Three sparkling wines, three completely different methods of making them. Here is what actually separates prosecco, champagne and cava, and which one belongs in your glass.
The August bank holiday weekend has a habit of catching hosts out. Here is how to sort last-minute bank holiday drinks in London without a panicked trip to a picked-over shop.
Carnival cocktails that go well beyond a jug of punch: the five flavours behind Caribbean drinks, plus Ti Punch, a sorrel cooler, a Queen s Park Swizzle, a guava daiquiri and a ginger-chilli highball.
How to plan bank holiday drinks for the August weekend: working out quantities per person, what beer and wine actually work in the heat, one jug made in advance, and when to get the order in.
A practical guide to Notting Hill Carnival drinks for Sunday 30 and Monday 31 August 2026: what to carry, what to leave at home, how to pace a ten-hour day and how to sort the after-party.
Practical drinks trolley ideas: which six bottles earn their place, what to keep off the trolley entirely, how to arrange the shelves and how to keep it looking good rather than dusty.
Everything worth knowing before buying Malbec: how altitude changes the wine, why Argentine and French styles taste so different, what to look for on a label and what to eat with it.
What the ageing classifications on a bottle of Rioja actually mean, how the sub-regions differ, and how to choose between Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva for what you are eating.
What wine glass shapes actually do, which differences are real and which are marketing, and the three or four glasses genuinely worth owning at home.
A clear guide to the main craft beer styles: what actually separates an IPA from a pale ale, why lager is harder to brew than stout, and how to read a beer label properly.
Spiced rum deserves better than a lazy pour of cola. Six cocktails that actually work with the vanilla, clove and allspice character of spiced rum, plus how to balance them and what to buy.
A practical guide to building a four-bottle gin tasting flight at home, from choosing contrasting styles to pouring order, water, tonic ratios and garnishes. Everything you need to run a proper tasting without turning it into a lecture.
