Newsletter – Friday 28th February
Happy Friday Team!
I hope that you’re all good and have enjoyed the slow march towards, well March. February may have been some of the wettest and most miserable weather we’ve seen for some time. Thank goodness Spring is on the way and we will (fingers crossed) be seeing an improvement on this horrendous weather!
So, this week we’re celebrating Floral Design Day! A lovely day of the year for celebrating the beauty of flowers and the craftmanship of design. Now this really does go hand in with a rather special gin that we have here at the Gin and Rum Festival. It’s available to buy from our online shop as well as events themselves, and it’s a gin with a little bit of magic. May I introduce to you, Empress 1908 Gin.
Empress 1908 Gin is made by Victoria Distilleries in British Columbia. And, is inspired by the Fairmont Empress Hotel. The idea was to make a traditional gin with a modern twist, akin to the hotel, and they have certainly done that. A strong juniper led base also carries botanicals such as ginger, tea and a little bit of magic in the form of butterfly pea flower, a botanical added after distillation that gives the gin it’s beautiful indigo hue. The magic comes with a little bit of citrus, so in G&T, the addition of tonic water changes the PH and changes the colour from that deep indigo to a luscious pink. As well as being a showstopper for colour, it’s a great all rounder for a gin. Ticking 3 important boxes it works in Martinis, G&Ts and other cocktails too.
You’ll find this gin on our World Gin Bar and at our shop here:
And just to really showcase this gins capability, I’ve hunted out some of my favourite cocktail recipes from the gin’s website. The links are below, but to be honest, I would urge you to look through them all, they really are quite beautiful.
First up, the Empress Lavender Lemonade. With a beautiful fade from blue, purple, pink to orange then yellow, this is a front cover thing. It combines floral lavender honey along with old school lemonade. I can imagine these flavours smooth out the juniper forward notes into something quite spectacular.
https://www.empressgin.com/our-cocktails/lavender-lemonade/
Secondly, the Cucumber Blue. This is a smooth, cool cocktail, perfectly displayed by its blue green hue. Made with cucumber, basil and mint, this will be heaven sent in the summer months so you keep this recipe safe, or just knock up a few now.
https://www.empressgin.com/our-cocktails/cucumber-blue/
And last, and by no means least, the Royal Treatment. As if the gin wasn’t special enough, this cocktail, made with white cranberry juice, sparkling wine and generous fruit garnish gives it that little bit extra for those who need some pampering.
https://www.empressgin.com/our-cocktails/royal-treatment/
So there we have it for Empress 1908.
Another gin that we carry that I’d like to introduce you to is Highfield Bramble Gin. Highfield are a family run business located in South Derbyshire. Their Bramble Gin is lovely, a really good blend of sweet and sour, which is just want you want with bramble. Bramble is a really popular flavour with gin lovers, being the namesake of popular cocktail, the ‘Bramble’. Brambles are ultimately comprised of gin, crème de mure, lemon and sugar syrup. So the basis of the cocktail is that twist between sweet and sour. With Highfield Bramble a gin and tonic with a lemon garnish is going to be very like and much simpler to make, so if you’re a fan of a Bramble, then perhaps Highfield Bramble Gin is the one for you!
Happy last day of February everyone! And Happy Floristry Design Day too! Hope you have a fab weekend and I’ll be seeing you next week for some frozen fruit specials and some info on the local brands you’ll be seeing at our Northampton event.
Big love, Bernadette and G&R
Newsletter – Friday 24th January
Happy Friday Team!
We are nearly at the end of January! Whether you’re doing Veganuary, started at a gym, or even just holding out until payday, you’re nearly there!
And hey, when it comes to the ‘new year, new me’ change of habit, if there has been a slip here and there, don’t punish yourself too much. By all means, absolute winner to do the entire month, but it’s also about your frame of mind. I spent the latter part of last year as a ‘flexitarian’, mostly veg but if something really took my fancy, I’d eat it. Taking that option definitely meant me eating less meat than normal and I felt better in myself for it. This year, the fella and me are going Vegetarian, but if there’s a slip, that’s ok. If I eat meat, I’m not going back to just eating meat all the time, I’m carrying on bring more and more veg in and I know in the near future that’ll be it. We love to think we can make an immediate change because we want that change immediately. But give yourself a little patience if it takes a bit of time to incorporate it. Be kind to yourself while you adjust.
And that leads me on to the focus of this newsletter. Veganuary. I hope you guys appreciate the support in Dry January for the first couple of weeks, but I’m feeling it’s right to turn my eye onto those doing Veganuary and give them a little love too.
Now the good news is that most spirits are vegan. There are some obvious examples of spirits containing animal products, for example, Ant Gin. But on the whole, you’ll find that most gins and rums are vegan. So that got my thinking, cocktail recipes are kind of out. However, there are components of cocktails to be wary of. Things like egg white for example, that has been commonly used in Sours amongst others for well over a century. Its main purpose is to give the cocktail a thicker, creamier consistency and a foamy top without altering the flavour of the drink itself. Vegan alternatives to this can be a little tricky, so it’s worth trying and testing to see what ones work for you. A common alternative is chickpea water, otherwise known as Aquafaba, which is often drained from a can and then thrown away. This makes a great alternative, but does alter the flavour, so think about what you’re putting it with. Another great thing you can do with chickpea water is whisk it up with sugar and add some melted chocolate, to create an amazing vegan chocolate mousse. Why not slip a little rum or whisky in there to make it pop? I’d suggest adding it to the melted chocolate before folding it in, so you don’t lose the fluffiness.
And this leads me nicely onto a couple of vegan recipes. A little while ago, I shared recipes for Gin and Tonic Cake and Chocolate Rum Cake. So, I thought I’d hunt out a coupe of vegan alternatives. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it!
Firstly, the Gin and Tonic cake. This cake has become a staple of the gin world. Online you can find hundreds of variations. This one from BBC food took my fancy. It looks absolutely gorgeous! Let me know how it turns out:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/user/5577196/recipe/vegan-gin-and-tonic-cake
Secondly, for those chocoholics out there, you just can’t beat rum and chocolate. What a tremendous duo! I’ve found this great little recipe from Onegreenplanet.org. And my, it’s not just chocolate, this is a Chocolate Coconut Rum cake. Ooderlally!
https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/chocolate-coconut-rum-cake/
So, I hope this has been a nice little issue for you. Do let me know how you get on and if you’ve got any vegan friendly boozy recipes to share, drop them my way! Bernadette@ginandrumfestival.com
Have a great week you lovely lot. And remember, you’re nearly there! Next week we celebrate the last day of January.
Big Love, all of us at G&R.
Newsletter – Friday 10th January
Happy Friday Team!
How are we feeling, anyone got the January blues? It’s a tough month for sure. How many of you are doing dry January? Did last week’s mocktails help you? Well, don’t you worry, I’ve got a few more to suggest, to help you through the next couple of weeks. You’re already a quarter of the way through, well done!
We like to keep January relatively quiet in respect of dry January. That said, we’ve got plenty to get on with prepping for festival season. We’ll be kicking off on Saturday the 14th March in Northampton. Now, we’d like to start giving you guys a little more information about these events, so I’m going to be researching the local area to give you a heads up on local bars and distilleries. If you have anywhere that you’d like to recommend to us, then feel free to drop me a line at bernadette@ginandrumfestival.com. I’m super keen to sniff out some great spots for you.
Now then, mocktails. Last week we covered the Motijo Mocktail, Pink Lemonade and Spiced Pina Colada Mocktail. Did you have a go at them? How did they come out? Do feel free to email me and met me know how it went, send a picture or two, you never know, we may feature it. This week I’m thinking of Januarys seasonal flavours. According to my research, January is all about citrus, which makes sense to me as during the dark winter we need lots of vitamin C to help fight off colds. But citrus can be a lot more interesting than your simple oranges, lemons and limes.
I’ve upped the game and scoured the internet to present you with 3 fantastic mocktail recipes that you can make at home:
Grapefruit and Thyme Mocktail – Citrus and herbaceous flavours go so well together. They’re a big hit in gins made in Italy and Spain. They look and smell divine as well as containing some fantastic properties: https://thefeedfeed.com/FLOWERSINTHESALAD/GRAPEFRUIT-AND-THYME-MOCKTAIL
Honey Sweetened Limeade with Strawberry and Basil – Sweet, delicious grown up fizzy pop. Bursting with flavour and wonderfully refreshing: https://foolproofliving.com/honey-sweetened-limeade-strawberries-basil/
Sparkling Blueberry Lemonade – Blueberries are a favourite fruit of mine. They’re packed full of antioxidents and taste fantastic, with a little bit of fizz this is a right thirst quenching little number: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/sparkling-blueberry-lemonade/
Aren’t they just gorgeous?! And not only that, they’re delicious and good for you too. So get mixing and be sure to let me know how you get on.
Have a lovely week all, stay warm, look after yourself and each other.
Big January love from me and the G&R team x
Newsletter – Friday 20th December
Happy Friday Team!!!
We’re nearly there! I was hoping to include some more details of our Christmas special offers but we’re out of time! It’s all come around so quickly, I do hope that you’ve managed to find some good bargains for your loved ones, and not forgetting something for you too!
And, it’s important to think of others at this time of year. There’s sadly been a spike in food bank usage and donating to a food bank via your local supermarket is one simple and easy way to help those in need. So, when you’re doing your shop for the big day, please do try and spare a couple of things. You can normally find 3 cheapy items totaling under £1 in most supermarkets and they have donation points set up. If this doesn’t work for you, just hop online to find your nearest donation point.
So, with the present buying almost all but done, I’m turning my eye to the day itself. So, lets give you guys some ideas for festive tipples:
Classic Snowball – Come on, who hasn’t had a snowball?! Simply go half and half with advocatt and lemonade for a rich and delicious taste sensation. And, you can jazz it up with a maraschino cherry if you fancy.
Mulled cider – Everyone goes mad for mulled wine at Christmas, but how about mulled cider? I love the smell of mulled cider. I mix in apple juice to cider the heat with spices like clove, cinnamon and star anise. I also like to put in a few slices of fresh orange to freshen it up. You can put some vanilla in there as well. I like to simmer mine low and slow and before you know it, the whole house smells divine. If you want to be really dandy, put in a little calvados too.
Spice 75 – This Is a fabulous little cocktail that I discovered online. I’m a sucker for a bucks fizz and this is a lovely winter take on it. It is a little more tricky as you have to make the syrup first, but hey, Christmas is all about getting creative in the kitchen. You make the syrup by heating caster sugar with water and allspice. Once your syrup is cool, shake it up with rum and lime juice in a cocktail shaker and you’ve got your base. Pop that in a flute and top up with champagne. Gorgeous!
And there we have it! I hope that’s given you a little inspiration to mix things up at your festive socials. So, let us raise a glass. We hope you have a fantastic Christmas!
All our love, the Gin and Rum Festival team xx
Newsletter – Friday 22nd November
So here we are! Middlesbrough! The final festival of the year! Absolutely amazing to think of what the team have done, the miles travelled, the good times given, the spirits shifted. I think a big round of applause for the team will be necessary after this one. And, a big thank you to all of you that came to our events and made them what they were! We couldn’t do this without you. Once we wrap that up, our events team will be able to give their little feet a rest, while those at the office will be busy, beavering away getting things into place for next year.
And what of next year? The dates are out! Have you seen them yet? I’ll be putting a bit more focus into them next week. Next year’s festival season doesn’t start until March, so you’ve got a little time. But hey, tickets to one of our events would make a pretty cool present for someone, plus you can be super cheeky as if they’re going, you should go with them, right? So, you’d better get a ticket for yourself too, because you’re thoughtful like that! Get your tickets here!
So, last week I mentioned Soul Passion and that I had been slipping a bit into a Mimosa to make a rather excellent party drink. Well, this week I wanted to look at Soul Passion’s little brother, Soul Salty. Soul Salty is a darling little drink, slightly lighter on the abv and sweet, with added salted caramel flavour, it’s delicious on the rocks, but sometimes it’s nice to be inventive. So, I’d like to propose a drink for those who like White Russians.
White Russians are easy drinks. Thick and creamy, they’re for someone who likes to take their time with a drink and keep a gentle pace. Normally made with vodka, kaluha and milk. Have a go with one replacing the vodka with Soul Salty. It makes for a drink that taste like some posh chilled coffee, with a lovely little kick to it too.
So, there we are! Hope you’re all keeping warm and wrapped up. Have a great week!
Bernie and The G&R Team
Newsletter – Friday 15th November
Happy Friday Team!
How are we doing this week? Hope you’ve had a good one. I’m excited, because today I get to talk a little about Scotland. Why is that exciting? Because Scotland is fab! Why am I talking about it? Because The Gin and Rum Festival have recently released their 2020 dates and they include the first ever Gin and Rum Festival in Glasgow! That’s right, on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd of August we’ll be in town, bringing you some of the finest gins and rums around!
Admittedly, I’ve not been to Glasgow myself, but I’ve been to Edinburgh and there I was taught a valuable lesson. I was holding a gin masterclass and normally I research a bit of local history to bring to an event. When I started looking into Scottish gin history, I was amazed! Down South a lot of gin history centres around London and I was oblivious to the goings on up there. It makes sense as in places like Leith, there were strong trading connections with the Dutch, where they sourced Genever, they also had access to the botanicals needed to craft the spirits. A slump in popularity left the centre of the industry, Edinburgh with no gin distilleries at all. Its only recently started growing again with the recent gin boom but is already a big industry again.
So, I wondered how many of you have tried Soul Passion when you were at one of the festivals? It’s been a popular seller, and it’s quite easy to see why. Those tropical flavours come through a treat. Recently I’ve been using mine to make mimosas. Similar to a Bucks fizz, the Mimosa is slightly more easy going. A Bucks Fizz is made from two parts champagne or prosecco and one-part orange juice. A Mimosa is simply half and half champagne/prosecco and orange juice. However, in some places its not unusual to slip a little nip of spirit in there two. White rum is quite often used and gin also works well. I’ve found by delightful experimentation that the Soul Passion is a divine addition to give your Mimosa a delicious twist. And, with party season around the corner, this is a simple but indulgent welcoming drink for guests.
Next week we’re back for the final festival of the year! We’re in Middlesbrough! Who’s coming? If you are I hope you’re up for a good night because we want the year to end on a high! As I mentioned at the start, the 2020 line up is out, a little more on that in a couple of weeks. Also, it’s worth keeping an eye on the newsletter in the coming weeks for special offers.
Have a great week, ya’ll!
Bernie & G &R
Soul rum liqueurs are the result of rather clever idea from a group of friends who love their rum. They spotted that the rum industry is growing into something much like the gin industry, with discerning drinkers looking to try different rums, understanding the complexity of flavour, along with a historical story or two.
They also spotted the growing trend in gin liqueurs in recent years. The boom in gin liqueurs has created a huge industry, with an equally large variety of different flavoured liqueurs appealing to a vast number of consumers, some of which don’t normally drink gin, but have found the liqueurs to be a nice stepping stone before getting into the harder stuff and sometimes just enough on its own.
Well then, isn’t about time for rum liqueurs? Something a little gentler on the palate, a little bit sweeter and something that can be sipped over ice? Something pleasant and tasty for those that find the heavy hit of straight rum a little too much. Well, look no further than Soul. Aimed at those that like their drink a little softer, with an image of a lioness on the label for strength and a name as deep as it gets, it’s a well thought out and well-made little drink. The guys that thought it up don’t own a distillery so they worked with a third party distillery to create the liqueur and were heavily involved in constructing the flavour profile and tastings to hone the spirit. A little birdy tells me that there may be some other varieties on the way too.
Soul Passion is a wonderful, rum punch kind of drink with mango, pineapple and passionfruit. It’s beautifully sweet and fruity on its own. It perks up fresh juice, predominantly pineapple or mango but it would work in orange to keep it simple. You could also splash some into some lemonade or soda water, and it would be fab in prosecco. It also lends itself ever so well to tiki cocktail recipes, already nursing those vibrant key flavours. With summer coming, it would be great to freeze some in sorbets or dribble over ice cream to make your own boozy Solero style desert. It’s a delicious and incredibly versatile libation.
How To Make A Soul Passion Cocktail:
50ml soul passion rum
25ml Fresh lime juice
75-100ml Pineapple juice
Drizzle of Raspberry syrup
Soul Salty is something entirely different. Flavoured with Salted Caramel, it is absolutely divine on the rocks! Rich sweetness twists with the tingle of salt and velvet caramel flavours all melding together in a beautiful fashion. How to drink it? If you’re a fan of White Russians, try replacing the Kaluha for this and you are in for a tasty treat indeed. As far as I’m concerned you can’t beat it on it’s own, or slipping it into a hot chocolate. Keep it simple and add a 25ml measure to your favourite chocolate, or if you really want to go to town then build the hot chocolate into a freakshake with all the trimmings.
How To Make A Salted Caramel Espresso Rumtini:
50ml Soul Salted Caramel Rum
25ml Coffee liqueur
Double Shot Espresso
Monin Caramel syrup to taste
I’ve got a friend who doesn’t drink very much. She finds the taste of straight spirits far too much and she’s got quite the sweet tooth. I suggested she try a little bit of the Soul Salty when she came to visit recently, and she loved it! I had to tear the bottle away from her in order to finish this write up. Soul is definitely a great starting point for people wanting to get into rum, whilst not having a palate for so much of the heavier stuff. They’re beautiful drinks and I predict they’ll be opening the door to the rum world for many a drinker indeed.
Bernie @ The G&R Team
Newsletter – Friday 8th November
Happy Friday Team!
Soooo how were the Halloween celebrations last weekend? What did you get up to? Did you trick or did you treat? Hope you had a wonderful time at our Norwich event. Any horror stories? Haha, I’m sure it was a cracker!
And this week, we’re rocking on up to the Steam Museum in Swindon. Home of the Great Western Railway, it’s a really cool place. I for one have thoroughly enjoyed galivanting around during a festival there. Being shut to the public, other than festival goers. It is slightly eerie hanging out with the model people. Hope you all have a great time!
I have to say, today’s a pretty special day. On this day, way back in 1789, Bourbon Whisky was first distilled from corn by Elijah Craig in Bourbon, Kentucky. What a special day that was! Just think of the joy that spirits have given to the world. And in some instances, the opposite. It’s always important to be careful with the drink.
To celebrate this special day I thought it would be nice to share a rather special cocktail with you, the Suffering Bastard. As always, finding where and how a drink was first invented is always tricky as there is a number of stories. One that I’ve found suggests that it can be traced back to the Long Bar at the Shepard Hotel in Cairo. Let’s set the scene, it was the 1940s. 1947 to be precise and the bar steward, a Joe Scialom, was in desperate need for a hangover remedy. The Suffering Bastard was born. The drink comprises of our Birthday Bourbon, along with a shot of gin. The drink is then boosted with lime juice and bitters and topped up with ginger ale.
As the season is slowing down slightly, next week the team are having a week off to recoup, then on the 22nd and 23rd November we’re going to be in Middlesbrough. I’ll tell you more about as we get closer. Always nice to keep an element of mystery.
Have a great weekend you lovely lot.
Bernie and The G&R Team
Newsletter – Friday 1st November
Happy Friday Team!!
Happy November! How was your Halloween? As I mentioned last week, falling on a Thursday, I can’t help but think you lovely lot are going to be celebrating it tonight, so for those of you in Norwich, Hooray! We’re in town and you’ll be getting down! Hope you have a wonderful night full of all sorts of spooky fun.
And next week we’re in lovely Swindon. Swindon is an old favourite with the wonderful back drop of the Steam Museum. The Steam Museum has been hosting Gin Festivals for some time so it’s going to be great to get some rum in there too. It’s a great back drop and a really interesting place to walk around, with a glass in hand. There are many stories to be found there. But one of the more well know is that of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a famous Victorian Engineer who left his mark around the country. Born in my hometown of Portsmouth, he was involved in the development of the SS Great Britain. This ship was the first propeller-driven, ocean-going, iron ship and in 1843 when it was built, it was the largest ship ever built. He also designed the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol and he masterminded the Great Western Railway.
So, that brings us up to date with what we’re doing. Now that’s get back to the fun stuff. Halloween! Halloween is all about celebrating the dead, with Hallows Eve being the one day of the year that the dead can come back to walk the Earth. So, with that in mind, I wanted to share a simple recipe for a spooky rum punch. Inspired by Sangria the colour of this is such a deep red you’ll have vampires crawling out of the woodwork. Get yourselves a large bowl. Add a whole bottle of rum and a bottle of red wine. The you need to balance out that loud booze flavour with lime, some triple sec and some sugar syrup. To garnish, chop up a few limes and perhaps blood oranges to keep in the mood. And, poof! Just like Dracula appearing in a cloud of smoke, you’ve got a great drink for everyone to share. Enjoy!
Have a wonderful weekend guys!
Bernie & The G&R Team
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