Our new Gin Map of Scotland launched this week and it has all the info you need to know about 53 different Scottish gins.
To celebrate, we are running lots of great, gin-inspired Big Deals along with a wide selection of dining deals that include a gin with your meal.
If you are still thirsty for gin, you might want to head along to Glasgow’s SWG3 this weekend. As we are sure you know, Saturday is World Gin Day and spending it at The Juniper Festival seems only right.
At the time of writing, there are still tickets available for Fri 9th to Sun 11th June but they seem to be going fast.
Tickets are £21.50 and include a festival guide; a taster from all the brands on show and entry on a first come, first served basis to any of the talks.
Awesome street food is promised as well as a bottle shop where you can pick up a bottle or two of your new favourites.
Of course, many of the exhibitors will also be selling mixed drinks and cocktails.
Gin Map of Scotland
At the last count, 39 different brands were showing some 60 plus expressions so pace yourselves. Of course, you could always download the Gin Map of Scotland to navigate your way around the gin brands.
If you don’t like gin – what’s wrong with you? – we shall also mention the Rum Festival taking place in The Briggait this weekend.
The organisers promise some Caribbean and Cuban sunshine with more than 100 rums plus cocktails, food and music from around the globe.
You will need to purchase drinks vouchers to taste the rums. These will be available from a stand in the main hall. The drinks vouchers all include a mixer of your choice and fresh garnish.
It seems as though there are still tickets left for Friday evening.
Are you hard enough for the UK’s strongest coffee?
Obviously, here at 5pm we always advise people to drink sensibly and within government-prescribed limits.
However, should anyone wake up on Monday and morning and feel in need of a little pick-me-up, you could try fixing yourself a cup of coffee from the recently launched Sons of Amazon.
The aims of the Glasgow-based firm are simple: ‘to create the UK’s strongest coffee; to help sustain our coffee growers and farmers; to create a coffee that is “strong and fair!”‘
All very laudable. Although one suspects that they will be very glad when campaigning for the election ends and everyone forgets they ever heard the phrase ‘strong and stable’.
Rainforest Alliance certification
With help from the Rainforest Alliance, they found farms in the South American Rainforest from where they could source all their raw coffee.
Sons of Amazon have full Rainforest Alliance certification. Which means that the people who grow their coffee, and the land they grow it on, are fully supported and sustained.
Sons of Amazon roast the coffee to have a rich and intense flavour, a silky crema and no bitterness.
You can buy it in three different versions. Choose the one which best suits your fave coffee prep method.
The Rocky Grind is a coarse grind especially designed for cafétières and home filter machines. Dust Grind is a fine grind and designed for stovetops and espresso machines.
Just the Beans are the beans straight from the roasting bays for customers to grind to their own preference.
They all retail at £19 + P&P for a 500g bag.
Apparently, it is 200% stronger than a cup of normal jar coffee. Ideal if you are feeling a little groggy in the morning.