Gin Cocktails for Summer

The sunshine in the summer months always makes me want to sit in the garden with a nice drink. With two children, I do tend to wait until they're in bed and there's nothing better than relaxing outside an alcoholic beverage in the hot summer evenings.

Gin seems to be the 'in' drink at the moment and I've got some delicious gin cocktails courtesy of Hayman's - the original English Gin Makers - to share with you. They have added a dash of Englishness to classic cocktails. Each recipe incorporates Hayman's London Dry Gin, seasonal fruits, mixers and flavours to create traditional summer cocktails with a delicious twist.

Hayman's English Ruby Fizz 

Makes 1 cocktail

• 50ml Hayman's London Dry Gin
• 20ml lime juice
• 10ml sugar syrup or Grenadine
• 4-8 fresh raspberries or raspberry syrup
• Ginger ale to top with
• Lime wheel and fresh raspberries to garnish 

1. Fill a highball glass with plenty of large cubes of ice
2. Set aside the ginger ale and garnish, and combine all remaining ingredients in a shaker with the ice
3. Shake well for approximately 12 seconds
4. Double strain into the highball glass, allowing the liquid to run over the ice
5. Top with ginger ale
6. Garnish with a lime wheel and raspberries

Hayman's Lavender Lady 

Makes 1 cocktail

• 50ml Hayman's London Dry Gin
• 20ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 10ml locally sourced honey or 20ml honey water
• 10ml Cointreau
• 1 medium egg white
• Dash of orange bitters
• Sprig of lavender for garnish

  




1. To make the honey water mix equal parts of honey and hot water and stir until mixed
2. Add cubed ice to cocktail shaker
3. Pour the Hayman's London Dry Gin over the ice
4. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the garnish
5. Give all the ingredients a very hard shake and strain into a cocktail glass
6. Garnish with a sprig of lavender

Hayman's Victorian Mojito

Makes 1 cocktail

• 50ml Hayman's London Dry Gin
• 25ml freshly squeezed lime juice
• 20ml sugar syrup
• Premium tonic water or soda water
• Freshly picked mint leaves

1. Fill a highball glass with cracked or crushed ice and a few fresh mint leaves
2. Pour in the Hayman's London Dry Gin
3. Add the lime juice and sugar syrup
4. Churn vigorously ensuring the ingredients are well mixed
5. Top with the tonic water or soda water
6. Garnish with a mint sprig

All of these cocktails are absolutely delicious and refreshing. The Hayman's Victorian Mojito is definitely my favourite and I know I'll be making it a lot over the summer. Let me know if you try any and tell me what you think!

(We received Hayman's gin samples in return for this post.)

 

Christmas Gift Ideas: Wines

I think whenever you think of Christmas, not only do you think of Santa and happy children, but there is also Christmas parties and having a little tipple!

Next on my Christmas gift guide are a few wines from Pernod Ricard so if you are heading to a party or get-together you can choose the perfect one from the selection below.

Jacob's Creek Sparkling Shiraz (£10.39)

This is the perfect wine to add a little bit of festive sparkle. It's great for after dinner with its notes of blackberry and raspberry with a soft, velvety finish. 

Brancott Estate Classic Pinot Noir (£12.39)

This fruity Pinot Noir is great for enjoying with some Christmas treats whilst writing out your Christmas cards. It has notes of black cherry and dark berry with a slightly spicy finish.

Jacob's Creek Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir (£10.39)

This is the perfect wine for a get-together with your neighbours. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes' citrus flavour goes beautifully with cream cheese and salmon blinis. It's great on its own of as part of the traditional Buck's Fizz.

Brancott Estate Classic Sauvignon Gris (£10.99)

The fresh pear, blackcurrant and nectarine flavours of the Sauvignon Gris are the perfect complement to your Christmas pudding.

Campo Viejo Reserva (£12.26)

This Spanish rioja is a perfect wine to sip at whilst enjoying a Christmas film. Team up the cherry, black plum, blackberry, clove, pepper, vanilla and coconut flavours with Spanish jamón and manchego for the ultimate indulgence.

Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz and Reserve Chardonnay (£10.39 each)

These two Jacob's Creek Reserves suit Christmas parties wonderfully. The Chardonnay is fresh with lemon citrus flavours and the Shiraz has dark berry and chocolate flavours. As if that wasn't enough, it smells just like a traditional Christmas fruit cake! 

Jacob's Creek Classic Riesling (£8.09)

The Riesling is a wine to get you through the present wrapping. This light-bodied white wine has lime and zesty flavours - perfect with a sausage roll to keep up all that wrapping energy!

Mumm Cordon Rouge NV (£32.09)

This gorgeous champagne is great for getting in the spirit on Christmas Eve. It is a golden yellow colour with notes of fresh fruit and caramel. It smells wonderfully like tropical fruit and vanilla.

Graffigna Centenario Malbec (£9.99)

The Malbec is a complex and rich wine with dark berry flavours and a hint of black pepper. If you're opted for goose instead of turkey this year, it cuts through the fat and richness of goose perfectly.

Campo Viejo Gran Reserva (£16.79)

The Gran Reserva is a lovely wine to team with the obligatory turkey curry on Boxing Day. It's ruby red in colour and is full of the flavours of ripe berries with a hint of spice.

Brancott Estate Terroir Sauvignon Blanc (£12.49)

This wine has flavours of fennel and apple combined with rich grapefruit. It goes wonderfully well with asparagus wrapped in Parma ham.

Perrier Jouet Grand Brut (£43.19)

This is a lively and floral champagne with fresh flavours of lemon, peach and mango. Perfect for celebrations!

Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque (£141.79)

This extremely decadent champagne is a vibrant bubbly complemented by notes of almond milk and crystalline freshness.

Happy drinking!

(Disclaimer: I received two bottles of wine for the purpose of this post.)

Father's Day Gift Ideas: Aldi's Alcohol Range

When it comes to buying gifts for Father's Day, I don't think you can go wrong with a bottle of his favourite alcoholic beverage. Aldi have a fabulous range in at the moment so you're sure to make his Father's Day special.

If your dad is a wine drinker, the Kooliburra Shiraz Australian Cabernet is a dark red wine which complements steak and chips perfectly (that's the ultimate Father's Day dinner, right!?). The spicy flavours balance the sweet, red berry fruits. It is only £3.99 so it won't break the bank!

White wine more his thing? The Exquisite Collection Clare Valley Riesling is a citrus-y white with green apple, lime and grapefruit flavours which make it perfect for summer. With only a £6.99 price tag and it goes well with a Chinese takeaway!

Old Peculiar Ale at £1.24 per bottle is an iconic English ale with rich, fruity flavours. It goes well with strong cheese, hearty stew and sweet desserts. It isn't available in Scottish Aldi stores, unfortunately. 

My dad loves his whisky so the Highland Black 8 Year Old Scotch Whisky is perfect for him. It's £12.99 a bottle and he tells me it's the nicest he's tasted yet! It has beautiful notes of vanilla and citrus and the fruit and malt flavour taste lovely over ice. 

A 6 pack of Steinhauser lager is an amazing £3.99. Chris tried these out and he really enjoyed them. Since having the children, he doesn't drink as much as he used to but he finished all 6 of these 330ml bottles in one night - they were just that nice and went down beautifully. If you're having a family BBQ for Father's Day, they go well with a hot dog with plenty of mustard and onions! 

Their range of Alska fruity ciders at £1.49 per 500ml bottle are a great gift for cider lovers. They are available in Pear & Lychee, Nordic Berries, and Peach & Raspberry flavours. They are so fruity that you wouldn't even think they were alcoholic - they're just like fruit juice! They are beautiful over ice and give you an instant taste of summer. 

You can find you nearest store at Aldi's Store Locator.

(Disclaimer: We received some samples for the purpose of this post.)

Mother's Day Gift Guide: Alcoholic Gifts (& a sneaky little non-alc one!)

Mother's Day is a great day to celebrate your mum and tell her how much she means to you. No celebration is complete without a lovely glass of something nice!

Echo Falls have recently released their new Fruit Fusions wine which is perfect for those with a sweeter palate. I'm not usually a wine fan. I stick to fruity ciders simply because they are so sweet but the Summer Berries version of the Fruit Fusions is divine. It is definitely a new favourite. It is a rosé wine that has been blended with natural flavours of summer berries resulting in a zesty and refreshing wine. It is also available in Raspberry & Cassis and White Peach & Mango flavours. You can purchase the Echo Falls wines from Tesco and Asda for £5.75 each.

If she only tends to have a glass of something with a meal then why not take a look at the following?

Kumala Reserve Chenin Blanc is perfect alongside a roast chicken or delicate salad. It is refreshing and aromatic with notes of ripe melon, pear and green apple. The Kumala Reserve Chenin Blanc can be purchased from Morrisons and Tesco for £8.99.

Hardys Stamp Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay is the ultimate treat served chilled with cupcakes or macaroons. I'd never tried a Chardonnay before but it definitely won't be my last - beautiful! You can purchase a bottle for £8.99 from Asda.

Kumala Cabernet Shiraz goes beautifully with a hearty roast lunch of lamb or beef. It is a dark ruby red wine which is delicious on its own but the spicy barbecue notes and forest fruit flavours make it perfect to accompany any red meat dish. It can be purchased from Sainsburys at £8.00 per bottle.

William Hardy Chardonnay is gorgeous on its own but is also a lovely accompaniment to a creamy pasta dish or seafood risotto. It has a fresh and lively palate with flavours of stone fruit, peach and lemon zest. A bottle will set you back £9.99 and you can find it as Asda, Tesco & Ocado.

Finally, if she isn't a big drinker or is a mum-to-be, Echo Falls have a lovely Tisane Sparkling Infusion 0% Alcohol drink. It is made from a delicate combination of fermented grape juice and green tea infusion. It retails at only £3.49 per bottle and it can be purchased at Tesco.

(Disclaimer: I received a bottle of Echo Falls & Chardonnay in exchange for this post.)

Christmas Gift Ideas for Adults: Midori Liqueur

Midori is a bright green melon liqueur which is 20% alcohol by volume. It is made is Japan and Midori literally means 'green' in Japanese. As it is so sweet-tasting it is either taken 'straight' or used in a cocktail so it makes the perfect gift for usage in Christmassy festive cocktails! It is also the first choice for bartenders with creative flair across the UK.

I was given the opportunity to try out one of Midori's festive cocktail ideas to see for myself what it is like. Anything neon coloured to eat or drink does scare me but I gave it a go! 

I received the recipe for a Tipsy Elf cocktail. All you need is:

30ml Midori
200ml apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves

Shake over ice and serve :)

I'm not a huge alcohol drinker but this went down a treat (even though it did go to my head quite quickly!). The melon and apple flavours complemented each other beautifully and the cloves and cinnamon make it really Christmassy.

I think Midori would make the perfect gift for anyone who enjoys a cocktail (or two!). It can even be added to juices and soft drinks. There is no end to the possibilities.

Midori can be purchased from Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and drinkshop.co.uk and it is priced between £11.00 and £16.99 depending on size of bottle.

You can find Midori on Facebook and Pinterest.

(Disclaimer: I received a 50ml bottle of Midori free of charge in order to try out this cocktail. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)