Glass of Bubbly
Is it the End of Ice for Champagne Ice Buckets?
The Kaelo, a new high-end interior design innovation, is an ‘iceless’ ice bucket that can be inset into a kitchen surface. The ice-cold chamber chills bottles with minimal effort from the user, and, unlike traditional ice buckets, keeps them dry so that Champagne and fine wines can be poured with ease. It maintains a consistently…
Read More
Hotel Arts Barcelona Launches New Winery Tours
Hotel Arts Barcelona have launched a new series of tours, tastings and winemaking sessions for bubbly-loving visitors to Catalonia’s Penedès Region, where over 95% of all Cava is produced just an hour’s drive from the city. The hotel’s Harvest Package includes a trip to the 40-hectare Mas Comtal organic vineyard, where guests will learn about…
Read More
Celebrity Interview: Drew Pritchard
Drew, an antiques dealer, is one of the UK’s top decorative salvage experts, with his own TV show, Salvage Hunters, which follows Drew as he scours the country in search of some weird and wonderful objects. Drew has worked with interior designer to the Royals Annabel Elliot, the sister of Camilla Parker Bowles, fashion designer…
Read More
French 75 Cocktail with Kirsch
Ingredients (1 cocktail): 1 oz gin 1/2 oz Kirsch 1/2 oz lemon juice 1/2 oz simple syrup (1 part water, 1 part sugar) 3 oz Champagne Lemon twist (for garnish) Luxardo cherry (for garnish) Instructions: Combine gin, kirsch, lemon juice, simple syrup into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for about 15-20 seconds. Strain…
Read More
First Mobile Champagne & Prosecco Bar for Northern Ireland
A Northern Irish entrepreneur has set up the region’s first mobile Champagne and Prosecco bar. Communications manager Alex Megarry had the idea for Bubbly Bar after she came across a mobile Champagne bar at the Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire last year. She was looking to start a new venture as she is getting married…
Read MoreWatermelon Mint Mimosa
Ingredients (8-10 mimosas): For the watermelon juice: 4 cups seedless watermelon cubes Juice from 2-3 limes Sugar or simple syrup to taste (optional, if you like it sweeter) Large bunch of mint For the mimosa: Watermelon juice (above) Champagne or sparkling wine Mint & watermelon (for garnish) Instructions: Blend watermelon, lime juice, and sugar or…
Read More
Watch out for English Sparkling Wine from East Anglia!
The increasing popularity of English sparkling wine has driven great success for grower-producers in Essex and Suffolk. Dedham Vale Vineyard, in Essex, have recently planted an extra 12 acres of vines in response to growing consumer demands – and ten of these acres are for sparkling varieties Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The region’s warm, dry…
Read More
Sparkling Summer Sales
The summer heatwave and Rio Olympics fuelled an increase in sales of sparkling wines in the UK, according to Nielsen. The consumer insights company reported that over the four weeks ending in August 13th, Champagne sales rose by around five percent in value – faster than the 52-week average pace of growth. They also found…
Read More
Grilled Lemon Blueberry Smash
Ingredients (2 cocktails): For the cocktail: 2 lemons 2 oz simple syrup (recipe below) 10 basil leaves, plus additional for garnish 1/2 cup blueberries 3 oz gin ice 6 oz sparkling wine To make simple syrup: (makes approximately 1 cup): 1 cup water 1 cup sugar Instructions: For the cocktail: Pre-heat grill to medium-high. Cut…
Read More