The Cellar Journal

Cream and coffee liqueurs guide: styles, serving ideas, cocktails and gifting
Cream and Coffee Liqueurs: Cosy Nights in a Glass
Discover cream and coffee liqueurs: how they are made, Irish cream, pastel de nata liqueurs, the Espresso Martini, storage and gifting ideas. Les mer …
Vermouth guide: rosso, bianco and dry styles and classic aperitif cocktails
Vermouth: The Aperitif Hour
Discover vermouth and aperitifs: what vermouth is, rosso, bianco and dry styles, Vermouth di Torino, how to store it and classic aperitif cocktails. Les mer …
Alentejo wine guide: grapes, talha wine, styles and food pairings
Alentejo: Wine from the Sun
Discover Alentejo wine: Portugal's sunny south, Aragênes, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet reds, Antão Vaz whites, ancient talha wine and food pairings. Les mer …
Bourbon guide: corn, new charred oak barrels, styles and how to drink it
Bourbon: Corn, Char and Character
Discover bourbon: what makes it bourbon, corn and new charred oak, straight, high-rye and wheated styles, how to drink it and classic cocktails. Les mer …
Moscatel guide: Moscatel de Setúbal, Moscatel Roxo and Moscatel do Douro
Moscatel: Portugal's Golden Dessert Wine
Discover Moscatel de Setúbal, Moscatel Roxo and Moscatel do Douro: how these fortified wines are made, aged, served and paired with desserts and cheese. Les mer …
Alvarinho guide: Vinho Verde white grape, flavours, styles and food pairings
Alvarinho: Freshness from the North
Discover Alvarinho, the white grape of Vinho Verde and Monção e Melgaço: its link to Albariño, its flavours, styles and seafood pairings. Les mer …
Sherry guide: Fino, Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez and the solera system
Sherry: Spain's Great Wine Uncovered
Discover sherry from Jerez: the solera system, flor, Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez, VOS and VORS, serving and tapas pairings. Les mer …
Touriga Nacional guide: Portugal's flagship red grape, regions, flavours and pairings
Touriga Nacional: Portugal's Great Red Grape
Discover Touriga Nacional, Portugal's flagship red grape: its roots in the Dão and Douro, its floral character, red, rosé and sparkling styles. Les mer …
Portuguese sparkling wine guide: Bairrada and Távora-Varosa espumante
Espumante: Portugal's Sparkling Secret
Discover Portuguese sparkling wine: Bairrada and Távora-Varosa, native grapes like Baga, Bical and Arinto, the traditional method, styles and food pairings. Les mer …
Tequila guide: blue agave, Blanco, Reposado and Añejo styles and how to drink it
Tequila: Agave, Earth and Fire
Discover tequila: blue agave, where tequila is made, 100% agave versus tequila, Blanco, Reposado and Añejo, how to sip it and classic tequila cocktails. Les mer …
Portuguese liqueurs guide: Ginja, Licor Beirão, Amarguinha and medronho
Portuguese Liqueurs: Ginja, Beirão and More
Discover Portugal's favourite liqueurs: Ginja from Óbidos and Alcobaça, Licor Beirão, Amarguinha and medronho, how to serve them and gifting ideas. Les mer …
Champagne guide: grapes, traditional method, sweetness levels and serving
Champagne: The Sparkle Explained
Discover Champagne: the region, the three main grapes, the traditional method, Brut to Doux sweetness levels, rosé, serving and food pairings. Les mer …
Madeira wine guide: grapes, ageing, styles and how to serve it
Madeira: The Wine That Lasts
Discover Madeira wine from Portugal's Atlantic island: how it is made and aged, the four noble grapes, Colheita, Frasqueira and food pairings. Les mer …
Rum guide: how rum is made, styles, ageing and how to drink it
Rum: Sugar Cane, Sun and Time
Discover rum, from sugar cane and molasses to white, gold and aged styles, agricultural rum from Madeira, serving ideas and classic rum cocktails. Les mer …
Vodka guide: what vodka is made from, styles and how to drink it
Vodka: Pure Spirit, A Big Story
Discover the story of vodka, what it is made from, distillation and filtration, flavoured styles, serving ideas and famous vodka cocktails. Les mer …
Port: A Richer Story
Port: A Richer Story
Discover Port wine from Portugal's Douro Valley, including Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, LBV and White Port, plus serving, ageing and food pairing tips. Les mer …
Single Malt Whisky: Time, Place and Character
Single Malt Whisky: Time, Place and Character
Discover what makes single malt whisky special, from ageing and oak casks to Scotch whisky regions, peat, flavour and choosing the right dram. Les mer …
Blended Whisky: Different Whiskies, A Greater Story
Blended Whisky: Different Whiskies, A Greater Story
Discover blended whisky, how malt and grain whiskies work together, age statements, flavour, master blending and the best ways to enjoy a dram. Les mer …
Brandy: A Timeless Spirit
Brandy: A Timeless Spirit
Discover brandy, how it is made and aged, the difference between brandy and Cognac, VSOP and XO classifications, serving ideas and food pairings. Les mer …
The Story of Gin
The Story of Gin
Discover the story of gin, from juniper and botanicals to the Gin Craze and the perfect G&T, plus how to find the gin style you will love. Les mer …