Stella while watching Argentina v Iran. Plus the last inch of a bottle of Springbank 10.

Gutted for Iran that Argies nicked it in extra time - but Messi can do that for you.

^ Stella is not my usual drink, but they were available cold and cheap in the nearby shop. One or two watching a game is fine.

Could never drink them all night though. Session beer for me is an ale below 4%.

After my positive experience with the Zuidam gin, I have purchased their 3 year old "Korenwign" i.e. grain wine and it is a rather splendid bourbon replacement. It is only 38% and as a bonafide Genever in the 18th century style, I tried it with a tonic and it was bloody awful. Now, after dinner, with a little water, it is like a fine small batch Kentucky whiskey. Not cheap by the way, but at €36.99 a 1000cl bottle, it's still good value for what you could serve up to whisky connoisseur's as the real Amercian artifact. Slightly sweeter, but only just and with plenty of ice, you would definitely say this was premium US bourbon.

Ealing beer festival yesterday from about 3pm till it closed.

Excellent day drinking in the sunshine with friends

http://www.ealingbeerfestival.org.uk

Dry old palo cortado sherry. Lustau for M&S. I had a Marks voucher and I did not want any clothing.

Nice tangy drop, now that the weather has turned a bit. Lustau are one of the decent sherry producers. I wish I had visited their bodega but it is by appointment whereas as Gonzalez Byass are daily every few hours.

Last edited by Kingston1an (2014-07-12 13:08:38)

Local session bitter at 3.6% at The Star Inn in Bentworth.

A lovely sunny Saturday afternoon in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight village of the year. Thatched roofs, spotless village green, local wedding with the bride and groom on the back of a LandRover and even a gold post box to commemorate a local Olympian(equestrian predictably. We guessed that or yachting).

Then on to Jane Austen's local for a pint of Fullers and a walk round her garden opposite the pub.

A great time of year to be in the heart of England.

I've gone off the higher alcohol content wines, I'm sticking to 12.5 - 13% max these days. Of course, there's always the exception.

After vowing never to get on it again, was on the mini-cruise to Hull this week, it gets more and more like an alternative universe each time I travel on it and the boat was full of large English families and truckers heading or returning from the continent. Under the circumstances, I thought regailing strangers in the Irish Bar was not a valid option, so I headed up top to where the piano bar was and the pianist had clearly been drinking amyl nitrate. I ended in the braiserie restaurant next to a guy who was texting all the time. Put me off me steak.

Several mojitos later and I purchased some 1 litre bottles of gin on offer: 2off Tanqueray's for 40 quid and 2off Bombay Sapphire for 34 English pounds. I then fell in restless sleep and dreamt that the iGent chap who dresses like a Bugsy Malone extra had reinvented himself as Bing Crosby impersonator and was crooning his way to the top in Las Vegas. The odd thing was, I was managing him.

Back firmly in reality, the G&T weather continues - hot, humid, sticky and yucky, but I find several G&T's with ice, lemon or lime and dash of bitters does the trick.

OK Hep, homemade cocktail-
Hendrick's gin (mom's fave), Tonic, grapefruit bitters (to remind me of the "Torongin- grapefruit juice with gin)

On the patio with fountain going and looking at Wife snuggling with daughter (visiting from New York), Monk on the speakers, magic moment making cocktail taste like heaven though perhaps will have to try elsewhere for a true reading.

* wheatgrass juice
* fenugreek sprout juice

750 ml all up.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28486017

Spey single malt, the Tenne finished in tawny port casks, packs a rich & tasty after dinner vibe for a mere €46 and is salmon pink too.

I've tried it as both an apertif and after dinner drink, but only one in each instance.

The British PM's wife's father owns that distillery, I actually liked a number of the Jura expressions, but then they seem to get a bit too popular and the quality went down. I use to class them on par with Scapa, as a great new island whisky without the peaty negative effect of the Islays.