https://www.scmp.com/rss/512833/feed Victoria is a spirits educator and expert, certified in WSET Level 3 in Spirits and with a General Certificate in Distilling from the Institute of Brewing & Distilling. She was also the founder of Hong Kong cocktail bar, The Woods, and is currently working on distilling sipping gins and eau de vies in Germany. Her mission is to help people take an educated sip and connect the dot between producers and consumers – to help elevate the art of the liquid inside each glass. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ah, celebrity booze – my favourite thing to quip on. Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila, Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin, Elon Musk’s ridiculous lightning bolt-shaped also-Tequila … the list grows by the minute. It is so easy to roll our eyes at yet another famous person jumping on the George Clooney bandwagon and slapping their name on a liquor bottle. But instead of waxing poetic about how one should drink only “authentic” spirits produced by “craft” distilleries – neither of these terms being easily... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3215496/kendall-jenner-elon-musk-ryan-reynolds-celebrity-endorsed-drinks-are-nothing-new-are-any-them-worth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3215496/kendall-jenner-elon-musk-ryan-reynolds-celebrity-endorsed-drinks-are-nothing-new-are-any-them-worth?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Apr 2023 08:45:09 +0000 Ah yes, it’s that time of year. Advertisements for roses, chocolates and heart-shaped balloons have reached their peak – Valentine’s Day is well and truly upon us. While I’m all for the romance, I am far more interested in talking about the relationship between alcohol and libido, and what, if any, drinks we can use to further “enhance” an evening on top of the fancy meal you’ve surely already made a reservation for. But first, let’s dive into the science. Alcohol, in small amounts, can increase... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3209783/valentines-day-drinks-will-lead-steamy-night-spicy-margaritas-chocolate-martinis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3209783/valentines-day-drinks-will-lead-steamy-night-spicy-margaritas-chocolate-martinis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Feb 2023 08:15:10 +0000 It seems like the minute the weather turns – or whenever Starbucks deems it appropriate to start whipping out the red cups – everything becomes Christmas-flavoured. We’re talking lattes, baked goods, candles that almost smell edible. When asked what Christmas “tastes” like, most would say cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and perhaps a hint of orange and cloves. After all, mulled wine, hot toddies and eggnog are not typically enjoyed on a hot summer day at the beach – unless, perhaps, you’re... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3202980/how-ginger-cinnamon-cloves-and-nutmeg-became-taste-christmas-and-how-capture-those-aromas-cocktail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3202980/how-ginger-cinnamon-cloves-and-nutmeg-became-taste-christmas-and-how-capture-those-aromas-cocktail?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Dec 2022 08:45:11 +0000 You’ve noticed the trend – the no-ABV cocktails, non-alcoholic beers, faux spirits … It’s now cool to be sober, and the numbers don’t lie. There has been a 506 per cent growth in the non-alcoholic beverages market in the last seven years alone. After all the sober-October preaching last month, I’m here to argue why alcohol still very much has a special place in our lives and will never be “out”. The new wave of non-alcoholic drinks always tout their ability to help you “fit in” at a bar or a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3198098/why-alcoholic-drinks-still-have-special-place-many-peoples-lives-despite-rise-alcohol-free-beers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3198098/why-alcoholic-drinks-still-have-special-place-many-peoples-lives-despite-rise-alcohol-free-beers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Nov 2022 08:45:08 +0000 I hate to be the one to take the fun out of tiki bars, but we need to talk. This bar genre’s comeuppance has been brewing for a while now, as the concept behind tiki bars extends far beyond fruity rum drinks in fun cups. The origin story raises issues of cultural appropriation, but there is an opportunity to “rebrand” the idea without giving up its essence. Perhaps it can even open doors to a broader category. For a little backstory, let’s journey back to 1933, when Ernest Gantt, later known as... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3195515/cultural-appropriation-cup-tiki-bars-dont-need?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3195515/cultural-appropriation-cup-tiki-bars-dont-need?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Oct 2022 08:15:13 +0000 All rules are off when it comes to gin these days. Green ants, dry-aged beef, elephant dung and truffles – these are a few of my favourite … weird gin botanicals! So how did we get here – from the humble London Dry gins such as Beefeater that our grandfathers used to drink, to this Harry Potter every-flavour-bean assortment of ingredients? Let’s start at the very beginning. What is gin exactly? By definition in European Union and United States law, it is a spirit that “must derive its main... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3191340/gin-21st-century-weird-botanicals-and-flavours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3191340/gin-21st-century-weird-botanicals-and-flavours?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Sep 2022 08:45:19 +0000 It’s summer in Hong Kong – aka typhoon season, aka boat season, aka boat-trips-postponed-by-typhoon season. There are two drinks-related rookie mis­takes people make when it comes to boat trips. No. 1 is being hungover from the night before and showing up (if at all) exuding pitiable vibes. No. 2 is making a last-minute dash to the nearest 7-Eleven, not only holding up the boat departure but inevitably setting the on-board bar up for mediocrity. I’m not here to judge the bottles of Absolut and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3189431/best-boat-party-drinks-stop-buying-7-eleven-your?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3189431/best-boat-party-drinks-stop-buying-7-eleven-your?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Aug 2022 09:15:18 +0000 There’s a wide world of agave spirits out there. Sticking to tequila is like only drinking cabernet sauvignon: a perfectly delicious decision, but you’ll be missing out on an array of options. And you won’t have anything intriguing to bring to the conversation next time you’re having dinner with one-time tequila-makers George Clooney or Kendall Jenner. Our first lesser-known category is bacanora, the closest relative to mescal on this list. While mescal is a broad category that can be made using... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3186186/forget-kendall-jenners-tequila-and-try-sotol?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3186186/forget-kendall-jenners-tequila-and-try-sotol?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Jul 2022 09:15:10 +0000 Shooters. We love them, we hate them. We remember them, we forget what comes after them. From the infamous jello shots at Al’s Diner to the 15-shot challenge at Geronimo’s, Hong Kong is not unfamiliar with the category. But why is it even a category to begin with? They first emerged in the late 1970s, when it seems like a whole generation turned to recreational drugs. Alcohol became a supplement to their cause – a means to an end. Brands could no longer rely on Martinis and Old Fashioneds to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3182911/down-one-origin-shooters-how-they-and-their-non?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3182911/down-one-origin-shooters-how-they-and-their-non?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jun 2022 08:45:22 +0000