FOODIE FEATURE V5.qxp_Layout 2 25/11/2022 18:39 Page 1
Festive foodies As the festive season approaches, we speak to four of Bristol’s finest independents – Spirited, Rare Butchers of Southville, The Bristol Cheesemonger and Partisan Produce – to find out what must be on our menu this Christmas...
Spirited 196 North Street, Bedminster, BS3 1JF Spirited is North Street’s new spirits shop and bar, specialising in whisky and rum. Owner Katy Kennedy recommends some local liqueurs and festive flavours that will make sure it’s a merry Christmas... Tell us about the spirits you stock and your bestsellers during the winter months... Spirited stocks a wide range of spirits, but we have a big focus on whisky and rum. As the nights are getting colder, we’re turning our minds to opulent drinks, like sherry cask-aged whiskies, with their lovely Christmas cake flavours; sweet whisky liqueurs perfect for a boozy coffee; rich rums for late night sipping; and hot buttered rum to warm the cockles. Is there anything new and unusual that you’d recommend? Not new and unusual as such, but it is great to see how many good quality bottled cocktails are out there now. It makes enjoying cocktails at home so much easier. The Coconut Espresso Martini (£28) from Silver Circle Distillery is sure to be a big seller this festive season. Tell us about the local businesses that you’ve partnered with... Bristol and the South West have so many incredible producers to choose from, so this will by no means be an exhaustive list, but we work a lot with local distilleries Pyschopomp and Circumstance, who
44 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
|
DECEMBER 2022
|
No 217
make gin, vodka, rum and grain spirits, focusing on slow processes, experimentation and big flavours. We’re also huge fans of The Aperitivo! Co, and sell a lot of the Turin sweet vermouth, which makes a cracking Negroni. We work with the aforementioned Silver Circle Distillery too – they’re over in the Wye Valley and make fantastic gin and Aquavit as well. Then there is Electric Bear, who supply our beers, Bristol Distilling Co., Shipshape and Bristol Fashion, 6 O’Clock Gin, The Cotswolds Distillery... the list goes on. What’s your go-to drink on Christmas Day? Well… it’s a real journey. I like to start with a little low ABV Moscato d’Asti with brunch, then Champagne with snacks, a pre-lunch Negroni, a nice Pinot Noir with the turkey, port with cheese, then onto the whisky, which is likely to be Glenfarclas 105 (£59.95) – my favourite Christmas dram. Are you hosting any events over the Christmas period? Absolutely! We’re aiming to do tastings every couple of weeks. On 14 December, we will be running our own ‘Christmas Spirits’ tasting, and there will be several drop-in tastings in the run-up to Christmas. We are also in discussions with some other local businesses about chocolate and spirits workshops, wreath-making and more. Keep an eye on our socials and join the mailing list for more details.-• Follow Spirited on Instagram (@spirited.bristol) and join the mailing list to stay up to date with news and events at: spiritedbristol.com. Spirited image credit: Lindsey Davis (Instagram: @lindsey_s_davis)
