By Rob Brown
| 22 January, 2021
When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. When life gives you a global pandemic, tells you to stay indoors, puts you in charge of your little angels’ education and closes the pub, you’ll need something far stronger than lemonade.
See the boom in mail order cocktail offerings for proof. Everyone from big spirits brands to indie bar operators are using a growing array of innovative packaging to get their products to drinkers and counteract the disastrous impact of yet another lockdown.
Grey Goose is shipping kits containing the elements of Pornstar Martinis with access to an online video guide by the cocktail’s creator, Douglas Ankrah. Monkey Shoulder posted kits to 130 bartenders around the world for its November Lock In Live event. Black Tot marked its 50th anniversary with the launch of a tasting kit and a 24-hour rum festival on Facebook.
The 15 best rums to drink this winter theweek.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theweek.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A bottle of Last Drop
For me, the
world of spirits has always been about the stories behind the sips. The people, places, past and present. Obviously, the spirit itself needs to deliver on the palate, but the journey it takes to the glass is almost as important.
While a couple of drinks will keep a conversation moving, if your cabinet contains a great whisky, rum or Cognac with a fascinating context, it provides the conversation starter. Which is why, especially at this time of year, it’s worth taking stock of your home bar, and upgrading.
One person who really grasps the value of the story behind a luxury upgrade is Rebecca Jago, managing director at The Last Drop. I was lucky enough to join her on a trip to Cognac last year when she introduced me to a phenomenal barrel of brandy discovered at the Cabanne et Fils distillery in the heart of the Grande Champagne region.