Newsletter – Friday 21st February
Happy Friday Team!
What’s today’s date, I hear you cry. Well, today we are revelling in Sticky Bun Day! That’s right, it’s officially sticky bun day and we want to celebrate that by giving you some of the best cake flavoured cocktails going.
We’re also starting to gear up for the first event of the year which is in Northampton. If you’re anyway near there or fancy taking a jolly that way then you can get some tickets for a session here. Likewise I’ll be looking at local distilleries/bars you can visit so if you know of anywhere do get in contact with me at bernadette@ginandrumfestival.com. I’ll be sending out some info recommending places in the newsletter on March the 6th. So, do keep your eyes out for ways to extend that visit.
Now then, back to cake cocktails. Who doesn’t love a sweet treat? The boom in champagne/cocktail high teas has gone to show that we just love a little bit of indulgence. So, I thought I’d sniff out some of the best cake flavoured cocktails that I could find. And, just to flip it, I’ve found a little something for all you chefs out there, a sticky bun recipe with a rum flavoured glaze. It goes beautifully with all the fruit and warm spice that you can put into a sticky bun so here, give it a try.
First up, we’ve got the lovely little Cake Batter Martini, care of the Novice Chef. What a show stopper of a cocktail! With specialist ingrediants such as cake vodka, and an amazing striped colour effect, it’s a really special thing. Check out the full recipe here:
https://thenovicechefblog.com/cake-batter-martini/
Next up, do you know anyone with a birthday coming up? Well how about trying out these Birthday cake shots, care of tablespoon.com. Comprising of vodka, irish cream (or you could vary the recipe by trying other cremes, a strawberry creme would be great!) and some lovely sweet stuff, you’ve got a great little surprise for some celebrations. These are presented nicely in shot glasses with sprinkles on the rim. But I’m starting to wonder if you could pimp it by chilli it and serving it in place of ice cream with some jelly. It’s easy enough to make a boozy jelly so in theory you could make an adults version of the kids party classic. You can find the full recipe here:
https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/birthday-cake-shots/02a281fd-634b-47cd-88bc-c2886c1278a1
And, how about this Cinnamon Roll Cocktail, care of the Farm Wife Drinks. Leakh has knocked up a wonderful concoction of Kaluha and Rumchata. Rumchata is a rum liqueur, blending rum, cream, cinnamon and vanilla, so it brings all the flavour to this cocktail. Again, there;s plenty of room for experimentation here. But this recipe looks absolutely fab. You can check out the full recipe here:
https://www.farmwifedrinks.com/cinnamon-roll-cocktail/
And finally, because it is sticky bun day after, all, how’s about knocking up a batch of current buns, then, when they’re ready for glazing, use a couple of spoonfulls of apricot jam with a tablespoon of spiced rum. Give that a mix and see what you think, you might also want to add a drop of water if you find it too thick, but not too much. Glaze those little beauties and you’re ready to go.
And there we have it! I hope that’s given you some fun stuff to do over the next few days. On the 28th, we’ll be focusing on Floral design day with some floral cocktails and a look at butterfly pea gins, the magic gins that change colour.
Big love, Bernie 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 17th January
Happy Friday Team!
How are we doing today? Hope everyone’s good. How are we doing Dry Januaryiers? We’ll all behind you, you’ve broken the back of it and you’re so nearly there! How have the mocktails been helping? All good I hope? Well, I thought that we should help you out towards the end, so I’ve scoured the internet and found some more for you below enjoy:
Home made pear cider – It’s the tail end of pear season and you may find some of these delectable beauties around for a bargain price. Check out the recipe here: https://www.wideopeneats.com/non-alcoholic-mocktails-celebrating-dry-january/
Sparkling Cranberry and Pomegranate Drink – What an elixir this is! The crispness of cranberry mingles beautifully with the decedant richness of pomegranate:
https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/sparkling-cranberry-pomegranate-drink-video/
Virgin Sangrias – Just look at this power packing fruit punch. All the goodness, all the taste:
http://www.naturalsweetrecipes.com/non-alcoholic-freshly-juiced-sangria/
I’m currently prepping some of the newsletters in advance as I’m away for a bit in February. As some of you may know, I’m a spirits judge. Gin’s my thing and I’m a lucky girl as I get to travel about judging various awards. It all began when I started my blog, it takes time to build up the knowledge, but then my judging journey began nearly four years ago when I judged the Gin of the Year Award, which is held at the wonderful Laverstoke Mill, home of Bombay Sapphire. If you ever get the chance to go there, do it. It’s an incredible place. Their atrium is the stuff of dreams. Built from glass, it looks like a large pair of lungs and inside they grow the same botanicals that they use in their gin. It’s a wonderfully sensory experience. From there, I joined the World Gin Awards, the Spirits Masters, the ADI Judging of Craft Spirits and most recently the IWSC (International Wines and Spirits Competition). The IWSC is a biggy. To me it’s the most prominent award body in the UK. Whenever you pick up a bottle of something, do check for awards labels. You’d be surprised how many spirits and wines have won awards for their calibre, there are a lot of wonderful spirits out there. It’s a great way of making a decision to buy without tasting. However, don’t write off bottles that don’t show any. Sometimes it takes a bit of time starting out and bottles with awards already have a clear advantage.
Anyway, to get back to the point (I easily get carried away talking about this stuff), in February I’m off to San Francisco for a week to judge for the ADI (American Distilling Institute). It’s a 4 day event and over those days I could be judging anything up to around approximately 200 spirits. I’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it, and to be honest, I absolutely love it. It’s a wonderful industry so friendly and everyone excels in their mutual passion for spirits. So, if there’s anything that you want to send my way, do it soon! It’ll be business as usual after I’m back mid Feb.
Hope you all have a wonderful week. Big love, me and the G&R Team
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 6th December
Happy Friday Team!!!
It’s December!!! Hooray! I’m a happy girl! It’s family tradition for the decorations to go up on the 1st December so my tree is up and the house is smothered in fairy lights. What are your family traditions? Anyone fancy sharing them with us? If you do, its Bernadette@ginandrumfestival.com.
I love seeing what other people do for Christmas. People have so many little traditions and ways to do it. All these wonderful little ways of celebrating the same thing. For me, one of my favourite things about Christmas is that it gives people the opportunity to spend a little more time with their friends and family than they normally would. It’s so important to snatch those opportunities when they arrive, so you get out there and share some love.
Plus, lets be honest, so many goodies! I’m not big on giving big expensive presents. I prefer to make things. This year I’m infusing some gin with pears, poached in mulled cider. In previous years I’ve done a spiced berry gin. It’s really easy to do. When I get mine started, I’ll take a few photos and share it in a newsletter with a how to, in case you want to give it a whirl yourselves. And, that’s not the only boozy treat I’ve got for my loved ones! I’ve got gin filled baubles on my tree and I’ve organised some fabulous crackers that contain a miniature and a can of mixer. If you want to buy some similar, check out Fever Tree as they’ve just brought some out. Hopefully that should keep the family happy, haha!
We’ve got some great deals on this week. And good news! If you do want to order a little something from us for a loved one then you’ve still got until the 17th of December to do it for it to arrive by Christmas!
Have a fabulous week you lovely bunch. Let’s get this advent party started!
Bernie & The G&R Team
Newsletter – Friday 29th November
Happy Friday Team!
Wow wow wow wow!!! Who was at Middlesbrough?! What a fantastic last event of the year! This year the team have completed almost 30 Festivals across the country and had such a great time – we can’t wait to do it all over again!
The team are done, or are they? Now’s an important time. We’ve recently released the dates of the festivals next year and now we’re busy, beavering away making arrangements to get everything organised and give you another great year. And this time the events are even bigger and better – new to 2020 your ticket price will include 2 FREE miniature 5cl bottles of Gin or Rum to take home with you, a reusable metal drinking straw and so much more!
So in case you hadn’t see the list or bought your ticket yet, here’s where we’re jetting off to in 2020:
14th March – Northampton
27th/28th March – Manchester
3rd/4th April – Norwich
17th/18th London
6th June – Derby
12/13th June – Leeds
4th July – Nottingham
10th/11th July – Peterborough
25th July – Lincoln
31st July/1st August – Chelmsford
7th/8th August – Bath
14th/15th August – Liverpool
21st/22nd August – Glasgow
4th/5th September – Manchester
11th/12th September – Reading
26th September – Blackpool
2nd/3rd October – Birmingham
16th/17th October – Coventry
13th/14th November – Derby
How exciting is that?!
So, it’s nearing the end of November so I’m putting it out there. Who’s thinking of Christmas? It seems to start earlier and earlier every year. This year I found as soon as Halloween was done Christmas decorations started creeping into shops. Crazy stuff! Then again, I’ve seen friends online talking about how they’ve already finished all the shopping. It’s sensible, I’ll give them that! I’m much more of a last-minute person and I’m always on the lookout for a deal so keep your eyes on our online shop. We know it’s Christmas and there are going to be some great deals so you can treat your loved one to something boozy.
Have a great week guys!
Bernie and 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
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