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Almost everyone loves a good cocktail but not everyone has mastered the art of mixing drinks in a way that tastes perfect as though they were made by some skilled bartender. That is where pre-mixed beverages that only require you to add your desired amount of ice come to play. Check out these must-try beginner-friendly drinks to get the party going or simply sip along with your dinner at home.


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Exuding a refreshing feeling in every sip, the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.chandon.eu/en_EU/gardenspritz.html" target="_blank">Chandon Garden Spritz</a> tastes fruity with the cocktail being made from the Chandon Argentina 2014 Brut that won the Best Argentine Sparkling Wine award at the 2020 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships and an orange liqueur that consists of extracts from orange peels, herbs and some special spices that give the drink its natural flavours. The perfect blending of flavours that was perfected over more than 60 trials, in addition to its organically-sourced ingredients, makes the wine-based cocktail an absolute bliss. It can be bought from select retailers in Hong Kong and the prices vary.


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Next, there is the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://chateauhighball.com/" target="_blank">Chateau Highball</a> Classic Cocktail Range. Following its popularity in Italy, the Chateau Highball, newly launched in Hong Kong, is sure to win the taste buds and the heart of partygoers and hosts by making it easy to relish cocktails that taste like they were prepared at a top-class bar. The four offerings in the collection include Gin &amp; Tonic, Vodka Soda, Whisky Soda and Tequila Soda. The highlight among the four is the Gin &amp; Tonic, which was prepared by mixing London Dry Gin with house-made stevia tonic water boasting comparatively lesser sugar content than most other tonic waters. Each bottle can serve up to six glasses and costs HK$380.


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Also making it to the list of best ready-made cocktails are the ones from Bacardi, a brand that has become synonymous with rum so who better to trust than this Cuban drink company if you want to sip on some rum-based cocktail? Luckily, the brand offers a variety of popular and famously-enjoyed <a href="https://www.bacardi.com/us/en/ready-to-drink/bacardi-bahama-mama-pina-colada-rum-punch/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cocktail choices</a> like Pina Colada, Mojito and Rum Punch that are available as both ready-to-drink cocktails in cans and read-to-serve versions in bottles. These pre-made cocktails for parties are enriched with fruity flavours that feel pleasant with each gulp while also transcending you on to a vacation in the Caribbean Islands.


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Regardless of all these aforementioned beverages, if you find mixing your own cocktails to be more fun, then you can always find a list of <a href="https://www.bacardi.com/us/en/rum-cocktails/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DIY cocktail recipes</a> on Barcadi’s official site which will help you make the tastiest tipsy tipples. Simultaneously, those who prefer <a href="https://www.johnniewalker.com/en/whisky-cocktails/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">whisky cocktails</a> can rely on Johnnie Walker’s range of recipes and Smirnoff for some <a href="https://www.smirnoff.com/en-row/cocktail-recipes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vodka-infused cocktails</a>.



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Also Read: <a href="https://igafencu.com/articles/best-food-and-wine-pairings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Best Food and Wine Pairings</a>

The Must-try Ready-to-Serve Cocktails to Get the Party Started

Both chefs and food lovers would agree that a dish must be relished and people should be able to appreciate the food’s different flavours, and wines have often been a trusted way to bring out a dish’s optimal taste. Case in point, many tasting menus created by fine dining restaurants will serve a glass of white or red that would complement the dish on the plate.



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While you can pair food with a drink from your personal wine collection or the one you newly bought from the store, some of these connoisseur-picked food and wine combinations will certainly impress your taste buds.


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Peking Duck and Pinot Noir



Food enthusiasts have different opinions when picking a wine bottle that matches perfectly with this popular Chinese dish, but the most common pick has always been Pinot Noir. This is because Peking Ducks have a rich salty and savoury taste to them due to the hoisin sauce that is added to the crispy duck meat. So, a wine like Pinot Noir which has a relatively high amount of acidity to it balances out the roasted duck’s intense flavours, making this one of the most favoured food and wine combinations.


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Shellfish and Japanese Koshu Wine



This wine variety that originates from Japan has subtle notes of fruitiness allowing people to feel the refreshing taste of white grapes and apples in each sip with the Koshu wine being produced at a specific altitude and temperature. Such flavours, in combination with its low acidity, make this white wine variety a perfect drink to pair with shellfish dishes, which are often cooked with a thick layer of butter, as the food and the wine balance each other out. To enjoy the best of this wine pairing, you may want to try the Michelin-starred restaurant Arcane’s Lightly Cured Hokkaido Scallops with a glass of the Grace Wine Gris de Koshu 2021 which Chef Shane Osborn has featured in Arcane’s limited-edition menu in collaboration with CulinArt 1862 that is exclusively only available on the 17th and 18th of May.


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Raclette and Burgundy Chardonnay



Another food and wine pairing that has been recommended by top chefs for the light texture of the wine to balance out the heaviness of the dish is the Raclette paired with a glass or more of Burgundy Chardonnay. For those unfamiliar, the Raclette is a classic French dish that is made by melting the Raclette cheese and eaten in combination with boiled potatoes, meat, pickles and spices. With the dish obviously being packed with calories and rich in flavours, a French wine like Bourgogne blanc has citrus notes and a subtle saltiness that make it go well with something heavy like a traditional Raclette.


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Wagyu Steak and Rioja Red Wine



Red wines have often been voted as the best wine to be paired with steaks, and apparently, there is a scientific reason for it. Red wines have a substance called tannins, particularly strong in the younger wines, which has a molecular structure that helps to melt fats, thus when paired with a dish like steak, it brings out the taste to the fullest by cutting into this thick layer of meat. True to this technique is Chef Stanley Wong’s recommended pairing – Binchotan-Grilled Australian Wagyu Striploin with Finca La Emperatriz Las Cenizas 2018 which can also be enjoyed at CulinArt 1862’s six-course tasting menu that has been created alongside Arcane.

The Best Food and Wine Pairings: Which wine goes well with which dish?

Alsace in northeastern France has been officially recognised as an AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) wine region since 1962. It is home to the famous 170km Alsace Wine Route, a tourist hotspot that winds its way through the Vosges foothills and the Rhine plain, past colourful towns and villages and vineyards of Riesling and Gerwürztraminer. Alsace is noted for its dry and aromatic white wines, with these two grapes yielding many of its best.






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Tristan Pommier, an expert sommelier who curates Clarence’s wine program, a restaurant in Central, says. “Alsace boasts a very dynamic and thriving wine scene that is renowned for its wide range of grape varietals, grand cru wines and terroir expressions,” he says.







Pommier spotlights several young Alsace winemakers who are now making their mark, in addition to established winemaking families with a long history in the region. The latter, including Zind Humbrecht, Valentin Zusslin and Josmeyer, can be found on Clarence’s wine list. Up-and-coming estates La Rogerie and La Grange de l’Oncle Charles are definitely worth a try and can also be poured at the restaurant.






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Grand Cru diversity



Pommier believes Alsace has become one of the key winemaking regions in France due to its diverse array of grand cru wines. There are 51 vineyards classified as grand crus for their quality terroir and winemaking.







“In addition, Alsace offers a range of winemaking styles, from traditional to biodynamic, which allows for a wide variety of flavour profiles and wine types,” notes Pommier.







The dessert wines of Alsace, particularly the sweet ‘Vendange tardive’ or late-harvest wines, are highly regarded by connoisseurs. “One of the most unique aspects of Alsace’s winemaking industry is its production of sweet wines,” concurs Pommier. “Due to the semi-continental climate and great variety of soil types in Alsace, these wines have the remarkable ability to age gracefully over time, often improving in flavour and complexity as they mature.”






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Youthful sensitivity



Clarence recently held a promotion of the region’s delights. “We thought it would be interesting to showcase the talents of promising young winemakers, such as the owners of La Grange de l’Oncle Charles, a couple who manage a 5.5-hectare vineyard that is co-planted with old, middle-aged and young vines that are regularly replaced to ensure they thrive in a diverse range of soils,” says Pommier.







Pommier also suggests why the wine is so appealing. “The winemakers take a sensitive approach to their craft, carefully considering the fruits, vines and ecosystem to produce elegant wines that possess their own unique subtle touch,” he says.







The tastes and aromas of these wines leave their mark: “One example is La Grange de l’Oncle Charles Mille Lieux, which is a blend of all 13 white grape varieties grown on various soils at the Domaine. After being fermented and aged for one year in barrels on lees, this wine is characterised by its lovely ripe stone fruit aromas, intense concentration and acidity, and a touch of salinity at the end of the palate.”

Alsace Class: Great whites and late-blooming sweet wines blaze a trail through the French region

English sparkling wine is now viewed so favourably in wine circles that major wine houses have been gobbling up land in South East England to get in on the act. The country’s homegrown bubbly has burgeoned in a sparkling show of strength linked in part to that very English topic of the weather.
Pommery was the first French Champagne to put the wheels in motion and build an English sparkling wine brand, and others are set to follow suit, according to Jo Smith, brand manager of Wine Garden of England, an organisation dedicated to promoting wines made in Kent.
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Climate change is having profound effects on winemaking in the region. “The climate has warmed up, and Kent is the warmest and driest part of the UK, which makes it easier to ripen the grape varieties needed for fine wines,” says Smith. “It is only in the last 15 years that we have been able to achieve the sugar levels in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the three grape varieties that are used to make Champagne and English sparkling wine.
” With Kent now basking in a similar climate that Champagne had 30 years ago, the French houses are seeking to put roots in the English county. “Some say that Champagne is now too hot to grow the traditional grape varieties,” she notes.
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Smith also believes southeast England has become attractive for winemaking over recent years because skills on the ground have improved. “Many of our winemakers have gained experience in more established wine regions of the world, and then come back to study at Plumpton College, which is the only English-speaking viticultural university in Europe. It is well known for producing outstanding winemakers,” she says.
She also points out that the soil in Kent is the same as in Champagne, sharing the band of chalk that extends from France under the English Channel and into the South of England.
Blanc de Blancs breakthrough 
This bubbly has been winning rave reviews over recent years, and its big breakthrough moment was undoubtedly when Ridgeview’s 2006 Blanc de Blancs clinched the Decanter International Trophy for sparkling wine. Mardi Roberts of Ridgeview said the Royal Opera House erupted like a home football ground that evening and the award “kicked off our international export was the first time this has ever been awarded to a wine other than Champagne.”
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Smell of Success
Its reputation for fine aromas has also soared. “In our cool climate, the fruit ripens slowly, developing all the flavour complexities that are needed to make a fine sparkling wine,” says Smith. “We also use the same winemaking method as Champagne, which means that the second fermentation that creates the fizz, takes place in the bottle, and the wine sits in the bottle with the yeast for a few years to develop the lovely biscuit and brioche aroma that you also get in Champagne.”
But there are differences to traditional Champagne. “It has a marvellous backbone of acidity that gives it a refreshing ‘zing’ that has become a trademark of our wines,” she adds.
(Text: Neil Dolby)

English Sparkling Wine – Global warming seals sparkler’s Fate

Upon returning to the UK from Hong Kong, Fiona Shiner surprised many by opting out of her legal career in favour of a risky winemaking venture in the Cotswolds, a picturesque part of southwest England. More boldly still, she later opted to nurture Sauvignon Blanc, a grape varietal with little or no record of being successfully grown in the area.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-70370 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine17_rgb.jpg" alt="Sauvignon Blanc" width="610" height="311" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine17_rgb.jpg 610w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine17_rgb-450x229.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine17_rgb-600x306.jpg 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine17_rgb-549x280.jpg 549w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine17_rgb-120x61.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine17_rgb-500x255.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine17_rgb-200x102.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine17_rgb-400x204.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px" />
It was a gamble that paid off. Indeed, her 2021 Sauvignon Blanc took both the highest score and the highest award in the Unoaked category at the most recent Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters event.
“News of the award triggered an amazing amount of interest in the wine. After two of the busiest weeks in our history, we have sold out of the 2021 vintage entirely,” says Shiner.
After leaving Hong Kong, she and her family settled in Woodchester Valley, an area of outstanding natural beauty set on steep limestone slopes. As a wine lover, she was more than aware that England was surprising many with its world-class sparkling wines and Bacchus was beginning to make a reputation for producing quality still-white wines. She wondered if the local land – poor grade arable – would support her own oenophile aspirations.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/chianti-wine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chianti – The Perfect Wine Pairing for Any Dish</a>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-70366 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine16_rgb-e1679305222105.jpg" alt="Sauvignon Blanc" width="768" height="391" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine16_rgb-e1679305222105.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine16_rgb-e1679305222105-450x229.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine16_rgb-e1679305222105-600x305.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />
After conducting research into the area’s wine-making heritage, she discovered it had been home to vineyards as far back as the time of the Domesday Book (circa 1085 AD). As a result, the temptation for her to create a new vineyard far outweighed the lure of a return to the law and, so, she planted her first acre in 2007.
On the basis of her initial plantings in 2007- 2013, she quickly established that her vineyards were capable of producing good quality wine. In 2015, she then took the big plunge and planted 2,000 Sauvignon Blanc vines, a grape variety she was a particular fan of.
“The risk was that England is a very cool climate in viticulture terms and Sauvignon Blanc ripens later than a number of varietals, such as Bacchus, that we use for our still wines, so would it ripen fully in England?” says Shiner.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-70367 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine101_rgb-e1679305256412.jpg" alt="Sauvignon Blanc" width="750" height="750" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine101_rgb-e1679305256412.jpg 750w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine101_rgb-e1679305256412-450x450.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine101_rgb-e1679305256412-100x100.jpg 100w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine101_rgb-e1679305256412-600x600.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />
As it turned out, 2021 brought particular challenges. While the summer temperature was more or less average for England, heavy rain was widespread although Woodchester Valley vineyard escaped the worst. A warm, sunny spell throughout September and October, however, pretty much saved the day.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-70368 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine26_rgb-e1679305298358.jpg" alt="Sauvignon Blanc" width="768" height="512" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine26_rgb-e1679305298358.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine26_rgb-e1679305298358-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/wine26_rgb-e1679305298358-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />
Outlining what she sees as underpinning her success, she says: “Sauvignon Blanc is an expressive variety which manifests itself in different ways. Our wine expresses classic cool climate Sauvignon Blanc aromas and flavours. I also believe the limestone soils bring a vibrancy to the wine and add a bright acidity.”
For the 2021 vintage, the best description almost certainly came courtesy of the Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters judges. Summing up the wine, they concluded: “It starts with an intense gooseberry nose, building up to reveal undertones of ripe lemon. On the palate, there is a bright, taut acidity and a juicy mouthfeel. Very well-balanced, there’s just a hint of sweetness on the finish, which is long and textured. A very engaging wine and perfect for matching with asparagus or goat’s cheese.”
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/english-wines-gafencu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">English Wines are Becoming Hip: Here’s a toast!</a>
(Text: Neil Dolby)

Blanc-Buster: UK-sourced Sauvignon Blanc sweetens the senses

<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-69989 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Wine_bottles-of-Chianti-Cropped-e1676859349524.jpg" alt="Chianti wine" width="768" height="432" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Wine_bottles-of-Chianti-Cropped-e1676859349524.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Wine_bottles-of-Chianti-Cropped-e1676859349524-450x253.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Wine_bottles-of-Chianti-Cropped-e1676859349524-600x338.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />
As a wine, Chianti is as essential to Italian cuisine as extra virgin olive oil. Indeed, there are few pleasures as distinct as a tart, spicy, herbaceous Chianti wine paired with a plate of sliced prosciutto (cured ham) or one of your favourite pasta dishes.&nbsp;
Once traditionally served in a basket-encase bottle, the Chianti is considered to be one of the best wines to be served with a meal. A blended red from the Chianti region of Tuscany, it is made primarily with a thin-skinned grape called Sangiovese, which is found only in this particular part of central Italy.&nbsp;
Known for its mouth-watering acidity and coarse tannin, the grape bestows a transparent ruby hue and flavours of black and red cherry. With such a savoury blend, the wine can be paired easily with food as its high acid level cuts through the richer fatty dishes and stands up well to tomato sauces. Other popular Chianti pairings include pizzas and such meaty fare as a well-seasoned steak.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/hongkong-organic-natural-biodyamic-wines-no-chemicals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Organic, natural, biodynamic wines, explained</a>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-69993 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/grapes_rgb.jpg" alt="Chianti wine" width="768" height="400" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/grapes_rgb.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/grapes_rgb-450x234.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/grapes_rgb-600x313.jpg 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/grapes_rgb-538x280.jpg 538w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/grapes_rgb-120x63.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/grapes_rgb-500x260.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/grapes_rgb-200x104.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/grapes_rgb-400x208.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />
In addition to the Sangiovese grape, Chianti may contain traces of other red grapes, notably&nbsp;Canaiolo and Colorino, as well as such white grapes as Trebbiano and Malvasia. It is, however, the Sangiovese grape that dominates while also being seen as the most authentic embodiment&nbsp;of the Chianti terroir.
As with many fine wines, Chianti is subject to many requirements and has spawned a number of variations. There are, for instance, several categories of Chianti that vary depending on how long it has been aged as well as in accordance with the precise sub-region of Tuscany it originated from.&nbsp;
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/sustainable-wines-ethically-sourced-ingredients-healthier-options/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable Wines: Ethically sourced ingredients offer imbibers healthier options</a>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-69994" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Wine_classic_Chianti_bottle_1_rgb-e1676859815320.jpg" alt="Chianti wine" width="233" height="500" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Wine_classic_Chianti_bottle_1_rgb-e1676859815320.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Wine_classic_Chianti_bottle_1_rgb-e1676859815320-450x964.jpg 450w" sizes="(max-width: 233px) 100vw, 233px" />
Ageing and Classification of Chianti Wine&nbsp;
In many ways, it is the ageing process that determines exactly how an individual Chianti might taste. For example, “Chianti” is aged for six months and has a young and tart taste, while “Superiore Chianti” is aged for a year and has a taste that is smoother and more acidic. “Riserva”, meanwhile, is aged for two years, and the “Gran Selezione” is aged for more than&nbsp;two years and is used in such top-of-the-range Chianti wines as “Chianti Classico”.&nbsp;
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-69995 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Wine_barrels_in_cellar_1_rgb-e1676859974333.jpg" alt="Chianti wine" width="750" height="497" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Wine_barrels_in_cellar_1_rgb-e1676859974333.jpg 750w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Wine_barrels_in_cellar_1_rgb-e1676859974333-450x298.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Wine_barrels_in_cellar_1_rgb-e1676859974333-600x398.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" />
Chianti wine also has several sub-regions. The original is Chianti Classico. Each subregion or subzone has different minimum ageing requirements, which is said to be an indication of quality. Variations in soils and elevations; and proximity to the sea also give rise to the distinct flavours of a particular wine.
<ul>
<li>Colli Senesi: Aged for 6 months</li>
<li>Colline Pisane: Aged for 6 months</li>
<li>Montalbano: Aged for 6 months</li>
<li>Montespertoli: Aged for 9 months (minimum)</li>
<li>Classic: Aged for a year (minimum)</li>
<li>Rufina: Aged for a year (minimum)</li>
</ul>
With its highly acidic, tarty-juicy attributes, this ruby red wine with flavours of cherry and earth, Chianti is the ideal accompaniment for a diverse array of dishes. To fully appreciate this, though, it is highly recommended that you try it for yourself.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/spotlighting-south-african-wines/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Champions of the Cape: Spotlighting South African Wines</a>
(Text: Peter Chan)

Chianti – The Perfect Wine Pairing for Any Dish

China was obliged to bring in special regulations to end the flourishing trade in counterfeit Moutai back in 1999. In the interim, the allure of this potent take on rice wine has only been added to by the mystery that surrounds its true origins.
What is undisputed, is that the spirit takes its name from Moutai a village in southwest China’s landlocked Guizhou province, which sits in a distinctly mountainous region some 400m above sea level. The spirit itself is distilled from sorghum and wheat, with the latter used as a fermentation catalyst. Its rarefied production process takes five years to complete, including nine separate distillations and a protracted clay pot aging process.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-69449" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/f6eacc990caeadc5f0b333cca06ff0bc.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/f6eacc990caeadc5f0b333cca06ff0bc.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/f6eacc990caeadc5f0b333cca06ff0bc-450x450.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/f6eacc990caeadc5f0b333cca06ff0bc-100x100.jpg 100w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/f6eacc990caeadc5f0b333cca06ff0bc-600x600.jpg 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/f6eacc990caeadc5f0b333cca06ff0bc-280x280.jpg 280w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/f6eacc990caeadc5f0b333cca06ff0bc-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/f6eacc990caeadc5f0b333cca06ff0bc-120x120.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/f6eacc990caeadc5f0b333cca06ff0bc-500x500.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/f6eacc990caeadc5f0b333cca06ff0bc-66x66.jpg 66w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/f6eacc990caeadc5f0b333cca06ff0bc-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/f6eacc990caeadc5f0b333cca06ff0bc-400x400.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" />
Recently valued at $43 billion by an international brand assessor, Kweichow Moutai, a particularly renowned Chinese baijiu brand, has been named the most valuable spirits brand in the world. Tellingly, coming in second place, was Wuliangye, another distinguished mainland-based baijiu marque, which was valued at $28.7 billion. Taking these two into consideration. Premium Chinese spirits now account for 68.4 percent of the total value of liquor brands worldwide, a significant increase from the 60.7 percent recorded in times pre-pandemic.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-69443" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/moutai-cocktailsandbars-IMG_009603.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="512" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/moutai-cocktailsandbars-IMG_009603.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/moutai-cocktailsandbars-IMG_009603-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/moutai-cocktailsandbars-IMG_009603-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/moutai-cocktailsandbars-IMG_009603-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/moutai-cocktailsandbars-IMG_009603-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/moutai-cocktailsandbars-IMG_009603-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/moutai-cocktailsandbars-IMG_009603-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/moutai-cocktailsandbars-IMG_009603-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/moutai-cocktailsandbars-IMG_009603-400x267.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />
Mass Appeal and Luxury Marking 
Focusing back on the very top end, Moutai is a soy sauce-flavoured baijiu variant, one that is particularly prized for its high alcohol content (think 52–54% abv). Although there are many different versions, most have a sweet and sour nose with notes of soy sauce and a prominent acetone and ethanol aroma, a moist, herbaceous, and earthy tongue, and a long aftertaste, complete with distinct umami flavours and trails.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-69450" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/grains-used-to-make-maotai.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="512" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/grains-used-to-make-maotai.jpg 780w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/grains-used-to-make-maotai-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/grains-used-to-make-maotai-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/grains-used-to-make-maotai-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/grains-used-to-make-maotai-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/grains-used-to-make-maotai-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/grains-used-to-make-maotai-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/grains-used-to-make-maotai-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/grains-used-to-make-maotai-400x267.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />
Its dominance in its particular marketplace has only been further bolstered by its conspicuous appearance at many state dinners and its frequent deployment as a gift for visiting overseas emissaries. Such lofty regard saw the highest price ever paid for a single lot of Moutai outside of China at auction recorded as $1.4 million, with the fortunate buyer securing some 24 bottles of Moutai Sun Flower (1974) for more likely, as a canny investment.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-69447" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112399_illustration_large.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="667" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112399_illustration_large.jpg 650w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112399_illustration_large-450x600.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112399_illustration_large-600x800.jpg 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112399_illustration_large-210x280.jpg 210w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112399_illustration_large-120x160.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112399_illustration_large-500x667.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112399_illustration_large-200x267.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112399_illustration_large-400x534.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" />
This year, the brand also took an unexpected swerve into (very) alcoholic ice cream, a move it made in partnership with Mengniu Dairy, the mainland dairy giant, as it sought to diversify its 
appeal to a younger demographic.
It is recommended that you sample it neatly at room temperature. Or, with just a splash of water. It also works well as an aperitif and seems to actually stimulate the appetite. In terms of perfect food pairings, it’s recommended that you try it with – of course – traditional Chinese cuisine, as well as antipasti, sushi or sashimi.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-69446" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112389_illustration_large.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="512" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112389_illustration_large.jpg 650w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112389_illustration_large-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112389_illustration_large-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112389_illustration_large-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112389_illustration_large-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112389_illustration_large-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112389_illustration_large-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/000112389_illustration_large-400x266.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />
Dolce China 
For those looking to go truly premium, Moutai is also available in an 80 Years Old Vintage incarnation, with this much sought-after spirit sold in distinctive purple clay bottles and carved wooden boxes. All in all, it’s a world away from the commonplace perception of baijiu (at least by those in the west) as a relatively rough spirit that has more in common with creosote – a chemical typically deployed to winterproof wooden sheds – than an upmarket single malt whisky or a vintage Cognac. Such perceptions, however, can largely be ascribed to ignorance or, indeed prejudice.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-69448" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/collection-of-assorted-maotai-880.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="480" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/collection-of-assorted-maotai-880.jpg 880w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/collection-of-assorted-maotai-880-450x281.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/collection-of-assorted-maotai-880-600x375.jpg 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/collection-of-assorted-maotai-880-480x300.jpg 480w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/collection-of-assorted-maotai-880-448x280.jpg 448w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/collection-of-assorted-maotai-880-768x480.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/collection-of-assorted-maotai-880-120x75.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/collection-of-assorted-maotai-880-500x313.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/collection-of-assorted-maotai-880-200x125.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/collection-of-assorted-maotai-880-400x250.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/collection-of-assorted-maotai-880-800x500.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />
Those truly in the know, are only too aware that the origins of this mysterious and luxurious spirit can be traced to the ancient China of sometime around 135 BC. Indeed, it is this illustrious heritage that has made it the go-to drink of China’s political and business elite when it comes to entertaining their counterparts While it may be an acquired taste, it may also be one well worth acquiring.
&nbsp;
(Text: Joseff Musa)

Bijou Baijiu – Meet Moutai, arguably one of the world’s most valuable spirit brands

It’s fair to say that few grasp the true scale of the global Cognac market. If your best guess was anywhere in the region of US$4.03 billion, you are better informed than most. It’s a more than sizable figure, even though it pales in comparison to the US$435 billion representing the global wine industry, it still represents a fairly formidable 31-percent year-on-year increase.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-69033" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/storage-cognac-rare-old-preview-e1671507407531.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/storage-cognac-rare-old-preview-e1671507407531.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/storage-cognac-rare-old-preview-e1671507407531-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/storage-cognac-rare-old-preview-e1671507407531-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /> 
Undeniably, demand for Cognac has soared with more than 223 million bottles sold in the past 12 months. While sales dipped when Covid was at its peak, this more recent uptick has largely been driven by the changing tipple trends in both the US and China markets, with premium vintages apparently finding particular favour. This recent resurgence, however, is just the latest in a series of triumphant returns to form for the French-made brandy industry, a sector that has weathered many serial setbacks throughout its centuries-long history.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-69031" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/croizet-cocktail-cognac-e1671507128512.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/croizet-cocktail-cognac-e1671507128512.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/croizet-cocktail-cognac-e1671507128512-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/croizet-cocktail-cognac-e1671507128512-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /> 
Drilling down into the absolute bare necessities, first, it must be distilled twice, using copper pot stills and then aged for a minimum of two years in French oak barrels. It can only be distilled between October and March and cannot be produced with any wines containing a surfeit of sulfites. In addition, it must be made specifically in and with grapes from France’s Cognac region – in much the same way that Champagne can only be officially produced in the eponymous region of France. 
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-69029" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Cognac_pot_still_-_20091205-e1671507363403.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="436" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Cognac_pot_still_-_20091205-e1671507363403.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Cognac_pot_still_-_20091205-e1671507363403-450x280.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Cognac_pot_still_-_20091205-e1671507363403-600x374.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /> 
Interestingly, it is the 16th-century Dutch whom we must truly thank for creating what would eventually become this most famously French of spirits. Keen fans of Gallic grape-related beverages, such traders found it something of a struggle to keep their purchases drinkable during the long journey home. Their ingenious solution was to distill the spirit into an eau-de-vie – brandewijn (‘burnt wine’), which later gave rise to the term ‘brandy’. Double-distilling the end product soon became the norm, with the higher strength of the resultant spirit also helping save precious shelf space aboard the exporting ships.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-69035" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1969-Decanter-with-Rocks-Glasses-edit-1-e1671507224985.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="462" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1969-Decanter-with-Rocks-Glasses-edit-1-e1671507224985.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1969-Decanter-with-Rocks-Glasses-edit-1-e1671507224985-450x297.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1969-Decanter-with-Rocks-Glasses-edit-1-e1671507224985-600x396.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /> 
It was, however, another two centuries before some of the most iconic Cognac maisons (as we know them today) came to prominence. Martell, in 1715, was the first to open its doors, followed 10 years later by Rémy Martin and then a host of others. Over the following years, it burgeoned in popularity both at home and abroad. It was then, however, that things became unwelcomingly complex. 
With the 1870s, came the dreaded phylloxera outbreak – an aphid infestation – which saw vineyards devastated, with the space under cultivation falling from 280,000 hectares to 40,000 hectares in just two decades. Given that it takes 10 litres of white wine to make just one cognac, it’s not hard to imagine the knock-on consequences. It wasn’t until the eventual introduction of phylloxera-resistant vines several years later that any degree of equilibrium was restored. 
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-69030" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cognac-3404_1280-e1671507270103.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="525" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cognac-3404_1280-e1671507270103.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cognac-3404_1280-e1671507270103-450x338.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cognac-3404_1280-e1671507270103-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /> 
Fast forward to the twilight years of the 20th century, Cognac was still having a turbulent time. While sales in Japan suddenly skyrocketed, demand across Europe flatlined. Then, in 2001, it suddenly became a top tipple among US quaffers, largely – apparently – on account of it being name-checked in a variety of popular tunes back then. 
Not only is its conventional incarnation now a mass-market favourite, but demand for its more premium varieties has never been stronger among the more well-heeled. For any novice drinker, there are several things to bear in mind. Cognac is broadly split into three categories &#8211; VS (Very Special, aged for a minimum of two years), VSOP (Very Special Old Pale, aged for a minimum of four) and the exclusive XO (aged for a minimum of six), with the finest example of the latter often up to a century in the making. 
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-69032 aligncenter" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Photo-Alcohol-Expensive-France-Cognac-Henesi-5041418-e1671507309351.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="459" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Photo-Alcohol-Expensive-France-Cognac-Henesi-5041418-e1671507309351.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Photo-Alcohol-Expensive-France-Cognac-Henesi-5041418-e1671507309351-450x295.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Photo-Alcohol-Expensive-France-Cognac-Henesi-5041418-e1671507309351-600x393.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
&nbsp;
(Text: Tenzing Thondup)

How Dutch know-how crafted the world’s most famously-French brandy

negroni-week-2022-where-to-find-best-negroni-hongkong-cocktails-campari-600x337

Negroni Week 2022: Where to find the best Negroni in Hong Kong

In the pre-pandemic era, the biggest trends in spirits were about extremes. Getting sloshed by downing a stiff negroni or gulping pint glasses of a whacky-flavoured craft beer. But the last two years threw us for a loop. Even the canniest of beverage experts could not predict that morning meetings over speciality coffee or after-work drinks will be replaced by solo pour-overs and virtual happy hours. Who imagined that consumers could become their own baristas and bartenders? And now that imbibing alone is cool in 2022 – or at least tolerated – it will take more than a bevvy of premium dilutes or artisan gin menus to drag the post-workout, wheatgrass-smoothie-drinking Millennial to a bar.&nbsp;We asked some experts on what lies in store for the cocktail and bar scenes. Here’s what the pros are anticipating.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-67249" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu.png" alt="Sustainable Wines Ethically sourced ingredients offer imbibers healthier options gafencu" width="466" height="600" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu.png 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-450x579.png 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-217x280.png 217w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-120x155.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-200x258.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-400x515.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
Less is More
Getting elegantly wasted is no longer in vogue. Like everything else in life, cocktail hour is in the grip of the wellness industry. It’s cool to care about health. That said, industry figures show that alcohol consumption has not declined. Much like Europeans, Millennials now view booze as a part of the meal rather than a separate food category.
Drink manufacturers are now responding by introducing low- and no-alcoholic spirits to capture a sober-ish, calorie-conscious market of influencers and fitness fanatics who prefer a hard seltzer or a no-alcohol beer after a strenuous sporting activity. Touted as a recovery tool, the market is flooded with low-alcohol options. Flora Ma, co-founder of Hong Kong’s Only Beverages, has embraced this sentiment. Her successful line of Only Vodka Soda comes in three flavours – Tahitian Lime, Yuzu Ginger and Guava Hibiscus – and contains less than four percent alcohol and just 80 calories per drink. That’s roughly half the calories of your average can of beer and the lowest of any similar ready-to-drink product in the market.&nbsp;“Consumers are gravitating towards clean, crisp, refreshing and flavourful drinks. People want to enjoy their drinks but not have it impact on their health. We believe this trend is here to stay and will expand in the future,” says Ma.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-67247" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-818Tequila.png" alt="Sustainable Wines Ethically sourced ingredients offer imbibers healthier options gafencu 818Tequila" width="466" height="600" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-818Tequila.png 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-818Tequila-450x579.png 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-818Tequila-217x280.png 217w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-818Tequila-120x155.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-818Tequila-200x258.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-818Tequila-400x515.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
Sustainable Sustenance 
Camille Glass, one half of the duo behind Sai Ying Pun’s Tapas Bar Brut, is at the forefront of sourcing the best “small-batch, artisan and sustainable wines” for her restaurants and sustainable wine store. Consumers are environmentally aware and demand more ethically conscious choices in their glasses.
“Sustainability is such an all-encompassing topic right now. The wines themselves no longer carry the ‘too funky’ for comfort stigma anymore. We are getting more clean, delicious and environmentally friendly outcomes which pair perfectly with the organically grown vegetables in your lasagna,” says Glass.
Sustainability in food and drink is more than just a fad, it’s something that’s demanded by the planet-conscious consumer. And this is demonstrated in the sudden rise of brands with a purpose. Matt Ayre, a wine advisor for Vivant, a platform connecting responsible winemakers and imbibers, says, “According to industry research, consumption of organic wine will reach about one billion bottles by 2023. That’s a huge jump from 400 million in 2013 – clearly, people want to know what’s in their glass.”
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-67248" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-Casamigos-Tequila.png" alt="Sustainable Wines Ethically sourced ingredients offer imbibers healthier options gafencu Casamigos Tequila" width="466" height="600" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-Casamigos-Tequila.png 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-Casamigos-Tequila-450x579.png 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-Casamigos-Tequila-217x280.png 217w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-Casamigos-Tequila-120x155.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-Casamigos-Tequila-200x258.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sustainable-Wines-Ethically-sourced-ingredients-offer-imbibers-healthier-options-gafencu-Casamigos-Tequila-400x515.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
The Clooney Effect 
And finally, celebrity endorsed alcohol continues to be a thing. In 2013, George Clooney launched the famous Casamigos Tequila with Cindy Crawford’s husband and his business partner, Rande Gerber. In 2017, the founders cashed in on the business and sold for a tidy US$1 billion. And just like that, celebs began to see this as the perfect opportunity to make a quick buck.
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(Text: Nikita Mishra, Photos: Hennessy, Only Vodka)

Sustainable Wines Ethically sourced ingredients offer imbibers healthier options gafencu 818Tequila Casamigos Tequila

Sustainable Wines: Ethically sourced ingredients offer imbibers healthier options

The rare spirits market is bubbling along nicely. Referred to those in the know as ‘liquid gold’ – the name is living up to the hype. Five years back, if you were told that someone could fetch US$274,779 (about HK$2.16 million) from a meagre US$5,759 investment from a couple of whisky casks, you’d assume they had probably been scammed or faking it. But in July 2021, 59-year-old bank officer Roger Parfitt from Coventry in England, made an astounding 4600 percent increase on a Macallan cask he bought in 1994. He used the money to pay off his mortgage and advance his retirement by three years.
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Twenty-seven years back, when Parfitt first dipped his toe in the world of whisky collecting it was primarily for consumption, diversifying capital and hoping for long-term gains. He said to the local media: “I remember thinking, if it doesn’t appreciate in value, the worst that could happen is that you would have to get it out of the warehouse, bottle it and drink it.”
A sherried malt is a gorgeous thing to behold – and even better to drink – but this level of appreciation was not on his or any other whisky connoisseur’s radar until recently. With steadily soaring prices in the sector, Parfitt is not the only one to have so much to toast to in 2022.
Primed for Investment
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Rare whisky is having a moment right now. Hong Kong-based seasoned whisky enthusiast and savvy collector Vinay Dayaram’s love for the ‘water of life’ (as it’s known in Gaelic) compliments his passion for alternative investment. He started with modest acquisitions in 2017, ambition built thereafter. Following a full cycle of falling in love with the Scottish dram, its flavours, the profile, the magic, the making, the process. Before he knew it, he was “picking up the limited editions, mature vintages, and seasonal and special releases from famous distilleries all over the world”.
Knight Frank’s 2020 Wealth Report found that rare whiskies have appreciated by a massive 580 percent over the last decade, outperforming other investment commodities like the stock market, gold and even highly coveted Hermès handbags.
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A case of Macallan 1926, 60-year-old whisky recently went under the hammer at a Sotheby’s auction for a mouth-watering US$1.9 million. Today a 40-year-old Scottish whisky commands upwards of US$2000 a bottle. So it’s no surprise that collectors like Dayaram – who were previously looking at investing in other options like bonds and stocks – are multiplying all over the world.
In 2021, Elite Wine and Whisky, the go-to global platform for alternative investments, found that the increasingly hard-to-source category of Japanese whisky grew by 42 percent. Between 2015 and 2020 American whisky jumped off the chart by a staggering 41 percent.
Scarce Resource
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-66980" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-10.png" alt="whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu (10)" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-10.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-10-450x300.png 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-10-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-10-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-10-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-10-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-10-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-10-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /> 
In February 2021, when Scottish Highland Park released a 274 bottles limited-edition of its 50-year-old single malt in Washington, serious whisky buffs were blown away by its rich sherried flavours and delicate fragrances. An American collector flew all the way from New York to Seattle and paid Washington state’s highest alcohol tax to acquire this time capsule of sublime and complex flavours. Apparently, if this particular collector couldn’t grab it in US, he was willingly to travel to Dubai or elsewhere to own it, mindful of the long-term investment gains it promised.
Whisky is a unique asset. While fine wine has vintages every now and then, rare whisky is available in an extremely capacity and something that comes across once every few years. Cobwebbed old casks alone don’t make a whisky rare. According to Vinay Dayaram, a rare whisky is something which might be released in five to 10 years or never comes again after its release.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-66974" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-4.png" alt="whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu (4)" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-4.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-4-450x300.png 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-4-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-4-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-4-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-4-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-4-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-4-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Distilleries also restrict the number of bottles of celebrated spirits or intentionally age some in small batches just for the holidays or special occasions to create scarcity. The trend also results in a phenomenon called ‘whisky flipping’ – people stocking up on limited editions from a distillery and retailing them at sharp mark-ups as soon as stocks run dry. With more collectors in the world than the bottles released, vintage liquid gems from ghost distilleries – distilleries that have shuttered – have become highly desirable for canny investors.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-66976" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-6.png" alt="whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu (6)" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-6.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-6-450x300.png 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-6-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-6-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-6-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-6-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-6-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-6-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
The reopening of the 202-year-old iconic ghost distillery Brora in Sutherland, Scotland was celebrated with the legendary releases like the Brora Triptych: 38-, 43- and 48-year-old vintages that replicate as closely as possible the distillery’s distinct style and heritage. But Vinay cautions, “There’s no magic formula for investing in rare spirits, the value and price could go either way. Single cask bottlings only yield a limited amount of spirit, so the bottles tend to be rarer and can potentially appreciate faster. But there have been notable exceptions as well.” Case in point: Macallan. It’s been the top investment whisky for decades, but its value has depreciated according to the broker Rare Whisky 101.
Beware of Fakery
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-66973" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-3.png" alt="whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu (3)" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-3.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-3-450x300.png 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-3-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-3-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-3-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-3-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-3-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-3-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /> 
In one of the biggest counterfeiting scams to come to light, New York’s oldest wine merchant, Acker Wines was selling a rare bourbon bottle of Colonel E.H. Taylor Four Grain for US$1,000 when an Inside Edition producer sent it for chemical analysis to validate its authenticity. It failed the test. Turns out, this fake rarity was refilled with substandard liquor, resealed and sold to Acker as a part of an esteemed private collection.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-66975" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-5.png" alt="whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu (5)" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-5.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-5-450x300.png 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-5-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-5-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-5-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-5-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-5-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/whisky-investment-rare-whiskies-gafencu-5-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Counterfeiting in super-premium spirits has become fertile ground for scammers. Part of the problem is also the bragging rights around rare spirits – shaped by massive demand, a limited supply and a solid flow of cash – has meant both new and seasoned collectors have fallen prey to replicas, refills, and relics. In 2018, Rare Whisky 101 randomly analysed 55 different drams sourced from the secondary market. A total of 21 out of these 55 bottles, around 41-percent, were found to be straight-up fakes or had the year of bottling wrongly declared. Vintage and rare collectibles had an even higher level of fakery – with 100 percent of the bottles from around 1900 forged. The fakes had been priced at a staggering US$804,000.
While high-value replicas and refills are hard to spot, Vinay’s advice is to “carbon-date a sample before pulling out your wallet – and research, research, research.” Food fraud permeates all facets of our lives. It’s a good idea to assume the rare and specialised bottle you’re considering in investing in could be fake. Take a step backward to prove authenticity before making that all-important purchase.
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(Text: Nikita Mishra)

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Whisky Investment: Rare whiskies are reaping rich rewards, but make sure it’s the genuine article

As the fifth wave recedes from memory, with lockdowns and bar shutdowns, virtual parties and zoom celebrations duly shelved, there arises the need for hosting epic soirees with friends. It’s summer and – hey – it’s party time! Time to take back at our social life, with cookouts and boozy brunches again becoming a Sunday reality. It’s also the perfect opportunity for a refresher course to channel our inner mixologist – adding some panache to the clink of glasses and cheers. &nbsp;&nbsp;
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-66936" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/two-glasses-of-red-summer-cocktail-2021-08-30-22-00-55-utc-e1655527146187.jpg" alt="vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-sharbat-zzura-gafencu" width="700" height="394" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/two-glasses-of-red-summer-cocktail-2021-08-30-22-00-55-utc-e1655527146187.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/two-glasses-of-red-summer-cocktail-2021-08-30-22-00-55-utc-e1655527146187-450x253.jpg 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/two-glasses-of-red-summer-cocktail-2021-08-30-22-00-55-utc-e1655527146187-600x338.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
While a chilled beer oozes great summer vibes and a refreshing rosé&nbsp;evokes the beach and Beyoncé chic, nothing shouts summer like a flavourful vodka cocktail. The clear spirit often cops flak for being ‘basic’ but its clear and neutral profile is ideal for building up a versatile drink.
Off course you can whip up a watermelon keg, or a Long Island ice tea if you’re feeling old school and stuck in a cocktail rut. But the warm-weather possibilities for vodka-infused drinks are endless, as&nbsp;bartenders across Hong Kong share their cocktail secrets with the versatile spirit. We’ve lined up some toast-worthy preparations from the top bars in the city. Happy imbibing, folks.&nbsp;
Cocktail 1: Cry Baby
<figure id="attachment_66680" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-66680" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-66680 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Untitled-design-2.png" alt="" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Untitled-design-2.png 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Untitled-design-2-450x676.png 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Untitled-design-2-186x280.png 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Untitled-design-2-120x180.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Untitled-design-2-200x300.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Untitled-design-2-400x601.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-66680" class="wp-caption-text">Photo courtesy: Terrible Baby Bar, Hong Kong</figcaption></figure>
If you haven’t had a chance to visit this eclectic open-terrace bar – dubbed <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjIncX57Yb4AhUECd4KHa1eBEQQFnoECAoQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.terriblebaby.com%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw14-YTKJAl1t3fbTmKU2uVw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Terrible Baby </a>– in the heart of Jordan, you’re missing out on a selection of the best cocktails the city has to offer. According to resident Mixologist Alex Gonzalez, “Vodka is incredibly popular in Hong Kong, the people here love their Moscow mules and lime sodas and why not, vodka-based drinks are spectacular in our hot and humid clime.”&nbsp;
Ingredients 
– 45 ml vodka&nbsp; 
– 30 ml fresh lime juice and 30 ml pineapple juice&nbsp; 
– 15 ml sugar syrup (equal parts of sugar and water)&nbsp; 
– 6 lime leaves&nbsp; 
– Ginger beer&nbsp;
Method 
Shake the vodka, juices and syrup with lime leaves, double strain and top up with ginger beer. Shaking the cocktail will bring out the aromatics and you’ll have an incredibly light, tropical, gingery, and citrusy cocktail. Sip, sip, hurray!
Cocktail 2: Comfortably Numb 

<figure id="attachment_66959" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-66959" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-66959" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-hutong-gafencu.png" alt="vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-hutong-gafencu" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-hutong-gafencu.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-hutong-gafencu-450x300.png 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-hutong-gafencu-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-hutong-gafencu-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-hutong-gafencu-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-hutong-gafencu-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-hutong-gafencu-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-hutong-gafencu-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-66959" class="wp-caption-text">Comfortably Numb and dim sums: Perfect combination at Hutong, Hong Kong</figcaption></figure>
For something decidedly stronger, the mixologists at <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwimg_KF7ob4AhXYZd4KHer8CT0QFnoECAgQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fhutong.com.hk%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw2sEH9XdkkFLtlmygAMQIOC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hutong </a>have created this Sichuan pepper-inspired tipple. One for all the Pink Floyd fans, Comfortably Numb is presumably named after one of their most famous songs. It offers a brain-chilling, near numbing, buzzing sensation you really must experience. Take one sip of this tingling, sensational drink and you&#8217;ll be ready to order in bulk.&nbsp;
Ingredients 
– 50ml vanilla pod infused Ketel One Vodka&nbsp; 
– 25ml lychee liqueur&nbsp; 
– 20ml Sichuan pepper honey 
– 10ml lime juice&nbsp;
&nbsp;Method 
Fill all the ingredients in a shaker, mix and double strain into cocktail glasses coated with&nbsp;dried Sichuan peppers, garnish with red chili. Enjoy this sizzling, truly celebratory drink.&nbsp;
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Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/rum-surgence-premium-spirit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rum-surgence- From sailors’ grog to premium spirit</a>
Cocktail 3: Stay Calm
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-66933" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-gafencu-iron-fairies.png" alt="vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-gafencu-iron-fairies" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-gafencu-iron-fairies.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-gafencu-iron-fairies-450x300.png 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-gafencu-iron-fairies-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-gafencu-iron-fairies-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-gafencu-iron-fairies-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-gafencu-iron-fairies-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-gafencu-iron-fairies-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-gafencu-iron-fairies-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /> 
Whimsical, stunning and straight out of a story book, the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiKivSa8Yb4AhVNc3AKHVAbBWAQtwJ6BAgTEAE&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTheIronFairiesHongKong%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw25450pfdFMCBC14lUsXOpF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iron Fairies </a>establishment in Central is no stranger to creative cocktails. “The lighter, elegant texture and neutral nature of vodka elevates other flavours, especially fresh fruit, and packs quite a punch,” says the jazz bar’s seasoned mixologist, Tom Egerton. Stay Calm is a magical, magical cocktail and Egerton&#8217;s ode to the whiff of summer. He uses the excellent wheat-based French vodka, Tried &amp; True, the zero additives ecoSpirits format spirit for this artisanal drink.&nbsp;
Ingredients 
– 35ml Tried &amp; True Vodka 
– 5ml chamomile liqueur&nbsp; 
– 60ml watermelon juice 
– Dash of firewater tincture, pinch of salt
Method 
Pour all the ingredients and give them a good shake. Then pour over a short tumbler and garnish with fresh herbs – mint, basil, thyme – which will create a beautiful aroma reminiscent of balmy summer evenings.&nbsp;Enjoy.
Cocktail 4: Sharbat
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-66934" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-sharbat-zzura-gafencu.png" alt="vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-sharbat-zzura-gafencu" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-sharbat-zzura-gafencu.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-sharbat-zzura-gafencu-450x300.png 450w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-sharbat-zzura-gafencu-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-sharbat-zzura-gafencu-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-sharbat-zzura-gafencu-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-sharbat-zzura-gafencu-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-sharbat-zzura-gafencu-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vodka-cocktail-summer-bar-hongkong-sharbat-zzura-gafencu-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Inspired by Middle-eastern sensibilities, <a href="https://zzura.hk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zzura </a>turns from speakeasy bar to buzzing new hotspot. Reaching its second birthday this year, the bar has revamped their menu offering a new series of deliciously creative new tipples that evoke the classy blend of Moroccan and Mediterranean flavours.
The Sharbat, in particular&nbsp;– a Persian word that refers to a sweet drink that typically contains fruits or other flavours added to sugar and wat&nbsp;– is a smooth and technical cocktail that will put your mixing skills to the test.&nbsp;Firstly by creating the main ingredient – an infused vodka&nbsp;– as was done in-house by award-winning bartender and founder of Zzura and Tell Camilla, Gagan Gurung.
Ingredients 
Rooibos-infused Vodka: 
– An infusion of Citrus vodka with Rooibos tea 
– 500gm vodka 
– 10gm Rooibos tea for all night in fridge
Pomegranate Tea: 
– Pomegranate Shrub 
– 200gml Pomegranate juice 
– 100gm apple cider vinegar 
– 100gm sugar
Sharbat: 
– Rooibos citrus Vodka-50ml 
– Pomegrante shrub-25ml 
– Ruby port-10ml 
– Rooibos tea syrup-20ml 
– Lemon juice-25ml
Method 
For the infused vodka, incorporate Citrus vodka with Rooibos tea and leave in the fridge to infuse overnight. Then, for the tea, cook the tea leaves until simmering, then strain the tea to cool. Finally, Put everything in a shaker and double strain into a Martini glass.
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(Text: Nikita Mishra &amp; Roberliza Eugenio, Photos: Terrible Baby Bar, Hutong, Iron Fairies, Zzura)
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Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/how-canned-cocktails-dominated-the-bar-scene-hongkong/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How canned cocktails dominated the bar scene</a>

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