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Speciality Drinks Limited

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Speciality Drinks Limited

Speciality Drinks is the UK’s premier supplier of whiskies, spirits and champagnes to the on trade.

We were launched as an on-trade supplier to meet the growing demand of bars, restaurants and hotels for interesting and rare products. As a family-owned-and-operated business, we are committed to providing bespoke consultancy and exceptional service. With access to the largest product portfolio in the industry (10,000 products at any one time, shared with our sister company The Whisky Exchange), w

e deliver our expertise on an international level to independents, groups and prestige accounts. Through our unrivalled knowledge and passion for the drinks industry, we endeavour to promote future trends and drive our customers’ business forward

20/07/2024

Fielden Rye Whisky

Fielden distillery is revitalising England’s fields with heritage grains that have been about long before the use of chemicals in industrial farming. Picture this: grains growing alongside clover, nature's own fertilizer, keeping the soil vibrant and cheerful. These happy crops dive deep with their roots, soaking up all the good stuff to create grains bursting with natural flavor. Cheers to delicious, old-school farming!

Fielden’s new Yorkshire distillery is mixing things up with a fantastic blend of malted rye, malted barley, and unmalted rye and wheat. Using the magic of double distillation in both pot and column stills, they craft a whisky that's then aged to perfection in American oak casks and an array of ex-wine casks.

The resulting whisky is a delightful medley of fresh, floral, and fruity notes, like wild berries, followed by the delicious taste of flaky pastry, fresh bread, and caramel. If that sounds like your kind of treat, get in touch with our sales team for a sample to taste yourself.

17/07/2024

Since the completion of Crossrail, London has been handed back one of its most
treasures streets: Denmark Street. Famed for its long history as the epicentre of
Britain’s music industry, today Denmark Street is as good a place for a cocktail as it is for buying a guitar.

Dram is the work of three firm friends: Simo, Chris and Jack. No doubt you’ll recognise these rascals - their whisky pedigree is renowned, much like their irreverent attitude to drinking it! And in a nutshell, that’s what Dram is about: the irreverent democratisation of whisky, featuring a stellar list of cocktails from Chris Tanner, as well as a serious 300-strong whisky list delivered in Dram’s typically unserious fashion.

We love their vending machine of freshly canned cocktails, their custom pool table,
and let’s have a halleluiah for their great coffee – making it a venue for morning, noon and night.

If you’ve yet to pop in, get onto it. For the women and non-binary folks among you,
Dram also plays host to Women’s + Whisky Night, a monthly event that has a regular
rotation of luminary guests, and that puts to bed the stuffy masculine image whisky
has been tarred with in favour of sharing drams, whisky learning and FUN.

14/07/2024

Providence Rum.

Continuing our theme after the fabulous Rum Show, we wanted to highlight another one of our favourite new rums that were exhibited this year.

Distillerie de Port-au-Prince opened its doors for the first time in 2018. This Haitian rum project is a collaboration between the Barbancourt-Linge family and La Maison & Velier, with Herbet Barbancourt-Linge becoming the master distiller and distillery manager. After the groundbreaking successes of Clairins rum, it was an obvious choice to build on this success by locating the new Providence distillery in the same city, led by the same team.

The Providence 3-Year-Old uses sugar cane syrup, selected yeasts and dunder during fermentation. This creates the rum’s aromatic complexity before it goes through the traditional Haitian double pot distillation. The distillate is then aged in American oak ex-Providence casks where it is filled in and filled out three times in two years to age the liquid gently.

12/07/2024

Founded in October 2023, the subterranean Wacky Wombat provides a exciting extension of the Daroco, the restaurant located above it.

The bar serves up an innovative cocktail list that takes inspiration from founder Nico de Soto’s time working and training as a bartender in Australia. The menu showcases a number of distinctive ingredients native to Australia including strawberry gum and pepperberry. The different drinks choices reflect Nico’s memories and experiences, one of which any backpacker down under would instantly recognise as the ‘Wake Up’ in Sydney, the first hostel he stayed in when landing in Australia. This drink uses coffee and milk-washed cognac, black mustard seed distillate, coffee liqueur, espresso and banana water.

Inside you’ll find a stunning Parisian-inspired interior with comfortable furnishings, enhanced by the four-point hi-fi sound system and DJ that create a vibrant atmosphere. Outside, a newly opened mobile bar pours tap cocktails created collaboratively by the whole team, again inspired by their own memories and experiences living abroad. Perfect to enjoy the incoming summer sunshine.

Wacky Wombat was founded by Nico, Julien Ross and Alexandre Gisbert after the success that been Danico in Paris. This time bringing the Parisian elegance to Soho. We highly recommend checking it out next time you’re in the area. Have a go at pronouncing the Jeg er Chaufføren cocktail before trying one for yourself.

10/07/2024

Ruta Maya Rum.

To celebrate last weekend’s Rum Show, we wanted to highlight another one of our favourite new rum brands, Ruta Maya.

Ruta Maya draws its name from one of the longest river races in Central America – a race that brings together professional and amateur paddlers from all over the world to take on a draining four day paddle through Crocodile-infested waters.

This exceptional rum celebrates the rich history of Belize, distilled and bottled by the skilled hands of the Travellers Distillery in Belize City. Their rums are made from high-test molasses sourced from Belize Sugar Industries. The liquid is then naturally fermented and column distilled creating a subtle sweetness and light citrus flavour in the Blanco expression. The Ouro bottling is a natural blend of rums aged 3-5 years in ex bourbon casks, offering light hints of butterscotch, coconut and charred oak with hints of lime and pomelo.

Contact your account manager to get your hands on a sample!

07/07/2024

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT REDBREAST

The sixth and final spotlight on our Irish Whiskey Sessions goes to a whiskey that, when ordered, always garners an approving nod from a knowing bartender. Yes! It’s Redbreast!

1. While Redbreast first appeared in 1912, it was a rebrand of a whiskey bottled by wine merchants Gilbey’s (also of Gilbey’s gin!) since 1904, then called Castle JJ. The early 1900s was a heyday for the Dublin distilleries, and Jameson’s Bow Street was a titan among them. Distilleries of the day only sold their whiskey within Ireland by the barrel and so Gilbey’s would have their empty sherry casks refilled with whiskey at Bow Street to give them another lease of life, with the label proudly bearing John Jameson’s signature. The chairman of Gilbey’s had been a keen birdwatcher and had nicknamed Castle JJ 12yo, Redbreast; eventually the better name won out!

2. Jameson’s was a different beast back then – an oily, characterful pot still whiskey with plenty of pepper and spice. Oloroso sherry casks offered rich dried fruit character that rounded out the profile, and sure enough, Redbreast became a smash hit.

3. Gilbey’s supplied many of the Catholic churches with their communion wine and so tacking an extra bottle of whiskey on the order was a perk for the priests. At a time when churchgoing was a Sunday ritual for absolutely everybody, there was no accolade greater for a brand than being the bottle of choice in the priest’s vestry.

4. By the latter 20th century, Irish whiskey had reached a nadir, with distilleries closing and brands disappearing across the country. Redbreast had enjoyed a cult following, but with Gilbey’s sold up to Grand Met and the category on the decline, the brand was pulled and spent ten years on the benches, only to reemerge in Christmas ‘91, its plumage as glorious as ever.

5. Today Redbreast is made at New Midleton distillery in Cork, the home of some of Ireland’s most iconic whiskies and the only distillery making single pot still whiskey for several decades. The unmalted barley in the mashbill is renowned for its mouthcoating properties; a shortish fermentation and triple pot distillation gives red apple characteristics, and an elegance which persists in the finish for miles.

We selected the Redbreast Lustau for our Irish Whiskey Session – a marriage of Irish pot and the rich sherry notes from one of Jerez’ finest sherry makers. It’s outrageously good with a Guinness, but with a bottling strength of 46%, it makes for a luxuriant cocktail. We’ll take a Tipperary, ta!

04/07/2024

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TEELING

As one of Dublin’s finest upstart distilleries, we had to get that Teeling feeling on our Irish whiskey Speciality Session!

1. The Teeling family has been making whisky in Ireland as far back as the 1700s! By the 1970s the whiskey business in Ireland was in dire straits, with only two distilleries in production and both owned by the same company. In 1987 John Teeling broke the monopoly of Irish Distillers and revived the family business by opening Cooley’s, later reviving mothballed Kilbeggan. In 2011 John sold Cooley’s to begin another distillery, this time on an even grander scale; Great Northern became the go-to contract distillery in the country.

2. Dublin is famous for the quality of its water, drawn from the river Poddle, and so the city was once a hot spot of distillation, with a clutch of famous single pot whiskies such as Powers, Jameson, Redbreast, & Green Spot. As Ireland’s fortune waned, the capital lost them one by one. By 1975 they were gone - the soundtrack of Dublin stripped of the rumble of rolling whiskey casks.

3. In 2015 a new generation of Teelings joined the trade, with brothers Jack and Stephen endeavouring to bring distilling back to Dublin. Their distillery build benefited from all the learnings of the families previous endeavours: Teeling was built to be as eco-friendly as could be, even installing beehives on the roof 🐝

4. The sale of Cooley had been brokered to give the Teelings 16,000 casks, some of it old and exceptionally good. As their new spirit matured, they bottled the old and won countless accolades until it was time to start bottling their own… and the awards still came flooding in. Being a small independent they could be as adventurous as they liked, choosing to use novel yeast strains, and with an eclectic cask program that is ever evolving.

5. Their award-winning grain whiskey is a collaboration with Great Northern who provide the corn spirit. Distilled to a high strength on column stills, it’s an elegant distillate that is then matured in Californian Cab Sav casks, giving fruity and autolytic notes for complexity. It’s a superb choice for workshopping in cocktails - make ours a milk punch!

30/06/2024

Takamaka Rum

In the run up to our Rum Show on the 5th of July, we thought we'd recommend some of our favourites.

Takamaka has evolved over the 20 years it's been producing in the Seychelles, moving its distillery to the La Plaine St André in 2008, where it is now surrounded by stunning botanical gardens and features a visitors’ centre which invites people you to learn more about Seychelles Rum.

Since the Trois Freres Distillery moved to La Plaine St André they have had an important focus on bringing back a variety of local herbs and spices that were once staple elements to the Seychelles’ trade export. The sugarcane is also locally grown from the granitic soil, imparting notes of raw sugar and floral grassiness from the sun-baked soil’s influence.

We recommend trying Takamaka’s Overproof Rum – a blend of light and heavy high ester rums. This 69% overproof captures the raw character of Takamaka’s signature rum, providing a fresh and punchy intensity that goes great in any classic rum cocktail.

28/06/2024

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT DI**LE

Fourth in our series is one of the early protagonists in the new wave of Irish whiskey distillery, the wonderful Di**le.

1. Di**le is no ordinary Irish village. Situated on a peninsula on the wild, West coast of Ireland, Di**le still has something of the Pagan about it – it was that hard to get to it was skipped over by Christian missionaries, and so kept many of the pagan traditions and folklore of ancient Gaelic Ireland. It’s famous spot for coastal scenes, ancient monuments, and fantastic craic, with fifty pubs in a village of only two thousand residents!

2. Di**le was founded by a trio of bon vivants who knew their way around setting up a decent brew pub as the owners of the Porterhouse pubs. Launching in 2012, Di**le was an early operator among the new wave of Irish whiskey distilleries that resurrected the category after decades of decline. While most start-up distilleries purchased casks of whiskey to get product on the market while they waited for their own distillate to mature, Di**le decided to hold the line until their own spirit was fully ready. With 12 years of distilling under their belt, they’re one of few young distilleries to have whiskies for sale at maturity. And it was well worth the wait!

3. Around the world, when pot stills are used for distillation, it’s typical to distil the ferment twice. In Ireland both double and triple distillation is used. The third distillation means the heart cut has less of the gruff fusel alcohols which can create complex whisky that is a little ‘hairier’ on the palate. Excluding more fusel alcohols means the delicate esters (that give fruity notes) are free to shine, and with Di**le’s lengthy fermentation, there are plenty of those graceful esters on hand.

4. We chose to show their Single Malt, a whiskey that’s at the heart of their offering, and matured in a combo of ex-bourbon and sherry casks. While it’s stated to be a minimum of six years old, they use a marrying tun for blending that is never emptied, perpetually aging; the old whiskey teaching the young the Di**le way of being.

5. *continued in comments

26/06/2024

Leiper's Fork.

1: Scottish swan neck pot still inside Leiper’s Fork distillery.
2: Founder and Master Distiller Lee Kennedy.
3: Corn field used in the production of Leiper’s Fork, located in the Harpeth River Valley, near the distillery.
4: Leiper’s Fork Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskies, both Bottled in Bond.

This small batch, independent and family-owned whiskey distillery located in Williamson County, Tennessee, filled its first barrel in the spring of 2016, before being brought to the UK by Pol Roger in 2023.

The distillery uses locally grown corn, wheat, rye and barley, all of which are non-GMO heritage variety. The barley malt is toasted before use, making up 15% of the mash bill on both their Bourbon and Tennessee bottlings, adding an extra dimension to the profile of the whiskey. The sweet mash fermentation process, incorporated by only a few distilleries in America, adds a soft and mellow character to the whiskey. Their Scottish swan neck pot stills produce a less rectified spirit that is full bodied and velvet on the palate. Both whiskies are mashed, fermented, distilled, aged and bottled at the same distillery and only 25,000 gallons are produced annually, certifying it as a small batch distillery.

Their Bourbon has aromas of praline, milk chocolate and oak spice on the nose, alongside notes of cherry, cinnamon and fresh mint on the palate. The Tennessee whiskey has aromas of freshly ground coffee, honeycomb and prune on the nose, with caramel, blackberry and baking spice on the palate.

Contact your Speciality account manager to get your hands on a sample.

24/06/2024

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BUSHMILLS

Our last Speciality Session saw this absolute beauty of a whiskey take pride of place as our Dream Dram. Here’s our Five Things to Know about Bushmills:

1. Bushmills has a history. A whole lot of history! The village first sprang up on the river Bush, a short walk away from the enigmatic basalt pillars of the Giant’s Causeway, said to be a path built by Irish giant, Finn McCool, so he could go battle his Scottish foe. This geological treasure brings more than two million visitors to the tiny village each year, all of them welcomed by the distinctive roof of the Bushmills Distillery.

2. The water used in production can have a big impact on the flavours created by yeast. Northern Ireland’s complex geology offers a bedrock of basalt for magnesium-rich water, for improved fermentation.

3. In the 1500s the British sent settlers to colonise rural Northern Ireland, and often created incentives to establish trade. In 1608 the village of Bushmills was awarded a licence to distill by James I, and quite likely it was used for farmhouse distilling by the residents. In 1784 the Old Bushmills Distillery Co was founded, beginning a story of survival that, like the history of Ireland itself, is a journey through thick and thin. In the words of their Master Distiller, Colum Egan, “We are not the best because we are the oldest, we are the oldest because we are the best.”

4. In the 1800s when the British imposed heavy taxes on malt, Bushmills prevailed in making their whisky with 100% malted barley, resisting the fashion of switching to unmalted barley. It has been said that Irish whiskey often shows an apple quality on the nose. As Bushmill’s Julie Dixon often describes it, the Irish fermentation is usually two days to the Scottish three, giving fresh orchard fruit notes to their whiskies to Scotch’s (sometimes) more peachy, tropical notes. Finally, the Bushmills distillation uses a triple pot still system, for an elegant malt, soft in texture, and with a fruitiness to the new make.

5. While consistency rules in the fermenters and the still house, the warehouses offer an opportunity for creativity. Brand Ambassador Janice Snowden tells us that alongside the usual ex-ASB and sherry casks, a plethora of exotic casks are hidden away such as Brazilian wood, acacia, and even basalt stone-toasted casks.

The 1997 Rum Cask was an absolute knockout dram, selected to show the magical textural development in long-aged whiskies, with some stellar tropical fruit from esterification in the cask. We’d probs recommend sipping this one neat – the p

21/06/2024

Established in 2010, Espiritu Corsa produces its 3 mezcals entirely on the same Palenque, located in San Agustin Amatengo, Oaxaca.

Buen Bicho gained its name from the persistence and strength of the worker ants at the Palenque. The Espadín agave is grown on the slopes of the southern Oaxaca mountain range for 6 years. It is then harvested by hand before being pit roasted and crushed by a Tahona wheel. It undergoes open air fermentation with local, wild yeast and is passed through copper stills, native to the Ejutla region. Buen Bicho has intense aromas of smoke, earth and minerals and works well in sweet and sour cocktails or as a delicate neat sipper.

Espiritu Lauro’s recipe has been passed down for three generations following the traditional practices of the mezcaleros that proceeded. This expression uses a combination of Karwinksii and Espadín agave that are harvested after 12 and 7 years respectively. On the palate it is filled with rich earthy flavours, paired with the sweetness of agave and soft floral and smoky aromas.

Santa Pedrera is made from Espadín harvested after 8 years and is grown in the valley of southern Oaxaca. This fruity, ashy, creamy and spicy mezcal is perfect for cocktails, especially when mixed with tropical fruit flavours.

20/06/2024

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT KIRKER & GREER SHAMROCK

Our Irish Whiskey Speciality Session showcased six fantastic bottles to show the category at its best. We kicked things off with a whiskey that brings a bang to the Blended Irish category, Kirker Greer’s outstanding Shamrock.

1. If you haven’t heard of Kirker & Greer, maybe you’ve heard of the incredible creative team behind this portfolio of spirits. Drinksology have been quietly doing daring creative work that has been wildly successful, most notably perhaps with The Merchant Hotel and Dead Rabbit. Building their own portfolio of spirits was an opportunity to put all the skill and knowledge founders Steven Pattison & Richard Ryan had amassed into something they could truly call their own.

2. Richard & Steven share a love of Irish Whiskey that is borderline excessive! In preparation for building their own brand, they spent lockdown visiting every single distillery on the island of Ireland. Their offices are a completist trove of samples; their wisdom on the topic unmatched. Our favourite kind of nerds!

3. As Belfast lads, Richard & Steven wanted to bring together the best of Irish whiskey, and so hatched on a plan to create an ensemble that brought together the four historic provinces of Ireland: Ulster, Munster, Leinster & Connacht. From each province they sought the best of each of the Irish styles to bring together in unison: Grain, Malt, & Pot. The shamrock has long been an emblem of Ireland’s culture and heritage. As a country with the longest whiskey distilling tradition in the world, it became a fitting motif and name for their brand.

4. Shamrock’s backbone is a superb 5yo grain whiskey, sourced from Great Northern, Leinster. While other blends might have grain of only three years, Richard wanted no compromise on the quality of the grain, given it makes up the largest part of the blend. To that they added what they call ‘super malt’ from Echlinville, Ulster, a very special malt that is yet to be released by the distillery itself; from Connacht, a sherry-casked single pot still sourced from award-winning whiskey makers, The Shed; and from West Cork in Munster, a single pot that they rebarrelled in sherry casks for the ultimate in richness.

5. Shamrock was designed for the on-trade – to be that Irish whiskey you reach for when smashing out Irish Coffees, yet robust enough to shine in a Tipperary. They’ve succeeded in creating a blended whiskey at a price point makes it perfect for pouring, and is absolutely delicious. Contact your Speciality account manager for a sample!

18/06/2024

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT GREEN SPOT

Our most recent Speciality Session took in the history-rich category of Irish Whiskey. We’ve got six superb drams to show you, starting with a cult pot still we like to call Green Spot.

1. In the old days, your distilleries were selling whiskey by the barrel. Branding and bottling the stuff, well that was someone else’s job! Dublin’s oldest wine merchants, Mitchell & Sons, first created the Spot whiskies as a way to get another lease of life from their emptied sherry casks. Their name honoured the practice of daubing the casks with a spot of blue, green, yellow or red paint, each to reflect their destined age. The 10-year-old Green Spot became wildly popular, and even as Irish whiskey sales slumped and brands shuttered, the Green Spot proudly kept the flag flying for Irish Pot Still Whiskey.

2. Though Jameson is made in Cork, their distillery once sat plum in the centre of Dublin - one of the ‘Big Four’ Dublin distillers of the day, and only a stone’s throw from Mitchell & Sons. At that time Jameson was famed for their intense and flavourful single pot whiskey (a gruffer version of the Jameson we know today) and robust enough to stand up to maturation in rich sherry casks.

3. Bow Street’s oily, peppery whiskey took its bite from the liberal use of unmalted barley in the mash bill. In the world of whisky this use of unmalted barley is uniquely Irish; a twist of happenstance. The shift to using unmalted barley was a workaround of the steep malt taxes introduced by the colonising British in the 1800s. What was once a cost-saving measure became the most successful style of whisk(e)y in the world, with Irish whiskey experiencing a heyday that stretched well into the 20th century.

4. Today the Spots are made at New Midleton, a modern distillery that excels in reproducing each of the historic Irish pot still whiskeys that came together in the 1970s merger. Modifying the use of their three pot stills yields three different distillates that can be blended to style, and for the Spots, this means a blend of the ‘mod pot’, or medium weight distillates for a quintessential, triple distilled Single Pot.

5. Since the Spots began as a twinning of the worlds of wine and whiskey, that relationship is celebrated with the Wine Geese series. ‘The Flying Geese’ was a term used to denote the Irish diaspora, and perhaps unexpectedly for an island absent of vines, many Irish made their success in winemaking.

Attendees of our Irish Whiskey Speciality Session got to try the superb Leoville Barton, finished in casks from the famed grand cru claret house, first established by Thomas Barton of County Fermanagh!

17/06/2024

SPECIALITY SPOTLIGHT - Berber & Q

Berber & Q offers some of the most exceptional open fire cooking in London, serving Mediterranean and North African cuisine accompanied by zero-waste cocktails.

The drinks list consists of twists on classic cocktails made using herbs, spices and other ingredients left unused by the kitchen staff. A focus on sustainability and creativity carries through the menu, with Berber’s chefs and bartenders working together to develop new cocktail creations. This has led to some extraordinary offerings, including cocktails featuring leftover cauliflower leaves, herb stalks and burnt pumpkin seeds.

Abie, Berber’s area manager, spoke to us about the importance they place on championing small, sustainable brands that are under-represented. The menu showcases many spirits and liqueurs that reflect an overall investment in innovation, community and sustainability.

The Berber and Q concept began with co-founders Mattia Bianchi and Josh Katz in a van serving hummus and pitta to festival goers before converting a former taxi repair shop into a treasured grill house and cocktail bar. They have repurposed tables and benches from old railway sleepers, blending a rustic beauty with contemporary design. Recent renovations have refined their look while maintaining the classic East London vibe.

Thanks to Abie for showing us around and for the first-rate hospitality.

13/06/2024

SPECIALITY SPOTLIGHT - The Luggage Room

Have you spotted the secret door to Mayfair’s favourite speakeasy?

The Luggage Room is tucked away behind an unassuming entrance to the side of Marriot’s Grosvenor Square Hotel. Once inside you’ll be transported to a lavish 1920s cocktail bar inspired by the Bentley Boys – a group of wealthy young racing drivers who frequently painted this part of town red in the early 20th century.

The menu is designed to offer a journey through cocktail history, complete with signature takes on classics through the ages. As we move into summer, The Luggage Room will update its offering to focus on sustainability and experimentation, exploring yet more new takes on old favourites.

We were recently lucky enough to try a couple of their new zero waste creations that perfectly fuse cutting edge bartending techniques with lessons from history, something bar manager Finlay says is what The Luggage Room is all about.

If you haven’t been down yet, sit at the bar and watch the staff carve ice by hand from a single perfectly clear block – exactly as it was done back in the 20s – while you work through the cocktails listening to swing and jazz music.

12/06/2024

Casa Pecados Tequila.

Casa Pecados single estate tequila is made in the Amatitán Canyon in Jalisco. They use traditional methods of production by slow cooking the 6-7 year old agave in a stone oven. The crushed agave is then exposed to a long fermentation in open wooden tubs allowing the natural wild yeasts to slowly interact with the syrups.

After distillation in a copper still, Casa Pecados will briefly rest their tequila in wooden vats for its blanco expression or take it straight from the still for its blanco 53% bottling, while their reposado will spend 6 weeks in oak.

The un-aged 100% agave azul offers aromas of vanilla and caramel that meet herbaceous notes of citric cooked agave on the palate.

07/06/2024

ABC de Christian Drouin.

In 1960, Christian Drouin started a cider-apple farm which set the stage to produce his own calvados. With the help of distiller Pierre Pivet, Christian spent 20 years distilling calvados and ageing it in various different casks including former sherry, port and calvados casks.

By 1979 they started to bottle more rare and aged calvados, and with demand growing they were soon catering for top hotels and restaurants worldwide. This success led production to move to a larger farm in Coudray-Rabut in 1991-92.

Fast forward 30 years and the third generation of Drouin, Guillaume, has set out to create a new apple-based aperitif. After several years of experimentation, the renowned producer has created this Calvados-based aperitif, inspired by the production methods of Pommeau de Normandie and vermouth.

ABC is made with a bouquet of plants and spices, such as quinquina, mugwort, cinnamon, orange, elderflower and yuzu citrus. The combination of apple and spice makes this aperitif great for cocktails and sipping over ice.

Contact one of our trade team to include it in your next order.

05/06/2024

We are thrilled to bring this incredible Japanese whisky from Kanosuke over to the UK. A 2023 Limited Edition single malt, this is a sweet and smoky whisky that has been aged in a variety of casks - including casks previously used to age shochu.

The nose is filled with aromas of bananas and custard, vanilla and candy, followed by notes of salted caramel, black tea, wisps of smoke, orange and Yatsuhashi – a traditional Japanese sweet made from glutinous rice flour, sugar and cinnamon. The finish is long and mellow, with lingering notes of orange, black pepper and smoked nuts.

Now available to order.

Address

Elixir House, Whitby Avenue, Park Royal
London
NW107SF

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 6pm
Tuesday	9am - 6pm
Wednesday	9am - 6pm
Thursday	9am - 6pm
Friday	9am - 6pm

Telephone

+442088389444

Website

http://www.specialitydrinks.com/

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Videos

We had an absolute blast hosting our customers and industry friends at this year’s Raising the Back Bar. It was a pleasure guiding you through some amazing new, niche and exclusive products within our portfolio, and we’d love to hear if you now have a new favourite! If you were unable to join us this year, we’re sorry we missed you, but you can still watch the highlight reel here.

3 MIN WITH… DINGLE DAVE To prepare for every Speciality Session we meet with the producers of each of the superb spirits we select. Today’s choice cuts of booze facts came from Dingle Dave, or David Cummins as he’s known when he’s getting told off 😂 Here he is, telling us all about the perpetual ageing method they use for their delicious Single Malt 🥃 If you haven’t signed up for your seat at next week’s Speciality Session then hop along to our bio. Links for LONDON | EDINBURGH | BRISTOL can be found within ✌️

Only a few more Christmas quizzes to go! Today’s has just gone up in our stories, on the topic of Japanese Spirits, and hosted by the lovely Hannah Mitchell. There’s a bottle of Ukiyo Gin for the winner! It’s a fun one today - not quite as mean as yesterday’s 😂🙌

The penultimate in our #ChristmasSpirits series! Rhys Mason, our favourite man in East London tells us what’s to drink this Christmas 🙌

Only a few more quizzes left in our 12 Days of Christmas extravaganza! Today we’ve got a bottle of Clairin in store for the winner, so scoot on over to our stories to play!

Our second episode from Satan’s Whiskers! We picked Kevin Armstrong’s brains on what he’ll be drinking over the holidays. Being the brilliant booze nerd he is, the answers are ace. Dive in!

We braved a rainy Covent Garden to pose another set of questions to the lovely Angele from Henrietta to find out what drinks she’ll be sharing over Christmas. From Cognac to Pineau de Charente, she’s got some delicious suggestions to brighten your holidays! 🍸

Another set of head scratchers have just gone live! Head to our stories, answer our six questions on Irish Whiskey correctly and you could be the proud winner of a delicious bottle of @theirishmanwhiskey 👊

Find out why Nico Brulin will never be allowed back in France in today’s episode of Christmas Spirits - a series in which we find out what the pros are looking forward to drinking over the holidays 🫶🎄🥳

Our mission to find the best bevs to drink over the season OF COURSE brought us to London’s hottest new opening, Dram. We came to trade notes with Simo, a man so notorious no one even knows his last name 😆 As the guy that ran the iconic Milroy’s for many a moon, we have been incredibly excited to see inside this fresh new take on whisky drinking, and as you might expect, Simo’s recs did not disappoint 💥

We’ve got seven more delicious interviews cued up with some legends of the London bar industry. Join us to find out what beverages and cocktail ware they’ll be sharing over the holiday season 🍸 Filmed in collaboration with our sister company, The Whisky Exchange, your one stop shop for spirits, champagnes, books, and barware 🫶

We sent our Hannah out on the streets of London to find out what the elite of London’s cocktail industry will be sipping on this Christmas 🎄 First up, the lovely Sly Augustin, owner of Trailer Happiness & co-owner of the Portobello Star 💥 Follow along for more in the series: @speciality_drinks #rum #cocktailsathome #christmasspirits

We're literally giving it away this Christmas. Head to our Insta stories to play our Christmas quiz and win a bottle of spirits in two minutes flat. That'll put a twinkle in your toes ✨ The first just went live. Topic: Blended Scotch Get over there nerds! 🤓

Get the round-up from October's Speciality Session HERE! A hybrid of seminar and competition, one lucky winner bagged themself a trip to Jalisco!

London Cocktail Week - Oriel and Nightjar

Introducing Savoia Americano

Sipsmith FreeGlider Non-Alcoholic Spirit

Speciality Drinks Behind the Bar : Episode 5 Ladislav Piljar

Speciality Drinks Behind the Bar : Episode 2 Anna Sebastian

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Our Story

Speciality Drinks is a premium on-trade wholesaler. We were launched as an on-trade supplier to meet the growing demand of bars, restaurants and hotels for interesting and rare products. As a family-owned-and-operated business, we are committed to providing bespoke consultancy and exceptional service. With access to the largest product portfolio in the industry (10,000 products at any one time, shared with our sister company The Whisky Exchange), we deliver our expertise on an international level to independents, groups and prestige accounts. Through our unrivalled knowledge and passion for the drinks industry, we endeavour to promote future trends and drive our customers’ business forward