Is drinking charcoal the key to curing festival fatigue? Blixen serves up hangover helpers at Latitude.

The morning after: Botanic Lab juices served up at Blixen's Latitude pop-up (PC: Instagram/thisisdazy)

 

It's easy for normal food and drink rules to go out of the window at a festival.

 

You might be a green juice and courgetti kind of gal in the real world, but a few cider-soaked days in a field can turn the healthiest eaters into feral foodies. Where else is a packet of Mini Cheddars and a pint considered an acceptable breakfast option?

 

Hallelujah then for the Blixen tent at Latitude where alongside five star fry-ups the team were serving healing juices to flagging partygoers.

 

The night before: Dramatic skies as the Blixen DJs prepare to party at Latitude (PC: Instagram/Ms_ToniJones)

 

The morning-after-pick-me-ups from the Botanic Lab included the ginseng-laced 'Immunity' and the serious-looking Refuel, which featured charcoal, sugar cane and citrus to ‘cleanse, reload and rebalance.'

 

Activated charcoal is the latest hangover-busting ingredient to be added to juices or taken as a shot the morning after a large night out. The idea is that the charcoal - famed for its detoxifying properties and used in medicine since Victorian times - is able to absorb toxins and pollutants and stop any more entering your blood stream.

 

Other benefits are said to include glowing skin, less bloating and fresh breath. And who doesn't need that two days into a festival?

 

Hangover helpers: The Blixen shamans

 

The Blixen team told me: 'Botanic Lab’s juices were a huge hit - their charcoal lemonade restored many a soul every morning, along with our pints of Berocca.  Spicy Bloody Marys also seemed to do the trick, especially by the time Sunday came round!'

 

And they might look gross, but the inky potions did actually work a treat at restoring the DetoxRetox energy levels after several rather excitable nights in the woods.

 

So much so that we were able to return to the tent just hours later to try out a few of Blixen's real signature drink, The G,G&T (the gin, grapefruit and tonic), which I can also recommend for its magical energy-giving properties.

 

Likey? Botanic Lab juices are made in London but can be delivered nationwide. Blixen restaurant is now open in Spitalfields, East London, for awesome brunch, stylish sharing plates and lots of gin-based cocktails.

 

The night after: A G,G&T to get the party started (again)

 

 

Make your own: THE G,G&T COCKTAIL RECIPE

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

50ml Xoriguer Mahon Gin

20ml Grapefruit and coriander cordial

150ml Fever Tree tonic water

Orange wedge   

 

METHOD:

 

Build gin and cordial in goblet glass, top with tonic at the table  

 

• Latitude festival will be back in Henham Park for summer 2016

 

A new way to drink gin: Qcumber mixer gives the G&T; a sparkling summer makeover

Classics On The Canal: Mixer brand Qcumber is throwing a cocktail party with a twist on London's canals this summer

 

Love gin, but not so fussed about tonic? If so, my bar-hopping friends, this splendidly British new tipple could be your new best booze buddy.

 

Fans of the spirit will already know that cucumber and gin make great partners in crime, and now the delicate garden flavour has been infused into a light and lovely mixer.

 

Qcumber is a soft drink combining cucumber distillate with sparkling water to create a lightly flavoured fizzing drink that cries out for a (large) splash of Hendricks.

 

In other words, it's a brilliant way to quaff gin as a long drink all night long without getting that furry 'tonic mouth'.

 

The Secret Garden: The drinks menu features sparkling gin cocktails inspired by literary classics

 

It works on its own for non-drinkers, and a treat in cocktails too - as tasted by DetoxRetox and friends on a recent barge trip around London where some English literary classics were used as inspiration for a lovely summery drinks menu.

 

A romantic, ruby-hued Pride & Prejudice featured Tanqueray, lemon juice and raspberry jam, whilst the Wind In The Willows combined Douglas Fir Syrup and mint leaves for a taste of the forest and - our favourite - The Importance Of Being Earnest used Vermouth and ginger syrup to add a grown-up twist to the sparkling soft drink.

 

And health-loving retoxers will be pleased to know that the brand have made an effort to keep the sugar content as low as possible - after all, lots of us choose gin and slim as a low cal booze option at the bar. 

 

During our potter around the canals of Little Venice and Camden founder Graham Carr-Smith told us that they have already reduced the sugar content twice since launch. He says: 'We've made a huge effort to keep the drink as healthy as possible without compromising the taste and it now has 25% less sugar than your standard Fever Tree tonic.'

 

Likey? Qcumber is available now at Tesco for £1.49

 

 

 

Make your own: THE PRIDE AND PREJUDICE COCKTAIL RECIPE

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

50ml Gin

15ml Lemon Juice

1 tsp Raspberry Jam

Topped with Qcumber

 

METHOD:

 

Add all ingredients except Qcumber to a shaker. Shake vigorously, and strain twice over crushed ice in an old fashioned glass.

 

Top with Qcumber and garnish with a fresh raspberry and a lemon twist.

 

• The Classics On The Canal barge tour is running every Friday throughout August and the £12 ticket includes a gin tasting plus a three-serve cocktail menu, canapés and a beautiful sightseeing tour of the London canals. Tickets available HERE
  

 

DetoxRetox on tour: Fruity cocktails, fierce swimwear & bucketloads of fizz on the menu at Ocean Club Marbella

Detox and Retox: A smoothie and a bottle of Veuve is the perfect start to a day in Marbella (PC: Instagram/KateMcwilliams82)

 

Puerto Banús in Marbella is known as one of Europe’s flashiest party resorts, home to super yachts, designer dogs and beautiful bodies.

 

As the area’s original lido, Ocean Club Marbella (no relation to Ibiza's new and rather more tacky Ocean Beach Club) is top of the to-do list for the gangs of girls and boys holidaying on this pretty part of the Spanish coast.

 

And DetoxRetox was invited out there to dress up and report back on the club’s summer drinks menus this week (as far as tough gigs go, I appreciate that this is not up there, but the hangover the next day was pretty epic if that helps?).

 

Tough job: My tasting team Bonnie and Kate (PC: Instagram/Ms_ToniJones)

 

THE PLACE

 

Described as 9,000sq ft of glamour, the day club - all serene blues and whites dotted with hundreds of bright orange Veuve Clicquot buckets - is a pool poser's dream.

 

Featuring a collection of beach beds around a huge saltwater pool there are are beautiful views onto the Mediterranean Sea, but most eyes are on the beautiful people flirting at the huge central bar or flitting between the VIP beds.

 

Daytimes are easygoing, with chilled tunes, an elegant restaurant and massages available. Families are welcome and the 9pm closing time time meant that during our Monday visit the club was a cool and calm place to soak up some some rays and get a tiny bit tipsy before hitting Marbella's hot spots.

 

On weekends and themed days, like the opening and closing events and the splashy Champagne Parties, the crowd tends to get a bit livelier, with prices reflecting a big blowout experience (a VIP bed for 11 people including one 'spray box' of 4 bottles of Veuve Clicquot, 1 mathusalem of Perrier Jouët and 8 bottles of Dom Pérignon for the next Champagne Party is €3,450, on non party days beds for three start at €95 in low season).

 

THE COCKTAILS

 

Drinks here are designed to be show-stoppers, featuring premium spirits mixed with look-at-me liqueurs.

 

The bestseller is the Ocean Club Breeze (€16), a neon green Puerto Banus prizewinner made with Belvedere vodka, Midori, elderflower and Sprite that was too sweet for my taste but looks great on Instagram.

 

Bestseller: The Belvedere-laced Ocean Club Breeze

 

Another good looker was the Rasp Collins (€17) made with Tanqueray Ten, raspberries, lime juice and soda (hold the sugar syrup if you like your cocktails to taste of booze). The Ocean Club Julep (€17) featuring more Tanqueray Ten, cucumber, mint and lime was light and lovely, whilst a whole Mojito menu kept our rum fans happy.

 

Away from the cocktail bar the wine list is an altogether more sophisticated affair featuring small cellar labels and - my summer favourite - a host of Cotes de Provence Rose options starting at €55.

 

Pretty and pink: The fruity and fabulous Rasp Collins (PC: Instagram/Ms_ToniJones)

 

Much of the cellar, of course, is devoted to Marbs’ favourite tipple - champagne - with prices starting at €170 for a bottle of Perrier Jouet and ending at almost €30,000 for a 30litre Ace Of Spades midas. 

 

And on the ‘detox’ front the staff are happy to mix up anything you want as long as they have it the kitchen. I went for a stomach-lining ‘Recover’ smoothie featuring avocado, banana, honey and almond milk. 

 

THE WARDROBE

 

Thank goodness for the huge nightclub style toilets next to the reception desk, which were the perfect place to retreat and attempt to up our glamour factor once we had set eyes on the poolside crowd.

 

Undress to impress seems is the the style code here with complicated swimming costumes, towering heels, full make-up and a serious amount of accessories the norm for female guests, whilst the men favour new season Vilebrequin shorts, mirrored shades and perfect tans.

 

 Tanning with Tanqueray: The Ocean Club Julep is the perfect pool accessory (PC: Bonnie Rakhit)

 

ON THE PLATE:

 

Even if you have no interest in pool parties, the elegant restaurant is another reason to visit Ocean Club when you're in Marbella.

 

With beautiful views and spot on service, the place is a hit with local big wigs and business owners who like to chow down on sushi platters and steak sandwiches whilst watching the goings on at the pool.

 

I would recommend the grilled crayfish and steak tartare followed by the very un-marbs chocolate fondant (and some more rose).

 

On the plate: The sushi platters and tuna tartare are winners (PC: Instagram/Ms_ToniJones)

 

- The Ocean Club Marbella 'black and gold' closing party is 26^th September 2015. See www.OceanClub.es for detail

 

- DetoxRetox stayed at the BlueBay Banus, a pretty Andalusian style beach hotel just ten minutes away from the club

Champagne cocktails and chlorophyll shooters at Cafe Royal's latest Domino Room pop-up

The Richer: Cafe Royal unveiled a champagne-laced cocktail to celebrate Aurelio Morales' Domino Effect pop-up menu on Wednesday night (PC: Instagram/Ms_ToniJones)

 

The best meals start with a stand out cocktail.

But how does one precede a seven course tasting menu from one of the most hyped new chefs on the planet?

With a bespoke, luxury, champagne cocktail using the hottest new fizz on the market, that's how.

Hotel Cafe Royal mixologist Tiziano Tasso unveiled The Richer on Wednesday night, created using Veuve Clicquot's new 'Rich' bubbles, to accompany an avant-garde menu by hit Spanish chef Aurelio Morales, the latest kitchen superstar to appear in the hotel's Domino Effect fine-dining pop-ups.

The summer series will feature a selection of guest chefs from around the world working alongside the hotel's Exec Chef Andrew Turner to celebrate its 150th birthday, and offering London's foodies the chance to eat and drink up a storm with inventive menus and first class wine and cocktail pairings.

Gold: The glittering Oscar Wilde bar is the perfect place to try Veuve Clicquot's latest style of fizz (PC: Instagram/Ms_ToniJones)

 

Sweeter and fruitier than classic Veuve Clicquot, 'Rich' has been designed with mixologists in mind and is a great pairing with food thanks to its notes of fresh fruit compote, citrus fruits and marzipan.

The Richer cocktail - served with an orange twirl in delicate coupes - features champagne mixed with Belvedere vodka and orange blossom cordial, and was the perfect way to get the party started in the outrageously fabulous Oscar Wilde Bar last night.

Over the decades the bar has been home to many a starry guest, including Oscar and friends as well as David Bowie, Elizabeth Taylor and even Princess Diana. After supping cocktails in the dazzling bar, high society party people would retire upstairs to play dominos, or whatever took their fancy ('Guests here have always made their own rules,' says hotel manager Francois-Xavier Schoeffer).

Today the Domino Room is an elegant and decadent dining room where we didn't play dominos but did enjoy a stunning and surprising dinner from molecular gastronomy's rising star Morales, 32, an alumni of Ferran Adria's El Bulli and usually found in Madrid's Ramses restaurant.

We loved the pink salt caviar canapes, a warm watercress and chlorophyll shooter (featuring 'lacon' Turner's bacon-inspired smoked lamb rashers) and pork belly served with apple macaroons.

But the star of the night was the chocolate dessert sprinkled with powdered Arbequina olive oil, frozen before our eyes by Morales and his handsome team and served with a flourish by an army of suited Domino Room staff. 

Decadent: Place settings in the Domino Room are a very stylish affair (PC: Instagram/Ms_ToniJones)

• The Aurelio Morales Domino Effect pop-up will run from until 11th July at the Hotel Cafe Royal. The tasting menu is priced at £85 with paired wines and cocktails available for an additional cost of £50. To make a reservation call 0207 406 3371 or email thedominoeffect@clubcaferoyal.com

Cold-pressed juice + luxury vodka = my dream DetoxRetox cocktails! But do they actually taste any good?

Detox Retox: Belvedere Vodka and Imbibery have created two DIY cold-pressed cocktails. We put them to the taste test... (pc: Instagram/Ms_ToniJones)

 

It's important to drink responsibly.

And by that I mean caring about the ingredients that go into your cocktails, not worrying about getting the last tube home.

The DetoxRetox philosophy is all about offsetting any bad behaviour by squeezing in as much goodness as you can the rest of the time. And it's a shame to treat your body like a temple from morning until 5pm only to pour sugar, additives and all kinds of other artificial nasties down your throat the moment that happy hour starts.

If you drink quality spirits (and you really should) then any hangovers are more likely to be a result of spending the night before riding a sugar high from the mixers used in your drinks than the booze itself.

Want to get loaded without a hangover? We should all be drinking neat, premium booze with no nasties. But in my experience ordering straight vodka at the local is generally frowned upon. And besides, cocktails are fun and fabulous and taste delicious, and that is why we love them.

The good news is that it IS possible to drink cocktails without obliterating your clean-living efforts.

Belvedere Vodka is one drinks company actively seeking out smarter ways to drink. As a Polish brand their vodka product is one of the purest on the market, and they are spending a lot of time and money researching low-sugar drink options as well as educating the industry on alternative choices at the bar.

And what could be healthier than a fresh juice? Cold-pressed cocktails have been a 'thing' for a while now in some of the city's trendier bars, where they combine fruit and vegetable juices with bitters and spirits to create (almost) guilt-free concoctions.

And now Belvedere has partnered with hip London juice company Imbibery to create two flavours that are designed to work on their own (they have to say that) but to taste even better with a large slug of chilled vodka at the end of the day.

Drinking your greens (and reds): Hail Mary and Greenacolada both contain vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants and have been designed to be shaken with vodka

 

Greenacolada is a Kermit-coloured mix of pineapple, coconut water and spinach, while Hail Mary is a fiery combo of tomato, beetroot, lemon, cucumber and cayenne pepper. Both drinks are packed full of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, and make a regular old cranberry juice seem like a very sad last resort.

Claire-Smith Warner, who has possibly the world's best job as Head of Spirit Creation at Belvedere, and is spearheading the company's '"drink better, live better" activity says: 'Great drinks don't have to just be about how much alcohol they contain, but should be judged by how delicious they are. Today we are aware of the harmful effects of overindulgence from not just alcohol but from sugar and artificial flavours. There are ways to drink "better", when armed with just a little bit of knowledge and access to a greater selection of superior mixers.'

But do these cold-pressed cocktails actually taste any good?

VERDICT:

THE GREENACOLADA

 

Despite my penchant for daytime drinking I did manage to hold off and try this tipple in the evening,  because I really wanted to know what drinking chilled spinach at night would feel like. I poured myself a large one ahead of my courgetti dinner (living the Monday night dream) and another one to have with my tomato-covered spirals.

 

Of course I felt much more virtuous than if I had succumbed to a glass of Pinot, and still got a nice buzz, but although the pineapple gave it a bit of sweetness it definitely didn't feel like a treat the way a glass of wine, or an ice cold beer after work often does. In fact, it felt like a rather sad way to get drunk. Yes, it's full of good stuff and does the trick, but there's really nothing fun about a green juice, even when served in a coupe and loaded with vodka. 

 

THE HAIL MARY

 

Another completely savoury flavour, but this juice worked much better with the vodka, creating a blinding bloody mary that I would love to serve friends the morning after the night before or even the night before the morning after.

 

It's peppery and intense and I could definitely taste the Belvedere (I mixed both drinks as four parts juice to one part vodka, over ice) which makes the spirit it is served with extra important. Watch out for veg breath - possibly even more offensive than stale champagne breath? - if you're having more than one. But juice mouth aside, this is a winning combination for cocktail fans. And, crucially, left no hangover the next day. 

 

• Both juices are available online for nationwide shipping at www.imbiberylondon.com priced at £6 for 250ml £6 and £12 for 500ml
• Imbibery uses special high pressure processing technology for this line, meaning each bottle has a shelf life of 1 month

 

Here's the excuse you need to drink more red tonight: London Wine Week has arrived

This London Wine Week (18-24 May) there are several bars serving up wine cocktails for £5

It's Friday. And if that isn't a good enough excuse to drink litres of wine then I have another one for you... London Wine Week is just around the corner.

London Wine Week is a seven day festival celebrating the city’s amazing wine scene. A £10 wristband unlocks access to Wine Tours (£5 wine flights in 100 of the best places to drink wine in London) as well as many more bar offers, access to tastings, parties and popups.

Wine guru JANE RYAN says there’s never been a better time in London to love wine: "For the most part we’ve thrown off the shackles of stuffy dinner parties and comical snooty restaurateurs, we’re selling great wines by the glass and making delicious vintages available and accessible to all.

"But wine is NOT just for quaffing straight from the bottle (although that's fun too), it’s been an ingredient in cocktails well before the word cocktail was even coined. If you’ve ever tried a Manhattan or Martini you’ll be well versed in just how essential vermouth (aromatised and fortified wine) is to balancing out the drink."

Wine isn't just for quaffing straight from the bottle (although that's fun too), it’s been an ingredient in cocktails well before the word cocktail was even invented

 

200 years after those famous drinks first graced bar menus wine has become a standard cocktail ingredient. White varieties give drinks a sharp, crisp and sometimes delicate summer flavour and are great for cutting through sweet fruit juice whereas red wines tend to leave a lovely earthy, fruity and often tannic quality.

This London Wine Week (18-24 May) there are several bars serving up wine cocktails so it’s a great time to be adventurous.  

Head to Hawksmoor Spitalfields bar for a delicious sparkling red cocktail called Figure It Out which uses 25ml fig liqueur and 15ml fresh lime juice topped with Brachetto d'Acqui sparkling red, served over crushed ice and garnished with a corked grape. 

Hawksmoor Spitalfields: Where the delicious Figure It Out features fig liquor and sparkling red

 

Over at Salvatores Bar at Playboy they’re serving the Improved Wine Cocktail using 45ml red wine, 25ml Cognac, 25ml sugar gomme, 15ml fresh lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg.

If you’re a fan of white wine you can catch the French Letter at London Cocktail Clubs across town. This stunning concoction uses 25ml Grey Goose pear vodka, 25ml South African chenin blanc, 25ml fresh lemon juice and 25ml sugar syrup garnished with a cherry tomato. 

London Cocktail Club: The Goodge Street bar loves to mix wine into cocktails

 

Wine has become such a big part of the cocktail scene it was in the winning drink for a large rum competition in Cuba recently. For those of you who fancy trying your hand at bartending the recipe is easy to follow and a great way to impress friends and family. 

For each drink pour 35ml of light rum, 25ml savingnon blanc, 35ml fresh pineapple juice, 15ml lime juice and 15ml sugar syrup (1:1 water to sugar). Shake all the ingredients over ice and strain into a tumbler over fresh ice. Garnish with a pineapple leaf.

 Visit www.londonwineweek.com or follow @LDNWineWeek for more info.

 

Summer has arrived... Mahiki launches new cheeky, tiki cocktail to celebrate Chestertons Polo In The Park pop-up

Cheers to summer: Mahiki launches The Maui Mallet to celebrate its pop-up bar at Chestertons Polo In The Park this June

 

 

If you’re a MailOnline fan you will be interested in the polo season for two reasons: the brilliant sportsmen and women on the field looking hot and posh in incredibly tight jodhpurs, and the brilliantly naughty goings on at the Mahiki bar.

 

The West End club has been popping up at the much-loved Polo In the Park event for seven years, and wherever Mahiki goes, the fun seems to follow, largely due - I think I'm safe to say - to the vast amount of rum flowing.

 

 

Tropical summer: The Maui Mallet blends vodka, pineapple, mango, lime and mint

 

 

This year the Mayfair drinking den - known for elaborate (and lethal) drinks like the Treasure Chest and the Zombie - is stepping up its game and opening Europe’s largest pop-up bar at the hot ticket that is the Chestertons Polo In The Park event at Hurlingham. 

 

Alongside classic tiki cocktails like the Pina Colada and the Coconut Grenade the team will be serving some new and exclusive tipples to the excitable horsey crowd over the weekend, and DetoxRetox was invited to try out the cocktail list in a rum-soaked session with head mixologist Georgi Radev at the London venue.

 

 

A taste of tiki: Georgi Radev gives DetoxRetox a Mahiki masterclass

 

Georgi has been mixing for Mahiki for over seven years and, much like the Hawaiian shirt he wears so well, likes his drinks fun, fruity, sweet and totally over the the top. There's nothing subtle about these flavours. 

 

He also loves a novelty vessel to add a cheeky touch and has created a tiki cocktail served in a mallet-shaped cup exclusively for for the Chestertons polo event. To keep things fresh the Maui Mallet uses vodka instead of rum, blending a generous serve of the spirit with pineapple, mango, lime, mint and ice to create a cool, long drink to accompany the pony-watching.

 

Georgi says: “It’s a delicious, tropical-tiki cocktail that will cool down fans in the hot British summer and refresh their inner soul after a long polo game. It brings some Polynesian fun in to the serious game of polo."

 

Shake it: I worked hard for those cocktails

 

I'm not sure how refreshed my inner soul was, but I certainly had a lot of fun on the Mahiki dance floor after a few of Georgi's mallets, which will be served at the polo and also as cocktail of the month in Mahiki in June.

 

And the good news is that they are a cinch to make at home - loud floral shirts and straw skirts optional 

 

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN MAHIKI MAUI MALLET 

Ingredients:

• Vodka – 50ml
• Mango Puree (try Mango Re'al) – 30ml
• Lime – 10ml
• Pineapple juice – 20ml
• Peach bitters - dash
• Mint

 

Method:

 

• Blender
• Glass or a Bamboo Mallet Mug (if you’re feeling creative!)
• Garnish - Mango fan and Mint Sprig
• Ice - Crushed

 

Place all the ingredients in the blender and add one scoop of crushed ice (16oz). Blend for 20-30 seconds. Poor in the glass and garnish with mango fan and mint sprig.

 

Chestertons Polo In The Park is held 5^th-7^th June at Hurlingham Park. The Mahiki bar will be open to everyone but VIP table bookings are available. 

 

For more information and to book your ticket go to www.polointheparklondon.com

 

Retox: Margaritas and Mexican fizz to celebrate Selfridges' food hall takeover

Flowers and fizz: Selfridges threw a very stylish dinner party this week to celebrate its Mexican food and drink takeover

 

It's pretty exciting being in the Selfridges handbag hall after hours. It's even more exciting when one gets to guzzle pink fizz and chilli-spiked margaritas whilst looking down on the boxfresh Dior.

On Wednesday evening the world's coolest department store threw a dinner party with a difference to celebrate the year of Mexico and a smokin' hot ten week Mexican food and drink programme across its restaurants and food halls.

The modern Mexican menu created by Chef Benito Molina and Chef Solange Muris, all the way from Baja, featured Abalone Tostadas, Lobster Broth, Lamb in a Mole sauce and Chamomile Pannacota. But it's the drinks - of course - that Detox Retox wants to shout about.

Celebrating Mexico: A Mariachi band serenaded shoppers in the food hall (pic c/o: instagram/selfridgesfood) 

 

Beer with a heart: Vaquita Marina Pale Ale donates all profits to preservation of the endangered 'Vaquita' dolphin (pic c/o: instagram/selfridgesfood)

 

Margaritas (my favourite) got the party started, some sweetened with agave syrup and all served with a soft, smoky chilli rim.

Next up was the Pale Ale Vaquita Marina by Ensenada brewery Cervecería Wendlandt. It tasted clean and fresh, and the company donates all profits to the preservation of the 'Vaquita', the world's smallest and most endangered dolphin species, so we could feel good while getting our beer buzz on.

The main course was served with surprising Mexican red, 5 estrellas, and the grand finale was sparkling rose wine Espuma de Piedra, served with a dreamy, creamy Chamomile Pannacota. 

It was a delicious way to investigate the drinks of Mexico.

Cheers to Mexico: Team Femail get busy tasting the sparkling wine

 

Chillis EVERYWHERE: The Selfridges grocers are stocking up on fiery fruit and veg

 

After dinner we decamped to Mestizo, London's best Mexican restaurant according to the Mexican embassy and tourist board members we followed there. And what followed was a lesson in learning how to choose tequila, how to sip mezcal, and how not to behave on a school night. Affirmation (if I needed it) that tequila is often trouble, and always fun.

• Details of all Selfridges Mexican parties, products and pop-up restaurants over the next ten weeks are available at www.selfridges.com/mexico.

 

 

Matcha vs the MailOnline night shift: Green super powder put to the ultimate test

Green vs the machine: Can a cup of matcha keep up with the world wide web? 

In case you haven't heard, matcha is where it's atcha right now.

The Japanese powdered green tea is ten times stronger than standard green tea, and packed with detoxing and metabolism-boosting anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals that are said to prevent cancer, boost energy AND aid weight loss.  

Discovered by Buddhist monks wanting to stay alert during extended periods of meditation, it's also said to boost brain power without any of the jitters associated with other caffeinated drinks, and so is now being touted as a healthy alternative to coffee on the hip health scene.

The Japanese powdered green tea is ten times stronger than standard green tea

I don't think there are any monks at the MailOnline offices, but there is a serious amount of caffeine consumption and focus required so it is seemed like a good place to put the matcha claims to the test.

I was back at the Derry Street offices last week working the late shift with the Femail team. Late shifts are in the nature of the job when you work in the brave new world that is online news. The internet doesn't stop for Corrie. In fact it doesn't seem to slow down, even at 10pm at night, and so a ten hour stint on the pink desk normally leads to a serious spike in my coffee/tea/Diet Coke/cup cake consumption as I attempt to keep my brain whirring.

But this time I ignored the on site Costa Coffee and instead whisked up a Tombo matcha tea when I felt myself flagging a few hours in. It's pretty simple: one teaspoon of green powder mixed with hot water. And it's very effective. Bar one Diet Coke shaped slip-up (old habits die hard) I made it to hometime without snoozing or making any major blunders. I felt wide awake and my brain felt clear and calm, even on the fourth consecutive night shift.

PROS

• I felt wide awake and focused to 11pm and beyond with no energy slumps
• I didn't get the jitters I often do with too much coffee, and was able to drift off to sleep easily back at home
• My appetite disappeared so I didn't get any junk food cravings
• It's easy to make: Just add hot water and whisk up with a fork. It's supposed to be served 'ceremonial style' but the 3rd floor kettle worked just as well for me
• It's low calorie and doesn't contain any nasties/dairy/sugar

CONS

• It has a really strong taste of green tea (you can add the powder to other drinks/smoothies to disguise it though) 
• It's not cheap: high grade tins like the one I used from Tombo start at £27
• Your colleagues will think you are a weird hippy
• It's delicate and should really be kept in a tin in the fridge so as not to damage the fine powder, which can be a bit of a faff in an office situation

VERDICT:

Really impressed. Hours of concentrating on a computer screen can often leave my head fuzzy, especially as the night wears on, but one large cup of matcha worked brilliantly as a brain pick me up that lasted for hours. The only side effects were strange looks from my Femail pals, but I can live with that.

 

The frothy version: Matcha Lattes are now the hot new drink for health-lovers (but watch out for sugar content)

 

ON THE RUN? WHERE TO DRINK MATCHA IN LONDON

   

Tombo's sweet matcha latte

TOMBO: This authentic family-run Japanese café and deli in Kensington has it’s own range of green and matcha teas sourced directly from the foothills of Mt. Fuji. They serve and sell their own Matcha Latte Mix (£3.60), a satisfyingly sweet blend to leave you refreshed and revitalized.

www.tombodeliandcafe.com

THE GOOD LIFE EATERY: The expert juicers and popular health café have recently added a matcha latte to their menu in Chelsea. This can be served hot or over ice and there's a choice of almond, soy or regular milk. Open from a bright and early 7:30AM so is the perfect substitution to a pre-work coffee. www.goodlifeeatery.com

TIMBERYARD: Choose from two branches of this café – one in Covent Garden or one on Old Street. Included in their stylish drinks list is bittersweet matcha latte brimming with health. www.timberyardlondon.com

Dram queens listen up: Glenmorangie London pop-up opens today featuring whisky cocktails as well as rare and sexy bottles

The Glenmorangie Unseen pop-up bar launches in Soho tonight

What's better than a whisky pop-up bar? A whisky pop-up bar that houses vintage tipples, fancy food pairings and handsome bartenders.

St Patrick's Day celebrations might be underway around town but Scottish Single Malt lovers Glenmorangie are taking on the Irish booze hounds with a very sexy Soho drinking den.

The Glenmorangie Unseen Bar, opening for one week from tonight on Bateman Street, will reveal 'the unseen lengths and artistry that goes into creating the whisky'.

The Soho drinking den will feature cocktails as well as vintage drams to try

Mixologists will be on hand to create a range of bespoke ‘Unseen’ cocktails for whisky newbies, or if you like your dram straight up then there is the full range of Glenmorangie expressions and food pairings.

Whisky aficionados out there will love The Glenmorangie Vault, an exclusive room at the back of the pop-up which houses the rarest of whiskies including the exclusive Glenmorangie 1963 (only 50 bottles in the world and two in the UK, one of which will be available to taste here for a smooth £180 per 25ml) and Pride 1978, which normally sells for £500 a serve, but the pop-price is a much more palatable (maybe) £200 for 25ml.

The flights of whisky (from £10) are a brilliant way to learn more about the spirit, and for real super fans the Glenmorangie 1970’s collection, one of ten in the world, will be available to purchase.

So many reasons to go. And did I mention how cute the bartenders are... ?

 Pride 1978 is one of the super rare whiskies available in The Vault

• The Glenmorangie Unseen Bar is open from 5pm-12pm, Friday 13th - Saturday 21st March (closed Sunday) at 15 Bateman Street, Soho, W1D 3AQ