Isn’t it funny how so many of us use the New Year as the impetus to start a new healthier life – and then wake up feeling terrible, with the mother of all hangovers? The answer is, of course, to drink in moderation but we also know the temptations of New Year’s Eve. We’re also not going to claim that anything involving drinking is going to be a healthy option but there are a few tricks that can reduce that thumping head, nausea and feeling of dehydration and, perhaps, the calorie intake. As it happens, gin isn’t terribly calorific – a good 50ml measure will only add around 120 calories to you ..read more

A martini, the preferred drink of Prince Charles   With a new series of The Crown launching on Netflix we’re in a royal frenzy! To celebrate the second best British institution (after the G&T) we’ve put together a series of royal themed cocktails for you to try out at home. We might not be able to live like royalty, but we can mix a drink even Her Majesty would be proud of!   Gin & Dubonnet A favourite tipple of Queen Elizabeth, who is said to be partial to this as a nightcap, carrying on a tradition set by her late mother. A refreshingly fruity drink with a slightly bitter e ..read more

The Negroni: a classic cocktail with a very varied history Nowadays the Negroni is as ubiquitous as Love Island stars in the Mail Online sidebar, but – like all the best legends – it’s origins are heavily disputed, with champions on both sides of the historical fence. To celebrate Negroni Week 2020 we’re going to take a look at how this now classic cocktail came into being.   Geography   Negroni is a popular family name in Northern Italy and it’s generally accepted that the cocktail is derived from the Americano, which was in turn based on the Milano-Torino, which takes its name from ..read more

London dry gin – as we’ve mentioned before – has very little to do with London. The name may have come about because of the capital’s status as a hub for gin making, but these days it refers to a particular style of gin, governed by assorted EU regulations. Quite what that will entail after March 2019 remains to be seen but, at this point, the shortened version of the definition is a gin made from a neutral base spirit of agricultural origin, that has already been distilled to over 96% ABV, (re)distilled to at least 70% ABV and then watered down and bottled to a minimum strength of 37.5%, flav ..read more

  The world of tonics has boomed over the last few years. We’ve seen the cocktail world go from a few key players to hundreds of craft newcomers, all vying for space on the supermarket shelves. With such a diverse range to choose from it’s hard to know what’s the best match for your gin. We’ve picked some of our favourites that we think pair perfectly with Fifty Pounds:   Fentiman’s Valencian Orange Tonic Water Fentiman’s Valencian Orange Tonic Water   Made with sweet Valencian oranges and infused with lemongrass, this is a well-rounded tonic with a touch of quinine ..read more

Summer cocktails   Summer is the perfect time for cocktails. We’re off work, the holidays are stretching out in front of us, and we can finally relax with something long and cool. These gin cocktails make the perfect summer serve – whether you’re at home, by the pool or picnicking in the park – they’ll leave you feeling refreshed in more ways than one! Cheers!     Tom CollinsTom Collins A Tom Collins is one of the classic long gin cocktails but there’s a lot of controversy around its origins, with numerous people laying claim to the invention. Apparently, the earliest record for ..read more

      When reading a cocktail recipe, it often suggests a style of glassware used for that drink.  There are certain unwritten rules within the World of Mixology, and every Cocktail recipe made, is designed for a specific Cocktail glass, to get the “correct experience” and fully take advantage of the creation in hand. Why is this even important you might ask?  With this guide you will hopefully see why it indeed is important.   SHOP YOUR OWN GLASSWARE I love to shop and find new glassware – the more vintage the better. Don’t be afraid to buy it second-hand; this is often where all the gems ar ..read more

The underlying message of our blogs is, inevitably, buy our gin. And you should: it’s absolutely delicious and wonderfully classic. The underlying message of this blog, however, is that you should buy our gin… and bottles of several other things, such as Campari, mezcal, vermouth and Aperol. Why? Because domestic cocktail making is on the rise, thanks to social media – and last year’s remarkable British summer.       Classic Negroni Cocktail made with Campari and Vermouth We’ll add the expected caveats to that statement, of course, in that you should – please! – continue to drink responsibly ..read more