High Spirits 2019-20

2019-20 Edition | gff.co.uk

HIGH

A supplement to

SPIRITS PREMIUM DRINKS FOR SPECIALITY STORES

Game of drones How a Norse-tinged fantasy created a buzz around mead INCLUDES MORE THAN 60 RUM, WHISKY, GIN & LIQUEUR BRANDS

WHISKIES GALORE Is the market ready for an influx of dark spirits?

NAKED TRUTH Chris Mercer uncovers the hype about ‘natural’ wines

APPLE WINE? Sophisticated ciders deserve comparison with wine, not beer, says Pete Brown

MEAD • BEERS & CIDERS • WINE • MIXERS & SOFT DRINKS • SNACKS

#notjustatortilla Better snacking means better ingredients.

A tortilla is made with corn – a cheap and plentiful commodity grain. Luke’s is made with a unique blend of whole grain ancient grains including amaranth, millet and quinoa.

Made in the USA

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• Vegan • Gluten-free • Very low in sugar

HIGH SPIRITS 2019-20

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WELCOME

INSIDE MARKET OVERVIEW

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As craft gin starts to top out, Chris Mercer takes soundings from experts on the potential for premium whisky and rum

CRAFT SPIRITS & LIQUEURS 7 Hopped gin, hazelnut rum, salted toffee liqueur and premium premixed punch – you’ll find them all in this year’s A-Z guide

WINE

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With its suggestion of small-scale, clean-label production and off-piste flavours, ‘natural’ wine should be a shoo-in for high-end independent stores. But can you take the name at face value?

Chris Mercer investigates.

CIDER

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Centuries ago cider gave French wine-makers a run for their money, says Pete Brown. With more fine ciders now available, is it time to drop talk of ‘cider beer’ and think more about ‘apple wine’?

MEAD

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What’s good for the bees could be good for indie stores too. We look at the rise of premium meads and showcase five of the best.

SOFT DRINKS, MIXERS & SNACKS

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Our round-up of mixers, zero-% drinks and posh snacks to cross-sell with beers, wines & spirits

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2019-20 Edition | gff.co.uk

HIGH

A supplement to

SPIRITS PREMIUM DRINKS FOR SPECIALITY STORES

Game of drones How a Norse-tinged fantasy created a buzz around mead INCLUDES MORE THAN 60 RUM, WHISKY, GIN & LIQUEUR BRANDS

WHISKIES GALORE Is the market ready for an influx of dark spirits?

Mead’s an interesting product. For so long negatively associated with the dustiest corners of tourist gift-shops, it’s suddenly making headway in the speciality market.

New-wave producers (and a few who’ve been working under the radar for years) have virtually reinvented this most ancient of alcoholic drinks. From a onedimensional, once-a-year purchase for desperate gift-hunters, it now comes in millennial-friendly light, sparkling, drier and lower-alcohol forms, and packaged in everything from classy Champagne bottles to on-trend cans.

As you can read on p25 of this year’s High Spirits, producers can’t quite agree on whether TV portrayals of fantasy mead halls have helped or hindered (and by the way, I know ‘Game of Drones’ doesn’t quite work, since male honey bees contribute naff-all to honey-making, but it’s not a bad pun.) However, for what, to the younger consumer, is effectively a new product, nearly all publicity is good publicity.

Sitting somewhere between beer and wine, mead has potential to become an intriguing new sub-category for delis and farm shops, satisfying shoppers’ thirst for something new to explore.

As Chris Mercer reports in his market analysis (pages 4-5), there are now over 200 distilleries in the UK, and with the sector approaching saturation we need new deli-friendly drinks coming forward.

Mead is one, but rums are finally on the rise and, as expected, many of the early entrants into ‘craft’ distilling are seeing their first whiskies ready for release. On page 22, beer writer Pete Brown calls for a reappraisal of ‘fine ciders’, too.

Gin has been a godsend to delis and farm shops but there’s plenty more to keep those new premium drinks sections buzzing.

NAKED TRUTH Chris Mercer uncovers the hype about ‘natural’ wines

APPLE WINE? Sophisticated ciders deserve comparison with wine, not beer, says Pete Brown

MEAD • BEERS & CIDERS • WINE • MIXERS & SOFT DRINKS • SNACKS

EDITORIAL editorial@gff.co.uk Contributing Editor: Mick Whitworth Editor: Michael Lane Art Director: Mark Windsor Contributors: Chris Mercer, Pete Brown

Sales manager: Ruth Debnam Sales executives: Becky Haskett, Sam Coleman

ADVERTISING advertise@gff.co.uk Sales director: Sally Coley

Guild of Fine Food, Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB UK

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Mick Whitworth Contributing Editor

PRINTED BY Blackmore, Dorset, UK PUBLISHED BY The Guild of Fine Food Ltd www.gff.co.uk © The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2019.

Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

HIGH SPIRITS 2019-20

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MARKET OVERVIEW White Peak Distillery has taken inspiration from beer brewing to seek a point of difference for its forthcoming English whisky

Building up steam Will a “rumnaissance” and a new wave of whiskies steal gin’s crown? CHRIS MERCER looks at a small-batch spirits sector that’s growing broader as well as bigger.

Selection headaches can be a nice problem to have, and independent shops have arguably never had so many options.

UK distillery numbers rose by 25% in 2018 to reach 205, according to accountancy group UHY Hacker Young, and few would dispute that the UK “is now a global powerhouse in the artisan spirits market”, as UHY’s head drinks analyst James Simmonds put it.

It’s not just the number of stills but the way they’re being used to create a broader array of spirits, from a new generation of rums and whiskies to experimental drinks that defy traditional categories, even including distilled “non-alcoholic spirits”.

Just don’t call any of them “craft”. The term is now “so broadly used that it means nothing”, says Dawn Davies, head buyer for leading supplier Speciality Drinks and for retailer

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The Whisky Exchange.

There were close to 200 rum brands on sale in the UK in 2018, versus just 50 back in 2006, according to UHY. Rum sales were up strongly, Davies says, and The Whisky Exchange will focus on the spirit at its forthcoming third shop in London.

“We’ve heavily invested in rum this year and we feel that’s going to be a strong category,” she says, describing 2019 as the year of premium white rum, with aged, darker styles waiting in the wings.

Majestic Wine trading director Robert Cooke also recently predicted a rum surge. “We’re ramping up our listings, with flavoured and spiced styles in clear focus,” he says.

The Wine & Spirit Trade Association recently reported rising sales for spiced, golden and, to a lesser extent, dark

rums. But it also put the market in context: total gin sales in the UK reached £2.5 billion in the 12 months to June 2019, with rum at around £1bn. “Gin is still king,” said WSTA chief executive Miles Beale.

Miles Bovensiepen, general manager of fast-growing Bowland Food Hall in Lancashire, says that while rum looks promising, the retailer sells up to eight times more gin than rum in some weeks.

It stocks around 65 different gins, priced between £28 and £48 per bottle.

Bowland also makes significant extra revenue from its monthly gin tastings. “There’s nothing better than getting producers down here,” Bovensiepen says, explaining how Bowland has continued to ride the gin wave after building strong links with local producers, including Black Powder Gin and Cuckoo Gin

Products like Sea Arch’s “nonalcoholic distilled spirit” are shifting traditional boundaries

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MARKET OVERVIEW SCENTS AND TRACEABILITY Harrods borrowed the old broadcasting mantra of “educate, inform and entertain” when redesigning its wine and spirits rooms, which include interactive “aroma tables”.

But it’s not just about taste. “The customer conversation is now more than simply around flavour and encompasses provenance and sustainability,” says Harrods’ spirits buyer, Nick Fleming.

“We offer a curated selection of ‘field to bottle’ whiskies, Cognacs, vodka, mezcal and gins from distillers shaped by their environment who believe in authenticity, in place and provenance, in ultimate traceability.”

Trade experts often speak about transparency and authenticity. It’s also critical that you know your customers and have trained staff.

“It’s about creating ranges for your customers that have meaning,” said Davies. “As more and more products are released, we have to have a reason for buying something.”

At Bowland Food Hall, Bovensiepen says shoppers benefit from a reciprocal relationship between local producers and indie retailers. “The market is going towards independents,” he adds.

KNOW YOUR RUM HISTORY Rum can be made anywhere, but it is historically tied to the Caribbean and traces its roots to colonial-era sugar cane plantations.

PRODUCTION The EU defines rum as a distilled spirit made from fermenting either molasses or syrup from cane sugar.

It can also be made from sugarcane juice, which is known as rhum agricole.

Rum must be at least 37.5% abv and, according to EU rules updated in 2019, cannot contain more than 20g per litre of sugar in the final liquid.

Darker styles will generally have been aged in oak for longer, but watch out for caramel colouring.

Spiced rum is different and involves adding spices, such as vanilla or cinnamon, to rum that has normally undergone some ageing. Some brands keep their spice mixes secret.

NEW WAYS OF DESCRIBING RUM? Some people believe the “golden” and “dark” labels don’t tell consumers much, beyond a vague indication of age.

Retailer The Whisky Exchange devised a new classification system for

its rums in 2019, splitting them into six categories according to production methods.

These include “single traditional pot still” and “single traditional column still”, which both describe rums from a single distillery. You’d expect a pot still to impart richer flavours and a column still to yield lighter styles.

WHAT TO ASK It might sound clichéd, but doing your homework will help you to plot a rum range and know exactly what you’re selling.

Was your local rum distilled in the UK using imported molasses, for example, or made with imported spirit?

Dawn Davies, head buyer at The Whisky Exchange, says transparency is the key either way, so that people know what they’re getting.

“I ask all rum suppliers about sugar [content], where it’s been aged and how it’s been produced,” she says.

For spiced rum, ask about the quality of the flavourings used.

This type of rum could be “in danger of destroying itself” if too many brands using cheaper flavouring essences and spirit are allowed to proliferate, Davies adds.

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DID YOU KNOW? The British Royal Navy only officially stopped the daily rum ration – or “tot” - for sailors on July 31st 1970.

from Brindle Distillery.

However, some believe the gin market won’t cope with the number of launches overall and can’t expand much more.

“Consumers can’t buy a new release every five seconds,” says Davies.

If rum really is to be the next big thing, though, even its proponents say there is work to do on education and labelling.

Debate is ongoing about how its

New distillers might find it tougher to break into aged spirits than gin, partly because brand loyalty in the dark spirits market is so strong many forms should be properly classified, labelled and described to consumers (see panel).

Sitting further back from rum on the trend curve is a new wave of small-batch whiskies, some of which are being made by gin distillers and are still maturing.

English whisky is an interesting category to keep tabs on. “There is really good Scotch, so we try to be different,” says Max Vaughan,

co-owner of White Peak Distillery in Derbyshire, which is currently maturing whisky spirit in oak barrels. “When you make beer it’s all about fermentation and we’ve looked at that part of the whisky-making process in particular.”

This has led to longer fermentation times, which Vaughan says enhances floral and fruity aromas, and also a bespoke yeast blend. Yeast is collected every week from a nearby brewery.

Experimentation is a core component of the UK’s artisan spirits boom. Circumstance Distillery in Bristol makes what it calls “New World” spirits, for example. Maturing stocks currently include “Wheat 1”, made from 83% malted wheat and 17% malt barley and aged on oak spindles before maturation in chestnut casks.

New distillers might find it tougher to break into aged spirits than gin, partly because brand loyalty in the UK’s £5.8bn dark spirits and liqueurs market is traditionally so strong, according to analyst group Mintel.

Younger people are more likely to embrace new spirits, but are also more vulnerable to economic shocks, it says. Companies need to “help potential buyers understand flavour profiles, and how ageing affects this”.

Several market analysts have also suggested that retailers should look at cocktails to help sell darker spirits – so perhaps a trip to your nearest trendy bar is in order.

HIGH SPIRITS 2019-20

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GOLD 2019

WWW.PENNINGTONSPIRITS.COM | 01539 592051

MULTI AWARD W INNING HANDCR AF TED NEW BURY GIN hello@137gin.com www.137gin.com

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HIGH SPIRITS 2019-20

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A-Z OF SPIRITS & LIQUEURS

Enter into the spirit With scores of UK craft gin distilleries now being joined by makers of premium vodka, rum, whisky and more, here’s our guide to over 60 new and established producers Compiled by MICK WHITWORTH

Norfolk’s BLACK SHUCK VODKA is distilled from sugar beet to create a smooth, 43% spirit with a “velvety finish and bold taste”. The distiller has also collaborated with local firm Garden Pantry for a range of preserves featuring macerated and infused fruits used in the making of Black Shuck's wider range of spirits and liqueurs. blackshuckltd.co.uk

Born in the Lake District and now stocked in Selfridges as well as its local two-Michelin-starred restaurant L’Enclume, BELGROVE RUM is a single-origin, pure Demerara rum with notes of toasted hazelnut, Madagascan vanilla and undertones of chocolate.

Good in a salted caramel Espresso Martini, an Old Fashioned or with ginger beer, RRP is £34.99 for 70cl.

aberfallsdistillery.com

Combining Brecon Beacons water with Herefordshire apple juice and 11 other botanicals, the new 48% Distillers Cut from BLACK MOUNTAIN BOTANICALS is slowdistilled for a “super smooth classic London Dry Gin” (RRP £35). Also new this year is a toffee apple liqueur (20%, £22), again with Herefordshire fruit.

belgroverum.com

Bristol-based artisan spirit pioneer BRAMLEY & GAGE has launched two “on the go” options for fans of its award winning 6 O’clock London Dry gin and 6 O’clock tonic: a 7% ready-to-drink G&T in a can, and a 0.8% Light & Low version with low alcohol and a low calorie tonic.

6oclockgin.com

Set to release its first whisky in 2020, North Wales distillery ABER FALLS already offers a range of gins and liqueurs, including this salted toffee liqueur with Anglesey Sea Salt (20.3% ABV, RRP £22 for 70cl). It’s copper-pot distilled Welsh Dry Gin (41.3%, RRP £24 for 70cl), offers prominent grapefruit, lemon and orange notes.

London brewery BEERBLEFISH this year released a limited edition, craft-distilled Hopped Gin (48%), infused with fresh hops grown locally to its Brewhouse in Edmonton, along with six other botanicals. Only 481 numbered bottles of Hopped Gin were produced. RRP £40 for 70cl.

blackmountainsbotanicals.co.uk

beerblefish.co.uk

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A-Z OF SPIRITS & LIQUEURS In a crowded market, BRITISH POLO GIN wanted its gins to be “different for the right reasons”. Its Botanical, Classic, Strawberry & Rose and Sloe gins are all organic and quadruple distilled in small batches of 300 bottles. They are also vegan friendly and gluten-free. britishpologin.co.uk

Bottled at Navy Strength (57%) and with an RRP of "around £50", Navigation Gin is the latest provenance-heavy offering from the award-winning DYFI DISTILLERY, run by Danny and Pete Cameron. Located near the West Wales coast, the brothers wanted to combine a maritime-influenced botanical blend with an ageing process that nodded to seafaring history. The resulting “umami-rich distillate” was rested in a vintage Madeira Wine barrel – thought to be a first for UK craft gins. dyfidistillery.com

With half the alcohol content of its awardwinning sister London Dry gin, FATTY’S ORGANIC Pink Grapefruit (20% ABV), is described as a “zesty, flavoursome distilled spirit” designed for those wanting to drink less alcohol without cutting it out altogether.

Available in 70cl (RRP £35) and 5cl (£6). fattysorganicspirits.com

Dartmouth English Gin (RRP £38 for 70cl) caused a stir when it was named Craft Distillers’ Classic Gin of the Year within weeks of launch in 2018. Now the DARTMOUTH DISTILLERY CO flagship has been joined by Dartmouth Navy Strength Gin (58%, £45), promising “a prominent lime hit up front, as well as a fuller juniper forward mouthfeel and a warming finish to maintain the smooth sipping nature”.

Already stocked by Harrods and Harvey Nichols, BROKEN CLOCK Lingering Vodka (40%, RRP £40) is a copper-pot distilled spirit, made in Cheshire using windfall apples and a selection of botanicals from old Georgian recipes, including bergamot, rose petal and angelica root.

The distinctive bottle echoes designs from the late 19th century and has a wooden closure. brokenclock.co.uk Winner of best flavoured gin at the Great British Food Awards 2019, CURIO Blueberry Gin (RRP £38) is part of a range of flavoured spirits from the Cornish distillery run by husband and wife team William and Rubina Tyler-Street.

The award winner is described as a fruity gin with notes of rose, vanilla and peach. curiospiritscompany.co.uk

dartmouth-gin.com

Two new gins from EXMOOR DISTILLERY have been picking up awards in their first year. Northmoor ‘Classic’ Gin (44%, RRP £35) is descibed as “light on the lips, full-bodied gin, with a punchy three-dimensional taste, leaving a deliciously smooth flavour”. Northmoor Navy Strength (RRP £45), made with 12 botanicals, offers a “smooth, enjoyable, textured flavour”, despite being 57% ABV, thanks to extra botanicals and longer distilling times. exmoordistillery.co.uk

Premium bottled cocktail brand BUVEUR says it is “out to change the way the world sees premade cocktails”, combining spirits from small-batch producers like Masons Yorkshire Gin with recycled glass bottles and Vegan Society approval.

Its first four drinks are The Old Fashioned, The White Russian, The Espresso Martini and The Negroni (92.5ml, RRP £7.50). buveur.co.uk

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Far Reaches gin from CRAFTED BEVERAGES is a small batch gin distilled in London, incorporating exotic botanicals. The bitterness of juniper is balanced by fresh Asian kumquat notes, while quandong from Australia and tangy sarsaparilla from Central America add a bittersweet edge. craftedbeverages.co.uk Scotland’s BUCK AND BIRCH has unveiled a new “wild inspired” liqueur, Amarosa, to accompany its awardwinning Aelder elderberry liqueur. Amarosa (20%) is an aromatic rum liqueur, made in small batches, infused with sweet rosehips and wild harvested Scottish herbs, available in 50cl, 20cl and 5cl formats. buckandbirch.com

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LAKELAND ARTISAN Award winning Food and Drink

www.6oclockgin.com

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Viper: The Gin With A Bite

HANDCRAFTED AND DISTILLED IN SMALL BATCHES USING A COPPER STILL Viper is created using English wheat spirit and ten botanicals, notes of crab apple, citrus and juniper are balanced to create an exceptionally smooth, fresh and memorable gin. Perfect as a cocktail base but is every bit as good in a G&T! Other products include Viper mulled gin with seasonal spices and Viper barrel aged, which is oak aged in a somerset cider brandy barrel!

Vist viperspirit.co.uk or email Carl at info@viperspirit.co.uk

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Nelson’s Distillery & School is a quaintly unique brand that has found fame worldwide! With its diverse range of gin’s including the multi award winning and one of a kind Timur Gin and it’s recent expansion to the Rum and Vodka market; this premium distiller perfectly marries it’s creator Neil Harrison’s impeccable taste – he was previously a very celebrated chef with that of the rich history of gin whilst also staying humble to it’s fantastic local heritage.

Discover our wide range of spirits avaiable on our online shop or visit us in person! | Have our great taste award showing with the Timur Gin. www.nelsonsdistillery.co.uk enquiries@nelsonsdistillery.co.uk A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

A-Z OF SPIRITS & LIQUEURS LAKELAND ARTISAN ventured into liqueurs in 2017 after seven award-winning years making preserves and soft drinks. Its liqueurs have taken four Great Taste awards, including a 2-star in 2019 for its Herbaceous Strawberry Gin. lakelandartisan.co.uk

Husband and wife duo Dale and Vicky McQueen say their mission is to bring “experimental flavour combinations to gin-lovers worldwide” from their McQUEEN GIN distillery in Callander, Stirling.

Adventurous flavours from the Scottish business include Sweet Citrus, Mocha, Smokey Chilli, Chocolate Mint and Chocolate Orange, all in 50cl bottles that retail from £17.99.

While some gin distillers boast of using a dozen or more botanicals, partners Anthony Rees and David Thomas use just one – a Fairtrade juniper – in their Great Taste 3- star award winning gin.

JIN TALOG (42% ABV) is distilled in 30-bottle batches on their Carmarthenshire farm, and shipped in the protection of wool from their rare breed Welsh mountain sheep. RRP £45-£48 for 70cl. jintalog.wales

mcqueengin.co.uk.

CRAFT LINK distillery in Johannesburg is targeting the UK with its Ginologist range. Winners of over 50 awards, they include Citrus and Spice versions, a new 0% alcohol gin, and the rose geranium-led Ginologist Floral – voted South Africa’s favourite gin. ginologist.co.za

highlandliquorcompany.com

A craft operation in the Weald of Kent has become the UK’s first carbon neutral distillery. GREENSAND RIDGE combines an “ultra-low impact” approach to its environmental footprint with positive action, using surplus farm produce and byproducts to create spirits like Apple Brandh and Wealden Rum. Its London Dry Gin is distilled using eight botanicals that grow within a mile of the distillery. greensanddistillery.com

Military Spirit, the Great Taste 2019 2-star winning gin brand from liqueur maker THE LITTLE RED BERRY, has added 5cl and 25cl options to its standard 70cl bottle this year. The gin is distilled and hand-bottled at Catterick Garrison and a percentage of sales goes to armed forces charity SSAFA. militaryspirit.co.uk With the Toyko Olympics set to raise the profile of all things Japanese in 2020, the UK’s first sake brewery, KANPAI, has released two ultra-premium drinks. Kiku is an “alternative, characterful style of premium sake”, rich, robust and dry, to enjoy with risotto, roast or ramen. Miru is a form of junmai ginjo sake with a fruity flavour and a gentle acidity that will pair with cheese, charcuterie or shellfish. kanpailondon.co.uk

A small-batch dry gin distilled in Ullapool in the Scottish Highlands, Seven Crofts has found customers as far apart as Michael Caine’s Michelinstarred Lympstone Manor in Devon and the Atlas bar in Singapore. Its producer, the THE HIGHLAND LIQUOR COMPANY, describes it as a “vibrant, opulent gin with notes of perfumed forest fruit, and spicy hints of coriander and pink peppercorns giving it a long, warm finish”. RRP is £40 for 70cl.

Devon-based importer and blender HATTIERS RUM takes 8-year pot-and-column Barbados rum and blends it with spirit from the Dominican Repubic, Panama and Guatamala – along with Dartmoor water – to make its Premium Reserve. Designed for “the high-end consumer and those coming to fine rum for the first time”, Premium Reserve has a rich aroma, mellow palate and a natural gold colour from its time maturing on oak.” It’s “a classic English style rum”, according to Hattiers founder Philip Everett-Lyons. hattiers.com

The new Islay Edition of Angels’ Nectar single malt scotch whisky from HIGHFERN is the latest release under a brand launched in 2014. The First Edition was a 40% ABV blend of Speyside and Highland Malts, while the 2018 Great Taste 2-star winning Rich Peat Edition was an all-Highland blend. The new Islay Edition, with a gentle peat smoke taste, is bottled at 47% after five years in bourbon barrels. RRP is £49.50 for 70cl. highfern.co.uk

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English Saffron Gin

English Saffron Gin starts with a vodka base made from East Anglian sugar beet. It is then redistilled in a copper pot still with juniper berries, coriander, crushed macadamia nuts and fresh citrus zests. Finally it is infused with our own award winning English Saffron. Serve simply with crushed ice or in a cocktail.

Visit www.englishsaffrongin.co.uk for our online shop and stockists.

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A-Z OF SPIRITS & LIQUEURS Set up in 2014 on the borders of Norfolk and Suffolk, PEACHEY’S SPIRITS distils gin and makes liqueurs from a variety of spirits using fruits gathered from hedgerows around the farm or grown locally, such as its Fragola strawberry gin liqueur (24%, RRP £26 for 50cl. peacheysspirits.com

ORKNEY DISTILLING has taken inspiration from Beyla, the Norse goddess of bees, in adding Orcadian honey to its Kirkjuvagr Gin. The honey comes from bees that forage on the distillery’s botanicals, while fresh Scottish raspberries add extra fruitiness and colour and balance the sweetness of the honey. The Old Tom-style Kirkjuvagr (40% ABV) comes in 50cl bottles, RRP £32.99

Developed jointly by Derbyshire’s Chatsworth Estate and one of its tenants, PEAK ALES, Chatsworth Gin (70c, RRP £39) is produced on the Estate using botanicals from the historic home’s garden and greenhouse.

These include lemons, lemongrass and lemon verbena, with the herbal notes of banana leaf peakales.co.uk MOTHER’S RUIN Rose Geranium Gin (40%) is a contemporary-style spirit, balancing herbal and floral flavours with bright citrus notes.

Sold in reuseable glazed stoneware bottles, it’s distilled in a former munitions factory in East London that also houses Mother’s Ruin’s cocktail bar. RRPs are £20.50 for 20cl, £36.75 for 50cl. mothersruin.net

orkneydistilling.com

MYATTS FIELDS COCKTAILS specialises in premium, bottle-aged cocktails and liqueurs. They include the Manhattan, a 2019 Great Taste award winner, Espresso Martini, Desert Negroni and cinchona-infused Vesper Martini. They come in 50cl (RRP £25£40), 25cl (RRP £15), and 5cl (RRP £5) options, as well as gift packs. mfc.london

The Mr Hobbs Gin range is an extension of family pleasure boating business, Hobbs of Henley, based on the Thames. Mr Hobbs Gin (45%, RRP £36 for 70cl) uses traditional and local botanicals for a spirit said to be reminiscent of old style export-strength gins, with a touch of orange peel bringing out the citrus notes. Mr Hobbs fruit flavoured gin liqueurs (RRP £25 for 50cl) come in raspberry & elderflower and rhubarb & ginger options. mrhobbsgin.co.uk

Awarded a Masters medal at The Gin Masters 2019, Downpour Scottish Dry Gin (46%) from NORTH UIST DISTILLERY in the Outer Hebrides is a “big, bold gin” delivering citrus, spice and “a punch of wild Hebridean heather”.

It will be available in the off-trade from 2020 with an RRP around £38. northuistdistillery.com

Targeted firmly at 20 to 34-yearolds, MUHU is a new “travelinspired” brand aiming to combine bold flavoured gins with natural extract infusions and no added sugar. Its first product is an Asian influenced hibiscus gin with added CBD (40%, RRP £34.99 for 50cl), described as “floral on the palate with citrusy notes and a hint of liquorice which gives way to a delicious sweet hibiscus”. muhu.co.uk

While Nelson’s Distillery is firmly rooted in Staffordshire, the key flavour in its multi-awardwinning Timur Gin (41%) is more exotic. The potent timur pepper originates from Nepal, and gives this Great Taste 2019 3-star winner both a citric aroma and the warm tingle associated with peppercorns. RRP is around £40 for 70cl. nelsonsdistillery. co.uk

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Kendal-based distiller PENNINGTONS has relaunched its Lakeland Moon Gin with new branding and in new 5cl and 70cl bottle sizes to celebrate winning gold at the World Gin Awards in 2019.

This London Dry Gin offers strong provenance, with both wild junipers and spring water from the Lake District being used to produce “an ultra smooth and clean drinking spirit”. RRP £35 for 70cl. penningtonspirits.com

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A-Z OF SPIRITS & LIQUEURS RAISTHORPE DISTILLERY has been winning awards since 2010 with a range of gins and gin liqueurs, made with distilled water from the underwater streams of the Yorkshire Wolds. Vodkas, whiskies and ports have all been added the range, and now the producer is pairing its spirits with its own line-up of Yorkshire Tonics, including Stawberry & Pomegranate, Pink Grapefruit and Apple & Elderflower. raisthorpemanor.com

Nominated for Best Beverage Concept at the 2019 World Beverage Innovation Awards, PUNCHY is the world’s first range of ready-to-drink alcoholic and non-alcoholic punches in cans. The 4% ABV Hard Punch (RRP £2.70) blends peach, ginger and chai with a splash of Duppy Share rum. The 0% Soft Punch (RRP £1.75) has the same ingredients apart from alcohol and can be used as a soft drink or mixer. Both are in 25cl cans. punchydrinks.com

Fruit farmers Richard Williams and Charles Turner joined forces to launch PENRHOS SPIRITS at the end of 2018, making premium “orchard-inspired” gins, copper-pot distilled in small batches at their base in the Herefordshire Marches. The range now includes a classic London Dry infused with their own blueberries and cherry blossom, a tangy Herefordshire Rhubarb and a crisp Herefordshire Apple & Elderflower.

Known for its premium aged spirits, boutique rum company PIRATES GROG has added a spiced rum to its line-up – an infusion of salt, caramel, a touch of all spice and a “secret ingredient... found growing along the shores of tropical islands”. It follows the original Pirate’s Grog Five Year, Pirate’s Grog No.13 – a World Rum Awards winner – and Black Ei8ht Coffee Rum. Pirate’s Grog Spiced (37.5%) retails around £32 for 70cl or £67 in a wooden chest with a book about the history of rum. piratesgrogrum.com

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Named after the Warwickshire cottage where it’s distilled, PINNOCK DISTILLERY Dry Gin contains 11 botanicals, including local Cotswold honey, lavender and quince. Its botanical ‘strong water’ recipe, pre-dating gin, drew inspiration from a 17th century distillers book, commissioned by Charles I. pinnockdistillery.com Small-batch spirits brand RELIQUUM has launched a “smooth and flavourful” calvadosinspired apple brandy (42%) made with Opal apples grown on its Essex farm. They are pressed for cider, which is then made into eau de vie by partner English Spirit Distillery before maturing on French oak red wine barrels.

Trade price £24 for 50cl. reliquum.uk

Campfire Old Tom Gin (50cl, RRP £34) is the fourth “heritage style” gin in the Campfire range from PUDDINGSTONE DISTILLERY, mixing 18th century rural methods with pot distillation and compounding processes to deliver "notes of spice from cardamom and cinnamon, piney juniper and fresh lemon citrus with a hint of colour”. puddingstonedistillery.com

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Based in the grounds of a 12th century priory, PRIORY VODKA distils spirits from potatoes grown on its farm near Wetherby, North Yorkshire.

The addition of local spring water contributes to what The Spirit Masters descibed as a “pure, fruity and floral” taste. prioryvodka.co.uk

Most often seen in distinctive ceramic bottles, Rock Rose Gin has become the first spirit also available in fully recyclable pouches that can be returned to the distiller.

Once the pouches have been sent back, Freepost, to DUNNET BAY DISTILLERY in Caithness, via standard Royal Mail, they will be collected by TerraCycle for recycling into new items. dunnetbaydistillers.co.uk

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DARTMOUTH ENGLISH GIN Britain’s Favourite Maritime Spirit

Dartmouth English Gin, astonished the gin world in 2018 by winning “Classic Gin of the year” within weeks of launch. This juniper-led gin is celebrated for its incredible smoothness, complexity and a certain magic, that has won a passionate following.

Dartmouth Navy Strength Gin, is also a favourite, with lime, spice and juniper. Smoothness, and a warming finish maintain the neat sipping nature that characterises Dartmouth’s gins. Perfect for cocktails.

For full details, please contact Lance Whitehead, Founder - lance@dartmouth-gin.com

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A-Z OF SPIRITS & LIQUEURS

Festive Bramble, with blackberries and local heritage apples in a festively-spiced spirit, is one of a brace of gin elixirs from Cumbria’s SHED 1 DISTILLERY. Recently rebranded, it has recently been joined by a blackcurrant & liquorice version made with liquorice root and locally grown blackcurrants.

Both are 40% ABV, RRP £19.50 for 20cl. shed1distillery.com A Great Taste 2-star winning Seville orange & lemon marmalade is the notso-secret ingredient in Simon’s Marmalade Gin Liqueur.

Simon Rawcliffe of Norfolk preserves maker SIMON’S TABLE infuses London Dry gin with his marmalade for several weeks before filtering and bottling. simonstable.co.uk Craft distillers Rachel and Andy Parsons produce SKY WAVE GIN at their Oxfordshire distillery, bottling and labelling it by hand. Now they have added a 20% ABV Spiced Apple Gin Liqueur and 42% Raspberry & Rhubarb Gin to their lineup, each in a choice of 5cl, 20cl and 50cl bottles. RRPs are £30 for the 50cl liqueur and £35 for the 50cl gin. skywavegin.com

Slingsby Gooseberry Gin, the latest launch from SPIRIT OF HARROGATE, began life as an experiment at its retail outlet in the North Yorkshire spa town.

Fresh local gooseberries were combined with its Slingsby London Dry Gin in a Kilner jar, and were found to add a fruity, tangy sweetness while retaining the classic citrus notes of the gin. Slingsby is a small-batch spirit with a complex mix of 24 botanicals, the majority drawn from Yorkshire.

SHANTY SPIRIT launched its first product in July 2019. Seaweed Botanical Vodka (40%, RRP £39 for 70cl) combines five British seaweeds with wasabi, galangal, yuzu, bergamot and sea buckthorn, together with a touch of Dorset sea salt.

Presented in a striking bottle with its design fired into the glass, the vodka is said to add a new dimension to classic drinks like a Mule with ginger ale. shantyspirit.com

The Original Collection gin range from Yorkshire’s THE ARTFUL POUR is distilled in an old coaching inn said to have been frequented by Queen Victoria. The current selection includes six sugar-free artisan gins, including Yorkshire Dry, English Rhubarb and Violet. RRPs are £40 for 70cl and £30 for a gift pack of six miniatures.

spiritofharrogate.co.uk

The UK’s first rum distillery, ENGLISH SPIRIT specialises in producing small-batch spirits for own-label and private clients. For its latest offering, it has teamed up with a legendary British explorer to launch Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ Great British Rum (RRP £49 for 70cl). In a novel process, rather than ageing the rum in barrels, exotic woods from Canada, Norway and Oman – locations for some of Sir Ranulph’s adventures – have been added to the still during distillation. sirranrum.com

theartfulpour.com

Seaweed handharvested from the shores of East Devon is at the heart of the SIDMOUTH GIN range. It includes the light, crisp Sea Shore Gin and the deeply flavoured Sea Truffle Gin with the truffle-umami flavour of Osmundea pinnatifida (pepper dulse). New this year are Sidmouth Port Royal Rum, a dark rum blended with local seaweeds, and Seabreeze Vodka. sidmouthgin.co.uk

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Hedgerow Botanical Vodka (70cl, RRP £35.95) is one of three new launches from SLOEMOTION in 2019.

The latest addition to its Hedgerow Spirits range, it’s described as a “refreshingly different drink that blurs the lines between gin and vodka”. Also new are Hedgerow Gin with Blackberry & Apple (70cl, RRP £38) and the limited edition 32.5% ABV Hedgerow Sloe Gin with Winter Spices (70cl, RRP £44.95). sloemotion.com

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A-Z OF SPIRITS & LIQUEURS Launched in London in 2019, THOMAS TIPPLE is a premium, British brand of ready-to-drink cocktails in a can, with a light 5% ABV. Aiming to replicate current bar trends, its initial range of sparkling wine-based cocktails takes in the Champagne-inspired recipes of Raspberry Bellini and Passionfruit Mimosa. thomastipple.com

Dorset and Hampshire wasabi grower THE WASABI COMPANY has teamed up with Winchester Distillery to produce a vodka from the punchy Japanese horseradish.

“We’re absolutely delighted with the way this vodka captures and releases the flavour and fire of real wasabi,” says The Wasabi Company founder Jon Old. Wasabi Vodka (40% ABV) comes in 40cl bottles, RRP £34. thewasabicompany.co.uk

A strong supporter of independent retailers, THE GIN BOTHY has developed two new products for specialist stores this year. Its new Stirrup Cup Gin joins The Gin Bothy’s ‘Country Collection” and is aimed at golfers – who would traditionally have a stirrup cup at each hole of the course – as well as the equestrian community. Also new for 2019 was Merry Berry, a fruit liqueur infused with raspberry, strawberry, blueberry and sloe, in 5cl or 50cl options. ginbothy.co.uk

Winner of the Gold Outstanding medal at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC), with a 98/100 score, Old Tom from YORK GIN is a slightly sweetened dry spirit described as “a beaut” by the Sunday Telegraph’s Susy Atkins. It was devised with the Michelin-starred Star Inn At Harome in North Yorkshire, which created its sugar syrup with Yorkshire rose and herbs from its kitchen garden. yorkgin.com

New British start-up TOM SAVANO has launched a range of super-premium “bartender-quality” ready-to-drink international cocktails, blended and bottled in Devon by founder James Kerslake. Retailing at £15 for a 250ml bottle, each containing two servings, the initial range comprises Devon Coastal Negroni (21%), English Garden Lychee Martini (19%), Kentucky Winter Old Fashioned (22%) and Single Estate Reposado Margarita (18%). tomsavano.com

Best known for its British Cassis, WHITE HERON DRINKS has added a unique British Framboise raspberry liqueur to its line-up.

The 15% Framboise is made with Herefordshire raspberries and “classic winemaking techniques” to capture the full flavour of the fruit. After fermenting with Champagne yeast, the juice is blended with a little vodka to fortify and sweeten it. It’s available in sleek 500ml and 200ml bottles. whiteherondrinks.co.uk

Established in 2012 on a Northamptonshire farm, WARNER’S was an early entrant to artisan gins, and claims to have kicked off the “pink gin” craze with its Rhubarb Gin in 2014.

The past year’s launches include an all-natural Raspberry Gin, with raspberry, blackberry and elderflower, and the limited edition 2019 Christmas Cake Gin. warnersdistillery.com WINCHESTER DISTILLERY has relaunched its flagship Twisted Nose gin in a bespoke bottle that “ripples and refracts like the surface of a Hampshire chalk stream”, and with a new oak stopper. Twisted Nose is distilled with fresh, peppery watercress, as well as 9 other botanicals for a unique Hampshire twist. RRP is £37.95 for 70cl. winchesterdistillery.co.uk

Diners at 2019’s Great Taste Golden Forks dinner had the chance to sample TWISTING SPIRITS Douglas Fir gin after the novel drink took a rare 3 stars in this year’s awards. The intensely aromatic and "wonderfully oily" spirit is distilled with Douglas Fir needles hand-foraged in South Oxfordshire. twistingspirits.co.uk Founded by Toby and Jane Whittaker at Harewell House Farm in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire, WHITTAKER’S DISTILLERY is seeing its first whisky come on stream after making its name with a range of gins. In 2018 its Whittaker’s Original (42%) was named Best International Gin by the American Distilling Institute. whittakersgin.com

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Nature or nurture?

From funky outcasts to growing niche, few topics currently spark debate in the drinks world like “natural” wines, says CHRIS MERCER. don’t use the “natural” moniker subscribe to these philosophies, and there are parallels with organic and biodynamic wines.

But natural wine supporters argue that they take things further.

Many would expect wines to be produced exclusively with wild or natural yeast strains, and be unfined and unfiltered, leaving a hazy tinge or cloudiness in the glass.

Natural wines also generally contain lower than average amounts of sulphites, and a few have none.

Some retailers have built ranges across a spectrum from organic to the most hardcore ‘natural’ styles,

Kym Grimshaw Photography

Lauded by supporters as antiestablishment and unadulterated yet derided by critics as smoke and mirrors, there is no legal definition or certification body for natural wines.

They come in red, white, rosé and sparkling, as well as ‘orange’, the movement’s pin-up style and essentially a white wine with an amber hue due to grape skins spending longer in contact with the juice.

Central tenets of natural wine include organically grown grapes, small-scale production and minimal-to-zero use of chemicals and additives in the vineyard and cellar respectively.

Plenty of winemakers who

Bristol-based retailer Kask uses the term ‘real wine’ for a range made with ‘minimum intervention’ A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

WINE all rooted in sustainable and artisan production.

“We’ve gone for the ‘real wine’ term,” said Henry Poultney, part of the team that recently opened Kask wine bar and shop in Bristol.

Kask, which offers wines ontap that are available for takeaway in returnable bottles, also describes its range as “minimum intervention”.

Tags state whether a wine is certified biodynamic or organic, and easy-drinking reds from areas such as France’s Loire Valley and Beaujolais regions sit alongside more extreme options.

“Some people ask for our most funky wine, they see it as an experience,” says Poultney, who is also co-owner of Birminghambased natural wine shop Grace & James.

“In some cases there is huge bottle variation [with the same

Some retailers have built ranges across a spectrum from organic to the most hardcore ‘natural’ styles wine], just like jars of local honey from the local farmers’ market,” he adds.

Doug Wregg, of major natural wine supplier Les Caves de Pyrene, advises retailers to stock different styles, such as a skincontact orange wine, a sparkling pétillant naturel wine – often just called pet nat – and then something light yet textural and something more ageworthy.

Otherwise, “customers will tend to pigeonhole natural wines and believe they are funky and not for everyday drinking”, he says.

Les Caves is doing more business beyond London as retailers “realise that they can sell more interesting wines that have strong provenance, organic credentials and are made with minimum additives”, Wregg says.

Natural wines have been compared to the philosophy behind raw milk cheeses in the food world. However, others in the trade feel the term is misleading and have questioned some of the wines’ quality.

BOLNEY WINE ESTATE in Sussex took three awards at the 2019 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships. Its 2016 Cuvée Rosé in a Magnum won Best English Rosé Vintage, Best English Magnum and collected the overall Best English Sparkling Wine trophy. bolneywineestate. com A winner in the International Spirits Challenge, London Spirits Competition and Great Taste, PEDRINO SPRITZ offers a line-up of premixed, lightly sparking aperitifs or spritzers.

Its vermouth & tonic spritz (5.5%, RRP £1.95) marries vermouth with an artisanal tonic water, “hand-made with citrusy botanicals and signature bitters”. pedrino.co.uk Eleven years after husband and wife team Engin and Liz Mumcuoglu planted their vineyard at TREVIBBAN MILL in Cornwall, their Blanc de Blancs 2014 (RRP £46) has taken a top regional award. The sparkling white was named Wine of the Year at the WineGBWest awards, where it also won The Ray Palfrey Cup for best sparkling wine. trevibbanmill.com

At 1% ABV it’s not quite a soft drink, and it’s not a wine either, but WOODSTAR – a blend of berries (notably acai berry), botanicals and cocoa “crafted for the wine occasion” is a distinctive, dry, sipping drink for those avoiding alcohol. In 75cl and 25cl bottles, it’s priced “at parity to house wines”. mywoodstar.com Established on Kent’s North Downs in 2014, SIMPSON’S WINE ESTATE has recently released a traditionalmethod sparkling Blanc de Noirs from its inaugural harvest. Flint Fields 2016 (RRP £45) has been aged on lees for 26 months with an additional 5 months under cork. It joins a growing range of still and sparkling wines from the estate near Canterbury. simpsonswine.com

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BEER & CIDER

It’s time to crush talk of ‘cider beer’ With a new wave of ‘fine cider’ in production, drinks writer and consultant PETE BROWN argues it’s time to draw comparisons with another crushed, fermented fruit drink If I was to ask you where cider sits alongside other drinks, what would you say?

Well, it’s usually sold in pints, in pubs, from pumps on the bar.

It’s cold and fizzy. It’s basically like beer, isn’t it? Some people even refer to it as ‘cider beer’.

There’s no getting away from the comparison. And if you’re looking for something low strength and refreshing, with an accent on sweetness rather than bitterness, mainstream cider fits the bill.

But now let’s look at how these two drinks are made.

Beer is made by mixing grain and water to extract its fermentable sugars and flavour compounds, then boiling it with hops, before cooling it and adding yeast for fermentation. This is what we call brewing.

Cider is made by crushing fruit and then pressing out the juice, and putting the juice in containers to ferment, sometimes 22

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with added yeast, other times with yeast from the skin and flesh of the fruit itself. There is absolutely no brewing involved: no heating, and no mixing with water – well, not for the good stuff anyway.

Pressing fruit and fermenting the juice – does that remind you of any other drink?

In terms of how it’s made, and what it’s made from, cider is nothing like beer at all.

Technically, it’s apple wine.

In Britain, we used to know this.

In the 17th Century, John Evelyn championed ‘cyder’ as ‘England’s wine’. Lord Scudamore and other members of the Royal Society pioneered new methods in the cultivation of fine apple varieties, and were arguably using what eventually became known as the méthode champenoise a hundred years before French winemakers.

Their cyders went head to head in competition against French wines and often won, to

the extent that the winemakers accused the English of cheating by substituting fine wine and falsely claiming it was made of apples.

Like any other drink, there are good and bad ciders, and the good stuff was being made too far away from fashionable London to catch on. Cider stayed in the

In terms of how it’s made, and what it’s made from, cider is nothing like beer at all. Technically, it’s apple wine.”

countryside. When it became newly popular in the 1970s, big national brands cut costs by watering it down and filling it with adjuncts, and it gained an association with – shall we say – alfresco drinking that it still struggles to shake off.

But there’s a new wave happening in cider making, and it’s long overdue. Last October, cider retailer Felix Nash published a book called Fine Cider, a term that smartly avoids the complications around the word ‘craft’, sidesteps the marketing nonsense of ‘premium’ and ‘super-premium’, and invites the reader – or drinker – to reappraise a drink that’s been undergoing steady reinvention for over a decade.

A good cider is a balance of three elements: sweetness, acidity and tannin. Most cider apples are bittersweets, high in both sugar and tannin, which makes them sometimes unpleasant to eat but A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

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BEER & CIDER perfect for providing cider with body and structure. A bold, tannic cider can compare to a red wine.

Cooking apples and eating apples – referred to by growers as dessert apples – are low in tannin but balance off sweetness and acidity, obviously with cooking fruit being more acidic, and eating fruit sweeter. Traditional cidermakers are sniffy about using dessert fruit, which on its own can make a one-dimensional cider, although the good ones can compare to a zingy Riesling. But the new wave of cidermakers are playing around with combinations of all three.

Within these basic categories there are hundreds, if not thousands, of different apple varietals. Just like grapes, some are prized for the cider they make.

Names like Dabinett, Yarlington Mill and Kingston Black are revered, so good they can make outstanding single varietal ciders, whereas – again, just like the finest wine – most good examples are a blend of different varieties to produce that perfect balance of flavour and character.

To some extent, appreciating fine cider is a matter of twisting your perceptions. Get a pint of 7% scrumpy in a plastic glass at a beer festival and there’s a fatalistic ‘Blimey, I’ll be on my back after two of these.’

But take a similar product, package it in a 750ml bottle, and serve it chilled into wine glasses, and it’s a drink that shares flavour characteristics with wine and goes with food in the same way, basically performing the same function at half the alcoholic strength of most wines today.

Looked at in that way, cider is virtually a health drink.

Cider demands a fair hearing in comparison to wine – and the growth of interest in natural wine is finally prompting sommeliers to discover a similar product that has been under their noses all along.

But ultimately, it would be as reductive to call cider ‘the new wine’ as it is to call it ‘cider beer’.

Brilliantly, cider has parallels with both drinks, sitting handily between them. But it is more than the sum of its comparisons.

Fine cider is a product unto itself, with its own unique character and soul, a magic that has been lurking in out-of-theway orchards for centuries, that is now ready to grace the finest tables once again. petebrown.net A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

FIVE TO TRY FROM SMALL INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS BRUT (2016) 8.4% ABV, Gospel Green, Blackmoor Estate, Hampshire Double-fermented using the méthode champenoise, this is apple champagne in all but name – because Champagne won’t allow that. gospelgreen.co.uk VINTAGE (2013) 7.3% ABV, Oliver’s Ciders and Perries, Ocle Pychard, Hereford Individual varieties are fermented then blended by the world’s best cider maker, then matured again for a cider that would be as expensive as a fine Chateau Margaux in a just world. oliversciderandperry.co.uk DEVIATION 8% ABV, Hallets Cider, Newport, Wales Dry, Champagne-style cider with spicy notes, superbly presented by the winner of Best Drinks Producer at BBC Radio 4’s Food and Farming Awards in 2016. halletsrealcider.com THE GENERAL 8.4% ABV, Sanford Orchards, Somerset Aged in 100-year-old oak vats that give incredible character and complexity, here’s cider’s answer to a big, tannic red wine. sanfordorchards.co.uk THE WONDER 10.5% ABV, Once Upon a Tree, Herefordshire Created by a former winemaker as a tribute to Quebec’s ice ciders, it’s impossible to think of this cryofermented perry as anything other than a pear dessert wine. onceuponatree.co.uk

Binary Botanical has been described

by Tramshed, Hix Restaurants’ casual dining operation, as “the most innovative beer we’ve seen hit the market in the last 10 years”.

Produced by GOOD LIVING BREWING COMPANY, Binary is a light, refreshing beer infused with organic hop leaves, and with intense tropical flavours. The original 4% ABV drink has now been joined by a 0.5% low alcohol version.

Mid-Wales producer MONTY’S BREWERY achieved Great Taste 2-star status with three of its beers this year - Foggy Pud, Magnitude and Dark Secret – and saw its Sunshine named a finalist in CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain. A hoppy, floral 4.2% golden ale, Sunshine was the brewery’s first beer when it opened more than 10 years ago – and remains its biggest seller.

binarybotanical.com

montysbrewery.co.uk

Night Bird is the latest bottled cider launch from THE NIGHTINGALE CIDER COMPANY. It’s a sparkling, fragrant drink made with a mix of dessert and culinary apples grown on founder Sam Nightingale’s family farm and surrounding orchards near Tenterden in Kent. Coming in at a low 4.9%, says Nightingale, it’s an “easy-drinking choice that exhibits mild complexity from its wild fermentation”. nightingalecider.com

Luxembourg’s first modern cider and perry producer, RAMBORN CIDER CO, has launched Meadow Orchard Ice Cider, an 11% ABV sweet dessert cider aimed at export markets.

Presented in slim 37.5cl bottles, it is being promoted as an ideal accompaniment to bolder flavoured foods such as blue cheese, game or liver. ramborn.com

Cashmere Brut IPA (6.7%) is a new ale from London’s BEERBLEFISH brewery. Dry-hopped with the Cashmere hops that give it its name, along with English Archer hops for lemon and stone-fruit notes, Brut IPA is a new North American style – less bitter and with a drier finish than a typical modern IPA. In 75cl bottles at an RRP of £10, it’s seen as sitting comfortably alongside wine at the dinner table. beerblefish. co.uk

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MEAD

Tell ’em about the honey

Ireland’s KINSALE MEAD CO makes light, refreshing, small-batch drinks, finished off dry and 12%ABV. Its traditional-style Atlantic Dry mead, from raw orange blossom honey, won 2-stars in Great Taste 2019.

Other products include Wild Red Mead, made melomel-style with the honey fermented on fruit. kinsalemeadco.ie

Made for millennia around the world, fermented honey drinks have given us another reason to cherish bees

Game of Thrones and interest in all things Norse have given mead more profile, but it’s new, lighter styles that are getting the honey drink on-shelf, as MICK WHITWORTH reports.

Have you seen Budweiser’s “Bud Lights for everyone” TV ad? The one where a dissident drinker in the medieval court of the Bud Light King turns down a free beer and asks for mead instead?

Preferably an autumnal mead.

Malty and full-bodied.

Ok, he ends up in the stocks for being so fussy, but this advert for a “refreshingly uncomplicated” US lager is also a backhanded compliment to mead’s new familiarity.

Like it or not, the cultural impact of shows like ‘Vikings’ and ‘Game of Thrones’ has put mead – often described, along with similar fermented honey drinks around the world, as our oldest form of booze – in front of a new generation of drinkers.

Some modern producers, like London’s Tom Gosnell, bemoan the way “old images of abbeys and Game of Thrones...lock mead into the realms of fantasy and the past”.

But others take a no-such-thingas-bad-publicity approach.

“We’ve been making mead for 20 years,’” says a spokeswoman for Afon Mêl Meadery in West Wales, “and we’ve seen a big change in awareness, with more meaderies opening. This rise has been helped by the ‘Game of Thrones effect’ and has opened it up to a more youthful audience.”

And this new consumer base is being met by an altogether more

21st century style of mead, less heavy and sometimes almost dry.

Gosnells started production only five years ago, concentrating on sparkling meads in contemporary formats, and enjoys having been dubbed “the Prosecco of Peckham”.

Get people tasting it, says Tom Gosnell, and you quickly change attitudes. “The category has such a stong history of strong,

Get people tasting mead, says Tom Gosnell, and you can quickly change attitudes cloyingly sweet wine alternatives - and often at 10%-plus ABV. The easiest way to reverse these perceptions is by sampling.

At Wye Valley Meadery, cofounder Kit Newell says: “It’s true the biggest seller of mead is still English Heritage [but] this still tends to be the super-sweet heavy mead, playing up to its oldeworlde image.

“But mead is evolving, and there are now a few companies who, like us, make a light, sparkling mead which is almost unrecognisable

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compared to the more familiar styles.

“We infuse our honey & hops mead with Citra hops, which are popular in a lot of East Coast IPAstyle beers, to tempt beer drinkers over to mead. And probably thanks to the explosion of Americaninspired beers and craft gin we’ve found consumers have become more experimental.”

Beyond fashion and flavour, mead has another important role for Northumberland Honey, run

by Suzie and Luke Hutchinson, which is supporting the bee farming sector. The couple are among just 400 commercial beekeepers in the UK, and one of the largest, with 150 hives.

They believe the eco-potential of creating more demand for British honey through premium mead production is enormous.

“As an example ourselves,” says Luke, “through sparkling mead production we’ve increased bee numbers in Northumberland by 9 million in the last two years.”

One caveat: the Hutchinsons say specialist retailers need to understand the product to sell it effectively and help the UK environment, too. Most producers use cheaper imported honey, Suzie points out, adding: “More to the point, producers often can’t even agree what mead is, ranging from a fortified wine sweetened with honey to the purists, like us, fermenting 100% honey from our own hives.”

So there’s plenty of back story for indie retailers to get stuck into.

“With some drinks,” says Tom Gosnell, “hotels and restaurants lead. But I think it will be the offtrade – farm shops, delis and the like – that are mead’s window on to a new world.”

Winner of the 2019 Great Taste Golden Fork for Wales with its heather mead, AFON MÊL meadery has been producing artisan, 100% honey meads for 20 years. Based on the largest honey farm in Wales, its seven-strong range includes a new, sparkling, low-ABV Session mead. All are matured for at least a year. thehoneyfarm.co.uk Honey & hops (5% ABV), honey & rhubarb (4%) and honey & ginger (4%), each with an RRP of £3.50 for 330ml, are the core meads from WYE VALLEY MEADERY. Just a year old, the business is making “mead with a new twist”, moving away from supersweet, heavy drinks towards “sessionable” sparkling versions. Options include a triple gift box, (RRP £10, trade £5.98). wyevalleymeadery.co.uk

London’s only producer, GOSNELLS began making “sparkling meads for the 21st century” five years ago. Its latest quartet of brightly coloured 4% canned meads (RRP £2.75) – Sour, Pink Hibiscus, Citra Sea (using salt and lemony US Citra hops), and Hopped – are said to be storming export markets. gosnells.co.uk As both beekeeper and mead maker, NORTHUMBERLAND HONEY CO produces traditionalmethod sparkling meads with honey solely from its own 150 colonies of bees. Fresh, lightly bubbly, with a dry, gently acidic taste and smooth finish, its meads including wildflower, heather and rosé – retail between £32 and £38 for 75cl. northumberlandhoney.co.uk

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From Piggery to Distillery Quench your curiosity, try some award-winning meads from Kinsale Mead Co. Made from carefully selected honey and berries and hand crafted in West Cork. This is world class Irish mead.

Light and refreshingly different www.kinsalemeadco.ie +353 21 477 3538

AWARD WINNING CAMPFIRE GIN DISTILLED IN THE CHILTERN HILLS The Campfire Gin range has seven international spirit awards across four heritage style gins, including winner of the World’s Best Martini Challenge 2019.

The Ribble Valley Gin Co, founded by young couple Justine & Luke, produce small batch artisan gin in their distillery based in Longridge, Lancashire.

The distillery is a stone outhouse, built in 1888 and was originally used as a “piggery”, and with it having so much history and standing for over 130 years, they have kept most of the original features. They use an 83-litre column still for their gin and vapour infuse our botanicals for a smooth finish and botanicals to reflect the natural beauty of the Ribble Valley.

Launching in February 2019 and with three gins so far, their Signature “Little Lane” gin and the Summer Edition “Garden Party” gin, and a Winter Edition “Winter’s Night” gin.

They are also setting their sights on many more craft spirits in the future.

All their gins reflect either the Great British Countryside and the English Garden; using botanicals that can be easily recognised, from hawthorn berries to rose petals, drawing inspiration from the local surroundings.

www.ribblevalleygin.co.uk @ribblevalleyginco @ribblevalleyginco @ribblevalleygin

Gullane Glögg & Gullane Ripple

The perfect mixers: Bringing the flavours of the season to your drinks...

Enjoy in a G&T, cocktail or neat over ice at home, in a bar or round the campfire.

For trade enquiries please email hello@puddingstonedistillery.com or call 01442 502033.

PUDDINGSTONE DISTILLERY

Tring, Hertfordshire www.puddingstonedistillery.com

If you are interested in stocking By Julia products, please get in touch: email, julia@byjulia.uk www.byjulia.uk 26

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SOFT DRINKS & MIXERS

Soft sell Here’s our pick of the latest mixers, juices, syrups and more to sit alongside your beers, wines and spirits New no-alcohol spirit AMPLIFY has been launched to capitalise on one of the hot trends of 2019-20: zero proof drinks. Like traditional spirits, Amplify is distilled with botanicals such as juniper, coriander, Angelica root, lemongrass and ginseng, combined with “vibrant, punchy” citrus. drinkamplify.co.uk

JEFFREY’S TONIC SYRUPS are designed to lift the taste of many standard drink combos, such as whiskey and ginger, as well as building new, differenttasting cocktails. They can be used with either sparkling water or soda water to replace standard tonic water in gin and give a new twist to the traditional G&T. There are four Tonic Syrups to choose from: Original Recipe; ‘Not So Plain’ Tonic; Lime, Galangal & Orange; and Yarrow, Rosehip & Elderflower. RRP £6.99 for 20cl. jeffreystonic.com.

BIDDENDEN has launched a new sparkling apple juice made with 100% fruit juice, no added water or sugar and no juice from concentrate (RRP £1.90 for 25cl).

The Kentish firm says this is first sparkling juice in the UK to be made in this way, and is aimed at the growing noalcohol market. biddenden– vineyards.com

GENIE LIVING DRINKS offers a range of live and fermented drinks that includes two kombuchas – Dry Apple and Crisp Citrus – which each picked up 1-star Great Taste awards in 2019. They are joined by two “live sodas” – Lemon & Ginger and Original Orange – which are described as “the UK’s first craft fruit soda with live cultures”. geniedrinks.co.uk

HAWKHEAD WHISKY SMOKED has increased its premium accompaniments offer with a range of whisky-smoked syrups – Original, Spiced and Thyme – for use in cocktails, mocktails, hot drinks and cooking. To give natural depth of flavour to the syrups they smoke British sugar over whisky cask staves from Scottish distilleries. The syrups come in 10cl and 50cl bottles, RRPs £3.59 and £10 respectively.

Premium tonic and mixers brand Franklin & Sons launched a new sub-brand in November 2019, aimed at health-conscious consumers.

The initial Sister’s Soda range comprises three “invigorating infusions” of natural fruit extracts in lowsugar, 45-calorie 250ml cans. Guava & Lime, Pomegranate & Hibiscus and Pineapple & Cardamom take inspiration from flavours currently used by craft distillers. RRP £1.10.

Radnor Infusions is a new range of zero-calorie sparking drinks from RADNOR HILLS, all free from sugar, sweeteners and preservatives. They are made with gently sparkling Welsh spring water infused with natural flavours and fruit extracts.

franklinandsons.co.uk

radnorhills.co.uk

Set up to provide lighter, crisper alternatives to mainstream tonic waters, BERMONDSEY TONIC CO has expanded and improved its range this year. Additions include Cucumber Tonic, with a “specially designed cucumber tincture”, and Grapefruit Tonic, a “fresh citrus-forward tonic with raw, natural quinine and fresh pink grapefruit juice”. Trade price for 24 x 20cl is £17.75 + VAT. Bermondsey has also rebranded and repacked its Tonic Syrup in a 48cl bottle for those looking to add tonic flavour without the fizz. bermondseymixer.co

whiskysmoked.com

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

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COMMENCE YOUR SENSORY JOURNEY WITH DEERNESS DISTILLERY

AWARD WINNING SPIRITS FROM ORKNEY'S FIRST DISTILLERY IN OVER 130 YEARS. DEERNESS DISTILLERY CAPTURES THE BEAUTY OF ORKNEY IN ITS SPIRITS. Sea Glass Gin, crowned UK’s best classic gin in the Great British Food Awards 2019 www.deernessdistillery.com info@deernessdistillery.com Tel; 01856741264

Orkney Gin Company Hand-Crafted in Orkney, Scotland www.orkneygincompany.com

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SOFT DRINKS & MIXERS

COCKTAIL SNACKS A mix of “tame” cultivated fruits and “wild” hedgerow varieties have gone into a new line-up of sparkling berry and botanical drinks from TAME & WILD. Made in Yorkshire with allEnglish ingredients,, the four flavours are: Blueberry, Dandelion & Lavender; Strawberry, Lime Flower & Cucumber; Rhubarb, Elderberry & Rose; and Damson, Rosehip & Passion Flower. RRP £2.98 for a 275ml bottle. tameandwilddrinks. co.uk

Best known for its healthy snacks, NIMS FRUIT CRISPS has this year launched a range of drinks infusions: long shelf life dried fruit slices that will rehydate when dropped into a drink, adding natural, intense flavours. They’re available in lemon, lime, grapefruit, cucumber, orange, apple and pineapple.

Olive oil & sea salt crisps from Spanish brand BONILLA provide a premium, organic, Continentalstyle snack to sit alongside highend drinks. Offering a 12-month shelf life, they come in four pack options: 50g individual bags (RRP £1.25), 150g sharing bags (£3.50), 300g family bags (£6.50) and the brand’s iconic 500g party tin (£17). bonillacrispsuk.co.uk

GARBANZO SNACKS has launched a new range for the health conscious consumer.

The 70g resealable pouchpacks include dry roasted whole and flat chickpeas, caramelised pumpkin seeds with coconut sugar and freeze-dried caramelised red onions. Vegan, gluten-free and high in plant protein and fibre, they come in three flavours: Tomato Salsa, Bombay Twist and Thai Sweet Chilli. RRP £1.79. garbanzosnacks.co.uk

nimsfruitcrisps.com

Described as “the UK’s first naturally low sugar tonic” the new TWELVEBELOW range contains only 2.5g of sugar per 100ml and less than 12 calories per serving. There are four flavours in 20cl bottles (RRP £1.20): Classic Premium, Apple & Garden Mint, Pear & Cardamom and Rhubarb & Ginger.

FOLKINGTON’S has added two flavoured tonics to its mixer range – a sub-category it sees growing as consumers become more experimental with gins, dark spirits and cocktails. Earl Grey tonic water is made with natural bergamot oil and a dash of tea and pairs well with pink gins such as Rock Rose pink grapefruit gin or spiced rum brands.

English Garden tonic water is enhanced with cucumber, mint and rosemary. Both available in 150ml mini-cans and come in 8-can fridgepacks. RRP £5.25 per pack. folkingtons.com

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

twelvebelow.co.uk

High in fibre, very low in sugar and saturated fat, gluten free, vegan and with the added benefits of ancient grains, Luke’s tortilla chips from ORGANICO REALFOODS tick all the health boxes. They have a wholegrain cereal-blend base, comprising rice, corn, amaranth, quinoa and millet, and come in four varieties: Kale, Protein, Superfood and Chia Seed. RRP £2.95 for 142g. organicorealfoods.com

Specialising in roasted pulses, BRAVE FOODS has added three flavours of Roasted Chickpeas to its better-for-you snacks line-up. Sea Salt and Sweet Chilli both come in 35g packs with an RRP of £1. The third, Dark Chocolate, is in a 30g pack, RRP £1.19. bravefoods.co.uk

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HONEY

ROSE HIP

HONEY

ROSE HIP

DRINK THE BEST UK CRAFT RUM MADE AT THE UK’S MOST SUSTAINABLE DISTILLERY

WWW. PAPI LLONGI N. CO.UK

G RGEREE N SS A ANNDDDDII SS TT II LL LL EERRYY. C. C EN OO MM

DISTILLED IN THE HEART OF LONDON KNOWLEDGE, ENDURANCE AND DEDICATION

Taxi Spirit Co. is the first business of its kind in London! Honouring tradition, Taxi Spirit Co distill its own White Rum from cane molasses, to create intense, robust, bittersweet flavours, carefully balanced to tantalise your taste buds for maximum enjoyment! www.taxispirit.com

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P

REMIUM SMALL BATCH ARTISAN GIN,

HAND-CRAFTED in the heart of Nidderdale, North Yorkshire using NATURAL SPRING WATER. Call us today to find out more about our range 01423 781842.

Raisthorpe Gins, made to mix with Yorkshire Tonics.

Fancy a G&T? Make it a great G&T from Yorkshire!

enquiries@whittakersgin.com

@WhittakersGin · awrs: xyaw00000104095

www.raisthorpemanor.com sales@raisthorpemanor.co.uk Call us on 01377 288295

Our two new unique tonic waters, now available to independent retailers

www.folkingtons.com | 01323 485602 A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

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Down at Tyrrells Farm in Herefordshire, we believe perfecting flavours is just as important as ensuring our spuds are spot on. After all, nothing teases the taste buds quite like the subtly bracing combination of sweet chilli and juicy red pepper. So if, like Mabel here, you’re in the mood for a feisty little number, look no further!

triumphant winners of another 4 Great Taste Awards...

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A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST ...an impressive grand total of 83 Great Taste Awards to date.