The first May Bank Holiday is upon us and the glorious sunshine is looking like it’s here to stick around. With lockdown measures continuing to ease, we’ve highlighted the top three food and drink essentials you need to really make the most of the three-day weekend with friends and family.
Easy Social Cocktail Co
While we’re still practicing the Rule of 6, easy social co. have recently launched their 6 fuss-free canned cocktails. These little beauties were created by three east London mates with little names: Nate, Imie and Hebe during the 2020 lockdowns.
“Sharing a drink with friends should just be easy, fun and hassle free,” says Nate Brown, Creative Director at easy social cocktail co and short-listed for Bartender of the Year 2021. “So you don’t need to add anything to ours, just pull them from an icebox and go! And please, don’t forget to recycle or up-cycle our cans. We are responsible together for the small steps that create big changes for a happier planet.”
Fresh out of operating award-winning venues in the upmarket, fancy bar world, the trio sought relief from the culture of over-engineered cocktails and stuffy service where style replaces substance. And so, easy social was born, resulting in delicious tasting drinks that are genuinely easy to enjoy, no matter where you are.
easy cocktail co. HARD SELTZERS
RRP £2.50 per 250ml can | 4.5% ABV
The hard seltzer range boasts low calories, no added sugar and includes 3 lovable drinks: Raspberry and Rhubarb; Pear and Apple; Grapefruit and Lemon Verbena.
easy cocktail co. CANNED COCKTAILS
RRP £5 per 150ml can
The canned cocktail range is perfect for your fridge, coat pocket or picnic hamper. They include Peach for the Stars Cosmopolitan (17.5% ABV east London made vodka, peach, orange liqueur, cranberry); Takes Two to Mango Margarita – all the joy of mango with all the fun of a margarita (17.5% ABV with 100% blue agave tequila); Apple-ly Ever After Whiskey Highball (15% ABV bourbon whiskey, with apple liqueurs and sparkling water).
easy cocktail co. aims to be a carbon neutral company by (2023), planting trees to offset its carbon footprint. Other initiatives include the development of eco-friendly pouches and sourcing local ingredients by loved local friends, like East London Liquor Co.
Monkey 47
For enthusiastic gin lovers everywhere, it’s time to clear out your drinks cabinet and make room for the wunderbar experience of Monkey 47, so you can impress your garden visitors.
Distilled from 47 (hence the name) traditional and eccentrically unusual botanicals, Monkey 47 is blended with natural spring water from The Black Forest, Germany. It is precisely this eccentricity that defines the enigmatic character of Montgomery Collins – the brain (and nose) behind the drink.
A third of the botanicals that make up the aroma symphony of Monkey 47 come from Germany’s Black Forest and are definitely not what you would call typical gin flavourings. This hand-crafted gin unites British traditions, the exotic allure of India and the magical, untouched roots of the Black Forest.
With a distinct aroma, complex taste and unparalleled quality, this batch-distilled gin is a cult favourite among the world’s top mixologists and gin enthusiasts.
Whether with tonic, as a sling, martini, or gimlet, the unique taste of Monkey 47 is an ideal base for both classic and bolder cocktails. The distinctive, pure scent of juniper, tangy and crisp citrus notes, sweet, floral aromas, hints of peppery spices, subtle bitter fruits and deep and harmoniously balanced complexity create a tremendously racy finish to this gin.
Monkey 47 is the No1 Trending Gin* worldwide and has fast established its own cult status thanks to its delicious tasting notes that will take you on a wunderbar adventure of sophistication.
Even the bottle design, inspired by the British colonial stamp, has a fantastic story to tell and a special cork with a metal ring (that bartenders around the world proudly wear) completes the picture. A unique gin in unique packaging.
* According to the Drinks International Annual Brands Report 2020.
The Chuckling Cheese Company
We all love cheese, right? Well now you and your friends are going to love it even more with The Chuckling Cheese Company.
Their Waxed Truckle 5 Cheese Gift Hamper allows you to create your very own bespoke gift set, with the choice of five cheeses, two chutneys and a box of biscuits.
Choose any five cheeses from the large truckle cheese selection to make the ultimate custom cheese selection hamper. Favourites include the Black Charcoal Cheese (most unusual but most popular cheddar infused with edible activated charcoal), the Botanist Gin & Tonic Cheese (sweet and citrusy, you can really taste the flavours of the juniper berries, making it a springtime fave), Truffle Truckle Cheese (get a taste of the high life with this instant hit that won’t be soon forgotten), Sunday Roast Cheddar Cheese (who doesn’t love a Sunday Roast? This cheese has all the flavours of stuffing – rosemary, garlic and a black pepper after bite), Orange & Whisky Cheese (a tasty and zingy orange-flavour cheese with a splash of whisky).
There are seven amazing condiments to choose from for your hamper, so if you get stuck I’d recommend the Cheeseboard Chutney (always stick with a classic – this one’s a must) and the Brewers Real Ale Chutney, which has great flavour.
As for the biscuits, you can choose a box to suit your palette and cheese choices, including Cheddar & Onion Chutney Biscuits or Beetroot & Garlic Biscuits.
There’s free delivery on orders over £35 and this gift hamper is £32, so you could always treat yourself to an extra box of biscuits, another jar of chutney or go for an additional cheese since there are so many to choose from (18 to be precise!).