TEQUILA + MEZCAL FEST 7-8 OCT

There aren't many dates that get put in my diary months in advance and stay there, no questions asked. But Tequila and Mezcal Fest 2017 was one such marker penned date. And there's not long to wait for it now. Next weekend - Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th October - sees the festival of my dreams return to London, for two days of Mexico's finest showcased at The Boiler House in the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. Not only will over 50 of Mexico's top tequila and mezcal producers (including Patron tequila's master distiller - Francisco Alcarez - on his first ever trip to the UK) be on hand to talk you through the production, tasting and pairings of Mexico's very best drink brands, there'll also be food from temper (goat tacos), Barrio (al pastor tacos) and Cafe Pacifico (a selection of pork, beef chorizo and/or veggie tacos), mariachi bands, Mexican art, folklore dancers and even an Aztec ceremony! 

Whilst sipping on your classic tequila cocktails (Margaritas and Palomas) you can grab yourself a Mexican brunch, or get stuck into a Bloody Maria or Michelada (beer with lime and spices). Adriana Cavita from Peyotito London and Ibiza will be doing demos on how to make the perfect guacamole, and the secret behind Mexican ceviche - 12:45 on Saturday, and there will be talks and seminars on topics like "What the f*ck is mezcal" - 15:15 on Sunday, "How to make the perfect Margarita", and "The tequila masterclass" - 18:00 on Saturday. 

Saturdays sessions run from 12-4.30pm and 5.30-9.30pm and Sunday's session is 1-7pm. Tickets are £20 and include samples of tequila and mezcal and free entry to seminars and masterclasses. But I reckon the bright idea is to go VIP - for £40 a ticket you get fast track entry (which you'll want if the event's as popular as it was last year), two cocktails, two dishes, samples of tequila and mezcal, and free entry to all the seminars and masterclasses.

The currency for the festival is pesos, so get ready to change your money at the door - and a percentage of the proceeds from the festival's ticket sales will be sent to The Cruz Roja Mexicana and TOPOSMX to support the current relief efforts in Mexico following the recent devastating earthquakes. 

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COCKTAILS with CHRISTABEL'S

If you want to perfect your cocktail making skills over an evening full of fun and glitter I've got just the place for you to go. Christabel started off running pop up restaurants and soon realised that drinks were where the real fun was so now runs, among other things, bespoke cocktail making evenings at her beautiful flat.

Before Christmas I spent at Christabel's trying my hand at a few cocktails. It was a brilliant evening - we laughed, ate canapes, shook our shakers and drank delicious drinks. 

There are a few cocktail workshops coming up soon - one on Valentine's Day evening (what a GREAT idea for a Valentine's date!) where you can make the Flirt and Zinger cocktails, which you'll then pimp up with glitter, sequins, rose petals, super special ice cubes and stirrers, while nibbling on canapes. Then Christabel is teaming up with one of my favourite vodka brands, Black Cow - who make their vodka from milk, to do some Mad Hatter Mar-tea-ni masterclasses. 

Christabel's workshops sell out really fast so book now to avoid missing out - you really don't want to miss these. 

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VERMOUTH ON THE ROOF, HAM YARD

Ham Yard Hotel is nestled away in the middle of Soho and is one of my favourite places to pop in to and escape the hustle and bustle of the busy tourist filled streets surrounding it. Up until the end of last year their beautiful roof terrace was only open to hotel guests, but that all changed with their winter Sipsmith rooftop pop up, and their current Vermouth on the Roof pop up that's taking place til Sunday 4th September. 

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SIPSMITH GIN

I'm a big gin fan and particularly love brands with a good story behind them, so I've always been intrigued by London distilled Sipsmith gin, especially as their gin is made not far from the part of West London I've lived around for the past five years, and they've also provided gin for previous pop ups I've done, including one I did based solely around their gins and vodkas. If you're a fan of Sipsmith gin, or want to learn more about it there's a couple of events I've checked out recently that you can go to to learn more. 

The first is Sipsmith's Gin Palace Extravaganza, which I did with Georgie in June. We spent the evening with Sipsmith, first at their Chiswick distillery learning all things gin and brand, and then at the Princess Victoria (one of my favourite West London pubs) for a three course, Sipsmith inspired meal. At the distillery we were talked through the history of Sipsmith, who had a long battle to even begin making their sought after gin thanks to an ancient law brought in in 1751 that stipulated the legal minimum production of gin was 1800 litres in order to control the out of hand home brew production of the spirit that was then taking place in one out of four residential properties. This law never got changed until Sipsmith took on the government so they could start a 300 litre per year production. After two and a half years they finally got the law changed and were able to start their business making London dry gin (dry meaning that all botanicals have to be infused during the distillation process and not after). We sampled various gins at the distillery, including the original London Dry Gin, the VJOP (Very Junipery Overproof Gin - made with 75% more juniper and macerated for four times longer than the original gin, making it 57.4% abv and the perfect base for a Negroni), and the London Cup (a sippable punch infused with Earl Grey tea, borage, lemon verbena, Seville orange and other botanicals, and based on the cups/punches of old days). 

We learnt about the actual production of Sipsmith gin. A base of British wheat spirit from East Anglia arrives at the distillery, weighing in at a whopping 96% abv. Water is added to reduce this down to 60% abv to enable the distillation process, then botanicals including Macedonian juniper berries, Bulgarian coriander seed, French angelica root, Spanish liquorice root, Italian orris root, Spanish ground almond, Chinese cassia bark, Madagascan cinnamon, Sevillian orange peel and Spanish lemon peel are all added. This mixture is heated, steeped and then macerated for 12 hours, leaving oily streaks from the botanicals across the liquid's surface. After maceration the liquid is heated to the boiling point of alcohol, which is 78.3 degrees celsius. The spirit turns to vapour which rises up the still. Sipsmith's stills have swan like necks, creating as much copper surface area as possible for the vapour to hit. The copper absorbs the impurities and sulphites, and the cleansed droplets then falls back down into the still. The vapour finally ends up in liquid form in the condenser which is surrounded by cold water pipes, and gin is formed. Very good gin! 

With heads full of information and bellies only full of gin it was definitely time to head to the PV for food. As part of the Gin Palace Extravaganza (which costs £75 per person, and includes the tour, several drinks and a three course meal) Sipsmith arrange taxis from the distillery to the pub - which was a very welcome surprise on the very rainy night we were there!

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GIN MARE

It's a well known fact that I'm a gin fan. And also a fan of a good party on a beautiful rooftop setting in West London. So put the two together on a Friday evening and I'm one happy little food blogger. A couple of Fridays ago we headed to Gin Mare's rooftop soireé at Searcey's in Knightsbridge. We were greeted with a gin cocktail on arrival and headed up to the rooftop which was teaming with gin drinkers. We settled into a corner, snacked on nibbles by Mark Hix as they were whisked past by the waitresses desperately trying to get to the other side of the roof before all their canapés got eaten - we sampled delicious oysters, octopus and cannellini bean shots, various croquettes and mini scallops in their shells. And lots of wonderful cocktails made with Gin Mare.

 

I hadn't come across Gin Mare before, though it's not new to the market, having been created in 2007. It is however a gin that really pushed the boundaries of what we think of as being gin. Normally gin is made with botanicals including juniper, citrus peels, spices and roots. Gin Mare is made with botanicals including rosemary, thyme, olive and basil which together are very unusual in gin making. This creates a savoury essence to the drink, which pairs perfectly with a good tonic, slither of lemon peel and sprig of rosemary. It also works really well in Aperol based cocktails due to the herbal qualities in the gin.

 

If you're a gin fan and haven't come across Gin Mare I really recommend getting hold of some. It's such an interesting addition to the gin brands I know and like, and is wonderful in summer cocktails.

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SKY GARDEN'S SUMMER SOUNDS

Sometimes I accept an invitation to something that I know will take me out of my comfort zone. I say yes to a concept, an idea or an event without thinking through much more of the detail, and then find myself in The London Dungeons (somewhere I'm not particularly keen on but end up having one of the best Monday nights I've had in a while), or on the gazillionth floor of a building when one of my biggest fears is heights. But on all these occasions I try not to be completely pathetic and to get on with it, and actually have a really good time.

The most recent of these events was Sky Garden's Summer Sounds which is a great evening of live music.... 155 metres up in the air!! Ignoring that little nugget of info, I met Georgie downstairs where we were whisked up in to the sky to the stunning Sky Garden for some rose wine, delicious snacks and excellent live music. Every Thursday and Friday from 6pm, and every Saturday from 9pm, until 30th September you can go up to the Sky Garden for free to enjoy a mix of live bands and DJs courtesy of acclaimed ALR Music. It's not only one of the best views in London (if that's your thing) but the music when we went was really, really good. If you want to make an evening of it then book an exclusive sofa area for £450 for up to 9 people, or you can get a larger area for groups of 10+ for a minimum spend of £50pp, which is not tricky to rack up once you've had a few drinks and some food each. I don't think there's anywhere as high up, with such stunning views as this that's offering such a great deal, so highly recommend you check it out!

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MY FAVOURITE MARTINI RECIPE

When the lovely people from Diageo got in touch asking if I'd write a blog post about cocktails it wasn’t too much of a hard decision to make, especially when they mentioned martinis – one of my favourite cocktails due to the many different flavours and guises it comes in. I love an espresso martini after a big dinner, and never say no to a fruity or spicy variety when I'm out for drinks with the girls. As it’s National Martini Day (yes, that’s a thing – a very good thing) coming up on the 19th June, I wanted to share a recipe for my absolute favourite martini. It’s the perfect cocktail for hot summer evenings, and has a bit of spice, a little sweetness and is utterly refreshing.

Makes 2 chilli, passion fruit and cucumber martinis

For the syrup:

6 passion fruits

2 red chillies

100g caster sugar

100ml water
 

For the cocktail:

100ml Smirnoff vodka

25ml fresh lemon juice

50ml cucumber juice (blend a cucumber then strain the juice through muslin)

To serve:

1 passion fruit, halved

2 slices of red chilli

 

Make a passion fruit and chilli syrup by chopping the chillies and taking the seeds and juice from the passion fruits. Add to 100g sugar and 100g water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes then leave to steep overnight. Pour the liquid through a sieve into a cocktail shaker and add the vodka, lemon juice and vodka. Top up with ice and shake til cold. Pour the cocktail mix into martini glasses, top with half a passion fruit and a slice of chilli to serve.

If this doesn’t tickle your fancy then there’s loads more martini ideas, recipes and inspiration here.

Image credit

 

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DIPLOMATICO RUM TASTING

The Thursday before Easter I headed to Merchant House in the City to join Lucy, a few lovely bloggers and rum expert Jon Lister to learn all about my favourite rum - Diplomatico. Having already spent a wonderful evening with the Diplomatico family, I knew I was in for a rum fuelled treat.

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COCKTAILS and DRINKS

Whether you fancy a glass of wine at home or heading into central London for a cocktail or three, I've got some great recommendations for you.

First let's talk cocktails. This week is the annual cocktail event Cocktails in the City, taking place from Thursday 10th - Saturday 12th March at One Mayfair. The three nights will see 20 world-renowned bars serving cocktails in this stunning four floor building, where there's also a rooftop BBQ. You can experience so many different drinks and bars without having to leave the building! There's live music, masterclasses and a liquid nitrogen bar. Tickets are £15 and include one cocktail. If you want to drink more cocktails (of course you do), then they're all £7.50 on the night.

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SAKE TOUR OF JAPAN

Until last month I'd never been to Asia. I've travelled around a lot of Europe and a few places beyond but had never made it that far East. Then an email landed in my inbox at the beginning of January inviting me on a sake tour of Japan three weeks later, so off I went.

Japan was fascinating - I learnt so much, laughed so hard, ate some of the best food I've tried, saw sights that blew my mind and sampled more sake than I ever thought possible. I've got so much to write about our trip, so will break it down by city over the next couple of weeks on here (we did five cities in eight days!) but today's post is all about the sake.

Sake is the national drink of Japan and has been an integral part of Japanese culture for well over 1,500 years, and according to one video we watched, "makes interactions with others smoother". Sake is a Japanese rice wine made by fermenting rice which has been polished to get rid of the outer bran. Most white rice that we eat has been polished 10% - getting rid of the bran, and leaving 90% of the grain. Rice used in sake making can be polished up to 65%, leaving only 35% of the grain remaining. The rice is polished in a rotating machine with a sharp stone which makes it purer, clearer and more expensive.

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RECIPES WITH BAILEYS

Baileys is one of those drinks that I occasionally have a real craving for. On ice, straight up after a long, leisurely dinner. But it's also a great ingredient to use in cocktail making, as well as making puddings. Here are a couple of ideas of what to do with the creamy, luxurious drink.

FLAT WHITE COCKTAIL

Makes 1 drink
50ml Baileys
25ml vodka
25ml espresso coffee

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker along with lots of ice and shake until the drink is really cold. Strain in to a martini glass, garnish with a couple of coffee beans and enjoy! You can watch a little 15 second video here of exactly how the cocktail's made.

CHOCOLATE & BAILEYS MOUSSE WITH RASPBERRIES

Serves 8
200g dark chocolate
3 free range eggs, separated
2 pieces stem ginger
2 tbsp. Baileys
250ml double cream
Raspberries or blueberries

Break the chocolate up and put it in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Leave it until the chocolate is 70% melted then turn the heat off and gently stir the chocolate until it's all melted. By removing it from the heat before it's all melted you'll make sure it doesn't overheat and split.

In a magimix or nutribullet blitz the stem ginger and Baileys. Add this to the melted chocolate, followed by the egg yolks. Leave to one side.

Whip 150ml of the cream gently until it starts to become thick. Whip the egg whites until they start to form soft peaks. Fold the cream, then the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

Pour the mixture into a large dish, then top with a layer of cream and then some fresh fruit (raspberries, blueberries etc). Leave to cool for a couple of hours in the fridge. Serve with a flat white martini for extra creaminess and decadence!

And if that all sounds a bit chocolatey for you, I've just found a recipe for sticky toffee pudding with Baileys salted caramel sauce that sounds like heaven!

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SIPSMITH AT HAM YARD HOTEL, SOHO

I'm not a fan of dry January. Firstly, January's a pretty miserable month anyway without having to knock booze on the head for 31 days, and secondly, I personally believe it's just as good for you to not drink for a few days in a row every week (the liver is a fast healer), rather than quitting completely for a month, then having a glass of wine most nights for the rest of the year. So a new pop up I'm really looking forward to this month (that's also on in February if you are doing dry January) is Swan on a Hot Gin Roof with London's finest gin distillers, Sipsmith, at Ham Yard Hotel. Every night (except Mondays) from Tuesday 26^th January til Sunday 14^th February you can book a session (starting at 6pm or 8pm on weekdays, and 4pm or 6pm on weekends) for some gin-laced winter warmers on the hotel’s hidden roof terrace. I had a sneaky peak of what's on offer and you're in for a treat. The rooftop is stunning. One of the best I've seen in London in fact - it's all fairy lights, fire pits and leafy plants, with tons of cosy sofas and woollen blankets for snuggling up, and stunning views of London. It's like a secret little hideaway in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Soho. Then there's the cocktails, which have been created by Sipsmith's master distiller Jared Brown and Ham Yard Hotel bar manager Eoin Kenny, who've taken inspiration from London's rich cocktail history and created one off hot drinks such as The Smoking Bishop, The Original (made with gin and gingerbread) and the Soho Gin Broth, which uses Barthelmas beef taken from a 1664 recipe. They'll also be serving more recognisable concoctions such as hot G&Ts and Steaming Juleps.

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CIRCUS, COVENT GARDEN

A couple of weeks ago, pre-ankle injury, and wearing a pair of heels for the first time in forever, I tottered down to Covent Garden for the re-launch of newly refurbed bar/restaurant/cabaret venue, Circus. I've said before that I'm lucky enough to be invited to some pretty cool places because of my blog, and this was definitely one of those. You walk into Circus through an almost unmarked door, and a huge room opens up in front of you. A large table runs down one side of the room while the rest of the space is filled with regular tables, and a cocktail lounge at the back which is where we headed to start our evening. I'll get to the bit later where I say you have to go to Circus for a night out, but if you can't go for the whole thing, then you must go to try the cocktails. They're real works of art. Even the cocktail menu is beautiful, with each drink illustrated by the very talented Andrea Wan. I started with the most delicious cocktail. Made from Mezcal San Cosme, fresh lime juice, red chilli syrup and apricot brandy, it was served with a little dish of pineapple chunks that had been dusted with smoked chilli salt. Libby, my plus one for the evening, wasn't drinking but they made a gorgeous fresh juice mocktail for her, which tasted almost as good as my cocktail.
 

 
My second cocktail was as good as the first - called the Mystic Cactus, it was made with Olmeca Altos Blanco, fresh lime juice, Asian spiced blood orange, chipotle chilli, dash of citrus bitters and orange blossom mist. A lovely, tangy long cocktail served in a tankard - my perfect kind of drink!

 
After our fill of cocktails we took our seats at the long table I mentioned, that runs the length of the room. There's a new pan Asian menu that's now being served at Circus and we sampled most of the starters between us. The food at Circus is seriously good, and highlights from the starters included lobster tempura with white truffle aioli and lemon ponzu, which had the lightest batter and richest sauce.  
 

 
Yellow tail sashimi with kizami wasabi, truffles, shallots, garlic and tomato salsa was fresh and light, and a great starter option if you're indulging for mains. The dressing was delicious - I really liked the wasabi that added a gentle kick.

 
Shredded duck and watermelon is a typical pan Asian dish found in many restaurants across London, with this being one of the best versions I've tried. A great balance of flavours and ingredients, with enough green to combat the rich duck.

 

Dumplings are a favourite of mine anyway, but the ones we had at Circus were really special and impossible to choose between - on the left the chicken truffle shumai with lemon ponzu and on the right the black cod and prawn dumpling with saffron and soya beans.

Full with starters, here's where the night got really interesting. The long table we were sitting at wass completely cleared, the lights dimmed and this sign projected on to the table.

 
We did as instructed, and before we could do anything else, acrobats jumped up on to the table and put on an amazing show. We were entertained by belly dancers, contortionists, hoop spinners and nearly naked dancers between each of the courses.

 

 

As you can see, the performances happened just inches from where we were sitting!!

After each act our table was re-laid and the next course served.

Mains were Scottish black angus fillet steak, shitake and caramelised butter soy, Chilean sea bass, chilli bean, black bean, shaoxing wine, garlic and ginger, and sides of baby bok choy with soy, ginger and garlic, and smoke aubergine, white miso, and chipotle chilli, which was the most delicious aubergine I've tried.

 

 

So much delicious food! The night, food and performances continued until it was time to slope off home, drink lots of water and try and get some sleep before work the next day. I was grinning from ear to ear having had one of the best nights out I've had in a while. Circus really is a unique experience, and unlike other venues that try and offer it all, every element of the evening was top quality, from the drinks, to the food, to the entertainment. If you want to try it for yourself, make sure you book ahead. Full details of how to book can be found on their website here.

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DRINKS....

It's been all about the food round here recently, but I've been testing out lots of drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) over the last few months, and have got a round up for you today on what's hot in the liquid world. There's some I'm sure you've heard of, and others that maybe you haven't, but you should definitely check out....

Cocktails to make at home...

Aperol Spritz. If you haven't heard about Aperol (an Italian aperetif made with orange, rhubarb, herbs and roots) then I guess you've been away all summer?! This year's seemingly most talked about drink has been everywhere, including my house! I was sent a bottle to try out, and have played with various concoctions using it. There's the obvious - the Spritz, made with 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts Aperol and 1 part soda water, it's a slightly bitter yet very refreshing long drink that's topped off with a slice of orange, to accentuate that fruity bitter taste. Another way to drink Aperol that I really like is with whiskey and ginger beer, finished off with mint leaves.

Cocchi Rosa Spritz. Another Italian aperitif that's not dissimilar to Aperol is Cocchi Rosa. Made with a wine base that's blended with aromatics tasting of wild rose and summer berries, its ingredients also include herbs, fruits and spices, as well as ginger and rose petals. Make your own version of Cocchi Rosa Spritz at home by mixing the aperitif with prosecco, strawberries, basil and soda. 

VII Hills. VII Hills is a new (1 year) to the market gin that was created by the team who work at Mr Fogg's. It's made with ancient Roman botanicals and tastes of juniper and sweet orange with a slightly sweet, peppery aftertaste. Perfect for tonic and citrus based cocktails - keep it simple with a shot of VII Hills, a dash of lemon juice, topped up with champagne, or mix it up a bit by combining VII Hills with lemon juice, egg white, grapefruit juice and soda.

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COCKTAIL MASTERCLASS AT THE CONNAUGHT

If you're a fan of top class cocktails, or know someone who is, there's a masterclass this Autumn where you can learn how to make the best cocktails at the bar that's just recently been voted Best Bar in the UK by GQ Magazine, and has also been named as World's Best Hotel Bar - the Connaught Bar, in the stunning Connaught Hotel in Mayfair. Award winning Director of Mixology Agostino Perrone (who's won the prestigious World’s Best Bartender Award at Tales of the Cocktails) is hosting a series of mixology masterclasses at the Connaught Bar, taking place throughout Autumn where you can learn to make the perfect Connaught cocktails. Each date focuses on a different drink, with masterclasses in Champagne, cognac, vodka and gin, and whisky. Full details of all the classes are below.

I went along to a little preview of what lies in store, and if you book this you're in a for an absolute treat. You'll be welcomed with delicious canapés - ours were rabbit and ham, salmon and caviar and beetroot on a cheese crisp - which were all as delicious as they were pretty. You'll also have a welcome drink - ours was a Champagne, Aperol, bergamot, orange and ginseng creation and was the perfect balance of bitter, herbal and fruity.

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CHABLIS AT THE CHANCERY

Every summer I seem to have a different drink of choice. Last year it was Prosecco, and this year it's Chablis. We went to Ealing Park Tavern a few Fridays ago and I perused the wine list but didn't see any Chablis on the menu. So I asked the barman which of their whites was most like Chablis, only to be told "the Chablis" - slightly embarrassing! So when an invite to an evening of Chablis and food pairing popped in to my inbox from Douglas Blyde it was always going to be a definite yes. Diary cleared, I patiently waited for the Wednesday when we would go to The Chancery for an evening in geology and geography, learning about Chablis and the food to eat with it. 

 

The Chancery is a smart restaurant just south of Chancery Lane. The main restaurant is on the ground floor, and is full of linen covered tables and lots of men in suits. It was downstairs in one their private rooms that chef Graham Long had created a unique, Spring themed menu for the evening to guide us through the various types of Chablis that we were tasting.

 

Chablis is a dry white wine that is produced in a small town in France, north west of Burgundy, and comes in 4 levels of quality - Petit Chablis, Chablis, Premier Cru and Grand Cru - all of which we tried on the night, working our way up from Petit to Grand. Chablis is more acidic than many whites due to the cooler climate of the area and the soil that is rich in oyster fossils, from a time when France was the bottom of an ocean floor. It's this mineral taste found in Chablis that I really enjoy, and even though this taste was less present in the first Chablis we tried - the 2012 Dauvissat Petit Chablis, it worked wonderfully with the truffle arancini and crab beignet nibbles that we enjoyed before dinner was served.

 

 

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SIPSMITH X JUDE'S = G&T ICE CREAM

With this glorious start to "official summer" (which is now hopefully here to stay....!) I wanted to let you know about a partnership between 2 of my favourite brands who've teamed up to create some of the yummiest ice cream I've tasted. Sipsmith, London dry gin producers based very near where I live in West London, and Jude's, family run ice cream makers based in Hampshire, have got together, putting their two amazing products together to make a Sipsmith gin and tonic Jude's ice cream. And wow, is it good! Creamy, smooth ice cream that's not too sweet thanks to the addition of the gin and tonic flavours, this really is an amazing summer treat. I spent a wonderful sunny evening on the roof terrace of Le Meridien in Piccadilly sampling both the gin and tonic ice cream and some delicious Sipsmith cocktails.

We started our evening off with a Sipsmith and Jude's gin float, using the G&T ice cream - heaven in a glass! And a very grown up version of a childhood favourite. Made by pouring 20ml of Sipsmith gin over a scoop of G&T ice cream and topping up with good quality, chilled tonic water, this is the perfect BBQ accompaniment for when the sun does finally come out.

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VITA COCO CAFE #LESSBREWINGMOREDOING

Lots of people think I'm strange - for as long as I can remember I've drunk my coffee cold. Double espresso either left on my desk for half an hour until it's chilled down, or even better, poured over a glass of ice after adding a little sugar and sometimes a splash of cream. I don't like hot drinks - I don't even drink tea, which again, is something people can't get their heads round! Another of my favourite drinks is coconut water. I love it.... Not only is it delicious, it's an excellent hangover cure (especially followed by a cold coffee!) as it contains natural versions of the healing and hydrating electrolytes calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and more potassium than a banana - all of which are found in their unnatural form in many "hangover cure" drinks, such as Gatorade and Lucozade - it doesn't contain refined sugars or additives, and it has lots of vitamin C - all of which also contribute to its excellent health benefits. I love making smoothies with coconut water as the liquid base - my current favourite being a handful of spinach, a teaspoon of moringa powder, a few frozen berries, quarter of a cucumber and coconut water to top up. Coconut water really is an amazing drink.

Vita Coco make millions of litres of coconut water every year. The young coconuts are picked and cracked at source, in South America, then cleaned and the "water" taken out of them and flash pasteurised. From tree to carton is less than 3 days.

Vita Coco make various flavoured coconut waters, where natural fruit pulp (lemon, orange, pineapple or peach and mango) is added to the water and they also do coffee versions of my favourite coconut drink, where coconut water is mixed with espresso, a little reduced fat milk and evaporated cane juice for a little added sweetness. Served cold over ice, this is the most refreshing drink and one I can't get enough of. It's sweet enough but strong with coffee, and there's also a mocha flavour that's got a touch of cocoa added and tastes exactly like chocolate milkshake!

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