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Burns Night has always been about more than reciting poetry and piping in the haggis. At its heart, it is a celebration of place, identity, and shared experience. Whisky sits naturally at the centre of that table, not as a luxury flourish, but as a cultural companion. I have selected some of my favourite recommendations below for you to celebrate with this Saturday January 25th:-
At Bertie’s Whisky Bar within The Fife Arms, guests can now taste the oldest and most significant collection of House of Hazelwood Scotch whisky ever made available in a single venue. Spanning more than four centuries of Scotch whisky heritage, and comprising nine exceptionally rare expressions aged between 33 and 57 years, this is the most ambitious whisky programme Bertie’s has ever presented and the most comprehensive House of Hazelwood offering available anywhere in the world.
The Negroni is often described as a drink of absolutes. Equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth; stirred, never shaken; garnished with orange. Yet beneath its rigid structure lies extraordinary flexibility. Change one ingredient — particularly the vermouth — and the drink’s personality shifts entirely.
A Magical Walk Through Winchester Christmas Market
The festive season invites a certain grandeur—moments when the table gleams a little brighter, the conversation stretches a little longer, and the wines deserve to be every bit as memorable as the occasion itself. This year’s selection brings together bottles of genuine distinction: wines shaped by exceptional vintages, meticulous craftsmanship, and the quiet confidence that comes only from producers at the top of their game.
When Heather Bradshaw talks about Washington State, her eyes light up with the conviction of someone who has watched a region rise from quiet potential to global significance. A former broadcast journalist, she began her career in the small agricultural town of Yakima — “the heart of wine country,” she recalls — where viticulture was not yet an international talking point but an emerging dream.
The Glenlivet has unveiled the Second Edition in its Eternal Collection, a 56 Year Old single malt, accompanied by a bespoke artwork from the acclaimed design studio Fredrikson Stallard. Only sixty bottles have been released worldwide. I had an opportunity to taste it at an exceptional dinner at Somerset House.
The hottest summer residency on London's dining scene – Cape Town’s celebrated restaurant Pot Luck Club in pop-up form at The Waldorf Hilton on Aldwych – has been extended until the end of June 2026 due to popular demand.
And Londoners should be feeling even luckier this Christmas and new year period as its head chef, Luke Dale-Roberts, has put together an exclusive new festive menu to celebrate the news.
One of the pleasures of tasting at this time of year is discovering how deeply place shapes a wine’s character. Winter slows everything down, giving you time to notice the things you might have missed: the origins of a grape, the temperament of a region, or the decisions of a winemaker. This collection shows just how varied those stories can be.
