In this sponsored bonus episode, we’re joined by Lisa King, founder of Free AF, New Zealand’s number one non-alcoholic canned cocktail brand.

Founded in 2020, Lisa created Free AF with one goal in mind, to provide a range of alcohol-free cocktails for those who take what they drink seriously. But more than producing great tasting liquids, a range with complexity, texture and attitude, the brand was born with a greater mission – to create a movement for making non-drinking aspirational.

In just 5 years Free AF has built a global following for its alcohol-free cocktails – as well as being the No.1 non-alcoholic ready-to-drink brand in New Zealand, it’s one of the fastest growing non-alc RTD’s in the USA, has been endorsed by Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner and is listed in Morrison in the UK. What’s all the fuss about? That's what we’re speaking to her about in this episode.

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We've made it to 100 episodes and to celebrate, we're joined by Agostino Perrone and Giorgio Bargiani, Director of Mixology and Assistant Director of Mixology at The Connaught respectively.

As the first guests on the very first episode of the podcast it made perfect sense to catch up with them over a Martini or two. Only this time, rather than recording remotely, we've joined them at The Connaught Bar. And rather than interviewing them, they've flipped the script and asked us the questions. Oh, and we get a turn behind that famous trolley and get to make them a Martini!

With very special thanks to:

Agostino Perrone, Director of Mixology at The Connaught

Giorgio Bargiani, Assistant Director of Mixology at The Connaught

The Connaught Bar team

Produced by Laura Grassulini

For more from The Cocktail Lovers, visit thecocktaillovers.com

Tune in to episode one featuring Agostino Perrone, Giorgio Bargiani and Maura Millia, here

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It’s not intentional but we tend to talk about people, places and products that are already out there, so for our penultimate episode of the season, we’re flipping that and going for things that may not immediately be on your radar. But should be.

Like Harp of Darkness, a black Irish whiskey and Atheres Spirits, a boutique range of botanical amaro and liqueurs distilled in Industrial City, New York.

Botanicals are also front and centre of Danny Childs inspiring book 'Slow Drinks', while top-notch music (live and vinyl) and no-nonsense classic cocktails are at the core of the deliciously low key, high value Bird’s in New York.

And we’re thrilled to welcome Denny Kallivoka and Dimitris Alpanezos, the bright minds behind Vision, a pioneering, much needed platform they’ve created to make hospitality spaces more inclusive for people who are blind or partially sighted.

For more from The Cocktail Lovers, visit thecocktaillovers.com

For the products featured in this episode, see websites below:

What we're drinking:

The Truly British Hanky Panky

40ml Cygnet 22 Dry Welsh Gin

40ml Asterley Bros Sweet Vermouth

7ml Asterley Bros Britannica London Fernet

Orange coin to garnish

Method:

Chill Martini glasses. Stir ingredients over ice. Pour into the chilled Martini glass and garnish with an orange coin.

Atheras Spirits

Birds NYC

Harp of Darkness Black Irish Whiskey

Slow Drinks – A field guide to foraging and fermenting seasonal sodas, botanical cocktails, homemade wines and more, by Danny Childs

Vision by Metron Ariston

Listen to the original episode featuring the Hanky Panky recipe here

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We've done whisky specials before but here we are, back with another. Why? There are always plenty of mighty fine whiskies to shout about. Besides, why the hell not?

We start with two whiskies born and raised in the US. One is the result of two actor friends who bonded over their love of the spirit so much they decided to create their own, aptly called Brother’s Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The other is also the result of two bright minds coming together: this time it's Sirdavis created by Dr Bill Lumsden and Queen B herself, the one and only Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.

Our book is a glorious road trip journal across Japan in which renowned whisky expert Dave Broom shares his very personal observations of the spirit and place in 'The Japanese Way of Whisky'.. And while we're on the subject of travel, there's certainly a whisky-based cocktail or two on the menu at Shakerato, the new bar in Amsterdam from the team behind Mexico City’s award-winning Handshake bar.

And then there's our guest, the fabulous Georgie Bell-Leoni, who has been evangelising about her favourite spirit, whisky, for over 15 years. She tells us about sourcing whiskies for her company, The Heart Cut, talks about how to fully appreciate them and guides us through a tasting of one of the bottlings on offer from her award-winning company The Heart Cut.

For more from The Cocktail Lovers, visit thecocktaillovers.com

For the products featured in this episode, see websites below:

What we're drinking:

Matcha Highball

By Jason Patz, from Food & Wine Magazine

60ml Japanese whisky (we used Hibiki)

15ml honey water

15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 tsp Matcha powder

Chilled Club Soda to top

Lemon wheel to garnish

Method:

Chill Collins glasses. Shake first four ingredients over ice. Pour into the chilled Collins glass, top with Club Soda and garnish with a lemon wheel.

Brother's Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Shakerato, Amsterdam

SirDavis American Whisky

The Heart Cut

The Japanese Way of Whisky – by Dave Broom

The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' Watson

Edited by Christian Fox

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We’ve got travel on our brains this week as we’ve just returned from Barcelona where we celebrated the 10-year-anniversary of Paradiso, our featured bar and book in this episode, while our interview takes us to Buenos Aires, the next stop on our itinerary, where we’ll be joining in the fun with the team at Tres Monos for the fourth Gran Corso de los Monos. We’re joined by co-founder Charly Aguinsky who tells us about the bar, its work in the community and what they have in store for Latin America’s carnival weekend.

Our featured products take us on journeys of a different kind – taste. We have two very special gins, one shaped entirely by the Golden Ratio and produced just once a year, the ultra premium Aureus Vita, the other is Seatrus Gin, which promises flavours of the Mediterranean sea.

What we're drinking:

Between The Sheets

25ml cognac

25ml light rum

25ml triple sec

10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

Orange peel to garnish

Method:

Chill Martini glasses in freezer. Shake all ingredients over ice. Pour into the chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist.

Aureus Vita Fibonacci Gin

Paradiso 10 Year Anniversary Book

Paradiso Barcelona

Seatrus Gin

Tres Monos Bar

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After our last few themed episodes we’re now back to our regular format – talking two bottles, a book, a bar and a very special guest…

Our first product is Jin Jin – an enzymatic cordial. Chivas Regal Crystalgold. Equally intriguing, in a very different way is Chivas Regal Crystalgold, the first clear spirit from Chivas Regal… With a nod to Dry January our book tells you everything you could want to know about lighter drinking. It’s Low Alcohol Cocktails – New Frontiers in Mixology by Diego Ferrari. And to warm up on a cold winter’s evening we headed to The Winter Chalet at Rosewood London.

Finally, our guest is Katie Rouse, co-owner of Couch in Birmingham, who joins us to talk about the bar’s Couch Surf programme.

Horse's Neck With A Kick

40ml cognac

120ml ginger ale

5 dashes of Angostura bitters

long strip of lemon peel

Method:

Chill glasses and fill with ice. Add the cognac then top with ginger ale, add Angostura bitters. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with a long strip of lemon wound in and over the top of the glass.

Couch Stirchley

Chivas Regal Crystalgold

Low Alcohol Cocktails – New Frontiers in Mixology – by Diego Ferrari

Jin Jin

The Chalet at Rosewood London

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Our first trip of the year took us to Milan for the launch of Coqtail magazine’s winter edition (grazie mille for the invite Penelope and Chiara). Which gave us just enough time to soak up the atmosphere and revel in that famous Italian hospitality in four very distinct bars.

First up, Camparino in Galleria, not only a symbol of the aperitivo but also the history of art and culture in Milan; then we headed to 1930, once a speakeasy, now open to discerning drinkers with an appetite for creative culinary cocktails; on the hotel bar front, we were thrilled to experience the magic of the Maestro Salvatore Calabrese at his latest collaboration with the Rocco Forte group at The Carlton hotel and lastly, we headed to Moebius Milano to find out why, not only was it the highest climber in this year’s 50 Best Bars list at No. 7, but also the proud owner of a coveted Pin from The Pinnacle Guide as well as Michelin Star.

But as well as visiting the bars, we talk to the people behind them, so this is a longer episode than usual but with inspiring chat from Salvatore Calabrese, Benjamin Cavagna, Lorenzo Querci & Tommaso Cecca, we hope you won't mind.

Negroni Sbagliato

30ml Campari

30ml sweet vermouth

60ml dry prosecco

Method:

Chill glasses and fill with ice. Add the Campari and sweet vermouth then top with prosecco. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with an orange slice nestled in the side of the glass..

1930

Camparino

The Carlton Bar at The Carlton Hotel

Moebius Milano

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It’s the first episode of the New Year so before we jump fully into 2026 we want to take a moment to look back and celebrate 2025.

During the year we were once again fortunate enough, both here in the UK and further afield, to have enjoyed an array of incredible cocktail experiences, visited some wonderful bars and best of all, meet some of the fantastic people in the drinks world. So here, in no particular order, are some of our most memorable moments from the last year.

Chin Chin

created by Tony Conigliaro at Isola, Knightsbridge, 2002 (from Difford's Guide)

Half a barspoon of honey

15ml apple juice

30ml blended Scotch whisky

Champagne to top

Method:

Chill your flute glasses. Stir the honey and whisky in the base of your shaker to dissolve honey. Add apple juice then shake ingredients over ice. Fine strain into your chilled flute. Top with chilled sparkling wine or Champagne.

Dante x Maybourne with Linden Pride – interview

Hawksmoor Martini Bar – review

Lorenzo Antinori – interview

New York Special – interviews/reviews

The SG Shochu – review

Town – review

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