BLT and English Fizz

The BLT, a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich

Little evidence for the BLT sandwich exists prior to 1900, the story begins with some added ingredients, it was in the 1903 Good Housekeeping Everyday Cook Book, that a recipe for a club sandwich included bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and a slice of turkey sandwiched between two slices of bread first appeared.

It was only after World War II that the BLT gained its popularity because of the rapid expansion of supermarkets, allowing the ingredients to become available year-round. The BLT is likely to have received its name from within the U.S. restaurant industry, as staff used the initials of B.L.T. as a shorthand for the sandwich, but we aren’t sure when this shorthand made its way into the public domain.

A 1951 edition of the Saturday Evening Post makes a reference to the sandwich via ingredients, not by name: “On the tray, invariably, are a bowl of soup, a toasted sandwich of bacon, lettuce and tomato, and a chocolate milkshake.”

Other publications around this time published similar, it was in the early 1970s that several publications started referring to it as a B.L.T., with one review of Bruce Jay Friedman’s play entitled Steambath titled: “A B.L.T. for God – hold the mayo.” it was a line of dialogue in the play, God yells, “Send up a bacon and lettuce and tomato sandwich, hold the mayo. You burn the toast, I’ll smite you down with my terrible swift sword.”

The ranking of the BLT sits in 6th place, behind the ‘ham sandwich, ‘roast beef’, ‘turkey’, ‘grilled chicken’, and ‘grilled cheese sandwich, but in 2008 the UK voted the BLT the nation’s favourite.

Biddenden Vineyards – English Sparkling Wine

Kent’s original vineyard, the Barnes family has owned and managed Biddenden Vineyards since 1969, but vines weren’t the first things planted there, there were originally over 40 acres of apple orchards, but in the late 60s apple prices began to decline, and in 1969 they decided to turn 1/3 of their acres into vines, that’s when Biddenden Vineyards was born.

They currently have 12 different grape varieties planted over 23 acres of south-facing slopes. It’s interesting to know that their first wine was bottled in 1973, it would be amazing if you have that bottle safely stored somewhere, today they produce around 80,000 bottles per year, the vineyard is currently being run by the second & third generations of the Barnes family.

Biddenden – Pinot Reserve 2018 – Tasting Notes

Aroma – “Yellow floral, yellow citrus, lemons, zesty, buttercup flowers, yellow rose petals, raspberry leaves and English country garden foliage on the aroma.”

Flavour – “Zesty and zingy lemon character, lemon curd, lemon powder with ripe and succulent golden fruits and yellow stone fruits and buttercup flowers.”

Silver Medal in the Zesty & Zingy Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards

How Does English Sparkling Wine Pair With The BLT?

Pairing Notes – “A gorgeous expression from the English Fizz, gifting wonderful soft zesty and zingy citrus characters to the BLT, the English Fizz absorbs the greasy notes from the bacon, allowing for a healthier taste, enriching the sweetness from the tomatoes and making the lettuce taste like it’s just been plucked from the ground and prepared, farm to table.”