George Clooney’s new mescal, Richard Geoffroy’s final Dom Pérignon and a bottle of Champagne you can have transformed into a piece of jewellery – just three of the drinks we’ll be enjoying in November.
Additional words: Giles Fallowfield and Mark de Wesselow
Casamigos Mezcal
Casamigos – aka the Tequila co-founded by George Clooney – has launched its first mescal. “There’s nothing like it on the market,” Clooney says. “Casamigos Mezcal is uniquely smooth, easy to drink and smoked to perfection.”
Clooney, we’re told, approves each batch of Casamigos personally before it goes in the bottle. We can’t guarantee it will give you Clooney’s sex appeal, but the bottles designed by his business partner Rande Gerber (Mr Cindy Crawford) are almost as good looking as gorgeous George himself.
£60.95, The Whisky Exchange
Dom Pérignon 2008
Dom Pérignon, one of the most prestigious names in Champagne, has released its 2008 vintage. It’s big news in the world of fizz as the ’08 is the final vintage from chef de cave Richard Geoffroy, whose successor, Vincent Chaperon, takes over in January.
We found bracing acidity and subtle stone fruit flavours in a taut wine that would be an excellent match for the clean flavours of Japanese cuisine, but with superb ageing potential as its melon and peach flavours fully ripen. DP 2008 is available in this Legend Edition gift box to mark Geoffroy’s 28 years as chef du cave.
£147, Clos19.com
The Glenrothes 12 Year Old
Speyside distillery The Glenrothes has launched the Soleo Collection. Instead of the classic vintage whiskies The Glenrothes distillery is famous for, the Soleo Collection is a range of six ‘age-statement’ single malts, ranging from 10 to 40 years old, designed to de-mystify premium whisky for drinkers who don’t know (or care) about whisky jargon.
We tried the 12-year-old, and were impressed by the smooth palate of vanilla, orange-peel and nutmeg. Try it neat on its own or in a Rob Roy with vermouth and Angostura Bitters.
£40.95, The Whisky Exchange
Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé
This charming rosé Champagne adds sparkle to any occasion with its seductive pale pink colour, delicate mousse and iconic 17th century-style bottle. It’s made using the saignée method, which means good skin contact that adds depth and flavour to the wine.
Elegant, vivacious and crisp, it’s a great aperitif but a slight savoury grip on the finish means it also goes well with prawns, charcuterie or Asian food, particularly as the wine warms in the glass allowing a wider palate of flavours to express themselves. Classy stuff.
£48, Sainsbury’s
Rare Le Secret
Rare Champagne and Mellerio jewellers have joined forces to create two bejewelled limited-edition magnums from the 1997 vintage, called Rare Le Secret.
The 'High Jewellery' version features a one-carat diamond, ruby, sapphire or emerald – your choice – embedded in bands of gold set with 510 diamonds. Once the contents have been consumed, Mellerio will transform the bottle’s adornment into a brooch, bracelet of pendant. Only ten of these bottles are available worldwide and Harrods has one priced at £115,000. The 'Goldsmith' version, meanwhile, is a limited edition of 1,000 numbered magnums, 50 of which are also in the Knightsbridge store priced at £1,150.
From £1,150, Harrods