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.
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