If you like flavours from the best of lemons, then you will love this phenomenal liqueur and if you are not a fan of lemons – still try a little and you may find yourself converted.

Salvatore Calabrese, the inventor of this liqueur, grew up on the beautiful Amalfi Coast of Italy, and returns every summer with his family to relax and enjoy all that it has to offer, including the local Limonello Liqueur. For generations the lemons have been cultivated on the sunny mountain sides and gone into the making of this popular digestive liqueur, traditionally made with a harsh grain spirit. Salvatore felt that he could improve on it: “these are the best lemons in the world, and should be married with the best spirit.”

In creating this Liquore di Limone, the maestro insists on fragrant Amalfi lemons; these are picked at the end of spring when the lemon oil is at its most aromatic. Salvatore specifics that only the best Eau de Vie – “the noble cognac” – should be used to infuse the lemon zest. He also requires that the lemon zest is left to infuse slowly for a full five weeks.

Enjoy this Liqueur straight at room temperature, chilled over ice, straight from the freezer or at the centre of a cocktail, and you will savour the work of an undoubted maestro.

My favourite is with a little more cognac, topped up with tonic, lemon and ice.

Salvatore Calabrese’s Liquore di Limone  50cl 30% abv

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Fine tequila still remains one of the great underrated spirits, and this despite the introduction of a number of ‘ultra premium’ brands. It is also still commonly perceived as a beverage to be drunk in shots, and to be a rough spirit that is guaranteed to give one a severe hangover. This is due essentially to the fact that many of the big branded tequilas are blended and use only up to 49% of the agave spirit from which tequila evolves. The rest is made up from various other sugar canes, and as such the quality of these tequilas tends to be low, along with the price, and as such the drink has somewhat of a mixed reputation.

However, if one is prepared to spend a little more, the wonderful world of real tequila and the variety of flavours and characters becomes apparent. When looking for decent tequila, the first and most crucial thing to look for is that it is made from 100% agave (It will state this on the label). This means that the spirit is not blended with sugar cane, and as such one will find an altogether smoother, purer and more complex drink, containing a multitude of extraordinary flavours. These are further developed through the oak ageing process- Silver is unoaked, resposado slightly oaked, and anejo where the tequila can rest in oak barrels for a number of years.

Tequilas that are 100% agave tend to be more expensive as the agave cactus is at a premium, essentially due to the huge amount of low quality tequila produced to serve the world market. The agave plant takes around eight years to grow until the cabeza is ready for fermentation, and so they tend to be in short supply, hence the increased price for the higher quality product.

There are many premium brand tequilas on the market, all of which are worth a try due to the variety of flavours. A great starting point would be to try the Patron range of tequilas, which are all simply stunning, and are perfect examples of exactly what this spirit can offer. Beautifully packaged in hand crafted bottles and with an exquisite attention to detail, I really cannot recommend these tequilas highly enough.

There is one thing that I need to make clear though- to really enjoy these tequilas, do not shoot them. Sip them either neat or with ice, as one would a fine brandy or whisky, and then you will get the most out of them. After that don’t forget to get the shaker out and make some fine margaritas!

The Patron Tequilas: 

Patron Silver Tequila is a simply stunning clean and pure tequila, and many experts mark this as their favourite due to its soft and light character, as opposed to the richer oakier versions. This is the perfect tequila to create a really refreshing Margarita as it has an excellent balance of citrus, acidity, and smoothness. The refinement of this tequila means it is also highly recommended sipped on the rocks.

Patron Reposado Tequila contains the same qualities as the silver, but is oak aged for six months. This imparts a slight oaky tang to the finish on the palate and therefore has a less clean yet more complex palate. This can be used for those who prefer a slightly richer Margarita, and is also excellent neat.

Patron Anejo Tequila is blended from a selection of tequilas which have all been aged in small white oak barrels for a minimum of twelve months. It is a very subtle and complex tequila and is distinctive in that each batch has a blend variation to produce perfectly balanced tequila. This is soft and refreshing, yet highly complex due to the wood ageing, and along with the subtle citrus notes, it has nuances of gingerbread. Patron Anejo Tequila should be sipped neat or on the rocks.

Gran Patron Platinum Tequila is billed as the “world’s finest platinum tequila”- big words, but this may just be true. Triple distilled, this is incredibly smooth and elegant, with soft notes of citrus and pepper. For those extravagant cocktail drinkers out there, Gran Patron Platinum Tequila will make you a simply sublime margarita that will be a once in a lifetime experience. This wonderful tequila comes in a handmade crystal bottle, which is hand signed and individually numbered, and is further packaged in a deluxe maple wood box.

Patron Gran Burdeos Tequila is an extraordinary tequila which is aged in a mixture of American oak and French oak for twelve months. It is then re-distilled, and then racked in Bordeaux barrels from some of the top Chateau. This gives this tequila a fruity aroma reminiscent of fine Bordeaux, and an unbelievable complexity and depth of character. This really does need to be sipped as one would a fine Cognac, to fully appreciate the quality. Patron Gran Burdeos comes beautifully packaged in a hand crafted wooden box made from black walnut, along with a custom corkscrew and a crystal stopper.

Tequila Patron XO Cafe Liqueur is a blend of ultra premium tequila and the natural essence of fine coffee. Unlike most coffee liqueurs, this is dry, but has a concentrated richness from the slightly higher alcohol volume. This is beautiful sipped over ice, smooth and velvety with an elegant tequila balance, and can even be used as a dessert topping. Mixologists are currently using this wonderful liqueur in a variety of cocktails at the moment, and highly recommended are the Café Royal, the Garter Belt, the XO Nightcap, and the Ladies Night.

HAPPY  TEQUILA  DAYS

A wonderful refreshing Spring and Summer drink, St-Germain is made from freshly handpicked wild elderflower blossoms which produce an unique stylish creation which is so delicious to drink. It is hard to imagine with all todays technology that only 40-50 men will pick the wild blossoms in early Spring, bundle them into sacks and then bicycle down the hillside to the local market. Within a week or so  they would have picked the entirety of St Germain   blossoms for the year which  means very limited quantities .This product of nature produces a  wonderful sweet nectar which has a curious and tantalising melange of flavours with hints of citrus and tropical fruits, try it and see.

This liqueur is excellent just on its own, poured over ice, its flavour is subtle, delicate and very captivating. Savour on a warm evening just after a fine meal.

There are many other ways to enjoy this artisanal work of art, such as the exciting combination which shows off its complex fruity flavours and  almost honeyed sweetness, is to simply mix with chilled very dry white wine, such as Signature Sauvignon Blanc, its so refreshing and also just as good with sparkling Cinzano Prosecco.

St- Germain has excellent mixibility qualities and I have tried St Germain as a base to a number of cocktails especially with  sauvignon blanc,  gin,  tequila  and  champagne. Please check and see what you think.

Click on https://www.ahadleigh-wine.com/cocktail-categories/ which will take you to our specialist cocktail page where you may  select many other cocktail recipes.

Happy St-Germain Days