Chile: Where quality needn’t cost the earth

Chile once again demonstrates that it can produce high-quality wines at affordable prices, as Peter Ranscombe samples bottles from stablemates Santa Rita and Carmen. GAZE along the bottom shelf of most supermarket wine aisles and two countries’ bottles will jump out at you – Chile and South Africa. Both nations are renowned for producing cheap…

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Scottish craft beers to hit supermarket shelves

A celebration of Scottish craft beers is taking place in a supermarket next week. Lidl’s Scottish Craft Beer Festival hits shelves next week, showcasing seasonal ales from just £1.29 such as a winter warming whisky-barrel aged stout, rich chocolate malts and a spiced pear saison. Spey Valley Brewery tops the bill with a new, and…

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Celebrating the changing of the seasons with cocktails

The Ivy on the Square celebrate the changing of the seasons with a new Harvest Moon cocktail menu. Morag Bootland braves the drizzle to embrace the autumn equinox in style If there’s one sure-fire way to cushion the blow that is the advent of dark nights it’s a trip to The Ivy on the Square.…

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Finding what it means to be Scottish post-Brexit

What does it mean to be Scottish? According to the film Trainspotting (and I’ll paraphrase by removing the expletives)… It’s not great being Scottish. We’re the lowest of the low! The scum of the Earth! The most wretched, miserable, servile, pathetic trash, that was released into civilisation! For others, it means having an enduring sense…

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Moet marks summer with Fairmont St Andrews terraces

Moet & Chandon has unveiled a pair of terraces at the Fairmont St Andrews hotel, complete with afternoon tea and picnics, as Peter Ranscombe discovers. SCOTLAND has long dreamed of a café culture to rival our fellow European capitals. Sitting outside on a terrace in the sun, sipping a cocktail or a beer or a…

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Glenmorangie cocktails toast Edinburgh Zoo giraffes

Glenmorangie has created cocktails to mark its sponsorship of the new giraffes at Edinburgh Zoo, writes Peter Ranscombe. EACH distillery has its very own claim to fame. Edradour is the smallest – or at least was until micro-distilleries came along. Glenturret is the oldest – or at least the oldest working distillery. And Glenmorangie has…

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New rum from Aberdeenshire is making its mark

There could have been easier times than during a global pandemic but that was the beginning of Cabezon Beverage. Founder David Smith reveals the initial idea for the rum brand first came around in the autumn of 2019 and was incorporated in December 2019. Cabezon Beverage’s signature product, the botanical aged rum, Ron Cabezon, launched…

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Katsu brings a taste of Japanese street food to Glasgow

Funky Japanese hotspot Katsu has opened in Glasgow. The super-cool restaurant and curry shop brings the flavours of Far East Asia to Glasgow City Centre and offers an upbeat atmosphere with a Japanese ‘Izikaya’ style of service. The laid-back concept combines high-quality Japanese street food with a beer and a chat with friends over some…

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Albarino: Can Spain’s flagship white wine age?

Can Albarino white wines age – Peter Ranscombe joins an online tasting to find out. ONE of the most attractive elements of albarino is its freshness. Spain’s flagship white wine is the perfect example of “what grows together, goes together”. It’s high acidity and bright citrus flavours are the ideal foil for the seafood harvested…

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Aldi beer festival: which brew are you?

The Aldi beer festival includes a quiz to help drinkers find their perfect tipple – so Peter Ranscombe took the test. ONE of the drawbacks of pandemic-induced table service is the inability to stand at a bar and peruse the pints. Pre-lockdown, few joys matched visiting a pub and squinting at the hand pumps to…

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