Homegrown Jewels

There’s nothing us Brits love more than a right royal knees up and the long Jubilee weekend is going to be a big one.

Take your local line up to the next level with our selection of Homegrown Jewels – we've picked some of our favourite English and Scottish drinks to help your customers mark the platinum occasion in style.  

Gins 

Whether you take your martinis shaken, stirred, wet or dry, English Gins are in a class of their own. If you’re feeling the patriotic spirit, then the special edition Whitley Neil Platinum Jubilee Gin is an eye-catching addition to the bar. With a bottle created especially for the occasion, this classic London Dry gin is distilled at the first and only distillery licenses in the City of London and is filled with flavours of citrus peel, peppery spice and floral aromas.  

For a gin with an enduring British legacy, you can’t go wrong with Plymouth Gin. This classic gin was a favourite of Winston Churchill himself who, when asked how much vermouth he would like in his martini, responded “I would like to observe the vermouth from across the room while I drink my martini.”  A cocktail of Plymouth Gin stirred over ice? Delicious. All the better to enjoy the complex and well-balanced influence of seven hand selected botanicals.  

Heading north of the border, The Botanist Islay Dry Gin is as Scottish as it gets. Made from 22 botanicals from the island of Islay the gin is made by people with a real love for the unique landscape. The resulting gin is clean, fresh and satin-smooth not to mention a delightful reminder of the diversity of the British flora.  

Beefeater have gone another direction with their new gin, Beefeater 24 drawing complexity from a blend of teas, peels and botanicals, rather than fruit. The base spirit is steeped in the blend for 24 hours to produce a rich and sophisticated gin. Not unlike the royal lady of the hour herself.   

Other British Spirits  

Gin may be commonly associated with the British drinker, but this fair isle has more to offer with spirits with complex flavour and consistency.  It’s impossible to look past an icon like Johnnie Walker Black Label. First crafted in a humble grocer's shop, Johnnie Walker has taken blended Scotch whisky from the four corners of Scotland to the four corners of the world. There’s no doubt it’s a familiar label for customers who are after a slow sip, but whisky is increasingly a go-to spirit for highball cocktails. Drinks like the Johnnie & Lemon, which pairs Black Label with lemon barley and ginger ale, really help to bring out the delicate citrus notes in the whisky and make a perfectly refreshing alternative to a G&T or classic vodka soda.  

Perhaps not a typical British drink, vodka has seen incredible gains in the trade in the last 2 years (2), even beating out Gin in terms of volume growth (surely not!). As the name suggests, Sipsmith prides itself on creating spirits that are perfect in both mixed serves and alone or over ice. Their deliciously delicate Sipping Vodka is no exception. Distilled from the finest 100% wheat spirit, they don’t filter, add glycerine, fructose, or any aromatisers. The resulting Vodka is, like a spring day in the English countryside, fresh and delicate with a warming brightness.  

Wine 

50 years ago, an English wine on your list would be met with scepticism at best and a polite cough of derision at worst. Now, England is producing some of the best sparkling wines in the world, thanks to careful viticulture and a new generation of talented makers. What better way to toast the Platinum Jubilee than with a glass of English fizz? 

Nyetimber is so perfectly British they regularly drive around the country in a vintage double decker bus, handing out glasses of their delicious bubbly wherever celebration is in order. Their Classic Cuvée is rich and flavourful, yet exceptionally elegant - 100% made for special occasions. Even Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip enjoyed a glass of the ’93 vintage for the Golden Wedding anniversary!  

Kent-based winery, Chapel Down, have a range of incredible wines that are served across many of the UK’s finest restaurants and bars. They were also the first ever English winery to feature in the London Stock Exchange’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’.  Supporting English institutions like The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race, Ascot Racecourse, The Royal Opera House, they are synonymous with celebrating iconic British occasions. The perfect Jubilee drop.  

Looking for something pink and sparkly? 

Rosé is a British Summer staple and some of the very best sparkling rosés come from our favourite English wineries. For a dreamy wine full of summer fruits and shortbread, try the Nyetimber Rosé. If you’re after a fresh finish with a creamy mousse look out for the Chapel Down Rosé Brut. For an iconic sparkling rosé, you simply cannot miss with Balfour’s trophy-winning vintage Brut Rosé. It was the only English wine to be served at the 2012 London Olympics. And, it’s good enough to be the first ever English wine served in British Airline’s First Class, it’s sure to wow your customers this Jubilee weekend.  

Beer 

Camden Town Brewery make their beers especially for the British palate. They have crafted their Pale Ale with an understanding that long British summer afternoons need something a little bit lighter than the average American pale. This unpasteurised beer is made from American hops but modelled after the traditional English style, with just 4% alcohol and a punchy, fruit-forward palate. Or, for something fresh but with a great depth of flavour, try their Hells Lager. The lovechild of the founders’ two favourite German beer styles - Helles and Pilsner - it’s clean, crisp and dry. A perfectly refreshing beer for a (hopefully) warm bank holiday afternoon.  

At the other end of the country, Innis & Gunn have taken Scottish beer to the next level with their range of complex richly flavoured brews. The Innis & Gunn Lager is exactly what you expect from the boundary pushing producer. Zesty, aromatic hops dance on the taste buds and the Naked Golden Oats ensure a truly refreshing finish. This is a crisp, light, expertly balanced beer with a taste that has been perfectly shaped to show off its fun side. 

Need inspiration for your Jubilee Bank Holiday menu? Check out our list of Great British serves! 

The Great British Mix-Off 

Stack your cocktail menu with low touch, high margin serves that have an undeniably British flair.   

Sundowner Spritz  

• 50ml PIMM's Sundowner 
• 50ml prosecco 
• Fever-Tree Rhubarb & Raspberry Tonic Water 
  Fresh raspberries 

Combine PIMM's Sundowner and prosecco in a large wine glass over ice. For a fun twist, top with Fever-Tree Rhubarb and Raspberry Tonic Water. Garnish with fresh raspberries. 

Classic G&T  

• 50ml Didsbury Gin Original  
• 150ml Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water  
  Grapefruit Slice 

To ice-filled balloon glass, add Didsbury Gin Original. Top with Fever-Tree Indian Tonic and garnish with grapefruit. 

The Queen’s Garden Party 

• 50ml Tanqueray Blackcurrant Royale 
  150ml Fever-Tree  
  Lime and Dark berries 

Combine Tanqueray Blackcurrant Royale with Lemonade over ice in a Copa glass. Garnish with lime and dark berries.  

G&T Royale 

• 100ml Schweppes Slimline Elderflower Tonic,  
• 50ml Tanqueray London Dry Gin  
• Blood Orange Syrup 
• Orange slice 

In a highball glass combine Tanqueray Gin, Elderflower Tonic, blood orange syrup over ice. Top with a slice of orange.   

A Royal Toast 

• 50ml Sipsmith London Dry 
  200ml Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic Water 
  Orange wheel garnish 

To ice-filled balloon glass, add Sipsmith London Dry. Top with Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic Water and garnish with an orange wheel.  

A British Spritz 

• 50ml Beefeater Pink Gin 
• 200ml Fever-Tree Raspberry & Orange Blossom Soda Water 
• Fresh Raspberries 

To ice-filled balloon glass, add Beefeater Pink Gin and Fever-Tree Raspberry & Orange Blossom Soda. Garnish with fresh raspberries.  

Strawberry Smash Spritz 

• 50ml Sipsmith Strawberry Smash Gin 
• 25ml fresh lemon juice 
  50ml soda water 
  Champagne 
  Freshly sliced strawberry 
  Sprig of mint 

Add Sipsmith Strawberry Smash Gin, fresh lemon juice and soda water to a large wine glass filled with ice. Top with chilled Champagne. Garnish with a freshly sliced strawberry and a sprig of fresh mint. 

Pimm’s Cup 

• Highball glass filled with ice 
  50ml PIMM'S No.1 
  150ml lemonade 

Pour PIMM’s and lemonade over ice. Add strawberry, orange and cucumber, stir down. Finish with a sprig of mint. 

The Ultimate Tom Collins 

• 50ml Bombay Citron Presse  
• 15ml freshly pressed lemon juice  
• 10ml sugar syrup 
• Soda water 
• Wedge of lemon 

Build ingredients over cubed ice. Stir down and garnish with lemon. 

Beefeater 24 Spritz 

• 50ml Beefeater 24 
• 35ml Lillet Blanc  
  Champagne 
  Grapefruit slice & Raspberries 

Build over ice and give a gentle stir. Garnish with a grapefruit slice and raspberries 

Fresh Gimlet 

• 60ml Plymouth 
  25ml Fresh Lime Juice 
  12.5ml Simple Syrup 
  Lime wheel 

Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain over fresh ice into rocks glass and garnish with lime.