All things drink – recipes, buying guides, visits to producers.
The method of grinding tea leaves into a powder originated in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), but fell out of favour in the centuries to follow. It was not until the practice reached Japan by way of Zen Buddhist monks that it developed into the drink we know today. Image courtesy of Japan Centre ... Read more »
I’m rather partial to a cocktail! Especially since I don’t like table wine or beer, which seem to be the default alcoholic choices to drink with food when eating out in a restaurant. I usually end up choosing a soft drink – a fizzy drink, fruit juice, maybe a milkshake or a lassi, or just ... Read more »
I came late to gin. Very late. In my early forties in fact. For years and years (and years and years) I thought I didn’t like gin but it turns out I just don’t like tonic – or at least, not the big brand stuff that’s most prevalent. It wasn’t until I tried a Gin ... Read more »
Izakayas are to Japan what the pub is to the UK. An izakaya is a place for drinking and eating with friends, offering a great drinks list and plenty of small plate sharing dishes to pair with sake, beer or your tipple of choice. Kiri Restaurant is the latest offering from Saga Japanese Restaurants, the ... Read more »
I adore dessert wines. The syrupy liquid nectar is too sweet for some, but I truly love the intensity of flavour that the best dessert wines bring to the glass. Some of my favourites are produced by noble rot, the action of Botrytis cinerea, a fungal mould that causes infected grapes to partially shrivel, raisin-like, ... Read more »
Sometimes the best ideas are spur of the moment, driven by the ingredients you happen to have on hand. So it was with this banana, turmeric and maple syrup smoothie which I liked so much I made it three days in a row. Banana is my staple base for a smoothie – I love the ... Read more »
If you’ve not already checked out this year’s Christmas Gift Guide, do have a browse. In the meantime, enjoy my 2015 picks of alcoholic treats. Earlier this year I enjoyed the most wonderful press trip to Canada which included a food and drink tour of Niagara-on-the-Lake. We visited several vineyards, one of which was Inniskillin, ... Read more »
Once upon a time, the Old Man of the Moon decided to visit the Earth. Disguised as a beggar, he came across three friends who lived together in the forest – Fox (Kitsune), Monkey (Saru) and Rabbit (Usagi) and asked them for something to eat. Monkey leapt up into the trees to gather fruit and ... Read more »
When you’re married to a beer lover, the beer menu can be just as important as the food menu, and it’s good to have a few places up the sleeve that will tempt said beer lover into town! Handily, The Three Johns in Angel is easy to get to – just a couple of minutes’ ... Read more »
This lovely Vin d’Orange recipe comes from Wild Drinks & Cocktails: Handcrafted Squashes, Shrubs, Switchels, Tonics, and Infusions to Mix at Home by Emily Han, and is best to make during winter, when citrus fruits are at their best, ready to enjoy through the next spring or summer. Read more about Wild Drinks and Cocktails ... Read more »
The Place of Onions, in old Lille. After last night’s rainstorm the intense sticky heat has broken and today is cool, breezy, fresh… I love it! A drop of… [more]
We went to Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire at The Void this morning, an amazing VR experience where we got to be Rebel Alliance members going undercover as… [more]