Category Archives: Drink
Iced tea-free zone
I’ve become more of an iced tea drinker in the past five years or so. It’s always perceived in my mind as a healthier option than a soft drink, and provides the added boost of a little caffeine in the afternoon.
What I haven’t really consciously considered is the fact that the U.K. is essentially an iced tea-free zone. If tea is on the menu, it’s not listed as hot tea. It’s tea. It will be hot. For a country obsessed with tea, the concept of iced tea is truly foreign. (However, they do intimately know their Long Island Iced Tea, though, I should add …)
What are your thoughts on iced tea? Good? Bad? Indifferent?
A sad news day for milky tea
Tea without milk is like a day without sunshine. Photo credit: iFood
Tea without milk? Blasphemous, I say!
But there is some debate over whether milk diminishes the heart-healthy properties in a cuppa. Tea apparently won’t help regulate blood pressure or control diabetes when milk is present. To this I say, “Poppycock!” (Ooh, I feel like Maggie Smith in “Gosford Park” or … anything really … when saying that.)
Cheers to a good British organic beer
I blogged last week about a very British find at Whole Foods Market. Well, I have another discovery to share: Laverstoke Park Farm Organic Real Lager, made in Basingstoke, near Hampshire!
We bought some on our last weekly shop and I wasn’t sure what to expect (it’s not often you see a child’s drawing on a label advertising beer!) but it turns out that it is truly a great lager. Not too light, not too pissy (ahem, Coors…). Just refreshing with some body and flavor! Best of all, it’s British and organic! Superb!
Great British Beer Festival
Photo credit: Getty Images
And before you say things can’t get any better in the U.K., in waltzes the Great British Beer Festival, which runs through Saturday in London Olympia (not to be confused with the Olympic village!).
And before you assume, it’s going to be the usual round-up of Boddington’s, Newcastle Brown Ale and Tetley in a can, well, check out their beer list. They have over 800 cask and bottled real ales, ciders and foreign beers from around the globe.
I’ll cheers to that!
The joy of Pimm’s
Photo credit: Slate.com
With the temperatures rising and summer in full swing, I like to turn to my favorite summertime drink: Pimm’s and lemonade.
It sounds like I’m not alone. It is growing in popularity among Americans, according to the New York Times. Pimm’s is named after James Pimm, the bar owner who created it in the mid 1800s and it is a quintessentially British drink, particularly popular at Wimbledon.
As for the recipe, I usually just eyeball it. One part Pimm’s to three parts lemonade (I like the Santa Cruz brand organic sparkling lemonade but 7up will do) and then add slices of cucumber, oranges, apples, strawberries and fresh mint to the glass and serve over ice.
If you’re looking to buy a bottle of Pimm’s, Bevmo is a safe bet. I bought a bottle recently for $17.99, after trying three different grocery stores and worrying that I might end up Pimm’s-less.
I don’t like tea. I like gin.
American supermarkets would never do an advert (translation: commercial) like this, which is a shame. Aldi rules!
The U.K.’s best gastropubs
The Harwood Arms in Fulham made the top 10.
I love a good gastropub and as far as I’m concerned, the U.K. is king for this blessed blend of good pub and grub.
Budweiser Budvar announced the UK’s top 50 Gastropub Awards yesterday, as voted by 750 chefs, food critics and writers.
License to bartend
Yep, they're British.
Sometimes, only a Brit will do.
Such is the thinking behind BritishBartenders.com, an L.A. company that brings posh British bartenders and staff to service any event.
Started by a British bartending bloke (say that three times fast) named Martin Cole, the business is famous for “private event mixology” and “bartending to the stars,” according to their website. They can provide all of the ingredients, glasswear, alcohol and ice as well as the bar itself for the perfect bash.
I think he’s on to something. Brits know how to make a good, stiff drink. They don’t bat an eye at excess and they know how to tie a Windsor knot. Plus, they know how to pull a proper pint, when you grow tired of cocktails.
Too bad I’m not in L.A…
There ain’t no cure for the wintertime brews
We may still be in the thick of winter but the worst of it is thankfully behind us. Yes, I’m talking about the end of the winter brews – those dreadful American spiced lagers and ales that have been everywhere since Thanksgiving.
Enemy number 1 in the spicy brew world? Samuel Adams’ Winter Lager. I must’ve seen the commercial at least 100 times, groaning with each careful mention of the spices involved. I like spices in my gingerbread, pumpkin pie, hot apple cider, sure. But beer? No thanks. Brits may drink their beer warm but they don’t dare mess about with cinnamon and ginger in the brewing process. I can respect that.
I’m happy to report that winter lager is now gone from Samuel Adams’ website and has been replaced by something spice-free: an Alpine Spring brew. It’s always something.
BRITRISH.COM 