Have you boys tried Mayfair? It's received swell reviews from some internet sources. I understand it to be super according to one person I moderately trust. I know one store in my general, very general vicinity that carries it but I am loathe to travel out of my way for another slightly-above-beefeater-gin.

English potato vodka from the Chase distillery, allegedly 250 potatoes in every bottle. And it shows: full bodied with a hint of sweetness.

Nice, but not worth €39.99 when you can get Russian Standard for around €17.00.

Will try it again in a dry martinin this evening.

Will do, I've tried their whisky already, good stuff.

There I was minding me own business, when I get the phone call from the Missus, she's stuck in a traffic jam, can't pick the kids up, already they're waiting the school yard and all alone. Jump in me car, get stuck in traffic and then a lorry driver wouldn't let me into the lane when the two lines narrowed down to one. In my anger, I cut-in on him, then he started beeping aggressively, then I stop my car and jumped out, he does too, but then when I challenge him, he backs off realising his mistake - a father on a mission to get his kids safely home. Well, he didn't know that, but I would kick the teeth in and bring the heel down and break the bone of any man who came between the safety of my kids and me. Wouldn't you?

Anyway, back safely home now: Plantation brand Jamaican rum, distilled in 2001 and although not needing any mixer, I have with Gosling's Ginger Beer. Quite the winner!

I haven't had a whisky for sometime, so I didn't to jump in at the high-end last night with an expensive single malt, so down-graded to a litre bottle of Johnnie Walker Red for €20, combined with Marks & Spencers soda water at 70 cence a litre bottle.

The soda water revealed itself as an ideal delivery system and with my untrained palate the Red tasted quite more than just acceptable in the long drink format. Infact rather exceptional - two before the evening meal proved an ideal aperitif.

Hep, thanks for the tip. Mom's visiting and she consumes a lot of gin and tonic.

Now on a summer Mint Julep kick. Good way to get rid of my bourbons painlessly. Ryes do best, wheated bourbons worse.
Too much mint can ruin it, and definitely demerara sugar is the way to go rather than simple syrup.
Mother in law (RIP) left us some silver goblets so enjoying the frost on the cup on a hot summer day.

Might even offend the whisky Gods by subbing in a single malt one of these days (may have to dial back the mint a little).

Fermented sunflower sprout seed milk. (looks like concrete)

From the most northernly proper vineyard in Europe: Chardonney Blauw from the Wijnkasteel in Belgium's Limburg region. Located 15 minutes drive from the Dutch city of Maastricht. Good stuff, not much nose to it mind you, but a very fine and more than acceptable white.

> concoction of club soda, lemon juice, ginger, apple cider vinegar, and pomegranate syrup ... this was a good, refreshing mixture in the heat  ... it's called a "shrub" .....