Recipes

Following the success of last year’s competition, The World’s Best Martini Challenge 2018 final took place at Oslo in Hackney last month. Featuring six finalists and three independent judges – Mark Ludmon of Bar Magazine, Annie Hayes of Master of Malt and Witek Wojaczek of Artesian Bar at The Langham – the evening showcased six innovative takes on the quintessentially British cocktail. Using Arbikie Gin, this year’s victor was the ‘Showcase Martini’ from bartender Francesco at The Gibson, using Scottish...

Created by award-winning Australian drinks entrepreneur and Think Spirits owner, Patrick Borg, Esprit de Figues was made readily available in the UK last year. Hand-crafted in the rolling hills of Burgundy, Esprit de Figues is a modern French fig liqueur, distilled with the intention of capturing the refreshing, succulent sweetness of fresh Mediterranean figs. Esprit de Figues’ origins lie within the fig tree cutting transported from Malta, when Borg’s family migrated to Australia during the 1960s. To this day, the...

As part of their week-long Burns Night celebrations, Mac and Wild hosted a haggis making masterclass last night (23rd January). Taking place at the restaurant’s Devonshire Square outpost, owner Andy Waugh was on hand for an interactive session, in which a small group were taught to make haggis from scratch, following a quick demonstration. Scotland’s national dish, haggis is often unappreciated south of Hadrian’s Wall, frivolously condemned for its “ick factor” – encasing sheep’s pluck (heart, liver and lung) within...

Nuggets of breaded and deep-fried haggis are relatively simple to make at home, joined by a Red Jon sauce.

With more than a quarter of a million Scottish nationals now living in London and the South East, Burns Night celebrations in England have become more prominent than ever, with such a variation of events taking place – both traditional and contemporary – and a wide selection of Scottish restaurants. Traditionally, it seems iniquitous to celebrate with any drink other than Scotch whisky. First created in 1824, The Glenlivet is considered the original Speyside single malt Scotch whisky, renowned for...

Tying in with Blue Monday (today, 15th January) – allegedly the most depressing day of the year, according to an equation of factors including weather conditions, debt, failed new year’s resolutions and low motivational levels – Georgia Green of Georgia's Cakes has created a selection of uplifting cake recipes. Georgia’s Cakes was set up by Georgia Green in 2015, having trained at Le Cordon Bleu. Aiming to bring classical baking down to a level that everybody can utilise, Georgia’s Cakes...

One of the oldest, most celebrated classic cocktails in existence, an Old Fashioned has a typical base of bourbon mixed with Angostura bitters and a sugar cube, garnished with a sliver of orange peel (plus a cocktail cherry in some cases). No, there’s nothing wrong with the original, but the base – like all classic cocktails – has been constantly tinkered with over the past 100 years – much to the dismay of many purists. Some bars favour rye or...

With each new year, countless New Year’s Resolutions are made. According to a recent YouGov survey, some of the most popular resolutions made by adults in New York include eating healthier, exercising more, saving money, and focusing on self care. Moreover, with additional push from initiatives such as Dry January and Veganuary, January has become a month synonymous with health. Set up by qualified health coach, Nutritionist and food technician Geeta Sidhu-Robb, Nosh Detox is the UK’s first home detox...

According to research from the University of Warwick, brandy is the UK’s favourite Christmas spirit – beating gin and whisky. Though Christmas has passed, it’s clear that brandy is an ideal (generally under-appreciated) spirit for the colder months at the beginning of the year. This week’s cocktail recipe – the Courvoisier espresso martini - for instance, replaces switches traditional vodka for brandy, bringing a rich sweetness perfectly paired with coffee. Moreover, the drink is incredibly easy to recreate at home. Ingredients...