Saint-Antoine

So, I was chilling out at work, doing my thing when I got a phone call from Grant Cunningham at Blavod/Luscious Liquid who said there was someone he'd like me to meet. That person turned out to be Paul Bungener who is the UK brand ambassador for FAIR., the producers of the world's first range of Fair Trade spirits and liqueurs. The range consists of the world's first quinoa based vodka along with a Goji berry liqueur and a coffee liqueur, and while they're available in retail (at Harvey Nichols) they haven't entered the on-trade in Edinburgh yet. Since 2010, FAIR. have been sourcing sustainably farmed ingredients - Bolivian quinoa for the vodka, Tibetan Goji berries and Mexican coffee beans for the liqueurs - and shipping them over to Cognac for distillation. The vodka is distilled once through a two-column continuous still, so it has a more distinct flavour than one that's been through a triple- or quadruple-distillation; there's a pleasant peppery note that comes from the quinoa. The Goji berry liqueur has a phenomenal bright red colour; it has an odd, generic red berry flavour - recalling strawberries and raspberries but not directly emulating them. It seems like an ingredient that would work quite well as a bridge between flavours that don't necessarily overlap.

The coffee liqueur really stood out for me. It's a complete change of pace from better known brands like Kahlua or Illyquore - in comparison, they immediately seemed heavier and more cloying. That's not to say that FAIR Café isn't sweet but it comes across as a much more delicate creature, with notes of fresh espresso mingling with some chocolate and Tiramisu.

Fair Trade is one of those ideas that it's hard not to get behind so it's refreshing to see those principles being applied to distilled beverages. It's also refreshing to see that those principles aren't the only compelling reason to pick one of the products - they're at least as good as anything you'll see on an upmarket backbar; in the case of the Café maybe better.

I was lucky enough that Paul left a sample of the FAIR Café to play with before he moved onto his next appointment. Seeing as this is going up on Bastille Day, combined with the fact that FAIR. is based there, Cognac was definitely in my thoughts.

Sainte-Antoine

35ml Merlet Brothers Blend Cognac
15ml FAIR Café
5ml Fernet Branca
10ml Demerara syrup (Fair Trade, of course.)

Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a vanilla bean wrapped in an orange zest twist.

(The Bastille - as famously stormed on 14th July 1789 - stood on the Rue Sainte-Antoine.)

Now in glorious Panovision

Made in Pano (opens iTunes).

Newsdesk: what is best in life?

There is - or should be - a list of things you should never type into Google Image Search and right near the top of it are the words "erectile dysfunction". There's probably also a good way to tie this into the following compilation of drink related links but God, my mind is scarred.

• This week, alcohol puts its good hat on with the news that moderate drinking can help prevent erectile dysfunction, and then puts on its bad hat because, guys, there goes that excuse.
• Technology = good, mainly because you can make cheap wine taste much better by passing an electric field through it.
• Epicurious brings us the five sexiest cocktails while the Guardian wheels out Simon Difford to pass on 48 cocktails you can make at home with no comment as to their sexiness. Shame. Coincidentally, recipe-publishing behemoth Difford also has an iPhone app out, have you heard?
• To mark the passing of Burns Night on Sunday, The Independent selects its top ten Scotch whiskies (fancy Javascript pop-up window) none of which are particularly surprising or indeed in this ice-filled glass beside me, while the Telegraph visits three island distilleries to learn the secrets of good single malt.
• Bonus old-school link: Wired on Ted Breaux's quest to rediscover real absinthe.

Newsdesk: and a new one just begun

A little later than usual, perhaps, but it's 2009 - a brave new world of almost exactly the same stuff as in 2008. Excited?

• Just around the corner from where I was helping customers celebrate the new year in the correct spirit (tequila, by the way), there was a bit of a street party planned. Went alright, by all accounts.
• Not everyone went out, of course. For those who would rather have the shouty drunk people in their houses, the Guardian had a selection of cocktail recipes to serve and a reminder not to neglect those who enjoy stronger stuff in their glasses.
• Apparently, you're better off not drinking at all, seeing as it could raise your chance of developing cancer by a fifth. and make you into a worse lover. I'm personally shocked by the news that drinking can in fact be bad for you. But if you have to, have some helpful tips for keeping things under control.
• As far as the future goes, the American Culinary Federation thinks that artisanal spirits, culinary cocktails and organic wine are going to be the hot trends of '09.
• Out in the blogosphere (I'd promised not to use that word. Crap. One resolution down already...), Erik at Underhill-Lounge ponders the differences between line cooking and bartending and James Hoffman suggests stepping out from behind the stick to improve customer service.
• And finally, got any leftover fizz from the party? A bit of patience could give you Prosecco & Campari sorbet.

(Edinburgh 2009 New Year Fireworks by Scala64. happy new year 2009 from lulugaia's Flickr photostream, displayed under a Creative Commons licence.)

Abelha Cachaca

Abelha Cachaca recently stuck their head above the parapet to contribute to this month's Mixology Monday, making them (possibly) the first brand to take part. Aside from the cool bottles, Abelha seem really passionate about making sure their product is organic and sustainable, as well as making sure their workers and contractors in Brazil get paid appropriately. Abelha is an alembique cachaca which means it's majority 100% pot-distilled*, and it's seemingly only available in London which means I can't tell what it tastes like.

Y'know, if there are any samples lying around the office...

Update: Anthony from Abelha's been in touch:

For Abelha Cachaça, both the Silver (rested) and Gold (aged 3 years) are *only* distilled in these traditional copper alembiques in small batches.

I do not know of any cachaças that are a blend between an alembique and industrial cachaça, but there well may be some. The manufacturer would probably not shout about such a thing.