Features

Best in the West: How Ben Alcock's Filthy XIII and HMSS became Bristol landmarks

Filthy XIII took the title of Best Bar in the West at this year’s Class Bar Awards. Hamish Smith shoots the breeze with owner Ben Alcock. Photos by Leonardo Filippini

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23 July, 2024

Features

Five Irish whiskey experts choose their five favourite expressions

With plenty of new distilleries opening up in this vibrant category, here are the top tipple suggestions from those in the know. Compiled by Oli Dodd.

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11 June, 2024

Features

Legs 11 - are there tasty, concentrated, lower-abv wines?

The new duty rules have pushed producers to make wines at 11% abv for the UK market. But can tasty, concentrated wines be made at cut strength? Joe Wadsack looks for naturally lowabv wines – with legs

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09 May, 2024

Features

How to create a classic cocktail, according to the people who have

Writing for CLASS' sister title Drinks International, Hamish Smith asks the global bartenders who have fashioned a classic cocktail how it’s done.

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31 May, 2024

Features

Exploring...Aquavit

An ancient Scandinavian spirit little known outside of its native countries could be poised for a breakout, says Laura Foster.

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06 June, 2024

Features

The reason to season drinks

Guests seasoning their own drinks was once commonplace. Prof Charles Spence asks if it could become so again.

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09 May, 2024

Features

Ice picks: how to improve your ice game

Dariush Afshar Haghighi of the Watermark bar and Cool Cats Ice Co in Leeds comes with his guide to the cold stuff.

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29 April, 2024

Features

What is 'distillery character'?

‘Distillery character’ can tell you a lot about how a Scotch whisky has been made. But what does it really mean? Millie Milliken poses the question.

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23 April, 2024

Features

How to become a happy bartender

Merly Kammerling of Well & Being is our guide to becoming happier, better balanced and more productive bartenders.

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23 April, 2024

Features

Neutral no more - how vodka is becoming all about its base ingredient

Milk, peas, apples, you name it, vodka is being made from raw materials with assertive flavour profiles. Millie Milliken reports.

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05 February, 2024

Features

Exploring... Clairin, the grandfather of rum

Laura Foster looks into the history and flavour profile of the internationallly littleknown “grandfather” of rum.

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29 January, 2024

Features

Five Calvados you need to try

Calvados seems to have the answers to many modern-day questions. Oli Dodd speaks to five of its biggest fans about five of their favourites

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25 January, 2024

Features

Fearless food - how dishes are changing in bars

Once the domain of salty nibbles, bars have become a melting pot of small-plate creativity as owners recognise the opportunity of an edible offering. By Ellen Manning

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24 January, 2024

Features

How much? Charles Spence on maintaining value for money while raising prices

With costs rising, so are cocktail prices. But how do you maintain a sense of value for money? Professor Charles Spence looks at the psychology of price.

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15 January, 2024

Features

Joe Wadsack on fizz without fuss

Joe Wadsack hunts down the best value bubbles from the shadows of the likes of champagne and prosecco.

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11 January, 2024

Features

The New Hebrideans - Dave Broom on a new age of scotch

Across Scotland’s remote islands, distillers are reviving communities as they create new, terroir-driven whiskies. Dave Broom investigates this new movement of young producers.

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11 January, 2024

Features

How to make Truffle Martinis

Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown’s abundant garden has yielded a big surprise - the discovery of truffles. What else but truffle Martinis...

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03 January, 2024

Features

All hail wassail - the drink of the 12th night of Christmas

Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown are using windfall fruit for their take on the pagan hot drink, Wassail, which was typically drunk on Christmas Eve and the Twelth Night of Christmas (5th Jan).

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03 January, 2024

Features

Matching wine to the most popular bar food

We tasked our wine expert Joe Wadsack with tasting his way through London’s best bar food – and naming his favourite matches.

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27 November, 2023

Features

International spotlight: Class explores Jewel of the South in New Orleans

Opened in 2019, this creole cottage-set bar has quickly become a must-visit for any cocktail aficionado. Hamish Smith gets the lowdown on the offering

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30 November, 2023

Features

The full English - Pal is the bar attempting to stock only local products

If you’re serious about localism, how about going that step further to a local spirits selection? Lewis Parry is doing just that.

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30 November, 2023

Features

Anna Sebastian's guide to tender agreements

Consultant Anna Sebastian leads the delicate business of tender agreements for her clients. We asked her for some careful advice.

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08 November, 2023

Features

Is kokumi the new umami?

Professor Charles Spence takes us to Japan and the latest flavour-enhancing ingredient. Kokumi in your cocktails anyone?

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27 November, 2023

Features

Five English whiskies you need to try

English whisky is emerging from the shadows of its neighbour. Oli Dodd speaks to some early adopters about which expressions to try first.

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20 November, 2023

Features

Exploring Bacanora, the lesser known agave spirit

There’s a world of agave drinks beyond tequila and mezcal. Laura Foster gets to grips with one of the more obscure family members.

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21 November, 2023

Features

Going local - how bars are changing supply

Rachel Hendry discovers the bars putting a firm focus on local produce to add exciting and unique elements to their drinks.

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09 November, 2023

Features

Professor Charles Spence on how ambient temperature influence customers' drinks choice?

Professor Charles Spence investigates whether or not the physical temperature of a space has an influence on guests’ drinks choices.

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10 November, 2022

Features

Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown on making drinks with lemongrass and shiso

Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown share their secrets of growing, cooking and using shiso and lemongrass in drinks.

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09 November, 2023

Features

The cocktail bars that are now scotch bottlers

North of the border, some of Edinburgh’s best bars are bottling their own lines of scotch. Class' Scotland correspondent Bylthe Robertson reports.

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08 November, 2023

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