Whether you’ve simply cut down or gone the full distance this dry January, the month-long marathon is officially over by the time Valentine’s Day reaches us. The most romantic day, this often calls for something deliciously alcoholic to cheers the evening with your significant other.
See below our pick of the finest bubbles, wines and liqueurs to sip and savour this Valentine’s Day:
Gin Lane 1751 “Victoria” Pink
Created by The Bloomsbury Club, Gin Lane 1751 is a quintessentially Victorian style of gin, with a bold, juniper-rich profile. Small-batched distilled in Clapham, London, Gin Lane 1751 is a “gin for gin lovers”. Its “Victoria” Pink is the only authentically-made Pink Gin on the market, and makes the perfect cocktail to celebrate Valentine’s Day – the “Valentini”, a riff on the classic Dry Martini.
Each bottle of Gin Lane 1751 has been individually numbered and the gins are hand-crafted in small traditional pot stills. There are eight natural botanicals – juniper, orris root, Seville oranges, angelica, Sicilian lemon, star anise, cassia bark and coriander – which create a well-balanced, complex gin.
Buy a bottle of Gin Lane 1751 “Victoria” Pink for £20 from – ginlane1751.com/gin/victoria-pink-gin
Esprit de Figues
Long-renowned for their aphrodisiacal properties, figs are the perfect edition to any Valentine’s Day. This year, treat your loved one to Esprit de Figues, the world’s first true fresh fig liquer. Hand-crafted in the rolling hills of Burgundy using traditional techniques developed at a 150-year-old family distillery, Esprit de Figues is a modern French fig liqueur that captures the refreshing, succulent sweetness of fresh, hand-picked Mediterranean figs in a bottle.
Esprit de Figues is a rich dark purple colour in the bottle and softens to a pale mauve when poured. The nose presents bright, sweet fresh figs that give way to berry jam, honey and vanilla. To taste fresh fig and raspberry jam lead the way with a hint of peach and honey. Deliberately created to be delicious over ice as well as in champagne and classic and contemporary cocktails, Esprit de Figues makes the perfect gift this Valentine’s Day.
Buy a bottle of Esprit de Figues for £25 from The Whisky Exchange – thewhiskyexchange.com/p/34309/esprit-de-figues-half-litre.
Nepenthe Australian Wines
Premium Australian wine brand, Nepenthe, has landed in the UK, bringing a selection of wines from its two collections – Altitude and Pinnacle. Rooted in the Adelaide Hills, the region is renowned for producing top quality Sauvignon Blancs, with the Nepenthe 2016 Pinnacle Petraea Sauvignon Blanc having won best Sauvignon Blanc at the International Wine & Spirit Awards in Hong Kong. The Altitude range features a Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and Pinot Noir, offering a range of wines which can be enjoyed with a variety of dishes from duck to goat’s cheese. The Pinnacle Range features the award-winning Petraea Sauvignon Blanc and Gate Block Shiraz. The Sauvignon Blanc is a great match for sushi and the Shiraz can be served with fuller-flavoured meat dishes such as beef or veal.
Both ranges are now available on Amazon, with the Altitude wines RRP £12.99 per bottle and the Pinnacle range RRP £19.99 per bottle. Amazon.co.uk.
andPOUR.com
Cocktail lovers need not step outside the front door this Valentines, as you can now make all your favourite tipples from the comfort of your home thanks to andPOUR, the new luxury cocktail making kits from The Concierge Drinks Co. andPOUR.com is the new online drinks provider, offering drinks lovers a handpicked selection of 20+ cocktail kits that can be the centre of your celebration.
From Mojitos to Espresso Martinis, the cocktail range is complete with everything you’ll need to produce quality cocktails at home and includes carefully selected spirits, mixers and garnishes to make the perfect tipple, all brought together in a stylish presentation box with easy-to-follow instructions, ideal for those entertaining or as a unique gift.
Visit andPOUR.com to view the andPOUR range and purchase online. Standard delivery is 3-4 days. Prices range between £20 – £50.
Ysobel Sparkling Rosé
Made with love at Lovells Vineyard in Worcestershire, Ysobel Sparkling Rosé is the perfect drink to share with your sweetheart and is available from Food at Webbs. A bright, subtle sparkling rosé with a complex yeasty nose, Ysobel is made at the foot of the beautiful Malvern Hills with the same two-stage fermentation process used to make Champagne.
Buy a bottle of Ysobel Sparkling Rosé for £24.99 at webbsdirect.co.uk/lovells-ysobel-sparkling-ros-wine-75cl/.
British Cassis
A premium blackcurrant liqueur, British Cassis is less sweet than traditional creme de cassis. Made in Herefordshire by Jo Hilditch, a fourth-generation blackcurrant farmer, it’s a versatile drink that is perfect to add to sparkling wines as a Bristish Kir Royale for an unexpected twist.
British Cassis is made using a unique technique which draws on classic winemaking to capture the intensity of the freshly picked British blackcurrants. Once the blackcurrant juice has fermented naturally with champagne yeast, it is blended with a little vodka to fortify and sweeten to accentuate the rich, fruity flavours. The liquid is then bottled, ready to be enjoyed. British Cassis is natural, rich and much less sweet than the French alternatives. Delicious on its own, it is also the ideal addition to cocktails and sparkling wines – especially English sparkling.
British Cassis is beautifully packaged in a bottle featuring an etched filigree design and gold elements – the 500ml is available nationwide at Waitrose.com – £19.99.
Cointreau
Cointreau has launched the Golden Age of cocktails with a new limited edition, paying homage to the strong link between Cointreau and the world of cocktails, which reached an unprecedented turmoil during the Roaring Twenties. A true collector’s item and a perfect addition to any drinks cabinet this Valentine’s Day.
Available exclusively from Selfridges at £29.99, Selfridges.com.
Il Gusto Blood Orange Vodka
II Gusto offers a wide range of products available to be decanted into the bottle shape and size of your choice all with a personalised message. These personalisation’s come with a message of love or maybe even a request for a date! With up to 80 characters in a message, there’s plenty of room for a message of your choice.
Starting from £23 , products are available to buy directly from ilgusto.uk.com
Les Forts de Léoube, 2014
Treat someone special with Chatéau Léoube wine from Daylesford’s very own French vineyard. Les Forts de Léoube has been carefully created by combining a blend of the four great southern French varieties: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon – making this the perfect red wine for winter months. This Provençal gem is full-bodied and spicy, with superb texture and baked, dark fruit flavours.
Available at daylesford.com for £25.
Üllo Wine Purifier
And lastly, the perfect gift for wine lovers and a first of its kind to remove sulphites is the Üllo Wine Purifier. Ingeniously purifying and restoring the wine back to its natural state, some have even said that it can help to remove the dreaded wine-hangover the morning after consumption which is, in part, caused by sulphites!
Üllo Wine Purifier costs £69.99 from ullowine.com.
