And so we enter the banqueting season, out go the parasols, tiki cocktails and bottled beer specials, in come the winter warmers, barrels of ale, and wine of all kinds. We are lucky to experience all of the seasons here in the UK, even if it sometimes seems we experience them a little too much or for a little too long! One of the many joys of the seasons is changing your offering in line with them, giving people something new and different to look forward to – yet familiar. The summer season brings with it connotations of ice cold drinks, BBQ food and outdoor socialising. Whereas the winter allows for cosy meetings down the local pub, hot drinks around an open fire and huge, hearty meals featuring food to warm your cockles.
Naturally as your offering changes, so does some of the equipment you find yourself needing. As such we have prepared a quick list of some of our winter favourites, making sure you are ready for whatever this cold, yet cosy, season throws at you:
Wine & Champagne Coolers
Food and alcohol certainly seem to be two of the most popular pastimes for people at during the winter months, and yes we realise these two things wouldn’t usually be considered pastimes at all… With two of the year’s biggest holidays, Christmas and New Year both of which traditionally involve a fair amount of food and drink, champagne and wine coolers are a must as large tables of friends and family gather together under your roof.
We have a vast range of champagne coolers, wine coolers, champagne buckets, stands and wine bottle re-sealers all of which are perfect for the banqueting season. Our Signature range encompasses design and functionality, made from high grade stainless steel, meaning our coolers look very sophisticated yet remain affordable. The coolers and ice buckets will keep your champagne, buck’s-fizz or prossecco cool from Christmas to New Year, whereas our wine bottle re-sealers will ensure that you do not waste a drop of ‘the nectar of the gods’.
Corkscrews
Continuing with the wine theme, whether that is mulled wine or warmed wine – a hearty glass of red always goes down well and certainly matches up with the feeling of the winter period. It also tends to be a great accompaniment for many a winter dish, although in our eyes red wine is the perfect accompaniment to everything.
Although not exclusively used for wine our wide selection of corkscrews all have their different advantages. Perhaps it is a bottle of port you are uncorking for your guests – either way one of the greatest and finest of corkscrews is of course the twin lever corkscrew (as pictured above). Corkscrews do often come down to preference however, you could be more of a waiters friend kind of person, another long standing member of the corkscrew category…
And let us not forget the double reach corkscrew of course. A nice modern take on the waiters friend, we have to say we like a good double reach too (although despite the name it won’t help you reach any further…)
Cocktails
A grand seasonal drink of winter is of course the hot toddy. You will of course need many of the cocktail tools you need for making any other cocktail. Including of course some tin on tin cocktail shakers, one of our fine mezclar mixing glasses, and a bar spoon or two to measure and stir.
Remember though of course those hot winter cocktails are usually quite hot and just as the summer versions can be quite cold, making sure you shake and make that cocktail quick will save your tins from heating up too much. This is why the mixing glass is a preferred method for many a hot winter cocktail mixture. Throw in a few more essentials such as your choice of strainer, measure and muddler and you have everything you need to make the cocktails to warm your cockles. There is of course one last accompaniment that is needed for many a winter cocktail, the nutmeg grater.