Drams on your doorstep: the Scots, Irish and even English all make first-rate whiskies
(Picture: Adam Jaime/Unsplash)Last year, Brits explored record numbers of our home-grown drinks, developing an appetite more than ever for discoveries on our doorstep.
Whether part of at-home mixology sessions, picnics in the park (or, er, office garden parties), exploration took off and is still showing no signs of slowing down. With that in mind, here are some of the very best British bottles to wet your whistle with in 2022.
Beeble Honey Vodka
Bees are important — 90 per cent of our wild plants and 75 per cent of the crops we need to survive depend on pollination — and you can pay homage to all the hard work they do for us by enjoying the spirits crafted by Wiltshire distillery Beeble. They infuse all of their drinks with local honey, with their latest creation this honey vodka. It showcases a fantastic quality British vodka with subtle but not overpowering hints of textured honey, making it perfect for a Martini. It’s worth mentioning they also make a whisky by soaking hives in the liquid so as not to waste a single drop of honey. Buzzing!
Bushmills Causeway Collection 2000 Port Cask Whiskey
Inspired by the mythical Giant’s Causeway, this latest release from Northern Irish distiller Bushmills has been waiting patiently for decades in super-rare, first-fill, ruby-port casks. And it’s certainly been worth it; massively complex with ripe black cherries, raspberry crème brûlée and salted caramel, it gives one final kiss of chilli into the finish. In short, it’s a wonder, and with little over 2,300 bottles put onto the market, I’d say act fast to secure your own.
£275, The Whisky Exchange
Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky
Years ago, I came across an English whisky produced in the Cotswolds. A little apprehensive, I thought I’d give it a go and God, I’ve always been happy I did. The Irish and the Scots may have centuries of experience behind them, but Cotswold Distillery have really done their homework, and the magic coming out of their stills is absolutely worth exploring. Produced in small batches with 100 per cent locally grown malted barley, using American oak, ex-red wine casks and premium first-fill, ex-bourbon barrels, the resulting whisky is delivers sumptuous toffee caramel with baked peaches on the nose, while the palate brings forth a rich Seville orange marmalade with caramelised toffee, dark chocolate and a hint of treacle tart on the finish.
£39, Sainsbury’s
Doghouse Distillery Renegade Gin
The only grain-to-glass gin produced in London, this drink is produced from English wheat and offers up a whole new world of botanicals. Yes, you’ve got your staples — juniper, coriander, angelic and orris — but it’s the sage, bay, winter savory and cardamom that add a wonderfully herbal kick. It’s like wandering around a secret garden full of pine trees and herb beds. If you happen to find yourself in the doghouse, this may well get you out of it.
£34.99, Ministry of Drinks
Fettercairn 12 Year Old
This is, hands down, one of my favourite Scotches on the planet. Maybe it’s the Aberdeenshire distillery’s unique cooling rings, which can’t be found anywhere else in Scotland, or maybe it’s the skill and expertise that has been handed down from one generation to the next. Whatever the case, I’m sold, and this 12-year-old expression is up there with the best. There’s so much going on in one bottle: the golden amber liquid is redolent of vanilla and pear muffin, apple crumble and spiced loaf, with distinct notes of juicy sultana, burnt creme caramel and spicy espresso, as well as the tropical mango and nectarine Fettercairn is known for.
£55, Fine Drams
Old Salt Rum
This is the first rum to be both distilled and distributed all within the UK, and it’s most definitely worth your attention. Fermented from pure sugar cane molasses (not syrup) over a period of three weeks, the result is a dark treacle dream with baked raisins, burnt brown sugar and banoffee pie. Delectable, naughty and head-over-heels delicious.
£38, English Spirit
Whitley Neill Rhubarb and Ginger Gin
Growing up in Yorkshire, I spent much of spring and early summer eating bucketfuls of rhubarb jelly — and now, Johnny Neill has turned a childhood memory into an adult discovery with this juicy, comforting gin, which has rhubarb at its heart. Distilled in London, it combines all manner of flavours, from juniper, ginger and orris root to liquorice and sweet orange, to create something special. Now all you need is the tonic.
