Bonfire Night is just around the corner and, to mark the evening, here are some of the best bottles to keep at home to impress your guests.
Cointreau
In the most momentous announcement for the brand in over 140 years, the heritage French liqueur unveils its newly designed bottle. With changes including a new, more ergonomic neck length and weight, as well as impressive aesthetic differences incorporating copper-coloured elements to bring the history and flavour of Cointreau to life, the bottle aims to bring the legacy brand into a modern era. Still tastes just as good as it ever did but now looks even better on display.
For more info visit cointreau.com. RRP: £27.99, available from Amazon.
Amázzoni Gin
Amázzoni is named after The Amazon, and was conceived by Arturo Isola and Alexandre Mazza, an Italian architect and a Brazilian artist who met through their mutual passion for all things gin. To make the finest gin possible, they recruited the bartender’s bartender, and perhaps the hottest drinks creator in the world at the moment, Tato Giovannoni, to put together Amázzoni’s gorgeous recipe. True to the soul of the rainforest, it is rich with citrus and spicy, fragrant aromatics such as lemongrass and maxixe, the Brazilian Gherkin.
Stockists include: Hedonism Wines, Amazon,
Amázzoni Gin RRP £35.00, Amazzoni Rio Negro RRP £38.00, Amazzoni Manuiara RRP £30.00.
Nio Cocktails
Ron Santiago de Cuba has partnered with NIO Cocktails to create six variations on the daiquiri, each crafted by world-class mixologists using Ron Santiago de Cuba 11-year-old. The ready-to-drink cocktails are created to savour in the comfort of your home. NIO – Needs Ice Only – has the taste of expert bar cocktails, without the need for bar utensils, ingredients or specialist knowledge. Never one to skip on quality, NIO uses the same quality ingredients and brands you’d expect in a world-renowned bar, namely Ron Santiago de Cuba rum, to create the Casa del Daquiri series. Simply pour over ice and enjoy.
Available online from niococktails.com for £42, including delivery.
Talisker Whisky
As one of the most awarded single malt Scottish whiskies in the world, with its smoky and spicy notes and comforting afterglow, Talisker 10 Year Old Whisky has a famously rich and powerful peat-smoke flavour while the finish leaves a warm peppery taste at the back of the mouth. Double distilled to create a rich, deep character embodying the maritime characteristics of a coastal whisky, and then aged for a minimum of 10 years in American oak casks, this spirit is best served neat.
If you’re already thinking about buying Christmas gifts, earn some brownie points by giving a bottle of Talisker with a personalised engraving. Choose from festive messages such as ‘Merry Christmas’ or ‘Happy Holidays’, or for an even more personal present, add the initials of a friend or family member.
Engraved Bottle of Talisker 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70CL
Available: Malts.com, RRP £49 (excluding engraving)
Tulchan™ Gin
Taking its name from the prestigious Tulchan Estate in Scotland, Tulchan™ Gin is a small batch gin distilled in Speyside, with flavours inspired by the terroir of the Estate located on the banks of the River Spey. Tulchan™ Gin is inspired by its natural surroundings with botanicals including sloe berries, elderflower and blackberry leaves which are found on the Tulchan Estate. One unusual botanical within Tulchan™ Gin is asparagus, which provides the gin with a bitter edge and long finish.
RRP: from £39.99 for a 70cl bottle. ABV: 45%. Available from Amazon and Master of Malt.