78 | squaremeal.co.uk

FULL OF SPIRITLondon's distilleries have been busy recently,

with lots for interested drinkers to explore...

Look east

First was the announcement of another new

distillery, the East London Liquor Company, that's

opening in Bow Wharf. It will produce three different

gins, a vodka and a whisky, while a rum will also be

imported from Guyana. Those interested in checking

out the action can head to the distillery's bar, which

is offering tours, tastings and drinks.

Beef it up

Long in the making, ubiquitous London gin brand

Beefeater has finally finished the refurb of its

distillery in Kennington, and opened a shiny new

visitor centre to boot. Beefeater London: The Home

of Gin takes visitors through the spirit's intertwined

history with London and for a walk through the

facilities, including the vast cathedral-like still house.

beefeaterdistillery.com

A move for Sipsmith

Finally, Sipsmith's distillery has moved premises

from its Hammersmith origins to Chiswick. The

popular craft distiller has long been bursting at the

seams of its former residence, and the new premises

will allow the brand to make more of its products, as

well as cater for more visitors on distillery tours, once

the company has settled in. sipsmith.com/tours

I SHOULD COCOAfter years of being shunned for its high fat content, coconut is now the

super-food du jour after nutritionists decided it was good fat. But if smashing

the top o• a coconut seems too much like hard work, then try Rebel Kitchen's

'mylks'. Not only are they packed with dairy-free, coconutty goodness, but

their three ™avours are virtuous and delicious. There's Matcha Green Tea,

Chai Tea and Chocolate Mylk - made with Fairtrade raw cacao and organic

date nectar. It's lighter and fresher than most chocolatey drinks, but still has

a great richness of ™avour. £1.89/330ml; Whole Foods and rebel-kitchen.com

Oldie but goldie

Anyone looking for a good, classic

bourbon to make those Manhattans

and Old Fashioneds should look to Old

Forester, an easy-sipping liquid with

plenty of complexity that will stand up

in mixed drinks.

Just launched in the UK, it has an

impressively long history: founded in

1870, it was the first branded whiskey

to be sold in sealed glass bottles to

ensure consistency of quality, and it

even survived the Prohibition years,

when the distillery was allowed to

continue production of bourbon for

'medicinal purposes'. Just what the

doctor ordered.

£49.99, Harvey Nichols, Master of Malt