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SEA DRINKER
t he
'’TIS the season to Sparkle
with Nick Moyle & Richard Hood the Two Thirsty Gardeners
C
hristmas is traditionally a time of feasting and riotous family shindigs – a time that demands a
booze that will lend a celebratory sparkle to proceedings. Champagne is the obvious choice, the
no-brainer option to fling into your shopping trolley during the frantic last minute supermarket
dash, but there are a variety of alternative options for those wanting festivities to fizz and pop
with something cheaper and quirkier. ‘s
Try charging your glasses with a fresh, local cuvée. Bridport’s Furleigh Estate Vineyard make a corker
– their Classic Cuvée is a great match for a plump turkey or fatty goose. For something with a taste of the
hedgerow (in the nicest possible sense) Lyme Bay Winery do a delicate, dry, sparkling elderflower wine that
will aid digestion should any over-baked mince pies pass your lips.
Fancy something a bit more fruity? Head over to West Milton Cider and grab a bottle or two of Lancombe
Rising, a wonderful, naturally sparkling cider made by the ancient (and tricky) art of keeving. Fans of the
pear might like to try a Butford Organics Aurora Premier Crus, an award-winning, bottle conditioned perry,
and the perfect foil to a post-pudding cheese board.
If you really want to ring the changes, you could always opt for a sparkling beer. Just to be clear, we’re not
talking carbonated lagers here, we mean beers made by the méthode champenoise – beers that are aged,
riddled and disgorged like hoppy champagnes. If you can source one, go for a bottle of Deus, the divine,
self-proclaimed king of Belgian beers. Closer to home, Saison specialists Savour make a top notch, spicy
sparkling brut beer. A real conversation piece booze that will help delay the inevitable games of Pictionary
and the arguments that follow.
Kir me up!
One of the happy advantages of stocking up on
fizz is the ease at which you can transform it into a
simple-yet-sophisticated cocktail through the
addition of a fruity liqueur. The ace in the bubbly
cocktail pack is Kir Royale – fill a Champagne glass
roughly 1/5th full with blackcurrant liqueur and
top up with Champagne.
But the Kir family extends beyond French wine
royalty and all of our fizzy suggestions can be
used instead.
A Kir Pétillant replaces Champagne with
another sparkling wine.
Kir Normand or Kir Breton are the French cider
alternatives, depending on where the cider comes
from. We’ll call ours Kir Dorset.
Even Kir Beer is a thing, using lighter ales or
lagers, although you may also see it with the
name ‘Tarantino’. We prefer the term ‘posh lager
and black’.
We recommend the blackcurrant liqueur from
Melbury Vale, a deliciously smooth and fruity
drink that will make your booze blush pink with
absolute perfection.
www.mvwinery.co.uk
www.menu-dorset.co.uk
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