How to Drink Mount Gay Rum with Trudiann Branker

Paddington Bear is not the only thing that emerged from the “darkest Peru.” Thankfully, the spirit on everyone’s lips at the moments has made it across the border as well. As the 100th anniversary of the invention of the Pisco Sour is upon us this year, Fabiano Latham is determined to educate everyone on the merits of the most Peruvian of beverages.I met Fabiano for drinks at his former haunt, Chotto Matte, one of the first restaurant/bars in London to serve Nikkei cuisine, accompanied by a slew of Pisco cocktails. Nikkei is actually the term to describe the Japanese diaspora. In this instance, it refers to a particular mode of cooking combining the Japanese influence with the local Peruvian cooking. Eat ceviche and tiridito and you can’t help but think sushi/sashimi. In Fabiano’s opinion, Pisco is the perfect go-with for this delicate food. He fell in love with it early on in his career and can’t help but feel he earns his wings every time someone is charmed, as well. Pisco is basically Peruvian brandy grown by the first 16th century Spanish settlers. It’s clear, sharp and dry - great with the spice and flavor of the local food. Although, greedy Gold Rushers were drinking Pisco Punch in late 19th century San Francisco, the Pisco Sour reigns supreme as the most popular Pisco cocktail. With only four ingredients, Mr. Vaughn Morris, owner of Morris’s Bar in Lima and inventor of the Pisco Sour, created a sensation. One hundred years later, we are toasting to his ingenuity. Fabiano shares a birthday with him - does this mean he was destined to be the UK’s premier Pisco aficionado? Possibly! As more and more Pisco distilleries are introduced upon our shores, it’s good to know we have Fabiano to point us in the right direction. See how Fabiano makes the Chilcano de Tonka at Chotto Matte, London on our Youtube ChannelAlways remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

27 Sep 201623min

Cyprus has loads to offer its citizens and visitors alike: lovely beaches, hot sun, great food, and architectural wonders. Still, for a country that has been around since the 10th millennium BC, you couldn’t find a good cocktail anywhere. Thank goodness for Dinos Constantinides – he has literally upped the bar for everyone in town.----Hello everyone - Don't get confused! Before there was Lush Life, there was Best Sips Worldwide, I rebranded after the first season. Although I reference Best Sips – it’s Lush Life through and through – the same great guests, the same music, and the same me! ----- His combination of inherent creativity and business savvy have made his bar Lost+Found Drinkery one of the World’s 50 Best Bars for two years running, according to Drinks International, one of the leading drinks journals. Nicosia, the capital whose location in the beach-less centre of the island, is often forgotten by the more than three million who visit the famed Cypriot seashores in summertime every year. Lost+Found Drinkery is out to change that. Since the financial crisis, much has had to change in the capital city. Bigger, glitzier institutions have shut down and locally sourced, smaller places have begun to crop up in their place. (Read my piece for the Mail on Sunday about the transformation of Nicosia here.)Dinos has tapped into that desire for change – leading way from frozen margaritas, daiquiris and pina coladas to Negronis, Old-Fashioneds and Crustas. Even if you are prone to a cold, fruity drink, a Tiki cocktail quite a different entity at Lost+Found Drinkery where ingredients include homemade syrups & bitters, fresh fruit and ice, like you have never seen it. There are seventeen (yes, one seven) water filters in-house so the ice is exactly as it should be. If you're a frequent customer, you can invest in your own Tiki glass, which is kept under lock and key on the wall. Make sure you use it though, as you can forfeit your spot very easily. Today, Dinos reveals to us how and why he created Lost+Found Drinkery & why two menus are served - one for those new to the bar and the other for his regulars. NB: If you do order a mojito, don't be surprised if it comes in a plastic cup. See how Dinos makes his version of the classic Crusta on our YouTube Channel.Always remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

20 Sep 201621min

I know I will be toasting to Nicci Stringfellow, the UK Casa Herradura Brand Ambassador on Mexican Independence Day this Friday. In fact, I might just be proclaiming a Grito de Nicci, not the historic Grito de Dolores, the battle cry of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the priest who kicked off the entire revolution!----Hello everyone - Don't get confused! Before there was Lush Life, there was Best Sips Worldwide, I rebranded after the first season. Although I reference Best Sips – it’s Lush Life through and through – the same great guests, the same music, and the same me! -----Did you even know that same agave plant that sits on your work desk can produce one of the most popular liquors in the world? Thanks to Nicci Stringfellow, my shot, lime, salt, days are long gone. Sip and savor have replaced them after she educated me on the marvels of 100% Agave Tequila. Nicci has worked beside the greats, including the legendary, “King Cocktail” Dale Degroff, the godfather of the contemporary cocktail and author of The Craft of the Cocktail. In her own right, Nicci has helmed some of the best bars in the world, including LAB & Opium in London, Biervana in Tokyo and Hakkasan in Mumbai. Lucky for Casa Herradura, Nicci’s passion was tequila and she grabbed the chance to represent such a wonderful brand. “It’s a dream job for me to be able to represent such an amazing tequila. There are few things I like more than Herradura. Not just the liquid, though its honeyed silk is indeed a thing of beauty, but the way of life that it represents; the spirit of the community that its sharing creates.” Casa Herradura has been producing 100% Agave tequila since 1870, in the same hacienda in Amatitán, Jalisco, the home of tequila in Mexico. You will not be alone in loving the stuff, as over 60,000 visitors stop by each year to visit the distillery. See how she makes her own version of the classic Old Fashioned on Mixology in a Minute on the Lush Life Youtube ChannelAlways remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

13 Sep 201615min

You would think that following in the footsteps of Auguste Escoffier, Henry Braddock and César Ritz would be daunting, well, not for Anna Sebastian. Under her watchful eye as its Senior Bar Manager, The Savoy’s Beaufort Bar has continued to flourish since the day it opened in 2010.----Hello everyone - Don't get confused! Before there was Lush Life, there was Best Sips Worldwide, I rebranded after the first season. Although I reference Best Sips – it’s Lush Life through and through – the same great guests, the same music, and the same me! -----There really should be only one way to enter The Savoy – by taxi. It’s the closest to experiencing how the swells might have felt at the turn of the 20th Century, when it was first built. Driving in on the right-hand side (American!), your chauffeur or the doorman would help you exit without having to go around the cab, all thanks to a special Act of Parliament. Still, as much as hopping back in time sounds exciting, there would have been no Beaufort Bar to make your local. After a three-year long restoration and refurbishment of the entire hotel, it opened to great fanfare on October 10, 2010 at 10:10.The Beaufort Bar was born that evening. The sun may have gone down, but, every night the lights switch on in this evening-only drinking establishment and the drinks pop-up. I use this term because the menu is literally a Pop-Up Book specifically created for the Beaufort Bar. Fifteen hand-crafted cocktails make up the menu, including “character” cocktails dedicated to the famed entertainers and icons who walked the halls of this venerable hotel. Anna Sebastian reigns supreme over this hallowed spot. Under her watchful eye, the Beaufort Bar was awarded the title, Best International Hotel Bar in 2015 by Tales of the Cocktail, the world’s annual premier cocktail festival in New Orleans. Anna herself was also nominated for Bar Personality of the Year 2016 at Imbibe Live, Europe’s largest drinks conference. Anna explains that she “didn't know that the hospitality industry really existed at this level - I didn't know you could travel the world, deal with such an eclectic mix of guests as well as create something and be part of history in so many ways.” Always remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

6 Sep 201623min

Take one Englishman and add an Italian to make a fantastic bar minutes from London Bridge. These two are remaking the area into the next cocktail destination. ----Hello everyone - Don't get confused! Before there was Lush Life, there was Best Sips Worldwide, I rebranded after the first season. Although I reference Best Sips – it’s Lush Life through and through – the same great guests, the same music, and the same me! -----It takes a team to make a bar stand out from the crowd. Daniel Thompson & Carlo Lorenzon are the two who are shaking up a bit of London, as of now, unrecognized for its cocktail bars.We head down to TwoRuba at the Hilton London Tower Bridge to hear how they are realizing that dream.Always remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

2 Aug 201618min

How can an 18th Century cartoonist be the inspiration for modern day mixology? Sam Mitchell has found a way and lucky for us we get to sample his artistic creations?----Hello everyone - Don't get confused! Before there was Lush Life, there was Best Sips Worldwide, I rebranded after the first season. Although I reference Best Sips – it’s Lush Life through and through – the same great guests, the same music, and the same me! -----James Gillray might not be as well known as his fellow 18thC cartoonist Hogarth, but does William have one of the great Gin Bars in London bearing his name? I think not. Gillray was known as "the father of the political cartoon" for poking fun at the mad King George III and others in his wake. Hogarth and he reigned supreme with their humorous, witty and biting caricatures. Now, as in the 17th C, the spirit known as Mother's Ruin is also reigning supreme in the city of its birth. Sam Mitchell who helms Gillray’s Bar at the London Marriott Hotel County Hall joins us today on the show to explain his take on this craze. He talks, among other things, about how he draws inspiration from the artist's work in creating the exciting menu. It adds to the enjoyment, but is not essential, to come along already versed in Gillray's work.Check out Sam rustle up a Regardez-Moi on Mixology in a Minute on my YouTube channelAlways remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

26 Juli 201617min

How does one man get from the Seychelles to war-torn Cyprus back again to write THE book on Seychelles’ Cocktails without a phone, ipad or wireless? ----Hello everyone - Don't get confused! Before there was Lush Life, there was Best Sips Worldwide, I rebranded after the first season. Although I reference Best Sips – it’s Lush Life through and through – the same great guests, the same music, and the same me! -----I was invited to visit the Seychelles for their annual International Carnival. Having never been there before, I had no idea what their drink of choice might be - so I literally googled Seychelles Cocktails. To my surprise, I found that a Mr. Flavien Joubert had written a book with that exact title. When he agreed to meet me for a chat, I had no idea that we had a common link and that was Cyprus. My personal drinking partner for the last ten years has been a Cypriot, so I know the country and its history quite well. How Flavien made it from a refugee camp in Nicosia back to slinging cocktails is one incredible story!Flavien makes reference to the war in Cyprus - if you wish to know more please, please click here to see what's happening in the Cypriot capitol of Nicosia.Always remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

19 Juli 201636min

New Orleans, the birthplace of so many cocktails, is a really, really long way from London. Saying that, you can still sip that Sazerac without hopping a plane across the pond, thanks to Ian McIntyre. Why NOLA? Why London? He revealed all when he sat down with me over a Hurricane or two.----Hello everyone - Don't get confused! Before there was Lush Life, there was Best Sips Worldwide, I rebranded after the first season. Although I reference Best Sips – it’s Lush Life through and through – the same great guests, the same music, and the same me! -----On this program, I speak with Ian McIntyre, General Manager of the easiest bars in London, the Big Easy that is. Taking its inspiration from the Crescent City, the team at NOLA (closed) decided there was one thing missing in London and that was a good Hurricane. They have righted that wrong and now the fun of Bourbon Street has moved east to Shoreditch. Ian graciously talked me through this Nol-ifacation.Always remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

12 Juli 201618min