Like so many of us, Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has a fondness for Tequila, but also, like many of us, he understands the advantages of imbibing less. But finding a good non-alc Tequila is not as simple as it sounds. So Hamilton did the next logical thing - he created his own. In an endeavour to honour the tradition and craft of real Tequila, he partnered with Casa Lumbre, an innovative Mexican spirit company and its distiller and co-owner Ivan Saldaña. The two them craft...

What if you could capture the essence of a rugged Scottish island in a bottle? Join us as we journey to Islay, Scotland, with Adam Hannett, the head distiller at Bruichladdich Distillery, to explore the bold new expression of The Botanist gin—Distiller's Strength. By increasing the alcohol content to 50%, this limited edition gin accentuates its juniper core while preserving the fine balance of 22 native botanicals. Hannett highlights the importance of exploration and innovation in cocktail c...

While we’d be hard-pressed to believe that cocktail syrups are the Elixir Vitae or ‘elixir of immortality,’ spoken about in ancient Alchemy, for lovers of tropical drinks, Falernum is not far off. So it’s unsurprising that US Premium Cocktail Syrups brand, Liquid Alchemist has just launched their own Falernum, the most recent addition to their stable of flavours. To find out more, we talk to a modern version of an alchemist, former bartender and Liquid Alchemy founder Randy Tarlow a...

When people talk about Bourbon, they usually talk about the barrels - they go on about the char levels and whether there was any toasting. After that, they might discuss the age and the time the liquid spent in those nicely charred barrels because, for most people, that time and those barrels denote the liquid's flavour. Occasionally, the conversation may turn to the makeup of the mash bill, such as the percentage of corn, to rye, to barley, or wheat. But very rarely do they ev...

If you travel high into the French Alps between the cliffs of Vercors and the peaks of Écrins National Park, you might be surprised that besides some of the world’s most beautiful mountain terrain, there is also Whiskey. Surrounded by the Trièves Mountains sits Les Hautes Glaces, the world’s oldest organic whisky farm & distillery, established in 2009 by Frédéric Revol. Nestled in such beauty, it’s not surprising that the distillery aims to put terroir at the heart of the taste ...

Ever wondered what happens when a pop icon teams up with a master mixologist? Jennifer Lopez and Lynnette Marrero bring their unique talents together to create Delola, a line of Ready to Enjoy (RTE) cocktails that blend artistry and accessibility. While the brand already boasts expressions like its Paloma Rosa, Bella Berry and L’Orange Spritz, they have just added a new flavour to the sable in the form of a Light Margarita. We talk to Marrero about flavour, low ABV and what sta...

There is nothing more romantic than the story of a revived brand, and none seems to have done it as well as Kentucky Owl. Founded in 1879, the brand created Whiskey until Prohibition shut it down. A hundred years later, the great-great-grandson of the founder revived the family business with a view to respecting the past but looking to the future. And with that, a boutique Bourbon business known for its limited releases was reborn. Its latest release, the Maighstir (which is Gaelic ...

Let’s face it: the agave spirits market is crowded. So, if you are looking to bring out a new tequila, you’ve really got to stand out. Casa Obsidiana, a brand that was released at the end of last year, is looking to do that on several fronts. By incorporating elements of modern art, heritage, and liquids substantially transformed by wine cask ageing, the brand is looking to make its mark on the ultra-premium market. But the promises of all those elements are a lot to live up to...

No matter what you think of RTDs, you can’t argue with the convenience factor - a fact that has driven the sector into a meteoric rise since COVID. Although figures show that the sector is beginning to plateau, the premium end of the category is still seeing growth and a demand for new variations. One such premium brand that has been making its mark is Australia’s Curitif - a brand that believes its expressions empower consumers to redefine their occasions. With a luxury, high-...

We live in a time when people often refer to Scotch not only by the brand name but also by the age of the liquid.  In executive boardrooms and exclusive gentlemen's clubs, the names of single malts are mentioned with a certain reverence, and a hush will come over the room as a Glenlivit 74-year-old or a Dalmore 45-year-old, as discussed. They are expensive, they are exclusive, and they have given single malt scotch an air of rarity and distinction. But there is one brand that seeks to throw...

New Orleans has a long tradition of being the gateway between US Bourbon and the rest of the world. And Chicken Cock, being one of the oldest Whiskey brands in the US, has had a long association with the city.  Even before he started Chicken Cock Whiskey, original founder James A. Miller was shipping barrels of his coveted whiskey down to the ‘Big Easy’ in the 1830s. So it's no surprise that Chicken Cock has been shipping a very special expression down south for this year's New Orleans...

As El Mayor prepares to export its Tequila to Europe, we caught up with the brand's Master Distiller and Brand Ambassador, Grace Gonzalez, to find out more about its liquid.  Grace, a guardian of her family's fourth-generation distilling wisdom, distills the essence of crafting tequila that resonates with aficionados and newcomers alike (and gives insight into how you can pair it with everything from sushi to steak).  We traverse the landscape of agave fields, uncovering the meticulous care...

With Laws recently winning the title of 'World's Best Small batch Bourbon', we thought it was a good time to talk with founder, Al Laws, to talk about the very niche yet thriving world of heritage grain whiskey.   While heritage grain may sound high brow, for distillers like Laws, who started Laws Whiskey House in Colorado more than a decade ago, heritage is all about unique flavour profiles.   As Laws prepares to start the year with a series of new releases, we talk to him about grains,...

Join the conversation as we uncover the craft behind Seedlip's new groundbreaking non-alcoholic spirit, Notas de Agave, with none other than the visionary founder himself, Ben Branson.  Tune in as Branson discusses the meticulous creation process, the hurdles the brand faced to achieve the perfect harmony of lime, prickly pear, and peppercorn.  Tailored to, and available exclusively in, the US, Notas de Agave is a versitile  non-alc , that works equally well in a Margarita, as it does a...

We thought we would start our podcast year off by talking to one of Scotland's best-known no-alc distilled spirits, Feragaia.  You've probably seen a lot about no and low-alc spirits through dry January, but if the 2024 Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report is to be believed, you're about to hear a lot more.  The report predicts that the sector will skyrocket by 67% to a value of 359 million by 2026 and that consumers will increasingly seek no and low alternatives year-round.  So, with that in...

There can be no argument that Tequila is having a moment. There are so many brands competing for shelf space that it's fair to say that there is a Tequila out there for everyone.  In fact, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, Tequila’s popularity has risen to such an extent that they predict it is set to overtake Vodka this year.  But what does it take to set up a tequila brand in 2023? And is there still room for new brands to make an impact in the market? To find out more, we talk to...

Many a Bourbon distillery has found favour with the public through the stories they tell.  And considering that many of those distilleries are located in Kentucky, it’s unsurprising that those stories often involved a horse. But when you combine bourbon, a horse and a sea journey across the Atlantic to the UK, there is only one distillery that can tell that particular story, and that’s Never Say Die.  You see, while Never Say Die is distilled and initially aged in Kentucky, its whiskey-laden...

With nature as its backdrop and the exploration of flavour as its aim, Sweden's Purity Distillery is gaining a reputation for creating liquids that are as flawless as its name implies.  The brand, probably best known for its Vodka, has just added adds Organic Craft Nordic Dry Gin to its portfolio. Offering a long flavour profile that lasts in the mouth, the gin pushes boundaries with a unique blend of juniper, thyme, basil, coriander, lingonberries, blueberries, lavender, cardamom and...

Get set for an Irish whiskey-laden adventure with Alex Chasko, the master distiller at Teeling Whiskey.  Discover the Wonders of Wood series, an exploration of how different woods, from American Chinkapin Oak to European Portuguese oak, influence whiskey flavours.  Alex pulls the curtain back on these stunning flavour profiles, giving us a tantalizing glimpse into the fascinating world of whiskey making.  And it's not just about the flavours - we tackle how online tastings during the...

When you think of the terroir of the Speyside region in Scotland, your mind very easily goes to the flavours and terroir of Whisky, but what if those same notes you love could actually come through in a Gin?  That's what we talk about with Kara Anderson, Global Brand Lead for Tulchan Gin.  A recent addition to the Gin market, Tulchan has been created on the banks of the River Spey in the grounds of Tulchan Estate.  She shares the fascinating story of how a team of flavour experts walked the...

Ready to immerse yourself in the luxurious world of Camus Cognac? Join us and our guest, US Ambassador Arya Wright, as we journey into the realm of quiet luxury, embracing the heritage and rituals of cognac that evoke old world elegance.  Arya gives us an exclusive glimpse into Camus's latest XO offering, designed to bring cognac back to the center of the dining table and exemplify the art of fine dining, or Art de la Table.  And she suggest in the middle oif that table should be the XO's...

No matter whether you're distilling spirits or drinking them, we're all in search of flavour. But for distillers, there has been an increased movement that blurs the lines of their spirit by finishing them in the barrels of other spirits.  We see Whiskey finished in Port barrels, Gin finished in Whiskey barrels and, as in the case of Pappa's Pilar's latest release, Rum that is aged in Rye barrels.  Pappa's Pilar, the ultra-premium rum brand inspired by the legendary novelist, Ernest...

When we think of cocktails, we often think of the spirits that we use to make them, but the modifiers, the Liqueurs, the Cremes, the Vermouths, and the Amaris, that balance the drink, often become an afterthought.  But one brand not only seeks to bring those liquids into the spotlight but also explore the history and seek out modifiers that may have been lost over time.  Tempus Fugit, a Latin term that means time flies, is a brand that has been digging through the annals so as to source and...

We are now all used to hearing about culinary influencers being utilized in cocktails, both in terms of flavour and approach, but what if that same idea was applied to the making of the spirits that go into them?  Gin, which is one of the few spirits that utilizes botanicals and spices in its production, would seem like the perfect candidate for this. And it is from that premise that distiller Andrew Thomas established the Brooklyn-based craft brand, Halftones Spirits. Born during the...