Make way for mescal – but don’t ditch the gin yet

Mexican spirits will be big in 2019, unless you’re sticking with the success story of recent years

VICTORIA MOORE

agaves) in a specified production area within Mexico.

Which brings me to El Destilado, a boutique spirits brand set up by Michael Sager of Sager + Wilde among others, to bring agave distillates – drinks that qualify as neither tequila nor mescal – to a wider audience. One way or another, those agave spirits are coming to your glass.

GREECE

It is always said that the biology of sexual attraction depends on a bit of mystery. I feel a little the same about wine and Greece, somehow, is a country that is able to offer this magic frisson and whose potential remains under-tapped. There is a lot to explore, including xinomavro (a red grape reminiscent of nebbiolo crossed with wild strawberries) which grows in the wild beauty of Naoussa on the mainland; searing assyrtiko from Santorini in the Cyclades; the bay and lemon scented whites of Crete and the teasingly exotic pear and peach flavours of malagousia.

Greek wine ought not to be so little known: the buyer Steve Daniel first brought it to our attention 20 years ago when he worked at Oddbins. Yet – with the exception of Santorini whites – Greek wine continues to dance around the fringes of the mainstream. Perhaps not for much longer, as buyers keep returning from Greece in a state of great excitement. You can already find wines from Domaine Lyrarakis (Crete) in Berry Bros & Rudd, Oddbins and M&S, and xinomavro is finding more slots on the high street shelves. Seek it out.

ORGANIC

In the past many wine producers were wary of labelling wine as organic in case the heuristics used by drinkers choosing a wine resulted in subliminal confusion. What do I mean? Our mental shortcuts go – “alcohol = bad for you but nice; organic = martyrlike; organic + wine = can’t compute”. At least, they used to. Today’s consumers perceive sustainable forms of farming very differently, and actively seek it out. Expect wines and spirits to become less shy about what they are doing to help the environment.

MORE GIN

Yes, I know gin was the spirit of 2017 and 2016 too but we’re still going to be drinking lots of it in 2019. Last year, UK gin sales reached a new peak of

£1.9billion – almost double the amount sold in 2016. Pink gin and flavoured gin are flying particularly high and a survey by Craft Gin Club of 3,200 of its members found that the new flavours of gin people would most like to try in 2019 are salted caramel, nettle and Christmas pudding. I love Tanqueray Lovage, which was launched in May, but for my gin tumbler some of the best new releases are the most traditional. For instance, of last year’s crop of new gins, I enjoyed Berry Bros & Rudd London Dry Gin (40.6%, Berry Bros & Rudd, £25).

LOW AND NO

The range of no and low-alcohol drinks continues to proliferate as Britain readjusts its relationship with alcohol. Alas, with the exception of Leitz Eins Zwei Zero, I have yet to try any decent wine substitutes but there are many other very good drinks. Virgin Atlantic has signed up alcohol-free spirits maker Seedlip for service aboard its flights. I would like to single out the awardwinning Square Root Soda, based in east London. I loved the fruit bitterness of the Square Root limited edition Sbagliato Shandy (0.5% ABV) flavoured with lemon grass, cardamom and grapefruit. On Jan 2, the company released an alcohol-free gin and tonic, which is made with juniper, cubeb berry, Persian dried lime and coriander and tastes a little like an artisan bitter lemon with extra botanicals (£1.80 for 275ml, store. squarerootsoda.co.uk)

FILTER COFFEE

Filter coffee can be made quickly, delivers great flavour and isn’t messy. It is beginning to recapture fans who wonder why we were all persuaded to spend so much money on coffee pods for home espresso machines when they are not environmentally friendly and don’t always taste all that great.

Monmouth Coffee Company has long championed the individual filter – it sells ceramic ones that sit on top of a mug. And Smeg has just launched a drip coffee machine in its trademark sugared almond colours. Filter coffee tastes particularly good if you are prepared to put in a bit of effort with the beans – buy good ones and invest in a hand grinder.