Episodes

  • Hotel, Motel, Is That Your Foreskin? This week's pod recalls Tom's unfortunate and minor (very minor) costume malfunction on stage at the Alnwick Playhouse before raising a Rob Roy in memory of the Waldorf Astoria and exploring the ale-loving entrepreneur who invented Cat's Eyes.

    Get your Worthington White Shield here: £3.59 from Beers of Europe

    Rob Roy

    50 ml Scotch Whisky,
    20 ml Sweet Red Vermouth,
    dash Angostura Bitters.
    How To make a Rob Roy. Stir ingredients over ice in a mixing glass

    Discerning Drinks Deals Of The Week

    Waitrose, Kyro Gin, £25, £4.95 off,

    Sainsburys, Cardhu Gold Reserve Single Malt Scotch £26 down from £40
    1000 Stories Bourbon-Aged Zinfandel £12 down from £15

    Master of Malt: Silent Pool Gift Pack for Mother's Day. £55 down from £65.



    Other Stuff

    Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here.

    3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.Exclusive access to the TD online magazineA signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests

    Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for every audience member, here:

    OldhamAUSTRIAN ALPS: ALTITUDE COMEDY FESTIVALBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby



  • This week, we hark back to the halcyon days when strangers blew smoke up the bottoms of wet people and, in the whining words of Liam Gallagher, things get supersonic with a gin and tonic as we celebrate the birth of Concorde.

    Oaxaca Old Fashioned (created by Phil Ward in New York)

    40ml Fortaleza Reposado Tequila

    12.5ml Lost Explorer Mezcal

    1 barspoon agave nectar

    2 dashes Angostura bitters

    Garnish: orange twist

    Method: Set the orange peel to one side before bringing all the ingredients in a glass (Old Fashioned) containing a large ice cube. Stir until chilled. Flame an orange twist over the surface of the drink.

    Discerning Drinks Deals Of The Week

    Majestic
    Chanoine Frères 'Réserve Privée' Brut Champagne - £20 OFF
    Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva 2013/15 - 8 quid off.
    Definition English Sparkling Brut, Hampshire - 11 quid off.
    Lanson Le Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne - £20 off

    Whiskey Exchange
    Fortaleza Blanco Tequila with a case of London Essence Pomelo and Pink Pepper Tonic - £62.75

    ASDA GIN OF THE WEEK

    Asda, Plymouth Gin, £20, save a fiver,

    Waitrose Wine: Terre di Vita Organic Pinot Grigio Terre Siciliane £6.49 - down from £8.99,

    Mimo Moutinho Dão Red Wine, Aldi, £5.79

    Become a reviewer for the Aldi Wine Club - click here

    Are you a wine enthusiast? Do you have a nose for aromas and impeccable tastebuds? Or simply want the opportunity to try some FREE wines?

    We are looking for thirty vino-loving superstars to make up our latest Aldi Wine Club panel – an exclusive group of Aldi shoppers with a passion for wine.

    As an Aldi Wine Club member, you will have the opportunity to trial delicious and award-winning wines, including new launches from Aldi’s Spring Summer range, without spending a penny.

    All you’ll be tasked with is reviewing each wine via a 140-character tweet or Instagram post using the dedicated #AldiWineClub hashtag– it’s as simple as that!

    Applications now open until 13th March!

    To apply to the Aldi wine tasting opportunity, shoppers simply need to send an email to [email protected] with the below details:

    • Full name

    • Proof of age

    • The name of your social media handles and the number of followers for each account

    • 150 words explaining why you think you should be selected as an Aldi Wine Club member

    • What your favourite wine is and why



    Other Stuff

    Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here.

    3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.Exclusive access to the TD online magazineA signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests

    Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for every audience member, here:

    NorthallertonAlnwickOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby
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  • After a week off, the hardest working beefcakes in the drinks business slide back into the Pod saddle, digging their heels into some hard-nosed aural journalism and whipping up some searing investigative insight - namely the return of bananas to the UK in 1945 and. of course, National Pig Day (only America).

    Like beer? Like bananas? Well you'll flipping love Mongozo Banana Beer - available here or via Amazon here

    And how about A Pigs In Blanket Old Fashioned?

    Pigs in Blanket Old Fashioned

    Ingredients

    12 pigs in blanket

    70cl of Pork fat-washed whisky

    5ml Maple syrup

    2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

    To make the fat-wash whisky

    · Grill the pigs in blanket over a baking tray and collect 30ml of the fat.

    · Strain it into a container filled with 70cl of blended Scotch whisky. Leave it to steep in the whisky for 6-8 hours or overnight at room temperature before placing the bottle in the freezer.

    · Once the fat has congealed in the bottle, strain the bourbon into a new bottle.

    Method:

    · Take 40 ml pigs-in-blanket fat-infused whisky and stir in a mixing glass with the maple syrup and ice.

    · Add bitters and stir.

    · Strain into a child ‘Old Fashioned’ glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange slice.. Or a pig-in-blanket

    While you're waiting for the pig fat to steep in the whisky, here's a video about pigs that play video games.

    Drinks Deals Of The Week
    Mirabeau La Folie Sparkling Rose - down £3 to £11 at Sainsburys
    Johnnie Walker Black Label - Sainsbury, £22, save £10,

    Martini Rosso, only £2.50 off, but down to £8 at Waitrose,
    Jameson Orange, £15, save £9.50, great in an alternative to the Irish Espresso Martini Waitrose

    For gin fans, Hayman’s London Dry Gin, fiver off, £21 Waitrose

    Keep your eye out for the new Luxardo Espresso Liqueur

    _____________________________

    Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here.

    3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.Exclusive access to the TD online magazineA signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests

    Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for evewry audience member, here:

    HarpendenNorthallertonAlnwickOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby
  • If drink-soaked discussion of aphrodisiacal accompaniments to oysters, 'titanic plums', guinea pigs with dodgy fivers, hangover cures and some seriously decent discounted drinks are your thing then listen to this Valentine's Special featuring a boffin.

    VALENTINE DRINKS
    The Properly Dangerous Liason
    Ingredients
    45ml Brockmans Gin
    75ml Taittinger Champagne or Sparkling Wine
    15ml Fresh Lemon Juice
    10ml Creme de Cassis
    5ml Sugar Syrup
    Method

    – Combine all ingredients apart from the sparkling wine and creme de cassis in a shaker over ice
    – Shake to combine, double strain into a champagne flute and
    – Top with Champagne, then drizzle over the creme de cassis.
    – Garnish with a lemon twist.

    Chilean Red Wine: Errazuriz Max Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon – £12.99, Waitrose

    Chargrilled asparagus with Westmalle Tripel – £4.20 from Beer Merchants

    Oysters with Titanic Plum Porter – £1.80, Sainsbury’s

    Discerning Drinks Deals
    Aperol, Morrisons, reduced from £20 to £15.99,

    Morrisons, Courvoisier VSOP, £29.99, down from £37,

    Gin deal of the week, Sainsbury, 1l of Tanqueray, £20,

    Asda Beer Deals

    You can get two packs for a tenner on certain beers.

    So 4xJaipur and 6x Pilsner Urquell for £10.

    That’s a tenner for 10 quality beers, so that makes them £1 each. Some maths for you.

    _____________________________

    Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here.

    3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.Exclusive access to the TD online magazineA signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests

    Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for evewry audience member, here:

    London Leicester Square (THURSDAY 9th Feb)HarpendenNorthallertonAlnwickPendleOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby
  • We tell the WWII story behind Whisky Galore before linking a classic gin cocktail to a tale of someone knocking a vase over.

    You should listen.

    The Ola Dubh range is available from The Whiskey Exchange

    Sainsbury has its Villa Maria on at £8.75, down from a tenner,


    Jameson is £19 down from £22.50,

    Gin deal of the week, Asda and Waitrose are going at it in their bid to bring you the best price on Tanqueray Ten
    Waitrose, £27,

    Aviation Cocktail

    60ml gin

    15ml Maraschino Liqueur
    10ml Créme De Violette

    25ml Lemon Juice

    Lemon zest, to garnish

    Shake gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur and crème de violette over ice, Taste, then add a splash of chilled water to dilute, if you like. Strain into four chilled cocktail glasses and garnish with blueberries and lemon zest.

    Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here.

    3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.Exclusive access to the TD online magazineA signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests

    Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for evewry audience member, here:

    Nottingham - 241 tickets use the word DRINKERLondon Leicester SquareHarpendenNorthallertonAlnwickPendleOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby


  • Hail Henry VIII's death with Tynt Meadow - the only Trappist Beer in Britain.

    Read Mark Dredge's great article about the monastery in Good Beer Hunting here:

    Watch the documentary "Outside City" - all about the realities of the modern-day Monky business here.

    AA Milne & The Bee's Knees Cocktail

    Get Hiver Blonde Beer from Waitrose here

    Bee's Knees Cocktail

    Ingredients

    2 teaspoons of honey50ml Portobello Gin25ml Lemon JuiceIce


    Method: Loosen up the honey in a jug by stirring it with a little bit of freshly boiled water. When it's smooth, add the mixture to a shaker filled with plenty of ice, the lemon juice and the gin. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with some lemon zest.


    This week's "Les Bargains"

    Benriach The Original Ten Speyside Single Malt Scotch, £29 Waitrose (save £9)
    Sweet and easy-drinking intro into whisky.

    Balblair 15 Year Old, Whisky exchange, £64.95 (£13 off)
    A bit more punchy, 46%, full-bodied, matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in first-fill Spanish oak butts.

    Vestal Kaszebe 2011 Vintage Vodka, Whisky Exchange at £21.95 (£8 off)
    The potatoes used as the based for this vodka are the Vineta varietal and are all grown in the Kaszebe region of central northern Poland.

    Absolute, £16, Asda
    Great vodka for mixed drinks and recreating the scene in Wolf of Wall Street

    Heineken 0,0, 6xcans for £4.50,

    Sainsburys doing Bacardi Carta Blanca for £14, £2 off.
    Makes a wicked daiquiri, 700ml bottle, 50ml per daiquiri, how many can you make? You do the math.



    ________________________________

    Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here.

    3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.Exclusive access to the TD online magazineA signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests

    Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for evewry audience member, here:

    Nottingham - 241 tickets use the word DRINKERLondon Leicester SquareHarpendenNorthallertonAlnwickPendleOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby


  • This week, following our inaugural appearance on "This Morning", our pod adopts an alternative approach to Burns Night and solves a mystery for those looking to drink something in honour of Hercule Poirot.

    Burns Night is coming. Let's face it, if it wasn’t in January, no-one would take any notice. But after 25 moribund days of ‘meh’, celebrating the birthday of an 18th century tax collector with some root vegetables and stomach stuffed with bits of sheep sounds like a brilliant night out.

    It’s not. A clichéd caricature of Scottish-ness, it’s tediously quaint, painfully kitsch and all those endless Immortal Memories, those cheesy Addresses to the Lassies; the dreary drone of the bagpipes would have bored the life out of the real Robert Burns.

    So we suggest some alcoholic alternatives to breathe life back into Burns Night including:

    Harviestoun Ola Dubh - you can get it the three different expressions, here.

    Braemble gin Liqueur - Scottish blackberry with English London Dry Gin. £24.89 Master of Malt

    The Long Bramble
    25ml liqueur
    100ml ginger ale or tonic
    Pour the bramble over ice, in a highball, top with ginger ale, garnish with a wedge of lime, squeeze it in first


    Cross Brew coffee liqueur, £25.74 Master of Malt

    Cross Brew Negroni
    20ml Cross Brew
    30ml Campari
    30ml Punt e Mes
    Stir over ice and strain into rocks glass with ice

    Whisky Deals
    Mortlach 15 YO for £87.95 Whisky Exchange – saving £32.05

    Aberlour 14-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky, £46 Waitrose - save £10

    Cardhu, £26, Sainsburys - was £40

    Woven Whisky, Experience N.11, Peachy, £55

    POIROT
    And then we celebrate a lesser-known milestone - the 103rd anniversary of the first ever Hercule Poirot novel - and honour the "detestable, bombastic, tiresome,egocentric little creep" with a superb Belgian stout.

    Get Hercule Stout here

    ________________________________

    Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here.

    3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.Exclusive access to the TD online magazineA signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests

    Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for evewry audience member, here:

    Nottingham - 241 tickets use the word DRINKERLondon Leicester SquareHarpendenNorthallertonAlnwickPendleOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby


  • Amid all this talk of Harry and Meghan, we explore Edward VII, aka "Dirty Bertie" - the original Playboy Prince with some cracking King's Ginger liqueur.

    Then, having once again proven that #winewritingiswelleasy, we make ourselves a Bicicletta for birthday boy and Pirate peddler Marco Pantani.

    If you'd like to see Edward VII's 's3x chair' (and why wouldn't you?) then click here.

    Amazon is offering a great deal on King's Ginger, complete with swanky gift tin, for just £23 here. You're welcome.

    King's Mulled Cider
    50ml The King's Ginger
    150ml Cider
    150ml Apple juice
    Serve in a handled glass, hot or over ice.
    Garnish with lemon, cinnamon stick and fresh blackberries.


    Marco Pantani

    Here's the picture of Marco shaking an Italian policeman's hand after some rather ripe parking manouevres and here's a picture of his statue in Northern Italy.

    For Campari, the best price is at Morrisons, £15.50 - click here

    The Bicicletta

    50ml Campari 75ml White wine Soda Water

    Built over ice, use a wine glass or a highball glass

    Other Royal Drinks:

    King Charles's Royal Lochnagar 12 year old, Whisky Exchange, £40.95

    Megan Markle's Tignanello 2018 can be found at Fine Wine Direct for £180


    Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here.

    3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.Exclusive access to the TD online magazineA signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests

    Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for evewry audience member, here:

    Nottingham London Leicester SquareHarpendenNorthallertonAlnwickPendleOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby


  • Get yourself some Veuve Clicquot here

    The Monkey Gland, created by Harry MacElhone

    Ingredients
    60ml London Dry Gin

    45ml orange juice

    1 teaspoon absinthe

    1 teaspoon grenadine

    1 teaspoon sugar syrup (optional)

    Shake all ingredient with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with orange peel or a lychee.
    Serve with monkey nuts.

    ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here. It's what Jesus would have wanted.

    3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.Exclusive access to the TD online magazineA signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests

    Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for evewry audience member, here:

    Nottingham London Leicester SquareHarpendenNorthallertonAlnwickPendleOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby
  • Bonjour tout le monde,

    In this week's podcast, discover how Alfred Nobel inspired peace after accidentally reading his own obituary, marvel at probly the best Danish design in the world and strap yourself in for some fascinating yeast chat.

    Ahead of France v England, we commemorate the Battle of Agincourt, and Ben's tortured football analogy, with a Biere de Garde/Saison style beer. Buy here

    Watch Dennis Bergkamp, the non-Flying Dutchman, book the Argentinians on the plane home with this 'worldy' from the 1998 World Cup.

    _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here. It's what Jesus would have wanted.

    3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.Exclusive access to the TD online magazineA signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests

    Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for evewry audience member, here:

    Nottingham London Leicester SquareHarpendenNorthallertonAlnwickPendleOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby
  • In this week’s podcast, we chat to radio and TV presenter Adrian Chiles about his new book "The Good Drinker - How I Learned to Love Drinking Less" which is very much in tune with the Thinking Drinkers' mantra "Drink Less Drink Better" .

    Amusing, insightful and compelling yet never preachy, Adrian's book explores both the benefits and difficulties of drinking in moderation after years of seriously committed consumption.

    Adrian didn’t think he had a drinking problem, until he realised he was regularly putting away 100 units of alcohol a week.

    When specialists told him something had to change, he had a choice to make - stop drinking completely or cut right down.

    He chose the latter and embarked on a fascinating quest to find the good drinker within...

    Adrian Chiles is a writer, television and radio presenter and world-weary West Bromwich Albion fan.

    He has been a presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live since the day it started in 1994 and his TV presenter work includes Working Lunch, Match of the Day 2 and The Apprentice: You're Fired.

    He recently released a documentary called "Drinkers Like Me", in which he explored his relationship with alcohol and decided to cut down.

    You can buy the book here:

    Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here. It's what Jesus would have wanted.

    3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.Exclusive access to the TD online magazineA signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests

    Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for evewry audience member, here:

    Nottingham London Leicester SquareHarpendenNorthallertonAlnwickPendleOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby

  • Manhattan
    60ml (2 fl oz) Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Bourbon
    25ml (¾ fl oz) sweet vermouth | 3 dashes of Angostura bitters
    Ice | Cherry, to garnish
    • Pour the bourbon, vermouth and bitters into a mixing glass. Add
    ice, stir gently for 10–15 seconds, then strain into a cocktail glass.
    Garnish with a cherry.

    Get yourself a can of Carlsberg Special Brew here


    Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here

    3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.Exclusive access to the TD online magazineA signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests

    Check out dates and tickets for the shows below here:

    Nottingham London Leicester SquareHarpendenNorthallertonAlnwickPendleOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby
  • This week's podcast features phallic-shaped outcrops and death-defying, rum guzzling, swashbuckling salty seamen.

    Marvel as we expertly tip-toe around some sensitive issues of the past whilst simultaneously decanting drinks knowledge into you generous ears.

    As promised, here's the picture of Cock Rock (now known as Rooster Rock) and here's where you can buy some Jagermeister - a much misunderstood digestif made with 56 different herbs, roots, fruits and spices.

    Given Blackbeard became a pirate at the tender age of 12, we're going for some El Dorado 12 year-old in a Rum Old Fashioned.

    Rum Old Fashioned - 12YO

    60ml El Dorado 12YO - buy it here

    3x Dashes Aromatic Bitters

    Barspoon of Demerara Sugar

    Orange Twist

    Method: Put the sugar, bitters and water in a tumbler/old fashioned glass.
    Stir until the sugar dissolves.
    Add a couple of ice cubes and stir in the rum. Add a couple more and stir some more.
    Garnish with the orange twist

  • Get some Pilsner Urquell here
    Drink some neat Gin whilst gawping at Gin Lane & Beer Street here

    Subscribe to the Thinking Drinkers Spirits Subscription Club here and check out dates and tickets for the shows below here:

    WycombeFarnhamWorcesterBristolWolverhamptonLondon Leicester SquareHarpendenNorthallertonAlnwickPendleOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby
  • This week, the Thinking Drinkers hail Harry Houdini's almost fatal attempt to escape from an urn full of fermenting Tetley's Beer, light a firework under several myths surrounding Guy Fawkes and big-up the famous Northampton massif with Three Hills brewery.

    And as promised, here's our super duper mulled cider recipe. How do you like them apples?

    Mulled cider

    Ingredients

    1½ litres of dry cider

    100ml Calvados

    400ml apple juice

    80g dark brown sugar

    2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half

    4 whole cloves

    zest 1 orange, pared into strips

    1 tbsp allspice berries

    Add cider, Calvados, apple juice and sugar to a saucepan, gently heat, then add the orange zest and spices, simmer on a low heat for 20 mins.

    Subscribe to the Thinking Drinkers Spirits Subscription Club here and check out dates and tickets for the shows below here:

    WycombeFarnhamWorcesterBristolIsle of WightWolverhamptonLondon Leicester SquareHarpendenNorthallertonAlnwickPendleOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby


  • Date: October 30th
    Event: 1974 Rumble In The Jungle - George Foreman v Muhammed Ali
    Drink: The Uppercut
    50ml Triple Sec
    25ml Cachaça
    15ml Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
    15ml Pink Grapefruit Juice (freshly squeezed)
    Dash of Angostura Aromatic Bitters

    Method: Shake all the ingredients with ice and strain into a coupe glass

    Or, given Ali was born in Louisville, reach of some quality Kentucky Straight Bourbon in the shape of Elijah Craig Small Batch.

    Enjoy while watching....
    Highlights of the Rumble In The Jungle fight in 1974 here
    Trailer for When We Were Kings here and the trailer for Soul Power here

    Date: 2nd November
    Event: Marie Antoinette's Birthday
    Drink: Bollinger Champagne

    And here's a picture of a Greek nipple bowl. You're welcome.

    Subscribe to the Thinking Drinkers Spirits Subscription Club here and check out dates and tickets for the shows below here:

    WycombeFarnhamWorcesterBristolIsle of WightWolverhamptonLondon Leicester SquareHarpendenNorthallertonAlnwickPendleOldhamBrightonBedfordReading DidcotStroudLeicesterCorby



  • This week, we shall ostly be drinking rum and red wine mixed with coca-cola. Here's why.

    Event: Death of Lord Admiral Nelson
    Agggghhh landlubbers. On October 21st, 1805, Lord Nelson was shot by a Frenchman during the Battle of Trafalgar during a battle which the Brits won 22-0 (in terms of ships).

    Drink: Nelson's Blood
    To commemorate the one-eyed, partially-deaf, philandering, publicity-seeking, sea-sick seaman, we're drinking Nelson's Blood II using Pusser's Navy Rum.

    Nelson’s Blood No.2
    45ml Pusser's Navy Rum
    45ml Cranberry Juice
    22.5ml Lime Juice
    22.5 ml Orange juice
    12.5 ml Sugar syrup
    Two dashes of Angostura Bitters
    Strain into ice-filled glass after shaking all the ingredients in a shaker packed with ice. Garnish with a lime wedge to prevent scurvy.

    Event: Thomas Edison invents a commercially practical incandescent light at his industrial research lab in New Jersey.

    Drink: A “Calimocho”, a blend of equal parts cola and cheap red wine.

    America’s finest inventor gave us the gramophone, the movie camera and the first commercially practical long-lasting light bulb.

    He drank something called Vin Mariani, a ‘medicinal’ mix of cheap red wine and coca leaves, believed be the pre-cursor to Coca-Cola.

    We're mixing the two in equal parts.

    But you can buy a version of Vin Mariani (without the nose candy) here.

    To find out more about our Spirits Subscription Club and tour dates - click here

  • Evel Knievel & Wild Turkey

    Enjoy a Wild Turkey 101 whilst watching Evel Knievel (mostly) fail to land death-defying jumps.

    Wembley 1975: And the report from The Guardian here

    CNN Obituary footage here

    Matthew McConaughey's Eulogy at Knievel's funeral here

    And here's the.....

    Kung Fu and the Grasshopper

    How to make: SHAKE all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.

    25ml Crème de menthe

    25ml Crème de Cacao

    25 ml Single cream

    Pour ingredients into shaker full of ice, shake and strain into a coupe

    Also, here's a link for Mortlach 25 year-old and RinQuinQuin

  • The first episode of our new podcast series recommends drinks to enjoy from October 7th to October 13th.

    Listen to Lenny Bruce At Carnegie Hall

    Here's Ursula Andres and her shells in Dr.No

    C*cks**king Cowboy
    15ml Butterscotch Schnapps
    30ml Baileys Irish Cream
    Layer the two ingredients in a shot glass by pouring Baileys off the back of a bar spoon so it floats on top of the schnapps

    Vodka Martini
    60ml Vodka
    3tsp Dry Vermouth
    Ice cubes.
    Olive or lemon zest

    Method: Stir the ingredients in a glass with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an olive or a lemon twist.

    For more on The Thinking Drinkers and dates for their "Pub Quiz" shows - click here

    For the C**kSuck*ng Cowboy you can buy Baileys Irish Cream here and Bols Butterscotch here

    For the Vodka Martini - go for Belvedere Smogory Forest Single Estate Rye here and Cocchi Extra Dry vermouth here

  • he full range of Diplomatico rums can be bought from The Whisky Exchange here:

    Luxury chocolate supporting a great cause can be found at Harry Specters here

    Waitrose chocs can be purchased here:


    And you can the lovely wine packs from Bibwine here

    And you can watch the pod here