Drinks | delicious. Magazine

Wines with lamb

Wines to match roast lamb

delicious. magazine's wine editor, Susy Atkins, loves finding a good bottle to go with lamb because it's an excuse to open a powerful red, as lamb is a strongly flavoured, fatty meat and works best with a hearty, robust style of wine...

Food and wine matching

Wines for roasts

What you need with succulent, well-basted meat, cooked slowly and served to a throng of family and friends is a great bottle of wine (or two) to go with it. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that light, thin, delicate styles won’t work here, so what exactly makes the perfect bottle for a roast?

Wine with chocolate

Wines to go with chocolate

It’s not especially easy to match wine with chocolate, but you can certainly have fun working out the best matches for your sweet treats, says delicious. wine editor Susy Atkins.

Wine with fish

Wine matches for fish and seafood

Get it right and you've got yourself the perfect partnership.

Healthy options

Juices and smoothies

Got a crush? We have. An orange crush, that is. And a smoothie or two, and some peach tea... These refreshments are bound to put a spring in your step and there's not a drop of alcohol in sight.

Class in a glass

Entertaining?

Canapés and cocktails

Our nifty nibbles and classy cocktails will get your party started in no time. Whether you're handing out Mini Yorkshires or giving your guests a Hot Caribbean kiss, everyone will feel thoroughly indulged by this decadent spread.

Whisky

All About whisky

Choosing from the array of whiskies on offer can be a little daunting, so we asked Craig Butcher to experience a Whisky Masterclass with Glynn O’Shea at Scottish bar and restaurant The Albannach to clear the fog. Unsurprisingly, our roving (soon to be raving) reporter was happy to participate.

Cognac

All about cognac

Christmas may be the time to set fire to brandy over the pud, but as cognac brand ambassador Alexandre Quintin explained to Craig Butcher, he’d much prefer we drank the stuff instead.

Wine & food

Wines to go with pasta

Italians would rarely contemplate a plate of pasta without a glass of wine. So which bottles should you have at the ready? Here are some of the best duets, says Susy Atkins.

Spirited away

That’s the spirit: premium vodka

We give you a quick fix of vodka tips, plus some sexy recipes to get the party started.

All About Vodka

The perfect aperitif

All About Martini

James Bond liked his shaken not stirred but how do Italians enjoy the classic aperitif that originated from their country? Craig Butcher sought out celebrated mixologist Salvatore Calabrese, Italian chef Gennaro Contaldo, and Martini maker Beppe Musso at the Martini Stay Beautiful Lounge to find out.

Rum deal

That’s the spirit: Caribbean rum

This summer, forget plain white rum – trade up to the more complex golden and dark rums.

All About Rum

Tequila Tequila

That’s the spirit: Tequila

I'm not sure about you, dear readers, but while gin makes me cry, and vodka makes me crazy, tequila is the perfect antidote for a broken heart or a dull party. Well, that's the web editor's opinion. What say drinks expert Susy Atkins'?

Gin's a winner

That’s the spirit: premium gin

We love it. And so does our drinks expert Susy Atkins. Here are some tips.

Hot gin punch

Detoxing?

Off the booze?

On a detox? That means no wine with dinner, no beer down the pub, and no spirits on pain of death. These non-alcoholic juices, smoothies, and chocolate recipes should take your mind off the demon drink.Here are some delightful drinks for you to sup and savour, without feeling deprived.

Non-alcoholic drinks

Soft drinks

Detoxers beware. There’s an awful lot of sugary, brightly coloured and caffeinated fizz to wade through on the soft-drink shelves before reaching anything interesting. Thank goodness, then, for some appealing non-alcoholic cordials, juices and herbal teas – a treat for anyone who is giving up the demon drink (even if it’s just for a while).

Cider, beer and soft drinks

Alternatives to wine

Wine tends to steal the limelight when it comes to food-and-drink matching, says delicious. magazine's wine editor, Susy Atkins, but there are alternatives, plus two great wines to look out for this month.