The nights are drawing in, and therefore this month’s New Booze hit list is suitably wintery…
Caleño Dark & Spicy
Here we go again, lockdown #2. If you don’t want to drink but you still want to add a little spice to your weekend, try this new Caleno Dark & Spicy.
Invented by Ellie Webb and distilled in the South West, the blend is inspired by the colour and culture of her Colombian heritage. This tropical addition to the non-alc line up is a dark and spicy blend with hints of ginger, pineapple, black cardamom and kola nut spice. Banging fresh pineapple notes hit you at first taste, followed by sweet citrus. This works well as a replacement to rum so stick it in your mock mojito and dance the night away.
RRP £18 for 50cl.
Vermo
This sleek sleeved vermouth has been dreamt up by two friends Jorge Ferrer, a Spaniard and Ettore Velutto, an Italian, who wanted to bring their fortified wine into the modern day. Just launched in the UK, and created in Pidemonte, Vermò is lighter and lower in sugar than typical vermouths, with chardonnay added to the wine base to add extra acidity resulting in a dryer finish.
It’s good enough to drink straight up with a twist of lemon or orange, or ideal when mixed into classic cocktails like Negronis - one of our current faves so we will doing just that with it, cheers!
Stockists: Ocado, Master of Malt and the Whiskey Exchange, RRP £27.95.
Cotswolds Distillery Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky
Here’s a delightful new and complex whisky to get you in the mood for nights by the fire. The Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky from Cotswolds Distillery is made from 100% locally grown barley. It’s traditionally floor-malted by hand at Warminster, Britain’s oldest working malt house, then mashed and fermented for over 90 hours before being distilled twice in their bespoke copper pot stills. Ooh la la!
This blend has been seasoned with Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherries. For the taste, think dark stone fruits with a hint of roasted almonds, followed by peppery oak spice. Totally delightful winter evening sipping!
RRP: £64.95 for 700ml bottle. ABV: 57.4%
Available to purchase exclusively from Cotswolds Distillery from 15th
Ginato
We love the retro bottle look of this Italian Pinot Grigio gin - new to the UK this Autumn. Ginato source their juniper from Tuscany, and lemons from Sicily and fuse into Pinot Grigio grapes in a distillery in Ravenna, northern Italian, which has been producing for over 50 years.
The result is a fresh and medium dry gin with subtle hints of pear and grapefruit. Alongside their classic blend you can try: Ginato Melograno (Barbera Grape and Sicilian pomegranates); Ginato Clementino (Nebbiolo grape and Clementine oranges); and Ginato (Sangiovese Grape and Sicilian pink grapefruits).
RRP of £28.00
CÎROC Black Raspberry
This fancy vodka is made made with wine too. It’s 4 x distilled then transferred for a fifth and final go into tailor-made copper pots at the historic Distillerie de Maison Villevert - Chevanceaux in the South of France. Get yourself in the mood for festive season with this limited edition vodka CÎROC Black Raspberry, blended with black raspberries.
Think forest fruits with a touch of citrus for the taste. Plus, buy a bottle from luxury spirits platform (www.getitinkd.com), and you can personalise it with your own name. Bling, bling!
RRP: £35.90
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Chatting Food Contributor Jo Aspin
Half American / half (born and bred) Londoner, Jo Aspin is a food writer and established freelance food, drink and lifestyle PR. She’ll be reporting on all the latest restaurant openings and news from the capital. When she’s not eating her way around London, she’s planning her next trip abroad.
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