No matter what day of the year it is, there is always a compelling reason to enjoy a discerning drink. Responsibly of course.
This hilarious, eclectic and erudite elbow-bending adventure through the calendar reveals what you should be drinking this week - and a fascinating and compelling reason to drink it.
Hosts Ben McFarland & Tom Sandham, aka The Thinking Drinkers, have deftly decanted 40 years of unwavering dedication to awesome alcohol into a podcast that will broaden your booze horizons and make you seem even more interesting than you already are.
Steeped in eccentric events, fascinating facts and with all the cocktail recipes and recommendations a thirsty gastronome requires, this pod arms people with essential, some would say useless, anecdotal ammunition with which to impress your mates over a drink...or two.
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"I asked for ice, but this is ridiculous."
Episode 59
Thursday, March 9, 2023 • Duration 51:26
Hotel, Motel, Is That Your Foreskin? This week's pod recalls Tom's unfortunate and minor (very minor) costume malfunction on stage at the Alnwick Playhouse before raising a Rob Roy in memory of the Waldorf Astoria and exploring the ale-loving entrepreneur who invented Cat's Eyes.
Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here.
3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.
Exclusive access to the TD online magazine
A signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)
Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests
Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for every audience member, here:
Oldham
AUSTRIAN ALPS: ALTITUDE COMEDY FESTIVAL
Brighton
Bedford
Reading
Didcot
Stroud
Leicester
Corby
Public Enemas & Jiggers With Altitude
Episode 58
Thursday, March 2, 2023 • Duration 58:08
This week, we hark back to the halcyon days when strangers blew smoke up the bottoms of wet people and, in the whining words of Liam Gallagher, things get supersonic with a gin and tonic as we celebrate the birth of Concorde.
Oaxaca Old Fashioned (created by Phil Ward in New York)
Method: Set the orange peel to one side before bringing all the ingredients in a glass (Old Fashioned) containing a large ice cube. Stir until chilled. Flame an orange twist over the surface of the drink.
Discerning Drinks Deals Of The Week
Majestic Chanoine Frères 'Réserve Privée' Brut Champagne - £20 OFF Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva 2013/15 - 8 quid off. Definition English Sparkling Brut, Hampshire - 11 quid off. Lanson Le Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne - £20 off
After a week off, the hardest working beefcakes in the drinks business slide back into the Pod saddle, digging their heels into some hard-nosed aural journalism and whipping up some searing investigative insight - namely the return of bananas to the UK in 1945 and. of course, National Pig Day (only America).
Like beer? Like bananas? Well you'll flipping love Mongozo Banana Beer - available here or via Amazon here
And how about A Pigs In Blanket Old Fashioned?
Pigs in Blanket Old Fashioned
Ingredients
12 pigs in blanket
70cl of Pork fat-washed whisky
5ml Maple syrup
2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
To make the fat-wash whisky
· Grill the pigs in blanket over a baking tray and collect 30ml of the fat.
· Strain it into a container filled with 70cl of blended Scotch whisky. Leave it to steep in the whisky for 6-8 hours or overnight at room temperature before placing the bottle in the freezer.
· Once the fat has congealed in the bottle, strain the bourbon into a new bottle.
Method:
· Take 40 ml pigs-in-blanket fat-infused whisky and stir in a mixing glass with the maple syrup and ice.
· Add bitters and stir.
· Strain into a child ‘Old Fashioned’ glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange slice.. Or a pig-in-blanket
While you're waiting for the pig fat to steep in the whisky, a video about pigs that play video games.
It's Not Gonna Shuck Itself Is It?
Episode 56
Thursday, February 9, 2023 • Duration 43:54
If drink-soaked discussion of aphrodisiacal accompaniments to oysters, 'titanic plums', guinea pigs with dodgy fivers, hangover cures and some seriously decent discounted drinks are your thing then listen to this Valentine's Special featuring a boffin.
VALENTINE DRINKS The Properly Dangerous Liason Ingredients 45ml Brockmans Gin 75ml Taittinger Champagne or Sparkling Wine 15ml Fresh Lemon Juice 10ml Creme de Cassis 5ml Sugar Syrup Method
– Combine all ingredients apart from the sparkling wine and creme de cassis in a shaker over ice – Shake to combine, double strain into a champagne flute and – Top with Champagne, then drizzle over the creme de cassis. – Garnish with a lemon twist.
Chilean Red Wine: Errazuriz Max Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon – £12.99, Waitrose
Gin deal of the week, Asda and Waitrose are going at it in their bid to bring you the best price on Tanqueray Ten Waitrose, £27,
Aviation Cocktail
60ml gin
15ml Maraschino Liqueur 10ml Créme De Violette
25ml Lemon Juice
Lemon zest, to garnish
Shake gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur and crème de violette over ice, Taste, then add a splash of chilled water to dilute, if you like. Strain into four chilled cocktail glasses and garnish with blueberries and lemon zest.
Got 99 Problems But a Bee's Not One
Episode 54
Thursday, January 26, 2023 • Duration 51:41
Hail Henry VIII's death with Tynt Meadow - the only Trappist Beer in Britain.
Read Mark Dredge's great article about the monastery in Good Beer Hunting here:
Watch the documentary "Outside City" - all about the realities of the modern-day Monky business here.
Method: Loosen up the honey in a jug by stirring it with a little bit of freshly boiled water. When it's smooth, add the mixture to a shaker filled with plenty of ice, the lemon juice and the gin. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with some lemon zest.
This week, following our inaugural appearance on "This Morning", our pod adopts an alternative approach to Burns Night and solves a mystery for those looking to drink something in honour of Hercule Poirot.
Burns Night is coming. Let's face it, if it wasn’t in January, no-one would take any notice. But after 25 moribund days of ‘meh’, celebrating the birthday of an 18th century tax collector with some root vegetables and stomach stuffed with bits of sheep sounds like a brilliant night out.
It’s not. A clichéd caricature of Scottish-ness, it’s tediously quaint, painfully kitsch and all those endless Immortal Memories, those cheesy Addresses to the Lassies; the dreary drone of the bagpipes would have bored the life out of the real Robert Burns.
So we suggest some alcoholic alternatives to breathe life back into Burns Night including:
Harviestoun Ola Dubh - you can get it the three different expressions, here.
Braemble gin Liqueur - Scottish blackberry with English London Dry Gin. £24.89 Master of Malt
The Long Bramble 25ml liqueur 100ml ginger ale or tonic Pour the bramble over ice, in a highball, top with ginger ale, garnish with a wedge of lime, squeeze it in first
Cross Brew coffee liqueur, £25.74 Master of Malt
Cross Brew Negroni 20ml Cross Brew 30ml Campari 30ml Punt e Mes Stir over ice and strain into rocks glass with ice Whisky Deals Mortlach 15 YO for – saving £32.05 Aberlour 14-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky, - save £10 Cardhu, - was £40 Woven Whisky, Experience N.11, Peachy,
Prince Harry & Dumbo
Episode 52
Thursday, January 12, 2023 • Duration 56:38
Amid all this talk of Harry and Meghan, we explore Edward VII, aka "Dirty Bertie" - the original Playboy Prince with some cracking King's Ginger liqueur.
Then, having once again proven that #winewritingiswelleasy, we make ourselves a Bicicletta for birthday boy and Pirate peddler Marco Pantani.
If you'd like to see Edward VII's 's3x chair' (and why wouldn't you?) then click here.
Amazon is offering a great deal on King's Ginger, complete with swanky gift tin, for just £23 here. You're welcome.
King's Mulled Cider 50ml The King's Ginger 150ml Cider 150ml Apple juice Serve in a handled glass, hot or over ice. Garnish with lemon, cinnamon stick and fresh blackberries.
Marco Pantani
Here's the picture of Marco shaking an Italian policeman's hand after some rather ripe parking manouevres and here's a picture of his statue in Northern Italy.
For Campari, the best price is at Morrisons, £15.50 - click here
Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here. It's what Jesus would have wanted.
3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.
Exclusive access to the TD online magazine
A signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)
Dynamite 'n' Dysentery
Episode 50
Thursday, December 8, 2022 • Duration 39:52
Bonjour tout le monde,
In this week's podcast, discover how Alfred Nobel inspired peace after accidentally reading his own obituary, marvel at probly the best Danish design in the world and strap yourself in for some fascinating yeast chat.
Ahead of France v England, we commemorate the Battle of Agincourt, and Ben's tortured football analogy, with a Biere de Garde/Saison style beer. Buy here
Watch Dennis Bergkamp, the non-Flying Dutchman, book the Argentinians on the plane home with this 'worldy' from the 1998 World Cup.
Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here. It's what Jesus would have wanted.
3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.
Exclusive access to the TD online magazine
A signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)
Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests
Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for evewry audience member, here:
Become a reviewer for the Aldi Wine Club - click here
Are you a wine enthusiast? Do you have a nose for aromas and impeccable tastebuds? Or simply want the opportunity to try some FREE wines?
We are looking for thirty vino-loving superstars to make up our latest Aldi Wine Club panel – an exclusive group of Aldi shoppers with a passion for wine.
As an Aldi Wine Club member, you will have the opportunity to trial delicious and award-winning wines, including new launches from Aldi’s Spring Summer range, without spending a penny.
All you’ll be tasked with is reviewing each wine via a 140-character tweet or Instagram post using the dedicated #AldiWineClub hashtag– it’s as simple as that!
Applications now open until 13th March!
To apply to the Aldi wine tasting opportunity, shoppers simply need to send an email to Aldiwineclub@clarioncomms.co.uk with the below details:
• Full name
• Proof of age
• The name of your social media handles and the number of followers for each account
• 150 words explaining why you think you should be selected as an Aldi Wine Club member
• What your favourite wine is and why
Other Stuff
Buy yourself or someone else annual membership (and a signed copy of our award-winning Thinking Drinkers Almanac Book) for just £120 here.
3 x 60ml pouches containing 3 x world class spirits delivered direct through your door every month.
Exclusive access to the TD online magazine
A signed copy of Thinking Drinkers Almanac (named Drinks Book of the Year 2021 by The Sunday Times)
Monthly Online Tastings with The Thinking Drinkers & Guests
Check out dates and tickets for our "Thinking Drinkers Pub Quiz" show, featuring lots of laughs and FIVE free drinks for every audience member, here:
Drinks Deals Of The Week Mirabeau La Folie Sparkling Rose - down £3 to £11 at Sainsburys Johnnie Walker Black Label - Sainsbury, £22, save £10,
Martini Rosso, only £2.50 off, but down to £8 at Waitrose, Jameson Orange, £15, save £9.50, great in an alternative to the Irish Espresso Martini Waitrose
POIROT And then we celebrate a lesser-known milestone - the 103rd anniversary of the first ever Hercule Poirot novel - and honour the "detestable, bombastic, tiresome,egocentric little creep" with a superb Belgian stout.
