If the only thing you throwback on Thursdays are G&Ts, you’re missing your after-work pint at the pub or this hot-and-cold weather is making you crave your café trips, treat yourself to some of Northumberland’s most tantalising tipples from home. From martinis to margaritas and teas to tonics, make them at home or order them to your door:
MIX THINGS UP
Shake up your week by making a Northumbrian cocktail at home. Traditional Lindisfarne Mead, local Ginger Wine and Hepple Gin are all available for delivery and have offered up their cocktail recipes for you to try:
Hepple Gin Dry Martini
This no-shaker-needed, dry martini recipe is one of Hepple Gin’s recipes, whose junipers grow in a 4000-acre estate that stretches from the wild Simonside hills to the banks of the River Coquet. Cause a stir at home using only a glass and a spoon and sip on sweet vermouth combined with gin straight from Northumberland National Park and into your martini glass. Make it with us as Hepple gave us a demo on our Instagram story, and take a look at Hepple’s other cocktail recipes for some delectable concoctions.
Click here for the Hepple Dry Martini Recipe
The Lindisfarne Pink Mead-arita
It doesn’t get more traditional than Lindisfarne Mead, which was allegedly sipped by Medieval monks on The Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Today, a visit to the island (always check safe crossing times before you go!) is incomplete without a visit to St Aidan’s Winery. While you can’t visit the island, the sweet, honey-tinted tipple is available to order online. This recipe uses Mead with a twist, as it is made with blood orange and therefore comes pretty in pink.
Keep an eye on Lindisfarne Mead’s Facebook page for virtual Happy Hours, discount codes and updates.
Click here for The Lindisfarne Pink Mead-arita recipe
The Lindisfarne Naughty Girl
This cocktail recipe was shared by The Joiners Arms, a coastal, cosy pub nestled away in Newton-by-the-Sea. Normally served as a complimentary room cocktail for hotel guests, they have shared the recipe while they are closed so you can close your eyes, take a sip and imagine that you are in Northumberland. This one is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth, as the caramel, vanilla and toasted coconut flavours from the Holy Island Spiced Rum infuse with the berry blast from the drop of Chambord.
Click here for The Lindisfarne Naughty Girl Recipe
Pretty Kitty Mocktail
Kitty’s Homemade Ginger Wine is a local, family-run businesses that creates homemade, non-alcoholic wine using root ginger and a host of other fresh ingredients. The refreshing, citrusy burst of flavour is perfect for pouring into a mocktail, or adding to a cocktail for a warming finish. Kitty shares a number of cocktail recipes on her website, but we have picked the ‘Pretty Kitty’ which is perfect to mix up for kids as well as parents. No shaker needed and not even a fancy glass, as it’s served tall with ice.
Click here for The Pretty Kitty Mocktail Recipe
HOT DRINKS HEAVEN
Northern Edge Coffee
If you’re local to Berwick-upon-Tweed and you’re missing your macchiatos and craving a cappuccino, Berwick based coffee roastery, Northern Edge Coffee, are in the midst of trialling their hot coffee collection service. Every Thursday, from 9am – 1pm, they will be serving takeaway coffees with strict, social-distancing guidelines in place. Not local to Berwick? That’s OK, you can still support this family-run business by buying a bag of freshly ground coffee online. Check out their Instagram page for takeaway details and their website to make ground coffee orders.
Hot Chocolate with a Twist
Slip a splash of Holy Island Spiced Rum into a creamy cup of hot chocolate. We have been tipped by the team at St Aidan’s Winery that the caramel, vanilla and toasted coconut flavours work excellently when mixed with luxuriant, creamy and chocolatey hot chocolate drinks.
Earl Grey Tea
Earl Grey tea has a long and intriguing history that begins at Howick Hall in Northumberland. Pop some Earl Grey in your next online shopping basket, or be extra Zen and make it at home. We shared a recipe on our other blog that you can try at home.
DON’T WORRY, BEER HAPPY
The Twice Brewed Inn
While the Twice Brewed Inn pub is currently closed, its attached mini-brewery is still open and operating safely in the heart of Northumberland National Park. Their door to door service means that, if you’re missing your pub pints, delicious local ale can be placed on your porch. They also distil their own spirits, so if one of you fancies a beer and the other a G&T, you can choose from their array of artisan gins and liqueurs.
Allendale Brewery
Sitting on the banks of the River Allen on the edge of the rugged North Pennines, Allendale Brewery brews quality cask ales in kegs bottles and cans. They are currently delivering 10 litre beer boxes locally and bottles and cans are available for UK-wide delivery, so you can sip on local Northumbrian beer from anywhere in the UK.
RAISE YOUR SPIRITS
Northumberland Spirit Company
Check out Northumberland Spirit Company to scroll through spirits that you can order to your door. They are the makers of the delicious, hand-crafted Alnwick Gin, as well as sweet Alnwick Sloe Gin and Firestone Gin to make up the perfect G&T or gin cocktail. A range of miniature bottles are also available to add to your online shopping basket.
Marlish Tonics and Soft Drinks
Pair your Northumbrian spirit of choice with Marlish Tonics and soft drinks for a guilt-free G&T, as they operate with sustainability as their number one priority. Their fresh, sugar free drinks are made using a sustainable water supply at Marlish Farm, from rainwater that falls on the Northumbrian hills. Taking hundreds of years to naturally filter through the rock strata, it gains a high level of purity and mineralisation. All products are packaged on the farm to reduce their carbon footprint and preserve the purity of the water, and no plastics are used in their packaging.
Heather & Bale Luxury Hampers
If you just can’t decide between Northumberland’s brilliant beverages, bag yourself a Heather and Bale alcohol hamper and try a little bit of everything. Delivering luxury to your living room, their elegant hampers include a range of Northumberland’s products, such as Alnwick Gin, Alnwick Ale, Brinkburn Prosecco and Cheviot Wine (oh, and they also sell chocolate and cheese hampers, just saying…).
If you want more information on the county's local food and drink, visit our Produced in Northumberland page. Then close your eyes, drink up and picture yourself in breath-taking Northumberland.