The Cocktail Bar

A cold, damp week in August? Then it's time to reach for the sherry, Port or Madeira

When it's pouring with rain and the damp chills you to the bone, forget what month the calendar says — just reach for the fortified wine, says Harry Eyres.

Country Life's guide to what makes a British pub great

More than 70 years after George Orwell penned the famous essay on his favourite pub, The Moon Under Water, its key attributes still hold true, finds Flora Watkins. Photographs by Mark Williamson.

Tom Parker Bowles' five favourite cocktails

As far as Tom Parker Bowles is concerned, there are only five true cocktails – and none of them come with umbrellas, sparklers or a sugar overdose. We apologise to the mojito lovers, this one may not be for you…

Eight deliciously refreshing summer drinks to get you through the next heatwave

Rose flavours, healthy sodas and enough gin cocktails to sink a ship, here are the latest concoctions to keep you cool this summer.

A tour of Cognac: 'There wasn't an electronic gimmick in sight – the product is still made by hand and tongue, same as it ever was'

John Lewis-Stempel visits the village of Cognac to learn how the eponymous digestif and the local wine, pineau, is made.

26 miles of wine and cheese: The madness of the Marathon du Medoc

It’s been dubbed ‘the world’s most idiotic marathon’: a 26-mile run through vineyards, fuelled by wine and cheese. Emma Hughes finds out if she has the stomach for the legendary Marathon du Médoc.

The strange case of the Negroni revolution

Sharp and complex, the bitter-sweet Italian digestif Amaro is enjoying a new-found popularity on British shores, says Flora Watkins.

5 perfect rosé magnums for sipping in the sunshine this summer

Red is for red meat and white is for poultry and fish, but what is rosé for? The answer is of course that rosé is for summer, anywhere, anytime, from pale blush to startling pink. Sophie McAlpine has rounded up some of Country Life‘s favourite‘s to be enjoyed this summer. And after all, if youre going for a bottle, it may as well be a magnum...

Five gin cocktails to try this weekend in honour of World Gin Day

To properly mark World Gin Day on Saturday 8th June, we've pulled together five of the very best gin cocktail recipes for you to try, from a classic G&T with a very special gin to the rambunctious Rock, Rattle and Rose.

Why we should be turning to sunny Greece for our summer wines

Some particularly attractive Greek wines deserve our attention, states Harry Eyres.

Are we living in the golden age of Champagne?

Our regular wine columnist Harry Eyres rounds up the best of a miracle decade and tells us why we should be drinking vintage bubbles.

The newest addition to the Rolls-Royce fleet? Not a car, but a rather incredible Champagne chest

For the places that their famous cars cannot go, Rolls Royce have created the perfect dining companion, perfectly paired with the offerings of Jay-Z's own Champagne house.

Beyond Pimm's: Five delicious summer drinks, from gin and beer to elderflower champagne

As the sun makes its usual sporadic and dismal efforts to warm Britain up as summer approaches, thoughts turn to the great question of the day: what to sip while sitting out in the sunshine. Whether your poison is wine, beer or something harder, we’ve a suggestion for you.

2018 Bordeaux: How weather from ‘hell and paradise’ has produced Claret that's truly exceptional

Winter snowfall, springtime mildew, hail and the hottest, driest summer in generations have conspired to make 2018 Bordeaux something you must absolutely snap up, explains Harry Eyres.

The Oxford don who turned his hand to making English rum: ‘It’s like drinking liquid Christmas pudding’

Ten years ago an Oxbridge scientist turned his considerable brainpower to distilling proper Caribbean rum in the heart of Cambridgeshire. Emma Hughes tells his story.

Is English whisky becoming a worthy opponent for its Scottish rival?

We’ve all heard the hype about English gin and sparkling wine, but those with an eye on the future should look to whisky, says Rupert Ponsonby.

The extraordinary rise of single malt Scotch whisky – and how 2018's £1m bottle will likely be be the first of many

Curious Questions: Why is New Year called 'Hogmanay' in Scotland?

For as long as anyone can remember, New Year – Hogmanay – has been a bigger deal to those living north of Anglo-Scottish border. Jason Goodwin explains why, and takes a look at the curious origins of this name.

Wokefield Estate Mansion House review: A weekend break with a gin-loving twist