Here’s our pick of drinks to try this September.
The Whisky Exchange Rum of the month: Havana Club 11 Year Old Small Batch £64.95
This exceptional bottling was created by Havana Club’s maestro del ron Cubano Asbel Morales, exclusively for The Whisky Exchange. Never before has this historic brand produced a special expression for a single retailer, so it is with great pride that we introduce this 11-year-old rum, distilled and aged in Cuba. Bottled at cask strength – another first for Havana Club – it shows excellent texture and concentration of flavour while retaining the classic elegance we expect from light, dry Cuban rum. You can anticipate notes of orange oil and stone fruit on the nose, while the palate brings floral honeys, sweet spices and hints of almond.
The Whisky Exchange Champagne of the month: Pol Roger Brut Vintage 2018 Champagne £86.95
The 2018 vintage from one of the most esteemed Champagne houses is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The grapes are sourced from Grand and Premier Cru vineyards in Montagne de Reims and Cote des Blancs. The wine offers alluring aromas of lemon peel, tarte au citron and freshly baked Madeleines. The complexity of flavours evolves with rich and balanced acidity, hazelnuts and marmalade on the palate.
Nine Tines potato vodka
It’s made with premium Lady Claire potatoes, grown on a fourth-generation farm in the heart of North Yorkshire. It features pure Yorkshire Spring water and is distilled 30 times over copper plates before being filtered slowly through charcoal for five days and travels just nine miles from field to distillery.
Nine Tines is a creamy Yorkshire hand-crafted potato vodka which delivers an unmistakable toffee-like sweetness, with hints of vanilla and delicate warming spices – all well balanced by nice earthy savoury notes.
Nine Tines (40% ABV), retails for £42 (70cl) and can be purchased on: Nine Tines Vodka website and in independent retailers.
Espolòn Tequila
Explore the true essence of Mexico with Espolòn Tequila and raise a tequila toast with friends and family. Espolòn Tequila has launched two tequilas in the UK, the Tequila Blanco and the Tequila Reposado. Both tequilas are created using 100% pure blue weber agave and deliver a perfectly smooth and balanced taste profile, perfect for the modern tequila lover who loves a twist. Whether served neat or mixed into a classic tequila-based cocktail like a Spicy Margarita or an Espolòn Paloma, these unique tequilas are the ideal gift and promise to elevate any celebration.
Fever-Tree Passionfruit Martini Cocktail Mixer, 500ml
To sweeten any party, shake together vodka and Fever-Tree’s Passion Fruit Martini Cocktail Mixer for an impressive fruity serve.
Crafted with the finest Maracuja passionfruit from Ecuador, ripened mango and vanilla, this zingy tropical blend creates a delicious fruity Passion Fruit Martini.
RRP £4.50 Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose, Ocado, Co-op
VIVIR Tequila (www.vivirtequila.com), the award-winning and super premium, 100% Agave Tequila is produced from the finest Blue Weber Agave and is changing the perception of how Tequila should be consumed in the UK – beyond the shot. The VIVIR Tequila range is multi award winning, notching up 28 medals across the four bottles the brand produces, which includes: VIVIR Tequila Blanco, VIVIR Tequila Reposado, VIVIR Tequila Añejo and VIVIR Café VS. The VIVIR Tequila range is available to purchase from retailers including: Waitrose, Ocado, Majestic, Amazon, Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges, Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange and the brand’s website www.vivirtequila.com
Twinings new Sparkling Tea
These comes in three delicious fruit flavours, each with unique properties to encourage positive wellbeing:
Defence: Zesty Orange with Passionfruit and Elderberry infused with Chinese green tea leaves and fortified with Zinc and Vitamins C and D to support your immune system.
Refresh: Juicy Raspberry Lemonade with Hibiscus infused with Chinese white tea leaves and fortified with Magnesium, Niacin and Vitamin C to lift mind and spirit.
Boost: Zingy Lemon with Ginger and Lemon Balm infused with Indian black tea leaves and fortified with Vitamins B6, B12 and C to energise your day.
Twinings Sparkling Tea will be available to purchase from Amazon, Holland & Barrett, Twinings.co.uk and select Waitrose and Sainsbury’s stores – with a recommended retail price of £1.89 per can.
Five Farms
Five Farms, the award-winning Irish Cream liqueur from County Cork, will be available at Sainsbury’s stores across the UK starting September 1st, 2024.
Five Farms, celebrated for its rich, authentic taste, blends premium dairy cream with triple-distilled Irish whiskey, creating a liqueur that stands out on the shelf — just in time for the festive season.
ADRIATICO Bianco Amaretto
An alternative to traditional Amaretto is ADRIATICO Bianco (White), made from crushed almonds. This unique white liqueur is made from chopped and soaked white almonds, creating a silkyliqueur with vanilla notes. ADRIATICO Bianco is a lower alcohol aperitivo at 16% ABV and perfect served on the rocks or in a cocktail.
Available from: Amazon, Harvey Nichols, The Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt, The Drinks Shop and Eataly
Mamma Mia Limoncello
Mamma Mia is an all-natural, award-winning limoncello, produced using the oldest variety of Italian lemons from the Puglia region in Southern Italy, the “Femminello del Gargano”. Mamma Mia is free from preservatives and artificial colouring, is less sweet and is lower alcohol by volume (ABV) than traditional Limoncello.
Mamma Mia Limoncello: RRP from £27.97 for a 70cl bottle | ABV 24%. Available from: Amazon, The Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt
REAL
REAL produces naturally fermented sparkling tea and is the real alternative to champagne and sparkling wine. Expertly sourced, hand-picked loose-leaf teas are naturally fermented for all the depth, flavour and complexity of a fine wine, even without the alcohol. Currently available in three different flavour varieties, Royal Flush, Dry Dragon, and Peony Blush the world’s finest loose-leaf teas are handpicked in REAL’s new home The Fermentery at The Bail on Waddesdon Estate in the heart of Buckinghamshire, to create incredible natural character notes without the addition of additives or flavourings.
NIO Cocktails
NIO Cocktails has just launched two new cocktails, Cosmopolitan Next and White Lady Next, which marks the expansion of their Lower ABV range. Other cocktails in the range include Margarita Next and Negroni Next.
Della Vite
Della Vite has launched a Magnum on John Lewis this month, just in time for the run up to Xmas. The wildly delicious Prosecco created by Poppy, Cara and Chloe Delevingne is the perfect showstopper for Christmas gatherings or an extra special gift. Please let me know if you’d like to sample or potentially would like to speak to the Delevingnes about how to host the perfect Xmas.
Launched this month on John Lewis: Della Vite Prosecco Magnum, 1400ml
La Gioiosa Prosecco DOC Treviso ‘Gold’
Very pale straw and a fine, persistent bubbles. The aroma is fruity with hints of ripe golden apple and small mountain flowers. The dry, fresh and flavoursome sensation on the palate is followed by a fruity and harmonious aftertaste. Excellent aperitif to accompany savoury canapés and also ideal with steamed shellfish.
11% abv | vegan | vegetarian
RRP £11.50 | from Sainsbury’s and Amazon
La Gioiosa Prosecco Rosé DOC Millesimato
Revealing a pomegranate nuance edged with soft pink reflections. The nose is subtle and fresh, offering hints of small red fruits. Notes of rose and pomegranate complete this elegant and intense aromatic profile. On the palate, it is silky and full, presenting a very pleasant balance between the fruity and floral notes. Excellent as an aperitif. Ideal with party finger foods and starters with a Mediterranean twist.
11% abv | vegan | vegetarian
RRP £12.99 | from Tesco, Majestic (mix six price @ £9.74), Waitrose and others
Della Vite Zero
Della Vite Zero – a wildly delicious non-alcoholic sparkling rosé by the Delevinge sisters, made from selected Grenache grapes from the south of France.
The Tottori Blended Whisky (43% abv)
A blend of three Japanese whiskies from across Japan aged in toasted American oak barrels with spring water from Mount Daisen. Perfect in a classic Highball. Light amber in colour with an elegant nose, balanced with notes of dried fruits, hints of spices. Floral, rich and complex with spices, vanilla and chocolate on the palate with a refined finish including oaky notes.
https://www.houseofmalt.co.uk/product/tottori-whisky-kurayoshi-blended-japanese-whisky/
Chamère
Chamère, a premium kir royale ready-to-drink cocktail in collaboration with Paramount and MTV Entertainment Studios, the producers of the hit Netflix series, EMILY IN PARIS in celebration of the launch of Season 4 on Netflix.
During Season 3 of EMILY IN PARIS, Emily tasted and loved the French cocktail kir royale and pitched it as a ready-to-drink cocktail to her agency clients. Chamère is now available to pre-order from neatandshaken.com at an RRP of £4 per 250ml can and £7.95 per 200ml bottle.
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