By Will Lowe
Calvados is a unique French brandy, in that it is made from apples, rather than grapes. Whereas Armagnac and Cognac are essentially distilled wines (from grapes), Calvados is to all intents and purposes a distilled cider. The Calvados region lies in lower Normandy, in the north of France. Whilst the area is too cold to grow grapes, it is home to some seven million …
By Will Lowe
In Armagnac, the soil, climate, distillation and ageing techniques are completely different to those used in Cognac, and the resulting spirit is unique. The AOC Armagnac region sits in the South West of France within the Gascony region, close to the Atlantic Ocean and at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains. There are three sub-areas (the Bas-Armagnac, Ténarèze and the Haut-Armagnac areas) within the …
by Will Lowe, http://www.bibendum-spirits.co.uk/
Our second distillery of the day, Samalens, was an absolute delight. We were greeted by Pierre, the great-grandson of John Samalens who founded the distillery in 1882. Located in the heart of Bas Armagnac, the landscape was notably different from Tenareze – not least by the surprising abundance of sunflower …
by Will Lowe, http://www.bibendum-spirits.co.uk/
Our long awaited tour started with a rather medicore breakfast at Gatwick airport. Our stomachs could not possibly have imagined the gastronomic delights which were awaiting us the on the other side of the channel.
Two representatives from Bibendum Spirits, one from Bibendum Wine, and a further four from Hotel du …
by Gareth Groves
It is a bitter rivalry: the serious sommeliers versus the flair-happy bartenders. The latter like to think they are the coolest kids in town – after all, Tom Cruise never played a wine waiter in a hit Hollywood film. But those of us who prefer the grape to the grain know that sommeliers are the consummate professionals when it comes to serving …
By Will Lowe, http://willlowe.blogspot.com/
The Samalens Singles 12
It’s been a while since my last blog, due, in part, to the number of fantastic events I’ve been lucky enough to attend of late.
Not least of which was the 700th anniversary of Armagnac. Hosted in the luxurious surroundings of the Connaught Hotel, those of us able to evade the army of Mercedes …
By Will Lowe, http://willlowe.blogspot.com/
Trailer is a legendary bar for a host of reasons. Their fantastic tiki menu, bewildering rum range, and ability to create world famous bartenders being just three of them.
Furthermore, the infamous ‘rum club’, an event which sees innocent rum representatives (such as myself) succumbing to the allure of alcohol in the name of education.
On Monday, May 10th, I had the pleasure …
By Will Lowe
What happens when you get a load of London bartenders together in a room, then fill it up with Tequila? Well, probably not quite what you are expecting. This would be due, in part, to the bad reputation which still lingers (undeservedly) around the tequila category. And, to be fair, the reputation which continues to thrive regarding London’s bartenders!
February 1st saw the launch of the El Tesoro Tequila competition, in which …
By Will Lowe
On Wednesday the 20th of January, bartenders and sommeliers from across the country converged on London’s Saatchi gallery for the undisputed (by me) industry highlight of the year: The Bartenders vs Sommeliers Superstars Competition. The drinks professionals were there to pit their skills head to head, in order to win not only an all expenses paid distillery tour trip to Cognac, but …
By Bibendumtimes
Following from last week’s Tim Atkin Caption Competition, here is this week’s chance to win a bottle of Laurent Perrier Ultra Brut Champagne. All you have to do is watch our very own spirits maestro Will Lowe make our Bibendum Times cocktail then come up with a name for Will’s creation.
The best name for the cocktail (as judged by the B …
