Posts Tagged ‘Beer’
Pinot punch-up: New Zealand v Oregon
Who will come out on top in a comparative tasting between Oregon and New Zealand? Peter Ranscombe grabs his whistle to act as referee. ONE grape unites most if not all wine lovers – pinot noir. Its spiritual homeland is Burgundy in France, yet winemakers around the world use the variety to test their mettle, from…
Read MoreCapturing Italy’s character with organic wines
Cantina Tollo is letting local grape varieties shine thanks to organic farming, writes Peter Ranscombe. BEING stuck in a coronarvirus lockdown hasn’t stopped Italian wine co-operative Cantina Tollo from innovating. The Abruzzo-based producer has launched its “biologico” range of five wines that carry both organic and vegan certification. The co-op, which was founded in 1960,…
Read MoreWhisky barrel-aged beers turned into cocktails
BARTENDER Dillon Barrie has created eight cocktails using four of The Clan Brewing Co’s craft beers that have been aged in single malt whisky casks. Barrie, who set up cocktail events and hospitality consultancy firm Raise The Bar Glasgow in 2018, has posted his recipes for the cocktails on his social media channels and those…
Read MoreA red refresher course with Lidl
An evening of red wine tasting gave Peter Ranscombe an appetite for exploring more of the discounter’s core range. LIDL’S “Wine Tour” promotions are an addictive wee gimmick – every eight weeks or so, the supermarket chain releases a couple of dozen wines in limited quantities – so when they’re gone, they’re gone. The set that…
Read MoreSix of the best wines for takeaways
All Peter Ranscombe‘s beige dreams came true when he paired wines with takeaways*. SOMETHING really special happens when the right wine is matched to the right food – the two components harmonise and the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. As we’ve seen again and again with the Wine to Dine column…
Read MorePaul and Jacine Rutasikwa breathe fresh ‘Liv’ into rum
A new range of Scottish spirits offers no rum deal as far as Peter Ranscombe is concerned. PAUL Rutasikwa may have just restored my faith in liqueurs. While most of our so-called “gin liqueurs” in Scotland fall flat on their faces because the other flavours mask the juniper – the taste of which is the…
Read MoreCovid cocktail culture: pour yourself a wee ‘Quarantini’
Peter Ranscombe dusts off his cocktail shaker to put the ‘Quarantini’ drinks box from Keep Edinburgh Thriving through its paces. IN YEARS to come, we’ll all look back on 2020 and ask each other one question: “Do you remember the last drink you had in a bar before lockdown began?” For me, it was a…
Read MoreOne Year No Beer: a lockdown lifeline
Looking to change your relationship with alcohol? Peter Ranscombe reports on a Scottish firm’s online programme. FOR so many of us who have been staying safe at home with no exposure to the coronavirus, it’s been a lockdown of memes. Memes about face coverings, memes about zoom quizzes, memes about TikTok challenges. One set of…
Read MoreMorningside’s holy corner gets foodie makeover
HOLY corner in Edinburgh’s Morningside district has been transformed into a marketplace for foodies thanks to one of the area’s newest arrivals. Food and drink venue McLarens on the Corner opened in a former bank just weeks before the lockdown began. Now, the site has teamed up with its siblings from pub chain Signature Group…
Read MoreLouis Latour looks beyond Burgundy for promising pinot
With the price of making wine in Burgundy continuing to rise, Peter Ranscombe finds out why one producer is turning to other regions. FEW names are as synonymous with Burgundy as Louis Latour – the wine producer traces its roots in the prestigious French region back to 1768, when Jean Latour planted vines at Aloxe, continuing…
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