How to make the perfect Martini

Introducing a new series of features, where we dig out Nick’s ‘Big Bumper Book of Cocktails’ and turn our hand to bar room sorcery and magical mixology, in an effort to thin down the bottles of spirits in the drinks cupboard so we can fit in more beers and ciders.

First up, the quintessential-est quintessential cocktail of them all. We’re starting easy – it’s…

The Martini 

Brief History
The history of the Martini is murkier than one of Nick’s ‘experimental’ wines.
There are four main theories. Take your pick…

Theory 1
World renowned bartender Jerry Thomas (no relation to Terry) created the drink, having published a ‘Martinez’ recipe in his 1887 bartending book. It bears a similar-ish resemblance to the Martini we know, but his recipe contained bitters, sweet vermouth and maraschino liqueur.

Theory 2
The Martini was created by Julio Richelieu, bar owner in the gold-panning town of Martinez, California. He concocted the booze when a prospector who’d just struck gold, entered his bar and asked for an appropriately named, celebratory tipple.

Theory 3
The drinks company Martini & Rosso invented the Martini for a branding exercise, in order to sell more of their Italian sweet vermouth. Most likely.

Theory 4
The Martini was invented by and named after Martini di Arma di Taggia, hotshot barman of Manhattan’s Knickerbocker Hotel, who served his signature booze to money-bags oil magnate, John. D. Rockefeller *

How to make a Martini.

Difficulty level: Easy

What you’ll need:
1 oz dry vermouth
4 oz gin
An olive to garnish

For our martini, we’re using Bulldog Gin, a fresh, smooth tasting booze that’ll allow our homemade vermouth to shine.

Instructions:

1 Pour 4 oz gin and 1 oz vermouth into a cocktail shaker full of smashed up ice. Stir, not shake.

2 Stir for half a minute, to chill and combine.

3 Pour into a suitable glass, then adorn with a skewered olive. If you fancy a splash of citrus, replace the olive with a twist of lemon, making sure you give it a squeeze to release the oils before dropping it in the glass.

4 Sip in a stylish fashion.

Martini Alternatives.

The Gibson
Replace the olive with an onion. (cocktail, not spring)

The Mel Gibson
Replace the olive with a fist (just made that one up)

The Vesper
James Bond’s Fave. According to Ian Flemming…
“Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?”
Casino Royale, Chapter 7

The Noel Coward
A large glass of gin, ‘waved in the general direction of Italy’. Ho ho, Noel!** You are a card!

 

 

* A very doubtful theory. There’s no word of it on their website, and you’d have thought their marketing guys would be ALL over it. Also: Rockefeller was a well known abstainer of both booze and fags.

** Not you, Edmonds. Get back to your pet pestering.

The post How to make the perfect Martini appeared first on Two Thirsty Gardeners.

from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/10/cocktail-corner-make-vodka-martini/

Beer of the week #95: Saison Dupont

Beer writer Tim Hampson’s new book ‘The 50 Greatest Beers of the World’ has become our new booze bible as we leaf through its pages, finding the beers we’ve not tried before and learning more about the stories behind them. We were lucky enough to catch up with Tim and find out more about how he tackled the task, and get some more thoughts on one of our favourite entries – the Belgian farmhouse classic Saison Dupont…

Coming up with the Worlds 50 Greatest Beers sounds like a daunting task. How did you set about the challenge?
It wasn’t easy to choose 50 beers. I spent a lot of time thinking about how to do it. One solution would have been to include my 50 favourite ales or even my favourite lagers. But that would have resulted in a narrow focussed book.

I wanted the book to have some narrative to it, so in the end I decided that I would try and include many different beer styles. I wanted to show the incredible diversity of the beer world and celebrate the creation of so many different drinks from just four ingredients – usually malted barley, hops, water and yeast

The beer market has changed dramatically in recent years. How different do you think this list would’ve looked at the end of the 20th century? And how might it change in ten years time?
The changes to the beer world in the last 20 years have been dramatic. There are now so many new exciting breweries not just in the traditional brewing countries such as the USA, UK, Germany and Belgium but we are seeing the blossoming of brewing in non- traditional brewing countries such as Japan, Italy, Brazil and Russia.

In 10 years time I expect we will see the have seen more and more small local breweries opening. But, I also expect to see a consolidation of many of the breweries we have now. That is how capitalism seems to work.

Have your own tastes changed since you first started drinking?
I am sure my tastes have changed since I started drinking. But the real change that has taken place is the availability of beer from hundreds of brewers from all over the world in a multiplicity of styles. When I was young I only knew of a limited number British brewed beers. I knew nothing of great Czech pilsners, German helles or Trappist brews from Belgium.

Saison is one style that has really caught the imagination of contemporary brewers. Why do you think it has become so popular?
I think saisons have caught the imagination of many brewers today because it is a style which allows them to show their creativity. There is no definitive definition of what a saison is. Traditionally each brewer would make their own variant of it.

But the variation is the beguiling attraction of the style – originally the beers would have varied from beers low in alcohol which children could safely drink to some very strong ones. These were the health and energy drinks of the day. Today, I think brewers see the style as a blank canvas, which they can use to express their creativity and experiment with and showcase unusual ingredients such as lemon grass, galanjal, ginger or even kaffir lime leaves.

One of our favourites, the more traditional Saison Dupont, features in your top 50. What makes this beer so special?
It just tastes so good. Dupont is regarded as producing the definitive and probably best example of the style. Unfiltered in the bottle, the beer is a hazy yellow and beautifully balanced. drinkers shouldn’t be concerned if there is some sediment either in the bottle or poured into the glass. This is a living beer which is bottled with yeast, sur lees. The beer is hopped with Kentish Goldings – which give a faint but gentle hint of orange fruit and a touch of spice. The finish is long and dry, leaving the drinker ready for another sip.

Do you recall the first time you tasted it?
I wish I remember the first time I drank the beer. I’d like to say it was while sitting in a bar in Belgium with the late great beer writer Michael Jackson. But it wasn’t.

What’s the best way to serve a bottle of Saison Dupont and what food would you eat with it?
I prefer this beer to be served at about 10C in a favourite glass.

But what to eat with it? Hunks of good cheese and slices of salami would do me fine, together with some an artisanal loaf. And the company of friends with whom I could share conversation.

And finally, is there one more beer you wish you could’ve squeezed in. The 51st greatest beer in the world?
A 51^st beer? That’s a tough question. I think, I would have to make it the first I plan to have today at my local pub. I don’t know what it is yet, but I’m already looking forward to the first sip. The anticipation will make it one of the best in the world.

Get the book

Tim’s book The 50 Greatest Beers of the World is published by Icon and available on Amazon

The lowdown

Brewery: Brasserie Dupont, Tourpes, West Hainaut, Belgium
Beer name: Saison Dupont
Strength: 6.5%

Available from Beers of Europe

 

The post Beer of the week #95: Saison Dupont appeared first on Two Thirsty Gardeners.

from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/10/beer-review-interview-tiim-hampson-saison-dupont/

Poppy bird feeder: raising money for the Royal British Legion

I like to think I’m generous in my gardening exploits. I grow things for the family and friends and deliver them in food and booze form. And I also like to share my hard work with the wildlife: A resident rat gobbles his way through the garden compost, helpfully turning it as he goes; insects feast on vegetable leaf and flesh without having to worry about ingesting any pest-killing poison; and I leave most of my post-blooming, post-harvesting flowers and veg in place through winter so birds can feast on seeds and hedgehogs can nest in the debris.*

I would like to see more birds in the garden. There are lots of sparrows, and the occasional sparrowhawk on a hunting mission. I also regularly see thrushes, blackbirds, robins, pigeons and the more common types of tit. Anything else is occasional and a cause for celebration. Having two dogs doesn’t help although, unlike Rich’s evil cat, they don’t really go in for attacking the birds.

Too add to my chances of more avian visitors I’ve got a new bird feeder. It’s more a work of art than the dangling nut-baskets that sway in the bushes. And it’s helping raise money for a very worthy cause.

The Royal British Legion have been working with Gardman to create this rather special cast iron bird feeder. They’re hoping sales raise £200,000 for the charity, helping armed forces members and their families. They’ve asked gardening bloggers to spread the word and, of course, we were only too happy to oblige.

The feeder has been given a spot beneath my garden birds favourite tree and it’s already doing a great job of brightening up the place in an otherwise overgrown and decaying environment. It has been filled with seed mix and the birds are already taking note. When I can find my long camera lens and get some decent light you’ll see the evidence. Or get one yourself and send me some photos – particularly if you manage to attract something other than sparrows.

To order your Gardman Poppy Bird Feeder visit www.gardmanpoppy.co.uk

And you can find out more through these social media channels…
Facebook: /GardmanPoppy
Instagram: @GardmanPoppy (#GardmanPoppy)
Twitter: @GardmanPoppy (#GardmanPoppy)

*This is in no way a happy accident of gardening laziness.

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from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/10/gardman-poppy-bird-feeder-raising-money-royal-british-legion/

Creating a Mould-Free Bathroom

There are three words a homeowner never wants to hear; you’ve got mould. Mould is a type of fungus that thrives in damp environments and isn’t too picky when it comes to temperature. Due to an excess of water mould is most often found in bathrooms. If left untouched mould can rapidly grow and in turn cause major harm to a room. You’ll want to do your best to prevent the growth of mould and put an end to it as soon as it’s visible. To avoid the damage that may be caused to your home along with your health.

Create the Proper Drainage

There’s nothing worse than stepping into a shower or bath and dipping your toes into water that somebody else has already bathed in. When your done cringing, realise that there’s a pretty easy solution to this objectively scarring experience. Your drain is clearly not doing its job. But before placing the blame, the next time you take a shower see if the water is pooling in certain areas of the shower because your floor isn’t properly slanted to guide water to the drain. If water is pooling around your drain, make sure hair or other objects aren’t clogging it. If your drain itself is defective, try out a linear or square drain.

Install a Fan

In its early stages of growth mould is rather delicate and can’t withstand being pushed and pulled. A bathroom fan will knock mould off its rhythm by making it hard to grow. Fans also suck up excess moisture that would normally pool up around your bathroom and form perfect pockets for mould to form in.

Protecting Your Walls From Water

Most likely your walls aren’t made from tile. That being the case you’ll need to make your walls impervious to water. Water will inevitably absorb into your walls if you don’t apply the proper primer to your bathroom. Applying primer is the most important step you can take towards making your bathroom walls water resistant.

Getting Rid of Mould

If this pest of a fungi has already found a home in your bathroom you’ll need to act fast before it spreads any further. You can find cleaners that have the sole purpose of killing mould at pretty much any cleaning store or major market close to your home. If you’re up for making your own concoction mix three parts water and one-part bleach. Once you have your cleaner ready, apply it with a scrub brush. After you’ve applied use a rag to wipe away the cleaner.

The post Creating a Mould-Free Bathroom appeared first on UK Home Improvement Blog.

from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/creating-a-mould-free-bathroom/

5 Reasons Why you Should have a Driveway

Whether you want to create a parking space to safely store your vehicle or you are looking to add value to your property, a driveway can prove to be a very worthwhile investment. Despite being the first thing someone will see when visiting your property, the benefits of having a driveway are often overlooked. Here, we will explain the reasons why driveways are becoming more and more popular amongst homeowners, and how your property can benefit from having one fitted.

 1 . Increases property prices and adds kerb appeal

The addition of a driveway can instantly increase the value of a property by 5-10%, leading many homeowners to invest in one prior to selling their house. The driveway is the first thing potential buyers will see when viewing a property, so a stylish, low maintenance drive will make a great first impression for those visiting.  

2. Minimises the risk of your car being stolen

Storing your car on a driveway will reduce the chance of your vehicle being taken, as thieves will be deterred by the prospect of having to come nearer to your property. Cars on the road can be stolen and be damaged. Criminals may slash tyres or even smash windscreens. To improve security on your driveway, you can choose to put certain measures in place, such as the installation of a security gate or motion detector lighting. That way, you can rest assured knowing that you have implemented the necessary security measures to keep your car as safe as possible.

3. Reduces the cost of car insurance

When it comes to car insurance, keeping your vehicle on a driveway is typically much cheaper than parking it in the garage or on a road. Whilst it may seem tempting for car owners to say their car is kept on a driveway when it’s actually parked on the road, they could end up invalidating the insurance and any claims will be refused by the insurance company if they are caught out. In fact, insurers have even been known to check whether homes have driveways or garages on Google Street View. 

4. Adds convenience

In an age when people are leading busy, often stressful lives, a fresh, well-laid driveway can make a world of difference. Thanks to new materials and products such as decorative stone and resin bound paving, minimal maintenance is needed to keep your driveway looking its best for longer.

Not only that, the added functionality of having a driveway means that your vehicle can be parked as close to your home as possible. This makes tasks such as carrying your shopping to the house much easier, which is particularly important for the elderly or those with mobility issues.

5. Makes a lasting impression

With an array of textures, colours and materials available, you are guaranteed to find a driveway style to complement your modern or traditional home seamlessly. As your driveway is typically the first thing people will see when visiting your property, incorporating a stylish design will impress and inspire family, friends and potential buyers alike.

The post 5 Reasons Why you Should have a Driveway appeared first on UK Home Improvement Blog.

from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/5-reasons-why-you-should-have-a-driveway/

Beer of the week #94: Fierce, Cranachan Killer

Water. Barley. Yeast. Hops. The four essential ingredients used for brewing beer. Not so long ago the only time a British brewer deviated from this basic recipe would be a with crafty addition of sugar as a low cost way to bump up the alcohol content.

These days brewers are scrambling through hedgerows, raiding larders and blagging grub from artisan food producers to find new items to lob into their brewing pots. New Scottish outfit Fierce have taken this anything-goes attitude to extreme levels, launching a whole range of beers flavoured with ingredients such as chipotle chillis, lemongrass and peanuts. But it’s their very Scottish experiment Cranachan Killer that caught our eyes.

Sold in a bottle adorned with a gun-toting dog and aggressive black & white design, these Fierce folk are no shy outfit and they’ve rammed the flavours of cranachan into every small bottle.

Cranachan is a traditional Scottish dessert made from raspberries, honey, toasted oats and cream. Three of these ingredients have made it into the brewing process; thankfully, cream is the one that misses out.

From the first sniff you know this murky pink liquid is going to be laden with raspberry flavours, which are quickly joined by some moreish biscuity notes and spiky bitterness. It’s drink that’s sweet on the lips and moisture-sappingly dry in the throat, a top quality beer that carries its cranachan flavours with aplomb.

In fact it’s so good, we started wondering what other traditional puddings could be turned into beer and came up with the following three…

Trifle Matter

Sherry trifle: the favourite dessert of British Aunties comes laced with mixed fruit, custard and a generous glug of fortified booze. Substitute vanilla for custard, age in sherry casks and Auntie will be getting the rounds in.

Gateau Blaster

Taking its lead from Germany’s Black Forest gateau we’re imagining a rich black brew powered with chocolate and sour cherries. Served with a shot of kirsch.

Finn Fight

Travel to Finland and you might just find the traditional pudding veriohukainen. It’s a pancake made with pig’s blood and milk, served with lingonberry jam. Best of luck with that one…

They may not be the best ideas ever, but if Fierce continue to show the fantastic brewing form they’ve started with we’re sure they can successfully flavour their beer with anything they like.

The lowdown

Brewery: Fierce Beer, Aberdeen, Scotland
Beer name: Cranachan Killer
Strength: 5.2%
Hops used: Summit

Available from Beer Ritz

 

The post Beer of the week #94: Fierce, Cranachan Killer appeared first on Two Thirsty Gardeners.

from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/10/beer-week-review-fierce-cranachan-killer/

Converting your Garage into a Bar

If you have a garage on your property and you are struggling to work out how best to make use of it, then we might have the solution for you. Leisure time is extremely important, and having an extra space dedicated to relaxation and socialising is no bad thing. For those with some time on their hands and a penchant for DIY, your empty garage can be turned into a fully functioning bar.

Blank Canvas

It’s important that you start from scratch – trying to incorporate a bar into your existing garage layout can prove to be incredibly tricky. Clear out your garage completely, storing all the items you want to keep safely elsewhere. From here, you can plan what parts of your new bar and going to go where; most importantly the bar itself!

Painting and decorating

The colour and decoration of your new space will have a significant impact on the overall atmosphere that you and your guests experience in the bar. It is important that you find the right balance between your personal tastes and inviting colours for your ‘patrons’. Think about what you want to use the bar for: a relaxing drink and a chat may benefit from interesting and eye catching colours and adornments. However, if you are planning to have a TV screen to watch sports or films on, then a cluttered wall can prove to be distracting and claustrophobic.

Insulation

Like any room in your home, keeping it warm is important if you’re going to be comfortable in it. Insulation is required for every wall, the ceiling and the floor. The initial expense of insulation can be quite off-putting, but over the years it will save you a lot of money on heating bills, offsetting the amount you have spent on having it installed in the first place.

Lighting

As much an aesthetic factor as well as simply functioning to illuminate your room, the choice of lighting is very important for the overall look and feel of your new garage bar. There is a wide range of different lighting options available, from mood lighting to more traditional solutions. Whatever style you opt for, shop around for energy efficient bulbs and save a little extra on your energy bills each month.

Furniture

The insulation, the painting, the lighting: these are all very important features of your garage bar, but they are not the most ‘fun’ tasks to undertake. The furniture, however, is where your new bar will really start to take shape. Things like seating, tables (either standard functional tables or games tables – that’s up to you), any stands/shelves/brackets for your incoming giant TV screen… choosing your furniture is one of the most exciting parts of this conversion.

Climate

Nobody likes to be in a stuffy, sweaty bar. Conversely, nobody likes to be in a freezing cold bar, either. Air conditioning and climate control is very important for the room; it helps to keep a comfortable temperature which everyone can enjoy. Choosing the right air conditioning unit is a tough job, and it is important that you seek the advice of professionals before choosing a unit.

Airway Air Conditioning supply air conditioning systems from the world’s leading brands, and our expert team can install your unit perfectly and efficiently, helping you get your new bar up and running as quickly as possible.

If you would like to know more about air conditioning services for your home or business, please get in touch Airway Air Conditioning where we will be more than happy to help.

The post Converting your Garage into a Bar appeared first on UK Home Improvement Blog.

from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/converting-your-garage-into-a-bar/

University of Northampton goes green with new Waterside campus

The University’s new Waterside grounds, which opens in 2018, will have 100% of its warming and boiling hot water needs served by the new vitality focus, which is normal spare more than 2,200tCO2e a year contrasted and traditional warming frameworks when completely operational.And the 58-section of land grounds will consolidate a plenty of other vitality sparing measures, including LED lights, vitality productive building plan highlights and a propelled vitality checking and control framework.

The new warming framework, conveyed by Vital Energy, will see more than half (54%) of the warmth created from CHP, with the rest of from biomass (35%) and gas (11%) boilers. The 1MW biomass kettle will make low-carbon boiling point water which is circulated through the area warming system to give warming and heated water to the structures on campus.Vital Energy provincial executive Mike Cooke said: By indicating a biomass locale warming framework for the new Waterside Campus, the University of Northampton is setting an extraordinary case for the Higher Education division by showing how renewable vitality arrangements can be actualized, lessening carbon emanations and coordinating warm stockpiling to boost the Renewable Heat Incentive.
Smart Campus

The Waterside Campus, which will give best in class scholastic offices for 15,000 understudies, has been intended to be as vitality effective as could be allowed. The particular introduction and state of the building have been situated to minimize its manufactured cooling, lighting and warming prerequisites. Driven/eco-bright lighting is additionally being actualized, alongside high-warm execution windows.

The University’s vitality technique additionally incorporates arrangements to present various shrewd components to the grounds, including a versatile warming ventilation and cooling framework that changes with the quantity of inhabitants and current air quality in the working to advance fan speeds and drive effectiveness. The grounds will likewise be utilizing a sub-metering framework that will guarantee that 90% of information vitality will be represented and conveyed effectively. The Building Management System (BMS) will consequently screen all sub meters, guaranteeing the vitality is being overseen effectively. The Boiler Servicing Farnham extend executive Bob Griggs said: “The supportability of the advancement at Waterside has dependably been one of our top worries at the University and a key rule of the new improvement has been to minimize the vitality request and augment the productivity of vitality utilize.

This is the most recent in a line of cases of colleges setting supportability and vitality productivity at the focal point of their operations. Oxford Brookes University recently got to be one of the primary instructive foundations in the UK to utilize request reaction as a method for decreasing vitality use in understudy convenience. Moreover, the principal carbon-unbiased understudy settlement will open not long from now at the University of Herefordshire, having secured a BREEAM Outstanding rating.But in spite of this positive advance being made by a few, the advanced education segment in general is attempting to keep focused with 2020 vitality diminishment targets.

The post University of Northampton goes green with new Waterside campus appeared first on Subline Wind Chime.

from Subline Wind Chime http://www.sublimewindchime.com/2016/10/19/university-northampton-goes-green-new-waterside-campus/

Beer of the week #93: Mantle Brewery, Cwrw Teifi

In our previous BOTW, Rich announced to the world that I was away on holiday, alerting beer loving crooks to an empty house, unguarded by my ferocious hounds. Fortunately, the internet’s most criminal minds have been too busy plotting a course to the vast riches of Kim Kardashian’s diamonds to trouble themselves with my stash of beer and, on return, the door to my booze safe remained untouched.

My week away was in the blissfully peaceful Pembrokeshire village of Abercych, a place seemingly untroubled by modern life’s supposed essentials, such as internet hubs and phone signals, so I was unreachable by friends, family and pestering PR companies. And for some mystery reason the stone walls to our holiday house also possessed battery weakening properties, rendering my phone dead for most journeys away from our remote base.

After several days enjoying no communication with the outside world, I realised our neighbouring pub, the Nag’s Head, had a fully functioning Wi-Fi. Suddenly it became imperative that I regularly strolled down the hill to the boozer to check vital work emails. And it would be rude to take advantage of their telecom triumph without, in exchange, purchasing their beer.

The Nag’s Head is a proper village pub, attracting a friendly mix of locals and tourists, serving quality food with a range of well-kept, local ales. The pub’s owners, Tracy and Steve, have only been running the show for 12 weeks but have already improved it from my previous visit a few years ago.

Back then, its main appeal was the stuffed “Giant Rat of Abercych” which some time around 1950 rose from the nearby river Cych to terrorise the villagers before being cornered in a garden, caught, and mounted on the pub wall.*

The pub also contains a brewery, but this has been sadly dry for over five years. Steve is planning on learning more about brewing in order to get the mash tuns bubbling once more. Until then, it’s other local breweries whose drinks line the bar.

During my stay, Cardigan’s Mantle brewery had two ales on offer, alongside a third lovely American-style red ale from nearby Newport’s Bluestone Brewing Co. before being replaced with a mighty fine bitter from the Gwaun Valley Brewery. My preferred beer to sup while pretending to check those work emails was Mantle’s Cwrw Teifi, a traditional brown bitter. ‘Cwrw’ is one of the few Welsh words I’ve temporarily managed to learn (but still can’t pronounce) and translates as ‘beer’. And the Teifi is the impressive river that cuts through the dramatic Welsh scenery delivering giant rats to the Cych tributary on its journey to the Irish Sea at Cardigan.

I’ve always found Welsh bitters have similar properties to them. This is likely to be caused by something in their soft water, but probably also down to local brewing practices. It’s not necessarily a property I can easily describe so could equally be context: breathing in that fresh Welsh air is bound to have an effect on how the human senses operate.

Cwrw Teifi definitely tastes Welsh to me, but it has a much fuller flavour than the Welsh bitters I’m used to. There’s a fruity tang to the malt and well rounded bitterness to the finish. No trendy tropical hops; no crisp pale malts; no funky yeasts. This is a proper, old school bitter, with the flavour confidently turned up a notch as a welcome concession to contemporary beer tastes.

A few miles down the road the Teifi ratchets up the power through a series of small waterfalls at Cenarth. There are a few more tourist conveniences in Cenarth, including tea rooms, mobile telephone signals and a Nisa store tacked onto the village service station. Unlike most of the bigger stores in the bigger towns, this Nisa sells a fantastic array of local beers, including bottles of Mantle’s booze. I stocked up on more of their range, along with bottles of the Teifi bitter, denying the dogs some tail-room in the car so I could take them home with me. They’ll come in handy for holiday reminiscing when modern working life becomes too stressful. Providing Rich doesn’t inform the world when they’re at their most easily thieveable.

*Some of this might be embellisment, and the Giant Rat turned out to be a coypu…

The lowdown

Brewery: Mantle Brewery, Cardigan, Wales
Beer name: Cwrw Teifi
Strength: 4.5%

 

The post Beer of the week #93: Mantle Brewery, Cwrw Teifi appeared first on Two Thirsty Gardeners.

from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/10/beer-review-mantle-brewery-cwrw-teifi-bitter/

An interview with… Tony Hadley

When he’s not strutting the stage, sending folks knock knee-ed with his New Romantic balladry, Tony Hadley loves to mess with a mash tun. He used to own a brewery – he’s just launched his own IPA. We sit down with the suave Spandau Ballet frontman and talk Moonstone IPA, cider houses and the performance enhancing properties of port.

Listen to Tony… 

How did you come to work with the Great Yorkshire Brewery, and did they find it difficult taking brewing advice from a Londoner?
The first time we came across the Great Yorkshire Brewery, we had our own brewery in Bury St Edmonds, The Red Rat Brewery, and were approached by the Great Yorkshire Brewery to fulfil all our orders. From then on we became involved with them and decided to start to look at different beers; we looked at Hadley’s Blonde, Hadley’s gold. We really pleased to be working with them – the brewery is amazing.

The more up north you go, the more they want the beer quite balanced so it becomes quite heavy and syrupy. I don’t like heavy beer. I wanted mine unbalanced so it becomes much lighter and not so heavy to drink. That’s my only thing as a Londoner.

How hands on were you when it came to developing the IPA?
I always knew exactly what I wanted. I spent a lot of time at the brewery and worked with the Master Brewer there, Alan. He’s absolutely fantastic and really understood what I wanted. A beer called Little Creatures from Australia was a reference point. I love going to Oz and it’s one of my favourite beers. The team at The Great Yorkshire Brewery, including Jo Taylor, worked hard to help me create my vision and it’s turned out fantastically.

There’s a fine selection of beers on offer during Nicholson’s Beer Showcase celebrations. Have you got your eye on any in particular?
I’ve tried a couple like Truman’s Zephyr which is a nice beer. I prefer much lighter beers but I have been drinking my own beer, the Moonstone IPA, in nearly every pub. I do like trying other beers and often at the brewery we’ll get in other London brews and have a taste test of what is good or bad. I enjoy that because you want to know about the competition.

Back in the day, what was the New Romantics drink of choice?
The New Romantics drink of choice was light and lager. My first venture into real ale was in the Cotswold’s at a little village called Stanton with The Mount pub at the top. When I asked for a pint of light and lager all the locals looked at me as if I was from planet Zogg, and said ‘we don’t serve beer like that in here’. So I went for the local brew and that was my first taste of real ale. There’s nothing wrong with lager, I like lager and I still drink lager, but the preference is probably always real ale. Another New Romantics drink of choice is a pina colada with a little umbrella on top – it’s very eighties and totally ‘Fools and Horses’.

Do you have any memorable booze experiences from your life on tour with the Spands?
There’s not really any memorable booze experiences when you are on tour because most of them are so heavy that you can’t remember what you did. There were moments of complete madness. As a singer I had to be disciplined because the shows were two hours and there is a lot of heavy singing. So, inevitably I was the guy in the band who went to bed every night, getting his eight or nine hours sleep while the others were out nightclubbing and going completely crazy. But when I had a couple of days off that was dangerous. That’s when I was assigned a minder or someone to look after me and ghost me all night because I would go absolutely mental.

You are famed for your silky vocal delivery. My band-singing mate was once advised to take up fag smoking to achieve an authentic rock voice. (it didn’t work). Would you advocate the drinking of booze to coat the larynx prior to gigging?
Smoking will not give you a rock voice – you’ve either got it or you haven’t. I used to smoke and it’s the most stupid thing I ever did. I’ve given up for many years. In terms of drinking, there are some singers that will not drink before a performance. Normally when we’d go to a town or a festival, we’d try and hit a pub and get a couple of beers or a glass of wine with dinner, and then I gargle with port. It’s a little trick of an old opera singer. You do not drink it; you spit it out. It clears the voice and it’s nice. I never drink too much before I go on stage because you want to be sharp. You have to be. We always find a local pub before we go on, unless it’s a festival and you can’t get outside. When we were in Newton Abbot in Devon we got smuggled out of the racecourse and we went to the cider house; it’s just cider and I love it. It was like going back two hundred years and all they had was barrelled cider. That was dangerous because it was before a gig.

Do you have a favorite pub?
My favourite pub in London would be the Red Lion and Sun in Highgate, where my son is working at the moment. It’s a cracking pub, we’ve had some good celebrations there. There are some great pubs where I live in Buckinghamshire: The Mole and Chicken, The Seven Stars, The Crown, The Hundred. There’s several great pubs so we are spoilt for choice. The Bottle and Glass is another good pub.

What are your favorite ales?
Apart from Moonstone IPA? Little Creatures is really great from Australia. I’ve been in America and in San Diego they’ve got some great craft breweries. I like Ruddles County, it’s a nice drink. I like anything that’s local. If you go to Italy, you don’t just drink Pinot Grigio; you ask for the local wine. XT beer is great and Chiltern beer is really good.

Who would you most like to share a pint with?
I said recently in an interview that I’d like to sit down and have dinner with Winston Churchill so I would quite happily share a pint with him as well. I’ve just read his biography by Boris Johnson and what he did in his life was incredible: fought in Boer War, fought in the First World War, Prime minister of this country during the Second World War. An incredible man, just unbelievable.

Hadley, Le Bon and Oakey are at the bar. Who buys the first round, and what does everyone order?
Well I always buy the first round, I’m never shy in going to the bar. It’s always good to be at the bar first so I would definitely buy the first round. I think Simon would have a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and Phil Oakey a pint of real ale; he’s a good Sheffield boy. I’d definitely have a pint.

 

Tony’s Moonstone IPA is on sale at selected Nicholson’s boozers.

 

 

 

Tony himself can be found prowling the stage with the Southbank Sinfonia on these following dates:
15th October 2016, Birmingham Symphony Hall
16th October 2016, Southend Cliffs Pavillion
17th October 2016, London Royal Albert Hall

http://tonyhadley.com/

 

 

 

 

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from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/10/interview-tony-hadley/

Autumn Home Improvement Ideas

The time for spending your evenings sat outside in the garden watching the sun set with a nice cool drink has sadly been put on hold until next year. But there is now the chance to make changes to your home with the autumn months in mind. These tips should help you bring in the new season in the best ways possible.

Make Your Home Cosier

The colder nights and shorter days make autumn the perfect time to add some cosiness to your home. You can do this in a variety of ways, ranging from ways which are subtler such as getting adding some new cushions to your home or adding some blankets that can be used to cosy up when you are sat watching your favourite TV program. There can also be bigger ways to do this, such as adding a log burner to your home which maybe wouldn’t be as practical but is a fantastic way to do something that is certainly on trend with autumn décor.

Bring the Outdoors Inside

A large trend over the summer months is always to spend time relaxing in your garden, but why not choose to bring your outdoors inside? Again, this can be done with little effort by bringing your traditional indoor furniture inside in to your conservatory and putting some throws over them. If you fancy getting more creative, you can choose to make a collage with some of the autumn leafs and placing them in a frame on your wall.

Add New Colours

Without a doubt, changing the theme of your room by altering the colours in there is one of the best home improvement choices. To get in with the theme of autumn you want to use pastel colours, and colours such as brown or dark orange. You can do this by changing the paint colour in your home, or you can simply alter some of the smaller décor pieces. For instance, you can change the photo frames or replace the flowers in your vases with decorative acorns as a great way to add some colour that keeps in with the theme of autumn.

Author Bio

Ryan Duffy is a freelance writer who is a recent university graduate in Media Studies. His passion for people and writing has encouraged him to pursue this career full-time. Working on behalf of rattan furniture manufacturer, Dresser & Co, he focuses most of his work towards home improvement and lifestyle sites.

The post Autumn Home Improvement Ideas appeared first on UK Home Improvement Blog.

from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/autumn-home-improvement-ideas/

Installing a Stove without a Chimney

With gas prices rising every year there have been an increase in people who have alternatively installed wood burning stoves as their main source of heat at home. The only issue of course with doing so is that there must also be an extraction system in place which will vent the smoke. Most people think if your home does not come pre-fitted with a chimney then it is impossible to have a stove but in reality they can be quite simple to erect.

The first step is to look at what type of chimney you require for your stove; this is based on the type of stove and home you have. It is better to have a new chimney flue installed than to use a pre-existing one with a new stove as the opening of the flue has to exactly match the stove. Ideally you will want a metal chimney flue installed as they as insulated with a flue liner and can withstand much higher temperatures. For some the idea of a large metal chimney is a bit of an eye sore so to be more fitting with your homes aesthetic you can also have a brick/masonry chimney as the exterior with the metal flue on the inside.

You will next need to consider where you will place the stove and flue in your home. Ideally you will want somewhere where the chimney is as straight as possible with minimal bends. If your chimney has a lot of bends and turns it won’t be able to function properly and creates more areas within the flue from creosote to build up. It will also make it a lot more difficult for you to see where there is build up and check for any blockages.

Most people like to have their chimney against an exterior wall of their home but this is one of the worst places for it, as the warmth from your home will be lost. It is recommended to place your stove at the most central point in your home, this will allow your home to heat up quicker as it draws the best.

Sooty & Sweeps offers accredited chimney sweep services in London & Kent.

The post Installing a Stove without a Chimney appeared first on UK Home Improvement Blog.

from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/installing-a-stove-without-a-chimney/

Beer of the week #92: Island Records Jamaica Porter

This week, Nick has abandoned his BOTW duties, choosing instead to head holiday-wards to the sunny climes of North-West Wales. So while he’s busying himself on the beaches of Pembrokeshire, shouting apologies to parents as his pair of demented greyhounds skittle over small children, I’ve been left to forage for a potential beer to write about.

Last time he went away, I was granted the keys to his Booze Bunker to plunder the shelves for suitable candidates. Not this time – the keys were held tight between his miserly fists, citing my over-enthusiastic gathering of his prized boozes as a reason for denied access.

Nothing was looking particularly inspiring in my own impoverished booze cupboard, but just as I was about to sneak in a cider and hope he didn’t notice, help arrived from a rather unexpected source. Through the post came two new boozes – an IPA and a porter – courtesy of a canned collaboration between Island Records, Two Tribes Brewing and Soundwaves Brewing Ltd.

Thanks to the postman confusing the ‘fragile’ sticker on the package for a ‘kick-me’ sticker, both cans arrived in a rather battered state. Dinks and dents aside though, they are beautiful looking objects, both resplendent in a graduated circle/square motif with a judicious matt varnished finish. The best design flourish, however, can found on the back of the can. These beers are ‘Shazamable’, meaning they wear a small printed icon that – when scanned by your smartphone – will open up Spotify on your device and take you to a choice of three bespoke Island Records playlists.

The Session IPA is good, but the Jamaica Porter is even better, so I tasted this booze over the space of four tracks, randomly shuffled from the first ridiculously good Island Records playlist, which features corkers from the likes of Tricky, Roxy Music, The Slits and Toots & The Maytals.

If I’m honest, I’d liked to have taken a bit longer savouring the beer and listening to more tunes, but any minute, Nick is going to log into the website (providing the Internet has reached North Wales ) and will see that BOTW is over three days late.

Track 1: River Man, by Nick Drake
Action: I’m cracking open the can. I’m sniffing the booze.

Wafts of Bounty Bar greet my snout. There’s spiced coffee in there too, and I’m detecting a slightly fruity, date-like twang. ‘River Man’ is caressing my ears. Punting. I’m punting down a slow-flowing river, accompanied by swallows.

——–

Track 2: Civilised Reggae, by Burning Spear
Action: I’m supping the booze.

The coconut adjunct makes this porter silky smooth and creamy. It’s slipping down a treat. I’m now detecting a slight hint of rum. I’ve never been a massive fan of spirit additions to beer. I like rum, I like beer. But I don’t usually like rum interfering with my beer, or indeed visa-versa. This is nice though. It has a spiced rum addition, but it’s really subtle. Imagine a hummingbird – drunk on Malibu – settling on the rim of your glass, burping civilised reggae tunes up your nostrils. It’s a bit like that.

——–

Track 3: Let England Shake, by PJ Harvey
Action: I’m draining the booze.

It’s a rich booze, but not overtly so, and one that hides it’s strength well. It’s like a lovely coconut, booze-infused milkshake. A beer worthy of the Island Records crest. Is PJ better than Bush (Kate, not George W)? She might be…

——–

Track 4: Little Lion Man, by Mumford & Sons
Action: I’m crushing the can. I’m hammering the ‘skip’ button.

——–
The lowdown

Brewery: Two Tribes Brewing/Soundwaves Brewing Ltd.

Beer name: Jamaica Porter

Strength: 6.2%

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from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/10/beer-week-92-island-records-jamaica-porter/

Add Value to your Home with a Wood Burner

You could effortlessly reap double benefits by simply installing a wood burning stove into your home: a noticeable reduction in your heating bill and a boost to the market value of your home. Killing two birds with one stone has to be a great idea!

Many new build properties are sadly lacking a fireplace. Underfloor heating and modern radiators certainly have their plus points but are no substitute for the charm, welcoming atmosphere and pure, unadulterated character that an open fire exudes.

As the nights are now noticeably drawing in, there is really nothing more welcoming than the cosy glow, comforting crackling and wonderful aroma of burning wood. Making money on the deal is simply the icing on the cake!

Advancing technology means there is now more choice than ever when it comes to choosing the perfect stove to complement your home.

DEFRA Approval

Many models now come with DEFRA approval, meaning that you are at liberty to burn smokeless fuels, even in London postcodes. In addition, with protecting the environment rightly becoming an increasing preoccupation amongst many of us, it is really good to know that you are ticking the carbon neutral box by heating in this way. Heating only the room you are currently using is, of course, far more cost effective than simply flicking on the central heating.

More and more people are using a stove as a real focal point in their main living space, and stoves do make a great impact from an aesthetic point of view. They are a far more accommodating option than they used to be, with curved and cylindrical models widely available to fit more awkward spaces and the ability to raise them to the desired height or mount them directly on the wall.

Style & Flexibility

A high quality stove makes a positive statement in any style or period of property. As they can now be placed more imaginatively, stoves are a more flexible beast than ever before and can be used to add a real sense of drama to a space or be used more unobtrusively. The choice is yours.

An open fire or stove is not only a practical addition to your home but also has the capacity to make a property more desirable to future buyers and more enjoyable to live in, with improved home functionality benefiting all the family.

If you wish to know more about stoves or are looking for a new fireplace, fire of fireplace accessories for your home, please visit The Fireplace Warehouse for more information.

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from UK Home Improvement Blog http://www.ukhomeimprovement.co.uk/add-value-to-your-home-with-a-wood-burner/

Solar post lights – another illuminating review

Around this time last year we reviewed some solar garden spotlights from from lighting specialists The Solar Centre. Now the nights are lengthening once again, they’ve sent us some more to look at. Those year-old spotlights are still going strong, casting a bright beam on my Keswick Codling apples and shamefully illuminating the dog-wrecked flower border that fringes my overgrown lawn. (It has become a rat run and the hounds don’t care a bit about my penstemons when they chase it along the length of the fence).

This year I’ve been sent a pair of Kodiak Solar Post Lights, mini-bollards built of stainless steel and powered by the sun. These lights have a contemporary feel about them: static, shiny posts with a band of white that seems to glow even before the lights come on. I’ve placed them either side of a strip of slate immediately outside the conservatory window, where they mingle with a random selection of pots containing whatever plants look the most alive (currently that’s a few motley herbs and the Vietnamese fish mint).

They’re architectural structures and quite designer-y. I think they’re the kind of thing interior design bloggers would claim help make an outdoor space look like an extra room, bridging the gap between the interior and exterior. I’m no interior designer, so could be talking rubbish, but reckon they do a fine job where I’ve placed them.

The solar panels to these bright beauties sit on top of each pillar, so no cable work required. They’re detachable and swivelable, so you can lift them off, fiddle with them, flick a switch to put them in a power-saving mode called PowersaveTM, and angle them towards the bit of cloud you think is most likely to reveal the sun. And beneath the base you have the option of affixing a sturdy spike should you wish to secure them to the ground.

My lights are blending in nicely during the daylight and look even better at night. The light is white and has quite a glow to it, enabling me – and the dogs – to keep an eye on passing nocturnal creatures from the comfort of my conservatory settee. It’s claimed that run-time is a whopping ten hours, but I’ve not yet managed an all night vigil to test that out.

It’s another hit from The Solar Centre… and there’s still room for more lights this time next year.

For a full range of lighting options visit www.thesolarcentre.co.uk

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from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/10/solar-post-lights-another-illuminating-review/

STIHL Local Hero Competition – Result!

This summer, we were handed the honour of helping STIHL judge their inaugural ‘Local Hero’ competition – a quest to find and recognise the unsung heroes of our community, those who take an active role in regenerating and preserving their neighbourhoods.

Judging took place at Westonbirt Arbouretum, Gloucestershire’s premier tree zoo and – amongst other wooden delights – home to the newly installed STIHL treetop walkway. Ensconced in the Westonbirt cafe, aided by steely-eyed STIHL judges Rebecca and Simon, along with Jane Moore (Gardener’s World’s newest, best-est presenter), we set to work on the enormous pile of entries, stopping only to mop our brows and to wipe cake crumbs from the creases of our notebooks.

After much gnashing of teeth, chin-stroking (and a short fist-fight) we came to an agreement –The Grange was to be our worthy winner.

The Grange is a Bookham based charity that provides person-orientated care and support services for adults with physical and learning disabilities. The Grange’s Horticultural Team alone supports more than 55 people per week, teaching them all aspects of garden maintenance, pruning, planting, mowing and growing fruit and vegetables in the organisation’s Walled Garden, which are then sold at local farmer’s markets and local businesses. The organisation was nominated by Leatherhead local, Mark Secker, who says The Grange has made a significant positive impact on the community.

Mark says, “The Grange’s contributions to the community are ongoing. The Grange is a friendly and welcoming organisation supporting people with disabilities to achieve their potential and live independent and fulfilling lives. The Grange brings positive change to people’s lives through gardening and other learning and social activities. I can’t think of a more deserving group of people for this award than the people supported by The Grange’

Marion Chow, Fundraising and PR Coordinator at The Grange, says she was unaware of the nomination and was delighted when she got the call to say they were winners.

“I am utterly thrilled with this STIHL award and prize – the timing couldn’t be better. Here at The Grange we are about to embark on a ‘Gardening in the Community’ project, utilising our members’ skills and experience to help other organisations such as schools, care homes and youth groups with gardening projects. However, our current equipment is old and in need of replacing. We like battery powered equipment as it is safer to use and is generally lighter and has less vibration and noise which is great for the people we support.”

“We also have several people who are keen to learn to use the leaf blower and strimmer, although the petrol ones we have vibrate too much. A battery model will make this a possibility for them. Many of the people that live and work here have autism and have very sensitive hearing and they can be upset by strange smells such as the petrol fumes, so quieter machines that do not smell would be a benefit to them as well. To be the winners of this competition and receive the STIHL cordless power tool system is a tremendous boost to helping the people we support to broaden their horizons and gain valuable work experience in the community,” says Marion.

Robin Lennie, Managing Director at STIHL GB, says the competition looks to reward those unsung heroes who take an active role in regenerating and preserving their neighbourhoods.

“We know there are thousands of people around the country spending endless hours of their own time planting, landscaping, recycling and cleaning – all in the name of their local community. As a leading garden power tool and equipment company we feel it is our duty to recognise those people who are helping enhance the environment,” says Robin.

 

Congratulations to all at The Grange! And if you need any help shifting those espalier apples, give us a shout. We’ll load up our cider press and be round in a flash.

Visit www.stihl.co.uk or www.vikingmowers.co.uk for more product information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/10/stihl-local-hero-competition-result/