The ultimate home bar essentials of 2023

Is Home the new Pub in 2023?

Since 2020, there has been a surge in shop-brought alcohol, with 55% of Brits spending less money on a night out and instead opting for a night in.

With growing economic concerns in 2023, more people are choosing to make cut backs and are choosing a stay-at-home occasion, drinking from their own home bars.

If home is becoming the new pub, then we’re ready to get involved!

Bringing you the ultimate home bar necessities.

A spirit of every kind

If you’re planning on setting up your own home bar, you’ll likely want a mix of spirits to offer to guests, providing you want to share your bar with friends and family, of course. So, let’s get started.

· Cognac

Interesting fact about cognac, only brandy produced from grapes grown in the region of Cognac and adhere to specific guidelines can display the name Cognac on its label.

Cognac can be served neat, on the rocks or in a cocktail. If you’re looking for the perfect cognac to join your personal bar, then check out our fantastic selection of cognacs.

Browse our selection of cognacs

Gin

Gin is a clear, distilled spirit and must contain Juniper berries to be classed as a gin.

An essential spirit for any brewing home bar, check out our gin-tastic selection of gins, including our award-winning Foragers Winberry Gin.

Check out our flavoursome selection of gins

Rum

Rum comes in various styles, from light, dark, rich and aged. Meaning there is always a rum for everyone. Lighter rums are typically used as mixers in cocktails, whilst darker rums are normally for sipping.

Discover the right rum for you and check out our current selection of rums.

View our rum-tastic selection of rums

Vodka

Clear in colour and with a neutral flavour, vodka can be made from a variety of crops. Perfect neat, or as a cocktail mixer, and can even be used as an antiseptic. Though we prefer to drink our vodka.

View our range of Vodkas

Whisky

A dark distilled spirit that is made from a variety of grains, it is distilled throughout the world. There are various styles of whisky and some countries have regulations that stipulate how the whisky is produced.

Here at Whisky Merchant, we have a world full of whisky options!

View our Other World Whisky

View our Scotch Whisky

View our Vintage Scotch

Now that we’ve found our spirits, no bar is complete without that statement piece that gets everyone talking.

This could be anything from unique bar furnishings, to collectable glasses or decanters.

Decanter

For years, whisky decanters were seen as a status symbol, today it’s easier to find a decanter that fits your personal style. Whilst they certainly stand out, they have their practical uses too.

A whisky decanter allows oxygen to interact with the whisky, making it easier for those nuanced aromas to really kick in.

If you’re looking for your new practical statement piece, then view our current selection of decanters.

Discover your decanter

Glassware

No bar is complete without your stylish glasses and tumblers to match! Plus, how else are you going to serve drinks? Whether you’re searching for a matching set, or individual glasses that just shout sophistication, we have it all!

Take a look at our glassware

The pub away from the pub

If you’re taking the plunge and building your own ‘home pub’, let us know! Contact us on social media and share a photo of your home pub.

Or sign up to our newsletter, so you never miss out on our current offers.

Whether you’re drinking from a pub, restaurant or at home, all we have to say is… cheers!

10 Winter Warming Spirits

Are you looking for some more ideas to warm up those winter evenings? We like to put out these little lists to hopefully help introduce you to spirits you may not have thought about. From Highlands of Scotland to the Island of Japan, and back to Northern Wales!

1-Glenfiddich Orchard Experimental Series – 43% 70cl

A Fruity, juicy creamy dram, this whisky combines the Scottish and Somerset influences in a beautiful way! Aged in casks that formerly housed Somerset Pomona Spirit from the Somerset Cider Brandy Co.

2-Glendronach Port Wood – 46% 70cl

A classic that’s now back on our shelves, this exquisite expression enjoys a second maturation in Port pipes from the Douro Valley in Portugal, giving it a gloriously rich, fruity palate.

3-Nikka from the Barrel – 50cl 51.4%

The unique square bottle symbolises the concept of “a small block of whisky” and embodies the powerful and rich flavours of the liquid contained within. Long after its release, this bottle remains a classic and admired for its ultimate simplicity.

4-The Lakes Whiskymakers Reserve No.5 – 52% 70cl

An exquisite and Moorish evolution, holding the same sherry-led, wood-forward qualities as its predecessors, having been matured in the finest, bespoke Oloroso, PX, and red wine casks made of Spanish and American oak.

5-Foragers Soulful Sloe Gin – 30% 70cl

Using hand-foraged native botanicals such as the freshest Late Harvest Sloe berries and the clearest Snowdonia Mountain waters, this Sloe is rich, fruity, and just fantastic! Gold medal winner.

6-Glenmorangie A Tale of Forest – 46% 70cl

Glenmorangie’s first whisky crafted from barley kilned with woodland botanicals. Whirls of peppermint. Bursts of eucalyptus. Rustles of bitter orange. All floating on notes of vanilla with intriguing hints of black liquorice.

7-Bowmore 12-year-old – 40% 70cl

This bottling from Bowmore presents a classic character of the distillery with plenty tropical fruit notes and of course smoke! A slightly peated expression with pepper, mango, and sweet honey on the palate.

8-Eminente Reserva 7 Year Old Rum – 41.3% 70cl

Aged in ex-whisky barrels, this Cuban rum is light and delightful! The palate offers notes of vanilla, soft smoke, ginger, tobacco, and coffee flavours that linger in the finish.

9-Tomatin 12-Year-Old 2008 Sauternes Cask – 46% 70cl

This limited-release bottling was inaugurated in 2021. Benefiting from a second maturation in Sauternes Wine casks, the palate presents flavours of coconut, ginger, and creamy peaches.

10-Stalla Dhu Single Cask Glen Elgin Port Wood – 48% 70cl

Silver Winner at the World Whisky Awards 2022, this excellent Single Cask is a perfect dram to share with your loved ones this Christmas! Toasted nuts, nougat and delicate plum sweetness followed by mellow gooseberries notes appear on the palate, with a long, fruity finish.

Happy Holidays from The Whisky Merchant

Chocolate Bitters From Snowdonia Distillery

Snowdonia Distillery has released new chocolate bitters under their Marsette Liqueurs label. This label has the Monsoon Coffee Liqueur and the Peruvian Chocolate Essence, both incredibly moreish with a rich experience. These new bitters were released to complement their liqueurs and help elevate your cocktail experience. As with their Chocolate liqueur, the bitters use the same Single Estate cacao from Peru. The chocolate from Tesoro Amázonica is of incredible quality and produced by fantastic folks who believe in creating a delicious product, as well as taking care of the community involved.

The quality of the chocolate really does come through in these products. If you’re in the market for some quality bitters for your home bar or at work, I’d suggest giving these Marsette bitters a go! We have been having a blast with a bit of trial and error in creating different cocktails with these. Snowdonia Distillery is a great craft distillery that puts out an array of award-winning products.

Available in a pipette or a spray option. Bottled at 7.1% abv. Shop Now.

New Releases from Snowdonia Distillery

One of favourite distilleries has just released not 1, not 2, but 3 new bottlings! The folks over at Snowdonia Distillery in North Wales have just given us 2 new variations of their El Rumbo Rums and 1 new addition to their Marsette Liqueurs. The distillery, who of course is responsible for Foragers Gin, put an incredible amount of time and heart into each of its spirits. They have taken multiple awards across the whole lineup, most recently a Silver for the Y Bēt Chocolate Vodka. The small team there really does an incredible job at bringing you the best that Wales has to offer.

In addition to the incredible gins they put out, the distillery team likes to venture into the more fun and unique side of spirits. As shown in their El Rumbo lineup by bringing in aged Cuban rum, then letting the rum rest in freshly emptied cognac casks. Now creating an Anejo and Coconut versions of their El Rumbo!

Now their Marsette Liqueurs are absolutely brilliant for the dessert cocktails we’ve been making around here. The Monsoon Coffee liqueur is incredibly moreish and makes a stunning espresso martini! So with the addition of the new Chocolate Essence liqueur it is going to make for some fun in house experimentation!

So, lets introduce the 3 new arrivals:

Ron El Rumbo Premium Cuban Anejo Oro Rum – 40%

El Rumbo Premium Cuban Anejo Rum is an expression that benefits from our Solera aging process at Snowdonia. Aged for three years in Cuba to then be transferred into our fresh cognac casks at Snowdonia.

An aroma of classic desserts – sticky toffee pudding and vanilla fudge, this premium spirit is perfect to enjoy with a squeeze of lime and a Cuban cigar.

Nose: Toffee apple, vanilla fudge, hints of cocoa, cognac aromas.

Palate: Soft, mouth coating, a cognac warmth with lingering apple and pear finish.

Ron El Rumbo Cuban Coconut Rum – 36%

El Rumbo Cuban Coconut Rum is an expression of natural flavours from the tropics.

Fresh Madagascar Coconut and Cuban Sugar cane combines aromas of fresh coconut milk, pineapple, and a refreshing sweetness.

This superior mixer can be enjoyed as a classic mojito or float it to enhance the flavour of a daiquiri.

Nose: Coconut husk, Madagascan vanilla, candied pears, coconut milk and sugar cane.

Palate: An ice cream texture with hints of walnuts and almonds. A palette coating, coconut milk finish.

Marsette Peruvian Chocolate Essence – 30%

Marsette Peruvian Chocolate Essence is an enhanced spirit perfect for sipping over ice or enjoyed in cocktails.

The Single Estate Peruvian Chocolate allows for a light experience of 100% cacao with its nutty nature.

Nose: Dark chocolate, a clean break of fresh cocoa, slight hint of banana and freshly roasted walnuts aromas.

Palate: Soft sweetness of vanilla and cream, powerful dark chocolate and a long, viscous, warm finish.

So head over to pick up a new release or 2, so you have some incredible spirits for your summer cocktails!

Until next time.

-Andrew

2 New Releases from Snowdonia Distillery

New incredibly delicious releases from the folks behind the award winning Forager’s Gin! 2 unique spirits created to excite our taste buds.

1 gin and 1 liqueur!

These two are staying on the same path as all the other releases from the Welsh distillery. Quality craft spirits from a small team, using the best ingredients, to deliver their customers something special. From start to finish, the team there puts their heart and passion into every step of the process. I love when you find small distilleries like that!

The new additions are:

Forager’s Winberry Gin

“Foragers Winberry Gin encompasses the flavours foraged along our Welsh coast and throughout its cascading hills.

A complex blend which presents a profile of fresh citrus, robust berries and warming floral notes.

The Winberry is the most unique of berries, only being ready for one very short harvest a year. This then results in a very rare botanical to find.

It is stunningly sweet, small in size but generous in flavour with a long tart finish. A vibrant colour, candied like sweetness to an award winning spirit.

Celebrate this marriage of flavours with muddled blackberries, fresh mint leaves and tonic water.”

Marsette Monsoon Coffee Liqueur

“Marsette presents an artesian liqueur from the heart of the Indian Monsoon Rains – Handcrafted, copper distilled, small batch production.

We take the Monsoon Malabar bean to produce a coffee liqueur like no other. The bean swells in the humidity of the Monsoon Rains, allowing us to play with robust aromatic flavours, perfect for the mixologist.

The cold brew rests with a blend of Welsh Spirit and Madagascan Vanilla essence, creating a subtle hint of Tiramisu and a long, mouth coating finish of whipped cream and blue agave. “

Grab a Black Friday Deal or Two!

It’s that time of year again, where everything and anything is on sale! Most of which ends up being unnecessary clutter. We may be biased, but I think our industry has the best kind of deals. Consumables that make you happy! The contents go away over time, the container can be repurposed or recycled, it isn’t something that becomes obsolete over time, and most importantly it brings you joy! We don’t need more random stuff…consumables, quality wearables, and things you can use all the time are the way to go.

With that said, we have an abundance of sales across the site at every different price point. Here are just a few of those on offer:

These are only a handful of what we have on offer! Pop on over to our Specials Page to see al the other tasty bottlings we have on sale!

Til next time,

-Andrew

Isle of Raasay Distillery Gin

It’s always fun when we receive shipments from new distilleries! Adding another island distillery to the already fantastic lineup is even better!

Isle of Raasay is only a short ferry trip from Skye and the folks that founded the distillery knew it would be the perfect place to create an amazing dram! They set out and built a state of the art distillery that eventually created some fantastic young artisanal spirits that really encapsulates what the island is about.

While they have produced a brilliant single malt, we sold out of that quite quickly! The gin on the other hand was the first legal spirit created on the island, after having a rich history of illicit distilling going on!

The gin is a fantastically zesty gin and has help create many a cocktail since it arrived. Keeping true to the Hebridean spirit, they teamed up with a local botanist and carefully chose 10 botanicals to create this gin. Including Raasay juniper, sweet orange peel, rhubarb root, and lemon peel.

We crafted the perfect balance of flavours by distilling the juniper along with a select few botanicals in our copper malt spirit still, and vapour infusing the rest in our copper gin basket to retain their vibrancy.

The creation and presentation of our gin is inspired by Raasay’s impressive geological variety, our unique water source, island shores and state-of-the-art distillery. A fusion of tradition with contemporary thinking, process, and design. That’s the Raasay way.

ISLE OF RAASAY GIN TASTING NOTES

NOSE

Fresh and aromatic, with juniper, sweet orange, candied lemon and hints of rhubarb.

PALATE

Dry with bursts of juniper, richer rhubarb and citrus notes before all the flavours harmonise together for a refreshing finish.

FINISH

Dry and zesty, with a lasting aftertaste that encapsulates Raasay’s style and character.

So grab your favourite cocktail ingredients and a bottle of Raasay Gin, you might just find your new go to drink!

Till next time. -Andrew

World Gin Award Winners

It’s that time of year again! Gin awards time!

I really enjoy going through the winners, seeing what ones I have tried and making notes of winners I have yet to try. There are so many categories that my list at the end is always big enough to keep me busy for a while! So many good looking gins this year. Sweden sweeping the London Dry category was very cool to see.

I thought I’d make a list of 2021 winners we currently have in stock. Maybe you can grab one that you have not had!

Edinburgh Gin coming in hot and taking multiple awards!

Edinburgh Gin – Rhubarb & Ginger

SILVER – Flavoured Gin

Bottled at 40%, this perfectly balanced juniper-forward gin is full of natural flavour. Aromas of rhubarb are complemented by a lift of spice, leading to a smooth, full finish.

Edinburgh Gin – Gooseberry & Elderflower

SILVER – Flavoured Gin

A deliciously refreshing and aromatic gin that harmonises tangy Gooseberry with sweet Elderflower creating a refreshing and balanced gin.

Edinburgh Gin – Raspberry

BRONZE – Flavoured Gin

It is distilled with five traditional gin botanicals and a combination of fresh Scottish raspberries and raspberry leaves to a create a perfectly balanced gin with an incredible depth of flavour.

Rock Rose Gin – Navy Strength

BEST IN SCOTLAND – Navy Strength

The higher ABV version of Rock Rose gives a strong warm pine release at the front of the drink with notes of lemon sherbet. The heart of the drink is very bold berries from the blaeberries, rowan and hawthorn. These give way to the deeper earthier notes that are hidden in the original Rock Rose, such as angelica and orris.

Hernö Gin – London Dry

GOLD – London Dry

Crafted from natural and carefully selected organic botanicals, Hernö Dry Gin is a round and smooth London dry gin diluted to 40,5% ABV. Hernö Dry Gin is awarded with IWSC World’s best London Dry Gin and World’s best Gin & Tonic but is also very enjoyable on its own.

Edinburgh Gin – Classic

SILVER – London Dry

Our classic London Dry style gin. A clean, zesty, juniper-forward gin which balances softness with bright citrus. Launched in 2010, this is our modern London Dry gin, with a nod to Scotland in its recipe including native plants and botanicals.

Nikka – Coffey Gin

SILVER – Contemporary Style Gin

Coffey Gin’s complexity is achieved through the perfect balance between 11 selected botanicals and the silky texture of Coffey distillates. The bright and zesty aroma originating from four kinds of Japanese citruses, Yuzu, Kabosu, Amanatsu and Shequasar, compliments the traditional gin botanicals of juniper berries, angelica, coriander seeds, lemon and orange peels.

Foragers – Yellow Label

BRONZE – Contemporary Style Gin

Starting with soft juniper tones, Foragers gently takes you to fresh, semi-sweetness of apple and elderberry, before giving way to incredible, subtle, unmistakable floral notes from gorse and heather flowers. This truly is an authentic expression of Britain and the terrior of North Wales.

Grab one of these or any other one of our many gins! Find your new G&T gin!

Til next time.

Andrew

The Stars are Aligned with Hendrick’s Lunar Gin

I thought I’d sit down with this limited edition Hendrick’s Gin for this Sunday afternoon. I am a fan of Hendrick’s standard release, so was happy to take home a bottle of this Lunar release. The packaging and marketing for this alone was enough to get me hooked. Luckily the contents live up to the packaging!

This release is the second release from master distiller Leslie Gracie’s Cabinet of Curiosities from Hendrick’s Gin Palace in Scotland. She felt the inspiration to create this gin while tending to the botanicals one evening on a bright moonlit night. The starry evenings on the more secluded Ayrshire coast are absolutely gorgeous away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is no surprise that it would get those creative juices flowing to create a Lunar Gin.

According to Leslie Gracie:

“There is the warmth of some of the botanicals, like being wrapped up warm and snug of an evening. There is the rich aroma of night scented flowers and in the background you can just about make out the refreshing burst of citrus.”

Quite a lovely mellow gin, and I didn’t quite expect it to be so moorish! Definitely brighter than the original Hendrick’s with a subtle peppery bite, along with that cucumber freshness! The burst of fresh orange and warming feeling this release gives you just walks itself up the list of gin favourites.

Most definitely if you are already a fan of the standard release and have yet to try it, grab one here! You don’t want it to fade away in the night without giving it a shot.

Forager’s Gin

We are always receiving fantastic spirits in all the time, but it’s always exciting to get truly delicious liquid. That is true for our shipment of Forager’s Gin that came through our doors! There are a lot of really tasty gins out there, but these have shot to the my list currently! The passion and effort that the folks at Snowdonia Distillery out into this gin really comes through in the taste!

Snowdonia Distillery was founded by the Marshall family in 2015, which was North Wales’ first micro distillery after nearly 100 years! Founder Chris Marshall, who was a investment manager and former professional skier, has lead a small dedicated team who are passionate about making the best spirits possible! After realising that the Snowdonia region didn’t have a distillery, he made moves to change that. He brought in the best botanists, sensory analysts, master distillers, and master coppersmiths. Chris said, “Our aim was to find experts in their field and use their skills to achieve what we had in mind.” They take their inspiration from the Welsh Landscape around them, incorporating the local water and nature to craft something special!

They only have a 5,000 bottle production run per expression. Many months of the year are spent foraging for the freshest botanicals that are grown around them. They also have an ultra-long maceration period, resting the botanicals to create amazing flavours. The botanicals being; juniper, sea buckthorne, apple, elderberry, gorse flowers, and bell heather.

Snowdonia Distillery has 2 brands at the moment, Forager’s Gin and Marsette Liqueurs both of which have have gained widespread acclaim and coverage. Picking up a World Gin award and had been voted one of the top 10 craft spirits brands in the UK. Vogue magazine also added Forager’s to last years Christmas Wish List.

The two bottlings we have in at the moment are the Yellow Label and Black Label Gin. The Yellow being super inviting and the Black being the ultimate gin for a martini!

FORAGER’S YELLOW LABEL GIN – 46% – 70CL

Starting with soft juniper tones, Foragers gently takes you to fresh, semi-sweetness of apple and elderberry, before giving way to incredible, subtle, unmistakable floral notes from gorse and heather flowers. This truly is an authentic expression of Britain and the terrior of North Wales.

Perfect served in a variety of drinks including a dry martini or in the simple, but classic Gin & Tonic using either BTW Tonic water or Fever Tree Tonic, with a slice of British red apple.

FORAGER’S BLACK LABEL GIN – 46% – 70CL

Forager’s Black Label delivers intense, smooth juniper notes followed by beautifully mellow warmth and richness stemming from Sea Buckthorn. Use to create a crisp, elegant G&T, beautifully smooth cocktail, or epic gin martini.