Cool Warwickshire based craft brewery, Purity, have released Saddle Black, a 5.1% ABV full-flavoured hoppy black beer, dedicated to Britain's cycling community. It's brewed using smoked chocolate and black malts together with New World hops Chinook and Cascade, producing a well-rounded beer with aromas of citrus, chocolate and espresso. It is available to pubs from 26th November until March 2014.
Cool Warwickshire based craft brewery, Purity, have released Saddle Black, a 5.1% ABV full-flavoured hoppy black beer, dedicated to Britain's cycling community. It's brewed using smoked chocolate and black malts together with New World hops Chinook and Cascade, producing a well-rounded beer with aromas of citrus, chocolate and espresso. It is available to pubs from 26th November until March 2014.
Love Drinks have unveiled a 40% ABV bison grass infused vodka, with the intention of rivalling Zubrowka. Grasovka, which has been available in Germany for many years, is made from traditional Polish vodka, infused with dried bison grass from the Bialowieza National Park, which straddles the borders of Poland and Belarus and where wild bison can be found. A blade of bison grass is contained in each bottle, giving it a mildly fruity flavour and spicy aroma. It is best served over ice with cloudy apple juice and garnished with a slice of apple.
Soft-porn publisher and Soho property tycoon, Paul Raymond, has had a gin dedicated to him by his son Howard.King Of Soho Gin is a 42% ABV London Dry Gin distilled in the heart of London using traditional methods and crafted with 12 botanicals to create a unique flavour of soft juniper and coriander, with a high presence of citrus ingredients including grapefruit peel, balanced by angelica root and cassia. The unique bottle embodies the characteristics of Soho. At the moment it is only available to buy online and in a handful of London bars. Paul Raymond opened Britain's first strip club in 1958 and went on to publish porn magazines Men Only and Escort, becoming the richest man in Britain in 1992 with a £1.5 billion fortune. He was the subject of the Steve Coogan and Anna Friel film 'The Look Of Love' earlier this year.
A new handcrafted 45% ABV London Dry Gin has been launched inspired by the pioneering spirit of 19th century African explorers and the botanical discoveries they made. The artisan Elephant Gin is produced in Germany made using 14 different botanicals including some rare ingredients such as African wormwood and the buchu plant. Not only is this a uniquely flavoured gin, it is also charitable like Snow Leopard vodka, with 15% of all profits being donated to two African Elephant foundations, which are devoted to the conservation of wildlife in Africa.
Cheshire bar and restaurant group Living Ventures is looking to increase the size of its Gusto chain. There are currently nine Gusto sites operating throughout the North West in what used to be Est Est Est and Olive Press restaurants, including the Albert Dock and Heswall. If the financing deal for the expansion is approved, it will see more than 20 new sites in the UK. They are also looking to expand their New World Pub Co, which currently includes The Oast House in Manchester and The Botanist in Alderley Edge and Leeds.
Hot on the heels of the recently re-launched Hooch, Liverpool based Halewood International are set to launch their Crabbie’s Cloudy Alcoholic Lemonade. This is the first time Crabbie's have left ginger beer territory. Another change will see the new drink sold in smaller 330ml bottles. It's the sixth Crabbie's variant to hit the market and joins their Original, Black, Spiced Orange, Scottish Raspberry and Strawberry & Lime alcoholic ginger beers. We're sure the grown-up Famous Five and Secret Seven would approve.
Wallasey born 'Something For The Weekend' TV chef, Simon Rimmer, who owns both Greens and Earle in Manchester, has announced he will be opening a restaurant in his home city of Liverpool. Located within the new DoubleTree by Hilton hotel at the Grade II listed former Municipal Annexe, Simon Rimmer at Layla will open later this year.
English Gin distiller Hayman's is set to mark its 150th anniversary by relaunching its gin range. The emphasis will be on the company’s history as a family distiller since 1863, making it the longest serving Gin distilling family in England. The range will be given a new bottle design based on a 1947 bottle found in the family's archives, with a new Victorian-inspired logo. Hayman's London Dry Gin, Old Tom Gin, and Sloe Gin will be rebranded immeditaely with their 1850 Reserve Gin and Gin Liqueur to follow later.
UK festival goers will get the chance to visit the new Jaegermeister 'Deep Freeze' ice bar, which will be appearing at 25 music events across the country including Kendal Calling, Bloodstock, SlamDunk and Leeds. Visitors will be given special capes as they enter the bar, which will be chilled to -10°C and includes ice-covered walls, ice sculptures, a maze, interactive photo wall, VIP area and free wi-fi. Jaegermeister is the third best-selling liquor in the UK with over 180 million shots sold last year, 90% of which were in Jaegerbombs (Red Bull & Jaegermeister), something they are keen to distance themselves from.
WKD, the popular pre-mixed vodka alcopop have announced two new flavours, WKD Orange and the apple flavoured WKD Green. Both are currently available exclusively in Yates's but will be available nationwide from July and backed by a 'Green With Envy?' poster campaign. They will permanently replace the short-lived WKD Core apple cider.
Drinks Company Eliots have launched a new range of flavoured vodkas to the UK market. Mysthic Vodka, which is already being sold in Portugal, is being billed as a budget vodka and has six flavours in the range - blackcurrant, strawberry, wild berry, melon, chocolate and caramel.
Fans of American Indian Pale Ales will be pleased to hear that Delaware craft brewery, Fordhams have released a West Coast style brew to the UK market. Rams Head IPA contains pale, Munich and rye malts, along with Barvo, Chinook, and Motueka hops, which help to create a 7.5% ABV beer which apparently pairs well with pork belly, Indian cuisine, blue cheese and rice pudding.
Three independent Japanese breweries are set to export craft beer to the UK for the first time. The Minoh Beer Brewery, Brimmer Brewing, and Baird Brewing Comapny are able to sell beers in the UK thanks to a deal with Number One Drinks Company, the Japanese whiskey specialists who currently import Chichibu, Hanyu and Karuizawa whilst also exporting Brewdog beers to Japan.
Rekorderlig has launched its latest fruit flavoured Swedish cider, Peach & Apricot, in Stonegate pubs, which include the Albert Hotel on Lark Lane. Originally launched in 2012 and only available in Tesco, this new flavour comes hot on the heels of last month’s launch of the Summer Passion Fruit variety.
Pernod Ricard are set to launch a new premium gin in the UK this June. The handcrafted Beefeater Burrough’s Reserve Gin is made using an original Beefeater recipe and distilled in the original copper 'Still Number 12' used by the founder of Beefeater, James Burrough, in the 1860s. It will be initally released in Spain, before being rolled out in the UK with each bottle carrying a batch and bottle number with only a limited number released each year. They are hoping the gin will “redefine the way gin is consumed” and recommend it is drank neat.
Scouse celebrity chef Simon Rimmer has taken over operation of the iconic Elephant pub, in a move which will see the location transformed into a restaurant. Details are thin on the ground as we speak, but more detail will no doubt follow before long. ~ 24 Apr
Joe Anderson, the Mayor of Liverpool, has announced the city's plans for the councils recently purchased Cunard Building. Mayor Anderson wants the ornate ground floor transformed into a ‘five star’ restaurant which he hopes will equal the splendour provided on the high seas on board Cunard Liners. ~ 16 Apr
Liverpool restaurant What’s Cooking? has invested a six figure sum to take over the food and beverage operation within boutique hotel 62 Castle Street. The deal will see the conversion of a 5,000 sq ft space into a new venue; What’s At Sixty Two. The operation includes a bar and restaurant, private dining, boardroom, meeting and social spaces . ~ 09 Apr
Foodie favourite TV show; Great British Menu, has again appeared on the BBC, in a competition which sees a mixture of up and coming and established chefs, competing for the honour of catering for a banquet , this year in honour of war veterans. ~ 08 Apr
A luxury 65 suite hotel has set sail in Liverpool. 30 St James St Hotel, set on the original site of White Star Lines, the company which coordinated the launch of Titanic. The 11 story, £7 million hotel has opened only a tranche of its rooms, and was fully booked over Aintree weekend, with undoubted and continued popularity to follow. ~ 04 Aprr
Moose Coffee, the American/Canadian inspired coffee shop, has opened its fourth venue on Hope Street in Liverpool, a location which is widely regarded as Liverpool's foodie hotspot. ~ 31 Marrr
The owners of Liverpool’s Hanover Street Social and Salthouse Tapas are soon to grace Castle Street with another Italian restaurant. Salthouse Baraco will offer a broad range of Italian favourites including Iberico ham charcuterie boards, fritto misto, chicken saltimbocca, and many more. ~ 17 Mar
Liverpudlian Brazillian buffet Viva Brazil, based on Castle St , is to undergo a £250k expansion and refurbishment, which will raise covers from 120 to around 200. The group’s flagship branch has been a massive success since opening in 2010, so management are keen to build on this success. ~ 17 Mar
Liverpool has played host to a one day opening of 'Pestaurant', a restaurant which serves bug, insects and crickets, amongst a wide choice of other multi legged options. The pest control firm Rentokil was behind the idea, which was free of charge, and gave people chance to experience a different way of eating, as well highlighting the problems behind feeding an ever growing population.~ 27 Feb
One of Liverpool's favourite Chinese restaurants, The Shangri La, has been forced to close it's doors temporarily following the discovery of cockroach infestation and rodent droppings. New owners have promised a new management team, and a total refurb of the kitchen and it's standards? ~ 15 Feb
Iconic Liverpudlian eatery, 60 Hope Street has been awarded accreditation from Taste NorthWest, scoring over 80% in the process. Owner Colin Manning stated ' We are really pleased with our Taste Northwest Accreditation and wholeheartedly support this initiative which champions the full experience of dining out. Our team of chefs are passionate about creating acclaimed dishes from locally sourced producers". ~ 03 Feb
Liverpool's Almost Famous Burgers has launched a 'Themed Thursday'. Event, in last night celebrated Robbie Burns night, via a host of Scottish and Burns themed burger offerings. Since it’s the Chinese New Year of the horse this weekend, hopefully some traditions won't be carried over to next Thursday's menu? ~ 03 Feb
TGI Fridays have announced that they will open at Liverpool One, following a takeover of the current Pesto outfit, in a deal believed to be worth '7 figures'. Whilst the exact number is undisclosed, it is believed to be the highest fee to ever be paid for a restaurant premises outside of London. ~ 31 Jan
American Italian restaurant Solita, which is renowned in Manchester for its feats of burger engineering is rumoured to open in Liverpool later this year.
~ 30 Jan
Liverpool's Tavern Co in Wavertree. has been bestowed the honour of cooking the best Full English breakfast, anywhere in the UK, by the Farmhouse Breakfast Awards. The winning dish included 2 Lincolnshire sausages, back bacon, a friend egg, peppered tomato, black pudding, sautéed mushrooms, baked beans and toast from locally baked bread ~ 27 Jan
Temple Court, restaurant and bar Revolution has reopened after a six figure makeover. The popular Vodka bar now has a dedicated dining area on the ground floor
~ 13 Jan
Neon Jamon in Allerton was crowned 'Restaurants' Restaurant of the Year' whilst Holdi in Woolton Village was voted 'Favourite Restaurant' at The Liverpool Food & Drink Awards. The Ship & Mitre won 'Best Pub' ~ 18 Sep
After last month’s fire which saw the iconic ManchesterNorthern Quarter burger bar close until further notice, Almost Famous, have opened a 4-week pop-up restaurant in Liverpool, with the Parr Street venue to re-open later as a permanent fixture ~ 29 Jul
Liverpool-born Atomic Kitten and former Celebrity Masterchef winner Liz McClarnon has revealed she may open a restaurant in Liverpool after first opening a gastro pub in London, where she lives ~ 27 Jun
Scottish brewer Brewdog are offering £4m worth of shares to drinkers at £95 per share. Their Equity for Punks share scheme raised £2.2m in 2011 and offers investors a lifetime discount in their bars ~ 21 Jun
Delifonseca in Liverpool has scooped the prestigious title of The Good Food Guide Readers' Restaurant of the Year 2014. ~ 19 Jun
Liverpool's famous Duckmarine tourist attraction has suffered it's second sunken vessel in three months with most of the 31 passengers on board taken to hospital, but later discharged. Doubt has been cast on the future of the attraction following the two sinkings. ~ 18 Jun
The owners of Brewdog have moved into the spirits market with the launch of Wattdickie, a 35% ABV distilled beer ~ 14 Jun
Sefton Park will host the Liverpool Food & Drink Festival on the 7th & 8th September and will feature over 160 local chefs and producers ~ 4 Jun
This year's Good Food Guide regional award winners have been announced with Delifonseca in Liverpool scooping the Best North West title and going forward to the final for the best in the country on June 19th. ~ 21 May
