mwnch

I’ve been a great drinker fan of Tomos Watkins ales for a few years so I was intrigued to see that they’ve sold out (in real ale terms) and introduced a Lager to their range.

I’ll happily drink any style of beer so personally, I wasn’t repulsed as some beer drinkers may be and thought I’d give it a go.

This is a light, in both colour and taste lager with a pleasing amber glow, a mild and gentle fizz and a pleasant and not overpowering flavour of hops and malty body. Certainly not as sweet and sugary as many modern lagers (no bad thing) and so it’s a thinner more refreshing drink, albeit still packing a 5% punch.

Nice … roll-on the Summer I think there’s work for magic lagyr to do…

A friend of mine recommended Bath Ales, citing gem as his current favourite tipple and I must admit I’m glad of the recommendation.

Cultured, well flavoured ales, the two I’ve tried, gem (an amber ale) and wild hare (an organic pale ale) slipped down very easily and are a pleasure both on the nose, the eye and of course most importantly the taste-buds. These aren’t traditional beers, they aren’t heavy with hops, yeast and / or malt, but are more cultured, more modern and more subtle in their charms … delicious. Neither do they skimp on alcohol content weighing in at 4.8% and 5% respectively - pretty grown up serious stuff.

One thing that really sticks out for me is the packaging. I’ve always been a believer in the adage that we eat (& drink) with our eyes first and these bottles really are appealing to the eye. Even the bottle top is a cracker…

I notice on the website that they sell 36 pint beer boxes by mail order which really are a tempter … now if only I can find an excuse.

Recommended.

One of my favourite tipples is a bloody mary - not just good for hangovers, but a great all-rounder, I’m personally partial to one as a pre-dinner drink.

I recently realised that from when I started making them a few years ago with a full range of ingredients I’d some how worked my way down to just tomato juice, vodka and ice so I set about reinventing my recipe, this is the result.

The Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco are must haves and I’m fond of the inclusion of dry sherry. Give it a go, see what you think and adapt.