Spirits

The 100% fallacy - why there might be less agave in your tequila than you think

100% agave is no longer an accurate signifier of quality, says Adam Fodor, author of The Tequila Connoisseur and founder of The International Tequila Academy.

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27 February, 2025

Spirits

Exploring...Spanish Brandy

Laura Foster gets the lowdown on how brandy is made in the important Spanish regions of Penedès and Jerez.

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21 November, 2024

Spirits

Five gin experts choose five favourite bottles

Oli Dodd speaks to five gin aficionados about their favourites - the only condition, it can't be a London Dry.

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20 November, 2024

Spirits

Beyond Mexico: new frontiers of agave spirits

A surge in demand for Mexican agave spirits is seeing corners cut in production. Other countries can share the load, says Kol’s Matthias Ingelmann

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19 November, 2024

Spirits

The new face of American whiskey

From peat and experimental proofing, to reinvigorating rye and the continued love affair with single malt, bartenders should be sniffing out the innovations in American whiskey, says Millie Milliken.

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11 November, 2024

Spirits

Five agricoles chosen by five experts

A mystery to many, rhum agricole is not without its superfans. Oli Dodd rounds up five connoisseurs to find out what makes the sugarcane spirit so special to them.

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11 September, 2024

Spirits

Forget what you knew - this is the new history of gin

Anastatia Miller & Jared Brown have discovered the true history of gin. Here they give us the headlines from their newly published A Most Noble Water: Revisiting the Origins of English Gin.

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29 August, 2024

Spirits

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

Spirits

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

Spirits

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

Spirits

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

Spirits

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

Spirits

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

Spirits

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

Spirits

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

Spirits

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

Spirits

Angel's Treasure - the spirit world's lesser-known phenomenon of divine evaporation

Hamish Smith explores the distilling world in search of Angel’s Treasure.

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24 October, 2023

Spirits

A bartender's guide to sake

Co-owner of London sake bar Moto, Erika Haigh offers her guide to the various styles of Japan’s national drink and explains why it’s a perfect food pairing.

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31 August, 2023

Spirits

Exploring...Genever

Laura Foster dips into the national drink of Belgium and The Netherlands with a glance at history and a look at how some of today’s brands are being used in cocktails.

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23 August, 2023

Spirits

David Wondrich on American whiskey as it was (and could be again?)

Historian David Wondrich explains how today’s American whiskey has evolved from a narrow bloodline. What few records there are of the US’s distilling past reveal a far more diverse set of practices.

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23 August, 2023

Spirits

Five agave experts pick five Mezcals

Mezcal comes in many styles, but most people have only tried those made from espadín agave. Oli Dodd asks five experts to suggest some sippers that might open up your agave options.

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08 August, 2023

Spirits

Vintage cocktails: a tasting of 1,000 years of history

Salvatore Calabrese has amassed a treasure trove of vintage spirits. Hamish Smith tries some of his ancient collection in cocktails tasted against their latter-day equivalents.

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20 July, 2023

Spirits

How do you solve a problem like tequila?

Tequila production has soared in recent years, causing environmental and social issues where agave is intensely grown. Oli Dodd looks to the experts for future solutions.

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11 May, 2023

Spirits

Exploring...Shochu

The Japanese spirit is relatively unknown in the UK. Laura Foster makes it her mission to provide some education.

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04 May, 2023

Spirits

Exploring...Sotol (the agave spirit that's not really agave)

Previously thought of as a mezcal, sotol is a category in its own right. Laura Foster gets into the finer points of a spirit that’s looking to become the next, well, mezcal.

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27 January, 2023

Spirits

Why bars are making their own branded spirits

More cocktail bars are creating their own ingredients – often including a branded spirit. Oli Dodd reports

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23 November, 2022

Spirits

Cognac cocktails: New ways with an old spirit

If you're looking for new ways to use cognac, look no further than Le Syndicat in Paris. Thibault Massina pulls back the curtains on a bar that has changed the conversation about French spirits.

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17 November, 2022

Spirits

Cavitation in spirits? Just don't call it ageing

When reduced to the goal of speed ageing, the process of hydrodynamic cavitation became taboo. Highlight its other uses – as some brands have – and it’s just another tool for creating flavour. Hamish Smith reports.

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16 November, 2022

Spirits

Prof Charles Spence: How ambient temperature shapes 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

Spirits

Exploring....Batavia Arrack

Laura Foster follows the trade routes east to Indonesia, where she discovers the first luxury spirit: batavia arrack.

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10 November, 2022