Rock Rose Premium Scottish Gin

Rock Rose Premium Scottish Gin has created a masterpiece, well, a series of four different but equally brilliant masterpieces, with their excellent Seasons Collection.

When I opened the box I found myself humming Vivaldi's Four Seasons, because the Rock Rose Premium Scottish Gin Four Seasons collection features four gins called Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

Let's start my review with Spring. the scent of the gin, or the bouquet, if you'd rather be technical, evokes fresh meadows, newly opened flowers and Spring sunshine.

The flavour is nice and crisp and the finish is both smooth and very long. I don't always take my gin with tonic, but I found that a bottle of high quality Indian Tonic Water brought the tastes of the Scottish botanicals out very nicely.

But then we move on to Summer. This is different again. Smooth, but with a refreshingly nice edge to it. There are citrus notes that come bubbling to the surface, but not overly so, as the experts at Rock Rose Premium Scottish Gin have managed to balance the citrus notes with the botanicals. This is for long, iced drinks on the lawn or in the conservatory. Delicious!

Now we find ourselves moving into the next season which is Autumn. Or Fall if you are in America. The original name used in Britain before Autumn became popular. But I digress.

This is ideal for the Autumn. A great gin for those of us determined to squeeze the last bit of warmth from the Autumnal sunshine. It's a more robust gin which has a satisfying warming bite to it, with a smattering of Autumn berries. Gently spiced. I think I detected a slight hint of pepper? 

I think this would make a great base for some wonderful cocktails after you have harvested the last of your garden's fruits. Haven't got a garden? No matter. Rock Rose Premium Scottish Gin's Autumn Gin is probably all you need!

And now we reach the last season, Rock Rose Premium Scottish Gin's Winter. Wow! What a belter of a gin! 

Taste the juniper berries! The tasting notes describe it as an "earthy" gin and I can't argue with that. It's evocative of walks through muddy paths, drizzly misty days, of being sat in your conservatory and watching the snowflakes whirl and dance down whilst you drink your Rock Rose Winter gin. I like this with a premium ginger ale, which makes a perfect Christmas season drink. 

To learn more and to order your gins please visit https://www.dunnetbaydistillers.co.uk.

Wickedly Welsh Chocolate and Bryn the Dragon Egg

One of the best things to come out of Wales are dragons and chocolate from the Wickedly Welsh Chocolate Company.

Combine the two and you have Bryn The Dragon Egg!

Crack open the very substantial chocolate egg and you will find a very cute sleeping Welsh Dragon. 

"He is a very handsome Y Ddraig Gymreig!" said my wife, who is a fluent Welsh speaker.

Here is the story as told by the Wickedly Welsh Chocolate Company:-

They have been entrusted with the last real life Dragons Egg which, for millennia, was kept has buried deep in a Welsh hillside hidden from the world until now. 

The artisan chocolatiers at the Wickedly Welsh Chocolate Company have employed their considerable skills to have lovingly and carefully exact chocolate replicas of this uniquely Welsh treasurer.

You can carefully break open the egg and free baby dragon. And before you ask, yes, it's very edible hand made using delicious white chocolate. But you'll see from my photograph that Bryn looks golden? This is because Bryn is carefully and lovingly brushed with an attractive golden shimmer. (Sorry about the quality of the picture, but I'm a writer not a photographer!) 

What is inside Bryn? A very tasty salted caramel truffle. Yum! 

Incidentally the top section of the egg is very easy to crack open (but do it carefully!) and to reveal Bryn.

The side of the egg which houses Bryn is smaller but also much heavier than 'normal' non-Dragon Easter eggs. Well, that's obviously because it's a Dragon's egg! The weight is a very respectable 180g (minimum) and will make a great Easter treat for any chocolate lover and Welsh Dragon lover, no matter what their age or sex.

Bryn's adoption fee is a very reasonable £8.99. To add to the excitement Bryn comes in a box that is either green, yellow or purple. But Bryn will choose the colour for you, so it'll come as a pleasant surprise. 

To order please click on this link:- https://www.wickedlywelsh.co.uk/products/bryn-the-dragon-easter-egg

Incidentally Wickedly Welsh Chocolate is based in Haverfordwest, which is where some of my Welsh ancestors came from.

Mother and Daughter Food Workshop

Would you like to take your mother to a food  workshop with one of the world's leading experts in Italian cooking?

This would make a stunning Mothering Sunday/Mother's Day gift to both you and your mother, helping you to bond over some fresh pasta that you and your mother have just learned to cook.

Mother and Daughter Workshop

£297.00

This Is A 1-2-1 Class

La Pasta Fresca – Fresh Pasta & Sauce Making:

You decide on what pasta you and your mother wish to to learn to make! 

This is a Special Offer to readers of That's Food and Drink for a personalised class at £297.

10% of the profit will be going to help Ukraine refugees #cookforukraine project

Alessandra was born and raised in Sicily to a very large family of artisans.

She worked as a social worker and project manager for many years before re-focussing in 2014 to become a cook, host and events organiser.

Alessandra then trained as a professional Pasta Maker in Italy, Padua and Bologna, before launching her own pasta venture.

After several years selling out delicious food experiences and workshops both in London, Italy and Lisbon, she is now also sharing her knowledge through e-learning courses and virtual online classes with The Pasta Studio, as well as providing consultancy for restaurants around the globe.

To learn more please visit 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamalessandralauria/

Website: https://www.alessandralauria.com/

Teachable: https://the-pastastudio.teachable.com/

Say oats? No. Say Flahavan’s!

If you like oats, you will absolutely love Flahavan’s Oats.

The Flahavan family have been milling oats in  Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford for well over 200 years. And in that time they have, of course, become experts in selecting the best oats and have developed methods of milling that are second to none.

They source all of the oats they mill from their own local area of Ireland, South East Ireland, where the land has a special micro-climate with the perfect balance of sunshine and gentle rainfall that helps grow highest quality and tasty oats that Flahavan's use to produce their world beating oats.

My late mother always insisted that, when I did her shopping for her that I only buy Flahavan's Oats which, knowing how good they are, I was more than happy to oblige. 

What is available? They produce a wide range of oats including Progress Oatlets/Rolled Oats, Quick Oats, Jumbo Oats, Pinhead/Steel Cut Oats.

Want to make good, old fashioned porridge, that people of my grandfather's generation only had with salt and not sugar? Want some oats to use in your cooking and baking? Do you have a hankering for some real, tasty porridge, but know that as the bus to work leaves from the stop just round the corner in under 15 minutes? Then Flahavan's Quick Oats are ready in the microwave within two minutes!

I love the speed and ease of cooking of their Irish Quick Oats, plus they sell them in very handy packs of eight sachets. These are available in original flavour, red berry flavour and my favourite, apple and cinnamon flavour. Delicious! 

To learn about all of the different varieties of oats that are available you can go to https://www.flahavans.co.uk.

Oat lovers in the USA can visit https://www.flahavans.com, consumers in Ireland can visit https://www.flahavans.ie. 

You can buy direct from Flahavan's or they are stocked by major retailers.

You'll also find a range of delightful recipes both sweet and savoury.   

And they have recently introduced some oat drinks, too!

Hilltop Natural Energy

You will probably have heard of Hilltop Honey, which, in my opinion, is one of the best exports from Powys, Wales. My personal favourite is their organic blossom variety.

However, it's quite possible that you might not have heard of Hilltop Energy, another great product from Hilltop Honey.

You probably know an occasion when you are feeling low on energy. Perhaps you are running to get your stamina back up, or to help you drop a bit of extra weight. Or working in a professional gym or a home gym?

Either way, you'll know what happens when you suddenly feel a rather nasty energy drop. Hilltop Energy Gels are here for you.

You can take a great tasting gel sachet before, during or after exercise which is guaranteed to give you an energy boost of between 20 to 30 minutes, right when you need it.

The gel sachets are 99.2% real Hilltop Honey and 0.8% sea salt to help make certain your sodium levels are kept at optimum. 

You can have plain flavoured or Blueberry flavoured, which has a slightly different formula, 95.2% real Hilltop Honey, 4% Blueberry juice concentrate and 0.8% sea salt. 

There's also strawberry flavour available, which is 97.7% real Hilltop Honey, Strawberry juice contrate, 1.5% and 0.8% sea salt. 

To learn more visit https://hilltop-energy.com you can buy direct from Hilltop. 12 x30g gel packs cost £12, or you can buy a 6 x 30g taster pack at £9.

To find out about Hilltop Honey, please visit https://lovehilltop.com.

Tequila Rose

What is Tequila Rose? It's that interestingly shaped bottle that you'll see on the shelf behind the bartenders at any Wetherspoon pub and other establishments that are known for their decent range of cocktails.

So, what exactly is Tequila Rose? Tequila Rose is the first and original strawberry cream liqueur which was launched a couple of decades ago.

For many years the only cream liqueurs available combined Irish whiskey with cream. And those are great drinks, but what if there was something else combing cream with a different alcohol base? But what?

Then someone thought: "What would happen if we combined cream with a different type of spirit? What would happen if we combined cream, strawberries and tequila?"

They worked on the recipe for a while until they were able to produce the perfected recipe which is called Tequila Rose. And a legend was born.

What does it taste like? Strawberries, cream and a hint of fire added by the fine quality tequila that they use.

How can it be served? By itself, or with ice, which is my preference, to be honest. Or you can use it as the basis for a wide range of very sophisticated tasting cocktails. 

These are some cocktails that the makers of Tequila Rose recommend:-

Desert Rose

2 oz Tequila Rose

1 oz Irish Cream Liqueur

0.5 oz Grenadine

HOW TO MIX

Add Tequila Rose, Irish cream liqueur, and ice to a blender

Blend until smooth

Pour into a glass

Top with grenadine

Strawberry Bananarita

0.5 oz Tequila Rose

1 oz Tequila

1.5 oz Orange Liqueur

Fresh Lime Juice

1 Banana

4 Strawberries

HOW TO MIX

Add ice, banana, strawberries, Tequila Rose, tequila, orange liqueur, and fresh lime juice into a blender

Blend until smooth

Pour into a sugar rimmed margarita glass

Garnish with a fresh strawberry and a banana slice

Or what about using Tequila Rose in your cooking?

Tequila Rose Cake

0.5 oz Tequila Rose

1 oz Tequila

1.5 oz Orange Liqueur

Fresh Lime Juice

1 Banana

4 Strawberries

HOW TO MIX

Add ice, banana, strawberries, Tequila Rose, tequila, orange liqueur, and fresh lime juice into a blender

Blend until smooth

Pour into a sugar rimmed margarita glass

Garnish with a fresh strawberry and a banana slice

You can learn more about mixing Tequila Rose cocktails and dishes, including ice lollies, that you can create here:-

https://tequilarose.com/cocktails.

No matter how you take yours, you are going to absolutely love it. Though it is best served chilled.

Where can you buy Tequila Rose? All good wine and spirit merchants, via Amazon, at Morrisons, Sainsbury's and other retailers at about £12 a bottle. 

Bullards Coastal Gin

I admit that I had not previously heard of Bullards Norwich gin distillery. Even though they have been carefully crafting gins since 1837. Which means that Bullards have been producing highest quality gins for 185 years. Which is a just a shade away from 200 years.

My wife and I are drinking a bottle of Bullards Coastal Gin. 

The first thing my wife noticed was the bottle. She said "That looks just like sea glass!" which greatly impressed her. 

I think this is a deliberate concept by Bullards and it does add to the general coastal ambiance of the gin. After all, what's not to like about something that brings back memories of smoothed, lustrous sea glass found on the beach during a family holiday?

It was my intention when we opened the bottle to try some of the cocktails that Bullards suggested. 

Such as:-

St. Clements

50ml Bullards Coastal Gin⁠

30ml Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice⁠

10ml Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice⁠

Indian Tonic Water⁠

Lemon and Mint to Garnish⁠

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the gin, orange, and lemon juice. Shake well.⁠

In a tall glass, add ice and half the tonic water. Strain the mix into the glass and top up with the rest of the tonic.⁠

Garnish with a twist of lemon and a sprig of mint and enjoy!

or 

Salty Dog

50ml Coastal Gin

100ml Fresh Grapefruit Juice

Coarse Salt

Lemon or Lime Wedge to Garnish

Rim a double rocks glass with salt: Rub a lemon or lime wedge around the rim, then roll it in a shallow dish of coarse salt.

Fill a rocks glass or tumbler with crushed ice and add the gin and juice. Stir well to combine. Garnish with a lemon or lime wedge if desired.

However, my wife will not be making any Bullards Coastal Gin cocktails. Because, as she said, "you are not putting anything in my gin! You can make a cocktail if you want, but I prefer my Bullards Coastal Gin neat! And without ice, too, thank you!" And that was me told!

Since my wife caught COVID her sense of smell and taste has been greatly impaired and one of the things she lost was her ability to taste her favourite gins. Which was a great pity because my wife was famed for her gin cocktails. Her Gin and Orange Cocktail is famed throughout several counties. The ingredients are simple, yet potentially devastating for the unwary. Two parts gin and one part orange juice is her recipe. 

The bottle does look like sea glass and the taste of the gin is exquisite. It's as smooth as a very calm sea. It is carefully handcrafted with special botanical ingredients that are foraged on the coast of Norfolk. 

This is what Bullards has to say about this gin: "Inspired by the Norfolk coastline, Coastal gin has a delicate, salty influence complemented by bright citrus flavours. Refreshing hand foraged sea purslane, marsh samphire, sea aster and the rich woodiness of Douglas fir dance on your palate and bring a sense of the seaside."

When I tasted it I wasn't sure if it was my imagination but I did think I detected a little hint of saltiness in it. But after several more tastes (a man has to be dedicated to his job!) I realised that the saltiness that I tasted was not my imagination, that Bullards Coastal Gin really does have a delightful salty tang to it. 

There are also hints of pine and other gentle, pervasive flavours that reminded me of holidays on the coast when I was a child.

Bullards are not only keen on producing some of the best gins that you are ever likely to taste, they are also keen on helping to be good stewards of the environment, too.

The gin costs £40 a bottle but for £35 you can receive an eco-friendly refill pack that you can refill your bottle with. How do you dispose of the refill pack? Just pop it into the post free of charge and Bullards will take care of that for you.

Bullards also produce other gins such as London Dry Gin, Old Tom Gin and Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin. Over time I dare say my wife and I will be trying those other gins, too! Although I think that I'll be favouring the idea of Strawberry & Black Pepper, as that sounds like an ideal combination to me.

You can order your Bullards gins direct at https://bullardsspirits.co.uk/product-category/gins. 

However, they also sell special glass and barware, hampers, gift cards and mixers ideally suited to your Bullards Gins.

Best gifts for your Mother on Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day? Bacardi has the answer!

Yes, these are some of the best gifts for your Mother on Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day! And they are all from those lovely people at Bacardi!

Is your mother a classic mum? Then may we suggest a nice bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin? £23 a bottle? Looks good to me!

Is your mom more of a cool mom? Well in that case, I'd go for the Expresso Martini Cocktail kit. At under £40, this is a great gift.

Or maybe your mother doesn't dig alcoholic refreshments? Then there's the ideal treat for her, too! The Wise Mama option has her covered for under £20!

If your mother is a fashionista then The Fashionista Madre option is the one to go for. The St-Germain Elderflower gift kit will really please her! £20 is a good price for this gift, I think.

If yours is a Yummy Mummy, then the trio of Bacardi specially aged rums will be ideal for her to indulge her passions. All those for £23? Good job! Yes!

Or what about Afternoon Tea for Two at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery in Hampshire?

RRP £35

Sunday 27th March

Slots are between 12-4:30pm

You can celebrate Mother’s Day with a quintessential afternoon tea with delicious finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam,  locally baked Juniper infused ‘Sapphire’ doughnuts, mini cheese cakes, mixed berries and a hot drink of your choice.

Each ticket includes an experience for two.

Booking is essential. 

To book please visit https://www.bombaysapphire.com/distillery/tours-experiences/afternoon-tea/

The distillery is at Laverstoke Mill, Whitchurch, Hampshire, RG28 7NR. Call 01256 890090 for details.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts for a special Mothering Sunday!

This year, Krispy Kreme is helping you treat your mother to a Mothering Sunday treat. With a fantastic selection of treats and special offers.

Between 26th to 27th March only, Krispy Kreme’s limited-time only Mother’s Day range is available . 

It features a range of Lemon Raspberry Heart, Strawberry Ring, and Lotus Biscoff doughnuts that are certain to have your mum smiling this Mothering Sunday weekend. 

Spoil your mums, grandmums and everyone else in the family (or yourself!) with this this beautifully iced selection:

Lemon Raspberry Heart Single (£2.45) – With its delightfully yummy sweet lemon icing, and jamlicious raspberry filling, this heart shaped doughnut will be bring a smile to your mum’s face. Available in-store and across UK supermarket stockists.

3 Pack & 6 Pack (£6.35) – Gift the ultimate in luxury care packages with a trio or 6 pack of Lemon Raspberry Hearts, ring doughnuts glazed with pink strawberry icing and topped with edible pearls, and firm favourite Lotus Biscoff. Available in-store and across UK supermarkets.

Mother’s Day Half Dozen (£10.45 + P&P) – Say ‘Love you Mum’ with this half dozen including two hand-piped Original Glazed, two Lemon Raspberry Hearts, and two pink pearl ring doughnuts.  

This is exclusively available from the Krispy Kreme online store with national delivery.

PLUS all Mothering Sunday weekend, why not take advantage of a limited time only in-store offer.

 From March 25th -27th take your pick of any Krispy Kreme doughnut and wash it down with a cup of our Signature Roast coffee for just £2.95.

To order online visit https://www.krispykreme.co.uk.

 

Spice Kitchen gets you cooking with real Indian spices

My wife's family originated in India and she cooks the most amazing Indian dishes. 

She tells stories of how her father would travel 30 to 40 miles to the nearest large city with a sizeable Indian community every month or so and he would return with his tiffin tin packed to the brim with Indian spices, snacks and sweets.

Her mother told her that her father was cooking food that "children don't like." One day she begged a sample of some of the food that "children don't like" and found it to be absolutely delicious!

Afterward it became a running joke in the family that my wife would like "some of the food that children don't like!"

When I told my wife that we were receiving an Indian Spice Tin from The Spice Kitchen she said with great confidence: "If it's a real Indian spice tin it'll come wrapped in sari fabric!"

When I opened the box my wife was thrilled to see that it was wrapped in some really attractive sari fabric. "Wow! I like this very much!" she said with a broad smile.

She then added "It smells like home, just like when my dad was cooking one of his family recipes!" 

What do you get? The metal spice tin is very, very well presented. It has a clear lid meaning that you can see all of the spices which come in absolutely charming individual metal containers with the spices themselves sealed in little zip locked bags.

There are nine very fragrant spices. 20g of Garam Masala,  20g of Chilli Powder, 20g of Cumin Seeds, 20g of ground Coriander, 20g of Turmeric Powder, 20g of Mustard Seeds, 5g of Cassia, 2g of Cardamom and 1g of Cloves.

There's also a very handy Indian recipe guide which contains some wonderful recipes. You'll be able to make, with great confidence, if you follow these recipes, Dal Makhani, aka Black Dal, Tandori Chicken, Rajasthani Lamb Curry, Kerala Beef Pepper Fry, Smoky Aubergine Crush, Chicken Biryani, Lamb Keema with Peas, Bengali Potato Curry, Punjabi Chickpeas, Goan Pork Curry and Date and Tamarind Chutney. 

Not long ago my wife gave me the instructions to make some paneer which worked very well in one of her family recipes. I think that I'll make some more paneer and put in a plea to my wife to make some Paneer Makhani using the spices and the recipe in the tin!

I'm certain that my wife has a very similar recipe for the Dal Makhani recipe in the recipe booklet. However, the recipes my wife uses are not written down. My wife and her sister cook them from memory. I'm really going to have to get them to write them down at some point.

But let's get back to the matter in hand, the Indian Spice Tin. The Spice Tin we are reviewing costs £30 and it is worth every penny. Delivery throughout the UK is free, too.

But! There's more! So much more! On their website https://www.spicekitchenuk.com you will find World Spice Tins, Middle Eastern and African Spice Tins, Chilli Spice Tins, Moroccan Spice Tins, Gin Botanical Tins, Salt Spice Tins (including the delicious Anglesey Halen Môn sea salt!) Baby Spice Tins designed to introduce your children to spices and there are Tea Tins, too.

There are also spices sold individually, a very special range of gifts including cookery books and gift cards, drinks and cookware. And there is also a wide variety of very nifty recipes on their website for you to try at home.

Want some special wedding or party favours? Then The Spice Kitchen will be able to assist you put together a really first class event!

You'll be please to know that The Spice Kitchen isn't a major multinational company posing as a small,. family business because The Spice Kitchen is the real deal. It's a mother and son family business owned by Sanjay and Shashi Aggarwal. It began over the family's kitchen table and is based on the cooking expertise of Shashi who has five decades of cookery knowhow and experience.

They clearly enjoy what they do and do everything with a sense of fun and panache. When you buy your first Spice Tin from them, just check out their barcode to see what I mean. It's the first time I have ever seen any company, large or small, do this and I'm not going to tell you what it is. I'm going to let that come as a pleasant surprise to you! 

You can follow them on social media including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.