Urgh. You open one eye, then the other. Not both together. Too much, too soon. If you’re unlucky the room will still be spinning. Your mouth’s dry and your memory alarmingly- or thankfully- blank. But World’s Leading Cocktail Expert Salvatore Calabrese is here to save the day!
Cakeadoodledoo Festive Recipe- Brandy Snaps
Not many of us couldn’t slot in the odd light, crisp, caramelised brandy snap on top of the usual skipload of festive fodder. Just don’t get all clever and try and assemble ahead of time- or they, and you, will be reduced to a mere sad, sticky mess.
Stoli elit Festive Cocktail
Stoli has long been the vodka of choice for the elite- and fittingly, they’ve named their premium edition ‘elit’. Use it in this festive sparkler to bring a ‘rose-y’ glow to guests’ cheeks.
Harveys Bristol Cream Festive Cocktails
No longer the preserve of tipsy Aunties, sherry has new swagger in these Christmas-sy cocktail ideas from Harveys.
The Macdonald Townhouse Hotel, Manchester
The Macdonald Townhouse Hotel sits on the corner of Portland and Princess Street; tall and elegant with the kind of soaring gothic windows that suggests an architect with pious leanings, the Macdonald is the understated antithesis of those 21st century hotel blocks that resemble a giant Rubik’s cube.
OXO French Press on test. The cafetiere comes of age?
Sick of coffee grounds dotting your sink? Then the OXO Goodgrips cafetiere has the answer with a clever update to a classic piece of kitchen kit
Microbrewer Sam Smith’s Seasonal Ale Selection
Real ale fan and one of the masterminds behind London microbrewery Pressure Drop, Sam Smith is a man who knows what differentiates sheer nectar from mere beer. He reckons ale’s a canny Christmas buy, with the best imported craft beers commanding the same price as some very mediocre wines.
Crystal Head Vodka
Encased in a unique glass skull, Crystal Head Vodka is the essential bottle for any drinks cabinet, cocktail aficionado or festive party.
Christmas Cooking Tips with Philip Dundas of PipsDish
Philip Dundas doesn’t go by recipes. He just knows how to cook, and presses his instinctive methods into service rustling up lovely things at PipsDish Kitchen. And most of us could do with heeding his ‘substance over form’philosophy when flapping about like a headless turkey on Christmas Day with 15 dishes on the go.
David Bullock’s Cornish Sea Salt Co. recipes
Stressed about Christmas dinner? If your answer is’no’, then the chances are you won’t be preparing it. If the daunting task does fall on your shoulders this year, you don’t have to suffer turkey that straddles a fine line between dangerously raw and devastatingly dry. Have a go at my tasty beef instead.