret was the first person to document the deliberate addition of sugar to produce sparkling wine, and invent a glass bottle strong enough to hold it. Nowadays the Brits are competing with the French with their own beautiful sparkling wines. One of my favourites is Selfridges’ Selection English Sparkling Brut (£29.99) and, for 66 //matthew fort’s drinks hamper

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G I V I N G Y O U R N I G H T A TA S T E O F I TA LY

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“AT DINNER, WE HAD SIX DIFFERENT WINES FOR SIX DIFFERENT PEOPLE. BUT DIDN’T OPEN A SINGLE BOTTLE.”

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WINE OVERVIEW champagne, Charles Heidsieck Brut NV (£47.99, Selfridges) is a good place to start.

LIQUEURS & SPIRITS Matthew Fort I’ve always been a sucker for liqueurs ever since I discovered Fine Champagne brandy in my teens. Explorations have led me through pastures of pleasure— kummel on ice, eau de vies of and orchard of fruits, caramely Armagnacs, suave grappas, rollicking rums, surprisingly lively Chartreuse (green, naturally), smooth and full flavoured apple brandies from Somerset. Somehow, they’re made the natural finishing point of any meal, easing the passage back into real life.

‘10-year-old Apple Brandy from the Somerset Cider Brandy Company ... complex with a Christmas pudding richness, full of subtle bouquets and aromas’

Images: 123RF

Dawn Davies I judge liqueurs for the International Spirits Challenge and I am always amazed by the variety of flavours and colours there are out there, from bubble gum to caco leaf and plenty more in between. One of my favourites is Kamoizumi Umelicious sake liqueur (£39.99, Selfridges), which is an explosion of sweet plum with a mouth tingling tang. Ginger is the flavour of the season so pop some Kings Ginger (£22.00, Waitrose) in with your whisky to give it a kick, or add Domaine Canton (£31.75, Whisky Exchange) to a glass of Fizz to spice up your evening.

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WINE OVERVIEW PORT/MADIERA/MARSALA Matthew Fort It’s curious how many fine drinks are the result of the British passion for travel, trade and tippling. The cult of Madiera arose out of the habit of trading ships stopping off in those islands in the 16th century. The development of port owed much to the ingenuity of British merchants in the 18th century and the trade in Marsala began when John Woodhouse, a Liverpool merchant, came to Sicily looking for soap and found the local wine to his liking instead.

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Dawn Davies Fortified wines are often over looked by drinkers today as they are seen as old fashioned. However for those of you who are willing to see beyond the prejudice there is nothing better than uncorking a nutty tawny port packed with dried fruits with piece of Comte or sipping on an intensely flavoured heavenly Malmsey Madeira with your xmas pud. Pedro Ximenez Sherry poured over ice cream is to die for, try the Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez Vino Dulce (£23.99, Selfridges).

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Wine WINE investment

Under The Hammer

Collecting and investing in fine wine is an attractive option, but uncorking the profit from your collection requires both knowledge and patience By Brendan Connolly

hen Sir Alex Ferguson’s collection of vintage wine came up for sale at Christie’s in May last year, the pre-sale estimate was a cool £3 million. Football’s most highly regarded manager (it was Man U, as if you didn’t know) also included some signed memorabilia along with his outstanding collection of 5,000 bottles of superb wine. Of these 5,000 bottles about

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75 per cent consisted of one of the greatest French Burgundies, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, said by Christie’s to be ‘the wine of the moment, in terms of demand’. Sir Alex’s cellar collection spanned every year of his career with United from 1986 until he retired in 2013. And the sale also included lots from 1999, the year United won a treble

of the English Premier League, the Champions League and the FA Cup, a feat never previously accomplished and not duplicated since. This first of three sales saw 89 per cent of the lots go under the hammer, making Sir Alex richer by £2,480,330. Not knowing his original investment, we shall never know whether his investment paid off, but the odds are

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WINE investment that it did. So could buying fine wine prove to be a good investment for the rest of us?

Investment There are several good reasons for starting a wine collection but caution is always advised if you’re thinking of buying wine purely as a means of turning a profit. So, should I invest my money in wine? The experts say there are several answers to the question. The first is that no one should invest all his or her money in any single investment area. The second being, yes, invest in fine wine but only if you have a passion for wine; the third piece of advice is to gain as much knowledge as possible about fine wine while also seeking expert advice about market trends.

Tasting One of the best ways to increase wine knowledge is to attend wine tastings. Continuing a thirty-year-old tradition of offering premium quality wine master classes, Christie’s Education presents an evening of Bordeaux on November 3. Christie’s says their Masterclass offers a wonderful opportunity not only to experience one of the best vintages in the past ten years but also to compare and contrast a fabulous range of 2eme cru classe wines, adding, ‘The 2me cru wines are often overlooked in the glare of publicity bestowed on the 1er cru, “blue chip”, wines, but you will be able to decide for yourself as to the true quality of each of the twelve wines in this Masterclass and to explore the virtues—or otherwise of the 1855 classification system.”

Buying What wines you buy for your collection obviously depends on your investment budget but regularly following the wine sales at the major auction houses for several months or even years will give some useful indications as to how the market is moving. The wine auctions at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Bonhams, always themasterchefs.com

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WINE investment

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Very voluptuous. Wonderful dried fruit flavours—almost Napa-like. Mocha and mint notes. Extraordinary, ultra-ripe plums and prunes taste. Atypical. Sweet aniseed finish. The great comparison is between this and the 1989.’ The sale continued with a roll-call of the glories of the Bordeaux region being knocked down for around £3,000-14,000 per case of 12 bottles:

Château Latour, Lafite, Margaux, Haut Brion, in fact all the notable names. If you like sweet white wine with your foie gras or dessert, here, at lot 935 came the first of nineteen cases of the fabulous Château d’Yquem. This is the shining star in the firmament of sweet white wines and many will agree that the incredible richness of this particular Sauternes has no rivals. And

Images: 123rf, Bonhams

offer great opportunities to acquire exceptional wines. For example, one of Sotheby’s summer sales in mid-July last year was announced as ‘Finest and Rarest Wines Featuring a Magnificent Bordeaux Collection’. And from the very first lot, the riches that the noble rot produces raised the hopes and aspirations of all connoisseurs and collectors who were present at that sale. As an example, let’s look back to see what the serious wine collector might have acquired. Lot 1 was Château Latour 1982, Pauillac, 1er Cru Classé, and with Master of Wine and Sotheby’s leading wine expert Serena Sutcliffe’s tasting notes to go by, we could at least enjoy the description even if not the taste: ‘excellent appearance, tissue wrapped. Post-sale in New York in 2011, from double magnum, an immensely spicy, aromatic bouquet led to that thick, enveloping, total succulence of Latour 1982. So sweet and ripe. Massive, yet gentle, wine that plumbs the depths of sensory perception. In 2013, again from this lovely large format, absolutely stunning. And from bottle, just so classy and aristocratic, rich and oozing structure and tannins that are now soft without losing any of their great impact. One of the all-time greats.’ The case of 12 bottles sold for £13,513. Pomerol, a neighbouring appellation of Saint-Émilion, has some of the world’s finest small estates, and Château Pétrus is at the top of the tree. A case of the 1990 vintage went under Sotheby’s hammer for £28,200 (the high estimate having been £34,000). At this level of investment it is no surprise that every detail is carefully scrutinized and described for the benefit of buyers, As Serena Sutcliffe’s notes informed us: ‘ 2 levels just into neck, rest good, 1 label damaged in bottom right corner, 1 scuffed along bottom edge, all slightly wrinkled but generally very good appearance, several capsules slightly worn on top There is a deeper colour on the 1990 than on the 1989—denser. Incredibly opulent, plummy Petrus.

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WINE investment yet, when compared with some of the aforementioned hammer prices, there were affordable riches to be had here. Vintages ranged from 1975 (£750) through 2007 (£306). Serena Sutcliffe gave the classic 1975 vintage high praise: ‘Great ‘mystery’ and class on the nose. Apricots too, which continue on the palate, with nuts, grapefruit, figs and sultanas. Stunning finish of coffee and figs which just keeps on getting better. The over-concentrated grapes of the year are still delivering extraordinary purity, sweetness and balance. This has much more fruit now than the 1967. Absolutely amazing— un-put-downable. This surges to the top in any vertical of Yquem.’ To finish where we started, with the harvesting of grapes, what delivers Yquem and other Sauternes their uniquely rounded sweetness is, in large part, the late harvesting. A small team of experienced pickers are on call from September, with the harvesting not being completed sometimes until early December. Surprisingly, only the rotten grapes are picked, those completely affected by the noble rot fungus, so the pickers are spending often many weeks searching out the rotten grapes. Yquem is a very special wine and it ages very well, too. So, from some of the prices realized in this sale, some very satisfying purchases were made.

Current wine sales Coming up to date, in early November, Christie’s Finest & Rarest Wine sale offered collectors the opportunity to bid over the course of two sessions in Geneva. On Sunday, November 8, Christie’s introduced an evening sale that is exclusively dedicated to fine wines. Star lots of the sale included 10 bottles of Henri Jayer, Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux from 1985, 10 bottles of Romanée-Conti from the Domaine Assortment 2005, and 12 bottles of Petrus 2000. December 10 sees a highly attractive sale of Fine & Rare Wines from Bonhams in New Bond Street, while Sotheby’s has two important fine wine sales in London on November 25 and also on December 16. themasterchefs.com

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WINE INSIGHTS

A Passion for

Wine

The conversation with Dawn Davies, a recently appointed Master of Wine, ranges widely from wines to spirits to fortified wines. She talked to Charles Ford, about her career in the trade, the challenges of pairing wine with food, and her love of the well-made cocktail

hen I was at uni in Edinburgh, I got a job in a bar and I really loved it; that was the start. I was a bit of a wine snob, too. Whenever I went out to buy wine, I never picked from the bottom shelf, I always went higher even though I couldn’t quite afford it, I knew it would be a nicer bottle. I met a chef and then in my gap year we travelled together, ending up in Sydney. We went to a restaurant called Tetsuya. It was a life-changing occasion when we had lunch there because I thought it was so brilliant the way the sommelier paired the wine with the food. I’d always been passionate about food, too, and so I decided there and then that I wanted to work for the owner, Tetsuya Wakuda. I later found that he was opening a restaurant in London, so I went along and asked for a job. He took one look at me and said, ‘but you have no experience’ (which was true), so I replied, ‘I know, but I really want to work for you.’ So, by the force of my nature I suppose, I think he realized it was probably easier to hire me than not. I worked as a waitress but I was also taken under the wing of the sommelier, who was one of the first woman sommelier in England, and she had an amazing palate—a brilliant sommelier.

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Following this eager start, Dawn went on to become head sommelier at Zuma, Boxwood, The Square and The Ledbury restaurants. Our conversation leads on to the exceptional palate that the sommelier must possess. Is it a gift you’re born with? Well, I hope I was born with an amazing palate! But this is also something that develops as you learn to pick out nuances and you learn what’s good and what’s not good—but my mother has an amazing palate and she hasn’t been trained, but she gets the flavours bang on and she understands quality. So there may be something inherited but it’s also a lot about how you train your palate. Drink a lot! The more you practise the better you get. Until a short time ago, and before becoming Head Buyer at the distribution company, Speciality Drinks, Dawn was responsible for ‘everything alcoholic’ sold at Selfridges, including choosing the wine lists for five restaurants. There is a great selection at Harry Gordon’s Bar, including cocktails, and also fine wines by the glass. So there are opportunities to drink fine wines that you might only taste once in your life they’re so special, but it’s great that the wine business is opening up in this way

and giving these opportunities—and therefore we’re getting more people who are engaging with wine. One of Dawn Davies’ special characteristics is eagerness to push the boundaries and be experimental with her wine choices (see her ‘left-field’ wine choices for example that pair with the dishes chosen by Matthew Fort, pp.108-127). Has Dawn applied this particular interest during her nine years at Selfridges? Yes, we’ve done a lot in that time in terms of new brands and what we’ve brought into the country, I’m really proud of what we’ve done. We’ve launched new brands like Haig Club, a new Single Grain Whisky developed in partnership between Diageo and sporting icon David Beckham and British entrepreneur Simon Fuller. Haig Club is made at Cameronbridge distillery in Scotland and crafted using a unique process that combines grain whisky from three cask types. And we also have small brands like The Duppy Share Caribbean Rum, founded by George Frost. Duppy is the north Caribbean patois word for malevolent spirits, which are said to cause mischief and mayhem throughout the Caribbean islands. What several distilling nations call the ‘angel’s share’

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WINE INSIGHTS (the percentage of alcohol which, when aged, evaporates each year and is thus said to have ‘gone to the angel’), is called the ‘Duppy’s Share’ in several Caribbean countries, who are often said to act in return for food or drink. It has an easy drinking fruit and vanilla character, ending with a lovely spicy finish. Dawn says that Selfridges stocks over 1,600 wines and reviews of the wines and spirits are carried out monthly, with the listings constantly changing. Oh, constantly looking for and finding new things. And I think that’s what Selfridges has become known to stand for—we’re the innovators, the people who have brought newness to the market, and we stand for the little guys as well as being very involved with and doing creative things with the big guys. English wines have been great for Selfridges, especially sparkling. We were one of the first to take on Gusbourne (Blanc de blanc; Rosé sparkling; Pinot noir). The Gusbourne estate is based in the heart of the Kent countryside and is definitely a producer to watch. They used to sell their grapes to other wineries but are starting to go it alone. We also have Camel Valley from Cornwall. We’ve done a lot with English sparkling wines and, as a result, today our sales are great.

But I’m a real classicist and the Negroni is my favourite. So, for everyone’s pleasure, including Dawn’s, let’s throw in the recipe right here: Negroni ¾oz Dry gin ¾oz Campari ¾oz Sweet or dry Vermouth Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass, over ice cubes, with or without a splash of carbonated water. Add a twist of lemon peel. Yes, I absolutely love this cocktail, but is has to be done well. Even though it’s one of the simplest cocktail recipes, it’s also one of the hardest to get right for some reason. But I do enjoy a Margarita, too. It’s fresh and light. As for bars, Balthazar in Covent Garden is always great. The Connaught Coburg Bar is another bar that I love in London as I am always in there! And of course I love both the American Bar and the Beaufort Bar at The Savoy, they’re both fantastic.

Back to wine, and Dawn is equally enthusiastic about champagne … The champagne houses … I love all the small growers—Jérôme Prévost, Gautherot, those guys, some of them have just one or two hectares and what they are able to create is just amazing. And if they’re doing amazing things they will make it in the market, but the hardest thing in the UK is to find a good importer. But having said that, in the UK we’re lucky because no other country in the world gets the range of wines, breadth and depth, that we get, and I think that’s partly because our own wine industry is still quite immature. Some of the Californian wines I love, too. Sonoma on the West Coast is probably my favourite area and I’ve been working with some of those growers since I started in the industry. I grew up in New York and Washington DC, so I’m an East Coast girl and very at home in the USA. Of course there are many amazing Californian wines, but, yes, some are over-priced, to my mind, like Screaming

While we’re on English soil, I see that apple brandy finds favour with Matthew Fort (see p.51), and I’m sure with many others, too … Ah, yes, the Somerset Cider Brandy, it’s a real hand-sell. When you sell it, people will say ‘what is it?’ and you explain that it’s similar to calvados, and they get it. And it is fantastic flavourwise. They do the 5-year old, and all the expressions, which are just fabulous. You really taste the apple intensity; it’s a great little brand. It’s good in cocktails, or of course as an after dinner drink—and at Christmas, great with mince pies and a glass or two of Somerset Apple Brandy when you come in from a cold walk—that wouldn’t be a bad call! And, talking of cocktails, Dawn, do cocktails in general find favour with you? I love cocktails! I’m probably seen in more cocktails bars than most people!

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Negroni, the classic cocktail favourite of Dawn Davies

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WINE INSIGHTS

Images: 123rf, Selfridges

Harry Gordon Bar & Kitchen at Selfridges Oxford Street

Eagle, but there are some really great wines like Cathy Corison’s; she is among the greatest producers of cabernet sauvignon in Napa Valley today. Shafer, also in the Napa Valley, his wines are incredible. And California is now reigning back on the oak—it’s gone through the phase of big and powerful— it’s more interesting again now. But my newest discoveries for wines from America are from Virginia. There are some really amazing things coming out of this state. And of course Robert Parker (wine critic) has been hugely influential and because he likes big punchy wines with loads of oak, growers wanted Parker Points because it would sell their wines. But people’s palates change, too. I think Robert Parker did some very good things for the wine industry; he made people reach for quality, for instance.

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Then, with Dawn, we move south, to the newer New World of South American wines. I was in Argentina last year and I loved it—I came back as the biggest fan of Argentinean wines. I actually went a little crazy and listed (for Selfridges) a lot of Argentinean wines. There are some wonderfully elegant pinots from Patagonia, for example. Great Malbecs. And they’re really starting to understand their terroirs. In terms of wine, it’s one of the most exciting countries of the moment. Chile I think is still a bit behind; I find the wines very, very ‘international’ in style, a lot are over-oaked, too heavy, the fruit is either too young or they’ve left it to hang for too long. But there are what I’d call young guns in Chile who are starting to come up and do really interesting things, such as Pedro Parra. To begin with Chile was ahead of the game, they came in with some very

accessible, very easy-drinking wines, and you can’t fault them for that. Argentina’s market was America but now it’s Europe, too, and our wine sales are doubling year on year. So it may be a mistake to make your wines too internationally acceptable, because the whole point is it’s unique regionality? Yes, absolutely. And that’s what I don’t get from Chile. Maybe I just need to explore Chile more! In a blind tasting I think you should be able to tell what country a wine comes from. But you do get more fruit-forward wines from the New World and you get more restraint from the Old but I think that’s slowly changing so it will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of years, especially with global warming.

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WINE INSIGHTS Dawn Davies has made all the wine pairings for Matthew’s chosen national dishes (see pp.108-127), so exactly where do you start when matching wine with food? When you’re looking at food and wine, most people focus on protein—the piece of meat, the fish, but they don’t often look at the sauce and quite often it’s the sauce that should lead the choice, as opposed to the meat or fish. For example, if I had a nice piece of sea bass with a creamy rich sauce I’d maybe go with a round Chardonnay or a light Pinto Noir, whereas if I had the same piece of sea bass with a delicate white wine sauce with some Thai herbs, I’d probably go with a Sauvignon or a Reisling. It’s dependent on how the dish is being put together because those flavours will tell you more about what wines you need to pair with. So, perhaps a Shiraz with something peppery, or you might think of something more fruit-based like a Cabernet or a Malbec.

love cooking so I do understand flavours quite well. But sometimes chefs come to me with their menus and I have to pair the wines purely from my knowledge of the dishes described and of course what the chefs can tell me about the dishes. And sometimes you go back because you think, no, that first choice isn’t quite right, I want another go at this. So pairing wine with food can take time. In the fine dining restaurant, even with a sommelier standing by, being faced by an extensive wine list can be a little daunting. What does Dawn advise in this situation? I would always say, ask the sommelier, although I think people can be nervous about asking, but if you give the sommelier some guidelines as to what you like and what price you’re willing to pay (and you might, to be discreet, point at a price on the menu and say, in this sort of bracket), then listen to the sommelier. They know the wine list and they know the dishes on

the menu. That way you’ll have a much better experience than if you try a guess, but if you know yourself and what you like, if may be worth choosing one or two wines and then saying to the sommelier, this is what I was thinking, do you have any recommendations around it? And then, of course, if a sommelier has chosen a wine for you and you don’t like it, just send it back! If that happened to me, as a sommelier, I would just think, ok that’s my fault; I didn’t read the person well enough. You need to be better than a psychologist! I’ve got to go up to a table, assess that person and what they like, what they’re willing to spend and what their guests want, all within exchanging about three or four words with them. So, to be a good sommelier, you need to be a good people person. My style is to give people a choice I think they’ll like and be comfortable with, the classic choice, but I’ll also give them an option, a left-field choice, if they want to be more adventurous.

And did Matthew set you any teasers with some of his chosen dishes, because he knew that you, as an old, friend, were going to do the wine pairings? Oh! Some of those dishes! I think he was having a bit of fun on that score. I looked at some of his choices and thought … oh! OK! There’s a lot of flavours going on in that! Right, where do I go with this? But seriously, some people will go with the obvious choices but I also like to go quite quirky. There was the one dish (L’aligot, p.115) and I thought, where do I go with this—there’s cream and that rich cheese and then there’s potato—then I thought, I know! It’s got to be beer. And then Matthew chose a Christmas Pudding Jelly! It took me about 20 minutes to work that one out. So he had fun with me, and I did curse him a few times! I thought the cornbread was the hardest one to pair, so I thought I’d have a bit of fun with that one. Dawn says the choice is easier to make when doing this in front of a customer … Yes, because you can ask a customer what they like as a start. When someone wants to buy wine, in that situation, I pair wine with people. The most important thing is getting a wine that a particular person will like. Pairing with food is hard, especially if you haven’t tasted the food. I 80 //matthew fort’s drinks hamper

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‘The most important thing is getting a wine that a particular person will like. Pairing with food is hard, especially if you haven’t tasted the food.’ themasterchefs.com

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WINE INSIGHTS Moving from wines to spirits, Dawn admits her engagement with spirits began during her uni days in Edinburgh. For me, whiskey was the great thing in Edinburgh, with all those different brands to try. And if a bartender sees you have an interest, they’ll talk to you for hours, which is really great. Later, when I arrived at Selfridges, I had to learn a lot more about spirits because they are a third of our business. So spirits have become as much of my drinking repertoire as wine. As for favourites, whiskey, tequila, mescal, I love, but I’m not a big fan of vodka. And I’m not a huge liqueur fan, but I don’t have a sweet tooth and that’s probably why. But favourites? It’s like wine … I can’t tell you my favourite wine or spirit because it depends on my mood, time, and place.

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The quality of the spirits available today and the choice has improved incredibly over the last few years. People can be put off for life by having drunk too much of, say, a poor quality tequila when they’re young, but today there is a quality level far above what we were drinking in our youth, with the lime and the salt! The same goes for rum … it’s always been rum-and-coke, but that’s changing, with brands like Duppy’s Share that are making rum accessible and engaging and fun, and that’s changing the perception of rum. Some final tips from Dawn … I think fortified wines are massively under-valued in the market and are actually some of the best value for money

… vintage port—you can get a ’61 for less than you would ever pay for a ’61 Bordeaux, probably less than half the price. And if you think about sherry, some are around 30 years old—how can you not want to taste them? And I had some amazing Madeiras from the ’60s. People should engage with them and forget about the fact that perhaps their grandmothers drank them! • At the time of this interview, Dawn Davies was Wines, Spirits & Grocery Manager at Selfridges, where she worked for nine years. She has recently moved to Speciality Drinks, where she is Head Drinks Buyer.

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WINE GIFTS

Wine

A Gift of

Are they sippers, slurpers, quaffers, or gluggers? Choosing the wine that’s the right match for your friends is a serious business, says Dawn Davies MW

Selfridges’ Wine Shop makes perfect browsing for wine gifts, with expert advice on hand

hat do you give people for Christmas who have everything? Enter, stage left, WINE—the perfect gift. Not only do the majority of people (at least those with any sense) enjoy wine but you can also keep giving different wines on each special occasion. There’s only one problem … there are an awful lot of wines in the world and people all have different tastes. So which one do you choose? I have to admit that there are quite a few wines I’ve been given over the years that have been used in my cooking, given to friends or, very occasionally, simply poured down the drain.

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I am a wine snob so I’m probably not your classic customer; however, here are my top tips for gifting wine, along with a few tongue-in-cheek comments. So, in making your wine gift choice, my advice is to consider the following: 1. What have you seen them drinking? It may sound obvious, but it is amazing how many times people who I regularly drink with bring me rosé. There is still a rosé gathering dust at the bottom of my wine rack from 7 years ago, which is more brown than rose-colour by now. 2. What is their character type? If they

are adventurous with food they will probably not mind trying something different. Go for the obscure—you will often get better value for money. 3. If you don’t know the recipient well, typecast them (see my tips below). I would keep the choice ‘classic’ in most cases. 4. Price—always tricky, how much is your friendship worth and are they going to appreciate the wine? My rule of thumb is if they like wine and you like them, then spend more; if you don’t like them so much and if they are ‘gluggers’, go cheap, fruity and cheerful.

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WINE GIFTS 5. What does it look like? This is another tricky one. I never judge wine by its cover but some people do. I often hear ‘it just needs to be bling’ whilst others like the classic labels. This is just too personal, so buy a box and take the label out of the equation. I find a Selfridges bag also does wonders for a gift. 6. If in doubt—ask! Wine shop staff should be knowledgeable so find out their recommendations, just give them the price you want to pay and a rough idea of what you want and see where they go.

‘I never judge wine by its cover but some people do …’

TIPS ON MATCHING WINE WITH PEOPLE:

Images: 123RF, Selfridges

• A good old claret (aka Bordeaux) or a nice Burgundy for your English gentleman – Chateau la Tour de Mons, Margaux (£31.99, Selfridges) • A juicy, fruity New World Sauvignon Blanc for a party girl – Quickie Sauvignon Blanc (£13.99, Selfridges) • Chablis or Sancerre – for the discerning lady – Domaine Garnier, Chablis (£21.99, Selfridges) • A party wine – anything that appeals to a large group of people e.g. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Pinot Grigio, Rioja, Chianti • For relatives – you hopefully know what they like so get a twist on what they enjoy e.g., swap out Bordeaux for a Margaret River Cab Sav • A full-bodied New World red or a Southern Rhone– for the young stud – Altos las Hormigas Terroir Malbec (£20.99, Selfridges) • For the City banker Laurent Perrier Rosé or Krug (if they are making you money) • For the foodie that thinks they know wine – a rioja – (£13.99, Selfridges’ Selection Rioja Crianza) • For the foodie that does know wine and is adventurous – anything fun, exciting and different! Selfridges: Louis Roederer’s demi sec £46.99

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winTER WARMERS

‘Fill the

Flowing Bowl! ’

Who doesn’t enjoy a glass or two of warming punch on a winter’s night? Here are some winter warmers to tickle your fancy By Charles Ford

he night is clear and frosty. The ice crackles under foot. Inside, the coals glow in the grate, and there’s a delicious wafting aroma of wine, oranges, spices and something else, could it be wine? This is how most of us envisage the winter warming punchbowl, in it’s

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Dickensian setting. The reality is that punch pre-dates the Dickens era by a long way, and it was never more popular than in the 17th and 18th centuries, a time when fresh spices from the West Indies caused great excitement and were absolutely ‘the thing’ if you wanted to

wow guests—ideally, infused in steaming bowls of punch. Punch recipes were created for both the summer and winter seasons. But as we are now into our winter festive season, let’s keep to winter warmer recipes— recipes that are bold and bracing, well

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WINTER WARMERS modulated and mellowing. Tut-tut to those who have up-ended those two or three fingers of whiskey, gin, vodka, a wine box, a pound of sugar, pile into the punch bowl and let’s hope for the best—because the best will not ensue. What will probably ensue is some throat-gripping merriment for a time, followed by guests who never made it home and were punished the following day by the hangover from hell and a genuinely sick-voice sickie-call to the office. The warning that should come with every bowl of sweet alcoholic punch is that you don’t notice the alcohol, until it’s too late. So let’s be sort of sensible with our punch recipes this festive season: make them warming, cheering, and not crazily alcoholic. Don’t be put off concocting your own recipe or adapting others, but if you do, try to keep Bacchus in check.

NB. Eager Bastard doesn’t refer to those queuing up at your punchbowl, it appears to be a 17th-century reference to punch as a medicinal concoction. Now for more mulled stuff. There are literally hundreds of recipes for mulled wine and, as a warming pick-me-up, it’s an all-time favourite during the deep mid winter. Here’s a recipe that works well.

Old Favourite Punch Peel of 1 lemon 2 unwaxed oranges  150g caster sugar  5 cloves, plus extra for garnish  5 cardamom pods, bruised  1 cinnamon stick  1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg  2 bottles of Chilean Merlot  150ml Grand Marnier

An early recipe comes from instructions contained in Country Contentments or The English Huswife: Containing the inward and outward vertues that ought to be in a compleate Women, by Gervase Markham, 1623. The following is an adaptation of the original recipe ‘that ought to be in a compleate Woman’.

Eager Bastard Punch

Images: 123RF

1 jar clear honey (or to taste) 2 bottles Chardonnay 2 bottles Merlot 1 dsp aniseed 1 dsp coriander Orange peel from 2 oranges (not zest, peel) The day before, steep the dry ingredients in the wine, in a large saucepan, on low heat (and off the boil) for 2-3 hours. Carefully strain the liquid and, while still warm, stir in the honey to taste. This is a low-alcohol punch because much of the alcohol will have evaporated during the steeping period. Serve warm the following evening.

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winTER WARMERS Peel and juice 1 orange, and add to a large saucepan together with the lemon peel, sugar and spices. Add enough wine just to cover the sugar, and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 – 8 minutes until you have a lovely thick syrup. Pour in the rest of the wine together with the Grand Marnier. Heat gently for 20 minutes. During this time, stud the remaining orange with cloves, slice the segments (about 6mm width), so that they are elegant and not chunks, float them in the punch in your punchbowl and serve to your guests.

Captain Broad’s Punch Captain Broad is a variety of apple local to the Fowey area of Cornwall. It was extensively used for cider making in the past.

Smoking Bishop The reformed Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol says to his overworked clerk: ‘I’ll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of Smoking Bishop, Bob!’ This punch was especially popular in Victorian times, and there are many variations. 5  unpeeled sweet oranges 1  large unpeeled grapefruit ¼lb brown sugar 30  cloves 2 bottles red wine 1 bottle port Wash the fruit and bake it on a baking sheet until it pale brown, turning once. Heat a large earthenware bowl and add the fruit. Stud each fruit with five cloves.

Add the sugar and the red wine, and store covered in a warm place for about a day. Squeeze the fruit to extract the juice, and strain into a saucepan. Add the port and warm thoroughly, but don’t boil. Serve in warmed glasses.

Flaming Rum Punch The rum punch in its many guises is rightly world famous. Here is a hot rum punch that will ‘pin your ears back’, as my grandfather would say. As an entertaining touch for your guests, you can actually set fire to this creation, with care, and of course with flamboyant flambé panache. 4 or 5 lemons 1 orange 135g Demerara sugar

2 litres of any dry or medium cider 500ml Calvados or apple brandy 1½ tsp mixed spice 10 cloves 1 star anise 1 unwaxed lemon 200g caster sugar (or to taste) Steep the dry ingredients in the cider, together with the lemon, sliced, on a low heat or 2-3 hours. Strain the liquid. Caramelise the sugar in a little cider, then stir in to the cider. Finally, add the Calvados or apple brandy. Serve hot in half-pint mugs with handles, accompanied by warm mince pieces. If you go wassailing your local apple orchards this Christmas or New Year, this punch will help you on your way. Finally, if you want to create your own punch this festive season, start backwards, by first thinking of the flavour result you want to end up with, then work out what wines, spirits, spices, sweeteners, will work well together. And do work by measurements because, if you achieve a real hit, you’ll be annoyed if you didn’t write down the measurements that will allow a repeat performance.

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WINTER WARMERS 300ml aged rum 300ml Walter Hicks ‘125 Navy Rum’* 1.1 litres water 240ml cognac or brandy Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste (*The 125 Navy Rum, which at 125° proof (71.40% vol) is the strongest UK bottled rum available. Arriving directly from Guyana in 45-gallon barrels, it is left to mature for 7 years in the cellars of St Austell Brewery.) Using a potato peeler, remove the zest of 2 lemons and the orange in strips. Place in a large heatproof bowl, then add the sugar. Stir the ingredients together. Leave the mixture to infuse for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Halve the orange and squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. Halve the lemons and squeeze the lemon

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juice into the measuring cup to make 160ml of juice in total. Reserve any unsqueezed lemon halves. Bring the water to the boil, throw in the lemon halves, and add this to the alcohol at the final stage. Before you do this … Pour rum and cognac into the warm bowl with the sugar and reserved peels. Now is the time to flame your punch if you wish, in which case make sure you’re using a flame-proof punchbowl. Finally, add the reserved lemons and boiling water and stir well. Grate nutmeg over top of your punch and serve into heatproof glasses. Finally a traditional hot whisky punch recipe, not only good for a party, but good for the wee ague, too.

Traditional Scotch Whisky Punch 2 pints of freshly made, hot, tea (forget about the milk!) 1 pound of lump/cube sugar 1 75cl bottle of Scotch whisky 2 thinly sliced unwaxed lemons Gently heat (but never boil) the whisky. Pour the hot tea over the sugar and sliced lemons. Stir with your best silver tablespoon until all the sugar has dissolved. Add the hot (but not boiling) whisky. Serve with your best silver ladle into glass mugs with handles. And, since we are in Scotland … what did the fox say, as he ate the bagpipes? —‘Aye, here’s meat and music!’ 

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FINEST OF THE FINE

Finest

The

of the Fine

Of all the luxury foods that may make an appearance on our tables this festive season, there are three products that go back in history as the ultimate gastronomic luxury By Brendon Connolly

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FINEST OF THE FINE

Images: 123RF

f we can’t indulge ourselves, our family, our friends, at Christmastime, when can we? So, let’s put the diet regime firmly on the back-burner of New Year’s resolutions ideas, and enjoy ourselves. Foie gras, caviar, and truffles are three of life’s great gastronomic indulgences. Fine dining Although foie gras is a controversial product because its production raises concerns about animal welfare, most of the top suppliers these days are careful to say that they source foie gras only from carefully selected farms where excellent welfare standards prevail. However, the production of foie gras in the UK is banned. The force feeding of selected ducks and geese is known to date back to pre-Roman times and today there is some opposition to the methods used, even in France, a nation that has the largest consumption of foie gras. The gastronomes’ bible, Larousse gastronomique, justifies the method in terms more fitting for the 19th century than the 21st: ‘The goose is nothing, but man has made of it an instrument for the output of a marvelous product, a kind of living hothouse in which there grows the supreme fruit of gastronomy.’ Whatever your views are on the production of foie gras, the product itself, with its rich and creamy texture, themasterchefs.com

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continues to make foie gras to be seen as the ultimate luxury starter on some fine dining tables. If you do acquire fresh, uncooked foie gras, one of the best ways to prepare this delicacy is to sear the thick slices quickly in a very hot cast iron pan, served immediately on brioche toast, accompanied by a glass of sauternes. Foie gras also makes its appearance as a delicious pâté, available in tins. This rich pâté is frequently enhanced by the addition of our second luxury product, truffles. The jewel of cookery Described as ‘the jewel of cookery’ by the great food writer Jean Anthelme BrillatSavarin (1755-1826), truffles can transform even the most modest cuisine into a gastronomic delight. Shaved onto a pasta dish or a simple risotto, some flakes of truffle transform simple Italian staples into an exquisite dish. The increasing rarity of the truffle, combined with its exquisite flavour and therefore frequent use in haute cuisine, results in enormous prices for buyers and huge profits for the truffle hunter. Currently truffles are priced around £335 per kilo, though black truffles can cost more than £1,000 per kilo, and the rare Piedmont white truffles, which are so delicate they are only eaten raw, can fetch up to £4,000 a kilo. A record price paid for a truffle was set

at the end of 2007, when a white truffle weighing 1.5kg was sold at auction for £165,000. Discovered in northern Italy by a truffle hunter and his dog, it was bought by Macau-based casino owner, Stanley Ho, who outbid Damien Hirst to claim the prized fungus. Truffles may look similar to mushrooms, however their taste is far more satisfying. Dr Paul Thomas, who is a renowned truffle cultivator, says: ‘The scent and flavour of truffles is sublime. Its heady, deep, rich and earthy tones are unforgettable.’ Said to have aphrodisiac properties, Brillat-Savarin commented that the truffle, ‘arouses erotic and gastronomic memories’ amongst both the ‘skirted’ and ‘bearded’ sexes. French royalty were especially fond of the truffle’s aphrodisiac charms; Henri IV gave them to his mistresses while Louis XV’s wife feasted on them and went on to have 10 children. Growing mostly in Northern Italy, Spain, and Mediterranean regions of France, Croatia and Slovenia, each truffle has a different season. The prized French Perigord black truffles are in season from December to March, the white truffle from Italian Piedmont from October to November, and summer truffles from July to November. Truffles can also be found in the UK and other parts of Europe. These are termed summer truffles, and are more mildly flavoured and worth less than their European counterparts at around £150£250 per kilo. matthew fort’s drinks hamper// 89

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Add

Pleasure

To Your Life

Zwiesel Kristallglas leads the World in crystal glass technology. Our brands Schott Zwiesel and Zwiesel 1872 are independently recognised as the global market leaders for the supply of crystal glass into the World’s leading hotels and restaurants. Our stemware is used by many of the World’s leading wine competitions and events including the IWC and ISWS in the UK. We believe life is precious. That is why we produce our glasses in tritan® titanium crystal. This means our products have superior durability, brilliance, clarity and best of all a full eco-profile - so you can enjoy your wines, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks knowing our environment has been kept safe. Our aim is to enhance customers’ enjoyment by producing stem and barware that is a pleasure to view, hold and drink from. We also aim to make it far easier to handle when the evening is finished. So even our mouthblown crystal stemware is break resistant and dishwasher safe! Why not add to your enjoyment of life? Try some Schott Zwiesel or Zwiesel 1872 stemware today. To purchase our stem and barware go to www.wineware.co.uk/glassware/schott-zwiesel For further information please contact: ADIT on 01629 56190 or at sales@aditrading.com

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FINEST OF THE FINE

Hunting truffles Truffles grow underground in tree roots, and they are traditionally discovered using a pig or dog. Each species of truffle prefers a different tree species and a specific soil type. They appear in the same spot each year, which is why professional truffle hunters are careful to hide the identity of their ‘truffle trees’. Some even take the secret of their location so seriously that they take it with them to the grave rather than handing it down to their children. Heading out in the dead of night with their dog or pig, the truffle hunter must find the truffles as quickly as possible, to thwart rival truffle hunters. Elisabeth Luard, author of Truffles, says dramatically: ‘It’s a fight to the death, with pistols at dawn.’ Local authorities also impose strict times of year that truffle hunters are allowed to forage, so it’s a race against time to find the fungi. Dogs are now used more commonly than pigs because the latter are so fond of the truffles they often consume them before the truffle hunter has a chance to grasp them. However, dogs are more favoured by hunters, having greater agility. It takes around four years to train a dog to hunt for truffles. To start the process small pieces of truffle are put in their food so they develop a passion for the flavour, which leads to them eventually digging up the truffles themselves. Italian truffle hunter Mario, themasterchefs.com

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who has been hunting the fungi for 60 years, and takes tourists from Bellini Travel on truffle hunts in the autumn, says: ‘We start with a strong cheese like Gorgonzola and we hide it around the house and grounds. As the dog becomes better at finding the cheese, we then start to bury it underground. Once the dog is capable of finding the cheese, we start to hide pieces of truffle underground as well. A good dog that finds a truffle near the surface will not try to dig but will wait for the truffle hunter to dig it up to avoid any damage.’ The farmed truffle Today, very few truffles are still gathered in this natural way. In the early 1900s, 2,000 tonnes of truffles was produced annually in Europe at the peak of truffle production, now just 60 tonnes are produced. The huge decline in production is mainly attributed to a mass exodus from the countryside, which has left woodland overgrown and wild, an inhabitable environment for truffles that prefer a light, airy environment. There are other factors too, such as global warming, which has disrupted the precise weather conditions that ensure successful truffle cultivation. It’s unlikely that wild truffle hunting will ever reach the popularity levels of the 1900s, Luard says: ‘The woods which are left are not cropped as knowledgeably as they were when fungi- gathering, including truffles, was an add-on to other activities such as pig-herding, charcoal-burning and so forth.’

Since the 19th century, truffle farms have been artificially cultivating truffles. When Frenchman Joseph Talon discovered that the seeds growing under a truffle-producing tree could be used to grow more truffle trees, his find saved the truffle industry. In France, around 90 per cent of truffle production is now artificially cultivated. In recent years the technology used in cultivation has improved vastly, with companies using ever more scientific methods. Dr Paul Thomas, who has a PhD in plant sciences, set up Mycorrhizal Systems, now a world leader in truffle cultivation technology. He has farms worldwide and in the UK where he artificially cultivates trees with fungus-covered roots to produce summer and black truffles. Dr Thomas explains: ‘What we do is propagate the truffle fungus and introduce it to the root system of a tree in a lab and make sure that both the truffle and tree are growing together. We then recreate exact soil conditions in the field and plant the trees—essentially what we’re doing is re-creating a native and naturally balanced woodland system, with management.’ As the trees take four to seven years to produce truffles, they are just coming into harvest this year. Dr Paul Thomas planted the fungus on 20 farms and estates around Britain six years ago. He has found the 39g specimen under a young holly-oak tree. The entrepreneur, who appeared on the TV series ‘Dragon’s Den’, said it was the ‘birth of the UK truffle industry’. After a decade of waiting, Dr Thomas believes that his other sites will also start producing truffles later this year. He told the BBC recently, ‘There are other sites that are almost certainly fruiting.’ matthew fort’s drinks hamper// 91

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ImperialCaviar.co.uk

Suppliers of the ďŹ nest Caviar, selected only from sustainable sources around the world. Serving Sevruga Osietra and Beluga Caviars to the discerning connoisseur Full range on offer in sizes of 30g to 1kilo from ÂŁ40 each Depuis 1991

Top Chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Michel Roux Jr, Raymond Blanc, Simon Rogan, Phil Howard, Helene Darroze, and many more believe our Caviar to be the best in the world as do Zuma & Roka group, The Arts Club, The Wolseley, Beaumont and Colbert group. Our Caviar range is sold through ImperialCaviar.co.uk website as well as in Selfridges under Imperial Caviar as well as the Selfridges own label.

sales@imperialcaviar.co.uk +44 (0)1932 830252

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FINEST OF THE FINE The case for caviar Caviar, the roe of the sturgeon, has always had the reputation of a luxury food. Caviar is rich in lecithin and vitamins A, B, and D as well as many other valuable minerals such as Omega 3. As a result, throughout history caviar has been prescribed for many ailments, from depression to impotency. However, you don’t need to be an expert in its medicinal properties to appreciate its very special flavours. Gourmets differentiate between three nuances in taste, namely sevruga caviar, oscietra caviar, and beluga caviar, however, the family extends to some 33 species of other fish. Wild caviar has not been banned, although the last export permits for wild caviar were issued in 2007, and with an increasing number of high quality caviar aquacultures worldwide, there is no reason for new wild caviar quotas to be granted any time soon. After 20 years of research, caviar farms have today mastered the rearing of sturgeon and this also contributes to the preservation of this majestic fish. The total worldwide production of aquaculture caviar is now similar to that of wild caught caviar of 10 to 15 years ago. There has been a trend for caviar farms to draw on the talent and experience of renowned Iranian and Russian caviar masters previously employed by governments, to create farmed products with real depth of flavour. Using age-old salting recipes similar to that of wild caught caviar. Caviar is judged by its colour, flavour, roe size and texture, with the finest caviar coming from older fish producing larger and lighter coloured roe; lower quality caviar is identified by having smaller, softer, darker eggs having a salty, fishy flavour. • Caviar tip—Although caviar comes in metal tins it is incorrect to use a metal spoon when putting caviar in your mouth. A metallic reaction of the metal and the caviar will reduce the subtlety of the caviar when it reaches your palate. So, avoid a metal spoon. A mother of pearl spoon will ensure the best taste experience. See more at imperialcaviar.co.uk

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Royal Beluga Caviar Royal Beluga Caviar is light to dark steely grey in colour, and considered a rare product of exquisite flavour. The Sturgeon is the largest member of the anadromous fish family, and can weigh over a ton. The more typical Sturgeons weigh between 100 to 250 kilograms, producing about 30 kilos of truly exceptional Beluga caviar. The Beluga may mature at approximately 20 years and can live to 80 years.

Coveted Chocolate Inspired by Christmas magic, the Leonidas Maitre Chocolatier created four delicious Christmas tree pralines, made from 100 per cent pure cocoa butter and all natural ingredients. The soft white chocolate and the freshness of the cranberry ganache bring a perfect harmony of flavours. The milk tree is filled with Leonidas’ famous praliné with spicy biscuit crumbles. The marbled dark tree and its mandarine ganache will surprise you with its fruity touch, and the dark tree and its Christmas tea ganache has a unique spicy touch. Presented in a beautiful golden box created especially for the occasion, Leonidas Maitre chocolates make the perfect Christmas gift.

Oscietra Royal Caviar Oscietra Royal Caviar can be dark grey brown to medium golden with a firm texture yielding a creamy flavour on the palate, cosseting the taste buds with a fine hazelnut after taste. This caviar has one of the most interesting flavours, the fish weighing around 25 kilos at about 15 years old with three kilos of Caviar.

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SELFRIDGES

ULTIMATE TREASURES HAMPER £2,000 A wondrous array of indulgent treats for the whole party. Selfridges expertly curated the best and most inviting delicacies that are sure to delight at Christmas time. Celebrate in style with this winning selection. Drinks: 2x Champagne Esprit Brut 75cl, Châteauneuf du Pape 75cl, Malbec 75cl, 2x Prosecco 75cl, Rioja Crianza 75cl, 2x Rosé Champagne 75cl, 2x Sancerre 75cl, Touraine Sauvignon 75cl, Finest Port 75cl, The entertainer limited edition blended scotch whisky 700ml, British Vanilla Caramel Drinking Fudge 210g, Complex & Mellow Italian Cafetière Coffee 250g, English Breakfast Tea (Tin) 60g, Earl Grey Tea (tin) 50g, Spiced Festive Tea 37.5g, Italian Thick Hot Chocolate 250g, Blackcurrant Cordial 330ml. Savoury: Camembert with Truffles 250g, Époisses 250g, Ragstone Log Cheese 200g, Artisan Balsamic Vinegar of Modena 50ml, Artiscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml, Horseradish 170g, Artisan Piccallili 180g, Boxing Day Chutney 250g, Traditional English Mustard 170g, Traditional Wholegrain Mustard 170g, European Mixed Olives 275g, Smoked Chilli, Seed and Cheese Savours 120g, Parmesan, Olive & Almond Savours 120g, Cheddar Truckle 400g, York Ham 1.5kg, Juan Pedro Domecq 100% Iberico Bellota Ham 160g (80g x2) Caramelised Onion Chutney 250g, Celery & Cucumber Pickle 230g, Apple, Pear & Herb Chutney 200g, British Cranberry, Port & Orange Sauce 250g, British Savoury Biscuit Collection Tin 500g, Beluga Caviar 50g, Smoked Salmon 500g, Potted Stilton 200g.

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SELFRIDGES

THE MOST DELICIOUS TASTES OF THE SEASON  with SELFRIDGES

A selection of delicious food and drink hampers created especially for the festive season

Images: Selfridges’

When you open a Christmas hamper, you’re opening a box of surprises—that’s half the pleasure. What treats will you find? You’ll find a constellation of treats this Christmas across the range of hampers especially prepared by Selfridges. The Selfridges Selection Hamper & Gift Box Collection includes some of the finest artisan products from across Europe. From celebratory champagnes to indulgently fruity Christmas puddings made in London, these gifts are ready to delight clients, colleagues, family or friends. Here’s a small sample from over thirty different hampers in a wide price range, from £2,000 for the Ultimate Treasures Hamper to £45 for the charming Mini Treats Gift Box.

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SELFRIDGES

FESTIVE BANQUET HAMPER £500 Show your appreciation for their friendship, hard work or loyal custom with this huge selection of wines, chocolates, condiments, cheeses, smoked salmon and festive delicacies. Drinks: Champagne Esprit Brut 75cl, Châteauneuf du Pape 75cl, Finest Port 75cl, Rosé Champagne 75cl, Sancerre 75cl, British Mint Infusion Tea Bags 30g, English Breakfast Tea Bags (Tin) 60g, Complex & Mellow Italian Cafetière Coffee 250g, British Vanilla Caramel Drinking Fudge 210g. Savoury: European Mixed Olives 275g, Italian Balsamic Vinegar of Modena 250ml, Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml, Cheddar Cheese Savours 120g, Cheddar Truckle 400g, Camembert 250g, Potted Stilton 200g, Smoked Salmon 500g, Artisan Piccalilli 180g, Caramelised Onion Chutney 250g, Cranberry, Port & Orange Sauce 250g, British Savoury Biscuit Collection Tin 500g. Sweet: 9-Piece Assorted Truffle Collection, Dark Chocolate Dinner Mints 125g, Milk Chocolate Caramelised Almonds 100g, British Vanilla Caramel Fudge 125g, British Strawberry Jam 340g, British Thick Cut Marmalade 340g, Chocolate Salted Caramel Mini Biscuits 300g, Scottish Shortbread Collection Tin 685g, Christmas Fruit Cake 670g, Classic Panettone 1kg, Traditional Christmas Pudding 900g, Brandy Butter 140g.

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SELFRIDGES

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SELFRIDGES

SWEET CELEBRATIONS HAMPER £150 Treat the sophisticated sweet-tooths in your life to this moreish selection of indulgent treats. Complete with a bottle of prosecco, red and white wine—this lavish collection of chocolates and confectionery will certainly help to set the celebratory mood. Drinks: Prosecco 75cl, Touraine Sauvignon 75cl, Chianti 75cl. Savoury: Cheddar Cheese Savours 120g. Sweet: 9 Marc de Champagne Chocolate Truffles 95g, Dark Chocolate Dinner Mints 125g, Chocolate Honeycomb 150g, Toffee Twists 150g, Salted Caramel Mini Chocolate Biscuits 300g, 11 Scottish All-butter Shortbread Biscuits 250g.

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THE FINEST TASTES OF THE SEASON  SELFRIDGES SELECTION HAMPERS & GIFT BOXES Treat your loved ones to Selfridges’ delicious range of artisanal food and drink this Christmas. Available in store and online at selfridges.com/Hampers

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SELFRIDGES

THE CONNOISSEURS HAMPER £1,000 This hamper brings together the very best products from the Selfridges Selection range. A truly extraordinary gift, it is a hamper that goes beyond expectations to truly impress. Drinks: 2x Champagne Esprit Brut 75cl, Châteauneuf du Pape 75cl, Malbec 75cl, 2x Prosecco 75cl, Rioja Crianza 75cl, 2x Rosé Champagne 75cl, 2x Sancerre 75cl, Touraine Sauvignon 75cl, Finest Port 75cl, British Vanilla Caramel Drinking Fudge 210g, Complex & Mellow Italian Cafetière Coffee 250g, English Breakfast Tea (Tin) 60g. Savoury: Camembert with Truffles 250g, Époisses 250g, Italian Balsamic Vinegar of Modena 50ml, Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml, Horseradish 170g, Artisan Piccalilli 180g, Traditional English Mustard 170g, Traditional Wholegrain Mustard 170g, European Mixed Olives 275g, Cheddar Cheese Savours 120g, Parmesan, Olive & Almond Savours 120g, Cheddar Truckle 400g, York Ham 1.5kg, Caramelised Onion Chutney 250g, Celery & Cucumber Pickle 230g, Apple, Pear & Herb Chutney 200g, British Cranberry, Port & Orange Sauce 250g, British Savoury Biscuit Collection Tin 500g, Osietra Gold Caviar 30g, Smoked Salmon 500g, Potted Stilton 200g. Sweet: Speciality Christmas Pudding 800g, Brandy Butter 140g, Scottish Shortbread Selection Tin 685g, Cinder Toffee Coal 150g, Milk Chocolate Caramelised Almonds 100g, Starflower Honey 227g, British Strawberry Jam 340g, British Thick Cut Marmalade 340g, Christmas Fruit Cake 670g, British Fudge Selection 400g, Panettone Moscato Hatbox 1kg, 9-Piece Chocolate Truffle Collection 120g, Dark Chocolate Dinner Mints 125g, 45-Piece Selected Chocolate Collection 540g.

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SELFRIDGES

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SELFRIDGES

STYLISH HOST HAMPER (alcohol free) £200 For those who appreciate the finer things in life, this hamper is just the thing. Including flavoursome olives and nibbles, plus chutneys, pickles and incredibly thick and indulgent Italian hot chocolate, it’s perfect for sharing. Drinks: Rose & Elderflower Infusion 30g, Elderflower & Cucumber Cordial 330ml, London Strong Tea 50g, Italian Thick Hot Chocolate 250g. Savoury: Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml, Mango, Lime & Chilli Pickle 250g, Parmesan, Olive & Almond Savours 120g, Smoked Chilli, Seed & Cheese Savours 120g, Sicilian Nocellara Olives 275g, Celery & Cucumber Pickle 230g, Italian Balsamic Vinegar of Modena 250ml. Sweet: Chocolate Honeycomb 150g, Starflower Honey 227g, British Apricot Jam 340g, Chocolate Stem Ginger Mini Biscuits 300g, Scottish Shortbread Collection Tin 685g.

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SELFRIDGES

FESTIVE FRIENDS & FAMILY HAMPER (alcohol free) £100 Share in the most delicious tastes of the season with this varied selection of enchanting tastes. From the cold-pressed blackcurrant cordial to carefully crafted confectionery and buttery biscuits—it’s a hamper that has something for everyone. Drinks: Blackcurrant Cordial 330ml, Spiced Festive Tea 37.5g, Complex & Mellow Italian Cafetière Coffee 250g. Savoury: Cheddar Cheese Savours 120g. Sweet: British Hard Rock Sweet Jar 100g, British Raspberry Jam 340g, Milk Chocolate Caramelised Almonds 100g, British Vanilla Caramel Fudge 125g, Giant Milk Chocolate Coin 90g, 9-Piece Selected Chocolate Collection 100g, 11 Scottish All-butter Shortbread Biscuits 250g.

HOW TO ORDER YOURS Shop in store at all Selfridges stores Shop online at selfridges.com/hampers Telephone 0800 138 8141 Email sales@selfridgeshampers.co.uk

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Legends Connoisseurs

OF LIBATION

Winston Churchill Winston Churchill once refused to eat anything at the royal banquet of Saudi Arabian king Ibn Saud, simply because no alcohol was served. Churchill politely explained that his rule in life was to drink before, during and after each meal. But Churchill had a much better reception when, in August 1942, he was invited to a banquet in Moscow with Joseph Stalin. The first meeting with Stalin by the British prime minister was known as ‘Operation Bracelet’. The banquet did not proceed well at first; Stalin’s demands were not to Churchill’s liking, and at the eleventh hour he requested a private meeting with the Soviet leader. At one o’clock in the morning Sir Alec Cadogan, 104 //matthew fort’s drinks hamper

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under-secretary at the Foreign Office, entered Stalin’s private room and saw the following scene: ‘There I found Winston and Stalin, and Molotov who had joined them, sitting with a heavily-laden board between them: food of all kinds crowned by a sucking pig and innumerable bottles. What Stalin made me drink seemed pretty savage. Winston, who by that time was complaining of a slight headache, seemed wisely to be confining himself to a comparatively innocuous effervescent Caucasian red wine. Everyone seemed to be as merry as a marriage bell.’ Negotiations on an East–West alliance continued till 3 am. On the way back Churchill was in a great mood, as Cadogan describes: ‘I think the two great men really made contact and got on terms. Certainly Winston was impressed and I think that feeling was reciprocated ... Anyhow conditions have been established in which messages exchanged between the two will mean twice as much, or more, than they did before.’ Winston Churchill would always start the day with a Johnnie Walker and water, which his daughter called the ‘Daddy Cocktail’. He would keep this topped up throughout the day, regarding it more as mouthwash than a drink. His reputation as a heavy drinker was established early in his career: when he was covering the Second Boer War in 1899 as a correspondent for the Morning Post, Churchill went

to the front with 36 bottles of wine, 18 bottles of Scotch and six bottles of brandy. Churchill had an enormous capacity for alcohol but was rarely seen drunk. He had been taught by his father ‘to have the utmost contempt for people who get drunk’. Certainly he could hold his liquor. When he visited the White House, President Roosevelt instructed the staff to adapt to ‘Winston Hours’. The President reputedly needed ten hours of sleep a night for three nights, just to recover from a visit from Churchill. However, Churchill did not care for Roosevelt’s version of a Dry Martini. His own gin/vermouth ratio was radically different: ‘I would like to observe the vermouth from across the room while I drink my Martini.’ To this day, a ‘Churchill Martini’ is gin poured over ice, while vermouth is presented in the same room. Churchill was an enormous fan of champagne. ‘A glass lifts the spirits and sharpens the wits—but a bottle produces the opposite effects.’ His preferred fizz was Pol Roger. After the liberation of Paris, he attended a lunch at the British Embassy in November 1944, where he and Odette Pol Roger established a friendship that would last for the rest of his life. Every year on Winston’s birthday, a case of Pol Roger would be sent to Chartwell. When Churchill died in 1965, Pol Roger placed a black border around its labels, and Pol Roger’s prestige champagne Cuvée, released in 1984, was named after Winston Churchill.

Image: Wikipedia/United Nations Information Office, New York - Library of Congress, Reproduction number LC-USW33-019093-C

Enjoying the finer things in life in its liquid form are some famous names, including a great statesman, film stars and notorious hell raisers

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CONNOISSEURS

‘Trips to the cinema in London were equally lubricated; from his pockets Kingsley would produce miniatures of gin and bottles of tonic and even a sliced lemon, handing round G&Ts to his companions.’

Image: REX Features

SIR KINGSLEY AMIS The sommelier showed him the wine list, murmuring a benediction in French. ‘I’ll have the Graves,’ Kingsley told him, pronounced (wrongly and deliberately) to rhyme with ‘waves’. Lifting his glass, he sniffed, tasted, and spat the wine on the table. ‘Very good,’ he said. Thus would one have encountered legendary soak, author and ladies’ man Sir Kingsley Amis (probably, though not necessarily, before he was knighted). The craft of writing he learned at Oxford, where he had miraculously arrived after being sired an only child by a clerk for Colman’s Mustard, and at the typewriter that he never failed to approach every single morning, despite daily hangovers. The craft of drinking he learned also at Oxford, but later honed his skills by taking his lunch at the Garrick Club, where the food was a brief interruption to the drinking. Kingsley (aka, the Kingster, or simply ‘The King’) had his own set of club rules, all of which had to be obeyed by anyone in his circle. The first was never to sit to lunch until at least two preprandial drinks had been consumed. He devoted a long passage in his

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memoirs to an obscure man from his past, whose principal impression on Amis was to have made rather meanly sized Bloody Marys. The second Rule of Kingsley regarded bores, who Kingsley would eliminate by barking, ‘Z, over here’ from the bar, referring to his chum Ronald Zeegen, who would leap over to save the conversation. Wherever he was in the world, Kingsley would maintain a prodigious intake of alcohol. On a long drive across Mexico in the 1960s, he packed the car with enough provisions in a large basket to mix all the passengers a cocktail at precisely 11.30 every morning. His favourite serving was a ‘Fake Negroni’, made with gin, Campari and tonic. Trips to the cinema in London were equally lubricated; from his pockets Kingsley would produce miniatures of gin and bottles of tonic and even a sliced lemon, handing round G&Ts to his companions. A typical lunch for Kingsley would commence with two dry martinis while he considered the menu; a bottle of Chablis Grand Cru with the first course; a bottle of Château Lafite-Rothschild with the second; a glass of Sauternes with pudding, a port with the cheese

and a large Calvados to round off. Was Kingsley an alcoholic? Journalist Rosie Boycott, his lunch companion for two years, thinks not: ‘There’s something about people who can get to that age and can drink. That they’ve survived and they’re still tottering along probably means that the alcohol is not quite as destructive to them as it is to younger people.’ Sir Kingsley’s own definition of an alcoholic was simply someone who drank alone, something he never once did in his life. Despite becoming unbearably curmudgeonly in old age, there was a joie de vivre to Kingsley’s imbibing. There was no better way for people to get to know each other than from ‘ceasing to be sober together’, as he put it. Drink, drinkers and drinking formed a large part of Amis’s fiction too, with at least one big boozer in every one of his 25 novels. Here are the thoughts of Maurice Allington in The Green Man: ‘I was drunk, in fact drunk with that pristine freshness, that semi-mystical elevation of spirit which, every time, seems destined to last for ever. There was nothing worth knowing that I did not know, or rather would not turn out to know when I saw my way to turning my attention to it.’

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Oliver Reed Oliver Reed’s final bar tab is said to have amounted to an impressive £590.22, in a bar in Malta during the filming of Ridley Scott’s Roman epic Gladiator. In one evening, Ollie had apparently consumed eight bottles of German beer, three bottles of Captain Morgan’s rum and several double Famous Grouse whiskies, supposedly buying rounds for everyone else. The legend continues that he added one more whisky to the tab, but before he could pay, he had collapsed on the floor with a heart attack. One hour later he was stone dead. The actor David Hemmings claimed that Reed could drink 20 pints of lager with a gin or crème de menthe chaser and still run a mile for a wager. Reed was once reported to have drunk 124 pints of beer in 24 hours, before doing a horizontal handstand on the bar. A regular drinking buddy of Alex Higgins’, Reed would apparently spike the dipsomaniac snooker player’s whisky with Chanel perfume, to which Higgins is said to have retaliated by squirting washing-up liquid in Reed’s crème de menthe. ‘I do not live in the world of sobriety,’ said Ollie, pretty accurately. He usually started off well, striking the pose of an old-fashioned English

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gentleman at the beginning of a mammoth drinking session, but by the end resembling more of a Neanderthal beast, barely able to remain on two feet and incapable of speech. That’s when he resorted to fighting, a language he spoke fluently. Even when completely bladdered, his eagle eyes kept tabs on all his drinking companions. Should any of them dare to yawn or refuse a drink, they might find themselves thrown down a flight of stairs. ‘My only regret,’ he once confessed, ‘is that I didn’t drink every pub dry and sleep with every woman on the planet.’ One night, a number of naked men had been spotted running through a field in Oakwoodhill, Surrey. When police arrived on the scene, the naturists turned out to be a local rugby team who had been drinking with Ollie, and he had encouraged them all to strip off and tear through the fields around his house. However, Reed was always quick to scotch rumours about his drinking that he felt he hadn’t earned. At a controversial stag weekend before his marriage to Josephine Burge, Reed was reported to have drunk 104 pints of ale. ‘The event that was reported,’ he was quick to correct, ‘Actually took place during an arm-wrestling competition in Guernsey about 15 years ago.’ Sometimes Ollie acted, too. Always the consummate professional, he would often swear off the drink when playing a film role, but there were always exceptions: he allegedly needed a bottle of vodka to steady his nerves before the nude wrestling scene in Women in Love. When another role required him to lose weight, he is said to have conscientiously put himself on a vodka-only diet for several weeks. Though regarded as a fine film actor, Reed became better known during his later career for his drunken appearances on television chat shows. During his first appearance on The Tonight Show, Shelley Winters poured a glass—or some say a jug—of whisky

over Reed’s head when he made some misogynistic comments. Reed later stated, ‘My row with Shelley Winters was caused by her abominable lack of manners.’ Reed’s carousing really came into its own once he bought an enormous mansion in Surrey called Broome Hall. Guests staying for the weekend could never claim that their stay was dull or predictable, or indeed sane. Party games included playing ice hockey on a kitchen floor slippery with smashed eggs, dancing on the antique dining table, having carved one’s name into it with a knife, and, most fun of all, knocking other guests across a nearby stream with a single punch. Friends of Ollie’s clad in monk’s habits would jump out of cupboards on unsuspecting guests while they dressed for dinner. Once all the guests were finally asleep, Reed is said to have prowled the corridors in the early hours, shooting his own furniture with a shotgun to help him relax. But Reed was not without his generous side and was always an excellent host. Befriending a fellow drinker at his local, the Cricketer’s Arms, Reed, so the story goes, offered to put him up when it was quite clear the man was far too drunk to drive home. When the stranger showed the slightest sign of refusal, Ollie wrestled him to the ground and knelt on the man’s neck until he finally said yes. One guest who gladly accepted Ollie’s invitation to stay at Broome Hall was Keith Moon. When they were both cast in Tommy in 1975, Moon was so excited about working with Ollie that he took a helicopter to Broome Hall to introduce himself, forgetting to inform Ollie. The helicopter nearly crashed and some horses bolted while Reed was in the bath. Enraged at the commotion, he ran out wearing only a towel, brandishing a broadsword. He and Moon fought for over an hour, ending up on the roof. It was love at first fight. ‘We just fell for each other directly,’ said Ollie. ‘I was taking life a little bit too seriously. Keith showed me the way to insanity.’

Image: Wikipedia/Nijs, Jac. de / Anefo - [1] Dutch National Archives, The Hague, Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANeFo), 1945-1989, Nummer toegang 2.24.01.05 Bestanddeelnummer 921-9532

Connoisseurs

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CONNOISSEURS

‘ “I did quite enjoy the days when one went for a beer at one’s local in Paris and woke up in Corsica,” said the actor once, also admitting it wasn’t until “around 1985” that he became aware of President Kennedy’s assassination.’

Image: Wikipedia/ABC TV

PETER O’TOOLE ‘I can’t stand light. I hate weather. My idea of heaven is moving from one smoke-filled room to another.’ Thus spake one of Holly-wood’s most successful imbibing thespians. Peter O’Toole lived to 81, only surviving two decades of hellraising with his dipsomaniac cohorts Richard Harris, Richard Burton and Ollie Reed by giving up the booze in 1975. Before that he stored up enough drink-sodden anecdotes to keep him going on the chat show circuit for a lifetime. On one epic session with Peter Finch in Ireland, the pair wanted to continue drinking at a small local pub, but time had been called. Their solution was to buy the pub, O’Toole bringing out his chequebook and asking the landlord to name his price. The following morning, after sobering up, the pair rushed back to the scene of the crime. Luckily the landlord hadn’t cashed the cheque and disaster was averted. O’Toole and Finch remained friends with the pub owner, and when he died his wife invited them to his funeral. Both knelt at the graveside as the coffin was lowered in, sobbing noisily. Only when they both looked up did they realise they were at the wrong funeral; their landlord friend was being buried 100 yards away. O’Toole was a man who themasterchefs.com

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carried his chequebook wherever he went, but never a watch, a wallet or his house keys. ‘I just hope some bastard’s in,’ he’d say. More than once he had to explain to the police why he was breaking into his own property. He was born in 1932 in a rough neighbourhood in a small town in Connemara, Ireland. Three of his playmates were later hanged for murder. ‘I’m not from the working class,’ O’Toole used to say. ‘I’m from the criminal class.’ Thesp-ed at RADA, O’Toole was cast in 1959 in The Long And The Short And The Tall at the Royal Court Theatre. His understudy was a young Michael Caine, and one Saturday night after the show the pair went to a nearby restaurant. Eating a plate of egg and chips was the last thing Caine remembered, until he woke up in broad daylight in a strange flat. ‘What time is it?’ he asked his drinking companion. ‘Never mind what time it is,’ said O’Toole. ‘What f***ing day is it?’ It was five o’clock in the afternoon, two days later. Curtain call was at eight that evening. When they hurried to the theatre, the manager informed them that the restaurant owner had banned them from his establishment for life. Caine wanted to know what they could possibly have done, but O’Toole said, ‘Never ask what you did. It’s better not to know.’ Ten years later, O’Toole was filming The Lion In Winter with Katharine Hepburn. During a scene on a lake, O’Toole trapped his hand between two boats and lost the top of a finger. He carried the tip back to shore, dipped it in a glass of brandy to sterilise it and then bandaged it back on to his hand.

Three weeks later, he unwrapped it to find that he’d applied it the wrong way round, having finished off the brandy while he’d fixed the finger. ‘I did quite enjoy the days when one went for a beer at one’s local in Paris and woke up in Corsica,’ said the actor once, also admitting it wasn’t until ‘around 1985’ that he became aware of President Kennedy’s assassination. O’Toole was just as passionate about the gee-gees as the booze. During filming of The Great Catherine, director Gordon Fleming sent an assistant to fetch the actor for a scene. The assistant found the dressing room empty, but a television set was showing horseracing from Sandown Park, not far from the studio. The TV camera zoomed in on the crowd, and there was Peter O’Toole cheering on the horses. In 1975, when O’Toole was 43, an abdominal irregularity he’d persistently ignored (‘My plumbing is no one’s business but my own,’) finally erupted and he was rushed to hospital for a major operation. ‘It was a photofinish, the surgeons said,’ O’Toole declared after a long operation. There was so little of his digestive system left that any amount of alcohol could prove fatal. He never touched another drop and made it to 81, outliving all his peers from his drinking days, but never losing his wit: ‘When did I realise I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realised I was talking to myself.’ This extract from Drinking for Chaps by Gustav Temple and Olly Smith, published by Kyle Books (£14.99), has been reproduced with permission. MATTHEW FORT’S DRINKS HAMPER// 107

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Festive

BRITAIN

The

Season in Six Nations Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the USA, receive a flying visit from Matthew Fort, who chooses some classic festive dishes, accompanied by Dawn Davies MW, who pairs these dishes with both classic and more unusual wine choices

n this round trip of six nations, only one of these recipes is a Fort original. I’ve culled the rest from books, cooks and chefs who I’ve liked and admired. For the wine choices (both conventional and refreshingly unconventional) that match the recipes and dishes that follow, I’m delighted to have the expertise and support of Dawn Davies MW.

Britain

CHRISTMAS FEASTS, FESTIVITIES & FRIVOLITIES

It’s turkey-and-Christmas-puddingand-port-and-Stilton-and-cracker time. No matter how hard chefs and food gurus try to persuade us to take a more enlightened approach to festive feasting, the vast majority of us will be tucking into tradition again. So perhaps we could be more adventurous with what we drink. Dawn Davies’s wine choices I love mixing it up and breaking with tradition at Christmas. Last year at home we had a white wine from Savoie with the turkey and for the red a South African Shiraz. If in doubt take your classic favourite and twist it up by choosing a similar variety or style from a different country or region. If you like Bordeaux try a wine from Bolgheri in Italy, instead of Chablis have a Gruner Veltliner from Austria. 108 //matthew fort’s drinks hamper

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Plum-Pottage, or Christmas-Pottage ‘Take a Leg of Beef, and boil it till it is tender in a sufficient quantity of Water, add two Quarts of red Wine, and two Quarts of old strong Beer; put to these some Cloves, Mace, and Nutmegs, enough to season it, and boil some Apples, pared and freed from the Cores into it, and boil them tender, and break them; and to every Quart of Liquor, put half a Pound of Currans pick’d clean, and rubb’d with a coarse Cloth, without washing. Then add a Pound of Raisins of the Sun, to a Gallon of Liquor, and half a Pound of Prunes. Take out the Beef, and the Broth or Pottage will be fit for use.’ —The Country Housewife and Lady’s Director (pub. 1728) by Professor R. Bradley

Dawn Davies’s wine choices There are lots of strong flavours in this dish, with spices and dried fruits, so you will need something quite robust and fruity to pair with it. Classic – An Aussie Shiraz or an Argentine Malbec would work well with this dish, (£12.99 Selfridges’ Selection Malbec) Left-field – A dry oloroso sherry will add an interesting dimension to this dish. Hidalgo Oloroso Seco Gobernado (£20.99, Selfridges)

Images: 123RF, archive.org

Richard Bradley was a botanist at Cambridge University and Fellow of the Royal Society with a particular interest in exotic plants, including the pineapple. He was involved in some sort of financial mismanagement and dismissed from service as horticultural advisor to the Cannons Estate in Middlesex. The Professor’s address ’To the Ladies of Great Britain, &c.’ begins, ‘The Reason which induces me to address the following Piece to the Fair Sex, is, because the principal Matters contained in it are within the Liberty of their Province.’

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Start tweeting or clucking: @thecondimentco

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BRITAIN

Christmas Plum Pudding Jelly

Chop all the peel, dates, figs and ginger and put into a saucepan with everything but the ginger, simmer for 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Sprinkle and stir the gelatine into 75ml water, heat and stir until completely dissolved, then thoroughly mix into the fruit etc., before pouring into a pudding mould or bowl and leaving overnight to set. —From Jellies & Their Moulds by Peter Brears, Prospect Books

Ingredients 20g gelatin 900ml milk 25g chocolate ½tsp vanilla essence 25g chopped nuts/almonds 75g candied peel 150ml raisins 150ml dates or figs 300ml currants or stem ginger 100g sugar Pinch of salt

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Dawn Davies’s wine choices Like a Christmas pudding, you need to take into account the fruits and spices but, because it’s a jelly, you don’t want anything too overpowering in flavour. Classic – demi-sec Champagne would work well with this - Louis Roederer’s demi-sec (£46.99, Selfridges) Left-field – A tawny port would also be an interesting pairing with this dish, try Warre’s Otima Tawny 10 year old (£11.99, Waitrose) matthew fort’s drinks hamper// 111

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france

France

CHRISTMAS FEASTS, FESTIVITIES & FRIVOLITIES There’s no such thing as a classic French Christmas. It just depends on where you live. Aligote on Christmas Eve in the Auvergne, Le Trieze Desserts in Provence, crêpes in Brittany and pâté de coings throughout as it’s said to be good for the liver.

Oysters & Crépinettes Serves 4

Ingredients 16 fresh oysters 1 tsp finely chopped shallot 100ml white wine vinegar 300g boneless pork neck or shoulder 100g pork back fat 2 garlic cloves 1tsp brandy ¼ tsp Five-spice powder 1tsp Dijon mustard 60g pork caul Vegetable oil A drop of Tabasco Salt and freshly ground pepper

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Mince (grind) the pork and fat. Place in a bowl and add the garlic, brandy, five spice, mustard and Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and leave in a cool place for 24 hours. Shape the pork mixture into balls and wrap in the caul. Mix the shallot with the vinegar. Set aside. Open the oysters and empty out the liquor from their shells. They will make a new batch of liquor in a few minutes and this will be much better. Heat a film of oil in a frying pan and colour the crépinettes on both sides. Reduce the heat and finish the cooking like a sausage. Set a crépinettes in the centre of each plate and arrange the oysters around it, serve the shallot vinegar in a sauceboat. —From Bistrot Bruno by Bruno Loubet Dawn Davies’s wine choices I’m a big believer in choosing wines from the regions the food comes from, as they were created to be together. This is a good rule of thumb if you’re unsure about a combination. Classic – Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc, Chateau Dourthe, Bordeaux (£8.99, Waitrose) Left-field - I don’t know if there is any food that Riesling cannot pair with and for this a crisp drier style would be perfect. Framingham Classic Riesling (£14.99, Selfridges)

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france

Salsify Fritters (Salsifis en beignets)

600g salsify 1 tbsp vinegar Oil for deep-frying For the batter 250g plain flour a pinch of salt 2 tbsp oil 2 eggs separated

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Dawn Davies’s wine choices Pierre introduced me to the wines of Limoux so it is only fitting that with this dish I recommend a wine from this region. Because of the batter and fried nature of this dish a sparkling wine or one with high acidity would work well to cut through any fat. Classic – Crémant de Limoux Brut Cuvée selection, Philippe Collin (£12.50,Yapp Brothers) Left-field – if you want to stir things up, try a Greek Assyrtiko such as Gaia Estates Wild Ferment (£19.99, Selfridges)

Images: 123RF

Ingredients

Prepare the batter well in advance. Pour the flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Put the salt oil, egg yolks and a little water in the well and mix slowly with a wooden spoon, gradually drawing in the flour little by little. When the batter is homogeneous, add more water (about 150ml altogether) and mix until smooth and creamy. Leave the batter in a warm place until needed. Peel the salsify and drop into water acidulated with the vinegar. Cut into 3cm lengths and cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and leave to cool. To make the fritters, beat the egg whites until stiff and gently fold into the batter. Fill a deep pan with oil and heat until very hot. Dip the salsify in the batter and fry in batches until the fritters are golden and puffed up. Drain the fritters on kitchen paper and serve very hot. —From Memories of Gascony by Pierre Koffmann

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The Master chefs home of Matthew Fortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Drinks Hamper

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FRANCE

L’aligot The Auvergnois are partial to L’aligot on Christmas Eve, although it’s great at any time, if you ask me. Serves 4-6 Bring plenty of lightly salted water to the boil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the potatoes, reduce the heat and simmer gently until the potatoes are soft but not disintegrating. Drain carefully, then peel the potatoes as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Melt the butter in the pan over a low heat. Pass the potatoes through as mouli or mash them lightly but thoroughly. Stir them into the melted butter, then add the milk and cream and stir until combined. Work the slivered cheese into the puree a little at a time, using a wooden spoon. Mix in the garlic and the bacon fat if using. Season generously with pepper. Continue stirring over a low heat for at least 5 minutes, until the cheese starts to make strips. Serve at once. —From The Festive Food of France by Marie-Pierre Moine

Ingredients 900g (approx. 4) waxy potatoes 75g butter 75ml milk 100ml creme fraiche 350g Tomme d’Aligot, or young farmhouse Lancashire or Caerphilly, finely slivered 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 20ml/1 tbsp good bacon fat Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Dawn Davies’s wine choices When pairing wine and food, sometimes you want wines to contrast with the dish in terms of flavour and acidity, and sometimes you want them to mirror each other. This dish cries out for a bit of both, freshness to counteract the cream and butter, but fuller flavour to pair with the cheese. Classic – Bourgogne Aligote, Domaine Ballot-Millot (£14.99, Selfridges) Left-field – I love pairing food and beer and this dish is crying out for a wheat beer, Camden Gentlemen’s Wit (£2.80, Selfridges)

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06/11/2015 15:11

GERMANY

Germany

CHRISTMAS FEASTS, FESTIVITIES & FRIVOLITIES Like a number of European countries, Christmas Eve—Weihnachten—is as important as the day itself, with such splendid dishes as spiced carp and Christstollen, with noodle soup and roast goose being reserved on the day itself.

Christollen Ingredients 1kg flour 75g fresh yeast or 40g dried 150g finely chopped mixed candied peel 100g blanched almonds 450ml warm milk 100g sugar 500g raisins 100g currents Grated zest of 2 lemons 6 tablespoons dark run To finish 1 knob of butter to glaze Vanilla flavoured icing sugar for dusting

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Images: 123RF

germany Sieve two-thirds of the flour into the warm bowl. Pour a little warm milk over the fresh yeast in a cup, stir in a teaspoon of sugar, and leave it for a moment or two to liquidise (if using dried, follow the packet instructions). Make a hollow in the flour and pour in the yeast mix. Sprinkle with some of the flour and leave for 10-15 minutes to start the sponge working. Pour in the rest of the milk, and work in the flour, drawing it in gradually from the sides, until you have a smooth dough. When it no longer sticks to your hands or the bowl, cover it with cling film and put it in a warm place to rise until doubles in bulk about one hour should be fine, as you have a high proportion of yeast to flour. Meanwhile, put the dried fruit, peel, lemon rind and just to soak in the rum. Sieve the remaining flour onto the pastry board. Knead the dough for a moment or two to distribute the oxygen bubbles. Work in the soaked fruit and nuts and the rest of the sugar, drawing in the extra dough to keep the dough firm but soft. Don’t overwork it, or the dough will turn grey. Divide the dough into four pieces. Quickly knead each piece into a ball, the flatten it into an oval. Make a dent in each oval with a rolling pin lengthways, or to one side than the other. Fold the wide side over the other. Repeat with the other pieces and transfer the stollen to the buttered baking tray. Cover and leave in a warm place to prove. Bake in a hot oven, 450°F/230°C/ Gas 8 for 40-45 minutes. Take the stollen out of the oven when they are well risen and firm to the finger. Transfer to the rack to cool. Paint them when still warm with melted butter and dust very generously with icing sugar. You can, if you would like to make them look really sumptuous, ice them with a thin coat of plain white icing or sugar glaze (1 tbsp sugar melted in 1 tbsp water), and finish with a sprinkle of candied peel and flaked almonds. — From European Festival Food by Elizabeth Luard

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Dawn Davies’s wine choices Stollen is one of my father’s favourite Christmas treats. It’s a good teatime snack but if you were swapping tea for something stronger, then try the following. Classic – For me this screams for a cheeky Madeira, try the Barbeito Sercial 10yo (£34.99, Selfridges) Left-field – Yalumba, Museum Reserve Rutherglen Muscat (£17.99, Selfridges)

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06/11/2015 15:35

GERMANY

Roast Goose Trim off the neck … wipe and trim off excess fat from the interior cavity. Tie two pieces of the fat over the bird’s breast. Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4. Peel, quarter and core the apples. Peel and chop the onion. Stuff the goose with the apple, onion and cloves, with the wormwood or sage in the neck end. Sew up the cavity. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and put the bird breast down on a rack in the oven, over a dripping tray. Pour a mug of boiling water over the bird when you do so. After 30 minutes turn the bird breast up. Prick the skin (not thought to the flesh) particularly round the throat and the base of the wings, to let the fat run out. The goose will need 3½ - 4 hours roasting in all, depending on the size of the bird. Pour out the goose fat regularly every 30 minutes or so, basting the bird when you do so. Sprinkle cold water (from the ends of your fingers) over the breast every 10-15 minutes before the end of the cooking - this will crisp the skin. When you judge you goose cooked, thrust a skewer into the base of the thigh - if the juice runs pink, it is not yet done, if it runs clearly, it is ready. Scoop out the apple-onion stuffing. Mash it well into the pan juices (skim off the excess fat first) to thicken them. Leave the goose to rest in the turned off oven for 20 minutes for the meat to firm up. —From European Festival Food by Elizabeth Luard

Ingredients 1 goose, neck and head left on, all giblets supplied (3-4kg will serve about 8 people) 2 cloves Salt and pepper 4 cooking apples 4 medium onions 1 stem of wormwood or a sprig of sage

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Dawn Davies’s wine choices Goose is a great alternative to turkey, in terms of flavour it is not strong but it is a rich meat. I have already said Riesling goes well with everything and you could go for a gorgeous German Riesling, but here are a few other suggestions. Classic – A fruitier style of Pinot Noir either from Burgundy or New Zealand, Canterbury, Crater Rim, Pinot Noir (£13.95, Lea & Sandeman) Left-field – Northern Italian reds are a nice twist for rich meats, try Lange Nebbiolo Sottimano (£21.99, Selfridges)

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06/11/2015 15:35

Italy

ITALY

CHRISTMAS FEASTS, FESTIVITIES & FRIVOLITIES The best dish, zampone con lenticchie—stuffed pigs trotter with lentils—is reserved for Boxing Day. The more lentils you eat, the richer you’ll be during the following year. That’s the theory anyway. But for Christmas Day it has to be Panettone, the great Italian Christmas bread-crumb-cake. This has become so ubiquitous in the UK that we almost think of it as our own. Washed down with Moscato d’Asti or Prosecco, naturally.

Tummàla

Serves 8-10

This is a Sicilian Christmas classic from the doyenne of Sicilian food writers, Mary Taylor Simetti, although as she points out, it ‘has as many versions as there are families to observe the tradition’.

Ingredients A 4-pound chicken in parts ¼ cup olive oil 2 cups (approximately) chicken broth Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 large round loaf of crusty Italian bread cup toasted almonds cup pistachios 1 tbsp capers 1 tbsp chopped parsley 2 eggs, lightly beaten Juice of 1 lemon

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Brown the chicken in the oil, add one cup broth, salt and pepper and simmer until tender, adding more broth if needed. Cool the chicken, remove the skin and bones and cut the meat into small pieces. Reserve both the meat and the broth. Cut the bread horizontally, and a little less than halfway down, so as to make a dish and lid. Hollow out the bread, combine the crumbs and the reserved broth and press through a sieve. Grind the almonds and pistachios, together with the capers and parsley. Add the bread purée together with the eggs and lemon juice. The mixture should be quite moist, so you may need to add an extra tablespoon or two of the broth. Combine with the chicken meat, spoon into the empty bread crust and replace the upper crust. Bake 20 minutes at 350°F/175°C/Gas 4. —From Sicilian Food by Mary Taylor Simetti Dawn Davies’s wine choices One of my favourite books is the Montalbano Sicilian detective stories, he has a passion for wine and food and I can see him sitting down to this meal with a glass of fullbodied Fiano. This dish needs a weighty white or a medium bodied red. Classic – Kratos Fiano, Luigi Maffini (£13.95, Lea & Sandeman) Left-field – This Cabernet Sauvignon/Monastrell blend is a fun combo for this dish, El Bon Homme (£11.99, Selfridges) MATTHEW FORT’S DRINKS HAMPER// 119

06/11/2015 15:30

ITALY

Panettonne Sprinkle the yeast into the milk in a bowl. Leave for five minutes to dissolve. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the yeasted milk. Use a wooden spoon to draw enough of the flour into the yeasted milk to form a soft paste. Cover the bowl with a tea towel, and leave to ‘sponge’ until frothy and risen, about 20 minutes. Mix the flour from the sides of the well to form a stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Put the dough in a bowl and cover with a tea towel. Leave to rise until double in size, about one hour. Knock back; rest for 10 minutes. Grease with 15g soft butter a round mould, or a deep cake tin, or a small saucepan, about 20cm across and 15cm deep. Line the base and the sides with baking parchment so that it extends 12cm above the top. Knead 100g softened butter, two egg yolks, the sugar, citrus peel, sultanas, lemon and orange zest, and vanilla extract, into the dough until thoroughly combined, about five minutes. Shape the dough into a round loaf. Place in the prepared mould. Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut an ‘X’ across the top. Cover with a tea towel and allow to prove until double in size, about two hours. Brush the loaf with egg glaze. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes until a metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the mould and leave to cool in the lining paper on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar. —From Bread: Baking by Hand or Bread Machine by Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno

Ingredients 2½ tsp (6g) dried yeast 225ml trepid milk 350g plain four ½ tsp salt 115g unsalted butter, softened 2 egg yolks 60g caster sugar 75g candied citrus peel, chopped 50g sultanas Pinch of grated nutmeg Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange 1 tsp vanilla extract Glaze, made with egg yolk and a little water Icing sugar, to decorate

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06/11/2015 15:30

ITALY

Cappelletti di Romagna Ingredients

Images: 123RF

180g ricotta, or half ricotta and half ‘raviggliolo’ (a soft cheese made from goat or sheep milk) 1-2 capon breasts cooked in butter, seasoned with salt and pepper and finely chopped with a mezzaluna (twin-handled chopper with a curved blade) 30g grated Parmesan 1 whole egg 1 egg yolk A pinch of nutmeg, a few spices, some lemon zest (if desired), and a pinch of salt

Mix all the ingredients and taste, checking the seasonings and flavour. If you do not have a breast of capon, use 100g of lean pork instead, cooked and seasoned as above. If the ricotta or raviggliolo is too soft, leave out an egg white, or if the mixture comes out too firm, add another yolk. Enclose this stuffing in a soft dough made with flour and eggs only, using some of the leftover whites. Roll out the dough in a thin sheet, and then cut into disks (about 6.5cm across). Place the stuffing in the centre of the disk and fold as to form half-moon shapes. Then take the two ends, press them together and you will have a cappelletto. If the dough dries out as you are working with it, then dip a finger in water and wet the disks along the edges. For best results, this pasta calls for a broth made with capon, that silly animal that every year out of the goodness of its heart offers itself to be sacrificed to mankind during the solemnities of Christmas. Cook the cappelletti in the capon broth, as they do in Romagna. —From Science in the Kitchen and The Art of Eating Well by Pellegrino Artusi (translated by Murta Baca and Stephen Sartarelli)

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Dawn Davies’s wine choices This used to be a dish we ate when we lived in Rome (way before I had discovered drink), it is a simple flavourful dish that calls for an easy drinking wine. Classic – Greco di Tufo, Feudi San Gregorio (£19.99, Selfridges) Left-field – Gruner Veltliner can be similar to Albarino or in some cases a Chablis, it works well with fish, try Gruner Veltliner Keis, Kurt Angerer (£13.99, Selfridges) MATTHEW FORT’S DRINKS HAMPER// 121

06/11/2015 15:30

SPAIN

Spain CHRISTMAS FEASTS, FESTIVITIES & FRIVOLITIES Christmas is time for turrón. Nougat to you and me. There’s hard turrón from Alicante, soft turrón from Jijona, Catalonian turrón de Agramunt, chocolate turrón, fig turrón, egg yolk turrón, guirlache turrón. With oloroso or Pedro Xmenes sherry? There are other Christmas treats as well.

Turrón de Alicante

Ingredients Rice paper wafers 175g honey 1½tbs water 100g sugar 1 egg white 350g almonds, peeled and split Grated zest of ½ lemon

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Line some bun tins with rice paper and have some circles of rice paper ready to place on top. Heat the honey and water gently in a heavy based pan until all the water has evaporated, then stir in the sugar with a wooden spoon. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then fold into the honey and sugar. Stir gently over a low heat until the mixture turns to caramel, then immediately add the almond and lemon zest and mix well. Pour the almond mixture quickly into the prepared tins, cover with another rice paper wafer and a baking sheet, then weigh down until set. —From Spain on a Plate by Maria Jose Sevilla

Dawn Davies’s wine choices I love Turrón and I happen to live with a man who makes some of the best in the UK. This sweet treat is perfect as a post dinner delight, and a post dinner drink sets it off beautifully. Classic – Vin Santo, Isole Olena (£45.99, Selfridges) Left-field – If you feel like something stronger try a whisky, Tamdhu 10yo (£39.99, Selfridges)

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06/11/2015 15:31

SPAIN

Besuno al horno (Baked Whole Red Bream) Serves 6

Cut off the fins and rims and dry the fish inside. Squeeze one lemon and sprinkle the juice and four tablespoons of olive oil inside. Leave to marinate for four hours. Reserve the marinade juices. With the point of a knife make slashes on the side of the fish. Slice the second lemon, halve the slices and fit into the gashes, pointing backwards like fins. Oil an ovenproof oval dish and put in the fish with the bay leaves under it. Cook the potatoes until just tender. Arrange round the fish, scattering with the rings pushed from the onion. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cover the thin slices of the third lemon. Heat the remaining oil in a small pan with the garlic slivers and the giundilla (if using) discarding when brown. Add the marinade juices, wine and cayenne (if using) and pour over the fish and potatoes. Cover with foil and put into a fairly hot oven (200°C/400°F/ Gas 6). Cook for 35-45 minutes (according to the fish size). Remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes to colour the potato edges. Sprinkle with e little parsley. Note: an excellent recipe for a big hot salmon, though longer, slimmer fish shapes means baking in a large roasting tin. If you do this, fill the space with a few extra potatoes. —From The Spanishwoman’s Kitchen by Pepita Aris

Ingredients

Dawn Davies’s wine choices I’m a big advocate of the right red wine with fish—a light, fairly fruity red with low tannins and a bit of acidity can work wonders. Classic – A crisp fresh Spanish Verdejo would be a nice choice with this, or if you want more body an oaked Chardonnay would also work. Try Journey’s End Haystack Chardonnay (£13.99, Selfridges) Left-field – Beaujolais or lighter style Mencia would be a good red alternative. Beaujolais Village, Domaine Andre Cologne (£12.99, Selfridges)

Images: 123RF

A 1-1.2kg whole red bream (or other suitable fish) 3 lemons 100ml olive oil 2 bay leaves 350-700g potatoes sliced (see note) 1 onion, preferably purple Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 garlic clove cut into slivers A little dried giundilla, seeded and chopped or a pinch of cayenne pepper 100ml white wine 1 tbsp chopped parsley

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06/11/2015 15:31

SPAIN

Compota de Nochebuena Serves 6

A dish from Navarre, although my mother, who was very English, used to make something similar, if less fancy. Compots of dried fruits have a long and honourable history in this country as well, dating back to the 13th century. I like to think this represents the healthier side of Christmas eating. Soak all the fruit in water for 12 hours, then drain and rinse. Place the chestnuts in a saucepan with the aniseed seeds and vanilla pod. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes until the chestnuts are tender. Drain and remove the vanilla pod. Dissolve the sugar in the water with the orange rind, cinnamon and vanilla pod. Simmer for five minutes to make syrup. Add the soaked fruit to the syrup in the order of the listed ingredients, adding the chestnuts after the dates, then add the pear and apple. Stir well and cook for a further five minutes. Leave to cool before serving. —From Spain on a Plate by Maria José Sevilla

Ingredients 50g dried figs 100g prunes 100g dried apricots 50g pitted dates 50g currants 100g peeled chestnuts A few aniseed seeds 1 vanilla pod 100g sugar 150ml water Grated rind of ½ an orange ½ cinnamon stick 1 pear, peeled, cored and sliced 1 red-skinned apple, peeled, cored and sliced

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Dawn Davies’s wine choices The above sticky dessert calls for a sticky wine. There are plenty of flavours going on in this dish so you need something fairly robust to cope, a tawny port or sweet Oloroso sherry would also work. Classic – Tokaji Noble Late Harvest, Oremus (£19.99, Selfridges) Left-field – A dark rum would also work with the dish, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva (£49.99, Selfridges)

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06/11/2015 15:31

USA

CHRISTMAS FEASTS, FESTIVITIES & FRIVOLITIES Americans get their turkey-driven, family-riven celebrations out of the way long before Christmas. This is Thanksgiving, which is celebrated on the last Thursday in November. The date has nothing to do with the fall harvest, or the survival of the Pilgrim Fathers, by the way. The celebration was set by President Roosevelt in 1939 at the urging of his friend, Fred Lazarus, CEO of Federated Department Stores, to promote pre-Christmas shopping.

New England Apple Pie A favourite Christmas dessert in the USA is the apple pie, one of the nation’s cultural icons. American’s love apple pie so much they even named a town in its honour, this is Pie Town, New Mexico.

Ingredients 250g flaky pastry 6 to 8 firm and slightly tart apples, such as Rhode Island Greenings, Gravensteins in the USA; Granny Smiths or Braeburns in the UK Granulated sugar to taste - the amount of sugar is determined by how sweet the apples are. It would be a mistake to over-sweeten or over-season them. 1 tsp ground cinnamon 3 tbsp sifted plain flour 150g butter, diced into small pieces

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To prepare the pie dough, divide in two and roll out each half no more than ¼ inch thick. Grease and flour a 9-inch pie pan to prevent sticking, then with one piece of pastry. Keep the lined pan and the top crust chilled. Preheat the oven to 180°C (375°F). Peel and core the apples and slice them about ¼ inch thick. Toss with sugar and cinnamon to taste and with the flour. Fill the pie with the apple slices, mounding them somewhat higher in the centre. Dot the top with butter. Cover loosely with the top crust, using a little water to seal the crusts together. Crimp the edges. Using a fork or the tip of a knife, make several vents in the top crust. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. The delicious smell should tell you when it’s ready. Serve while still warm.

Dawn Davies’s wine choices Apple pie is one of those comfort dishes that everyone loves with ice cream or custard so you need something to pair with the apple and cut through the cream Classic - Jurancon Moelleux, Clos Lapeyre - this sweet wine has lovely appley notes and a crisp zesty finish (£14.99 selfridges) Left Field - Brannland Ice Cider - this is made in the same way as ice wine but with Apples from Sweden, this is a great wine to give to your friends blind. They will never know what it is made from (£36.99 Selfridges)

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06/11/2015 15:03

USA

Baked Ham The baked ham described in the recipe below seems particularly suited to Christmas, but of course it can be served at any time. Cover the ham and let it simmer at the barest ripple for 20 minutes per pound. The small bone at the end of the shank will be very loose when the ham is thoroughly cooked. Remove the ham from the water at once and allow it to cool … After the skin has been removed, place the ham fat side down in a large pan and pour water, wine, cider or ginger ale into the pan to cover about two-thirds of the ham. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 160°C (325°F/GAS 3), allowing approximately 18 minutes per pound. Two-thirds of the way through the cooking, remove the foil and turn the ham. Cover with the foil again and continue cooking. Remove the ham and cool. Cover with crumbs and brown sugar and mustard. Bake a 175°C (350°F/Gas 4) for 1 hour. Serve with spoonbread or corn pudding or a purée of fresh spinach prepared with butter and a touch of nutmeg. (Spoonbread is a popular side-dish, believed to be of Native American origin; it is not dissimilar to our Yorkshire Pudding, although experts in both camps will no doubt disagree.) —From James Beard’s American Cooking

Dawn Davies’s wine choices I grew up in the states and so baked ham with all the spices and sweet style gravy is part of my childhood memories. For this dish you need a big rich fruity red with smooth ripe tannins. Classic – Zinfandel or an Aussie Shiraz – Joseph Swan Zinfandel (£27.99 - 750ml, Selfridges) Left Field – for something lighter try a Pinot Noir this one from Austria is fantastic: Pittnauer Pinot Noir Dorflagen (£18.99 – 750ml, Selfridges)

Skillet Cornbread Ingredients

Dawn Davies’s wine choices Corn bread is one of my favourite things and is mainly served with food but if I was going to pair cornbread with a drink here are my two left field ideas! Left Field 1 – Bourbon, at the moment I am in love with Michters US*1 Bourbon (£51.45 – 700ml, Whisky Exchange) Left Field 2 – It has to be an American craft beer, there are so many to choose from but Founders Dirty Bastard Ale (£3.90 – 355ml, Selfridges) would not be a bad place to start! 126 // matthew fort’s drinks hamper

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Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6). Slice the bacon into short, narrow strips and fry in a 30cm skillet to leach out as much fat as possible. When they are just beginning to crisp, take out the bacon strips, but leave the fat where it is. Mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the bacon and sweetcorn kernels. Mix some more. Beat the egg into the buttermilk and add that. Mix until just combined. Do not overwork. If it looks a bit dry, add a splash or two of buttermilk. Heat the bacon fat in the frying pan until smoking, then pour in the cornbread mix. If you don’t have a skillet, use a roasting tray in the same way. Pop the skillet or tray into the oven for about 30 minutes, until the surface is crisp and light brown and a knife plunged into the centre comes out clean. —Matthew Fort’s original recipe

Images: 123RF

250g coarse cornmeal 75g plain flour 600ml buttermilk 2 large eggs 3 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 300g sweetcorn kernels 300g streaky bacon

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06/11/2015 15:03

USA

Pecan Pie There are many variations on the pecan theme that include toasted pecans and pecans with bitter chocolate. For this traditional Christmas dessert, I’ve opted for a traditional old-fashioned recipe, a speciality of the Southern States that includes, of course, that essential corn syrup ingredient.

Ingredients 200g short-crust or flaky pastry 100g unsalted butter 240g light brown sugar 150ml light corn syrup 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp orange zest Pinch of salt 3 large eggs 300g pecan halves Accompanied by whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Preheat your oven to 175°C/350°F with a baking sheet on middle rack. As in the previous recipe, prepare your pie dish by greasing with butter, then lightly flour with your flour shaker, then overturn the plate to remove excess flour. This will prevent your pie from sticking, making it easy to remove the pie slices. After the dough has rested for 20 minutes in the fridge, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin. Pin out into a 12-inch round and fit into a 9-inch pie plate or dish. Trim the edge, leaving a ½-inch overhang. Fold overhang under and lightly press against rim of pie plate, then crimp decoratively. Lightly prick bottom all over with a fork. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes (or freeze 10 minutes). Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in corn syrup, vanilla, zest, and salt. Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl, then whisk in the sweet syrup mixture. Put the pecans in your pie shell and pour corn syrup mixture evenly over them. Bake on a baking sheet in a moderate oven (175°C/350°F) until the filling has set, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool, but serve warm, accompanied by whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Dawn Davies’s wine choices The above sticky dessert calls for a sticky wine. There are plenty of flavours going on in this dish so you need something fairly robust to cope, a tawny port or sweet Oloroso sherry would also work. Classic – Tokaji Noble Late Harvest, Oremus (£19.99, Selfridges) Left-field – A dark rum would also work with the dish, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva (£49.99, Selfridges)

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06/11/2015 15:02

WINE ACCESSORIES

Wine

Talk

The vastness of the river of wine knowledge and its tributaries has many of us trying for years to grasp more of that knowledge as it floats by, including yours truly, Charles Ford

‘The tendency today [1970] is to drink champagne as an aperitif. I can think of no better way to revive the one-time fashion of drinking champagne with a meal than to open a bottle of Bollinger R.D. 1955 with Elizabeth David’s cold chicken veronica.’ — Olof Wijk, Christopher’s

Wine grapes ready for harvesting

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WINE accessories

Images: 123RF

First, open your bottle … Only in desperate times should you follow Long John Silver’s method of whopping the top off the bottle with your cutlass. These days we are more refined and on occasions the screwtop has been a godsend. I have even known some to chose a wine from the supermarket shelf for the simple picnic convenience of the screwtop. Wine snobs on the other hand will regard screwtopped wine with suspicion, and plastic corks with distain and coloured plastic corks with even more distain. Not even the compacted cork of cork bits will do—wine snobs want the long, wine-stained stopper of solid cork, whose a delicious aroma gives that beguiling hint of the great pleasure to come. In the 18th century measured consideration was given to the quality of corks by R. Bradley in his book The Country Housewife and Lady’s Director (1728): ‘In the choice of Corks, chuse those that are soft, and clear from Specks, and lay them in Water a day or two before you use them; but let them dry again before you put them in the Bottles, lest they should happen to turn mouldy: with this care you may make good Drink, and preserve it to answer your expectation.’ So, let the corkscrew do its work! DCantilever corkscrews are ideal and can help avoid exasperation that a stubborn cork may cause. But choose a corkscrew where the spiral is flattened, because the spiral with a flattened ‘wire’ will cut through the cork and also grip much better than will a round-wire spiral. Winding the screw less than halfway down the cork is a sin sometimes committed and this can result in half the cork only being extracted, bringing with it the dilemmas of how to get the other broken bit out of the neck of the bottle. It has been known for this remnant to be rammed back into the bottle, where it floats as debris until the bottle is empty—a scathing reminder of our impatience and inadequacy with the corkscrew. Many years ago there was a gadget introduced that gave a pneumatic blast into the neck of the bottle via

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a needle inserted through the cork. Over time this caused more than a few wine bottles to explode, leading to the demise of this invention. Decanters and decanting ‘Breathing’ is what all wine needs to do. Most wine has been entrapped in the bottle for at least a year or two, and some a great deal longer. So, uncorking the bottle and letting is stand for an hour or more will help to unlock much of the wine’s character. Decanting is a good shortcut, aerating the wine more thoroughly. A generation or two ago wine was more frequently decanted than not, whereas as today in homes across the land it seems far less common to decant wine. A Georgian wine decanter is a wonderful thing, but any glass container will do, even a jug. And with a jug you can pour your wine back into the bottle, ensuring that the fine Pauillac label is on display on the dinner table. The right temperature … Drinking wine at the right temperature is important but there is a tendency in the UK for red wine to be drunk when it’s too warm. With the noble intention of giving the wine ‘a chance’, decanters are warmed, or bottles placed on the hearth too near the fire and for too long,

or placed on the oven top while the leg of lamb quietly roasts. And in today’s centralheated rooms, even ‘room temperature’ may be overdoing it. While some red wines, such as a Beaujolais Villages, are great drinking if chilled, let the drinking temperature of your red wine be in the region of 15-17°C. Similarly, white wines deserve temperature considerations, as white wine that is either over-chilled or not chilled enough won’t deliver it’s full potential. An hour in the fridge should do it, while thrusting your bottle into the freezer at the last minute is best avoided. As for chilled white wine, the same goes for those delicious dessert wines, which can be too cloying if not clod enough, and some of us like a fino sherry chilled. It’s all a matter of taste; however, temperatures up or down, just don’t overdo it. … And the right glass When Hilaire Belloc went sailing in his old gaff-rigged pilot cutter in the 1930s, he always took a goodly supply of wine along. Members of his crew later recounted that aboard ship Belloc always drank his wine from an enamel mug. No doubt the reason was a practical one and these days an enamel mug would certainly take preference over a paper cup or (horror) a plastic one. The glass for professionals Schott Zwiesel and Zwiesel 1872 epitomise superior quality, design and technical innovation. This is why they are known as the glassware for professionals. Their Tritan® titanium crystal is the most durable crystal glass available, creating refined glasses that remain resilient. Tritan® crystal also has a unique eco-profile, helping to protect the environment. Pure is a distinctive, modern sommelier range developed for 5 star hotels: a comprehensive stem and barware range that will enhance the pleasure of drinking and add drama to your table setting. So why not try some professional quality today? To purchase go to: wineware.co.uk

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WINE accessories However, few would say that what you drink your wine out of makes no difference at all. As we know, this is why balloon glasses are made for cognac, wine glasses have an ample belly, and of course cocktails have an array of glasses to suit the cocktail style. So does the right glass matter that much? No, not that much. But what the right glass does is to enhance the experience. The first taste After nosing, comes the first sip and, we trust, the fulfilment of the promise. If the wine is something really special, it will be a moment to remember, a lifetime’s experience. Concentrate and try to identify the strands of different flavours. Putting these flavours into words is an art in itself. Here is Sotheby’s Serena Sutcliffe MW describing Château Latour 1982, Pauillac, 1er Cru Classé: ‘an immensely spicy, aromatic bouquet led to that thick, enveloping, total succulence of Latour 1982. So sweet and ripe. Massive, yet gentle, wine that plumbs the depths of sensory perception.’ Even when the wine on our tables may occasionally be more modest than the Pauillac described, there is still every good reason to focus on the wine’s characteristics. Why not try a blind tasting this Christmas and see if you can tell the country of origin. As Dawn Davies MW says, relating to how wine is made and how it should retain the characteristics of the region: ‘In a blind tasting I think you should be able to tell what country a wine comes from.’ The unfinished bottle Some may laugh at the idea of a bottle of wine being unfinished by the end of an evening and the cork being replaced. But why not, if you have a special bottle that you want to continue enjoying on another day? But in general, wine doesn’t keep well beyond a day or two because letting in the oxygen robs the wine of its freshness, ultimately turning it to something like vinegar. However, a brilliant device from Coravin enables us to pour wine from the bottle without ever removing the cork. It was in 1998 that Coravin founder, Greg Lambrecht, had this revolutionary idea. The device, that looks something like a small microscope,

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inserts a long needle, like a syringe needle, through the foil and through the cork, allowing you to extract as much or as little wine as you like, while the remaining space in the bottle is filled with inert argon gas from a small replaceable cylinder screwed into the system. Upon removal of the fine needle, the springy cork simply closes up and reseals itself. There are many applications for the Coravin device, other than simply preserving your wine in a bottle while you drink it—there are obvious advantages for wine tastings, and also wherever wine-bythe-glass is sold, and even dinner parties where you might want to have a wide range of wines available for your guests. A late Christmas order The following anecdote was recounted by Olof Wijk, who, in 1936 joined the fine and lamentably long-gone wine shop in Jermyn Street, Christopher’s. ‘I remember receiving a telephone call from a highly respected Covent Garden Merchant at about 5pm, a few days before Christmas. I was tired and irritable and the conversation ran as follows: could we deliver to them some wine for luncheon the next day? ‘My dear sir, don’t you

realise it is the height of the Christmas rush, I doubt if any firm in London could do this at such short notice—do you mean to tell me that you could deliver a ton of potatoes to us tomorrow morning?!’ ‘Yes,’ came the answer, ‘we could and we will dump them on the pavement outside your door at 8am!’ Pause—followed by hilarious laughter at both ends of the line. They got their wine by taxi and we were spared the potatoes.’ Fond memories Finally, from the same source, Olof Wijk: ‘My first stroke of fortune came in my teens, when my elder system married a Frenchman from Bordeaux. On my frequent summer visits I was given a powerful injection of good wine, which never quite evaporated during my harddrinking days. In fact I can still remember a bottle of Ch. Ducru Beaucaillou 1893 which I drank in 1924 at the Chapon Fin in the company of René Samazeuilh. He had the unique distinction of being decorated for gallantry by the British, with the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Military Cross, in the Great War. He was my hero: he loved wine, women, horses and golf. What a tutor!’ 

Stop opening, Start tasting For centuries, the cork had to be removed in order to enjoy a glass of wine—that era is over. The Coravin System is a transformational new technology that allows users to pour wine while keeping the cork in the bottle and protects the remaining wine from oxidation. Now you can enjoy the same bottle on multiple occasions, over weeks, months, or even longer. Discover more at coravin.com

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