BAZ Salut!
This perfectly timed Monday-off guest post comes from our original Australian-Irish host, Bazil. You may have spotted Bazil - he’s the one hosting every single Cakebread party. Still unsure? He’s the one serving you that perfect cocktail at 6pm, his is a old fashioned. Need more hints? He’s the chap who, at 10pm, knows the right bar for the occasion, regardless of the city. Yeah, that guy.
Baz - when I finally see you again, the first round is one me .
BAZIL
Why is the rum, always gone?
So we are all in lockdown and physically isolating from each other to stop the spread of this virus.
Well done everyone! You deserve a pat on the back (wash your hands first, please and thank you). You know what else you deserve, a drink! But given we don’t live above a pub and the local boozer is closed till further notice, we have to make do with a glass of slightly stale cooking wine from last week’s dinner in the tiny patch of sunshine on the living room floor.
One of these things we can improve in this dire situation; the contents of your glass…
For those who like a glass of the French stuff, St John are doing online orders of their whole wine list, not just their own brand wine. For the economic of us, the BIB (bag in box) goes right up to the 10L, and if you don’t want to slum it, the magnum list has a very reasonable 2018 Grenache/Syrah blend for only 30£, among others
https://stjohnrestaurant.com/collections/winesFor the beer hounds, out and about, Kicking Horse are still delivering with free delivery over 35£. Their range comprised of wholly independent breweries with most being UK based. Some favourites among the list are the Burning Sky Cuvee Saison, in a handy sharing bottle for myself and the cat. The Hoppy Mixed case is a staple in my house at the moment with a solid mix of IPA, Session, Pale and a Toddy ale.
https://kicking-horse-craft-beer-merchants.myshopify.com/collections/allBut what about us who like to frock up/suit up/put on something other than pj’s, and have a cocktail to wind down!? The Whiskey Exchange is doing a great range of cocktail kits made by some of the best bars in the city, and profits go to help support the bar they come from. Standouts on the list are the Fino Negroni by Sabor for a little Spanish flavour in your life and Welcome to Havana by the kids at Liquorette. They also have all your necessary bitters, mixers, jigs, stemware and accessories available. The only thing missing is a lovely flirt to make the drink for you and the kitchen sink. To state the obvious, The Whiskey Exchange also houses a frightening amount of spirits from all over the globe, including the worlds best gin in 2019, The Four Pillars, Bloody Shiraz. The surprisingly tasty, organic, experimental rye, White Rhino by Vulson and the smokiest of them all, the Octomore. Order at your own peril.
https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/d/1031/bring-the-bar-home
So with the above list, your credit card and the remnants of that stale bottle, you have the skills to get a much nicer drink in time for tomorrow’s video call, happy hour, bread baking, family catch up, board game, exercise class, pub quiz. Time to refill that ice cube tray, do the balance dance back to the freezer and clean up the mess you made.
Till next time
Your resident Australian Quarantina Arena
And yes, you can use that as the team name for the quiz....
“I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy”
