Lockdown Liquor 2.0

I last wrote about my Lockdown Liquor discoveries back in April and even though I have been geographically completely static in London since, the weeks have carried on Zooming by. In this time, I have continued to seek out new and interesting libations both in the alcohol and NA categories, with a focus on smaller businesses in our industry. And my goodness has it been fun (and wet) so far. It is now almost ritualistic – the confirmation email, the text from DPD, the buzzer interrupting meetings, the hasty chopping at boxes, the washing of hands, the refrigeration (often) and then the anticipation of the first drop.

Below you’ll find what I've been enjoying over the last 6 weeks - the drinks and brands I will seek out long after lockdown ends, and I am forced to break things off with Kyle the DPD driver.

THE BLOODY REVELATION

If, like me, you are a Bloody Mary obsessive, you will probably have also, like me, tried every single pre-mixed version out there. From the too-watery mixers promising ample spice to the thick and lumpy cocktails that would be better off labelling themselves as spiked gazpacho, there are some reeeeaaaally bad offerings out there! Well, BLOODY is finally here to save Mary. Perfectly balanced hot-sauce-spice (and I like my BMs pretty spicy), enough sweetness and a boozy-but-smooth kick. I’d honestly take this with no modifications straight from the can but adding a few traditional accoutrements just takes this from banging to Bloody Banging.

THE UNCOVERED GEM

Nathan Green, who was known to friends and family as Uncle Nearest, was the first black Master Distiller ever on record in the USA and he is credited with teaching Jasper (Jack) Daniel everything he knew! Arguably the founding father of Tennessee whiskey but never given the recognition he deserved (!), there is now a distillery producing incredible whiskey in his name and oh wow, what a smooooooth dram it is. I got a bottle of 1856 and it is so rich and buttery, like a liquid sticky toffee pudding with a peppy kick of warming spice. I think this could be the one for those who think they don’t like whisk(e)y, even at 50% ABV it is crazy smooth. Also performs very well in an Old Fashioned, as tried and tested at the weekend.

THE DRY ONE

Don’t call the doctor, we do drink dry in our house too. I first discovered Mother Root in a cocktail at La Trompette last year and after a quick Google, absolutely fell in love with the brand. Inspired by an old American recipe, their ginger switchel is honestly the most versatile NA liquid in my cocktail cabinet. A favourite ritual on a sunny afternoon is to mix a measure of Mother Root with Schweppes light tonic (I don’t care what you say, name a better balanced classic tonic in terms of zing and carbonation), a slice of orange and either a sprig of thyme or rosemary, depending on what we have available. Perfection.

THE DIRTY SECRET

Ok, I’ll admit it, I like a hard seltzer. Not any hard seltzer, this hard seltzer. It’s the category that nobody over the age of 25 wants to admit to drinking because, well, wine, but DRTY was a revelation for me. All the other brands I tried suffered from either a lack of flavour or what I like to call The Artificial Tang, but these guys have it absolutely spot on. The Raspberry Rose flavour is my go-to and if I want to be a grown up about it then I just chuck it in a wine glass with some ice for what is essentially a ‘healthy’ spritz.

THE MEMORY OF A DREAM

What's better than a Margarita? A spicy Margarita. Enter the Soho House Special, the Picante! As easy as it should be for a self-confessed home bartender to recreate this modern classic at home, there's something about trying to balance the chilli and coriander effectively that just takes the fun out of it. Take a bow Lockdown Liquor & Co who kicked off their venture during, you guessed it, lockdown, and who have been delivering perfectly pre-batched Picantes to my door every Friday ever since.

As we hear murmurings of the on-trade being able to slowly unfurl, I do hope to be back out there pouring pints of dangerously refreshing JUBEL very soon, but in the meantime, bottoms up!