gethin

This is a link to their retail arm : http://www.cadenheadswhiskyshop.co.uk/ ( Gethin ←

Do Cadenheads have distilleries ? They are certainly mainly known as bottlers. (That said, perhaps they do distill gin at least) This is a link to their retail arm : http://www.cadenheadswhiskyshop.co.uk/ (Though they call themselves whisky shops, the shops also carry a good range of rum bottlings and Cadenheads Old Raj gin). Gethin

I think Burn's silver tassie would be rather on the large side for serving whisky and more of a goblet than the traditional shallow bowl (quaich), allegedly modelled on the scallop shell that it replaced. Certainly pre 18th C quaichs tend to be of alternating bands of pale and dark wood that are reminiscent of the ribbed effect on a scallop shell (and on the whole quaichs are scallop shell sized rather than something that would hold a pint of wine). A google search on quaich will throw up a fair number of businesses that can supply them mail order (in wood, pewter, silver plate or silver and designs ranging from the thoroughly twee to Scandinaviam influenced modernist). A quaich's not really the thing to sip whisky out of in front of the fire , keep it for weddings and Christenings (and Burns' Night). A nice straight sided , heavy tumbler or a traditional blenders glass (a stumpy, stemless tulip shape with a hefty base) would be far better for ordinary use. Many of the big name malts seem to sell branded blenders glasses these days. gethin

The rise in farmers markets seems to me to have been accompanied by a decline in traditional markets (though i dont think there is a causal connection) . In London, the street markets I've used regularly over the last 20 yrs or so (lewisham, Deptford and Chapel st ) are all far less well provided with food stalls than they were 15 yrs or so ago. Even Berwick St has more stalls selling rubbish than it used to. In Carmarthen, the market which used to be excellent for local produce 20 yrs ago , is now mainly acrylic clothes from Taiwan, dodgy antiques and tourist tat. The same is true of Swansea and Cardiff markets. Carmarthen still at least has Albert Rees (producer of Carmarthen Ham , much imitated by those chaps in Parma), a good cheese stall (run by a Dutch woman) and a decentish fishmonger, all selling good quality local produce , but its a pale reflection of what it was 20 yrs ago. gethin

does anyone have suggestions for where i can buy maraschino cherries that don't look as if they glow in the dark and cause hyperactivity in children ? Preferably with stalks attached ? Gethin

There is something seriously wrong with this world ! For various silly reasons, last week I ended up starting my regular Sunday train journey from West Wales to London (which currently takes five and a half hours because of engineering works) without my normal provisions. Because of this I bought several Plymouth gins on the train, at a cost equivalent to around $7.00 a (50 ml) shot - with extra for the tonic , while you people, thousands of miles away from Plymouth, seem to be able to buy 14 or 15 times the quantity for $10.99. I blame the government ! Gethin

They have Tanqueray 10 (hidden under the counter) , also Hendricks, Millers and Old Raj . I didn't look to see which proof the Old Raj was as i'm still boycotting Cadenheads gin because of a rude remark, several years ago, about Penderyn whisky by the manager of their shop. I have to admit that it's having about as much effect as my boycott of Heaven, because of an incident during the 1984/85 miners strike , but never mind - holding a grudge can be quite satisfying as an activity in itself. You can get Citadelle from a shop (called Soho Wines I think, though its not in Soho) , just off Tottenham Court Rd , south of Goodge St. It's at the TCR end of the street where the Craft Centre gallery is (and a shop that sells architectural ironmongeryand door furniture - it connects TCR to the south end of Charlotte St). Gethin

Lemon Ice as in lemon Sorbet ? Sounds great (for when the weather improves though). Gethin

Any London based cocktilians may be interested to know of a new source of some hard to track down cocktail ingredients. The recently opened Whisky Shop at Vinopolis has a great range of top end booze. I went in today as part of my search for minatures of interestng bourbons (they had a better choice than anywhere else I've found) but left with a bottle of Velvet Falernum, a bottle of Peychauds bitters, a bot of Junipero Gin and a bot of Vya vermouth (all of which I've searched high and low for before). I also picked up a bottle of Angostura Rum Punch , which I think was recently discussed on the Ministry of Rum sub forum. The range of Scotch and Bourbon is amazing, a few interesting Irish whiskey's too. They also have the Indian whisky that I've been planning to try. Forgot to ask about the Breton whisky made from buckwheat that i'm also hunting for . Anyone looking for Gin there needs to know that its all hidden under the counter. Vinopolis is sponsored by Bombay Saphire so that's the only Gin on display, (filed away with the flavoured vodkas where it deserves to be). They have a better range of obscure and high quality stuff than Gerry's, though I think the pricing on stuff where they overlap is slightly higher. (Not as wicked as the Cadenheads shop in Covent Garden though). The shop is apparently run by the people who operate the Whisky Exchange website and mail order company (though I've never seen things like Peychauds, Falernum, Herbsaint etc on the website , admittedly its not the easiest site to find stuff on). Well worth a visit. Theres also a big Majestic branch right next to it. Gethin

Very nice but expensive ones (in a glass jar) from Comptoir Gascon by Smithfield Market. Gethin

I mainly drink Scotish, Irish (and Welsh) whiskies but have recently been branching out into Bourbon. I think its a bit of an aquired taste (but i'm persevering with the aquiring of it !) So far I've stuck to the easily available brands (Bulleit, Makers Mark, Knob Creek) and mainly used them for Old Fashioneds. There are a couple of London bars with good selections of Bourbons, but at prices that would make your eyes weep . I've not yet persuaded myself to pay £18.00 (a bit over $30.00 . I think) for a 35 ml shot of W L Weller 19 yr old or £20.00 for a shot of George T Stagg. Do any of you who are familiar with them think this would be money well spent ? (and would I save money in the long run if I continued my research in NY ?) . I've started hunting round for minatures and picked up some 50 ml bottles of Johnny Drum, Johnny Drum 12 yr old and Johnny Drum 15 yr old, a 1980 single vintage from the Vintage Bourbon Distillery Company as well as a couple of Canadian Whiskys (Lot 40 , Gooderham and Worts). Are any of these going to be interesting ? I was also tempted by Georgia Moon Corn whisky (which comes in what I'd call a Kilner Jar , but I think in the US you'd call it a Mason Jar ?). Its USP seems to be that its less than 30 days old - is this a good thing ??? Gethin

Are there any UK based e-gulleteers who might be interested in a bottle or two of Pimento Dram. Its not normally imported here but I've been chatting to some really helpful people at Wray and Nephew who are looking at bringing over a case or two. Not sure I'll want a whole case myself, so if there is anyone else interested I can let them know if W & N can come up with the goods. Gethin

Could everyone please make a real effort to spread the idea that grouse are a particular risk (also teal and woodcock). Gethin

I bought a bottle of South a few months back and was very disappointed in it, it was rather lacking in any sort of character and none of the flavours in it lasted very long in the mouth. I've just gone back to it, to taste it against a bottle of Whitley Neill that I picked up on the way home (I also had a swig of Tanquerray and one of Gordons Distillers Cut - for research purposes only) Admittedly the South been sitting a cupboard for perhaps 3 months and someone , presumably my cleaner, has enjoyed a fair bit of it in the meantime , but its even nastier than I remember. It smells of very little at all (if you warm it in your hands , it smells "alcoholic" but thats the most I can say). It tastes stale now. The Whitley Neill is a new gin from Greenall Whitley (or possibly just from Johnny Neill, a member of the Whitley family and 4th generation gin maker) . Its USP is the inclusion of baobab tree fruit and cape gooseberries among the botanicals. The Whitley Neil is sweeter than the others and has warmer, spicier sort of feel. Its probably closer to South than to Tanquerray, though it lasts longer in the mouth . I think I only really like 2 styles of gin - lots of juniper (or juniper and citrus) - Tanquerray or Gordons Distillers Cut or - lots of green botanicals - Blackwoods, Brecon Gins that rely on exotic spices (grain of paradise, manuka, baobab etc) always sound interesting, but in my experience rarely deliver any particularly interesting tastes .

Laphroaig 10 yr old was for many years my favorite whisky (perhaps it still is - I need to drink a lot more whisky to check this out) - for the same sort of reasons that old fashioned white Rioja- tasing of turpentine and pineapple and cream soda - , was my favorite wine, cheap grappa was far more interesting to me than fancy grappa, and as you say young calva rather than aged calva. They are things that really taste of themselves, and of the localities and agriculture that produced them. I love really distinctive malts - and a lot of them have really strong associations for me. I'll never taste Bunnahabhain without thinking of the brave, desperate, angry, wonderful, confused Glaswegian woman with whom I first drank it , as we sat around the deathbed of her only son , in a London AIDS ward in 1989. I'll never taste Talisker without thinking of wild, romantic weekend in a hotel overlooking Tobermoray Bay in 1993. ( I know it's a Skye whisky, but for me it's tied inextricably to my memories of Mull). I'll never taste Penderyn 2005 Grand Slam bottling , without thinking of the well deserved and long overdue spanking we gave the English earlier this year!!! Perhaps Penderyn 2005 Grand Slam bottling is my favorite malt after all. What I'm drinking right now though is Laphroaig Quarter Cask. its 96 proof but you wouldn't guess it from the taste and mouthfeel , its fruitier and perhaps less upfront and demanding than the 10 yr old, but still with a real Laphroaig character. The second glass tasted even better than the first - i think i'll probably have a third . Gethin

Velvet Gloves ! if you love aviations, manhattans and 20th C's , you absolutely have to love Velvets Gloves too. (don't argue !) (also what I think of as Spanish Gloves (with Soberano , Fundador, Cardinal Menodza etc etc ) and Greek Gloves (with Metaxa, which I used to dislike but which I now associate so much with Nikki and Danai, our absolutely wonderfull Greek bar staff , that I will enjoy it -even neat - for ever more). Metaxa works particularly well in a Velvet Glove - really brings out the rosewater sort of flavours in the Metaxa. You need Bols white Creme de Cacao though (as you do for the 20th C) - the de Kuypers version is absolute poo ! (im(not so)ho Gethin

BTW, does whisky deteriorate once the bottle is opened? If so, how long should it be kept? ←

right now, its the cocktail I have in my non typing hand - a berlin station chief - this one with tanqueray, bunnahahven , twist of lemon. goes damn well with a beef and horseradish sandwich at quarter to one in the morning after a long , hard day ! gethin

Turkish Food Centre always stock quinces this time of year and are usually by far the cheapest source (that i've found anyway) . It may be worth ringing one of their branches to check. Gethin

I'd never thought of the Grand Wizard on the American Knights of the KKK as a mixologist !! But perhaps its a different Jeff Berry ? Gethin

Bill, when you say "anything like this" do you mean rum based cocktail competitions ? or cocktail competitions more generally? If the former, i'd say yes - occassionaly, if the latter, yes - a surprising number. Check out magazines such as Wines and Spirits, Theme, Class and Night. Certainly with the first two there is rarely an issue without a report on some brand sponsored competition for professional bar staff complete with details of winning cocktails and announcements for forthcoming competitions. Gethin

Its not available at any of the obvious (London) places such as Gerry's or Soho Wines. The Russian grocers on Queensway stock a number of Estonian vodkas (also Vanna Tallin liqueur - anyone tried this ? ). I'll check out whether Turi is amongst them , next time I'm in there. I have seen it occassionally in trendy bars so I guess it is available somewhere. Gethin

I got a bottle in Islington Sainsbury's a while back. I guess most larger branches stock it (in the fancy groceries section along side the overpriced preserved lemons, quince paste and australian bush stuff). Gethin

For a spiced rum, i think Sailor Jerry's is pretty drinkable . I wouldn't want to drink a lot of it, or very often but i do buy the odd one in a pub towards the end of a night. Must try it as a hot buttered rum sometime. The packaging is great , both the original (rather gay) bottle with a plastic sailors hat and the current tattoed lady design. The worst rum in the world has to be any French supermarket rum. The French just do not get rum at all. Gethin

Not in my pub! One of the first customers I served just after buying it ordered "A gay bar and a pint of Henry" . The gay bar turned out to be the local name for a Gin and Tonic , (and Henry to be Orange Juice with lemonade). We don't sell a lot of gay bars. i've got a few of them drinking Dark and Stormies though and our cleaner always has a sniff of my pre sunday lunch Negroni , which she thinks "smells lovely". She hasn't been brave enough to taste it yet. Don't think we've ever been asked for a martini, though we do sell a fair few martini (vermouth) with lemonade. I think that that's probably be what you'd get if you asked any of the bar staff for a martini. (if it was me behind the bar you'd probably get a startled look, a hug and then a 1:1 martini made with Brecon gin) Gethin