The sun is shining and temperatures are rising so I’m guessing you’re in need of a cool drink… World Rum Day is celebrated on the second Saturday in July, which this year happens to coincide with World Mojito Day as well. So what better excuse to mix up this classic Cuban rum cocktail?

A bit of history…

It’s unclear who invented the Mojito, though Cuban folklore links it to the English explorer Sir Francis Drake. His crew drank a medicinal mix of mint, sugar, lime and aguardiente de caña (a sugar cane spirit) called El Draque in Elizabethan times. The same mix was used to treat cholera in mid-19th century Cuba.

Either way, a mint, lime and sugar cocktail – now made with rum – became a hit with Americans in Prohibition-era Havana, with the first recipe for a ‘Mojo Criollo’ appearing in a Cuban publication El Arte de Hacer un Cocktail y Algo Más in 1927.

The name Mojito first appeared in print in a 1932 cocktail book, Sloppy Joe’s Bar Cocktail Manual. The cocktail then found modern popularity in the 1980s thanks to Cuban immigrants in Miami.

Why is it a classic?

‘The Mojito’s roots run remarkably deep,’ says Tommy Cole, brand ambassador for Ron Santiagio de Cuba. ‘That lineage makes it one of the oldest surviving rum cocktails in the world and a genuine cornerstone of cocktail history,’ he adds.

‘In my view, the Mojito has endured for centuries because it is one of the purest expressions of Cuban cocktail culture. It is a drink built on simplicity, but simplicity is often the hardest thing to perfect,’ notes Cole.

‘With only five core ingredients – cane sugar, fresh lime juice, mint, soda water and Cuban rum – there is nowhere to hide. Every component must be in balance, and the quality of the rum becomes immediately apparent.’

Which rum to choose?

If you want to mix up a Mojito yourself at home, a light rum from Cuba is a classic choice. ‘What makes the Mojito timeless is that it captures the essence of Cuba itself,’ agrees Cole. ‘The sweetness of cane sugar, the brightness of lime, the cooling aroma of fresh mint and the lift of sparkling soda create a drink that is refreshing, social and unmistakably Caribbean.’

Distilled and blended in the Oriente region of Cuba, Ron Santiago de Cuba is a great choice. ‘The style is nuanced and aromatic, with enough complexity to bring character to a Mojito while remaining light enough to let the lime, mint and soda breathe. In a great Mojito, the rum should not dominate the drink – it should knit the ingredients together,’ says Cole.

Beyond Cuba, there are plenty of other Caribbean rums worth seeking out. Also consider agricole, a distinctive style of rum made from sugarcane (rather than molasses) that was invented in Martinique and is typical to the French-speaking islands of the Caribbean. Agricoles have a trademark grassy character that works nicely with the fresh mintiness of a Mojito.

Twists on a classic

But rum is now produced all over the world, so it’s easy to make a local Mojito. I’ve included recommendations from the UK and Australia in my selection below, but there are plenty of other quality light rums available.

You can also think outside the box and use an aged gold rum instead of a white rum to make a Golden Mojito. This changes the taste profile of the drink, moving away from fresh green flavours to something more sweet and rich, with notes of vanilla and caramel.

‘The best drinks are the ones that feel inevitable in hindsight – the Golden Mojito is one of those,’ says Alfredo Guerra, brand ambassador for Havana Club Global. ‘It is about how one simple switch unlocks a completely different drinking experience. With Havana Club Especial, you get a rounder, smoother serve, ideal for unwinding at golden hour in good company.’

Best rums for a Mojito: eight to try

Bacardí Carta Blanca

Bacardí is the original Daiquiri rum – but this big brand is a good value choice for a Mojito too. Although Bacardi was founded in Cuba in 1862, its rums are now made in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Carta Blanca has sweet tropical aromas with banana and coconut and a touch of peppery spice, leading to a light, creamy palate with notes of tropical fruit, spice and a vanilla toffee edge. Alcohol 37.5%

DropWorks Clear Drop

Founded in 2023 by rum expert Lewis Hayes, the DropWorks distillery in Nottingham is flying a flag for British rums. Made from imported molasses, Clear Drop is a blend of four rums distilled in England’s first double retort still and a column still. Clean and crisp, it’s a versatile choice for rum cocktails generally, but there’s a snappy note of green apple on the palate that I think perfectly complements the mint in a Mojito. Alc 40%

Havana Club Añejo Especial

This double-aged golden rum contains a blend of rums aged for up to five years. It rests in white oak casks before blending and is then matured for a second time in ex-whiskey casks. Spicy aromas with top notes of lime pickle, plus orange, toffee and vanilla. Rich, rounded, creamy palate; with brown sugar and caramel sweetness, plus creamy vanilla, layered with spicy dried orange peel and woody notes. Try it instead of Havana Club Original Añejo 3 Años to make a sweeter Golden Mojito. Alc 37.5%

Husk Pure Cane

This award-winning rhum agricole from Australia showcases Husk Distillery’s focus on provenance. The label tells you exactly which variety of sugarcane was used and the year of harvest, giving a very specific taste of the north coast of New South Wales. As you’d expect from a sugarcane juice agricole, it’s characteristically grassy, with banana notes, citrus hints, white pepper spice and a slightly earthy base note that complements the mint in your Mojito. Alc 40%

Planteray 3 Stars

The three stars are Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad: top sites for rum production in the Caribbean. This tasty blend mixes unaged spirits from Barbados and Jamaica with two- to three-year-old spirit from Trinidad, then adds a dash of Jamaican 10-year-old for good measure. A favourite with bartenders, 3 Stars is crisp and fresh, with plenty of spice and a grassy, almost agave-like note on the palate, balanced by sweeter tones of honey and vanilla custard. A dependable choice for Mojitos. Alc 41.2%

Rhum JM White

This is an agricole, a distinctive style of rum made from sugarcane (rather than molasses) that’s typical to the French-speaking islands of the Caribbean – in this case Martinique, where the style was invented – hence it’s labelled rhum. Agricoles have a trademark grassy character that works nicely with the fresh mintiness of a Mojito. You’ll find it here alongside bright lime citrus, floral and tropical notes, plus white pepper spice. I love this in a Mojito. Alc 50%

Ron Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca

This Cuban molasses-based rum is aged in white oak barrels for three years and then filtered. The fresh, grassy nose is laced with banana, fudge and tropical fruit. While the palate is smooth, fresh and creamy, with banana toffee, vanilla and spice balanced by fresh green grassy notes too. A well rounded cocktail rum – but I particularly enjoy it in a refreshing minty Mojito. Alc 38%

Veritas White Rum

Two of rum’s most respected names have joined forces to make this versatile light mixing rum. A blend of pot-still spirit from Hampden in Jamaica and column-still rum from Foursquare in Barbados, Veritas kicks off with notes of banana caramel, pineapple and vanilla. The smooth palate with fruity notes of pineapple and pineapple leaf, fresh banana, and pear – plus a touch of butterscotch – makes a well-balanced Mojito. Alc 47%

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When whisky meets orange wine...

The latest limited-edition release from Highland distillery Deanston, 17 Year Old Orange Wine Cask Finish (Alc 53.6%, £89.95-£95/70cl Spirited, The Whisky Exchange) is a single malt that has been matured for 15 years in ex-bourbon casks before a further two-year finish in casks previously used to make vino de naranja – a fortified wine from Andalucía made with bitter orange peel.

It’s bold and rich, with orange zest and orange oil aromas, honey, camomile and marmalade on toast, plus nuttiness and woody spice.

In the mouth, Deanston’s signature waxiness joins an intense bitter citrus character, with notes of blood orange, dried apricots, sultanas, honey, brown spice and malted milk biscuit.

Make a Colomba cocktail

From: Paper Plane, San Jose, California, USA

Words by: Vicki Denig

What is a Colomba cocktail?

This Italian twist on a summery Paloma cocktail was created by Ryan Ota, director of beverage operations for MO-Hospitality, which owns Paper Plane in downtown San Jose.

‘I’ve always loved bitter cocktails and liqueurs, and I look for any opportunity to share that preference with others,’ he says.

‘The Colomba is designed as an accessible Paloma riff; it features a full ounce of Campari but balances the bitterness with tropical passion fruit.

The name Colomba is the Italian word for dove, mirroring the meaning of the Spanish Paloma. The result is a refreshing cocktail that carries the pleasant, sharp bitterness of biting into a fresh grapefruit.’

Ota prefers to use Squirt grapefruit soda (£2.99/355ml Mexican Mama) and adds: ‘Be sure not to over-shake this cocktail; you want to leave enough room in the glass to top it off with the Squirt.’

Ingredients: What you'll need

• Glass: Highball
• Garnish: Orange twist
• 40ml blanco tequila
• 40ml Campari
• 30ml passion fruit syrup
• 30ml lemon juice
• 60ml grapefruit soda (to top)

Method

• Add all ingredients except the grapefruit soda to a shaker filled with ice and shake until your hands are cold.
• Strain into a highball glass filled with ice cubes.
• Top with soda and garnish.

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As botanically flavoured spirits go, gin is undoubtedly the most ubiquitous of recent times. But another is nipping at its heels: botanical vodka.

Botanical vodkas are flavoured via distillation with plant-based botanicals including fruits, herbs, flowers and spices. These could be distilled with the spirit itself, or used to create botanical essences that are blended with it.

It’s important to note the distinction between botanical vodkas and the broader category of flavoured vodkas; the latter are generally flavoured after distillation through maceration, infusion, or by adding extracts and sweeteners.

While botanical vodkas are very similar to gin, one crucial requirement separates them: gin must have a primary flavour of juniper. Without this stipulation, botanical vodka producers can spotlight other elements, be it locally sourced ingredients or delicate flavours that would struggle against juniper’s piney might.

Freedom of expression

William Lowe MW, a Master Distiller and co-founder of Cambridge Distillery, says its Meadow Mist botanical vodkas provide a ‘different framework for expression’ compared with its gins. ‘Without juniper as the structural backbone, it allows a single ingredient or idea to sit completely at the forefront.’

Sloemotion’s Hedgerow Botanical Vodka is designed as an expression of the Yorkshire countryside that surrounds the distillery. Founder Joff Curtoys (below) sought a ‘purer taste of the hedgerows’, using botanicals including crab apple, elderflower, rosehip and nettle leaf.

Finding flavour

For Hugh Lambert at Shanty Spirit, the style offered a blank canvas for the coastally inspired vodka he wanted to produce. His Seaweed Botanical Vodka contains five native varieties of its namesake plant. ‘The flavour we wanted [was] crisp and fresh, like jumping in the sea,’ he says.

Hepple Spirits also heroes one botanical in its Douglas Fir Vodka, but uses three methods to capture its aromatic character. There’s traditional pot distillation; a lower-temperature rotary evaporator; and a supercritical fluid extractor, a machine normally found in perfume houses.

A conscious choice

While botanical vodka doesn’t command the public profile of gin, it is gaining traction amid the trend toward more conscious consumption. Sebastian Bunford-Jones, global marketing manager at The Glasgow Distillery Co, believes both drinkers and bartenders are becoming more receptive to spirits that ‘prioritise provenance, natural ingredients and production transparency’. Those values sit at the heart of the distillery’s G52 Botanical Vodkas.

Gemma Standeven, founder and director at Gattertop Drinks Company, which makes Gattertop No7 Botanical Vodka, feels they are a natural next step for gin drinkers. ‘Gin has educated consumers to expect botanical complexity, and some drinkers want that flavour but in a smoother, less juniper-forward format,’ she says.

How to drink botanical vodkas

The nature and flavours of botanical vodkas make them ideal for mixing. For a simpler serve, pair with tonic or soda water or stir down in a Martini.

When using in more highly flavoured cocktails, let the botanicals guide your choice. Use a more savoury vodka for a Bloody Mary, a citrussy spirit for a Cosmopolitan, or a richer one for an Espresso Martini.

Silver Circle’s Black Garlic Vodka was developed with a particular cocktail in mind. ‘As Bloody Mary fans, we were excited to explore a botanical vodka which would complement tomato juice and spice,’ explains distillery co-founder Nina Howden. ‘The black garlic deepens the drink, adding richness and savoury sweetness.’

Whatever your preference, there’s sure to be a botanical vodka that ticks the right flavour boxes.

Botanical vodkas: 10 to try

Assaranca Vodka

Made by Sliabh Liag Distillers in Donegal, Ireland using native botanicals gorse flower and rowan berry. Creamy cereal aromas alongside gentle grassiness and citrussy herbs. Plump mouthfeel, with additional red berry flavours. Its gentleness wants a minimal serve: with soda or in a Martini. Alcohiol 41%

Blackwoods Botanical Vodka

Heroes botanicals that reflect its home in Inverkip, Scotland, including sea buckthorn, sea mint and kelp. Sweet cereal, citrus peel and washed mint aromas lead to a balanced citrussy, sweet and herbal palate. Try it in a Cosmopolitan for added zing. Alc 40%

Cambridge Distillery Meadow Mist Verbena Vodka

Produced via vacuum distillation to preserve the delicate flavours of its hero botanical, lemon verbena. Tart, citrussy aroma with accompanying sweet cereal notes. Superbly round texture. The botanical profile crescendoes into the finish, clear and crisp. One for a Martini. Alc 40%

Dunnet Bay Distillers Holy Grass Vodka

Distilled with native holy grass, which has a vanilla-like aroma, alongside cinnamon and Scottish apple juice. Aromas and flavours of crisp raw apple, creamy vanilla and powdered cinnamon, with gentle grassy notes. Serve long with apple juice or ginger ale. Alc 41.5%

Gattertop No7 Botanical Vodka

An English vodka created with a concentrated distillate of elderflower, rosemary, nettle, basil, damson leaves, apple blossom and coriander. Fragrant and softly herbaceous with citrussy coriander, plummy fruits and sweet florals. Keep the serve classic with a Martini or Vodka Tonic. Alc 38%

G52 Fresh Citrus Botanical Vodka

Distilled with fresh lemons, limes, ginger and lemongrass, alongside vapour-infused orange and pink grapefruit. Big, bright citrussy character – the flesh, juice and oils – accompanied by notes of fresh ginger and creamy sweetness on the palate. Mix long with soda or tonic. Alc 40%

Hepple Douglas Fir Vodka

Three distillation methods are used to capture the flavour of its lead botanical, Douglas fir shoots. Refreshing aroma with pine needles, lemon peel and saline hints. Oily palate with citrus and herbaceous notes. Made for Martinis, however you have them. Alc 41%

Shanty Seaweed Botanical Vodka

The botanicals include five hand-foraged British seaweeds alongside galangal, wasabi, yuzu and bergamot. Balanced maritime aroma combining oily, herbaceous, citrus and vegetal notes. Mouthfilling, with sweet salinity and herbal flavours. Mix long in a Mule, or use it to supercharge a Dirty Martini. Alc 40%

Sloemotion Hedgerow Botanical Vodka

Featuring botanicals from its Yorkshire home including rosehip, nettle leaf and elderflower. Sweet, concentrated hedgerow fruit aromas with rosy florals and underlying spice. Herbaceous nettles on the palate with elderflower sweetness and lingering rose. Try it in a Martini or Vodka Tonic. Alc 40%

Silver Circle Black Garlic Vodka

Featuring Isle of Wight black garlic, toasted bread and lapsang souchong tea. Potent garlicky aromas, from deep umami to sweet cooked cloves, with gentle smokiness. Silky palate with underlying sweetness and spice. A savoury serve calls: maybe a Bloody Mary or Dirty Martini. Alc 40%

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Bourbon bonanza: New US whiskey bottlings arrive on UK shores

Not one, but four new limited-edition US whiskeys have landed in the UK, courtesy of Michter’s Distillery, based in Louisville, Kentucky.

The jewel in the crown is the complex and layered Michter’s 20 Year Bourbon, matured for two decades in charred new American white oak (Alcohol 57.1%, £2,5755 / 70cl Amathus Drinks).

The younger Michter’s 10 Year Bourbon is a rich and toasty single-barrel bottling with notes of dark toffee, spice, orange oil and peanut brittle (Alc 47.2%, £195/70cl Spiritly).

They’re joined by the latest release of Michter’s 10 Year Rye, a well-balanced single-barrel bottling showing notes of vanilla toffee, roasted nuts and chocolate orange with plenty of characteristic rye spice (Alc 46.4%, £186-£199.95/70cl Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop).

Finally, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Sour Mash is a limited edition of the distillery’s US*1 Sour Mash Whiskey that’s finished in a custom-made barrel that has been toasted but not charred.

The result is a deeper flavour profile with layers of toffee, cinnamon, cherry, honey and subtle bonfire smoke (Alc 43%, £129.95/70cl Master of Malt).

What to drink now

Introducing the Fandango cocktail

From: El Gallo Altanero, Guadalajara, Mexico

Words by Clinton Cawood

It’s fitting that Freddy Andreasson’s take on the classic, low-strength Bamboo includes tequila, given the location of his bar, El Gallo Altanero, in the spirit’s heartland of Guadalajara.

‘It was meant to be low proof, but it didn’t end up that way,’ he says of his Fandango Cocktail, created to epitomise elegance.

Cascahuin Reposado Tequila (£41.50/70cl The Whisky Exchange) is joined by fino Sherry – ‘Sherry and agave spirits simply work great together’ – as well as dry vermouth and a touch of agave syrup.

‘The tequila’s soft oak and cooked agave give it weight; the fino keeps it dry, sharp and almost saline; while the vermouth lays down a herbaceous backbone,’ he adds.

Visitors to the bar can choose between an olive or lemon peel garnish, for either some extra salinity or a citrus lift.

The choice, according to Andreasson, ‘depends on your mood or the kind of night you’re having – or the weather!’

How to make a Fandango cocktail

Ingredients

• 30ml Cascahuin Reposado Tequila
• 30ml Fino Sherry
• 30ml Dolin Dry Vermouth
• Small barspoon of agave syrup
• Garnish: Oliver or lemon peel

Method

• Glass: Nick & Nora
• Stir the ingredients over ice
• Strain into a chilled glass
• Add your chosen garnish

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You’d be forgiven for not knowing that the world’s most valuable spirits brand is the Chinese baijiu producer Moutai. In fact, according to the Brand Finance report Alcoholic Drinks 2025, Moutai’s brand value is roughly equal to that of the top 10 spirits brands combined – a list that includes only four non-baijiu brands: Hennessy, Jack Daniel’s, Bacardi and Johnnie Walker.

In 2025, Moutai’s brand value alone was estimated at $58.4 billion, placing it 20th in the Global 500 rankings alongside companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Google, as listed in the Global 500 2025 report by Brand Finance.

Defined as a white spirit, baijiu is a category that remains remarkably underexamined and widely misunderstood. It is among the earliest distilled alcohols in the world, dating to the Ming Dynasty of 1368-1644; making China home to the world’s oldest continuously operating distillery – Luzhou Laojiao – founded in 1573. Yet despite these facts, baijiu remains little known outside China.

The baijiu champion

To understand why baijiu has remained so obscure internationally, it’s necessary to grasp the complexity of the category itself. Few people understand this better than Ben Salguero, a UK baijiu specialist and owner of Jaded Dragon bar in Bristol, home to Europe’s largest collection of baijiu.

Salguero has dedicated his career to bringing baijiu to Western consumers and educating them about the spirit, which he describes as ‘unlike anything else’ and predicts is ‘heading towards its heyday’, much as rum and tequila have over the past decade.

‘It’s bizarre that it’s 2026 and there’s this whole category of alcohol that is still unknown to most of the world,’ he says.

Understanding baijiu

Baijiu, commonly distilled from a cereal grain called sorghum, is the national drink of China and has 12 recognised styles, each distinct in production and character. The four principal ‘aroma’ categories are strong, light, rice and sauce.

Strong-aroma baijiu is associated with tropical fruit notes such as guava and pineapple, alongside unexpected flavours like bubble-gum. Sauce-aroma baijiu is deeply savoury and food-driven, with characteristics reminiscent of dark chocolate, Marmite and soy sauce.

Light-aroma baijiu commonly displays flavours of sesame, white chocolate, bell pepper and even Brussels sprouts. Rice-aroma baijiu, by contrast, can be likened to distilled sake, offering notes of seaweed, melon and gentle salinity.

For drinkers familiar with high-ester rum, baijiu can be understood through a similar lens. Rum contains a complex range of volatile compounds, with up to 184 distinct compounds identified. Sauce-aroma baijiu, by comparison, contains more than 500.

A matter of taste

‘That’s the intensity of flavour, the tasting is exciting. You’re tasting a memory, in a very romantic sense,’ says Salguero. ‘When we taste distilled alcohol – not whisky, where wood plays a role, but white spirits – we are tasting the esters carried through distillation,’ he explains.

‘Fundamentally, they come from fatty acids created during the fermentation of the original food source. Those acids themselves don’t have flavour, but when they hit your tongue, your brain recognises them. It recalls something you’ve tasted before. In that way, you are quite literally tasting memory at its core.’

Salguero says his customers’ reactions to baijiu have been largely positive, with the greatest resistance surprisingly coming from bartenders, many of whom express a ‘fear’ towards the category.

Meanwhile the general public are more open-minded. ‘Even if they decide they don’t like it, they’re still willing to try,’ says Salguero.

Brands and bottles

In the UK, more accessible baijiu brands include Ming River, known for its approachable and fruity profile, and Moutai, characterised by its intense savoury and nutty flavour. One persistent challenge, however, is labelling.

‘If you can’t read Chinese, you often don’t know what you’re buying,’ Salguero explains. ‘The bottles are very traditional. I’ll pick up a bottle I’ve never seen before and won’t know anything about it.’

This is why specialist bars such as Jaded Dragon play a crucial role. Traditionally, baijiu is drunk neat in small 15ml ganbei cups. However, Salguero believes cocktails are key to its Western adoption.

In this sense, baijiu occupies a unique position in the global spirits landscape. ‘It is simultaneously an ancient and a new spirit,’ says Salguero. Although obscure outside China, the category may now be entering a new phase of global recognition.

During a recent trip to my local wine merchant, a vintage bottle of Chartreuse caught my eye – as did the price tag: US$4,295. This once-obscure French liqueur is having a moment with collectors and bartenders alike.

Crafted in the French Alps by silent Carthusian monks, the spirit’s origin dates to an alchemical recipe for an ‘elixir of long life’ given by Duke François-Annibal d’Estrées to the head of the Carthusian order in 1605. The monks used their knowledge of medicinal plants to fine tune the recipe, which they produced at their headquarters in the Monastery of the Grande Chartreuse outside Grenoble in eastern France. It’s still produced by lay brothers attached to the order, each of whom works on a small part of the elixir; the complete recipe of 130 plant products is known only to two monks.

In fact, there are several types of Chartreuse, the two main ones being green, which is 55% abv and has a pronounced herbal aroma and flavour; and yellow, which is 40% or 43% abv, and has a softer aroma with an edge of honey. Since 1963, the monks have also produced a version of each that’s aged for a longer period, known by the French acronym VEP (Vieillissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé).

Colourful history

Production is now limited by the monks to 1.6 million bottles, although they once sold almost twice this amount. Faced with growing popularity, the monks issued a letter announcing they were setting a limit to allow them to focus on their monastic life, solitude and prayer, and to reduce the environmental impact of production.

The monks were expelled from France in 1903 and relocated the distilling operations from their original base to Tarragona in northern Spain, where production continued until 1989.

The monks returned to the Chartreuse mountains in 1940, having earlier established a new distillery in their ageing cellar in Voiron. This site was used until 2017; some of the liqueur is still aged in Voiron, which has re-opened as a visitor centre. Chartreuse is now produced at a modern facility in Aiguenoire, not far from the monastery.

Bottles of Chartreuse from these different periods can sell for eyewatering sums. At a recent sale at US-based auction house Zachys, a bottle of Yellow Chartreuse from the Tarragona period sold for $11,875.

Perhaps the best way to experience Chartreuse is in a cocktail; the eminently drinkable creation The Last Word is ironically named, given the spirit is distilled by monks who’ve taken a vow of silence.

The Last Word

Ingredients: 25ml Green Chartreuse, 25ml London dry gin, 25ml Maraschino liqueur, 25ml fresh lime juice

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Maraschino cherry

Method: Put all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled coupe.

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Whisky meets wine

The Dalmore has unveiled the third instalment of its Cask Curation Series: The Red Wine Cask Edition (£36,100 The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop).

The set of three whiskies has been created in partnership with winemaker Pierre Fabre of Château Mont-Redon in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Each set consists of a 24 Year Old, 34 Year Old and 43 Year Old signature Dalmore single malt, all finished in casks previously used to age the 2023 vintage of Mont-Redon’s flagship wine, a Grenache-dominant blend that also includes Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Vaccarèse.

‘The layers of flavour from the complex grape blends held inside these Châteauneuf-du-Pape casks have been instrumental in the development of these three unique single malts, which have such richness and complexity,’ explained Richard Paterson OBE, Master Distiller of The Dalmore.

‘Red wine casks have played an integral role in shaping The Dalmore’s success, so it felt fitting to release some very rare expressions, as part of the Cask Curation Series,’ he added.

The three whiskies are presented in a bespoke lapis blue carry case made by Italian luggage maker AB Florence. Only 150 sets have been produced. This new release follows the Sherry Edition, launched in 2023 in collaboration with González Byass, and the Port Edition, produced with Graham’s.

Drink Dictionary: Trub (Noun / ‘trüb / ‘trəb)

In distilling, the leftover solids at the bottom of a fermenter, from which the alcoholic liquid is separated, in order to give a cleaner spirit.

What to drink now: Aquaponie

Little Red Door, Paris, France

Agri/Culture is the latest cocktail menu at Parisian cocktail bar Little Red Door, inspired by the agricultural methods that are helping to shape a sustainable future, from permaculture and aquaponics to agroforestry.

Aquaponie was created by Hyacinthe Lescoët and celebrates aquaponics, a food-production system that combines aquaculture (raising fish) with hydroponics (growing plants without soil) to create a symbiotic, closed-circulation ecosystem.

‘Aquaponie is a Gimlet-style cocktail with a sweet-and- sour structure, but the real deal is the glass and the garnish,’ he says. ‘The beautiful two-part glassware shows the relation between what happens under the water with the fish and the plant that grows from it. On top is a green tea and basil foam to showcase the relation between water and air.’

At home you can use a Martini glass and basil leaf garnish. To make your own basil cordial, mix 1.14L of water with 450g sugar and 18ml citric acid, stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add 150g basil, 150g Thai basil, and leave to infuse in the fridge for 48 hours. Strain and store in the fridge. Alternatively, use Monin basil syrup (£7.25-£10.99/70cl Widely available) and omit the St-Germain.

Ingredients: 25ml Grey Goose Vodka, 25ml Dolin Dry Vermouth, 5ml St-Germain elderflower liqueur, 25ml basil cordial

Glass: Martini

Garnish: Basil leaf

Method: Put all of the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir well to mix. Strain into a chilled Martini glass.

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Lessons in chemistry: Aureus Vita

The so-called Golden Ratio of roughly 1:1.618, is found across the natural world – and has been applied to everything from music to art. But what about drinks?

That was the question asked by chemist-turned-Master Distiller John Hall, who decided to use the ratio at every stage of production for his new gin: from still design to botanical proportions to dilution.

The result is Aureus Vita (Alc 61.8%, £169-£170 per 70cl, Fortnum & Mason, Hedonism), distilled once a year in tune with the harvest of its signature botanicals: juniper and baobab pulp.

Tasted neat in a No-Add Martini (75ml of frozen Aureus Vita stirred over ice for 25 seconds) it’s noticeably textured, with detailed, harmonious aromas of camomile, oatmeal, citrus, pine and liquorice. It also makes a delicious AV & Tonic (one part gin to two parts tonic), with that same luxurious richness of texture and a lingering finish laced with blackcurrant leaf, vanilla and rounded earthy notes.

‘Aureus Vita has been created to challenge. I wanted to give people something they could enjoy, yet push boundaries at the same time. Something new. Something that defies everything you thought that gin could be,’ says Hall. We think he’s succeeded.

Drink Dictionary: Jigger (Noun / JIG-uh)

A small bar tool used for measuring and pouring alcohol, featuring two conjoined cups of different sizes.

What to drink now: Pine Martini (Alcohol Free)

The Fat Duck, Bray, UK 

Perfect for Dry January, this nonalcoholic version of The Fat Duck’s vodka-based Pine Martini delivers plenty of flavour but without the booze.

Sommelier Melania Bellesini says: ‘This is a soft Martini with a twist of pine liquor that reminds me very much of alpine herbs.’ She uses a house-made pine syrup, but Highland Boundary’s Scots Pine Wild Botanical Syrup (£9/250ml Highland Boundary) is a great option if you’re making this at home.

Ingredients: 70ml Everleaf Marine | 15ml Seedlip Spice | 9ml Seedlip Garden | 6ml pine syrup.

Glass: Martini

Garnish: Rosemary sprig

Method: Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice, stir and strain into a chilled Martini glass.

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• Distilled: The release of two new whisky books
• Distilled: Newly arrived in the UK, Casals Mediterranean Vermouth

If Champagne is the ultimate celebration drink, then Champagne cocktails really make your celebrations pop. Is there anything better than offering your guests a sparkling cocktail in an elegant flute or coupe – or treating yourself to one before the guests arrive?

Decanter Premium: The perfect gift for a special wine lover

The great news is that many Champagne cocktails are super-simple to make, and involve little more than pouring your ingredients into a glass. ‘The Kir Royale is the ultimate easy-to-make sparkling cocktail,’ says Pietro Collina, bar director for Thesleff Group, a collection of top London restaurants and bars.

‘It is simply a mix of Champagne and crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) and a lemon twist. The beauty of this drink is that it works as a template for endless variations. Once you master the ratio, you can swap the cassis for apricot liqueur, peach or St-Germain (elderflower) to create your own signature Royale for the evening.’

Top tips for making Champagne cocktails

While it’s surprisingly easy to create drinks with wow factor at home, there are a few useful tips that will help you to make Champagne cocktails like a pro. First: think about your glassware.

‘Flutes are always popular for drinks like French 75s and feel very festive, while also having the benefit of preserving the carbonation in your cocktail longer due to a smaller surface area for bubbles to dissipate,’ advises Alex Leidy, general manager at Silver Lyan in Washington DC.

‘You can never go wrong with a classic flute; it preserves the carbonation the best,’ agrees Collina. ‘However, if you want to add a bit of theatre and vintage flair to your New Year’s Eve, use a cocktail coupe. It looks elegant, though you have to drink it a little faster before the bubbles disappear!’

Whichever glass you choose, remember to chill it. ‘Beyond matters of preference, the best kind of glass for a sparkling cocktail is a cold one,’ says Leidy. ‘Putting whatever glassware you intend to use in the fridge or freezer for a few hours before hosting will go a long way towards keeping the final drink at its most refreshing for as long as possible.’ It also gives your glass a festive frosted look.

What Champagne to use?

Don’t use vintage Champagne or exclusive cuvées in sparkling cocktails. The complexity of these prestige Champagnes will be lost in the mix. Instead choose a non-vintage (NV) cuvée. ‘An entry-level bottle from any reputable Champagne house is perfect,’ notes Leidy. Supermarket own-labels are also a good value choice.

Next think about the style of fizz. ‘Brut or extra brut Champagnes are best for spirit-forward or minimal-ingredient cocktails,’ recommends Carmine Marano, bar manager of Advocatuur, Rosewood Amsterdam. You can even choose an ultra brut, the driest style of Champagne to balance out sweeter cocktails.

There are six recommendations at the bottom of this article to give you inspiration.

Festive Champagne cocktails: 12 recipes to make at home

Air Mail

This tropical twist on the Champagne Cocktail (see below) first appeared in a recipe pamphlet published in Cuba by the Bacardí company in 1930. The Cuban air mail service began in the same year, which might mean the drink was invented then and named after it; but there’s no evidence to support that theory – nor do we know who actually created it. Nonetheless, it’s a great party drink. Although the original recipe called for Cuban rum, specifically Bacardí Gold, you can use any gold rum (aged one to three years). Try Bacardí Carta Oro (£23.94, Master of Malt). To make your own honey syrup, dissolve 5ml honey in 5ml warm water.

• Ingredients: 45ml gold rum, 15ml lime juice, 15ml honey syrup, Champagne to top
• Glass: Highball
• Garnish: None
• Method: Put the rum, lime juice and honey syrup in a shaker with ice and shake until your hands are cold. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass and top with Champagne.

Buck’s Fizz

The Buck’s Fizz was invented in 1921 at the Buck’s Club in London. Viewed by many as the classic breakfast cocktail, it’s also a great choice for festive celebrations thanks to its orange citrus taste. Exact quantities can be adjusted according to the size of your glass; just remember to always use a 2:1 ratio. Or for a lighter option, try a Mimosa. This twist on a Buck’s Fizz is a mix of equal parts Champagne and orange juice.

• Ingredients: 100ml Champagne, 50ml freshly squeezed orange juice
• Glass: Champagne flute
• Garnish: Orange slice
• Method: Pour the Champagne into a chilled flute, then pour in the orange juice.

Champagne Margarita

This recipe comes from The Cocktail Edit, a new book by Decanter contributor Alice Lascelles. ‘I can’t think of a combination more hedonistic than tequila and Champagne – and this one is wickedly good,’ she says. ‘It would be a great drink to kick off a party, or even as a thirst-quenching punch. Just lengthen with a bit of sparkling or still water and charge with lots of ice. For more elegance, serve in a coupe, undiluted, over a single ice cube.’

• Ingredients: 50ml tequila, 25ml lime juice, 12.5ml sugar syrup, 50ml Champagne
• Glass: Cocktail glass or rocks
• Garnish: Lime wheel
• Method: Shake the first three ingredients and strain over ice and top with Champagne.

Classic Champagne Cocktail

One of the oldest cocktails, tracing its roots back to the mid-1800s, this simple mix is a decadent treat – plus it’s easy to make. Simply build the ingredients in the glass and stir gently to mix. No cocktail shaker required. Try H by Hine (£22.75, The Whisky Exchange) a Cognac created especially for use in cocktails.

• Ingredients: 1 sugar cube, 2 or 3 dashes Angostura Bitters, 20ml Cognac, Champagne to top
• Glass: Champagne flute
• Garnish: None
• Method: Drop the sugar cube into a chilled Champagne flute and saturate it with the bitters. Add the Cognac. Top up the glass with Champagne, stir gently to mix and serve.

Cranberry Fizz

This is a seasonal twist a classic Bellini, which is made with Prosecco and peach purée. You can buy ready-made cranberry syrup, such as Routin 1883 Cranberry Syrup (£14.95, Amazon). But it’s easy to make your own fruit syrup if you have fresh cranberries. Put 200g of cranberries, 50g caster sugar and 150ml orange juice in a pan and
bring to the boil. Simmer for five minutes, then strain through a sieve and leave to cool. This will give about 200ml of purée, which will keep in the fridge for a week.

• Ingredients: 10ml cranberry syrup, 75ml Champagne
• Glass: Champagne flute
• Garnish: None
• Method: Pour the syrup into the bottom of a chilled Champagne flute. Slowly top with Champagne and stir gently to mix.

French 75

Created in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris by Harry MacElhone, this gin and fizz combo delivered such a kick that it felt like being shelled by a powerful French 75mm field gun used in World War I. A few of these will certainly get your party started… Use a well-balanced London Dry gin, such as Portobello Road 171 (£30, Amazon).

• Ingredients: 60ml gin, 30ml freshly squeezed lemon juice, 5ml sugar syrup, Champagne to top
• Glass: Champagne flute or coupe
• Garnish: Lemon twist
• Method: Put the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker. Fill half way with ice and shake until your hands are cold. Strain into a chilled glass (flute or coupe) and top with Champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Kir Royale

Starting life as a simple Kir or Kir Aperitif, this mix was created at the Café George in Dijon, where it was known as a Cassis Blanc and was made with Bourgogne Aligoté. But it was popularised by World War II French Resistance hero, Canon Félix Kir, who gave his name to the drink. Your Kir becomes Royale when you add Champagne instead of white wine – choose an ultra brut or zero dosage style to balance the sweet fruitiness of the crème de cassis. Try Gabriel Boudier Crème de Cassis de Dijon (£16.50, Soho Wine Supply).

• Ingredients: 10ml crème de cassis, Champagne to top
• Glass: Champagne flute
• Garnish: None
• Method: Pour the crème de cassis into a chilled Champagne flute and fill the glass slowly with Champagne.

Millionaire’s Martini

This Martini-with-Champagne mix harks back to the era of classic cocktails and has been revived by Sipsmith, the gin brand that kick-started the craft gin revolution in the UK. The recipe is taken from SIP: 100 Gin Cocktails with Only Three Ingredients, a great book that shines a light on simple gin mixes and is packed with cocktail history.

• Ingredients: 40ml London Dry gin, 40ml dry vermouth, Champagne
• Glass: Coupe
• Garnish: Lemon twist
• Method: Combine the gin and vermouth in an ice-filled mixing glass and stir until properly chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and top with Champagne.

Old Cuban

One for fans of Daiquiris and Mojitos, this deluxe rum-and-mint mix was created by top bartender Audrey Saunders in 2001. An icon of the New York bartending scene, Saunders is best known for her work at the Pegu Club in Soho, though this recipe predates her time there. One of her skills was reinventing classic recipes, and this mix, which uses an aged rum rather than the white rum of a Mojito or Daiquiri, puts a decadent spin on those drinks, while adding the zinginess you’d find in a French 75 (see above). Try using Appleton Estate 8 Year Old Reserve Rum. (£32.50, The Whisky Exchange).

• Ingredients: 45ml gold rum, 22.5ml lime juice, 22.5ml brut Champagne, 15ml sugar syrup, 6 fresh mint leaves, 2 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters
• Glass: Coupe
• Garnish: Mint leaf
• Method: Muddle the mint leaves, lime juice and sugar syrup in a shaker. Add the rum, bitters and ice, then shake until your hands are cold. Double-strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a mint leaf.

Sloe Gin Fizz

The Gin Fizz is a classic and simple mix of gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup, topped with soda water. For a more festive and decadent take, use Champagne and a fruity sloe gin, such as Hayman’s Sloe Gin (£26.50, Amazon). Use frozen blackberries or raspberries to garnish if you don’t have fresh ones.

• Ingredients: 50ml sloe gin, 25ml lemon juice, 10ml sugar syrup, Champagne
• Glass: Champagne flute
• Garnish: Blackberry or raspberry
• Method: Put the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake until your hands are cold, then strain into a tall Champagne flute. Top with Champagne.

Sparkling Red Bells Ring

This fruity twist on a French 75 was created by the team at Mr Fogg’s bars in London. Simone Spagnoli, group bars manager, says: ‘For a show-stopper, the Sparkling Red Bells Ring is the perfect choice. Using the French 75 as a base, the addition of winter fruit and spiced red berries syrup is not only festive in taste, but also creates a vibrant red colour. Make this if you want to impress in-laws or friends.’ He recommends serving it as a pre-Christmas lunch tipple. ‘We use Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut NV Champagne, as the white fruit notes of pear, white peach and apple work particularly well with the spiced red berries,’ Spagnoli adds.

• Ingredients: 30ml St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, 20ml apple juice, 20ml pomegranate juice, 10ml Monin Spiced Red Berries Syrup, 10ml fresh lime juice, 30ml NV Champagne
• Glass: Champagne flute
• Garnish: Red fruit
• Method: Put all of the ingredients except the Champagne into a shaker with ice. Shake until your hands are cold and strain into a chilled flute. Top with Champagne.

Twinkle

This modern classic was created in 2002 by Tony Conigliaro at The Lonsdale bar in London – and it has to be best name ever for a sparkly party drink. The original recipe used elderflower cordial, but St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur (£27.95, Amazon) works brilliantly and is more commonly used today.

• Ingredients: 30ml vodka, 15ml elderflower cordial or St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Champagne to top
• Glass: Champagne coupe
• Garnish: Lemon twist
• Method: Put the vodka and elderflower cordial (or liqueur) into a cocktail shaker. Fill half way with ice and shake until your hands are cold. Strain into a chilled coupe and top with Champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Six Champagnes for cocktails

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A double from Mount Gay

The world’s oldest rum distillery, Mount Gay in Barbados, has released two new expressions in its highly collectible Single Estate Series: 25_03_Vt24CF and 25_04_Vt19dp.

With a focus on terroir and vintage, the rums have been crafted from harvests at the same sugar cane estate in St Lucy but in different years.

‘These two new additions to our Single Estate Series are a masterclass in contrast and complementarity,’ said Master Blender Trudiann Branker. ‘25_03 is the first unaged rum of the series, while 25_04 is matured for five years in American oak ex-bourbon barrels. Moreover, 25_03 is a 100% Coffey still distilled rum, while 25_04 is a 100% double pot distilled rum.’

The code names are easy to decipher: 25 represents the release year and 03 and 04 are the release numbers in the series. Vt24 and Vt19 refer to the vintage year, while CF stands for Coffey and dp for double pot.

Mount Gay Single Estate Series 25_03_Vt24CF (Alcohol 48%, £80/70cl The Whisky Exchange) is a clear rum with notes of Cox’s Pippin apple and ripe pear, vibrant yellow citrus, green herbaceousness and fresh cut grass, with liquorice and black pepper spice (1,920 bottles).

Mount Gay Single Estate Series 25_04_Vt19dp (Alc 55%, £290/70cl The Whisky Exchange) is a warm golden brown, with fresh ginger, grass, caramel, cherry, delicate smokiness and plenty of spicy oak that lingers on the long finish, backed by an earthy base note, fresh hay, green apple bite, a slight saltiness and toffee sweetness (2,754 bottles).

Spirited words: ‘A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry’ – Ecclesiastes 8:15

What to drink now: Hot Chocolate

Bar Les Ambassadeurs, Hôtel de Crillon, Paris, France

Part of the new seasonal menu created by the Bar Les Ambassadeurs team, this decadent dessert cocktail is a perfect Christmas tipple. ‘The Hot Chocolate cocktail is a multi-layered indulgence,’ says Pierre Legentil, the bar’s assistant manager (pictured below). ‘Flor de Caña 12 Years Old provides depth and structure, rich chocolate adds body and a blend of carefully balanced spices brings aromatic complexity. The cream liqueur lends a luxurious mouthfeel, while a hint of chipotle introduces a subtle smoky finish.’ To create the spiced rum infusion, add four cinnamon sticks, six cloves and 10g of green cardamom to the bottle of rum. Infuse for two hours and strain before use. To create the infused chocolate liqueur, wrap 1g of chipotle spice powder in a cloth bag and leave it to infuse in the liqueur bottle for one hour.

Ingredients: 40ml spice-infused Flor de Caña 12 Years Old Rum, 30ml chipotle-infused Mozart Dark Chocolate Liqueur, 7.5ml Chambord liqueur, 20ml hot chocolate, 3 dashes saline solution

Glass: Coupette

Garnish: None

Method: Mix the hot chocolate with the chocolate liqueur. Pour them into a cocktail shaker, add the other ingredients and ice, then shake until your hands are cold. Strain into a coupette.

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• Distilled: Newly arrived in the UK, Casals Mediterranean Vermouth
• Distilled: Appleton Estate launches its longest-aged expression to date

Books for whisky lovers

Two new books will lure you deeper into the world of whisky – whether you’re a novice or a devoted fan. For beginners, Kristiane Westray’s Savour (£12.99 Bloomsbury Publishing) is billed as a guide to tasting and exploring whiskies of the world.

Prefaced with short sections on how whisky is made and how to taste, plus useful tips on identifying your own taste preferences, the book takes readers on an easily digestible tour of global whisky styles, highlighting top distilleries and bottles to try.

Meanwhile, whisky geeks will enjoy settling down with a favourite dram and a copy of The Whiskey Bible by Noah Rothbaum (£35 Workman Publishing).

Beginning with a Whiskey 101, Rothbaum dives into American, Scotch, Irish, Canadian and Japanese styles with relish, in an engaging, full-colour tome packed with insights and anecdotes. A lively read to devour as the nights draw in.

Spirited words: ‘Drink because you are happy, but never because you are miserable’ – GK Chesterton, Heretics

What to drink now… Smoked Cherry

The American Bar, Gleneagles, UK

‘We set out to create a Paloma-style cocktail that was both light and approachable,’ says Emilio Giovanazzi, head bartender at The American Bar at the luxury Gleneagles hotel in Perthshire, Scotland.

‘In our prep, we use large jars of cherries, which we strain from their syrup before service. The syrup, rich with concentrated flavour, felt too good to waste – arguably just as delicious as the cherries themselves.’

He explains: ‘We paired the syrup with a touch of Maraschino liqueur, not only to introduce a subtle bitterness, but also to amplify the cherry aroma and complement the smoky character of the mezcal. Sparkling mate adds a herbaceous lift and a gentle fizz, bringing the whole drink into balance.’

The cocktail is served in a bespoke, hand-painted glass inspired by the glint of sunlight on ripe cherries, but a standard highball glass will work perfectly if you’re making this drink at home.

Ingredients: 45ml Casamigos Mezcal Joven, 10ml Maraschino liqueur, 15ml leftover cherry syrup, 60ml ChariTea Sparkling Mate

Glass: Highball

Garnish: None

Method: Collect the leftover syrup from a jar of Maraschino cherries and add to a highball glass. Add the mezcal and Maraschino and mix gently to incorporate the syrup. Add ice and top up with the sparkling mate.

Related articles

• Distilled: Newly arrived in the UK, Casals Mediterranean Vermouth
• Distilled: Appleton Estate launches its longest-aged expression to date
• Distilled: Hot off the press – Tequila: A tasting course

A vermouth with a difference…

Vermouth plays a role in countless cocktails – from Martinis to Manhattans – making it a staple for your home bar. Newly arrived in the UK, Casals Mediterranean Vermouth (Alcohol 16%, £19.25-£20.95 Back to Mine, Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange) is an interesting choice for wine lovers, as it’s the only vermouth produced using the rare white grape Selma.

Casals is made in Spain by Juan Torres Master Distillers, the spirits arm of wine producer Familia Torres, which has a long-standing project to preserve ancestral Catalan varieties such as Selma. It’s used in a blend with other aromatic white grapes as the base for this Rojo vermouth, which is infused for three months with a mix of more than 20 botanicals, including rosemary, thyme, olive leaves and cinnamon.

The result is an aromatic sweet red vermouth with a nose of Mediterranean herbs and a rich, complex palate layered with red berries, dried herbs and baking spices, with a pleasing bitter finish. Try it in a Boulevadier or Negroni – with one of the gins opposite – or in a lower-alcohol long serve, simply paired with tonic.

Spirited words: ‘Candy is dandy… but liquor is quicker’ – Ogden Nash

What to drink now… Saketini

Written by Vicki Denig

Sip & Guzzle, New York

The Saketini offers a flavour-packed alternative to the classic Martini. For Steve Schneider, head bartender and bar manager at the bi-level, Japanese-style speakeasy Sip & Guzzle in New York, the drink was a perfect match for the venue. ‘I was looking for a house gin Martini riff and I really enjoy Junmai Daiginjo sake,’ he says.

Generally considered the pinnacle of sake production, Junmai Daiginjo-grade sake is known for its fruitiness and solid balance. ‘The fino Sherry gives [the cocktail] that extra dryness and depth, and the sherry vinegar gives it a little acidity.’ Schneider adds that the Castelvetrano olive adds a layer of butteriness. The drink pairs particularly well with cooked fish, sushi, sashimi and even yakitori.

Ingredients: 45 ml Gin, 30 ml Junmai Daiginjo sake, 15 ml Tio Pepe Fino Sherry, 2 dashes Sherry vinegar

Glass: Martini

Garnish: Castelvetrano olive

Method: Combine ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice, stir and strain into a Martini glass

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London is packed with must-visit bars for cocktail-lovers. From iconic classics like Dukes – inspiration for James Bond’s Vesper Martini – to cutting-edge venues like the Bauhaus-inspired A Bar with Shapes for a Name.

The good news is you’ll be able to find a drink to suit any taste; whether you’re looking for a decent Old Fashioned or a brand new molecular mixology creation. But where to start? Our edit offers a diverse snapshot of London cocktail bars across the city.

Best London cocktail bars

A Bar with Shapes for a Name

232 Kingsland Rd, Whitmore Estate, E2 8AX 

Yellow triangle, red square, blue circle. Look for the shapes on the signage out front and you’ve found the right place. This achingly hip, minimalist bar is inspired by Bauhaus concepts and certainly looks the part with staff in chic boiler suits, retro furniture and cocktails that are almost too cool to drink. Even the ice cubes are works of art. There’s a short list of six House Cocktails – including the Pastel (vodka, rhubarb, recomposed lime, capreolus raspberry) and Birne (whisky, pear, olive) – plus six Classic Drinks with a house twist: think Negronis with coconut oil. Make a reservation for tables on the weekend.

Explore the excellence of one of Italy’s most iconic wine producers – book your place at the Antinori Masterclass at Decanter Fine Wine Encounter London 2025

Bar Termini

7 Old Compton St, W1D 5JE

Proof that good things come in small packages, Termini may be tiny but it’s a star of the Soho bar scene. It only does two things – coffee and cocktails – but does both extremely well. Founders Tony Conigliaro, bar supremo, and Marco Arrigo, head of quality for Illy, took their inspiration from classic Italian train station buffets of the 1950s. Expect excellent espressos and Italian mixes such as the house Negroni or Marsala Martini (Beefeater Gin, Marsala wine, vermouth and almond bitters). Walk-ins are welcome if you’re feeling very lucky, but it’s best to book one of the hour-long slots to guarantee a table at this bijou bar.

Dram

7 Denmark St, WC2H 8LZ

Fans of drams shouldn’t miss this shrine to whisky, located on Denmark Street – nicknamed Tin Pan Alley for its historic links to the British music business and acts such as David Bowie and the Sex Pistols. Nowadays it’s all about pours not punk, thanks to Dram’s impressive selection of 350 whiskies. Pull up a stool at the ground floor bar for recommendations from the knowledgeable team, or head downstairs for libations dreamed up in the on-site lab and cocktails on tap, including the dangerously drinkable Coconut, made with Siete Misterios Mezcal and Tio Pepe Fino. There’s also a tiny terrace and secret pool room.

Lyaness

Sea Containers London, 20 Upper Ground, SE1 9PD

The endlessly creative Ryan Chetiyawardana – AKA Mr Lyan – is the brains behind Lyaness and a string of other top international bars. (His lo-fi Seed Library in Shoreditch is also well worth a visit.) The current list is the Collaboration Menu. Mr Lyan explains: ‘Collaboration is at the heart of what we do at Lyan… We work with other bars and restaurants, material scientists, agronomists, food scientists, alongside other industries and experts, to marry their insight with our own to create something neither of us would have done in isolation.’ This translates into 12 one-of-a-kind ingredients at the core of the menu, including Lego Olive Oil – deconstructed olive oil. Leave your preconceptions at the door and dive in.

Nightjar

129 City Rd, EC1V 1JB

An unassuming doorway off Old Street roundabout is your portal to this award-winning speakeasy that celebrates its 15th birthday this year. After its opening in 2010, husband-and-wife founders Edmund Weil and Rosie Stimpson went on to launch Oriole and Swift (see ‘10 more…’ below), both echoing Nightjar’s signature mix of Jazz Age style and cutting-edge cocktails. Low lights, dark wood and gleaming mirrors envelop you in a cosy boozy cocoon as you enjoy slick table service and a soundtrack of live blues, jazz and swing. Reservations are essential.

Side Hustle

NoMad Hotel, 28 Bow St, WC2E 7AW

Crowned Best International Hotel Bar at the Spirited Awards in New Orleans earlier this year, Side Hustle belongs to the London outpost of NoMad. It’s housed in a Grade II-listed building formerly home to Bow Street Police Station – though today the focus is on serving great drinks at the bar, rather than putting bad guys behind bars… Expect a Latin American vibe, with accomplished cocktails from a list that focuses on agave spirits. Favourites on my last visit were the Classic Mezcal Martini (Siete Misterios Doba-Jay, Tapatio Blanco, Dolin Blanc) and Sexy Olivia, a seductive combo of Altos Blanco Tequila and manzanilla Sherry.

Tayēr + Elementary

152 Old St, EC1V 9BW

Two bars in one, Tayēr + Elementary was launched in 2019 by cocktail royalty Monica Berg and Alex Kratena. As its name suggests, Elementary is the simpler space; set at street-level and with a neighbourhood bar vibe. Daily seasonal drinks include classic cocktails on tap and signature Highballs, plus beer, wine and coffee. Downstairs you’ll find the much larger Tayēr – Spanish for ‘workshop’. Bartenders here craft drinks in an enclosed horseshoe that includes a bespoke speed rack designed by Berg – just one of the many details that will delight true bar geeks. Don’t miss the iconic One Sip Martini: vodka and Ambrato vermouth garnished with a blue cheese-stuffed olive.

The Connaught Bar

The Connaught, 16 Carlos Place, W1K 2AL

It’s hard to beat the effortless glamour of this chic London hotel bar. Boasting a design inspired by 1920s Cubism, it’s a shimmering shrine to mixology, with a team of world-class bartenders, creative cocktails and decadent canapes. But the jewel in the crown is the sleek Martini Trolley. ‘The secret of a perfect Martini is the sound,’ smiles head of mixology Ago Perrone, as he slowly stirs Tanqueray No. Ten over blocks of hand-cut ice, mixed with the house vermouth and a choice of seasonal bitters to create a bespoke Martini for every guest.

10 more London cocktail bars to try:

Amaro – 15 Kensington High St, W8 5NP

Artesian – The Langham, 1C Portland Pl, W1B 1JA

Donovan Bar – Brown’s Hotel, 33 Albemarle St, W1S 4BP

Dukes Bar – 35 St James’s Pl, SW1A 1NY

Hacha – 378 Kingsland Rd, E8 4AA

Oriole – 7-9 Slingsby Pl, WC2E 9AB

Satan’s Whiskers – 343 Cambridge Heath Rd, London E2 9RA

Scarfe’s Bar – Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN

Swift – 12 Old Compton St, W1D 4TQ

The Fumoir – Claridge’s, Brook St, W1K 4HR

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Back to the source…

Appleton Estate, Jamaica’s oldest rum distillery, has launched its longest-aged expression to date. The Source 51-Year-Old (Alc 62%) was distilled from the estate’s own sugar cane and laid down in a single American oak cask by Master Blender Owen Tulloch in 1973. Subsequently watched over by Dr Joy Spence, the first-ever female Master Blender, it was drawn from the cask in January this year.

‘Tasting this beautiful expression with Owen over 40 years ago sparked my lifelong passion for the possibilities of aged rum,’ said Spence. ‘This release is a tribute to the artistry, dedication and spirit of our people; from the hand-harvested cane and traditional distillation to the stewardship of our barrels across generations. Jamaica and rum are inseparable.’

Named for the aquifer that supplies spring water for Appleton’s rums, The Source is mahogany-coloured, with aromas of honeyed raisins, vanilla, cinnamon, maple and smoky orange. The palate offers powerful citrus notes with spicy raisins, ripe figs and dark chocolate, plus an oaky, spiced finish plus hints of ginger.

The rum is presented in a heart-shaped decanter, its neck ring decorated with a copper doctor bird, Jamaica’s national bird. Just 25 decanters have been produced, with three available in the UK (£59,320/70cl Berry Bros & Rudd).

Spirited words

‘I am prepared to believe that a dry Martini slightly impairs the palate, but think what it does for the soul’ – Alec Waugh

What to drink now… Trouble in Mind

Equal Parts, London

This incredibly complex aperitif-style equal-measure cocktail was created by Michael Sager, owner of Equal Parts and Sager + Wilde. For the recipe, he meticulously selected Meinklang Weisser Mulatschak (2024, £16.50 Vintage Roots), an orange wine from Burgenland, Austria – a blend of Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Welschriesling.

The strikingly orange cocktail has flavours of peach, pear, rose, lychee and pink grapefruit, with a mildly bitter marmalade character from Tempus Fugit’s wine-based aperitif Kina L’Aéro d’Or (£31.95-£33.40 Amathus Drinks, The Whisky Exchange), plus rich vanilla and oak from Avallen Calvados (£35-£42.50 Widely available).

Sager says: ‘I wanted to create an equal-measures drink that could serve as a delicious, complex aperitif for autumn and winter, and that reflects my passion and expertise in wine. My favourite thing about this cocktail is that it doesn’t work with any other orange wine, which is what makes it unique.’

Ingredients: 25ml Meinklang Weisser, Mulatschak orange wine, 25ml Kina L’Aéro d’Or, 25ml apple brandy, 2 dashes saline solution

Glass: Coupette

Garnish: Green olive

Method: Stir all of the ingredients down over ice, strain into a coupette glass and garnish

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What’s your favourite summer drink? Some sips seem perfectly suited to warm weather – from a crisp G&T to exotic tropical cocktails.

But even if you have a fave summer tipple, it’s always fun to try something new and this summer there’s more choice than ever, with plenty of new launches and seasonal editions that are bang on trend.

Refreshing spritzes

Who doesn’t love a summer spritz? Refreshing, versatile and lower in alcohol than classic cocktails, it’s no wonder the spritz has become a popular summer drinks fixture. In fact, last year spritz serves accounted for one in seven cocktails sold in the UK, versus one in 11 the previous year, according to the CGA Mixed Drinks Q3 2023/2024 Report.

Many bars offer a dedicated spritz menu in summer. But it’s fun to play around with ingredients to create your own serves at home. Just remember to use a big wine glass and plenty of ice.

This summer I’ve been mixing up elegant Italicus Spritzes made with exotic bergamot liqueur (see below). But I’ve also got a few bottles of the new Ready-to-Serve Aperol Spritz in my fridge, along with the new Della Vite spritz collection – two of my favourite recent launches (see below).

Spice it up

If the summer heatwaves aren’t hot enough for you, then you aren’t alone. More of us are looking to turn up the heat with spicy food and drinks…

According to the Innova Market Insights report Global Flavour Innovation Trends in Hot & Spicy Foods, published last summer, we’re all showing a growing preference for spicy flavours – especially chilli. Over the past five years, there’s been a 4% increase in global launches of chilli-flavoured foods and beverages.

Diageo’s Flavour Forecast 2024 also highlighted the trend ahead of the launch of Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind Vodka. So it’s no surprise you can spot a growing number of spicy drinks on supermarket shelves now. My favourite recent launch is Picoso (see below).

Spiced rums are a great way to tap into this trend – and there are plenty to choose from with rum sales on the rise in the UK. Data from CGA by Nielsen IQ showed that rum sales in the UK surpassed the £1bn mark for the first time in 2022. Try using spiced rum instead of your regular rum in one of these easy-to-make rum cocktails.

Tequila takeover

As well as rum, tequila and mezcal are also on the rise. According to drinks industry analyst Statista, off-trade sales of tequila are now worth just over £350m in the UK. It’s proof that more of us than ever are now mixing up tequila cocktails at home.

I can never resist a salt-rimmed Margarita, but pretty pink Palomas are a refreshing choice too – and they’re just so easy to make. Simply add tequila, grapefruit soda and lime juice to an ice-filled glass and stir; no shaking required! For more tequila cocktail inspiration, check out Clinton Cawood’s suggestions in Beyond the Margarita.

If you’re looking for tequila cocktails on the go, the MOTH Paloma is a reliable choice. After no-alcohol? Then try the ISH Paloma.

Avoiding alcohol

More and more of us are now choosing zero alcohol alternatives. Research last year by Kantar showed that 22 million adults (45% of us) are attempting to moderate their alcohol intake (Alcovision, data to 30.06.2024). Of those people, 11% regularly choose NoLo drinks options. That’s double the number from five years ago (Alcovision, data to 31.09.2023).

According to the LOW & NO 2024: Drinking Differently report by KAM, 25% of UK adults now practice ‘zebra striping’ when they’re out in pubs and bars. This refers to alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. That figure rises to 78% of 18- to 24-year-olds.

The good news is it’s easy to do this at home without compromising on taste. But whatever your preference – and whatever the occasion – the selection below will give you plenty of bright ideas for seasonal sipping…

Summer drinks: 15 to try

Aluna Coconut Rum

For a totally tropical taste try Aluna: a blend of five rums from Guatemala and the Caribbean, made with toasted coconut and sustainably sourced coconut water. Slightly lower in sugar and alcohol, there are lots of fresh creamy coconut aromas with nice spiciness on the palate, plus toasted coconut notes and vanilla – like sipping rum out of a coconut shell. Rum fans can enjoy it neat over ice; pair it with cola and lime for a coconutty Cuba Libra or pimp their Piña Colada. Alc 37.5%

Aperol Spritz Ready-to-Serve

The drink that kick-started the UK’s love affair with spritzes was finally released as a pre-mixed bottled serve in spring this year. About time! Combining the iconic orange Italian aperitif with Prosecco and soda water, it’s a sparkling bittersweet summer refresher. Serve it chilled in a large wine glass filled with ice and garnish with a fresh orange slice. For the full Italian aperitivo experience, pair it with savoury snacks or light bites. Alc 9%

Babylonstoren Bitterlekker

If you love the bittersweet taste of Aperol Spritz (see above) but don’t want to drink alcohol, try Bitterlekker. Made by South African wine producer Babylonstoren, this vibrant aperitif combines honeybush and rooibos teas with blood orange and grapefruit citrus. Notes of rosemary and orange peel add a bitter herbal character. Serve it chilled in a highball glass packed with ice, garnished with a slice of orange and a sprig of rosemary. Alc 0%

£10/6x100ml bottles, The Newt in Somerset 

Bax Botanics Verbena

Created by Rose and Chris Bax, a wife-and-husband herbalist team in Yorkshire, this is a really distinctive gin alternative. Verbena, mint and fennel are craft distilled – and their flavours are faithfully reflected in a drink with precision, lift and the joyous lazy hum of a British country garden. Pair it with tonic water and lots of ice; ready-to-drink cans are also available. Alc 0%

£18.99/50cl Bax Botanics, Master of Malt

Black Lines Dirty Shirley

A Shirley Temple – made with ginger ale and a splash of grenadine, garnished with a maraschino cherry – is the classic virgin cocktail. But if you’d like something a bit harder for your summer parties, try a Dirty Shirley from the clever cocktail folk at Black Lines. Combining Sapling Vodka with grenadine, ginger ale, raspberry soda, blood orange and bitters, it’s dangerously moreish… Serve it chilled: 150ml in a slingor highball glass filled with ice and garnished with an orange slice and maraschino cherry (of course). I also love the crisp and fresh Black Lines Hugo Spritz. Alc 7%

£18/750ml, Black Lines Drinks

Della Vite Spritzes 

Della Vite, the Prosecco brand co-founded by Cara Delevingne, has launched a collection of canned spritzes, inspired by Italian aperitivo serves. In pretty pastel cans, the range includes an Apertivo Spritz (Alc 10%) and Bellini Spritz (Alc 7.5% abv), alongside my favourites: a zesty Sicilian Lemon Spritz (Alc 10%) and the fresh, floral Hugo Spritz (Alc 10%). For anyone avoiding alcohol, there’s also a 0% Aperiti-No Spritz. Delevingne says: ‘Our new range of Spritzes are inspired by the aperitivo culture we love when we’re in Italy, but made to be cracked open wherever and wherever. They’re fun, they’re bold and, just like our core range of Proseccos, don’t need any fuss or formality.’ Alc various

£32/8x200ml cans, Amazon

El Bandarra Al Fresco

Made in Barcelona, El Bandarra Al Fresco is a bitter-sweet vermouth that you can pair with tonic for a vibrant summer serve. With lower alcohol than a G&T, vermouth and tonic is a lighter, more refreshing take on a sparkling summer cocktail. Mix 50ml El Bandarra Al Fresco with 100ml tonic in a highball glass filled with ice and garnish with an orange slice. The eye-catching graphic bottle – inspired by tapas menus – looks great too. Alc 14.5%

Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto

Perfumed and sophisticated, this bergamot liqueur from Turin is a modern take on the classic aromatic Italian rosolio (a type of aperitivo). With light hints of floral spice, it makes a refreshing summer tipple paired simply with soda water or tonic over ice. If you’re feeling fancier, try it in a spritz with any Prosecco or sparkling wine, garnished with three green olives to give a balancing touch of savoury saltiness to counter the sweet florality. What’s more, the eye-catching aquamarine bottle – inspired by ancient Roman columns and Northern Italian Gothic architecture – looks effortlessly stylish on your drinks shelf… Alc 20%

Jukes Cordialities

Wine writer Matthew Jukes is the palate behind this range of alcohol-free drinks designed to appeal to wine lovers. Each numbered blend combines natural fruit, vegetables, herbs, spices and flowers with organic apple cider vinegar. Each 30ml bottle can be mixed with still or sparkling water to create two 125ml glasses. My pick for summer, Jukes 8 is inspired by Provence rosé, with notes of rhubarb, melon, pomegranate and apple. Alc 0%

£43 / 9 x 30ml bottles, Jukes Cordialities

Manly Spirits Marine Botanical Vodka

A vodka for gin lovers, this Australian spirit is distilled in Sydney using foraged marine botanicals including sea parsley and kelp. Salty, savoury aromas with underlying spiciness make your mouth water. The slightly sweet palate is creamy and savoury with some seaweed umami depth, balanced by lovely breezy ozone freshness and a clean mineral edge. Just like a day out at the seaside… A great alternative to gin with tonic or try it neat with oysters. Alc 41.6%

Picoso

Without doubt my soft drink of the summer! Picoso is a spicy soda brand with two flavours: Zesty Lime and Tropical Mango. Founders Tom Bowerman-Wake and Tish Carless use fresh chilli – Scotch bonnet in Zesty Lime and Mexican habanero in Tropical Mango – to give a well-judged kick of mouth-tingling spice that’s balanced by sweetness from natural agave. These sodas are super-versatile: enjoy them as a satisfying zero alcohol drink or add 50ml of tequila or mezcal in a higball glass with plenty of ice to create an easy cocktail. ‘Picoso promotes a new way of mixing – pushing inclusivity for drinkers and non-drinkers, ensuring that no one feels left out,’ explains Bowerman-Wake. It’s definitely time to spice up your life… Alc 0%

£15/ 6x250ml, Picoso Drinks or £10/4x250ml, Delli 

Porters Tropical Old Tom Gin

Created by bartenders in a micro-distillery in Aberdeen, this gin is made in an Old Tom style: a traditional 18th century recipe that’s slightly sweeter than London Dry. I love the fresh and faintly tropical aromas, with sappy leafiness, pineapple and floral touches. On the palate the Old Tom sweetness is balanced by fresh tropical fruit – pineapple, mango – edged in florals but also with earthy base notes, like walking through a humid rainforest. Try it in an Old Tom Collins: build in a tall glass using 50ml Porters, 25ml lemon juice, 25ml sugar syrup and 125ml chilled soda water. Alc 40%

£34.50/70cl Ocado

Sake Sling

Served in a slimline can that takes up minimal space in your fridge, sparkling Sake Sling is also light on alcohol and calories. These ready-to-drink Japanese serves are based on sake from the 200-year-old Daimon Brewery and were created by the late great British mixologist Wayne Collins. Mandarin & Cherry is a play on the flavours in a Singapore Sling cocktail. But my pick for summer is Yuzu & Melon, a fresh and elegantly fruity fizz, with delicate citrus notes that perfectly complement the floral character of the sake. Alc 5.5%

£44.45/12 x 250ml cans, Drinks One

Sarti Rosa

Made from a base of premium French vodka, Sarti Rosa apertivo is infused with Sicilian blood oranges and tropical passion fruit and mango. Its fruity taste profile will appeal to those who find Aperol and Campari too bitter. To create a vibrant pink Sarti Rosa Spritz, combine two parts Sarti Rosa with three parts sparkling wine and one part soda water in a balloon glass filled with ice. Alc 14%

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Refreshing, versatile and lower in alcohol than classic cocktails, the spritz has become a popular summer fixture. Indeed, last year, spritz serves accounted for one in seven cocktails sold in the UK, versus one in 11 the previous year, according to the CGA Mixed Drinks Q3 2023/2024 Report. Tapping into the trend, the Campari Group has launched Sarti Rosa. Made from a base of premium French vodka, Sarti Rosa (£15.99-£21.90/70cl, widely available, alcohol 14%) is infused with passion fruit, mango and Sicilian blood oranges. Its fruity flavour profile will appeal to those who find Aperol and Campari too bitter. To create a vibrant-pink Sarti Spritz, combine two parts Sarti Rosa with three parts sparkling wine and one part soda water in a balloon glass filled with ice.

Spirited words

‘There can’t be good living where there is no good drinking’ – Benjamin Franklin

What to drink now… The Mediterranean Treasure

Story by Clinton Cawood

The Mediterranean Treasure

Paradiso, Barcelona, Spain

Transport yourself to the Mediterranean sea with the salinity-and-spice notes of this complex yet refreshing cocktail. Paradiso founder Giacomo Giannotti explains: ‘The fino Sherry provides a foundational note, while coriander adds a layer of spice, contributing to the cocktail’s complexity. Finally, the salt rim further enhances the sea flavour, creating a drink that is truly reminiscent of the Mediterranean.’ Gianotti uses Ketel One Vodka (£24-£33.50/70cl, widely available) and St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur (£27.99-£42.99/70cl, widely available). As with all of Paradiso’s creations, this one is served in elaborate fashion at the bar, in a seashell placed inside a ‘treasure chest’ with a leaf from an oyster plant, a small edible pearl and a smoking rosemary sprig. At home, a coupe glass will do nicely.

Ingredients: 50ml Ketel One Vodka, 20ml fino Sherry, 5ml St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, 20ml fresh lemon juice, 15ml honey, 15ml egg white, 6-8 coriander leaves

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Salt rim

Method: Pour the Ketel One, fino Sherry, St-Germain, lemon juice, honey, egg whites and coriander leaves in a shaker over ice. Shake vigorously and double strain into a salt-rimmed coupe glass.

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Cuban rum producer Havana Club has announced the latest addition to its Icónica Collection. Tributo 2025 has been created in collaboration with Ireland’s Midleton Distillery. Limited to just 2,967 bottles worldwide, the ultra-premium Cuban rum is finished in Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey casks.

‘By finishing this rum in Redbreast whiskey casks, we introduce a new dimension to our craft, uniting the finest Cuban rum and Irish whiskey traditions to create a truly extraordinary expression,’ said Asbel Morales, Maestro del Ron Cubano (Cuban rum master), the creative force behind the Tributo series.

David McCabe, Midleton Distillery master blender, added: ‘Redbreast and the Maestros del Ron Cubano share a deep respect for traditional knowhow, the transmission of expertise and the relentless pursuit of excellence. This collaboration is a tribute to that shared commitment, bringing together two iconic spirits that honour craftsmanship while pushing the boundaries of flavour exploration.’

A deep, smooth, complex sipping rum, Tributo 2025 (Alc 43%, RRP €450/70cl) has rich notes of dried sultanas and fig, with hints of dark caramel, vanilla and candied peel, green apple, dried ginger and oaky spice, with a very long finish.

Spirited words

‘Here’s to alcohol, the rose-coloured glasses of life’ – F Scott Fitzgerald

What to drink now… Milady’s Spritz

Milady’s, New York City

Created by revered mixologist Julie Reiner, co-owner of Milady’s in SoHo, the bar’s eponymous spritz offers a refreshing yet balanced riff on go-to options that most drinkers know and love.

‘I was looking to create a spritz that had a bit more depth of flavour than a traditional Aperol spritz,’ says Reiner, stating that she and her team were looking for a drink that could be served all year long and act as one of the bar’s signature cocktails. Reiner was particularly interested in using Lambrusco and found that Amaro Santoni (£25.75/50cl The Whisky Exchange) liqueur not only worked really well with it, but also added the depth of flavour she was looking for.

‘A spritz is great if you are looking for something low abv, and can really be enjoyed any time,’ she says. ‘Adding the Amaro Santoni and Lambrusco made for a spritz that works in the winter months, too.’

Ingredients: 60ml Lambrusco, 45ml Aperol, 15ml Amaro Santoni, 30ml Club soda

Glass: Burgundy wine glass

Garnish: Blood orange slice

Method: Combine the Aperol, Amero, Lambrusco and club soda in the glass

Interview by Vicki Denig

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Rum is a sunshine spirit. Just saying the word ‘rum’ makes me think of holidays: enjoying tropical cocktails at a beach bar or mixing up a fruity rum punch for summer parties.

Sun is crucial for rum production too. It’s made from sugar cane, which can only be grown in warm tropical and subtropical climates. Look along the equator on a map – between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn – and you’ll find top rum-producing countries. From Venezuela and Guyana in South America, to Barbados and Jamaica in the Caribbean, across to India and the Philippines.

By using imported molasses and sugar cane syrup, rum can actually be made all around the world. Recently the British rum scene has taken off, with distillers in England and Scotland using their experience of gin and whisky production to create small-batch rums with a distinctive character. Look out for names such as DropWorks, Scratch Rums and Two Drifters.

How is light rum made?

To make rum, the sugarcane juice or molasses are fermented and then distilled. After distillation this sunshine spirit can take a darker turn though, dividing into light and dark styles depending on whether it is aged or not.

Light rum – also known as white, silver or carta blanca – is, as the name suggests, the lightest style of rum. Light rums are either unaged or lightly aged in oak barrels and then filtered. The filtration removes any colour that has been imparted to the spirit from the oak, and also some of the heavier oaky flavours. It means you get a white rum with more complexity.

How to drink light rum

Either way, the result is a lighter taste profile than dark rum, with freshness to balance rum’s naturally sweeter notes. As a result light rum is a versatile spirit that can be enjoyed in simple serves with a mixer – think cola, ginger beer or pineapple juice – and plenty of ice.

It also forms the base of several classic cocktails, including the Mojito, the Daiquiri, Cuba Libre, Mary Pickford and Piña Colada. Light rum is combined with dark rum and fruit juices to create the tropical Hurricane. While other cocktails such as the Mai Tai can be made with light or dark rum.

If you are keen to mix up your own, why not try these rum cocktails to make at home?

But which light rums should you be using? Here are a few of my favourites, with tips on how to enjoy them.

The best light rums: 12 to try

Bacardí Carta Blanca

Bacardí is the original Daiquiri rum. The classic cocktail is named after the Cuban town where American engineer Jennings Cox first combined Carta Blanca, lime juice and sugar in 1898. Although Bacardi was founded in Cuba in 1862, its rums are now made in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Carta Blanca has sweet tropical aromas with banana and coconut and a touch of peppery spice, leading to a light, creamy palate with notes of tropical fruit, and a vanilla toffee edge. Lingering spiciness on the finish. A good value choice for cocktails and punches. Alcohol 37.5%

Diplomático Planas

Aged for six years in barrels and charcoal-filtered for clarity, this delicious Venezuelan rum delivers the best of both worlds. It offers the rich depth of a dark rum – think toffee, warm spice and creamy vanilla – balanced with the brightness of a white rum, including fresh grassy tones. Layers of coconut, zesty lemon, green chilli and vibrant tropical and stone fruits add further interest. Silky and smooth, it’s perfect over ice or as a refined twist in a classic Daiquiri. Alc 47%

Don Q Cristal

Made in Puerto Rico by the Serrallés family, which established its distillery back in 1865. Don Q is named after Don Quixote, protagonist in the classic Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes, which was a favourite family read. This light rum spends 18 months in American oak and is then carbon filtered. It’s a fruity little number: I love using it in rum punches. Expect lively notes of pineapple, citrus and banana, with gentle spice hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. Alc 40%

DropWorks Funk Drop Rum 

Founded in 2023 by rum expert Lewis Hayes, DropWorks in Nottingham is one of the UK’s newest rum producers, flying a flag for British rums. Made from imported molasses, Funk Drop is triple-distilled in England’s first double retort still. Production techniques used by Jamaican distillers to create their distinctive high-ester rums give a full-on, funky spirit with explosive tropical notes of roasted pineapple, ripe guava and coconut, plus earthier spice tones and an oily, mouthcoating texture. Try it in a Hurricane. Alc 63%

El Dorado 3 Year Old

El Dorado is a range of demerara rums made in Guyana. The Diamond Distillery is located on the banks of the Demerara River, just six degrees away from the equator in South America. This is the youngest rum in the range, which is better known for its aged expressions, including 5-, 8-, 12-, 15- and 21-year-old rums. It spends three years in cask and is charcoal-filtered. There’s an appealing nutty-toffee-brown sugar character alongside coconut, light spice and grassy notes. Try it in a Cuba Libre with cola and lime. Alc 40%

Equiano Light

The world’s first Afro-Caribbean rum is a blend of fresh unaged sugar cane juice rum from Grays Distillery in Mauritius and three-year-old molasses rum from Foursquare distillery in Barbados. It’s named in honour of Olaudah Equiano, a freed slave and a prominent abolitionist in the 18th century. A percentage of company profits goes to the charitable Equiano Rum Co Foundation, currently supporting Anti-Slavery International. A very light and subtle palate, with lovely freshness. Carries its alcohol lightly. Grassy, creamy, with vanilla, and a spicy note on the finish. Alc 43%

Havana Club Original Añejo 3 Años

The leading Cuban rum brand, Havana Club’s light rum is aged in ex-bourbon casks for three years and then filtered to remove the colour. Sweet and fresh aromas, with tropical fruit notes – lots of pineapple, mango, banana and some fudge. The palate is grassy and spicy, with a refreshing fruitiness and honeyed sweetness. Pineapple, green apple, plus vanilla and lemon bonbons. A touch of the florality on the finish, plus lots of green chilli spice and some toffee. Perfect for the classic Cuban cocktail, a Mojito. Alc 40%

J Wray & Nephew Wray’s 43 Full Proof Rum

This new release from historic Jamaican distiller J Wray & Nephew, founded in Kingston in 1825, is a lighter take on its iconic Overproof bottling, which comes in at 63% abv. A blend of unaged Jamaica white rums, its rich and fruity, with a real punch of flavour: think fresh grassiness, charred pineapple, lemon and lime citrus, vanilla and cream soda. Enjoy it in long drinks,with mixers such as ginger ale, pineapple juice or coconut water. Alc 43%

Planteray 3 Stars

The three stars are Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad: top sites for rum production in the Caribbean. This engaging blend mixes unaged spirits from Barbados and Jamaica with two- to three-year-old spirit from Trinidad, then adds a dash of Jamaican 10-year-old for good measure. A bartender favourite, 3 Stars is crisp and fresh, with plenty of spice and a grassy, almost agave-like note on the palate that’s balanced by honeyed sweetness and a creamy custard note. Great choice for Daiquiris. Alc 41.2%

Rhum JM White

This is an agricole, a distinctive style of rum made from sugarcane (rather than molasses) that’s typical to the French-speaking islands of the Caribbean – in this case Martinique, where the style was invented – hence it’s labelled rhum. Agricoles have a trademark grassy character, which you’ll find here alongside bright lime citrus, floral and tropical notes, plus white pepper spice. Try it in a Mary Pickford with pineapple juice, grenadine and maraschino liqueur. Alc 50%

Ron Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca

Crafted from Cuban molasses and matured for three years in white oak barrels before filtration, this rum offers a bright, grassy aroma layered with hints of banana, tropical fruit, and a touch of fudge. On the palate, it’s smooth and creamy, revealing notes of banana toffee, vanilla, and gentle spice, all balanced by a fresh green character. Well-rounded and an ideal choice for cocktails – especially a crisp, minty Mojito. Alc 38%

Veritas White Rum

Two of rum’s most respected names have joined forces to make this versatile light mixing rum. A blend of pot-still spirit from Hampden in Jamaica and column-still rum from Foursquare in Barbados, Veritas kicks off with notes of banana caramel, pineapple and vanilla. Smooth palate with pineapple and pineapple leaf, fresh banana, pear and a touch of butterscotch. One of my favourite rums for a Daiquiri. Alc 47%

Related content:

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Best rums for a Mai Tai

Best dark rums: 12 to try

It’s hard to believe, but the Margarita’s crown as the most popular tequila cocktail might be slipping. But which young upstart is giving this classic a run for its money? Let me introduce you to the Paloma, a refreshing, easy-to-make, easy-to-drink highball consisting of tequila, lime juice and grapefruit soda.

As with many classic cocktails, the Paloma’s origins are unknown. It’s thought to have appeared in the 1950s, shortly after an American grapefruit soda called Squirt was brought to Mexico. As Squirt and tequila were both available and affordable, they inevitably got mixed. The rest is history.

‘The Paloma is very refreshing – the citrus notes go very well with the tequila. When it’s very hot in Mexico, it’s what everyone’s drinking,’ explains Sophie Decobecq, owner and distiller of Calle 23 Tequila.

Tipping point

Despite its uncertain past, the Paloma is now well on its way to achieving global fame. ‘The Paloma seems to have hit a tipping point – I’ll go places I wouldn’t consider very global in nature, and they’re serving and drinking it,’ declares Jesse Estes, global brand ambassador for Tequila Ocho.

A few factors have come together to make this happen. The recent explosion in tequila’s popularity has combined with a rise in bitter drinks such as the Aperol Spritz and Negroni, and an increase in the number of grapefruit soda brands in the UK market. Finally, there’s the Paloma’s sheer simplicity.

When it comes to the type of tequila to use, opt for blanco. The grapefruit soda is a matter of personal taste; Squirt is surprisingly sweet and lacks the citrus bitterness you’d expect to find.

To recreate that sweeter profile here in the UK, try Mexican brand Jarritos Grapefruit, which errs on the softer side (£1.99-£2.88/37cl Cool Chile Co, DrinkSupermarket, MexGrocer). For a sharper drink, look to Three Cents Pink Grapefruit Soda, a boutique brand with a pretty pink colour and expressive tartness (£1.40/20cl Maltby & Greek, VIP Bottles). Forget your G&Ts this spring and give the Paloma a whirl…

How to make a Paloma

Ingredients: 35ml tequila, 15ml lime juice, 100ml grapefruit soda

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Salt rim

Method: Run a lime around the rim of the glass and dip it into a salt-filled plate to form the salt rim. Fill the glass with ice, pour in the lime juice, tequila and grapefruit soda and stir to mix.

One to try

Calle 23 Blanco

Mexico

French biochemist Sophie Decobecq is the brains behind Calle 23. Its unaged blanco has rich agave notes as the foundation upon which lie apple, pear, orange and lime zest, earthy terracotta and cracked black pepper. Alc 40%

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New York has long set a benchmark for craft cocktails, and its venues to enjoy them span the gamut.

From OG speakeasies to agave-focused bars, amaro-forward lounges, and beyond, exploring all that Manhattan’s cocktail scene has to offer could easily become overwhelming – which is why we’ve rounded up the best spots to visit here.

If you're planning to attend Decanter's Fine Wine Encounter in New York on 6 June, why not see if you can add a couple of these great cocktail bars to your itinerary?

Best Manhattan cocktail bars

Attaboy

134 Eldridge St, New York, NY 10002

Founded in 2012 by Sam Ross and Michael McIlroy, Attaboy has remained a staple among New York’s cocktail scene for nearly 15 years. Situated in an inconspicuous location on Eldridge Street—in the former home of legendary cocktail institution Milk & Honey, no less—this clandestine lounge is known for its lack of menu, meaning each drink is customised to patrons’ unique preferences.

The bar draws deep inspiration from the great speakeasies of the Roaring Twenties, and is also credited for creating a handful of modern classic cocktails, namely the Paper Plane (bourbon, Aperol, amaro and lemon juice) and the Penicillin (whiskey, ginger, honey, lemon, and peated scotch floater).

As of last year, Attaboy’s bar space expanded to include an additional 1,000 square feet, meaning more cocktails to go around; however, due to its immense popularity, Attaboy operates as a walk-in-only, first-come, first-served space, so be sure to arrive early, ring the doorbell, and get your name on the waitlist.

Bar Pisellino

52 Grove Street, 7th Ave S at, New York, NY 10014

On warm weather days, local New Yorkers and tourists alike immediately take to the outdoor terraces of Bar Pisellino, and it’s no surprise why. Helmed by renowned chefs Jody Williams and Rita Sodi (I Sodi, Via Carota), this all-day establishment brings the spirit of Italian café culture to the heart of the West Village.

Complete with a standing bar, marble countertops, and ample outdoor seating across both locations—which are conveniently located next to one another—the spot’s morning coffee and bomboloni (cream-filled doughnuts) seamlessly transition to afternoon spritzes, sandwiches, and aperitivo-style cocktails.

No matter the time of day Pisellino offers some of the city’s best people watching opportunities, though both outposts remain walk-in only (and often require a bit of a wait). Arrive on the early side, put your name in, and grab a quick slice at Bleecker Street Pizza to pass the time.

Bemelmans Bar

35 E 76th St, New York, NY 10021

Situated within the prolific Carlyle Hotel, Bemelmans Bar is nothing short of a cocktail institution. Frequented by Hollywood figures, politicians, and socialites alike – including JFK, Elizabeth Taylor and Paul McCartney – this long-standing cocktail outpost offers a step back in time to the New York of yesteryear. Best known for its iconic murals, strong martinis and signature snack trio, no cocktail lover’s trip to New York is complete without a stop to this benchmark bar – though be sure to allot some wait time, as the queue can get pretty robust during peak hours.

Overstory

70 Pine St, New York, NY 10005

Perched on the 64th floor of 70 Pine, Overstory serves up world-class cocktails and 360-degree skyline views from its outdoor wraparound terrace. The intimate, 24-seat bar sits above SAGA, a two-Michelin Starred fine-dining restaurant opened by the late Chef James Kent.

Behind the Overstory bar, Harrison Ginsberg whips up creative-yet-accessible favourites, including the Cold Snap (gin, dry vermouth, snap pea, peach, plum), Pink Tuxedo (vodka, cherry blossom, vermouth, strawberry, absinthe), and El Bandito (tequila, tomato water, koseret, lime, yuzu kosho).

While not a full-blown restaurant, you could certainly cobble together a satisfying meal based on the bar’s hearty snacks – think lobster rolls, beef tartare, smoked eel croquettes, and uni French toast. Come for the views, stay for the drinks and warm hospitality.

Sip & Guzzle

29 Cornelia St, New York, NY 10014

Tucked away on Cornelia Street, Sip & Guzzle is a bi-level cocktail bar helmed by industry pioneers Shingo Gokan and Steve Schneider. A harmonious blend of Tokyo hospitality and New York flair, the bar features a ground-level tavern and sophisticated downstairs speakeasy, both of which serve up top-tier drinks and Japanese-influenced snacks.

Guzzle, the bar’s more casual concept, specialises in highballs and riffs on the classics, while Sip highlights unique signature cocktails made with unmatched precision—the Doctor Green, for example, made with tequila, green apple, tomatillo, shiso, and horseradish, quickly became an industry favourite.

Eclectic izakaya snacks are served across both concepts, featuring the likes of mochi french fries, volcano rolls made with spicy bluefin tuna, and coconut sticky rice, and the bar’s signature Bikini—playfully referred to as ‘the world’s thinnest sandwich’—made with Comté ganache, and jamon.

Superbueno

13 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

Although opened just two years ago, Superbueno has made quite the name for itself across New York’s cocktail scene – and the proof goes beyond what’s in the glass. In addition to meticulously crafted drinks with an emphasis on Mexican flavours (the Roasted Corn Sour made with corn whiskey, reposado tequila, roasted corn, guajillo, lemon and egg white is unmissable), where Superbueno truly shines is in hospitality.

Helmed by the joyful Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Jimenez, the service offered across the board matches Jimenez’s unmatched spirit, with equal delight to be found on both the cocktail and food menus. Yet despite its high level of F&B excellence, the bar still manages to maintain a light, airy and ‘at home’ feel. For good drinks and a top-tier atmosphere, this is your spot.

The Dead Rabbit

30 Water St, New York, NY 10004

For innovative craft cocktails and refined Irish pub fare – as well as one of the best, if not the best Irish coffees in Manhattan – look no further than The Dead Rabbit. Located in a three-storey space downtown, this cocktail mecca features an impressive 70-page cocktail list, with a strong emphasis on traditional punches.

The bar’s three concepts include a ground-floor taproom, first-floor parlour and upstairs speakeasy-inspired lounge, offering various atmospheres across each space. Don’t sleep on the bar’s Irish Breakfast, available all day, everyday (vegetarian options included).

The Portrait Bar

1 W 28th St, New York, NY 10001

Tucked away in the back of The Fifth Avenue Hotel, The Portrait Bar offers a welcome reprieve from the bustling streets of New York’s NoMad neighbourhood. Overseen by Darryl Chan, The Portrait Bar’s cocktail list draws inspiration from the classics, and serves them up with signature twists inspired by the team’s cumulative travels and experiences.

Highlights include the Oaxaca – Mexico, a twist on the classic margarita made with Oaxacan Gin, Empirical Ayuuk, Contratto aperitif, lime sherbet, hibiscus and chocolate, as well as the Kochi – Japan, a creative whiskey sour-like drink made with Suntory Toki, Cynar, yuzu, star anise, and sarsaparilla.

schmuck

97 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

One of the newest additions to the East Village’s lineup of eclectic cocktail bars, schmuck is an absolute must-visit for fans of unique, well-executed cocktails and equally delicious bites. The brainchild of Moe Aljaff and Juliette Larrouy, formerly of the Barcelona-based outpost Two Schmucks, and business partner Dan Binkiewicz, schmuck’s layout is designed to mimic various rooms of a cozy house party, and comprises two main spaces, the Living Room and the Kitchen Table, each with their own decor and menus.

Standouts include the savoury Bread with Tomatoes, a highball prepared with Grey Goose, as well as the classic Schmuck Martini served with an eyedropper of olive oil to customise to your liking. With regards to bar snacks, the menu boasts strong Middle Eastern influences – be sure to try the white bean cacio e pepe.

More Manhattan cocktail bars to tempt your fancy

Agency of Record – 118 E 40th St, New York, NY 10016

Amor y Amargo – 443 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009

Attaboy – 134 Eldridge St, New York, NY 10002

Clemente Bar – 11 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10010

Death & Co. – 433 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009

Double Chicken Please – 115 Allen St, New York, NY 10002

Experimental Cocktail Club – 6 W 24th St, New York, NY 10010

King Cole Bar – Two E 55th St, New York, NY 10022

Madame George – 45 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036

Martiny’s – 121 E 17th St, New York, NY 10003

Monkey Bar – 60 E 54th St, New York, NY 10022

PDT (Please Don’t Tell) – 113 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009

The Nines – 9 Great Jones St, New York, NY 10012

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Tailor-made whisky

A new Scotch whisky bottler has released its debut single malt collection. Based in Leith, Tailored Spirits Co launched last year. Its inaugural range, the Experimental Series, is made up of three limited-edition Highland bottlings of one-off micro-batch experiments.

Experiment 1 Croftengea Loch Lomond 7 Year Old is a heavily peated malt matured in a first-fill 35L oloroso Sherry American oak ‘bloodtub’ (Alcohol 58.8%, £59.50/50cl, 52 bottles produced). It’s intense and layered with notes of roasted nuts and dried fruit.

Experiment 2 Fettercairn 13 Year Old is matured in neutral oak then re-racked into a first-fill Ribera del Duero barrique to accentuate the whisky’s fruity character (Alc 54.1%, £74.50/50cl, 84 bottles). It’s light and rounded with lovely malted biscuit notes.

Experiment 3 Ardmore 8 Year Old is a lightly peated malt matured first in ex-bourbon casks, then in ex-Cognac barriques (Alc 60.4%, £64.50/50cl, 60 bottles). A whisper of bonfire smoke on the nose becomes more dominant on the palate.

‘As three rather keen whisky folk, we wanted to produce a series of drams that celebrate the journey and exploration we go on as whisky drinkers. The discovery of flavour and the surprises that lay in single-cask whisky with interesting maturations is what whisky is all about for us,’ says co-founder Adam Harding. ‘The first three drams really set out the stall for the series, highlighting just how much influence the right wood can have on a maturing whisky.’

Spirited words

‘Love makes the world go round? Not at all. Whisky makes it go round twice as fast’

Compton Mackenzie, author of Whisky Galore

What to drink now… Piccolina

Swift, London

London’s award-winning Swift was opened in Soho in 2016 by Mia Johansson and Bobby Hiddleston. The group now includes two more venues that echo the original concept of a groundfloor cocktail bar and basement speakeasy. The Piccolina was created by Johansson, who says: ‘This is a delicious and nuanced take on a rich and stirred-down, classic-style cocktail. Using fortified wines rather than spirits brings complexity to the drink, thanks to the wines’ interaction with both yeast and oak during fermentation and ageing. The cocktail retains a generous body and silky mouthfeel due to residual sugars in the wines and the addition of the crème de figue liqueur. A finishing few dashes of Angostura lend the balancing bitter note, resulting in a sophisticated take on a lower-alcohol serve.’

Ingredients: 60ml Taylor’s Chip Dry White Port, 30ml Harveys Amontillado, 15ml Briottet Crème de Figue, 4 drops Angostura aromatic bitters

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Olive

Method: Add all of the ingredients to a generous mixing glass, fill to the brim with ice and stir for a few seconds. Refill to the brim with ice and stir for 10-20 seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a single olive in the glass.

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A tropical island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Mauritius is a winter sun destination. The (inactive) volcanic island, ringed by palm lined, white-sand beaches and lagoons, is protected by coral reefs, perfect for divers. The mountainous interior, meanwhile, is home to sub-tropical forests and several waterfalls. Here ecotourism is on the rise and the more adventurous can discover some of the island’s endemic wildlife.

Sandy beaches and lush forests might not sound like an obvious destination for wine lovers, but think again. A French colony for almost 100 years, a love of French food and wine is deeply rooted. In many of the hotels, French head sommeliers lead teams of young Mauritians keen to share the island’s growing wine culture.

The economic (r)evolution from sugar to tourism and financial services has created a young, affluent clientele with a love of wine and an appetite to learn. Consequently, the wine scene is becoming more exciting, supplied by well-stocked merchants across the island.

Melting pot

Mauritius was Dutch, French and English before becoming a republic in 1968. French, English and a French-based form of creole known as Morisien are spoken and this rainbow nation’s population includes a large group whose origins lie in the Indian subcontinent and elsewhere in Asia. Mauritian cuisine is a fusion of this heritage, with creole specialties such as rougaille, vindaye and roti taking pride of place. The seafood, tropical fruit, palm hearts, local game and even locally grown tea and coffee make the island a foodie paradise. Alongside sugar cane fields are orchards of lychee and mango trees covered in nets to keep away fruit bats, and fields of Victoria pineapples so tender you can eat the whole fruit.

Foodies will find plenty to keep them occupied in the capital, Port Louis, where the bustling Central Market is home to stalls piled high with colourful tropical fruit and veg. A street food tour with Taste Buddies is a great way to sample what and where the locals eat (from €45 per person).

Wine on the rise

A growing South African population with a penchant for braai has seen the selection of wines from this close neighbour grow in tandem. Oddly, for an island known as a honeymoon destination, duty on Champagne is almost five times that of still wine. Happily, Méthode Cap Classique and crémant escape this duty, so you can still add a sparkle to your stay.

Mauritius’ new wine dynamism also benefits visitors. Wine has become a marketing and communication tool for resorts, and consequently selections are now more exciting, no longer limited to average wines in all-inclusive deals.

Jérôme Faure, head sommelier of the Constance hotel group and chairman of the Mauritius Sommelier Association, is passionate about developing young local wine talent and a pioneer of wine-centred hospitality. The Blue Penny Cellar restaurant at the Constance Belle Mare Plage resort on the east coast is the wine star of the group. It’s home to 35,000 bottles from more than 2,300 wineries, with about 30 wines served by the glass. Its Around Wine concept allows guests to first choose wines by the glass for each course from a small list and then have the sommelier or chef suggest the perfect dishes to complement their choices. The hotel group has 103 sommeliers across its hotels.

Every May, the Constance group holds La Paulée, where winemakers host dinners over successive days, then a finale brings everyone together; in January, its Music & Wine week pairs winemakers with musicians. Neighbouring C Mauritius hosts an organic wine festival; this year’s iteration is due to take place on 26-27 April.

Le Château de Bel Ombre on the southwest coast also builds relationships with winemakers and visiting chefs based around gastronomic events held at the 19th-century colonial mansion. And nearby C Beach Club enjoys a more relaxed wine vibe thanks to guest DJs appearing alongside winemakers.

Wine merchant Aqui in Mapou, northeast of Port Louis, is an example of Mauritius’ wine re-invention. Launched in 2018 by Frenchman Alexandre Junca and Mauritian Delphine Espitalier-Noël, it offers wine events, tastings and masterclasses with visiting winemakers, helping to build a local wine community. You’ll find them at Domaine de Labourdonnais, which is famous for its restored 19th-century colonial house. The domaine’s restaurant La Table du Château serves a range of delicious, locally sourced dishes, while the tasting bar offers flavoured rums and preserves made using fruit from the orchard.

Wild life

The village of Grand Baie, in the north, is the place to go for nightlife, with a collection of bars, night clubs and restaurants strung along the waterfront. You can then escape to the calm at the 20° Sud Relais & Châteaux boutique hotel, located in an old coconut grove nearby. Mauritius really should be seen from the ocean, so take the hotel’s catamaran to Ile Plate, also known as Flat Island, to take a meal at Governor’s House, a restaurant located in the ruins of a 19th-century building that dates from the time when the island served as a quarantine station. Another option is an intimate sunset dinner cruise on the M/S Lady Lisbeth, the island’s oldest motorboat, built in 1929.

The south is the least developed part of the island, where empty beaches sit below wooded mountains. For wildlife watching on land, go for a hike in the Black River Gorges National Park along the Ebony forest track, or quad bike through the Bel Ombre nature reserve.

Snorkel off Pointe d’Esny to discover the diverse sea life on the coral reef, then visit the vibrant Mahébourg market. Allow time to visit the Ile aux Aigrettes sanctuary, which is only accessible by boat. You won’t regret leaving your sun lounger.

My perfect day in Mauritius

To properly appreciate the majestic mountains of Mauritius, rising up from its brilliant white beaches, you should take to the water. In Black River on the west coast, breakfast at Vanilla Village, which champions local artisan food producers, then spend the morning on a boat to take in the vistas and maybe see some turtles and dolphins. Come ashore among the kite surfers catching the breeze at the imposing Morne Brabant mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage site, for lunch at Wapalapam, where Austrian chef Willi Reinbacher champions modern Indian Ocean cuisine. The restaurant’s international wine list includes its own label, bottled exclusively in Bordeaux. The cocktails with iced popsicles are perfect for whiling away a hot afternoon.

Sunsets on the west coast are not to be missed. Finish the day watching the sun go down aboard the MoonBar’k, a catamaran transformed into a solar-powered floating lounge by Guillaume and Laetitia Ballu, who share homemade, locally sourced dishes at sunset. Try the mini lobster roll with one of their handcrafted rum cocktails.

Your Mauritius address book

Accommodation

Heritage Le Telfair & Heritage Awali

These sister resorts in Bel Ombre are the only facilities in Mauritius to offer 100% carbon-neutral stays and are located adjacent to Heritage’s 1,300ha Bel Ombre Nature Reserve, which can be explored on foot, buggy or quad bike.

La Maison d’Eté

In quiet Poste Lafayette on the island’s northeast coast, this boutique hotel has just 16 rooms overlooking the Indian Ocean.

Lakaz Chamarel

Located at the western edge of the Black River Gorges National Park, this rustic but charming eco-lodge has a number of cabins set in tropical gardens, several with private pools, plus a spa and restaurant.

Lux Grand Baie

On the north coast, this relatively new boutique hotel, co-designed by British interior designer Kelly Hoppen, offers stunning views across the bay from the rooftop restaurant and bar.

Royal Palm Beachcomber

The grande dame of Mauritius hotels. Located in Grand Baie, the hotel has an impressive cellar where guests can enjoy a wine tasting paired with a selection of tapas dishes.

Shanti Maurice

On the south coast, with the best spa on the island, an excellent restaurant, a rum shed bar and grill, and a fish shack where local dancers perform to the backdrop of waves crashing on the reef.

Vanilla Village

A mix of shabby chic and rustic charm, the guesthouse in this funky little ‘village’ in Black River has nine rooms and a private swimming pool, while the Vanilla Café serves one of the best breakfasts on the island.

Restaurants

La Clef des Champs

In the chic embassy quarter of Floréal, in the island’s central highlands, La Clef des Champs’ owner-chef Jaqueline Dalais is the gastronomic reference point for Mauritians.

Moustache Tapas and Wine Bar

A roadside French bistro attached to the Eastern Trading wine shop in Black River. Choose a bottle from the shelves and bring it to the table. Evenings only.

Shopping

Aqui

A combined wine shop, lounge and tasting room located in the Quartier des Serres, Mapou, at Domaine de Labourdonnais. As well as importing and distributing fine wine, it offers themed tastings and training courses accredited by the Bordeaux Wine School.

Mauritius beyond wine…

Rum is the island’s alcoholic drink, made from the sugar cane that covers about 85% of the arable land. As sugar production has been consolidated, many abandoned mills and estates have been repurposed into tourist experiences and real estate projects. The Domaine de Labourdonnais sugar estate, for example, now hosts a museum, restaurants, a sports club and the Quartier des Serres, a small shopping mall built around the remains of the estate’s greenhouses and home to the Aqui wine shop.

The sugar harvest runs from June to December. Rhumerie de Chamarel in the hills above the southwest coast is a working distillery where you can watch the cane being crushed and distillation in column and pot stills, and taste the range of rums. Lunch at its L’Alchimiste restaurant is excellent.

Rum isn’t the only alcohol made on the island. Near Ganga Talao (commonly known as Grand Bassin), a crater lake in the heart of Mauritius that’s sacred to the island’s Hindus, where giant statues of Shiva welcome pilgrims, oenologist Alexander Oxenham has built the island’s only winery. Takamaka makes wine from local lychees, producing a range that runs the gamut from dry to sweet, as well as a perfumed rosé. It’s laborious work: the fruit is picked, selected, peeled and pitted by hand before fermentation.

How to get there

A number of airlines offer direct flights from the UK to Mauritius, with a flight time of roughly 12 hours.

When to go?

The best times to visit are from April to June and from September to December. Avoid the peak cyclone season in January to March.

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Spice it up

Gavin and Kate Cox are big fans of the Bloody Mary, but became frustrated with the inconsistency of how their favourite cocktail was mixed and served at bars and restaurants, and even when drinking with friends at home. Cox’s Original was born of that frustration. Launched in 2010, the award-winning spicer is a blend of 15 spices, herbs and natural flavourings, including tamarind, horseradish and ginger. ‘I began the recipe using ingredients in my kitchen cupboard,’ explains Gavin. ‘Through trial and error – and 20 different blends – I finally got to the basic recipe and the right mix of chillies, celery salt, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.’

Now the duo have launched the Cox’s Original Bloody Mary Mixer Kit. Containing a bottle of Cox’s Original, Folkington’s Pressed Tomato Juice, 50ml Absolut vodka and two snack packs from Serious Pig, it’s all you need to create a perfect Mary moment. Add 50ml vodka to an ice-filled highball glass, top with tomato juice and add one teaspoon of spicer. £25 Cox’s Original

Spirited words

‘Alcohol is the anaesthesia by which we endure the operation of life’– George Bernard Shaw

What to drink now… Nashi Highball

Kiko, New York City

Created by Chris Lemperle, beverage consultant at Hudson Square-based Kiko, the Nashi Highball is a crowd-pleasing drink that falls somewhere between a Japanese-style Highball and the classic Stone Fence (a combination of American whiskey and cider). ‘This cocktail is versatile enough for any occasion and is a refreshing choice for fall and winter – perfect with a meal or for a night out. By keeping the base spirit as the focal point, I aimed to accentuate the whiskey (Suntory Toki, £31.89-£46/70cl Widely available) with the delicate profiles of pear and ginger,’ says Lemperle. He notes that the pear cider (Eric Bordelet Poiré Authentique 2022, £13.95-£15/75cl Buon Vino, The Good Wine Shop) creates a dynamic layering of orchard fruit and minerality. ‘The subtle notes of ginger add spice and acidity without overwhelming the palate. Manzanilla Sherry provides length and ties everything together.’

Ingredients: 35ml Suntory Toki whisky, 15ml manzanilla Sherry, 10ml lemon juice, 10ml ginger beer. Top with (roughly) 75ml pear cider

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Pear slice

Method: Add all ingredients to a highball glass filled with ice. Top with pear cider.

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Work begins on Scotland’s most westerly distillery

Construction has begun on a new distillery in Castlebay on the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides. The £12m project will be Scotland’s most westerly distillery and is scheduled to open in October 2026. Husband and wife team Michael and Katie Morrison founded The Isle of Barra Distillers Co in 2017 and began planning their new distillery in 2021.

‘My wife and I are Isle of Barra born and bred. When we moved back to the island after a few years on the mainland, we knew we wanted to create opportunities for more families to call Barra home and make sure there could be a future on the island for generations to come,’ said Michael. ‘Building our distillery is a transformative step for our island community.’

The distillery will bring new jobs to the island and support local tourism with a visitor centre, shop and cafe, while also contributing to economic growth and community development. To celebrate the start of construction, the Morrisons have launched two whiskies – Blended Malt and 10 Year Old Blended Malt – alongside their existing range, which includes Hebridean Vodka and Atlantic Gin. Limited to 986 bottles, the Blended Malt (Alc 46%) is layered with vanilla, toffee, dry baking spices, hay and orange chocolate, with a long, spicy, ginger and white pepper finish. £45/70cl Isle of Barra Distillers

Spirited words

‘A perfect Martini should be made by filling a glass with gin and waving it in the general direction of Italy’

Noel Coward

What to drink now… Fine à L’Eau

Bar Nouveau, Paris

@bar_nouveau_

Published this month, Tyler Zielinski’s new book Tiny Cocktails (£16.99 Clarkson Potter) showcases the art of making miniature drinks to help you create cocktail flights at home. This recipe is from the bijou Bar Nouveau in Paris. Zielinski writes: ‘Everything Remy Savage touches turns to (liquid) gold. As one of the world’s leading voices on vacuum distillation in bars, he… also appreciates the nuances of a simple serve, crafted with exceptional ingredients. Take the Fine à L’Eau, a straightforward tiny Cognac highball… Savage says [it] is “probably my favorite drink of all time”… It’s a modern version of the classic French Cognac highball. And once batched together, the cocktail has a shelf life of up to a year. It’s an expression of simplicity and provenance, and sometimes those characteristics make the best cocktails.’

Ingredients: 22.5ml Cognac, 15ml verjus, 15ml simple syrup, 30ml soda water

Glass: Small wine glass

Garnish: None

Method: Chill the Cognac in the freezer and the rest of the ingredients in the refrigerator for at least one hour beforehand. Combine the Cognac, verjus and simple syrup in a chilled lowball or tiny wine glass. Add the soda water and enjoy.

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Sri Lanka in the mix

Award-winning bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr Lyan, has launched an innovative range of cocktail seasonings that pay homage to his Sri Lankan heritage. He has joined forces with Amal de Silva Wijeyeratne, MD of Sri Lanka’s oldest distillery Rockland Distilleries, and Dilhan Fernando, CEO of Sri Lankan tea producer Dilmah, to create Three Families (Alc 40%).

Similar to cocktail bitters, these botanical blends can be used to add a twist to classic cocktails, in a simple serve with soda and ice or even as a cooking ingredient. The five flavours – Verdant Sinhaya, Amethyst Punch, Pettah Market, Ceylon Sour and Sunset Pekoe – are ‘channelling the exoticism of Sri Lanka’, explained Chetiyawardana at the launch.

The cocktail seasonings are made with ingredients including rambutan, tamarind, mangosteen and lemongrass, and a base of arrack spirit and exotic teas. Try Verdant Sinhaya, with flavours of preserved mandarin, wildflower honey and lemongrass, to add a bright lift to your Martini. Or mix a Sunset Margarita with 40ml tequila, 20ml orange liqueur, 5ml Sunset Pekoe, 5ml honey and 20ml fresh lime juice. £15.40/50ml Delli

What to drink now… Virgin Mango Margarita

Milk Beach, London

Created by Elliot Milne, founder of Australian restaurant Milk Beach in London, this is a perfect cocktail for Dry January. It also adds a splash of southern hemisphere summer to winter. Milne says: ‘Nothing reminds me of summer back home in Sydney more than a delicious, juicy mango. This cocktail celebrates this brilliant fruit, and also gives a nod to the spicy southeast Asian flavours that inspire many dishes on our menu. Its sweet and gently spicy flavour means it’s a fun drink that works at the start or end of the meal. Our non-alcoholic version uses a blend of Ceder’s Classic (£14.90/50cl Amathus Drinks) and Smiling Wolf Functional Aperitivo (£27 Amathus Drinks) for depth and an energy kick. A drink inspired by Aussie summer that will get the blood flowing without the booze.’

Ingredients: 35ml Ceder’s Classic, 10ml Smiling Wolf Functional Aperitivo, 25ml fresh lime juice, 15ml Monin Mango syrup, 15ml mango puree

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Dehydrated lime wheel and a dried chilli

Method: Add all of the ingredients to a shaker filled with ice and shake until your hands are cold. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish.

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Read about rum

If you’re keen to expand your rum knowledge, a new book by global rum ambassador Ian Burrell has you covered. Published this month, Rum: A Tasting Course explores the history and culture of rum, covering everything from how and where it’s made to different styles and understanding flavours and aromas. There’s practical advice on how to taste, with reviews of more than 100 rums by region to give you inspiration. The final part of the book is dedicated to rum cocktails, with easy-to-follow, illustrated recipes and recommendations on the best bottles to choose for each mix. In full colour, including an impressive selection of vintage illustrations and photographs, plus flavour maps, it’s an engaging read for novices and rum aficionados alike. £20 DK

What is… a worm tub?

This is a term that might be familiar to whisky geeks. Worm tubs can be found outside some Scotch distilleries. They’re large vats (the tub) of cold water that contain a long coiled copper pipe (the worm). The pipe is connected to the top of a still, where spirit vapour is collected. As the vapour travels down the worm, it cools and condenses back into liquid form. Worm tub condensers are credited with creating a heavier style of whisky; though they’re less efficient than the more popular shell and tube condensers. Distilleries that prefer to use worm tubs include Brora, Dalwhinnie, Speyburn, Springbank and Talisker.

What to drink now… Last Word

Unlike those of most other cocktails, the origins of the Last Word aren’t disputed or lost to history. This pre-Prohibition mix was created at the Detroit Athletic Club (DAC) and its name appeared in print for the first time in a 1916 issue of the club magazine. A blend of equal parts gin, maraschino cherry liqueur, Chartreuse and lime juice, it’s a drink whose popularity waned in the second half of the 20th century. But it became part of the modern cocktail revival when it was championed by the late Murray Stenson on his 2003 menu at the Zig Zag Cafe in Seattle. It was reinstated on the menu at DAC in 2009. Chartreuse is a French herbal liqueur produced in green and yellow versions. This recipe calls for Green Chartreuse (Alc 55%, £42-£60/70cl Distillers Direct, Drinks Direct, House of Malt, Master of Malt, Ministry of Drinks, Royal Mile Whiskies, The Spirits Room, The Whisky Exchange).

Ingredients: 30ml gin, 30ml maraschino, liqueur, 30ml Green Chartreuse, 30ml fresh lime juice

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Maraschino cherry

Method: Put all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until your hands are cold. Strain into a chilled glass.

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A core to explore…

Whisky aficionados will know That Boutique-y Whisky Company as a source of rare, interesting limited-edition and single-cask bottles. But now the cult independent bottler has released its Core Range – a permanent collection of five signature bottles that represent key whisky styles. Crafted in small batches, the new range includes a smoky Islay 8 Year Old Single Malt (£41.95/70cl, Alc 45.8%), a smooth Blended Grain 30 Year Old Scotch (£74.95/70cl, Alc 45.8%) and a characterful 8 Year Old Canadian Corn Whisky (£36.95/70cl, Alc 45.8%). But my highlight was the richly complex Highlands 18 Year Old Single Malt (£84.95/70cl, Alc 45.8%), aged in a combination of ex-bourbon, oloroso and PX Sherry casks, offering an elegant interplay of subtle smokiness and sweet caramel.

Scotch fans should also make space in their drinks cupboard for the Speyside 12 Year Old Single Malt (£44.95/70cl, Alc 45.8%), a deeply satisfying dram matured in oloroso casks. The collection is also available as a tasting set in 50ml size. Available at Amazon, House of Malt, Inverurie Whisky Shop, Master of Malt, Milroy’s of Soho, Royal Mile Whisky, Soho Whisky Club, The Sourcing Table, The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop and The Whisky World.

What is… a batida?

A sweet, frothy style of summery drink, the batida hails from Brazil, where it’s most commonly made with cachaça (though any spirit can be used). The spirit is blended with sugar and lime or any other fresh tropical fruits in countless variations, sometimes with coconut milk or condensed milk added, too. Its name comes from the Portuguese word for ‘beaten’ or ‘shaken’.

What to drink now… Mint Julep

The quintessential drink of America’s south dates back to the 18th century, though medicinal ‘juleps’ (derived from the Arabic word julab) have an even longer history. The state of Virginia has the strongest claim to this mix of bourbon, sugar and mint, with references to the julep appearing in print from the 1770s onwards. Certainly it was the Virginians who first added ice to the mix in the early 1800s – playing a significant role in popularising iced drinks across the US at a time when crushed ice was becoming increasingly available in bars.

While early juleps were made with rum or brandy, bourbon became the spirit of choice after the American Civil War, a relationship that was cemented when the bourbon Mint Julep was named official drink of the Kentucky Derby horse race in 1938. To make one at home, choose a bourbon with at least 47% alcohol – any lower and the spirit will dilute unpleasantly as the ice melts. Try Four Roses Single Barrel (Alc 50%, £39 £45/70cl Amazon, Master of Malt, Ministry of Drinks, The Whisky Exchange).

Ingredients: 65ml bourbon, 12.5ml sugar syrup, 10 very fresh mint leaves

Glass: Julep cup or highball

Garnish: Mint sprig

Method: Pack the julep cup with crushed ice. Combine ingredients in a mixing glass. Using a muddler, lightly bruise the mint, then strain contents into the cup. Garnish with a mint sprig (slap between your palms first to release aromas) and serve with a straw.

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Picture the scene: you’re lying in a hammock, swaying gently in the dappled shade of the palm tree towering above you. The ocean rolling onto the shore is your soundtrack. The hot, heavy-air atmosphere wraps around you like a blanket. Someone approaches with a tray of cooling cocktails. A Piña Colada with an icy sheen on the glass? A refreshing Dark ’n Stormy? An exotic Singapore Sling? There are plenty to choose from, because tropical days and exuberant cocktails go together like birds of a feather.

For a lot of people, the most common category that springs to mind when thinking about drinks from exotic locales is tiki. These tropical cocktails are usually rum-based, fruity and exuberant in taste and personality. They include such classics as the Mai Tai, Piña Colada and Zombie.

However, there has been a reassessment of tiki venues as a whole within the drinks trade recently, prompted by valid arguments against the cultural appropriation and disrespect of Polynesian culture that’s common in a lot of these bars. What used to be seen as fun escapism is now reframed through wider understanding and education. Did you know that tiki mugs are actually made in the form of Polynesian gods, or that imagery of Pacific Islanders that sometimes appears in tiki bars might be based on racist tropes?

While most of this misappropriation of tiki motifs was carried out unwittingly, as education increases, bars and bartenders are moving away from the tiki label and aesthetic. Instead, they’re embracing a tropical philosophy.

‘Appreciation and inspiration are nice, but when it’s not collaboration, it’s theft,’ explains Chockie Tom, an Indigenous American bartender who does a lot of work in fostering cultural empowerment in the drinks industry. ‘You can create an immersive escapism experience without having to steal from people.’

One venue that achieves this new balance is Kiki Lounge, a tropical bar on the Isle of Man. Its menu offers the classic cocktails you would see served on your holiday in the Caribbean, as well as the team’s own original creations. So what qualifies a drink as being tropical?

‘I think there are theatrics to tropical cocktails, in the way the bartender is presenting the drink,’ says Drew Fleming, co-owner of Kiki Lounge. ‘Some of that is the techniques – such as using a bamboo swizzle stick or flash blending [using an upright mixer, a technique that requires less ice]. Tropical garnishes, flamboyant colours – and there’s almost a campness to the drinks.’

After some demanding ‘research’ of our own, here’s a selection of five tropical cocktails to try mixing at home, with origins ranging from Trinidad and Cuba to Malaysia and Brazil…

Five tropical cocktails to try

Queen’s Park Swizzle

A drier, more complex relative of the Mojito, the Queen’s Park Swizzle hails from Trinidad, where the Queen’s Park Hotel opened in 1895, attracting the glitterati of the day. This drink calls for Demerara rum from Guyana, which takes its name from the Demerara river. You can use either light or dark rum in this cocktail. A light option, such as El Dorado 3 Year Old (£22-£29/70cl), gives a drink that’s more akin to a Mojito, but with less sweetness and some added spice from the Angostura bitters. A dark rum such as El Dorado 5 Year Old (£24-£35/70cl) results in a cocktail with more gravitas flavour-wise – a deeper complexity that I personally find more satisfying. This recipe traditionally calls for it to be mixed with a swizzle stick – a long stick with a splayed end that’s placed in the bottom of the drink. Roll the stick between the palms of your hands to ‘swizzle’ it and churn the drink. Alternatively, the flat end of a bar spoon can be used to stir the drink.

Ingredients: 8-10 mint leaves, 25ml Demerara sugar syrup (1:1)*, 30ml fresh lime juice, 60ml Demerara rum, 4-6 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters

Glass: Collins

Garnish: Mint sprig

Method: Muddle the mint, sugar syrup and lime juice in the bottom of your glass. Add the rum and bitters, and fill the glass three-quarters of the way up with crushed ice. Either swizzle with a swizzle stick, or churn (stir) with the flat bottom of a bar spoon. Fill the glass with more crushed ice and garnish.

Jungle Bird

‘The Jungle Bird has seen a huge resurgence [at Kiki Lounge], probably the biggest of any tropical cocktail of the last few years,’ says Drew Fleming, co-owner of Kiki Lounge, who credits part of this rise in the drink’s popularity to the marketing power of Campari (£15.50 £27/70cl), an ingredient in this moreish cocktail. Indeed it’s the Campari that separates the Jungle Bird from most other tropical drinks – the bitter undertone adds welcome complexity to what otherwise would be yet another fresh, fruity rum drink. This is a tropical drink for grown-ups, perfect to enjoy on hot, dark nights at the end of a sunny day. Created at the Aviary Bar in the Kuala Lumpur Hilton in the 1970s, it’s the most famous cocktail to come from Malaysia. The recipe calls for dark rum – Gosling’s Black Seal (£24-£37/70cl) and Black Tot (£38 £53/70cl) both work really well.

Ingredients: 50ml dark rum, 15ml Campari, 50ml fresh pineapple juice (not from concentrate), 25ml lime juice, 15ml sugar syrup (2:1)*

Glass: Rocks

Garnish: Maraschino cherry

Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a glass filled with crushed ice.

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri

A variation of the Daiquiri – the classic Cuban cocktail that mixes white rum, lime juice and sugar syrup to piquant, lipsmacking effect – this is the unashamedly silly, irresponsible little brother who’s simply here for a good time. The simplicity in making this cocktail is brilliant – just dump everything into the blender and combine until you have an aerated, ‘slushie’ texture. There are two secrets to making an excellent Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri: getting a decent rum and using the best, freshest, most delicious strawberries. Havana Club Añejo 3 Year Old (£19-£27/70cl), Banks 5 Island white rum (£36.50-£44/70cl) and Planteray (formerly known as Plantation) 3 Stars (£24.50-£37.50/70cl) are all great options.

Ingredients: 50ml white rum, 15ml lime juice, 4 medium-sized strawberries, 10ml sugar syrup (2:1)*, 1 cup cracked ice

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Strawberry

Method: Place all ingredients in a blender, blend until everything is properly combined into a slushie texture and pour into your glass.

Caipirinha

As synonymous with Brazil as samba and carnival, the Caipirinha is this South American country’s national drink. Have one and you’re immediately transported to Copacabana beach. Have two and you’ll be transformed into a beach volleyball champion. Honest. The recipe calls for cachaça, a spirit made from fermented sugar cane that is pot-distilled. It’s a rustic, refreshing cocktail that has no time for fancy techniques such as straining – just dump everything in your glass and drink it! Speaking of glasses, some Caipirinha recipes out there call for a highball to be used. Having canvassed bartender opinion, this is incorrect – large rocks glasses are the vessel of choice. Some even advocate for a rocks glass that fits the shaker tin, dispensing with the need to even empty the cocktail into a fresh glass.

Ingredients: 50ml cachaça, 1⁄2 lime cut into 8 pieces, 3 barspoons of sugar

Glass: Rocks

Garnish: None

Method: Muddle sugar and lime together in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add ice and cachaça, give everything a quick shake to combine, and empty the contents of the shaker into your glass.

El Diablo

A devilishly delicious drink. First appearing in a Trader Vic recipe book published in the 1940s, this much-underrated drink ticks all the boxes for a winning tropical cocktail. It’s boozy, complex, delicious and refreshing. The sum of the finished drink is bigger than its constituent parts: a punch of tequila is enhanced by the juicy blackcurrant sweetness of crème de cassis, cut through with the lime and rounded off with a pleasing charge of ginger beer. Either blanco or reposado tequila can be used. Blanco gives an earthier, peppery flavour; while reposado leans slightly towards the sweeter side. Make sure to use ginger beer rather than ginger ale – the latter tends to be lighter in flavour, which can lead to a rather insipid drink. Ginger beer, on the other hand, gives a pleasing spicy and refreshing depth to an El Diablo.

Ingredients: 60ml blanco or reposado tequila, 20ml crème de cassis, 20ml lime juice, ginger beer to top

Glass: Collins

Garnish: Lime wedge

Method: Shake first three ingredients over ice, strain into an ice-filled Collins glass and top with the ginger beer. Garnish.

The whip shake Roll up, cocktail geeks. Here’s a cocktail-making technique for you to add to your repertoire: the whip shake. ‘It’s synonymous with tropical cocktails,’ says Drew Fleming. ‘Instead of filling your shaker all of the way with ice, you just put in three cubes or a small amount of crushed ice. What that does is to add a minute volume of dilution, but what you’re getting is a higher rate of aeration.’

Our thanks go to Fino at Fazenda, Bishopsgate, in the City of London, which very kindly hosted the photo shoot for this story.

Located on the ground floor of Fazenda Bishopsgate in London, Fino at Fazenda offers a stylish and elegant setting to enjoy exquisitely crafted creations inspired by the greats of Latin American cocktail bars. If exquisite wine or refined libations are preferable to your palate, you can find a handpicked selection to sample. This cosmopolitan bar exudes finesse in the heart of the City, combining rich, walnut-panelled walls with luxurious furnishings among ambient lighting, making for an experience to remember.

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Inside the July 2024 issue of Decanter magazine:

FEATURES

• Bordeaux 2023: Decanter verdict Bordeaux editor Georgie Hindle tasted the still-maturing 2023s with long-serving contributor Panos Kakaviatos. Discover their first impressions, and 60 selected top buys from the new vintage
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• South African white blends top 20 Malu Lambert picks 20 wines that impress: Chenin and far beyond
• Côte des Blancs Lovers of blanc de blancs Champagne need to acquaint themselves with this part of the region, says Tom Hewson
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• Pour yourself a good read Sophie Thorpe recommends five excellent recently published wine books

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• Wine wisdom Expert tips to help you on your journey through wine

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• Distilled Spirits, cocktails – plus five of the best mezcals to try
• A taste of the tropics Laura Foster mixes up a selection of top tropical cocktails for summer drinking

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The humble Highball serve has been having something of a moment in recent years. While there’s a newfound appreciation for its deceptive simplicity, it’s also being transformed into more elaborate preparations by bartenders.

What is a Highball? It’s generally considered to be any spirit with a carbonated mixer in a tall, ice-filled glass. Think Scotch & Sodas, G&Ts, Palomas.

But you’ll find versions nowadays that rethink every element, except the distinctive tall glass, of course. As a broad genre of cocktail, this is a diverse one, but with a few common characteristics.

‘The Highball is possibly the most accessible of serves,’ says Nate Brown, owner of London-based outlets Soda & Friends and Paloma Cafe. ‘It allows for a larger canvas for flavours and fragrances to shine.’

That canvas is also ideal for experimentation. ‘It’s such an easy cocktail to make variations of, since you can choose all of its components,’ adds Chris Tanner , co-owner of Dram, also in the capital.

For Bart Miedeksza, owner of Crossroads Bar in London, this is a style of drink that’s defined by its refreshing qualities. ‘There’s also a sense of celebration – what’s more rewarding than some bubbles?,’ he asks.

Then there’s the ease with which Highballs can be thrown together. You can opt to elevate your drink with unusual ingredients – as with some of the recipes below – but you’ll never need to reach for a cocktail shaker.

Beyond the Highball: cocktails to make at home

Try making one of these Highballs at home. Recipes are arranged in order of difficulty, from simple serves to mixes for more ambitious home mixologists.

Americano

A classic Italian aperitivo, this light, low-alcohol Highball eventually evolved into the Negroni, with gin replacing the soda water. The Americano showcases botanical flavours from the sweet vermouth and Campari, with some bracing bitterness too. Depending on the size of your glass, you can increase the quantity of these two ingredients, keeping their equal-parts ratio. For a twist, switch out the soda water for Prosecco to create another classic, the Negroni Sbagliato.

Ingredients: 25ml sweet vermouth, 25ml Campari, soda water

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Orange slice

Method: Add vermouth and Campari to an ice-filled Highball glass, top with soda and garnish with an orange slice.

Peaches

Recipe from Soda & Friends, London

Minimalist to its core, Peaches consists of nothing more than white rum and coconut water, but with a touch of theatre when it comes to the garnish. ‘We’re taking a few liberties with the Highball here, as this isn’t your typical fizzy serve, but the refreshing combination is worth it,’ says Brown. To finish the drink, he uses a microplane to grate frozen peach over the drink. ‘The falling “peach snow” is a beauty, and brings a gorgeous fragrance that you only get from peach as it defrosts,’ he said.

Ingredients: 50ml Diplomático Planas Rum, coconut water

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Peach snow

Method: Add rum to a Highball glass with ice and top with coconut water. Garnish by grating a frozen peach on top until you have a cap of ‘peach snow’.

Botani-Collins

Recipe from Kindred, London

This refreshing take on the classic Collins cocktail, with its floral, herbaceous aromas, is ideal for summer. It’s in keeping with cocktail bar Kindred’s ethos too, highlighting London-based ingredients. These are also products that, as the drink’s creator, Julian de Feral, puts it, ‘have their heart in the right place’. He says: ‘I enjoyed that this beautifully packed gin celebrates West London’s most iconic gardens,’ adding that a percentage of sales from East London Liquor Company Kew Gin go towards supporting the Royal Botanic Gardens. The kumquat liqueur, meanwhile, is Fairtrade. ‘It offers an aromatic medley of citrus flavours that verge on being floral, which works very well with the gin.’

Ingredients: 50ml East London Liquor Company Kew Gin, 10ml FAIR Kumquat Liqueur (or Cointreau), 10ml sugar syrup, 20ml lemon juice, London Essence Co Soda Water, mint leaves

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Mint sprig and edible flowers

Method: Crush the mint leaves gently and add to a Highball glass, followed by the rest of the ingredients, except the soda. Add ice, stir gently and then top with soda. Garnish with a large mint sprig and two edible flowers.

Peach + Vetiver

Recipe from Dram, London

Another drink that proves you don’t need full-strength spirits to create a delicious cocktail, Peach + Vetiver cleverly combines Sherry and vermouth,with some flavour accents from a couple of liqueurs. ‘Fino in a Highball is amazing, particularly when it’s warm outside,’ says Dram’s Chris Tanner. ‘It brings a nuttiness that combines with the earthy, warm flavours of the vetiver.’

Ingredients: 45ml fino Sherry, 20ml Carpano Bianco Vermouth, 15ml St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, 5ml Muyu Vetiver Gris Liqueur, 2 dashes peach bitters, soda water

Glass: Highball

Garnish: None

Method: Add all of the ingredients to a Highball glass filled with ice and top with soda.

Cairo

Recipe from Crossroads, London

Taking inspiration from the Vodka & Soda, this drink is elevated by the addition of sencha tea. The tea is prepared in a way that reduces tannins – useful when producing cold-brew tea at home in general. First rinse the tea for 30 seconds with enough water to cover the leaves, stirring continuously. Discard the water, add enough fresh water to cover the leaves, then leave for 10 minutes without stirring. Discard the water again. Measure 100ml of water per 1.2g of tea and pour it into the washed leaves. Leave covered for 18 hours, then strain through a coffee filter. Bart Miedeksza says the resulting cold brew will keep in the fridge for a month – and there may even be some health benefits involved. ‘It’s super-rich in antioxidants,’ he says.

At Crossroads, the team uses dedicated equipment to carefully carbonate this and other cocktails – their book on the subject is now available to pre-order: Bubbles: A Guide to Cocktail Carbonation. But at home you can use soda water. Miedeksza recommends finding a brand that’s highly carbonated, such as Turkish brand Sarikiz. He also suggests using Supasawa for this drink, an aptly-named citrus alternative that’s both convenient and sustainable.

Ingredients: 35ml potato vodka, 20ml Melonade, 20ml cold brew sencha tea, 12.5ml Supasawa, 7.5ml sugar syrup, 2 dashes Pernod Absinthe, 75ml soda water

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Cucumber peel triangle

Method: Add all of the ingredients to a Highball glass and add ice. Top with soda and give it a brief stir. Garnish with a cucumber peel triangle.

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Bitter beginnings: British cocktail bitters

The Bitter Club is a new range of premium British cocktail bitters inspired by luxury perfume and beauty brands. Created by Ro Murray, the range consists of three flavours: Grapefruit & Elderberry, Cinnamon & Orange and Hibiscus & Rose (all Alc 39%). Made without artificial sweeteners or flavourings, they can be used to add a twist to cocktails or simply dashed into soda or tonic. ‘Our commitment to using only the finest natural ingredients ensures that each drop of our bitters can enhance the flavour profile of any pour – alcoholic or not,’ explained Murray. ‘As the “spice rack” for cocktails, The Bitter Club hopes to add depth of flavour and balance to both the simplest and most complex of serves.’

Try a dash of Hibiscus & Rose to add floral notes and a pink hue to a Martini. My favourite is the tangy Grapefruit & Elderberry: delicious with tonic for a fresh, low-alcohol summer serve. Presented in chic fragrance- inspired dropper bottles, they would make a stylish and creative addition to your home bar.

What is… bottled in bond?

Bottled in bond, or BiB, is an American designation for a distilled spirit that has been produced according to very strict government regulations. It dates back to the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897, which was passed at a time when alcohol sales were unregulated and whiskey was typically sold direct from the barrel and was often adulterated by cheap or harmful substances, including methanol. The new regulations aimed to protect consumers, so that they knew what they were buying. A BiB whiskey must be made by one distiller at a single distillery and produced within one season (spring, from January to June, or fall/autumn, from July to December). It must be bottled at precisely 100 proof (50% abv) and matured for at least four years in barrels at a US bonded warehouse. With the American whiskey market currently booming, BiB has become an increasingly important quality stamp.

What to drink now… Tommy’s Margarita

The Margarita – a mix of tequila, lime juice and triple sec – was given a far-reaching makeover in the late 1980s by Julio Bermejo, beverage manager at the now-iconic Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco, founded by his parents in 1965. Bermejo simply replaced the triple sec with agave syrup, an ingredient that helps to ramp up the agave flavours in the tequila and produces a cocktail with the perfect balance of sweet and sharp flavours.

If you’re mixing a Tommy’s at home, try Olmeca Altos Plata (Alc 38%, £26.50- £36.60/70cl Widely available), a fresh, grassy, floral tequila with notes of spring blossom and citrus.

Ingredients: 50ml tequila, 25ml fresh lime juice, 12.5ml agave syrup

Glass: Rocks

Garnish: None

Method: Put all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until your hands are cold, then strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.

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An icon of sunshine and good times, the Margarita has been the inspiration for countless variations over the years. Itself a riff on a classic cocktail – the Daisy – it has spanned the globe in blended, fruity, and spicy forms, and many more besides.

‘The Margarita is the perfect combination of sweet, sour and salty, all in a few ingredients,’ says Erin Davey, head of bars at Soho House US. ‘Its simplicity allows people to easily adapt it to their personal taste.’

‘People love them because they are refreshing and super enjoyable, so any twist already has a bit of a head start,’ agrees Marina Juszczyk, head bartender of London bar Soma.

At its most traditional, the Margarita consists of tequila, lime juice and an orange liqueur, or triple sec, such as Cointreau, and usually sporting a salt rim. Unlike some classic cocktails where variations sometimes switch out the core ingredients, Margarita twists invariably involve the addition of compatible flavours. ‘You generally have to keep the lime and tequila at a minimum,’ says Jake Burger of The Portobello Star in London’s Notting Hill.

A case in point is the Tommy’s Margarita, created by Julio Bermejo of Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco to highlight the flavour of tequila in the drink. Arguably the most prevalent contemporary Margarita twist, it’s made with just tequila, lime juice and agave syrup, and has become the starting point of many modern takes on the Margarita too.

While the Tommy’s doesn’t use a salt rim, a number of the below drinks do, employing a variety of interesting salts. Creating a salt rim at home is simple: place the salt in a saucer, run a wedge of lime around the rim of the glass – usually half of its circumference – and then press the rim into the saucer.

Beyond the Margarita: cocktails to make at home

Try making one of these Margarita twists at home. Recipes are arranged in order of difficulty, from simple serves to mixes for more ambitious home mixologists.

Tommy Pickles

Recipe from The Portobello Star, London

This straightforward twist on the Tommy’s Margarita – named after the lead character in 1990s animated TV show Rugrats – introduces a measure of pickle brine into the mix, an ingredient that Jake Burger of The Portobello Star considers to be ideal in a Margarita riff. ‘The combination of sweet and tart echoes the structure of the Margarita in many ways, so it slots into the drink perfectly.’ He attributes the Tommy Pickles to The Portobello Star bartender Joe Farr, while acknowledging the recent viral video by Matthew McConaughey featuring his tequila brand Pantalones and a Margarita made in a jar of pickles. ‘There are very few new ideas in the cocktail world – I’m sure a few people have probably come up with something similar,’ says Burger.

Ingredients: 50ml Ocho Blanco Tequila, 25ml lime juice, 12.5ml agave syrup , 20ml pickle brine from sweetened pickled cucumbers

Glass: Rocks

Garnish: Slice of pickle, cut lengthwise

Method: Combine ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake hard and strain over ice into a rocks glass.

Paloma

Recipe from Side Hustle, NoMad, London

To really go beyond the Margarita, there’s another classic tequila cocktail that’s been growing in popularity in recent years: the Paloma. At its simplest, this combination of tequila, lime juice and grapefruit soda is a wonderful, thirst-quenching drink, but lends itself well to a few subtle upgrades too, as with this version from Side Hustle bar at NoMad London. ‘We add a small amount of mezcal to round out the texture, and shake with a twist of grapefruit to release the essential oils and aromas, bringing both brightness and freshness,’ says bar director Liana Oster.

Ingredients: 43ml Tapatio Blanco Tequila, 14ml Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, 14ml agave syrup, 21ml lime juice, 28ml grapefruit juice, grapefruit twist, grapefruit soda

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Grapefruit wheel and half pink peppercorn and salt rim

Method: Rim a highball glass with pink peppercorn and salt, and fill with ice. Add all ingredients, including grapefruit twist but excluding grapefruit soda, to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake, strain into glass, top with grapefruit soda and garnish with grapefruit wheel opposite salt rim.

Picante de la Casa

Recipe from Soho House, US

Originating at Soho House just over a decade ago, the Picante has since spread around the world. Key to its success, according to Erin Davey is how well suited it is to any occasion. ‘It can be the perfect poolside drink, enjoyed with dinner, as a post-work happy-hour cocktail, and more,’ she says. It’s also very easy to recreate at home, with any tequila you have to hand, and even replacing the agave nectar with honey if necessary.

Ingredients: 50ml reposado tequila, 25ml fresh lime juice, 20ml agave syrup, slice of chilli pepper (about 6mm wide), 10 coriander leaves with stem

Glass: Rocks

Garnish: Top end (stem) of a chilli pepper

Method: Cut a small piece of chilli and press it with a muddler in a cocktail shaker tin. Hand-clap the coriander (cilantro) and drop in. Add the rest of the ingredients, then shake and fine strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Cut off the top end of the chilli pepper and place stem upwards in the drink to garnish.

Silk Road Margarita

Recipe from Hakkasan, London

‘We want to be playful but respectful to the classic Margarita, with a touch of Hakkasan culinary influence,’ says Wendy Hopkins, head of bars at TAO Group Hospitality UK. ‘Combining a bit of spice from cardamon with fresh pineapple and pistachios creates a unique harmony that complements our food offering.’ At Hakkasan, the pistachio-tequila infusion is made using a sous vide, but you’ll achieve a comparable result with a regular, room-temperature infusion. Blend 100g of pistachios and then combine with 800ml of tequila. Infuse at room temperature for 48 hours and then place in the freezer for a few hours to separate the oil and sediment, then double strain.

Ingredients: 25ml Casamigos Blanco Tequila infusion, 30ml pineapple juice, 15ml lime juice, 10ml agave syrup, 4 cardamom pods

Glass: Rocks

Garnish: Unsalted, blanched green pistachios, crushed

Method: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into an ice-filled rocks glass, preferably a single large cube. Add pistachios on top of ice to garnish.

Chaat

Recipe from Soma, London

In keeping with Soma’s use of Indian flavours and ingredients in its cocktails, the bar’s take on the Margarita uses both chaat masala spices and gooseberries. ‘The spice blend brings some funkiness and saltiness, while the gooseberry gives a tart yet fruity finish,’ says Marina Juszczyk. The bar uses a gooseberry salt rim, made by dehydrating leftover gooseberry skins and blend them with sea salt – not only a tasty addition, but sustainable too. But at home you can simply rim with sea salt.

Ingredients: 45ml agave spirit chaat masala infusion, 45ml gooseberry-lime syrup

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Gooseberry salt

Method: To make the agave spirit chaat masala infusion, combine 10ml kumquat liqueur, 20ml mezcal and 60ml blanco tequila. Add 1g of chaat masala spice and cold infuse for 12-24 hours, then strain the mixture through a coffee filter. To make the gooseberry-lime syrup, blend equal parts gooseberries and white sugar, then strain. Mix the gooseberry syrup with an equal amount of lime juice. Rim a coupe glass with salt. Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake and double strain into the glass.

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Legendary Port Ellen distillery reopens

Reporting by Neil Ridley. See the full story here.

Former ‘ghost distillery’ Port Ellen has been resurrected as part of a £185 million investment by Diageo. The Islay single malt distillery was founded in 1825, but mothballed in 1930. After reopening in 1967, it was closed again in 1983. Its last casks were stored nearby and over the following decades, they blossomed into an extraordinary, distinctly smoky single malt. In 2017, Diageo announced plans to bring Port Ellen back to life. Work was completed early this year and the new distillery complex opened in March. ‘We’re very lucky that we have the Diageo archive team, who had documents and blueprints for the original stills,’ explained Master Distiller Alexander McDonald. ‘Everything from the shape and fill size has been accurately recreated to the original specifications.’ To celebrate, the distillery has unveiled a new release: Port Ellen Gemini. This 44-year-old release features twin decanters of whisky first distilled in 1978 and filled into two contrasting oak casks. Only 274 sets are available, priced at £45,000.

What is… a Carter-head still?

The Carter-head still was invented in 1821 by John Carter, specifically for gin production. It makes use of a separate botanical basket to infuse the heated vapour as it leaves the top of the still, gently extracting the flavours and aromas from the botanicals inside. In a traditional still, the botanicals are simply immersed in the base spirit and heated. Although widely manufactured until the 1960s, Carter-head stills are now only used by a handful of gin distillers, including Hendricks and Bombay Sapphire.

What to drink now… Hemingway Daiquiri

Also known as an El Floridita, this is a twist on the classic Daiquiri: a mix of rum, lime juice and sugar. The original is said to have been invented in Cuba in 1898. This twist was created by Constantino ‘Constante’ Ribalaigua Vert, who created various Daiquiri adaptations at his Havana bar El Floridita in the 1930s. The Hemingway Daiquiri is based on Ribalaigua’s Daiquiri No3, which added a barspoon each of grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur to the original recipe. It’s named after writer and prodigious imbiber Ernest Hemingway, who drank many of them at El Floridita. If you want to mix one at home, try Plantation 3 Stars (Alc 41.2%, £24.95-£28/70cl Amazon, Distillers Direct, Spirits Kiosk, The Whisky Exchange, Threshers), an engaging blend of rums from Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad.

Ingredients: 50ml white rum, 15ml freshly squeezed lime juice, 10ml sugar syrup, 1 barspoon grapefruit juice, 1 barspoon maraschino liqueur

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Luxardo maraschino cherry

Method: Put all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until your hands are cold, then strain into a chilled coupe and garnish.

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Ditching the plastic straws. Taking out the recycling. Beyond the basics, though, what are today’s top bars doing to minimise their eco-footprints? We spoke to four representatives from forward-thinking bars to see what sustainable cocktail-making looks like in their trailblazing venues.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to making green(er) drinks, but there are some common practices and themes that are being embraced. Could the below provide a blueprint for the sustainable mixology of the future?

Thoughtful sourcing

Let’s start with the obvious: to make sustainable cocktails you need to use sustainable ingredients. But determining a product’s sustainability credentials can be tricky, particularly when you start to factor in packaging, shipment and production methods.

A good rule of thumb is to stick to in-season, local ingredients wherever possible. ‘Cocktails have finally caught up with the same localism and hyper-seasonality that kitchens have been practising for years,’ says James Pritchard of Silo, a zero-waste restaurant and bar in east London. ‘It used to be that you could order a cocktail with fresh strawberries in it during the high points of winter. That seems to have changed now.’

Giacomo Giannotti of 2022 World’s Best Bar-winner Paradiso in Barcelona agrees. ‘We are going back to the roots, using the main fruit and vegetable ingredients from that time of year.’

Sourcing produce directly from small and/or responsible growers is also becoming increasingly popular. Every bar we spoke to operated in this way, while some went as far as using waste from partner restaurants, breweries or distilleries to create unique flavour profiles. For example at Adam Handling’s bars – Eve in London and Ugly Butterfly in Cornwall – the team uses leftovers from the adjoining restaurants, such as apple cores and skins, oyster shells, coffee grinds and bone marrow, to infuse everything from spirits to syrups, as group director George Hersey says.

Of course, sustainable sourcing is as much about what’s not being used as what is. Many eco-minded bars in cooler climates have reduced or even entirely eliminated imported fresh citrus – which certainly isn’t easy given its essential role in cocktail classics such as Daiquiris and Margaritas. But then again, it forces bar teams to be more inventive when it comes to making balanced drinks.

‘Instead of citrus, we use malic or other acids,’ says Paul Aguilar, head of flavour R&D at Oslo’s Himkok, named the world’s most sustainable bar by the World’s 50 Best Bars in 2018. ‘And because many of our local Norwegian fruits, such as gooseberries, cloudberries and raspberries – even whey, too – have acidity, we can use these as the starting point. Then malic acid can perfect the balance.’ Himkok has also stopped using egg whites behind the bar to save on discarded yolks, instead favouring powdered aquafaba (the viscous liquid in which legume seeds, typically chickpeas, have been stored or cooked) to create froth in sour cocktails. ‘At first, we used fresh aquafaba from chickpea tins, but there was still so much waste – there are only so many falafels our team can eat!’ Aguilar adds.

Base spirits are another consideration. Our experts agree that if you’re going to remain competitive in a crowded bar market you can’t ban far-flung-produced spirits entirely. Himkok uses local aquavit and vodka (even its Paloma contains aquavit rather than the classic tequila) and has even developed its own line of spirits, produced in its own in-house distillery, but still makes some concessions.

The important thing is to choose brands that are trying to create positive change. Giannotti rates Ketel One vodka – which is moving towards carbon neutrality – as well as Fair Trade Certified Flor de Caña rum and ‘planet positive’ Avallen calvados. Hersey recommends Discarded Spirits, which are made from banana peels, grape skins and cascara (the outer layer of coffee berries), and Cornwall-based Pentire’s botanicals as a non-alcoholic option.

Preparation methods

The right ingredients only take you so far – our experts agree that how they’re used within the bar space can have a far-reaching impact. And one of the greatest enemies of sustainability is, of course, excess waste. Menu planning plays a critical role. Paring back is an increasingly common theme, whether that’s by having fewer drink options and therefore less that could spoil (as at Silo), or using simpler recipes with fewer ingredients (Himkok). The latter also takes an interesting approach, working for several months to produce a yearly new menu of 13 cocktails, some of which are then added to its ongoing signature cocktails list. ‘We know we have enough resources for that and we can do the maths for the whole picture,’ says Aguilar. ‘Changing too often can generate so much waste, unless you’re a really small, 10-seater bar.’

Whichever ingredients they use, bartenders need to work harder than ever to extend the lives of those products through infusing, preserving, fermenting and other methods. ‘It’s not just about using the leaves from herbs such as mint or thyme, for example,’ says Hersey. ‘It’s finding another use for the stems – perhaps by creating a pressed juice or infusing them into a rum.’ Gaining a variety of expressions from every ingredient is that much easier for bars that have invested in equipment such as centrifuges and rotary evaporators, but it doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective.

Finally, despite what has been said about seasonal produce, don’t think that everything has to be fresh. ‘People are obsessed with fresh produce, but we actually buy a lot of frozen stuff from local producers,’ says Aguilar. ‘It can be far more sustainable because you create less waste, throw less out. And frozen berries, for example, are picked in their prime – so they can taste better than fresh ones.’

Sustainable sips to make at home

Himkok’s Rhubarb

Glass Stemless wine glass

Garnish Thin slice of rhubarb dipped in sugar

Ingredients 20ml Linie aquavit, 90ml light sour beer, 30ml rhubarb syrup, 15ml lemon juice or malic solution

Method For the rhubarb syrup, combine rhubarb juice and sugar in a one-to-one ratio in a pan over a low heat and cook until the sugar has dissolved. To make the cocktail, add all of the ingredients over ice to a glass and stir.

Silo’s Forest Negroni

Glass Tumbler

Garnish None

Ingredients 30ml Vault gin, 30ml Vault Forest vermouth, 30ml Vault bitter

Method Pour ingredients into a glass over a single large ice cube. Stir to mix, then serve.

The bigger picture

Any bar manager will tell you that it’s impossible to separate the logistics of running a bar from the sustainability picture. ‘In cocktail-making it represents a commitment to minimising the environmental impact of the entire process,’ says Giannotti. While these days recycling is perhaps a given, he believes that composting must also be championed to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. ‘What isn’t being used can go towards enriching soils in a closed-loop system,’ he says.

Many bars that take sustainability seriously work closely with suppliers to have their deliveries sent in bulk, avoiding unnecessary trips and reducing packaging. ‘Because we work at high volumes, we can order 1,000 litres of whisky and get an IBC (intermediate bulk container) – that can be harder for smaller places,’ says Aguilar. Similarly, Pritchard says: ‘All our spirits come from suppliers who provide larger quantity refills, and we reuse glass bottles many times over.’

It’s also important that the sustainability ethos runs throughout the business, which means getting everyone who works in the bar on board. ‘It helps when staff understand the costs of ingredients; they can be more incentivised to reduce waste,’ says Hersey.

Ultimately, to drive the sustainability agenda forward in a meaningful way, what’s needed is wider discussion among industry members, idea-sharing and establishing new norms. Giannotti now runs the Paradiso Sustainability Summit each year, inviting international bars to demonstrate, discuss and share knowledge of greener practices with their peers.

Industry members and consumers must also do more to push the sustainability agenda with large, influential supplier brands that have the resource to drive real change. ‘Sustainability is not just a bar problem but a society problem,’ says Aguilar. ‘We all need to stop greenwashing, to be more careful about talking about sustainability. We need to be honest: we can’t change the world with a single bar, but there are good things we can do.’

It’s true that your next Martini isn’t going to save the planet, but make it the right way, and you could be one sip closer to the answer.

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Until recently, if you fancied a break from the sweetness offered by the majority of cocktails, you’d really only have a couple of viable options. Either a Bloody Mary, with its spicy tomato punch, or a Gibson, which dials up the savoury element with its garnish of pickled onions.

If neither of those are to your liking, help is now at hand. A growing number of spirits producers and innovative bartenders are putting savoury-forward flavours at the forefront of everything they do, creating potential classics of the future.

Nothing is off the table. Think root vegetables, mushrooms, obscure spices, fat-washing and garden herbs. You can even incorporate these into your cocktails at home too. Just don’t add parmesan cheese to your Espresso Martini though, as some misguided TikTok influencers have suggested.

Global trend

Nico de Soto is founder of Danico in Paris and the newly opened Wacky Wombat in London’s Soho. Both bars feature a series of innovative savoury-focused drinks on their respective menus, including Wagyu fat-washed shochu, wasabi and sesame distillates, as well as root vegetables and aquavit. De Soto feels this is merely the starting point.

‘It’s definitely becoming more of a trend now all over the world, over classic cocktails, especially in Asia, where you will find the majority of bars base their menus on obscure ingredients and spices, which also link to their cuisine,’ he says.

Speaking of aquavit, if you take a trip to Scandinavia you’ll be inundated by savoury flavours – especially charismatic herbs and spices such as dill and caraway seed. Norway’s Linie Aquavit has long been the national spirit and is now finding favour in some of the world’s most innovative bars, thanks to its savoury complexity.

Why savoury?

Maroš Dzurus is bar manager at the legendary Himkok bar in Oslo, which has long championed off-the-beaten-track flavours such as aquavit. He thinks that savoury drinks are becoming more popular for several reasons.

‘Firstly, consumers are increasingly seeking unique and adventurous flavour experiences. Savoury drinks provide a departure from traditional sweet and fruity flavours, offering a more complex taste profile. Additionally, there is a growing interest in incorporating healthier ingredients into beverages,’ he explains.

‘We’re also seeing ingredients like fresh herbs and root vegetables, which bridge the gap between the bar and the kitchen,’ explains Paul Aguilar, Himkok’s head of flavour research and development. ‘Our focus on seasonal and locally sourced ingredients complements this trend, enabling us to create drinks that are both innovative and reflective of our Nordic surroundings.’

Culinary revolution

Closer to home, in Cornwall’s beautiful Carbis Bay, Khris McLaren, bar manager at Ugly Butterfly – the restaurant established by Michelin-starred chef, Adam Handling – has come up with a hugely complex, umami-rich take on a Sazerac, using shiitake mushrooms.

McLaren first roasts the mushrooms before making a syrup with them, adding it to a blend of Highland Park 12 Year Old Scotch, House of Suntory Toki blended Japanese whisky, Corte Vetusto mezcal, Hendrick’s Absinthe and Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters. The result is herbal and aromatic, with a terrifically balanced sweetness and earthy dryness on the palate.

In Scotland, Michele Mariotti, head of bars at The American Bar at Gleneagles hotel feels that savoury flavours are helping to inspire a culinary revolution in drinks.

‘One of the learnings we had from the Book of Berries, our menu here at The American Bar, is that often, different parts of a fruit or a vegetable can deliver wildly different flavours,’ he says. ‘In the case of the Bell Pepper [recipe below], we use the core and seeds of a pepper, which have a warm and grassy flavour, and lots of residual sweetness. I find working with different parts of a savoury ingredient very exciting.’

Meanwhile, Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr Lyan, and his team have created bespoke savoury ingredients for the latest menu at award-winning Lyaness bar at Sea Containers London. The 3.0 Cookbook includes ingredients such as carrot vermouth, peated parsnip amazake, Szechuan sauce and two types of potato extract. Tattie Gold is made from confit potatoes and saffron; while ‘excellent potato goodness’ is made by fermenting potatoes with probiotics. The latter is mixed with Boatyard Vodka to create the silky, creamy Unfiltered Martini.

‘It’s all about deliciousness, that’s always the point,’ says Chetiyawardana. ‘We wanted to take everyday products – like Maris Piper potatoes – and transform them into something magical.’

New York’s Double Chicken Please – currently number two in the World’s 50 Best Bars list and named Best Bar in North America – has taken the savoury concept even further. It designs drinks that recreate the flavours of existing culinary treats. Cold Pizza brings together blanco tequila, Parmigiano Reggiano, burnt toast, tomato, basil, honey and egg white. While Japanese Cold Noodle combines white rum, pineapple, cucumber, coconut, lime and sesame oil for a truly explosive savoury experience.

So it seems that savoury drinks are very much here to stay. Strap in your tastebuds for a flavour sensation!

Three savoury cocktail recipes to try at home

Bell Pepper

To make your own bell pepper tequila, roast the pith and seeds of a bell pepper (green for more vegetal notes, red for sweet and savoury notes) at 160℃ for 30 minutes and leave to cool. Infuse overnight with one bottle of blanco tequila, before straining.

• Ingredients: 50ml bell pepper tequila, 25ml sweet vermouth, 25ml lime juice, 2tsp marmalade
• Glass: Martini
• Garnish: Salt and paprika rim
• Method: Add the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Add a rim of salt and paprika to a chilled cocktail glass and serve.

Tequila de Palma

This novel take on a hot toddy is a drink that brings a touch of warmth during the chilly months. You can use homemade chicken broth or supermarket-bought is fine.

• Ingredients: 45ml 1800 Reposado Tequila, 20ml agave syrup, 25ml lime juice, 150ml chicken broth
• Glass: Mug
• Garnish: Slice of preserved lemon
• Method: Warm the chicken broth through, then mix it with all the ingredients and serve in a mug.

Tomat’tini

This tomato and olive oil Martini brings a divine savoury note to the palate. Seek out Citizens Of Soil olive oil. See below for a full tasting note of La Tomato Liqueur.

• Ingredients: 50ml Linie Aquavit, 15ml La Tomato Liqueur, 5ml dry vermouth,
• Glass: Coupe
• Garnish: Extra virgin olive oil
• Method: Add the aquavit, tomato liqueur and vermouth into a mixing glass with ice and stir for 20-30 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass and carefully drip five or six drops of olive oil onto the surface of the drink to garnish.

Five savoury spirits to seek out

La Tomato Liqueur

Produced in Tokyo by distinguished sake and shochu producer Godo Shusei Co., this Japanese tomato liqueur has a very distinctive savoury tomato aroma, which stems from a blend of Japanese tomatoes and spirit, with a touch of sweetness thrown in for good measure. Ideal for blending with another spirit to give your drinks an unusual savoury direction. Alcohol 18%

Neurita Tequila Blanco – Picante

Neurita is an independent British company founded by Lucy Smith, which sources small batch tequila and produces different infusions. Picante brings together Scotch Bonnet and green chilli peppers with a touch of tangerine to give a vegetal, savoury, herbaceous spirit with a touch of zestiness too. Try it in a classic Margarita. Alc 35%

St George Green Chile Vodka

California distillery St. George Spirits distils crushed jalapeño peppers, lime peel and fresh coriander with a neutral base spirit to make this fiery vodka. It is then infused with more peppers (bell and habanero) for extra vegetal punch. A great Bloody Mary choice! Alc 40%

Warrendale Fat-Washed Wa-gyn Wagyu Gin

This unusual gin is produced by Warrendale, a wagyu beef farmer in Yorkshire. It has a heavy note of juniper, with ruby grapefruit, lemongrass and pink peppercorn, before it is ‘washed’ with hot wagyu fat for 48 hours, which gives the gin a tremendously silky, salty and unsurprisingly, a meaty, savoury taste. Alc 44%

Whitley Neill Smoky Bacon & Horseradish Gin

British distiller Whitley Neill has created this boldly flavoured gin featuring notes of bacon and horseradish. It has been designed to compliment the rich tomato flavours in a Red Snapper cocktail – in basic terms the gin equivalent of the Bloody Mary. It’s also vegan-friendly, so everyone can get in on the act. Alc 45%

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Japanese gin blossoms

To herald the start of spring, House of Suntory has launched a limited edition of its Roku gin, inspired by the sakura flower and Japan’s famous hanami cherry blossom festivals. Roku Sakura Bloom Edition (Alc 43%) balances six Japanese botanicals – sakura flowers and leaves, sencha tea, gyokuro tea, yuzu peel and sansho pepper – with eight traditional gin botanicals including juniper. Botanicals are harvested in season, embracing the Japanese concept of shun: the moment when nature is at its freshest. ‘Shun is a concept unique to Japanese culture. It captures something magical, a moment when the natural world is at its most energised,’ explains James Bowker, global advocacy manager of Beam Suntory. ‘Roku Sakura Bloom Edition is an expression of that concept – a bright and fresh-flavoured gin containing botanicals harvested at the peak of their vibrancy and taste.’ Fragrant aromas, with notes of fresh flowers, red berries and cherries, lead to a soft and elegant palate layered with fresh red cherries, strawberry and Cherry Drops candy notes, plus pink grapefruit citrus, sansho spice and a hint of saltiness on the floral finish. Try it in a G&T garnished with a slice of pink grapefruit. £31/70cl Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose

What is… ouzo?

An anise-flavoured spirit made in Greece and Cyprus, ouzo is distilled from the grape must that’s left over from winemaking. It’s typically drunk as an aperitif. Dating back to the Middle Ages, anise spirits were used across the Mediterranean for medicinal purposes. Their fresh, liquorice-like flavour comes from a compound called anethole – also found in fennel seeds and star anise – which is soluble in alcohol but not in water, meaning that when it’s added to cold water it forms a microemulsion that turns the liquid in the glass cloudy.

What to drink now… Batanga

This Mexican twist on the Cuba Libre cocktail, replacing rum with tequila, was created in 1961 by Don Javier Delgado Corona, owner of La Capilla cantina in the town of Tequila. Don Javier had a large iron utility knife that was used to cut everything from limes and chillis to avocado and tomato, and he used this to stir his drinks, imparting a unique flavour to his Batangas. The cocktail was reportedly named after one of La Capilla’s generously proportioned customers: batanga is Spanish slang for ‘thick in the middle’. If mixing one at home, try it with the balanced and layered El Tequileño Blanco (Alc 38%, £20.40-£27/50cl House of Malt, Master of Malt, Spirits Kiosk, Tipples of Manchester). Made at La Guarreña distillery near La Capilla, the brand was founded in 1959 and was Don Javier’s tequila of choice for this drink.

Ingredients: 60ml blanco tequila, 15ml lime juice, 90ml Coca-Cola

Glass: Collins

Garnish: Salt rim

Method: Put all of the ingredients in a salt-rimmed glass filled with ice. Stir with a knife to mix.

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A rum for whisky lovers

Rum is thriving in the UK: total sales were worth £1.08bn in 2023, according to Statista, while producers of British rum are hitting their stride. Rum sales overtook whisky sales in the UK for the first time in 2022 – and the latest launch from The Whisky Exchange looks set to lure even more whisky drinkers away from the dram… Foursquare Mystique 14 Year Old (Alc 62%) is pitched firmly at whisky enthusiasts, with maturation in ex-bourbon barrels, followed by four years in an ex-Sherry cask. A blend of pot- and column- distilled rums, it’s produced at Foursquare Distillery in Barbados, where Master Distiller and Master Blender Richard Seale oversees the dual maturation process.

‘We have always been huge supporters of Foursquare at The Whisky Exchange and it is an honour to partner with Richard on another limited release with him,’ said Dawn Davies, head buyer at The Whisky Exchange. ‘The rums are the perfect stepping stone for the whisky drinker who wants to explore this fast-growing category, as well as providing delicious liquid for the rum lover.’ Add a splash of water to open up the intensely spicy aromas layered with dried orange peel, cigar box and sweet tobacco. Then linger over complex flavours of toffee popcorn, burnt caramel, fig biscuits, nutmeg and cloves. £110/70cl The Whisky Exchange

What is… a tincture?

Concentrated extracts of a botanical – such as a herb, spice, fruit or flower – are known as tinctures. They are made by steeping the botanical in a neutral spirit, usually vodka, to produce an intense single flavour. This is then used in tiny quantities, just a few drops, to boost the flavour of a cocktail or can be used as a spray to add aroma. Tinctures have been used since Prohibition times; an 1887 edition of the iconic Bar-Tenders Guide by Jerry Thomas contains several recipes for tinctures, including cinnamon, clove, orange and lemon. Tinctures differ from bitters as they offer just one flavour, while bitters are more complex.

What to drink now… Kiss

If you’re in the mood for romance this Valentine’s Day, it’s time for a Kiss… This twist on a classic Martinez (gin, vermouth, maraschino liqueur and bitters) was created by leading New York bartender Brian Miller in 2019. The addition of Dubonnet (Alc 14.8%, £9.95-£14.50/70cl Widely available) an aromatised French wine that was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother, gives the drink a more herbaceous and slightly sweeter taste than a Martinez. Miller’s original recipe calls for an apple slice fan garnish; I prefer a simple maraschino cherry.

Ingredients: 60ml gin, 22.5ml sweet red vermouth, 22.5ml Dubonnet, 7.5ml maraschino Liqueur

Glass: Nick & Nora

Garnish: Maraschino cherry

Method: Put all of the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir to combine. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish.

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No smoke without fire

Celebrated on World Bloody Mary Day, 1 January, this classic vodka-and-tomato-juice cocktail is also a winning hangover cure, according to its disciples. But more importantly it’s one of those recipes that can be tweaked and refined to suit your individual taste perfectly. Step forward Tongue in Peat, the world’s only peat-smoked tomato juice, which makes a deliciously smoky, savoury Mary. Launched by a small Scottish drinks company in 2020, it’s made by cold-smoking fresh tomatoes over a peat fire for 12 hours, which are then blended, infused and bottled. Peat is sourced from Islay, so no surprises the flavour will appeal to fans of smoky single malts.

For my ultimate Bloody Mary, I stir together 50ml vodka, 150ml Tongue in Peat, 15ml manzanilla Sherry, 10ml lemon juice, 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, 2 dashes Fee Brothers Celery Bitters and 1 dash Tabasco, in a highball glass with ice. Garnish with a celery stick and wedge of lemon. £15.99/3x500ml, £24.99/6x500ml tongueinpeat.com

What is… a Nick & Nora?

The Nick & Nora is a stemmed cocktail glass with an inverted bowl, used to serve stirred or shaken cocktails straight up – in other words, without ice. The stem prevents the drink getting too warm in your hand. This style of glass was resurrected by bartending icon Dale DeGroff of New York City’s Rainbow Room in the late 1980s. Hunting for a smaller alternative to the conical Martini glasses of the time, he noticed fictional detectives Nick and Nora Charles drinking their Martinis from delicate glasses in The Thin Man, a series of comedy-mystery films released in 1930s and 1940s. Manhattan-based Minners Designs sent DeGroff one of its 1930s catalogues, which had a similar design called a ‘Little Martini’. DeGroff commissioned new moulds of the design, naming his glasses Nick & Nora.

What to drink now… Air Mail

If dark January has got you pining for some winter sun, try this tropical twist on a Champagne cocktail. The Air Mail first appeared in a recipe pamphlet in Cuba by the Bacardí company in 1930. The Cuban air mail service began the same year, which could indicate the drink was invented then and named after it, but there’s no evidence to support that. You can use sparkling wine instead of Champagne and any gold rum (aged one to three years) – though the original called for Bacardí Gold. Try Bacardí Carta Oro (Alc 40%, £20.99-£23.95/70cl Distillers Direct, Gerry’s, Master of Malt, Ocado, Spirits Kiosk, The Bottle Club, The Whisky Exchange). To make your own honey syrup, dissolve 5ml honey in 5ml warm water.

Air Mail

Ingredients: 45ml gold rum, 15ml lime juice, 15ml honey syrup, Champagne to top

Glass: Highball

Garnish: None

Method: Put the rum, lime and syrup in a shaker with ice and shake until your hands are cold. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass and top with Champagne.

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No alcohol doesn’t mean no fun. The n0/low drinking scene has undergone a revolution, with a boom in new products packing serious flavour punch – minus the corresponding abv. With so many of them to choose from – from dark spirit doppelgangers to booze-free bitters – there’s never been a better time for non-alcoholic cocktail making, either.

‘A non-alcoholic cocktail is not a mocktail,’ says Nicolas Medicamento of no/low shop and bar Club Soda in London. ‘A mocktail is basically fruit juices mixed together, and it’s one-dimensional. Cocktails have texture, mouthfeel, complexity, length – a journey. It’s about creating perfect balance, with or without alcohol.’

But for a home bartender new to NoLo, creating that balance can be daunting. no/low components taste different to alcoholic versions, are made in different ways and have different properties. You can’t just make a direct swap – say a non-alcoholic gin for regular gin in a Gimlet – because you’re lacking the ethanol that normally adds both flavour and body. More creativity is needed.

In the mood

Federico Pavan, director of mixology at The Donovan Bar in London – which serves excellent alcohol-free versions of many of its cocktails – suggests starting with the occasion or mood you want to evoke rather than a specific recipe. ‘If you want a feeling of escape, maybe try a tiki cocktail. You can use familiar flavour cues like pineapple, mango and coconut to get your brain making a connection to something like a Piña Colada. If you want an aperitif, think about bitter or dry drink elements that stimulate the appetite.’

Put strict rules to the side in favour of trial, error and flexibility. Be conscious to include acidity, sweetness and sourness but think outside the box in terms of combinations. ‘For example, you don’t need coffee liqueur in an Espresso Martini,’ says Medicamento. ‘You can deliver that sensation with two or three other ingredients. We use non-alcoholic stout to add a chocolate note, often found in coffee.’

Medicamento also suggests adding a little sugar or honey to your drink to help beef up that often-lacking density and mouthfeel. ‘Too many people leave it out in home cocktail-making,’ he says. ‘Don’t shy away from sugar!’

Find your flavour

There are now hundreds of no/low products out there to choose from, made in myriad different ways, from dealcoholisation to fermentation. While you shouldn’t expect the same flavours as in your alcoholic favourites, many come with similar overarching profiles. By finding a star product that echoes the qualities you enjoy in traditional spirits, you can build a portfolio of mixed drinks to suit your palate.

For example – rated both by Pavan and Medicamento – fresh Everleaf Marine might appeal if you like white spirits such as gin or tequila; while Everleaf Forest could suit if you love darker spirits such as rum. Wavelength’s smoky Amber Digestif has a bitter quality that works well in a Negroni, or in other cocktails that normally feature red vermouth. Meads or beers can add flavour or sparkle to drinks, while Nonsuch Shrub can lend acidity.

Finally, consider presentation. Serving temperature is important – normally ethanol gives drinks viscosity, but keeping NoLo products chilled creates a similar sensation. Medicamento suggests keeping bottles in the fridge and using plenty of high-quality ice when mixing. Meanwhile, Pavan insists on finding the right glassware and garnish to create a sense of occasion. ‘Visual impact is very important,’ he says. ‘If you serve Seedlip in a beautiful Martini glass, your imagination will see it as a Martini. Even if the flavour is not exactly the same, you’ve already done half the job.’

Non-alcoholic cocktail recipes to try at home

The Martini:

I Just Called to Say I Love Brew

A non-alcoholic version of the cult classic from no/low shop and bar Club Soda in London. You can buy a Perfect Alcohol-Free Espresso Martini Gift Box containing the ingredients from the Club Soda website, £48.

• Ingredients: 50ml Good Koffee Kakao, 50ml Big Drop Galactic Stout, 50ml Three Spirit Social Elixir
• Glass: Martini
• Garnish: Coffee beans (optional)
• Method: Put all three ingredients into a shaker with a handful of ice. Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker feels icy cold. Strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with two or three coffee beans.

The Aperitif:

Comfort Zone

A fresh serve from Federico Pavan and Salvatore Calabrese at The Donovan Bar in London.

• Ingredients: 50ml Seedlip Garden, 30ml celery juice, 15ml Mirabelle plum purée, 15ml elderflower cordial, 1g citric acid, 5 drops Ms Better’s Miraculous Foamer Bitters
• Glass: Coupette
• Garnish: None
• Method: Begin by combining the celery juice and citric acid until mixed well. To make the cocktail, put the acidified celery juice and all the remaining ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake until your hands are cold, then strain into a coupette and serve.

The Sour:

Ringkobing

A 0.5% Amaretto Sour from alcohol-free wine and bar group Tørstigbar, which has a branch in Brighton and during January 2024 is popping up in London’s Hoxton as the Official Bar of Dry January.

• Ingredients: 50ml Lyres Amaretti, juice from ½ lemon, juice from ¼ orange, All the Bitter Orange Bitters, dash of agave syrup, 2 barspoons aquafaba, orange peel
• Glass: Rocks
• Garnish: Maraschino cherry or fresh orange
• Method: Dry shake (without ice) the amaretti, lemon juice, orange juice, bitters, agave syrup and aquafaba in a shaker. Add ice and shake again until cold. Garnish with a maraschino cherry or fresh orange. Spritz the rim of the glass with orange peel and serve.

The Spritz:

Our Farm Spritz

A simple, fruit-forward drink from Andreas Grammatikopoulos at Simon Rogan’s Henrock restaurant near Windermere in the Lake District.

• Ingredients: 100ml homemade rhubarb syrup, 150ml soda water or sparkling water
• Glass: Highball
• Garnish: Rhubarb sliver, fresh dill
• Method: To make the rhubarb syrup: put 500ml water and 500g caster sugar in a pan and dissolve over a low heat. Add 1.1kg of fresh rhubarb cut into 1-2cm chunks and 120g dill. Gently simmer with the lid on the pan until the rhubarb softens. Allow to cool and then place in the fridge to chill. Once cooled, strain the syrup mix through a coffee filter, add 7.5g citric acid and stir to gently combine.
  To make the cocktail: add ice to a tall glass. Pour 100ml of the rhubarb syrup and around 100ml soda water over the ice and stir to combine. Garnish with a sliver of rhubarb and a sprig of fresh dill.

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Rock around the croc

Cuba’s luxury Eminente brand is a relative newcomer to the world of rum, launching just three years ago. Its distinctive crocodile-skin glass bottles are inspired by Cuban crocodiles, synonymous with the island’s national identity; locals think Cuba is shaped like a crocodile, earning it the nickname Isla del Cocodrilo. The latest release, 10-year-old Eminente Gran Reserva Edition No1 (Alc 43.5%), is a follow-up to Eminente Ambar Claro (three years old) and Eminente Reserva (seven years old).

Made by César Marti, the youngest Cuban Maestro Ronero, Eminente rums are notable for the high percentage of aguardiente [‘eau-de-vie’ distilled spirit, in this case from Cuban sugar cane] in their blends. Cuban rums must contain a minimum of 7% aguardiente; Eminente Gran Reserva contains 80%, blended with light rum. The final blend is finished for three months in French oak. Aromas of roasted pineapple, butterscotch, lemon tart, ginger cake, fresh citrus. The spicy palate has notes of dark chocolate, dried orange peel, toasted coconut and ripe mango, alongside fresh grassy and woody notes. Enjoy it neat over ice. £74.25/70cl Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange.

What is… chill filtration?

A term that you may notice on whisky bottles, ‘chill-filtered’ refers to the process of cooling a barrel-matured spirit to between -10°C and 4°C, then filtering it to remove certain molecular compounds. These compounds, such as fatty esters, can make a whisky cloudy when ice or cold water is added. As well as improving the clarity of chilled whisky, fans of chill-filtration claim that it enhances the final flavour; though opponents of the technique argue it can negatively impact both taste and mouthfeel. However, blind tastings have shown there is little difference in scores for chill-filtered and non-chill-filtered whiskies.

What to drink now… Negroni Sbagliato

While the Negroni (Campari, gin and vermouth) was likely invented around 1919, the Negroni Sbagliato is a more modern affair. Sbagliato translates as ‘mistaken’ or ‘wrong’ and the story goes that Mirko Stocchetto of Bar Basso in Milan accidentally grabbed a bottle of spumante instead of gin while mixing a Negroni in the early 1970s. But Mirko’s son Maurizio, who still runs Basso, claims the recipe was developed deliberately to appeal to the increasing number of female drinkers visiting the bar. Either way, this lighter take on a Negroni found new fans when it went viral on TikTok last year, and it’s a great festive sparkling cocktail. Use Four Pillars Spiced Negroni Gin (Alc 41.8%, £37.81-£44.49/70cl Amazon, Proof Drinks, The Good Spirits Co, The Whisky Exchange, Urban Bar), an Australian spirit with Tasmanian pepperberry, cinnamon and ginger botanicals.

Negroni Sbagliato

Ingredients: 30ml Campari, 30ml sweet vermouth, 60ml Italian sparkling wine

Glass: Rocks

Garnish: Orange wheel

Method: Pour all ingredients into an ice-filled glass. Stir briefly, then garnish

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You’d be hard pressed to find a bar that doesn’t have an Espresso Martini on its menu nowadays, and rightly so, but coffee has a lot more to offer when it comes to cocktails.

Elegant in its simplicity, fun yet sophisticated, the Espresso Martini – created by legendary London bartender Dick Bradsell in the 1980s – is quite deservedly having a moment, and long may that last. But coffee is a versatile cocktail ingredient, and bartenders have recently been finding new and inventive ways to mix with it, in all its forms.

The most natural approach, avoiding the reinvention of any wheels, is to remix the ubiquitous classic. The Espresso Martini lends itself well to being modified, whether it’s swapping the vodka out for tequila or rum, or pretty much anything else, revisiting the coffee component, or even the sweetener.

At Christina’s at The Mondrian in London’s Shoreditch, their version makes use of a rum infused with banana peels, by sustainable spirits brand Discarded, sweetened with just a touch of honey syrup. Meanwhile at the new Daroco Soho, their take is made with cold brew coffee and a brown-butter vodka, sweetened with both tonka syrup and a clarified banana syrup.

Coffee classics

The Espresso Martini isn’t the only classic coffee cocktail that bartenders are taking inspiration from. There’s the timeless Irish Coffee, which tends to be modified and improved, rather than entirely overhauled. At Schofield’s in Manchester, the usual sugar is replaced by a honey syrup, and their cream is infused with vanilla.

The Carajillo, a Spanish invention, has its devotees around the world, but nowhere more than in Mexico City. Simplicity in itself, this is a combination of espresso and Spanish liqueur Licor 43, served over ice. At Viajante87 in London’s Notting Hill, their shaken version adds a little Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur to the mix.

Meanwhile, some bartenders are taking things further, beyond the classics, and exploring coffee’s full potential as a cocktail ingredient. Take the Guns of Brixton, a drink from London’s Hacha, which focuses instead on green coffee beans, and then introduces coffee flavour via a caffeine-free chicory cold brew.

Flavour and balance

‘Coffee has a stigma of being the highlight of a drink instead of being complementary,’ says Tristan Carvalho of The Cocktail Trading Co (see below). ‘I’ve always preferred to approach it as a flavour enhancer, or something to balance a drink, the way bitters are used.’

Coffee and cocktail consultant Dan Fellows, agrees. ‘Coffee can be used as a supporting or secondary flavour to bring new levels of complexity and balance to drinks, either complementing or contrasting the other ingredients in the drink.’

There’s also more to coffee than the bean, according to Fellows. ‘Cascara, a byproduct of coffee production that can show flavours of dried fruit and Port, is now being used to bring natural sweetness to drinks, and even coffee leaf is becoming an ingredient to explore, with a flavour profile closer to tea.’

Coffee cocktails to try at home

If you want to venture beyond the Espresso Martini, these recipes are arranged in order of complexity, from easy-to-make to cocktails that require more preparation with homemade syrups for example.

Carajillo

Recipe from Viajante87, London

‘We wanted to showcase a Carajillo because of the ritual it holds in everyday life in Mexico City,’ says Pietro Collina of Viajante87. ‘It’s a treat people indulge in at any point of the day, and you won’t find anyone in a group having one by themselves. It’s a reason to pause and slow down for a beat, similar to the coveted espresso break in Italy.’

Ingredients: 45ml espresso, 30ml Licor 43, 15ml Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur

Glass: Tumbler

Garnish: None

Method: Put all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into an ice-filled tumbler.

Banana Espresso Martini

Recipe from Christina’s, London

‘There are too many variables when pouring a shot of espresso, so we opted for Climpson & Sons Coffee Concentrate,’ says Sam Russell at Christina’s in London’s Shoreditch. ‘The coffee spray from Linden Leaf gives the top a glossy, Guinness-like finish.’

Ingredients: 35ml Discarded Banana Rum, 35ml Climpson & Sons Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate, 20ml Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane, 15ml Climpson & Sons Midnight Oil Coffee Liqueur, 5ml honey syrup

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Linden Leaf Cocktail Elements 06 Coffee spray

Method: Put all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe.

Irish Coffee

Recipe from Schofield’s Bar, Manchester

The Irish Coffee at Schofield’s doesn’t stray too far from the original, but elevates things with the addition of a honey syrup (three parts honey to one part water), as well as vanilla-infused cream made with good-quality vanilla extract – and some grated tonka bean to finish.

Ingredients: 100ml hot water, 35ml Redbreast 12 Whiskey, 25ml fresh espresso, 20ml honey syrup* Vanilla-infused cream**

Glass: Goblet

Garnish: Grated tonka bean

Method: Combine ingredients in the glass and top with slightly whipped cream.

Jam Sesh

Recipe by Tristan Carvalho, The Cocktail Trading Co (above) 

This cocktail was created for the 10th anniversary celebrations of drinks brand accelerator Distill Ventures. ‘I decided to combine coffee with another breakfast staple in Singapore, where I’m from, which is kaya, a coconut pandan jam that you’d spread on toast to have with your coffee,’ says Carvalho.

Ingredients: 30ml Vodka, 30ml Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, 30ml Sesh Mix*

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Pandan leaf

Method: Put all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into a chilled coupe.

*To make the Sesh Mix combine 500ml Rooibos Tea (five bags in 500ml hot water for 15 minutes), 165g table sugar, 50g golden syrup, 100g kaya (coconut pandan jam, available from Amazon or Asian markets), 4g salt and 20g Nescafé Gold. This makes enough mix for 18 cocktails; the mix can be kept in a sealed jar or bottle in the fridge for a month.

Guns of Brixton

Recipe from Hacha, London

‘The concept was to work around the idea of coffee, without having any traditional coffee taste,’ says Hacha Brixton’s Ben Guillou. ‘Sweet green notes from green coffee go well with agave and tonka beans, and we balanced that with the bitterness of chicory and the dry, spicy notes of our vermouth.’ You can use tequila or mezcal, infused with tonka beans: place three tonka beans in your chosen bottle for three hours and strain. To make the chicory cold brew, place 5g of chicory roots in 250ml of water and infuse for 24 hours. To make the green coffee bean syrup combine 250g caster sugar, 250g water and 50g green coffee beans in a saucepan and bring to a light boil. Remove from stove and infuse for an extra 24 hours. To make your own sea moss solution steep 10g of sea moss in 100g of water for a couple of hours and strain. But you can use saline solution instead: dissolve 2g salt in 10ml water.

Ingredients: 35ml tequila or mezcal infused with tonka beans, 15ml chicory cold brew, 15ml Hacha Dry Vermouth, 10ml green coffee bean syrup, 3 dashes of sea moss solution

Glass: Tumbler

Garnish: Three green coffee beans

Method: Put all of the ingredients in a mixing jug and stir for 30 seconds. Strain over a big ice cube in a tumbler.

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One should never do anything that one cannot talk about after dinner,’ wrote Oscar Wilde in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Whether or not you choose to follow his advice, you’ll know the moment he’s referring to. That time at the table when you’re well fed, enjoying good company and the conversation just flows.

This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a digestive – digestif or digestivo, depending on your preference – though many of us ignore the post-dinner drinking moment. We might pour another glass of wine, or opt for a coffee. Or we simply might have no idea what to drink after a meal.

In that sense the digestif is completely eclipsed by the aperitif: a drink enjoyed before a meal. ‘I guess that’s because aperitifs are always the first drink and everyone gets more excited about the beginning of the evening rather than celebrating the end of an evening,’ suggests Sandia Chang, sommelier and co-founder of Michelin two-star restaurant Kitchen Table. ‘It’s like the flight to a holiday is a bit more fun and exciting than the flight coming back from one.’

That’s a mistake, as the category of digestive drinks can be just as exciting as aperitifs – and they have a practical purpose. ‘I believe a digestif completes the whole experience,’ continues Chang. ‘Also, digestifs are named for the reason that they help with digestion after a meal. Most traditional digestifs are elixirs and tonics that do have real medical purposes.’

Last but not least

In simple terms, digestifs are alcoholic beverages that are served after a meal to help settle the stomach and aid digestion. They tend to be higher in alcohol than drinks served before or during a meal. Spirits such as whisky and Cognac traditionally fall into this category, as do fortified wines. But they’re just the beginning. Take a look at drinking cultures across Europe and you’ll find plenty more ideas.

‘For Italians, ending a meal with a digestivo is almost a ritual,’ says Matteo Luxardo, export director of Italian liqueur company Luxardo. ‘There are so many spirits that can fulfil this role, so it really depends which part of Italy you’re from. In the north you see a lot of grappa, amaro or fernet; whereas in the centre you tend to see more anise-flavoured drinks. In the south, limoncello is king,’ he adds.

‘You see these flavour profiles in other countries, too. Germany is oriented towards herbal liqueurs, in France they favour anise, while Spain has orujo, which is similar to grappa [distilled from the solids left over from wine production].’

So there are plenty of options. ‘It really depends on what you like and also what you had to eat,’ says Chang. ‘If you prefer something sweet and less strong, fruit liquors or after-dinner cocktails are a great way to finish a meal. If you have had a light lunch or dinner, I would recommend some eau-de-vie [‘water of life’ – colourless fruit brandies]. When you have a heavy meal with lots of butter and sauces, I always like to finish with Cognac or an Armagnac – and of course, whisky is a friendly digestif for any occasion.’

A digestive dram

Are some whiskies better for the purpose than others? Billy Abbott, content and training manager at retailer The Whisky Exchange, has some tips. ‘Generally, I’d look at richer and darker whiskies for after dinner, whiskies that hint at amaros while still being whisky,’ he says. ‘On the Scotch and world whisky front, I’d lean towards Sherry cask-matured whiskies and richer smoky whiskies, or even a combination of the two. For American whiskey, something long-aged and focused on the wood – finding a balanced one can be difficult, but the dark and oaky edges can really work well in a digestif.’

‘Bourbon makes a great after dinner drink due to its different flavour profiles,’ continues Liam Sparks, prestige manager at Hi-Spirits, UK arm of Buffalo Trace producer Sazerac. ‘Bourbons, particularly those with higher alcohol percentages and longer ageing, tend to offer very complex aromas, be rich on the palate and have an increased viscosity. Due to a bourbon’s high corn content in the mashbill, it often presents as sweeter to the taste, offering flavours of vanilla, butterscotch and caramel, naturally being the perfect accompaniment to (or even replacing) desserts,’ he explains. ‘In addition to a neat pour, classic bourbon cocktails such as an Old Fashioned or Manhattan are also a wonderful after-dinner option,’ adds Sparks.

Cocktails and wine

Other classic cocktails that work well as digestifs include the Negroni, Espresso Martini and Amaretto Sour. It’s also worth checking out top bar menus for some creative inspiration, as many feature bespoke recipes. ‘We get a lot of the after-dinner crowd along to the American Bar at The Savoy,’ says its head bartender Chelsie Bailey. ‘A nightcap provides a lovely and decadent end to the evening. Anything with dark spirits such as Cognac, whiskies and rums,’ she advises.

‘We have a few cocktails on our latest menu – the American Bar Journal – which are just perfect for after dinner. The Last Call is a lovely moreish and nutty drink with Glenfiddich 21 Year Old malt whisky, walnut wine, chestnut liqueur, oloroso Sherry and Pedro Ximénez Sherry.’

Fortified wines such as Sherry, Madeira and Port make great digestifs thanks to their higher alcohol content, luscious texture and complex flavours. ‘Port is the oil of good conversation,’ declares Adrian Bridge, CEO of Taylor’s Port producer The Fladgate Partnership. Vintage Port is a classic choice, but don’t overlook styles such as ruby and tawny, which is aged in barrels rather than bottle, giving a more nutty, caramel taste profile.

‘Tawny Port is actually my favourite because you can serve it chilled,’ says Jamie Waugh, wine and spirits buyer at Fortnum & Mason. ‘It’s a better food pairing than vintage Port because it’s a bit lighter, and it’s fresher and nuttier. It goes brilliantly with desserts such as ice cream and apple crumble – and it’s such good value.’ Tawny is also a great match for hard cheeses such as Comté, Cheddar and Pecorino.

Palate revivers

Waugh also recommends rich Madeira as a contrast to the dry wines served with a meal. ‘When you’ve had a bottle of wine with dinner, you want something a bit different to freshen up your palate. With Madeira you’ve got so much sweetness in there, but because there’s really high acidity you don’t often notice that sweetness. So I think they give your palate a lift and keep you thinking, keep you alert,’ he says.

For the same reason, Champagne can work surprisingly well as a digestif. ‘Champagne at the end of the meal helps digestion because of its high acidity and lively bubbles,’ says Giacomo Recchia, head of wines at London restaurant Bob Bob Ricard. ‘Demi-sec goes very well with fruity, light desserts and I also love doux (sweet) Champagne. But the real winner is vintage Champagne. In this style, you can detect flavours such as buttery brioche, baked apple, toasted hazelnut, bread crust, white truffle, mushrooms and honey, which elegantly complement any end of meal food. In my opinion, enjoying a glass of Champagne at the end of the meal is the perfect grand finale.’

Seven delicious digestives to try

Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks

Jamaica’s Black River is the water source for Appleton Estate’s rums, including this long-aged blend of pot and column still rums created by Master Blender Joy Spence. Caramel and vanilla, notes of dried orange peel, light fruitcake, ginger and dark spices. Intense, layered with woody spice, black toffee, ripe banana, coffee, pink pepper and leather, with a lingering, complex finish. One to sip and savour. Alcohol 43%

Barbeito Fortnum & Mason Single Cask Boal Colheita 2005

Madeira, Portugal

Made for Fortnum & Mason by Barbeito, which has been releasing rare single casks since 2001. Cask 707 contains Boal from top vineyards, aged to produce an unctuous palate packed with velvety layers of creamy toffee, nuts, figs, sultana, moist fruitcake and baking spices. Fresh acidity cuts through the 80g/L residual sugar for a long, dry finish. Only 600 bottles produced. Alc 19%

Camus XO Cognac

Aged for 10 years, XOs are the ultimate luxury Cognacs, making them a perfect choice for decadent after-dinner drinking. From the Borderies cru, this has aromas of orange, apple, apricot overlaid with spice and cacao. Lovely silkiness to the complex palate is balanced by assertive oak and spice. Newly packaged in a stylish square decanter that you can reuse, it’s a luxe addition to your drinks collection. Alc 40%

Glenmorangie Amontillado Finish

Glenmorangie’s fourth limited-edition Barrel Select Release, launched earlier this year. This small-batch bottling boasts serious digestif credentials: the whisky spends eight years in American white oak bourbon barrels, with a further four years in amontillado Sherry casks. Glenmorangie’s signature fruity notes – orange, peach and fresh lemon – are overlaid with Sherried tones; nuttiness, dried fruit and spice, with salted caramel and ginger biscuits. Alc 46%

Luxardo Espresso Liqueur

This sweet yet bitter coffee liqueur is made with a blend of coffee beans from Brazil, Columbia and Kenya, heat-infused for 30 days to replicate an espresso style. Notes of coffee, dark chocolate and vanilla. Enjoy it neat over ice, or in an Espresso Martini: 45ml vodka, 30ml hot espresso coffee, 20ml coffee liqueur shaken over ice and served in a chilled Martini glass. Alc 27%

Taylor’s 30 Year Old Tawny Port

Douro, Portugal

Taylor’s is one of only a few houses to bottle a 30-year-old tawny – and it’s a beauty. Structured, complex and lingering; mellow silky notes of dried fruit, fig, apricot and orange peel are countered by a savoury streak, nuttiness and salinity with a focused finish. Pairs beautifully with nutty, caramel desserts and cheeses, and doesn’t need decanting – serve slightly chilled. Alc 20%

Villa Massa Amaretto

Made with Sicilian almonds, which are ground with their skins and macerated, this unctuous amaretto has marzipan aromas, with cherry, vanilla and Bakewell tart notes on the palate. The distillery in Sorrento also produces a limoncello. Serve this neat over ice as a simple, sweet digestivo or mix up a classic Amaretto Sour: 60ml amaretto, 30ml lemon juice, 15ml egg white. Alc 30%

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The Lyan’s share

Also known as Mr Lyan, Ryan Chetiyawardana is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed mixologist. In 2013, he opened his original venue White Lyan – the first cocktail bar in the world to use no perishable ingredients (not even ice), as an exercise in sustainability. Today he operates Super Lyan in Amsterdam, Lyaness and Seed Library in London and Silver Lyan in Washington DC.

His third book, Mr Lyan’s Cocktails at Home, is published this month. A new edition of 2015’s Good Things to Drink with Mr Lyan and Friends, it divides 69 cocktail recipes into sociable sections such as Alfresco Days, Friday Nights and Fireside Serves. New recipes in this edition include the Golden Cherry Fizz made with vodka and light red wine; and the Belle Ball, a spiced toddy-style winter warmer. Expert advice on ingredients and techniques includes the essential kit you need to mix drinks, store cupboard staples and homemade bitters and syrups. Available through Amazon UK

What is… tsipouro?

Made in Greece, tsipouro is a grape brandy. Its history can be traced back to the 14th century, when records show that it was being distilled by Greek Orthodox monks on Mount Athos in Macedonia. Today production is still associated with Macedonia, but tsipouro is also made in Thessaly, Epirus and on the island of Crete, where it’s known as tsikoudia. Made from grape pomace (left over after winemaking), most tsipouro is clear and unaged, though barrel-aged versions are produced. It is usually served neat and chilled, alongside meze snacks.

What to drink now… Between the Sheets

With its seductive name, Between the Sheets was a signature cocktail of the Jazz Age. Its origins are disputed and there’s considerable variation between the oldest recipes, though it probably originated in a New York speakeasy during Prohibition. The first printed recipe, in Frank Shay’s 1929 book Drawn from the Wood, calls for equal parts gin, Bacardi rum and Cointreau. It’s likely that when the recipe travelled to Europe, Cognac and lemon juice were added to create a mix more reminiscent of a Sidecar. Try it with Ron Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca (Alc 38% Amathus Drinks, Master of Malt, The Vine Whisperer, The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky World), a versatile and well- rounded Cuban rum for cocktails.

Between the Sheets

Ingredients: 45ml white rum, 45ml Cognac, 45ml Cointreau, 45ml fresh lemon juice

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Lemon zest twist

Method: Shake all the ingredients with ice, until your hands are cold, then strain into the glass and garnish.

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The legend lives on…

Top Jamaican rum producer Appleton Estate pays homage to the discontinued J Wray & Nephew 17 Year Old – famed for its use in the first-ever Mai Tai cocktail – with its new Appleton Estate 17 Year Old Legend (Alc 49%). Appleton Master Blender Joy Spence referenced archived manuscripts and formulas, using four very rare distillates to best replicate the taste profile of the legendary blend crafted on the estate in the 1940s. ‘This project has been truly one of the most challenging of my career,’ said Spence. ‘We’ve created an expression that is a tribute both to our own heritage, and to the heritage of the classic cocktail craft.’

The original 17 Year Old rum featured in the emerging Tiki cocktail scene of the 1940s; Victor Bergeron, founder of Trader Vic’s in California, teamed it with lime juice, orgeat and orange curaçao to create a new Tiki cocktail. On tasting it, friends from Tahiti pronounced Maita’i roa a’e (‘out of this world!’) and the Mai Tai was born. Velvety, complex and rich, Appleton Estate 17 Year Old Legend captures the smoky orange top notes that distinguished the original, layered with rich caramelised banana, pear, oak, moist fruit cake and green herbaceous notes. Only 1,500 bottles produced; 180 available in the UK. Available from Master of Malt.

What is… a dry shake?

Cocktail recipes that require you to shake a drink to mix the ingredients will usually tell you to add ice to the shaker. This is known as a ‘wet shake’, because the ice will fragment and melt as you shake, adding a tiny amount of water to the drink. However, some recipes call for a ‘dry shake’. This refers to shaking ingredients without ice. A dry shake will whip air into the mixture, giving a frothy texture to the final drink. Recipes containing egg white – such as a Whisky Sour or Clover Club – require a dry shake, to ensure that it combines with the other ingredients, giving a foamy texture.

What to drink now… Clover Club

The Clover Club first formed in the early 1880s as a dining club for newspaper industry figures. They met in Philadelphia’s Bellevue Hotel, where this eponymous drink was created, probably in 1896. The drink fell out of popularity after Prohibition but was revived by top mixologist Julie Reiner when she opened the Clover Club bar in Brooklyn NYC in 2008. For this recipe, as raspberries are in season you could make your own raspberry syrup. Otherwise try Monin Framboise Syrup (available from The Whisky Exchange).

Clover Club

Ingredients: 45ml gin, 15ml dry vermouth, 15ml lemon juice, 10ml raspberry syrup, 10ml egg white (or aquafaba)

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Raspberry

Method: Shake all the ingredients with ice, then strain back into the shaker. Dry shake and strain into a chilled coupe

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Rum is on a roll. The latest industry figures show that sales are increasing globally and more people than ever are mixing up rum cocktails at home. There’s good reason for this: rum is one of the most diverse spirits categories out there, with a range of styles to suit every taste. And as demand is increasing, producers are upping their game, releasing new expressions and premium products to quench our thirst.

Released in June, the Rum Global Market Report 2023 by the Business Research Company showed that the global rum category is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate of 4.8% this year, up to US$14.35bn from US$13.69bn in 2022. The report predicts the the category could be worth US$17.68bn by 2027.

Meanwhile research conducted by Bacardí earlier this year showed that over a quarter of us in the UK are opting for a rum cocktail instead of beer this summer. Out of 2,011 respondents surveyed in May, 29% preferred rum cocktails. A Piña Colada was the number one choice, followed by Sex on the Beach and a minty Mojito.

In the mix

If you’re a novice and want to have a go at making your own rum cocktails at home this summer, drinks expert Laura Foster recommends keeping things simple and starting with two bottles: one light and one dark.

‘For mixing rum cocktails at home, you can make most drinks with two variants in your drinks cabinet. First up is a decent, unaged rum that offers complexity, which will be the foundation for your Daiquiris, Mojitos, Cuba Libres and Piña Coladas,’ she says. ‘Next, you need an aged rum for your stirred, more serious drinks.’

Beyond the basics there’s a whole world of tropical Tiki cocktails to explore. These are the drinks that remind you of summer holidays and sundowners on the beach. Try a simple Dark N Stormy, with ginger beer and lime, or a delicious Mai Tai. Rum punches are also a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and easy to mix in large batches for parties.

New launches

If you’re a more serious rum drinker or collector, the latest round of summer releases will be of interest. The newest recruit to the range from Cuban brand Havana Club is an exclusive small-batch bottling for The Whisky Exchange (see below).

Meanwhile in Jamaica, Appleton Estate’s Master Blender Joy Spencer has been delving into the archives to recreate the discontinued J Wray & Nephew 17 Year Old, famed for its use in the first-ever Mai Tai cocktail. The result is Appleton Estate 17 Year Old Legend, a complex and collectable limited-edition, selling for a cool £500. See below for more details.

‘This project has been years in the making and truly one of the most challenging of my career,’ says Spence. ‘In carefully re-creating the beautiful taste profile of the original rum, we’ve created an expression that is a tribute both to our own heritage, and to the heritage of the classic cocktail craft.’

But whether you’re a connoisseur or a newcomer to rum, the choices below should give you some inspiration for happy summer sipping.

Best rums for summer: 10 to try

8Track Spiced Rum

Cornish company Upbeat Spirits supports the UK’s independent music scene with events in small venues. Its first release is a sustainably sourced blend of rums from Guyana and Barbados, spiced with cloves, ginger, cinnamon and Seville oranges. Bursting with fruity orange notes on the nose and palate, it’s a light, easygoing style, perked up with fiery fresh ginger hits and dark clove undertones. Good value and great in a Dark N Stormy with ginger beer and lime. Alcohol 37.5%

Appleton Estate 17 Year Old Legend

Top Jamaican rum producer Appleton Estate has launched this rare bottling that pays homage to the discontinued J Wray & Nephew 17 Year Old, famed for its use in the first-ever Mai Tai cocktail. Appleton Estate 17 Year Old Legend was created by Appleton’s Master Blender Joy Spence. She referenced original archived manuscripts and formulas, using four very rare distillates to best replicate the taste profile of the legendary blend crafted by J Wray & Nephew on the estate in the 1940s. Velvety, complex and rich, it captures the smoky orange top notes that distinguished the original, layered with rich caramelised banana, ripe pear, oak, moist fruit cake, nuts, dates and distinctive green herbaceous notes, with an intense, lingering finish. Only 1,500 bottles produced, with 180 available in the UK – and at £500 a bottle, it’s one for the dedicated rum collectors. Alc 49%

Barceló Organic Rum

Based in the Dominican Republic, Ron Barceló is a certified carbon-neutral rum producer. The latest addition to its range, Barceló Organic Rum, is the first Dominican organic rum; it’s made from fresh sugar-cane juice, extracted from 150ha of organically farmed sugar cane and aged in US oak. Satisfying, mellow fruity aromas – banana and cherry – plus fruit cake, cocoa and a hit of pink peppercorns. The rich and velvety palate is layered with tropical fruit, caramel, Madeira cake and dried ginger, with darker hints of tobacco and chocolate on the finish. Try it in a Rum Old Fashioned. Alc 37.5%

Don Q Double Cask Finish Cognac

Launched in May and available at Ocado, this dark rum is one of two new limited releases from Puerto Rican rum brand Don Q. It’s aged in American white oak barrels for five to eight years, then finished for an additional two years in Cognac casks. Enticing aromas of rich tropical fruit, dried fruit, honey, banana toffee and subtle spicy oak. Complex palate: layers of dried fruit, mango, marmalade, leather and lots of dusty brown spice mingle with sweet oak, with Cognac character appearing on the dry finish. A rum to sip and savour. Only 1,800 bottles produced. Alc 49.6%

Equiano Light

The world’s first Afro-Caribbean rum is a blend of fresh unaged sugar cane juice rum from Grays Distillery in Mauritius and three-year-old molasses rum from Foursquare distillery in Barbados. It’s named in honour of Olaudah Equiano, a freed slave and a prominent abolitionist in the 18th century. A percentage of company profits goes to the charitable Equiano Rum Co Foundation, currently supporting Anti-Slavery International. A very light and subtle palate, with lovely freshness. Carries its alcohol lightly – perfect for summer serves. Grassy, creamy, with vanilla, and a spicy note on the finish. Try it in a citrussy Daiquiri. Alc 43%

Havana Club 11 Year Old Small Batch

Blended by Maestro del Ron Cubano Asbel Morales, this new rum was bottled at cask strength – a first for Havana Club. It’s available exclusively at The Whisky Exchange, which is also the first time the brand has created a rum for one specific retailer. It’s one for slow sipping, as you enjoy the aromas of ripe orange, stone fruit, dried mango and orange peel, layered with mellow oak spice. On the palate you’ll find rich dried fruits, marzipan, wild flower honey and cinnamon, with a very long, spicy finish. Alc 50%

Takamaka Pti Lakaz

Produced on the island of Mahé in the Seychelles, Takamaka rums showcase different production techniques, making use of both molasses and cane sugar rums, and pot- and column-distillation, with ageing in a variety of casks. Pti Lakaz is a blend of two Seychelles rums – a pot-distilled cane rum matured in three types of oak and a molasses rum rested in ex-bourbon casks – with an eight-year-old molasses rum from Foursquare Distillery in Barbados. It kicks off with a nose of spice, toffee and tropical fruit. Rich and rounded, with mellow brown spices, malted milk biscuits, Madeira cake, bananas, caramel and ripe tropical fruit, and a long, spicy finish. Perfect for a fruity rum punch. Alc 45.1%

That Boutique-y Rum Company Secret Distillery #9 Fiji

The Boutique-y boys bottle unusual casks from around the world, including rarities and closed distilleries. Their rums are always interesting and reliably excellent quality – and the latest range, released in May, is no exception. As usual, the bottlings aren’t classified by colour, but by production method, distillery and origin. This characterful pot-still rum comes from an unnamed distillery on the South Pacific island of Fiji. Layered and complex, with signature spiciness, roasted pineapple, banana toffee, fresh mango, vanilla pod, star anise, grassiness, white pepper, banana leaf and even hints of florality. A joy for the rum geeks. Alc 52.2%

Rhum JM White

This is an agricole, a distinctive style of rum made from sugarcane (rather than molasses) that’s typical to the French-speaking islands of the Caribbean – in this case Martinique, where the style was invented – hence it’s labelled rhum. Agricoles have a trademark grassy character, which you’ll find here alongside bright lime citrus, floral and tropical notes, plus white pepper spice. I love this in a Mojito. Alc 50%

Veritas White Rum

Two of rum’s most respected names have joined forces to make this versatile light mixing rum. A blend of pot-still spirit from Hampden in Jamaica and column-still rum from Foursquare in Barbados, Veritas kicks off with notes of banana caramel, pineapple and vanilla. Smooth palate with pineapple and pineapple leaf, fresh banana, pear and a touch of butterscotch. One of my favourite rums for a Daiquiri. Alc 47%

Related articles

• Best light rums: eight to try
• A guide to Caribbean rum
• Cocktails for summer: five easy mixers

Sun riding high in the sky, nights long and lively: it’s that time of year again. And summer drinking staples are back once more, from perfectly chilled Provençal rosé to clean, crisp ciders. Then there’s the exciting world of mixed drinks to consider, too.

So what’s on trend for this season? Summer drinking often isn’t about reinventing the wheel, as Rachel Reid, general manager at cocktail bar Swift Borough in London, attests. Spritzes and Margaritas are set to be popular again, she says: ‘The Spritz always does well in the summer, as it’s thirst-quenching and can easily be manipulated into being sweet, bitter or fruity at the ease of the person making it.’

These drinks may be classics, but they are always evolving, as the Margarita and Spritz twists featured in this article will demonstrate. In fact, the ‘Spritz’ here is a non-alcoholic serve. ‘What I find interesting is that the definition of a Spritz is becoming wider and wider, incorporating drinks that do not necessarily include wine any longer,’ explains Michele Mariotti, who heads up the bars program at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland.

Speaking of low- and no-alcohol drinks, their rise continues apace, with top bars and restaurants dedicating more space on their menus to this sector year after year. It’s the fastest-developing and most innovative drinks category right now, with plenty of quality and interesting non-alcoholic brands available.

Special mentions go to Everleaf’s creative and delicious range, as well as Botivo and Mother Root. The latter two use apple cider vinegar as a base, and botanicals to flavour their expressions.

The best way to use all of these products is by mixing them with some of the exciting flavoured soda and tonic waters on the market right now. Get creative with the garnish, too: ‘We’re using abundant garnishes this summer, because the one thing we can’t bottle is the freshness of ingredients,’ says Everleaf’s founder Paul Mathew. ‘I always recommend picking one flavour from the drink and amplifying it with a fresh ingredient.’

Finally, while buying the ingredients for your drinks, make sure you don’t forget one vital component. ‘Ice is such an important ingredient, and you never have enough of it,’ declares Mariotti. ‘I recommend always having a freezer full of it.’ When adding ice to a glass, don’t skimp – fill the vessel.

So what is the red thread through all these drinks, and all of this advice? Freshness. Keep it fresh this summer, and your bibulous journey will be an immensely satisfying one.

Hibiscus Royale

Hibiscus is a true flower of the tropics and warm climates. Its delicate, bright petals provide decoration for memorable trips in beautiful destinations. It also happens to have a wonderful flavour, and is particularly popular in Mexico, where it is used to make a non-alcoholic hibiscus iced tea drink known as Agua de Jamaica. This refreshing and ruby-coloured beverage, served over ice, is a beguiling mix of sweet, tart and floral – the perfect sip in the hot midday sun anywhere.

Here, we’ve taken that fabulous hibiscus flavour and combined it with non-vintage Champagne. The floral character teases out the complexity of the fizz – even with Moët & Chandon NV, a fresh, reductive wine, the resulting drink brought a delicious lees-y richness to the fore. This is a perfect welcome drink for summer garden parties – set the glasses up with the syrup in the bottom ahead of time, then you can simply top up with the chilled Champagne as everyone arrives.

Ingredients: 15ml Giffard Hibiscus Syrup, 150ml NV Champagne

Glass: Flute

Garnish: Edible flower

Method: Pour syrup into bottom of a chilled flute, pour the Champagne over it and gently stir a few times

Tom Collins

Although its exact origins are lost to the mists of time, it is widely accepted that a Tom Collins was created some time in the 19th century. The concept of mixing the building blocks of lemonade – lemon juice, sugar and soda water – with spirit is simple, yet incredibly effective, especially on a hot summer’s day. Old Tom is a historical gin that is sweeter than the typical London dry gins. While both London dry and Old Tom gins work in a Tom Collins, this version – with Porter’s Tropical Old Tom (Alc 40%, available through Amazon UK) – results in a light, refreshing and lemony drink with tropical hints and added depth.

Ingredients: 50ml Porter’s Tropical Old Tom Gin, 25ml lemon juice, 15ml sugar syrup, 40ml soda water

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Lemon wheel and maraschino cherry

Method: Fill glass with ice, measure ingredients in, gently stir and garnish

Tommy’s Margarita

‘Margaritas are popular all year round, but in summer the demand for them is at an all-time high,’ declares Swift Borough’s Rachel Reid. ‘The frozen Margarita is a great way to cool down, while the unfrozen Margarita offers that sharp tartness and saltiness that is craved on a hot summer’s day.’ While the original drink calls for tequila, triple sec liqueur and lime juice, this relatively new twist on the classic, which swaps the liqueur out for agave syrup, is arguably taking over as the most-served Margarita variant in bars around the world. The beauty of it is the fact that tequila is made using the agave plant, and the use of agave syrup really amps up the flavour of the raw material, producing a more rounded drink than the original cocktail recipe. To really capitalise on this approach, use tequilas that say ‘100% agave’ on the bottle. Brands such as Ocho, Olmeca Altos, Patrón, Tapatio and Vivir are a good place to start.

Ingredients: 50ml blanco tequila, 25ml lime juice, 12.5ml agave syrup

Glass: Rocks

Garnish: None

Method: Shake ingredients over ice and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass

Violet Mountain Spritz

Those abstaining from alcohol need no longer be banished to drinking lime and soda, with this simple-to-make yet complex-tasting, non-alcoholic spritz. Zero-alcohol drinks brand Everleaf has a range of products that encapsulate natural environments: Forest, Marine and Mountain (available through Everleaf, Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange). Mountain is an organoleptic interpretation of founder Paul Mathew’s walk up a mountain, which includes strawberries, cherry blossom, rose hip and juniper. ‘I try to paint with flavours,’ he explains. While Mountain is delicious with a normal tonic water, Artisan Drinks’ Violet Blossom tonic adds extra delicate florality, giving a gently beguiling whole.

The strawberry garnish in your drink doesn’t need to be fresh. ‘Berries are a fantastic ingredient to freeze and use in your drinks to supplement ice and have something cool to nibble on while you drink,’ says Michele Mariotti, head of bars at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. ‘At the American Bar here we use a variety of berries in frozen form. They keep your drink cool and also look the part when used in conjunction with ice.’

Ingredients: 30ml Everleaf Mountain, 90ml Artisan Drinks Violet Blossom Tonic

Glass: Wine

Garnish: Strawberries

Method: Fill glass with ice, build ingredients in glass, gently stir and garnish

Champagne Piña Colada

When I’m dreaming of cocktails on the beach, a Piña Colada is the drink that always comes to mind. This grown-up but fun twist, with its addition of Champagne to elevate the drink, was created by Chris Moore in London bar Coupette a few years ago. Decent white rums such as Havana Club Original Añejo 3 Anos and Banks 5 Island both work really well. If you’re wondering if this cocktail requires the rhum agricole, having experimented with and without, the agricole adds a wonderful grassy complexity. If you don’t want to buy two different rums, the easiest shortcut is to use 30ml of That Boutiquey Rum Company’s Signature Blend #1 (Alc 42%, available through Master of Malt, Tipples of Manchester), which is a blend of rhum agricole and molasses rum.

A quick note about the coconut ice cream – the original recipe used sorbet. Having experimented, I believe either works. The ice cream simply produces a creamier drink.

Ingredients: 20ml decent white rum, 10ml rhum agricole, 25ml Giffard Caribbean Pineapple Liqueur, 50ml pineapple juice, 2 scoops coconut ice cream or sorbet, 60ml NV Champagne

Glass: Wine

Garnish: Pineapple leaf

Method: Blend 100g of crushed ice with the top five ingredients, including 15ml of the Champagne. Pour the remaining 45ml of Champagne into a chilled glass; pour the mix from the blender into the glass

Related articles

• Defining classic cocktails
• Easy spring cocktails to make at home
• Distilled – A new cocktail book by Adam Handling

Inside the July 2023 issue of Decanter magazine:

FEATURES

• Summer rosé ultimate guide For your party season choice, it has to be pink. Olly Smith whittles it down to 20, in a plethora of styles
• Bordeaux 2022 en primeur A hot, dry, yet successful vintage unlike any other. Full insight and 60 top wines, selected by Georgie Hindle
• Wine heists Chris Mercer tells the stories of recent audacious thefts
• Extreme wine projects Crazy or brave? Amanda Barnes in south Patagonia, Anna Lee C Iljima in the South Pacific, Åsa Johansson on Persian wine made in Sweden

LEARNING

• Wine wisdom Expert tips to help you on your journey through wine

Read the new issue in full on the Decanter Premium app

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SPIRITS

• Distilled Spirits, cocktails, insight – plus five excellent gins for summer
• Summer cocktails By Laura Foster

GOOD LIVING

• Perfect pairing Spaghetti al limone with southern Italian white or red
• Travel: Tours & Touraine The sights and flavours of the beautiful Loire region, with Alicia Miller

BUYING GUIDE

• Editors’ picks Recent tasting highlights from Decanter staff
• Panel tasting: Sancerre & Pouilly-Fumé Seven Outstanding and 31 Highly recommended from the 72 tasted of these Loire white classics
• Panel tasting: Prosecco The big sparkle – 198 wines that showed consistent quality at all prices
• Expert’s choice: Terra Alta Beth Willard’s pick of 18 bright Mediterranean whites and reds
• Weekday wines 25 top wines under £20 chosen by the Decanter team
• Weekend wines Priced £20-£50, seven standout buys to impress

COLLECTORS

• Marketwatch investment news Auction updates; what’s on the radar; Champagne market cools

REGULARS

• Meet the experts Decanter’s authors
• Uncorked News, views & more
• Andrew Jefford’s column On the trials, tribulations and sheer commitment required to be a producer of quality wine in Syria
• Guest column: Arthur Coggill Why that €4 claret you enjoyed on holiday can’t be found in the UK
• DWWA 2023 highlights: Australian Chardonnay Celebrating 14 Gold, Platinum and Best in Show wines
• Wine to 5: Michael Baynes Working as a Bordeaux-based vineyard transaction specialist

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Heavenly tequila

This month sees the release of a new ultra-premium expression from Patrón Tequila. Made from 100% Blue Weber agave, Patrón El Cielo (Alc 40%) is the first silver tequila to be distilled four times. ‘A fourth distillation is a process that is extremely rare within the industry,’ explained Patrón’s Master Distiller David Rodriguez. ‘By using this unique, four-time distillation process, we unlocked and opened up the natural sweetness and smoothness from the agave to deliver an incredibly sweet and light-tasting, smooth tequila.’ Crafted in small batches, using the hacienda’s smallest copper pot still, El Cielo – the name means ‘heaven’ in Spanish – has rich, complex aromas: smoky roasted agave, bright citrus, vanilla, charred wood and sweetness. Impressively smooth, light and clean; creamy elegance balanced by a black pepper kick, with sassy green chilli notes, a base note of sweet agave, plus hints of cream soda and ripe stone fruit. Spice notes linger on the long, fresh, grassy finish. Enjoy over ice with a slice of orange. £215/70cl Selfridges

What is… cachaça?

Distilled from fermented sugarcane juice – like some types of rum – cachaça can only be made in Brazil. Drinks historians debate whether cachaça is, in fact, the first rum. But while Portuguese colonists brought sugar production to Brazil in the 16th century, there’s no hard evidence for cachaça distillation until 1611. At the time it was viewed as a rough, cheap spirit for enslaved and peasant workers. Today, commercial cachaça production is divided into industrial and artisanal. The best artisanal versions are often aged in wood, taking on complex flavours; while unaged cachaças are grassy, like rhum agricole or blanco tequila. The spirit’s signature cocktail is the Caipirinha, a mix of cachaça, sugar and lime.

What to drink now… Bicicletta

The name of this Italian aperitif cocktail – also known by the French ‘Bicyclette’ – is supposedly inspired by old men wobbling back home on their bicycles after an evening imbibing. This simple mix is a variation on the spritzes popularised in northern Italy at the end of the 19th century by Austrian Empire soldiers, who diluted local Veneto wines with soda water. The drink became a ‘spritz al bitter’ by adding a measure of bitter-tasting Italian amaro. Vibrant cherry-red Campari is a classic amaro from Milan (Alc 25%, available through Amazon UK). Some recipes go for equal parts Campari and wine. Or vary the ingredients to make a lower-alcohol spritz using 40ml Campari, 40ml wine and 40ml soda water, served in a highball glass.

Bicicletta

Ingredients: 50ml Campari, 100ml Italian white wine

Glass: Rocks

Garnish: Orange slice

Method: Fill your glass with ice. Pour the Campari into the glass, followed by the wine. Stir gently to mix and garnish.

Related articles

• Distilled – Chapel Down and Capreolus Distillery to produce an aperitif spirit
• Distilled – A new cocktail book by Adam Handling
• Distilled – Macbeth Act I whiskies released

Ever tasted a Flower Thrower? What about a Nuts for Nuts? If they don’t sound familiar, no wonder; they’re both cocktails served in just one bar (London’s excellent Coupette, as it happens). However, if asked whether you’ve ever sipped a Martini or Mojito, an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan, bets are you’ll know.

While some cocktails lodge in our collective consciousness, others remain one-bar wonders. But why? We asked some of the world’s top bartenders. Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr Lyan, of London’s award-winning Lyaness, Chelsie Bailey of The Savoy’s American Bar, Simone Caporale of Barcelona’s innovative Sips, and Linden Pride of Italian favourite Dante NYC weigh in.

Inside the glass

Let’s start with the practicalities. Our experts agree that in order to become a classic in the first place, a cocktail has to be easy to replicate; otherwise it’ll never make it beyond the bar in which it was invented. Replicability depends on how simple the recipe is to make, and how easy the ingredients are to find.

Chetiyawardana and Caporale suggest that the world’s most successful cocktails, for example the Martini or Margarita, tend to contain between three and five ingredients, most of which have long shelf lives. ‘The ingredients for a Manhattan [whiskey, vermouth, bitters] have been available in most bars from day one,’ points out Caporale, but the likes of fresh citrus and mint are relatively recent additions, even if they might be commonplace now. Bailey points to 1930s The Savoy Cocktail Book as the perfect example of how availability has changed in a century: ‘Read it and you’ll see how often the same few ingredients are put together. At the time, half the stuff Harry Craddock had was gin and Dubonnet.’

Meanwhile, any obscure homemade tinctures, infusions or liqueurs are an obvious roadblock to widespread duplication. ‘If you’re making something using a proprietary ingredient or something ultra-local, it’s hard for it to become timeless because it’s all about that place, or even that specific bar,’ says Chetiyawardana. Martinis and Margaritas can be made anywhere by anyone, without specialist skills, so little wonder drinking holes worldwide have added them to menus.

And we mustn’t forget the home bar, either. Our mixologists agree that making a cocktail yourself captures imagination and awareness. Even more so here, simplicity is key. ‘At home, people aren’t going to spend hours infusing one element for a cocktail,’ says Bailey, while Caporale notes that unless you’re cocktail-obsessed, you’re unlikely to want to invest in a thousand different ingredients either.

But when people make the effort to prepare a drink at home, they can forge a personal connection with it that can be long-lasting. ‘People like to have ownership over their drinks; they play with ratios, swap in different gins or vodkas,’ notes Pride. ‘They then like to share that education with their friends.’ The thinking is, if a cocktail becomes a part of your own routine and story, chances are you’ll turn to it again and again.

Outside influences

But let’s zoom out for a moment. Simplicity and replicability may be key to widespread awareness, but what makes a cocktail truly iconic?

In the case of Bailey’s long-running American Bar, it’s easier to generalise. Numerous now-celebrated cocktails were invented within its lauded walls, so customers are naturally drawn to ordering them here. ‘People come in and say they’ve read about this or that cocktail in the Savoy book’, she says. The Hanky Panky, invented by the Savoy’s first female head bartender Ada Coleman in the early 20th century, remains one of the most popular serves, with gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca.

The root of fame elsewhere can be harder to place. Caporale feels pop culture is one influence. ‘When you say “Martini”, 90% of people think of James Bond, even if they’ve never drunk one,’ he says. ‘It’s just like Cosmopolitans and Sex and the City.’ Chetiyawardana mentions a connection between Mad Men and the Old Fashioned revival a few years ago, but notes other factors at play. ‘The timing also corresponded with the opening up of the whisky category, as whisky was catching up with the modern day and becoming more accessible.’ Spirit marketing campaigns are certainly a factor (Bailey points out the explosive popularity of Aperol Spritz in recent years as another example), but for Chetiyawardana the cocktails that reach our societal consciousness also seem to capture a wider mood or collective moment. ‘Martinis just feel sophisticated; like you’re having something special, but accessible. That’s very powerful. The Mojito was about escapism, while Sex on the Beach was all about a period of 1980s and ’90s excess.’

Our experts agree that cocktail popularity is a very complex picture with plenty of local nuance, but that the world’s leading bars certainly have strong influence. Bailey compares it to fashion houses such as Gucci that set a style agenda, while Chetiyawardana references restaurants. ‘You need a cutting-edge restaurant to put something on a menu to normalise it. In an extreme example, think about when Noma first served insects. Now it’s not that outrageous any more.’

There’s definitely a trickle-down effect, but also it ultimately comes down to what people are ordering. Caporale believes the dialogue between customer and bartender is key. ‘Maybe a bar suggests something to a customer and over a weekend 10 people try it. Then over a month, 100 people. Then it becomes more and more popular, maybe all through a city like New York. But it’s the space between the bartender and the guests where the magic happens.’

Another quality of enduring cocktails is their ability to move with the times, adapting to other drinks trends. For example, our bartenders noted that mezcal has seen a recent boom, and that the agave spirit is finding a home in classic serves such as the Margarita or Old Fashioned.

‘People might use a recognisable cocktail DNA but plug in a new spirit,’ says Chetiyawardana, and he adds that a familiar drink format doesn’t only help consumers to get their head around a ‘new’ alcohol, but gives bartenders an easy way to serve it, too.

The Espresso Martini, invented in London, is perhaps the perfect example of a popular classic-inspired variation, with vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur. All our experts agree it’s among the most popular drinks ordered in their bars right now.

‘Life has been tough for people since the pandemic,’ says Chetiyawardana, ‘and with this people aren’t thinking about calories or caffeine, it’s just a chance to embrace fun.’ Caporale echoes his thoughts, noting it’s a young and approachable drink that’s designed to be enjoyed in clubs as well as cocktail bars. It doesn’t hurt, no doubt, that the artisan coffee scene has grown, too; cult bean brands such as Pact Coffee have even got behind the movement with their own recipes.

And if a cocktail can’t adapt to current trends? It might be that, especially if the ingredients are unfashionable, it gets relegated – at least for now. Customers are more educated about food and drink sourcing than ever, and there’s been a shift away from sweeter or visibly processed ingredients. Cocktails that rely heavily on artificial colourings or confected flavourings – say the Blue Hawaiian, starring blue curaçao, pineapple juice and coconut – can have a harder time holding attention.

A bitter future

What’s the iconic cocktail of the future? The picture is just too complicated to say. But our experts agree that the drink du jour is the Negroni – a perfect example of a rejuvenated classic. It was invented in Italy in 1919, but Pride at Dante NYC was pivotal to the current craze.

‘When we took over the bar in 2015 the Negroni was a cult drink; bartenders loved it, but it wasn’t popular,’ says Pride. Fascinated by the Italian aperitivo culture, he created a range of Negronis for his menu and as word grew, it exploded in popularity in New York and further afield. It ticks all the aforementioned boxes of a classic – it’s easy to replicate with long-life ingredients (gin, sweet vermouth, Campari) and is easily customisable in infinite small ways.

‘It’s hard to make a bad Negroni,’ he says, ‘it’s just three ingredients, arguably equal parts. Yet there’s so much complexity in the combination of bitter, strong and sweet. People have a lot of opinions about what kind of vermouths or gins they like; there are so many variations and that’s what makes it interesting.’

The Negroni movement has been supported by a wider availability of niche vermouths and amaros, which allow people to customise. Pride says that when starting out he collected many of his bottles in Europe, but now, less than a decade later, plenty are available in the US market.

Caporale also notes how the rise of vermouth and amaro-based drinks ties in with the growing low-abv movement; both are substantially less punchy than spirits and can be mixed simply with tonic or soda for a low-alcohol serve. With such concentrated flavours from herbs and botanicals, lower alcohol here doesn’t equal lesser taste.

As the Negroni wave continues, Pride has found one of its most surprising iterations back at its roots. ‘We asked 10 Italian bartenders to share their Negroni recipe with us last year, and two were vodka-based, which we don’t have on our menu,’ he explains. ‘Here we were in New York, trying hard to be Negroni purists, and over in Milan, the mecca of aperitivo, they’re using vodka.’ That’s the crux with classic cocktails – whatever else you say about them, the one thing they aren’t is boring.

Ryan Chetiyawardana’s perfect Martini

60ml Beefeater gin, 15ml Martini Extra Dry, 1 drop orange bitters

Stir over ice, then carefully strain into a very cold, small cocktail glass with a Nocellara olive. Spritz a lemon twist over the top, but discard.

Chelsie Bailey’s tried-and-tested Savoy Hanky Panky

30ml gin, 30ml sweet vermouth, 5ml Fernet-Branca

Stir with ice in a cocktail mixer, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel coin.

Linden Pride’s award-winning Negroni

30ml Bombay Sapphire gin, 22ml Campari, 22ml Martini Rosso

Stir in your cocktail mixer with ice. Pour over fresh ice in a glass (ideally frozen). Garnish with an orange wedge.

Simone Caporale’s Espresso Martini

25g instant coffee, 55g white sugar, 25ml Macallan Double Cask 12 Year Old, 15ml Amaro Santoni, 25ml good-quality cold brew coffee, 25ml palo cortado Sherry

Using a hand mixer, combine the instant coffee and sugar with 200ml cold water for 30 seconds, until foamy. Add the other ingredients to an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds, then strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with coffee foam.

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Acres of flavour

English wine producer Chapel Down has joined forces with Cotswolds-based Capreolus Distillery to produce an aperitif spirit: Aker English Dry (Alc 18%). Created by Ian Bayliss and Katherine Hagan, the new drink combines Bacchus from the Kent winery with Comice pear eau de vie, a selection of macerated botanicals – blossoms, roots, spices and wormwood – and Chardonnay grape skin distillate. The result is an aromatic vermouth-style aperitif, with a crisp palate of ripe orchard fruit, white grapes, fresh herbs, elderflower, lemon and lime. Serve it with tonic for a refreshing, lower-alcohol alternative to a G&T: fill a highball glass with ice, add 60ml of Aker English Dry with 100ml of tonic, stir gently to mix, and garnish with a long lemon twist or sprig of rosemary. If you like sweeter drinks, Aker English Rosé (Alc 17%) pairs Chapel Down’s Pinot Noir Rosé with raspberry eau de vie, for a fruitier aperitif with red berry notes. Serve it spritz-style with English fizz. Keep opened bottles in the fridge. Available though Amazon UK: Aker English dry, Aker English Rosé

What is… pastis?

Pastis is an anise-flavoured spirit, typically drunk as an aperitif. While it is particularly associated with France – Ricard, the first commercial brand, was created by Paul Ricard in 1932 – anise spirits have a long history around the Mediterranean, dating back to the Middle Ages when they were likely used for medicinal purposes. Their fresh, liquorice-like flavour comes from a compound called anethole, also found in fennel seeds and star anise. Anethole is soluble in alcohol but not in water, and when added to cold water it forms a microemulsion that turns the liquid cloudy.

What to drink now… Aviation

This gin-based cocktail first appeared in Recipes for Mixed Drinks, written in 1916 by New York bartender Hugo R Ensslin. It took its name from the rapidly developing craze for planes and flying: the world’s first commercial passenger airline took off in 1914. It was also included in Harry Craddock’s 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book – omitting the crème de violette. Both recipes were ‘rediscovered’ as part of the 21st-century cocktail renaissance. Traditionalists tend to favour Ensslin’s. For the violet liqueur, try Briottet Liqueur de Violette from Dijon (Alc 18%, available through Amazon UK).

Aviation

Ingredients: 50ml gin, 15ml fresh lime juice, 8ml maraschino liqueur, 5ml crème de violette

Glass: Martini

Garnish: Maraschino cherry

Method: Put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice until your hands are cold. Strain into a Martini glass and garnish.

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