Month: February 2018

5 Cocktails You Have to Try

Posted on by Sam

When you go out it’s all too easy to slip into familiarity. You glance at the badges glowing in front of the taps on the bar, or at the rows of bottles in the fridge behind the bartender, who stands before you ready to take your order. What do you say? Pint of lager? Small house red? Vodka, lime and soda?

Whatever you’re used to, there are so many incredible concoctions waiting to make their impressions on you. And you won’t know that perfect cocktail till you try it. So the next time you approach the bar, or the waiter comes to your table for your drinks order, tell him something different.

Leeds and York both promise amazing nights out, and you won’t have any trouble finding somewhere that will cater for your newfound tastes. Maybe you’ll discover something completely new.

Bartenders need their brilliant knowledge for a reason. So ask them: What would you recommend? What’s your favourite cocktail? If you’re still not sure, order one of the following…

Old Fashioned

This classic bourbon cocktail originally called for sugar, bitters, whiskey and water. But this is the 21st century. Make it interesting, add something fruitier and make it your own. But make sure you start with the essentials.

DIY

  • 2/3 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • Club soda
  • 60 ml bourbon
  1. Place sugar cube (or 1/2 teaspoon loose sugar) in a small glass or tumbler
  2. Wet it down with 2 or 3 dashes of Angostura bitters and a splash of club soda
  3. Crush the sugar with a wooden muddler, chopstick, strong spoon, lipstick, whatever
  4. Rotate the glass so that the sugar grains and bitters give it a lining
  5. Add one large ice cube
  6. Pour in the bourbon
  7. Serve with a stirrer, and garnish with an orange or lemon slice.

Mojito

This deliciously refreshing summer classic is an acquired taste but loved by many. The following recipe can be changed up a bit if you want to use golden rum and brown sugar instead and add some extra sweetness with syrup. But the lime, sugar, rum and mint combined should be a party on the tastebuds as it is.

DIY

  • 4 lime wedges
  • 1 tsp superfine sugar
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • 60 ml white rum
  • Club soda
  • Tall/large glass
  • Crushed/cracked ice
  1. Squeeze lime juice into glass, muddling with the sugar
  2. Add mint leaves, muddling further against side of glass
  3. Fill glass 2/3 full with crushed/cracked ice
  4. Pour in rum
  5. Pitch in squeezed limes
  6. Top up with club soda
  7. Top glass with crushed ice
  8. Garnish with fresh sprig of mint.

Americano

If you need to pace yourself over the course of the night the Americano doesn’t pack quite the same punch as some of the others listed. Created by Gaspare Campari back in Italy in the 1860s, this cocktail brings together just three simple ingredients for a taste to remember.

DIY

  • 45 ml Campari
  • 45 ml sweet vermouth
  • Club soda
  • Lemon slice
  1. Pour the Campari and vermouth into a tall glass filled with ice
  2. Add splash of club soda
  3. Add lemon slice

Negroni

The story goes that old Count Camillo Negroni back in the early 20th century in Florence, Italy, asked his bartender to strengthen his favourite cocktail, the Americano, by swapping the usual soda for gin. After additionally swapping the lemon slice for an orange slice (to signify that it was a different drink), Negroni was left with his very own 1:1:1-ratio cocktail, which today can still be adapted to suit the modern drinker.

DIY

  • 25 ml gin
  • 25 ml sweet vermouth
  • 25 ml Campari
  • Orange slice
  1. Fill a short glass with ice
  2. Add gin, Campari and vermouth, then stir
  3. Add orange slice

White Russian

Favourite drink of ‘The Dude’ in cult classic comedy The Big Lebowski, this unique cocktail is the dark side of a milky coffee. It’s an acquired taste but one you won’t want to pass up if you’re given the opportunity.

  • 2 parts vodka
  • 1 part coffee liqueur (Kahlúa or Tia Maria)
  • 1 part cream
  • Cubed ice
  1. Put ice and all ingredients into a shaker and shake hard for 20 seconds
  2. Strain the mix into a glass filled with ice

 

Days Out: Coffee, Culture and Cobblestone in York

Posted on by Sam

If you can tear yourself away from the house for an afternoon, you’ll be glad you did. York is a scenic 4o-minute drive from the house or a little over an hour by train from the local station. Before you know it, you’ll be rolling into York station. But where to from there? Coffee, surely!

The perfect start

Whether or not you’re a coffee lover, cosying up inside with a fresh cup of your favourite and a pastry as you watch the morning unfold through the windows is the best start to anyone’s day. So make for Spring Espresso, one of the city’s favourite cafes. This is the sort of place that takes its coffee seriously (and so it should!). Reasonable prices, comfortable and stylish interiors, a friendly atmosphere and, most importantly, good coffee! Okay, okay, that’s not all… How about these treats to fuel you for an afternoon of exploration: posh bacon sandwiches, ‘proper’ porridge, toasted paninis, pancake stacks, cheese platters and more. Mmmm…

Spring Espresso even hosts exhibitions for various local photographers and other artists. It’s easy to find. Just make your way to the bottom of the famous Shambles street and look left, where you’ll see the top of Fossgate. Spring Espresso is then half way down on the right.

Cultural stops

  • York Minster
    Let’s start with an impressive fact. This is the largest medieval cathedral in all of Northern Europe! That basically means it’s second in importance only to Canterbury. Now you start to see where York gets its reputation for being a cultural hotspot. See the Choir, Chapter House and Nave; the Undercroft, Treasury and Crypt; and the Tower.
  • City Walls
    Walking the 4.5-mile circuit of the City Walls is a must. Even if you’re pressed for time you can take the short stretch from Bootham Bar to Monk Bar, which will provide great views of the minster. See medieval gates, a working portcullis and England’s only city gate with an intact Barbican.
  • Shambles
    This is the most-visited street in Europe, famous for its cobblestone and 15th-century Tudor buildings, iconically hanging overhead; a lane oozing an atmosphere of ye olde England. Any Harry Potter fans? Be sure to check out The Shop That Must Not Be Named!
  • York Castle Museum
    Two-time winner of the York for Kids award, York Castle Museum is where to go for a real taste of York in the old days. You’ll find some excellent exhibitions, including ‘The Victorian Street’, ‘1914: When the World Changed Forever’ and ‘York Castle Prison’.
THE YORK PASS
Why not grab a York Pass? This will give you free access to more than 30 pay-to-visit sights around York, including York Minster, Jorvik and Castle Howard.
www.yorkpass.com | 1/2/3 days: adult £40/55/65; child £26/30/35

 

A debrief and a drink

Exploring can be thirsty work. When you’re satisfied with what you’ve learnt, your legs are aching a little and you could really do with that first drink, make your way to one of the many great pubs and bars in the area. Top of the list has to be York’s oldest pub, the famous Ye Olde Starre Inne. First licensed in 1644. It’s probably not surprising that this pub is considered the most haunted in York… the 10th-century cellar is believed to have been used as a hospital and mortuary.

If your style is a little more 21st-century, get to BrewDog. This is a company owned by two regular (and rather daring) guys who have gone from hand bottling their own beers and selling them at markets from the back of their van to making a huge name for themselves in the UK, USA, Australia and beyond. These are craft beers made with passion for people who are passionate about beer. Their beers are as unique as their ad campaigns…

10 Amazing Stag & Hen Activities

Posted on by Sam

We’re lucky enough today to live in a place absolutely jam-packed with things to do for stags, hens and other groups seeking a good time. Whether the occasion is to celebrate the countdown to a wedding, or you just haven’t seen a set of friends in a long time and you want some great ideas for adrenaline-packed, educative, inspiring and exciting fun, you’ll find it here. Though a few different companies have been included below for variety, many of the recommended activities are organised by Off Limits.

Off Limits is an event company specialising in providing an extensive range of activities, team building exercises, evening entertainment and bespoke events throughout the UK and abroad, with a “can do” approach.

01773 766 050 | www.offlimits.co.uk

 

 

Stags

 

Clay-pigeon shooting
A true country classic. This is a personal favourite of mine and it’s guaranteed to provide heaps of fun for your group. Clay shooting brings together all of the timeless thrill and skill of target shooting with none of the animal cruelty. After being taught the basics in stance, safety and aiming, shoot a variety of targets while taking in that fresh country air.

Quad biking
Another classic and one for those with the need for speed! They may be smaller than your car, but these 200cc beasts are feisty and will throw you through a heady mix of adrenaline, focus, skill, speed, competitiveness and straight-up hysterics. Get taught the basics and how to get the most out of your machine up hills and over jumps – and you’re off. No gears, roads or traffic here. Just pull the throttle and feel the rush!

Action man
Put the stag through his paces with a choice between archery, crossbow shooting, mini tank driving and sniper rifles. If the previous night got a little out of hand, the guaranteed adrenaline provided while firing arrows and (big) live rounds will soon snap you out of it and sober you up.

Body sphering
Another I’ve been lucky enough to try, I can guarantee you’ll be in stitches in seconds. Truly hilarious, like magnets you’ll be locking eyes onto unsuspecting mates waddling along in the open, and you’ll charge, seeing how far you can make him bounce! That’s if you’re not taken out before you get the chance…

Beer bicycle
I’d love to try this one! Quite simply, this is like a bar on wheels and you’ll be knocking them back while sitting comfortably on your stool, peddling away with the road moving beneath you and onlookers looking on with a brilliant combination of confusion and envy.

 

 

Hens

 

Pampering
My Personal Sanctuary’s mobile massage and beauty therapists bring spa-quality treatments to you. Their organic and truly indulgent service delivers tailor-made treatment packages to the comfort of the house. This might be just the thing you need after that big night – and you won’t even have to go anywhere!

Escape rooms
It can get tense when you’re racing against the clock to escape from a locked room. But that’s the fun! Work together as a team (and try to keep calm) to solve a variety of puzzles, each bringing you one step closer to that last piece in the jigsaw. There are several themed rooms to choose from. Will you stop the deadly virus in time? Pass the special agent test? Figure out whodunnit?

Archery
Call up your inner Katniss and grab your bow, then nock, draw and loose! This is the perfect combination of laughs, precision and good ol’ friendly competition. Don’t feel the need to turn up in your skin-tight bodysuit, but do make sure to bring the archer in you!

Casino evening
There’s an unmistakable satisfaction in shuffling a deck of cards, dealing and taking a guarded look at your hand. Royal flush or not, this casino experience doesn’t require you to know a thing. You’ll soon get the swing of some of the classics, such as blackjack, poker and roulette. Bring out the heels, choose your cocktail and stack your chips!

Hot air balloon
Ideal for a countryside stay, you’ll have an incredible bird’s eye view of all that green spread out in every direction, with the roar of the burner above you. Remember that thrill of taking off on the runway and watching the world fall away below? Well, now imagine the same but with no windows or seats! Don’t forget your camera!