UK Mainland specific alcohol suggestions

Whoop · 30 Jan 2019 at 14:06

Over Christmas I was discussing alcohol with an irish colleague as he periodically comes over to our head office in the UK Midlands and we are now trying to swap alcohol on each visit over.

This time around he gave me a bottle of Buckfast (which kind of counts... it's bigger over there/up north here) and I gave him a demijohn of Old Rosie (7.3% cloudy cider).

Next time around however I'll need help with some suggestions that he is unlikely to have tried back over in Northern Ireland? This could be a fun game!

Any tips from the alcohol worldy folk?

Yadda · 30 Jan 2019 at 15:55

Are there any decent microbreweries near you?

If your colleague likes his ales then I'm sure he'd appreciate a well crafted local beer, especially if you can get an idea of what kind he likes (pale ale, bitter, stout etc).

Ahleckz · 30 Jan 2019 at 17:39

Get hold of some mead. That's pretty unusual.
There are fantastic English sparkling wines now, perhaps a Nyetimber (Blanc de Blanc if you can afford it, but the standard one is super too).

I think bottles would be difficult due to the weight, I'm assuming he's flying?

Whoop · 31 Jan 2019 at 11:39

Ahleckz said:
Get hold of some mead. That's pretty unusual.
There are fantastic English sparkling wines now, perhaps a Nyetimber (Blanc de Blanc if you can afford it, but the standard one is super too).

I think bottles would be difficult due to the weight, I'm assuming he's flying?

English mead, now there is something a little bit different. But yes, I'm mostly looking for something we can swap a bottle off as although ale might be nice it is quite a bulky item and he will carry it with him (thankfully work is just a few clothes and a laptop for the duration).

the_r_sole · 31 Jan 2019 at 12:06

there's a distillery producing Aqua Vitae in fife - would be surprised if anyone's tried that! (maybe a bit on the pricey side?)

Yadda · 1 Feb 2019 at 21:53

the_r_sole said:
there's a distillery producing Aqua Vitae in fife - would be surprised if anyone's tried that! (maybe a bit on the pricey side?)

For a second there I really thought that was a League Of Gentlemen reference.

the_r_sole · 5 Feb 2019 at 12:57

Yadda said:
For a second there I really thought that was a League Of Gentlemen reference.

haha, if only i'd been that clever!

FerretBoy · 5 Feb 2019 at 19:28

I really like a couple of Punk IPA (or equivalent) followed by a bottle of Innis and gunn oak barrels aged. The taste rollercoaster is amazing. Imagine these all exist in NI though but they are both from Scotland

Martynt74 · 5 Feb 2019 at 20:41

Whilst not particularly “English”

I was chatting to the guy who owns my local pub who’d been on a trip to Scotland visited the Borders distillery. They’re going to make Whisky but until it’s aged had filtered the base spirit into a vodka.

No idea what they’ve done but it’s unlike any Vodka I’ve ever had. It tastes like cream soda.

D.P. · 5 Feb 2019 at 21:29

If he have you buckfast, the correct response is to no longer be friends with him, maybe give him as gregs voucher