Vietnamese Snake Wine
It’s a bottle of wine with a snake inside. Charming. Snake wine might be Chinese in origin, but it’s best-known these days in Vietnam where it’s used as an aphrodisiac or traditional medicine. Wacky. It’s just as well that the alcohol breaks down the venom of these reptiles. There’s a story of a lady who opened her home-brew to be bitten by the still-live snake sleeping inside. You wouldn’t want to Google it.
Celebrate food, wine and rum in Barbados
This is better. Barbados’ Food, Wine and Rum festival is an essential experience for lovers of all things food, wine and rum. The organisers claim that “any discussion about rum is a discussion about Barbados - and vice versa” I can see a lot of truth in that. The island is also home to the world’s oldest rum distillery, Mount Gay, founded in 1703, and a thousand or so rum shops.
Discover the magic of mezcal in Mexico
Mezcal is traditionally produced in Oaxaca, where the raw material, agave, grows in abundance. To the casual observer, agave is a cactus. It looks a bit cactussy but it’s not. It’s also used to make a sweet syrup. Unlike tequila, which can be made from blue agave only, mezcal can be made from all agave varieties; it’s usually distinguished by a smoky taste. From distilleries to small-scale family enterprises, there are plenty of places to kick off a tasting tour.
Attend the Batalla del Vino in Haro, Spain
If drinking wine sounds a bit dull, head to the town of Haro in Rioja where every 29th of July, the Batalla de Vino takes place. Thousands gather to spray grape juice over each other. Sticky and strange. Even stranger is the traditional white clothing, which quickly becomes purple.
Taste sake in Japan
The best place to try Japan’s famous rice wine liquor is the Nada district near Kobe. About thirty per cent of the country’s output comes from here. Make sure you brush up on the drinking ritual: sake should be poured from tokkuri into small cups known as ochoko and it’s polite to pour for your companion using two hands.
Down a wee dram on Islay, Scotland
The beautiful island of Islay, the “Queen of the Hebrides”, is famous for its robust, peaty blends. There are eight distilleries on the island, of which almost all offer guided tours and tastings; Laphroaig and Lagavulin are perhaps most famous. Just be sure you know what you’re doing before adding a splash of water to a single malt.
Go on a gin tour in London, England
Mother’s ruin has undergone a renaissance in Britain’s capital recently and today’s gin scene is a far cry from Hogarth’s sketches. As well as bar-hopping between the best speakeasies, you can also tour distilleries: Sipsmith and the City of London Distillery are excellent places to start your education.
Learn to love Limoncello in Italy
The best place to try this famous digestif is on the sunny Amalfi Coast, sometimes known as the “Path of the Gods”, where lemons grows in abundance (Italy produces seventy five per cent of the global crop). The origin of the liqueur is disputed, but some say it was originally invented by monks.
Tour the sherry bodegas in Spain
No longer your nan’s favourite Christmas treat, sherry, or jerez, is becoming increasingly popular. To learn about the intricacies of the solera system (and discover the story behind some very drunk mice), head to the bodegas of Andalucia. A seaside stop to try a Fino with some fresh seafood is essential.
Go underground in Reims, France
In Champagne, some of the most exciting drinking takes place underground. The cellars of the likes of Pommery, Veuve Clicquot and G.H. Mumm sprawl beneath Reims, storing wines on their lees for at least three years. Tattinger is one of the more fascinating caves, built in Roman chalk pits beneath the ruins of Abbaye Saint Nicaise.
Title Image Credit: juantiagues (Image Cropped)