This weekend I had a few friends over, we sat back to watch a film and smoke a nice Cuban cigar, I wondered what in my drinks cabinet should I offer my guests?  usually we drink a Cuban rum to go with the cigar but I happened to have a brand new bottle of Kraken Rum the gorgeous looking jet black liquid just screamed drink me!

My friends had not heard of Kraken before but I can tell you when I poured the black liquid over ice into their glasses I could tell they were already impressed, this was no ordinary Rum this was something special.

Swirling the rum around a glass creates distinctive tentacle-like drips as the rich liquid seeps back to the depths.  The thick, caramel-like, taste lingers long after the last sip, it tastes devine, a cut above usual go to rum, my friends are sold I of course was already a covert.

The Kraken has an ABV of 40% and an RRP of £22.99 for a 70cl bottle.  It is available nationally in good off-licences, supermarkets and stores such as Sainsbury’s, Harvey Nichols, Majestic, Selfridges and, in Scotland, Peckham’s delicatessens.   It is also available on-line via thedrinkshop.co.uk.

Alternatively, you’ll find bottles in some of the UK’s finest bars, hotels and restaurants – as well as some far less reputable harbour-side taverns.

Sailors and Captains beware…the Kraken wakes…

The Heart and Soul of Cuba is a film by a man well known in the cigar world for his love of cigars especially Cuban cigars having previously written for Cigar Aficionado as their Cuban Cigar correspondent James Suckling has now branched out on his own and one of his first projects is this film on the Cuban cigar industry.

This is a beautifully shot film, focusing mainly on the stages of making the cigar from the fields where the tobacco is grown to the factories where they are love-lingly made, every step is shown in fantastic detail from start to finish.

This dvd would make a fantastic gift for any cigar lover, it really makes you appreciate what a special thing the hand made cigar is and work involved in making the finished article.

While the film is perfect on its own , if I could add anything I would have loved to see a few more interviews with the major players in the industry not just in Cuba but some of the vendors and experts from around the world have some amazing stories to tell and would have made a more rounded product in my eyes but to be fair the dvd gives you a great overview of how the Cuban cigar is made.

you can download or buy the dvd from www.heartandsoulofcuba.com

Berry Bros. & Rudd is Britain’s oldest wine and spirit merchant, having traded from the same shop in Mayfair , London for over 300 years. For a great many years in fact I have recommended Berry Bros  for their fantastic quality and selection which is why I was excited when I heard they were releasing through Waitrose their No.3 Gin.

The Gin is is named after Berry Brothers’ home, No.3 St. James’s Street and the merchant’s 3 centuries of heritage, through to its   use of just 3 fruits and 3 spices (the ‘botanicals’ which flavour every gin), the significance of the number to this premium gin is inescapable.

Led by the holder of the world’s only PhD in gin flavour, Dr. David Clutton, the Berry Bros team deliberately set out to make No.3 taste ‘as gin should’ – without the use of an excessive amount of ingredients and distilled in traditional copper pot stills without any over-elaboration.

So, with classic simplicity the goal, the experts placed a robust helping of juniper – the key ingredient in any gin – at the ‘heart’ of No.3. This striking juniper quality was then cleverly complemented by just 5 other fruits and spices; namely, sweet Spanish orange peel, grapefruit peel, Angelica root, Moroccan coriander and, finally, cardamom seeds

Limiting the ingredients bucked the current multi-botanical trend (anywhere between 8 and 12 is common) and instead harked back to a traditional taste of gin – fittingly, given its maker’s impressive history.

The mix of these fresh and crisp flavours, led by juniper and combined with a strength of 46%, has resulted in an end product that Berry Brothers call the ‘last word’ in gin for the classic Dry Martini – as well as that ‘everyday’ gin cocktail favourite, the G&T.

No.3 comes in a handsome high-shouldered green bottle with a metal key set into its glass. The inspiration for the key comes from that used to open the door of ‘The Parlour’ – one of the oldest rooms in the Berry Brothers’ shop, which has stood in St. James’ since 1698.

I am massively impressed with No.3 , its a no nonsenses man’s Gin I will now proudly order over my previous go to Bombay Sapphire which compared to No.3 tastes sadly dated and middle of the road.

No.3 is now available at Waitrose stores nationwide; RRP of £33.65 for a 70cl bottle.

As a child on occasion my dad would give me a ginger beer as a treat, I felt all grown up thinking I was having a beer , now I’m all grown up but I still love ginger beer which is why I’m excited about Stones new Ginger Joe alcoholic Ginger beer.

Light and refreshing, with subtle yet spicy ginger notes,  Ginger Joe offers a thirst-quenching alternative to the usual offerings in the bar. The alcoholic ginger beer really tingles the taste-buds; providing the perfect tipple on a cold winters night.

For more information visit www.gingerjoe.co.uk or join the fan site at www.facebook.com/gingerjoeuk and check out the new tache-tastic Facebook app.

We all should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and most of us don’t eat enough, me being one of them so its good news that Ocado have launched a new fruit, veg and salad box range.

Inside Ocado’s new Organic Fruit, Vegetable and Salad Boxes you’ll find the freshest ingredients – everything from rainbow carrots and red Robinta potatoes to succulent Conference pears and juicy apples, all available to order now from just £17.99

Ocado’s Veg and Salad Box includes 11 healthy vegetables and salad ingredients that will feed your household’s weekly ‘five-a-day’ needs for just £17.99. Even hungrier households can opt for Ocado’s bumper Fruit, Veg and Salad Box, offering 13 of the freshest fruits, vegetables and salad items for £24.99.

All of Ocado’s produce, grown to strict Soil Association standards, has been personally selected and packed to perfection. Upon ordering, Ocado’s friendly drivers will whisk them straight to your kitchen table in a handy one-hour time slot.

I like the idea of these boxes, you get to try a variety seasonal of fruit and veg and don’t really have to think too much about it, just select the box in your on-line basket and its done.

Visit Ocado’s website (www.ocado.com) to find out which delicious weekly items are up for grabs in each organic box, and to take a sneak-peak at what’s expected inside the following week’s offerings too.

Recently I was contacted by Richard at Custom Humidors, he kindly offered to send me one of his fantastic  bespoke humidors to review and here’s what I received

The humidors are made out of perspex which forms an airtight seal perfect for cigar storage, Richard can make the humidors exact to your specifications  with pretty much any logo or text you like. On my humidor  he has put the website logo as well as some cigar brand logos around the side but the possibilities are endless, be it your favourite football teams logo, country flags, regiment crests you name it Richard can most likely accommodate your requirements.

This humidor was made to promote a new cigar brand, as you can see the customisation options are numerous

The transparent humidors look fantastic full, showing off your cigar collection but can also be made in different colours like this Cuban Flag humidor

As well as humidors Custom Humidors also create cigar dividers to seperate your cigars as well as humidity bead boxes which like the humidors are fully customisable as the examples below

I’m really happy with my humidor and am already planning to place a order for some bead boxes and dividers to go with it.   The bespoke humidors are priced from £45 depending on the size and design, for more information please contact Richard at Custom Humidors  at customhumis@googlemail.com

It’s no longer unusual for me to hear from male friends that they have just been for a manicure or a massage , it seems a simple shave and shower is no longer enough for the discerning gentleman in world led by David Beckham and the new man.

To ensure every man has the opportunity to look and feel like a A lister  London-based luxury hair and beauty spa Aldo Coppola has launched a new bespoke grooming package, just for men and they invited me to experience the package for myself.

Longer working hours, stress, city pollution and UVA damage all contribute to dehydrated skin, uneven pigmentation and fine lines, as well as prematurely grey hair. Aldo Coppola’s Ultimate Man Package is a winning combination of treatments that address all these issues, leaving any man restored and revitalised.

The treatment combination includes an anti-ageing face and eye treatment to smooth away fine lines and rehydrate the skin, followed by a hand and nail treatment, completed with a hair colour, cut and style.

The face and eye treatment draws upon Aldo Coppola’s renowned Fusion Mesotherapy techniques to deliver visible results. This gentle and non-invasive treatment begins with cleansing and massage before the Fusion Mesotherapy machine is used to transmit topical products deeper into the skin’s layers, thanks to radio frequency waves.

This increases the skin’s temperature, which stimulates collagen production and skin tightening, helping to reduce dark circles and under-eye bags, and smooth away wrinkles and expression lines. The treatment concludes with a relaxing shoulder massage, to ease away any remaining tension. I really enjoyed this treatment, it was so relaxing in fact that I think I fell alsleep for a few minutes!

No well-groomed man should be seen with rough, dry hands and split nails, so the Ultimate Man Package also includes a ‘Man’-icure. Starting with a scrub to slough away hard, dry skin, the hands and arms are then treated to a relaxing massage. Nails are then filed and buffed to a natural shine. This was my first ever manicure and Ive actually had a fair few comments since the treatment about my nails from women that have noticed my nails, I now see how important keeping your nails in good condition is and do plan to get a manicure again.

Finally, for those with pesky grey hairs to disguise or those seeking a new look, the master colourists at Aldo Coppola will work with you to achieve the perfect colour. Both the Henna and Shatush colouring techniques use natural ingredients to protect and nourish the hair structure, leaving it soft, healthy and noticeably less grey. I didnt need any colour but its included as part of the package if required go for it.

After the coluring  the team will then wash, cut and style the hair to finish.

The Ultimate Man Package takes from two to two and a half hours, and is certain to leave you feeling and looking at your best when its over. I throughly enjoyed the time I spend at Aldo Copppla and I hpe you do too.

The Ultimate Man Package at Aldo Coppola is priced at £195.

For more details see www.aldocoppola.co.uk

 Aldo Coppola, 70 Sloane Avenue, South Kensington, London SW3 3DD

DSquared2 have launched Potion, a new fragrance for men,  Potion is described as “the scent of seduction” and is fronted by model Diego Miguel.

I recently had the opportunity to  try this new fragrance and will do my best to describe my findings.

Potion is an aromatic woody amber fragrance developed by perfumer Annick Menardo; notes include mint, angelica, thyme, gentian, cinnamon, cashmere wood, patchouli, amber and musk. I think the best way I can describe the smell is that scent of a smells like a blown-out cinnamon-vanilla candle and that’s quite a unique smell which I love!

The bottle has a very retro feel which looks rather elegant in my bath room cabinet
DSquared2 Potion will be available in 30, 50 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum.

DSquared2 Potion for Man (£42.50 for 50ml, £57 for 100ml) is exclusively available at Harvey Nichols  now and  nationwide  in  October 2011.

Founded in 2008 and based in the Lake District National Park, Millican creates timeless travel and outdoor bags.

Each bag in Millican’s  collection is based on a proven utility classic, with modern functionality and made with sustainable materials – organic canvas, recycled polyester, vegetable tanned leather and Lakeland wool.

The brand is inspired by the life and values of Millican Dalton, a local legend who lived a life of simplicity and self-sufficiency as a Lakeland mountain guide in the early 1900s

For 2011 Millican have  interpreted a classic travel shape to create Adam the Suitcase – a soft case made from Millican’s 20oz, weatherproof, 100% organic cotton canvas.

Adam offers many key features:

·         Central zip for easy access to two large internal compartments

·         Three external pockets for books, travel documents and water bottle.

·         Internal divider to separate work from play

·         Waterproof cover and shoe/laundry bag in one

·         Fits more airline restrictions for hand luggage

Adam the Suitcase retails at £265 and is available in Slate Green and Antique Bronze.

for more info and to purchas, head over to  www.homeofmillican.com

This Autumn classic brand  Lyle & Scott ‘s Heritage collection sees a complete relaunch with a dynamic new design team at the helm.  Inspired by ‘hidden treasures since 1874’ the new branding takes it’s lead from a deep red Eagle that is carried on all garments. The message is clear – a sophisticated, refined menswear line with a modern edge.

The perfect collection of outerwear is offered for every occasion. An easy to wear black padded gilet will work hard in every stylish man’s wardrobe this Autumn, whilst a striking wool peacoat offered in navy and mid grey marl will take him effortlessly through winter.  Sharp blazers available in tweed knitted melton and wool flannel, provide a more formal alternative.

As you would expect, knitwear is at the heart of the Heritage line and this season is offered in a great selection of fine and heavier fabrications including Merino, lambswool, heavy gauge Shetland wool and for the first time wool and silk blend. Highlights include a heavy gauge shawl neck cardigan with chic leather buttons that comes in a rich deep tomato hue as well as Ivory and Charcoal grey and the ultimate winter roll neck in a luxurious wool/silk blend, available in grey and navy. Heavy gauge merino features prominently and styles range from a shirt-neck button through cardigan to a funnel neck sporty zip-through. Cricket sweaters and cable knits are also available alongside a great selection of basic v and crew necks in the perfect Autumnal colour palette.

Shirting has also been reworked to incorporate both formal and casual options. Standout pieces include an over dyed cotton Oxford in Highland Green Navy and a satin cotton button down striped shirt available in Bright Indigo. Poloshirts continue to impress with unusual details and revised branding.

Trousers complete the line with cords, fine cotton chinos and a hard-wearing grey wool flannel style designed to complement the range.

WIN!

The exciting new Lyle & Scott Heritage collection is available to buy now  at www.lyleandscott.com as well as leading department stores and independents nationwide from August 2011

To celebrate the new range Lyle and Scott have kindly offered one of our readers this lovely jumper from the range

to be in with a chance of winning the jumper all you have to do is leave a comment below telling us how much the jumper costs on the Lyle and Scott webstie.

This competition is now closed , congratulations to Rich, your jumper will be with you shortly