Perhaps you’ve seen your face distorted in the shiny silver bottle and wondered what was inside? After reading that ‘Gentleman’s Punch’ was in fact Spain’s most widely-consumed spirit, I decided to investigate. On websites the fruity nectar is described as an orange brandy, steeped with the flavours of plums, raisins, nuts and cinnamon. Sounded interesting [...]

With Christmas on the horizon it’s time to break out of your conservative imbibery, to take a long hard look at all those jazzy bottles lined up on the barman’s shelves – and dare to drink something different. Watch out over the next couple of weeks for  regular doses of useless but possibly inspiring tipple-related [...]

“Cold liquids in the hot dry summers of Spain are necessaries, not luxuries; [...]. At Madrid an agreeable drink is sold in the streets; it is called ‘Michi Michi’, from the Valencian ‘Mitj e Mitj’, ‘half and half’ [...]. It is made of equal portions of barley-water and orgeat of ‘Chufas’, and is highly iced.” [...]

Mm, horchata. Thick, creamy, ice-cold. You either love it or loathe it. There are no half measures. Made by crushing the life out of tiger nuts (chufas) and mixing with sugar and water, you’ll find it at any good heladería swimming around in a glass tank next to the lemon granizado (sort of slush-puppy).  I [...]