Gin of the month: Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin

You like gin? You like shiraz? You’re in luck! Australian distillery Four Pillars has combined the two in a gin they’ve called Bloody Shiraz, the perfect bottle with which to celebrate Australia Day.

Apparently it’s made from shiraz grapes that are steeped in gin for 8 weeks, giving it a luscious dark berry character - a bit like a sloe or damson gin. I enjoyed it most as a shot and on the rocks: although they advise that you can drink it with tonic I actually found it too sweet that way. There are lots of other cocktail ideas on their website including the Bloody Jasmine.

The price in the UK varies considerably. The cheapest I’ve spotted it is on special offer at £34.99 from Ministry of Drinks and Simply Wines Direct and £37.95 from Field & Fawcett while some sites sell it for as much as £51.

Either way it’s not cheap but I know a lot of you gin fanatics out there like to get your hands on something different and you can pretty well guarantee no-one will have a red gin in their collection!

Six food pairings for gin that might surprise you

Aldi Specially Selected Creme de Cassis

You may not remember but back in the '70s kir was ‘a thing’ - the drink you invariably got offered in a cod French bistro or poured for your friends as a sophisticated aperitif back home.

With more glamourous cocktails and the rise and rise of prosecco it’s somewhat fallen from favour but it’s still a lovely summery drink and perfect for this time of year.

All you need is a bottle of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) and one or two bottles of dry white or sparkling wine - nothing with too much flavour of its own. The traditional go to was aligoté which at that time was uncomfortably sharp - you could use something like a petit Chablis these days or, cheaper, still, a pinot grigio.

If you’re making a kir royale use a fresh-tasting rather than a toasty champagne or a cheap French crémant sparkling wine like Aldi's Cremant du Jura. (Most prosecco is in my view too sweet).

How to make a kir

A small splash in the bottom of the glass - not too much or it will taste of Ribena, top up with wine or fizz - et voilà! Robert is indeed your oncle.

The reason I’m revisiting this is that Aldi is stocking a Crème de Cassis liqueur which has just won a gold medal in the International Wine and Spirits Challenge beating off competition from much more expensive bottles. I haven’t done a comparative tasting but can definitely vouch that it’s deliciously blackcurranty.

Cassis is also useful for adding extra oomph to a summer pudding or a blackcurrant sorbet which is a good idea as it needs drinking up relatively quickly. I suggest within a couple of weeks which shouldn’t be too hard . . .

Dunville’s Very Rare Old Irish Whiskey

If you’re looking for a whiskey to celebrate St Patrick’s Day try to get hold of a bottle of Dunville’s Very Rare Old Irish whiskey.

It’s a cask strength 10 year old single malt with a lot of personality that strikes me as a cross between an Irish whiskey and a scotch. Served neat you notice a slight smokiness and peatiness but let down with a few drops of water it’s the fruit character that shines through - apricot and peach to my palate although one commentator detects apple Jolly Ranchers and spiced custard! There’s a lovely touch of sweetness from the Pedro Ximenez casks in which the whiskey is finished but it’s all kept beautifully in balance.

The whiskey, which has was bottled by the Echlinville distillery in Co Down, Northern Ireland’s first new whisky distillery in 125 years, was nominated Best Irish Single Malt Under 12 Years at the 2015 World Whiskies Awards. I love the retro label too.

You can buy it from Master of Malt for £44.62, Amazon for £45 and Royal Mile Whiskies for £46.95.

Drink of the week: Warner Edwards Harrington Sloe Gin

If you’re going to stay with someone - or even just have a meal with them - over Christmas, it’s good to take along a bottle of some kind and if you don’t know their taste in wine why not make it gin?

Warner Edwards, which is run by two good friends Tom Warner and Sion Edwards, was one of the finalists in the drinks category of the BBC Food & Farming Awards I judged earlier this year. I liked their whole range, especially the rhubarb gin but sloe is perfect at this time of year.

It comes handsomely presented in a wax-sealed bottle and a box so looks as if you’ve spend money on it. (Which you have. It’s around £30 from online retailers including John Lewis and Amazon - which is expensive for sloe gin but at 30% it’s higher in alcohol than most which makes it suitable both for cocktails and sipping.) I can strongly recommend trying it with Stilton or pouring it into a hip flask for your Boxing Day walk …