Brew it yourself
Making your own artisan drinks is easy and fun, says Leah Hyslop
Once upon a time, making your own drinks at home wasn’t particularly trendy – largely the preserve of impoverished students hoping to save a few quid, or beer fanatics concocting an (invariably horrible) brew from a kit they bought in Boots. But nowadays everyone seems to brew it themselves, and it’s not just about saving money. Lindy Wildsmith, the author of new book Artisan Drinks, believes that the popularity of home-made tipples is due to boredom with the cheap, mass-market drinks. “We buy such rubbish, and it tastes of nothing. If you do it yourself, you know exactly what you’ve put in it.” She ties the growing interest in making drinks to the renaissance of other oldfashioned pursuits. “All those old crafty things, like knitting, are back in fashion, and I think it’s because we’re so far removed now from making things for ourselves. Making a nice drink, and looking at it on the shelf, and sharing it, is so immensely satisfying. And you don’t need more than a walk in the countryside to pick some berries, and some creativity.” Though many people are put off making drinks for fear of needing a lab’s worth of bottles and filters, the equipment you require is fairly basic. If you are making a liqueur, you need simple kit such as scales and saucepans plus a funnel and sieve, and bottles with close-fitting tops. ‘Artisan Drinks’ by Lindy Wildsmith (Aurum £25) is available from Telegraph Books at £22 + £1.95 p&p. Call 0844 871 1515 or visit books.telegraph.co.uk