Stan Laurel Cocktail

Stan Laurel, born Arthur Stanley Jefferson, was one half of perhaps the most famous comedy duo in the world, standing the test of time. He was born on the 16th of June 1890, in the small English town of Ulverston, the same location in which Shed 1 Gin was created, so we thought it very fitting to take this opportunity to honour the comedy legend by creating an original Glass of Bubbly Cocktail in his honour.

“When it comes to partnerships and particularly those from film and television, there surely can not be a more warmly admired and loved duo than that of Laurel and Hardy. A combination of slapstick comedy writing, directing and acting genius born continents apart and yet ending up by lady luck (or should I say Lucky Dog which was their first movie in which they appeared together) at the famous Hal Roach Studios.

A fan base globally with numerous appreciation societies (each known as an oasis) of which I ran one back in the early 1990’s, their comedy appeals to all generations and nationalities. Alongside famous faces such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, both Laurel and Hardy are household names and icons globally. Dare I say that at any moment of any day that someone, somewhere will be watching a movie starring these comedy greats.

I once visited Ulverston, the birthplace of Stan Laurel, with Eve (co-founder of Glass of Bubbly) back in the early 1990’s and also enjoyed a drink at the bar of the Stan Laurel Inn – I am very pleased to see a cocktail paying tribute to Stan who’s legacy continues to bring smiles to faces globally.” – Christopher Walkey – Founder of Glass of Bubbly

The  Sparkling Wine – Bolney

Located just 14 miles from the south coast on the edge of the South Downs in Sussex, Bolney Wine Estate was established in 1972, it is comprised of five unique vineyard sites and their head winemaker, Sam Linter is the daughter of the founders, Janet and Rodney.

When Janet and Rodney originally founded Bolney Wine Estate they first called it Bookers Vineyard, they have just recently been bought by Henkell Freixenet.

Bolney Wine Estate also put in a lot of work to win the Glass of Bubbly’s Sustainability Trophy 2021 in partnership with Slow Food, making sure to reduce their carbon footprint, recycle when possible and give back to the planet.

The Founders Edition was created to Celebrate Bolney Wine Estate’s 50th year in operation, delivering great tasting Wines and Sparkling Wines to the British public, and now the world.

Bolney Wine Estate – Founders Edition Blanc de Blanc 2018 – Tasting Notes 

Aroma – “A perfect display of Zesty & Zingy characters, fresh with lemons, green and yellow zesty fruits, white peach, ripe white and green pears along with jasmine on the aroma.”

Flavour – “A silky butter and zesty lemon character, with small/fine bubbles, with green and yellow fruits, green apples, green pears, white pears, along with some floral characters on the palate.”

Trophy Winner of the Zesty & Zingy Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2022

The Gin – Shed 1 Gin

Andy and Zoe, husband and wife, launched Shed 1 Gin officially in October 2016 in the market town and birthplace of Stan Laurel, Ulverston, Cumbria, they produce classically distilled craft gin in a contemporary style, a true micro-distillery, with approximately 160 bottles per batch, with their first creation being called Cuckold’s Revenge.

They started their operation out of their Garden Shed, with them upgrading and moving to The Old Calf Shed in 2019, this is when they opened their visitor attraction which went on to win Cumbria Tourism’s Experience of the Year, 2022, with them hosting Cumbria’s only Make Your Own Gin Experiences, if you can’t go in person, then check out their website, they have a dedicated section on how to start your own micro-distillery: So You Want to Set up a Gin Distillery?

They also offer Distillery Tours & Tastings and a botanical-inspired Afternoon G&Tea.

Let’s meet the stars behind Shed 1 Gin.

Andy has been a professional actor for over 20 years. During that time, he’s tread the boards from Land’s End to John O’Groats and from Asia to America and Zoe started her work life as a special paint finisher, then got the opportunity to teach in Japan for a year. That turned into a 7-year stint in Asia.

They bumped into each other in South Korea and Zoe returned back to the UK the following year. Andy’s home was already in Cumbria and when they moved to Ulverston they realised they’d found somewhere very special.

Zoe was the one to start it all, she had been making compound gin elixirs for a while, which piqued the interest of Andy, with him getting more and more interested in the process. After playing with various different botanicals for a while they decided it was time to take it up a notch and produce their very own gin. The next question was where. Somewhere big enough for a small still, close to home would be good, rent-free even better.

“How about the shed?”

“Which one?”

“Shed 1, closest to the house.”

And so, Shed 1 Distillery was born.

This Ulverston Gin is a very limited edition, with only 300 bottles being produced, available exclusively from Shed 1 Gin.

Shed 1 Gin – Ulverston Gin – Tasting Notes  – “Herbal Garden characters, freshly grown garden herbs, mint, nettles, rosemary, thyme, with a wild floral display and some blossoming notes.”

The Stan Laurel Cocktail

Ingredients

• Sparkling Wine
• Gin
• English Whisky
• Raisins
• Rosemary
• Red Apple

How To Make The Stan Laurel Cocktail

• Start with pouring in 15mls of Gin
• Then add 5mls of English Whisky
• Fill your Glass with English Sparkling Wine
• Cut out a little ball from a Red Apple and place a little Bowler Hat on it (if you have one, if not, skip to the next step)
• Place a twig of Rosemary in your Glass
• Then Represent Laurel and Hardy in this Cocktail with Two Raisins, which will bounce up and down thanks to the Fizz!

Stan Laurel Cocktail Tasting Notes 

Aroma – “Alive with character, green fruit skins, rosemary, red apple flesh, malt and barley, sweet juniper, green apples, leafy herbs and a splash of lime on the aroma.”

Flavour – “In harmony between the three alcoholic ingredients, a silky texture from the gin, a warm golden touch from the English Whisky, and a mouth-watering zestiness from the Bolney, with zesty green apples and English country garden fruits with a subtle saline finish on the palate.”

 

Image Credits: Laurel and Hardy – Stan and Ollie Park Bench