The alpha and omega of single malt whisky June 24, 2022 Diageo controls the world’s largest, most diverse portfolio of Scottish whiskies. With access to more than 9 million casks from around 30 distilleries – some of which are long closed – they can really roll out the barrel with their special releases, and that’s what they’re doing now with the third iteration of Prima & [...]
Jitney review: Atmospheric and quietly revolutionary, but lacks plot June 17, 2022 August Wilson, who The New York Times described as “theater’s poet of Black America”, is having a moment. Fresh off the success of recent Oscarwinning film adaptations of his plays Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, we are now seeing a return to the London stage for Jitney, Wilson’s workplace drama, which won the Olivier [...]
Scotch on the blocks: The world’s most expensive whisky auction June 10, 2022 Sotheby’s has partnered with spirits giant Diageo to sell what could be the most expensive casks of Scotch whisky ever sold at auction. The casks in question are two of the rarest single malts in existence, from two of Scotland’s most legendary distilleries; a 1979 Port Ellen, from the island of Islay, and a 1982 [...]
As World Gin Day looms, we ask: Is the gin craze 2.0 finally over? June 8, 2022 World Gin Day is a relatively new phenomenon. Founded in 2009 by London-based gin enthusiast and educator Emma Stokes – the author of The Periodic Table of Cocktails, also known as Gin Monkey – it is intended as “a global celebration of all things gin”. The gin boom of recent years means that consumers are [...]
Liquid investment: How a new breed of rum is biting at the heels of whisky May 25, 2022 The rise of rum has been predicted for some time. The staggering rise in the fortunes of the whisk(e)y industry – I’ll omit the “e” from now on for aesthetic purposes – over the last couple of decades means many enthusiasts and would-be collectors are now being priced out of that market, and rum is [...]
A toast to a famous Ukraine Eurovision win – with vodka of course May 20, 2022 Ukraine’s triumph at last weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest came as a surprise to no-one. The competition’s traditional regional, ethnic, and political voting blocs were abandoned, as voters from across the continent delivered their overwhelming support to the embattled people of Ukraine, and while the folk-rap number Stefania, by Kalush Orchestra, may not have won strictly [...]
Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe: They don’t make rom-coms like this anymore May 7, 2022 The Globe Theatre is kicking off its first full summer season in two years with a thoroughly enjoyable garden party, and welcoming you to attend William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and uncharacteristically funny comedies. It centres around a pair of romances, one of which [...]
The Corn is Green review: A twee revival at the National Theatre April 25, 2022 The National Theatre’s revival of Welsh actor and playwright Emlyn Williams’ The Corn is Green – the first major production in London since the mid-80s – is a comforting, middle-brow ITV period drama plopped onto the stage. The beats of this semi-autobiographical tale of an impoverished boy propelled from the pits to the cultural elite [...]
Drinks focus: Makar Original Dry Gin is the best of Glasgow April 21, 2022 Makar Original Dry Gin is the first commercial gin to ever be made in Glasgow. Located within spitting distance of the Braehead Shopping Centre and a stone’s throw from Ibrox Stadium, the Glasgow Distillery makes a range of single malts, a blended malt whisky, a spiced rum, and botanical vodkas. But its largest range is [...]
Drinks focus: Tomatin is a storied whisky distillery with a new vision April 20, 2022 Founded in 1897, Tomatin was at one point the largest distillery in Scotland, but its fortunes have shifted with the wider industry. After going into liquidation in 1986, it became the first Scottish distillery to come under Japanese control. Much of its stock was sold for blending, and two of its largest customers rescued the [...]