WITH all eyes on London for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (June 2 to 5), and the city strung in red, white and blue bunting, street party celebrations call for patriotic pours with a slice of memorabilia just for good measure.
To crown the day and bring some regal splendour to the table, here are 10 top tipples designed to wish Her Majesty well, toast old Blighty and chime with the pomp and ceremony of the occasion.
A FIZZ FULL OF FUN
Sinfully sweet and dressed to thrill, what’s not love about Lambrini’s limited edition Lambrini Original? (£2.99, major supermarkets). The silver bottle is emblazoned with Union Jacks, coronets, diamonds, party poppers and balloons, and while this sparkling perry may not be to everyone’s taste, the packaging is too priceless to resist.
PRIZED ALE
Award-winning Cornish brewer St Austell Brewery has launched its Limited Edition Royal Diamond Imperial IPA (£12, 9% abv, 75cl, www.staustellbreweryshop.co.uk). Lightly sparkling and styled to accompany seared scallops with bacon and asparagus, it’s fruity and hoppy with good depth of flavour thanks to a secondary fermentation in champagne bottles. Serve chilled in a champagne flute.
SEAL OF APPROVAL
Royal Warrant holder Fortnum & Mason is showcasing a vast spread of food and drink with patriotic labels themed around two of the Queen’s Beasts (a dancing lion and unicorn). Suited to posh purses, must-haves include Fortnum’s Jubilee Blanc de Blancs Champagne (£11.50, www.fortnumandmason.com) and Jubilee Royal Brackla 11 Year Old Single Malt Whisky (£40, www.fortnumandmason.com), which is non-chill filtered at 46% abv for purists.
PORT OF CALL
Cellar masters to the Royal Family, Berry Bros & Rudd has joined hands with Symington Family Estates to offer discerning drinkers The Graham’s 1952 Tawny Port (£275, 75cl, www.bbr.com). Produced the year the Queen ascended to the throne, each individually numbered bottle is presented in a gift pack and also comes in a special pack of three (£795, www.bbr.com) for collectors with deep pockets and a taste for fine old tawny port.
PROUD TO BE BRITISH
The perfect brew for barbecues and sharing tables, chaps are being urged to ’Keep Calm and Celebrate’ with the Spitfire Limited Edition Glorious 2012 (£1.69, 4.5% abv, major supermarkets). Made from malted barley, local Kentish hops and chalk-filtered mineral water, the slight bitterness and hoppy flavours in the ’Bottle of Britain’ have become a firm favourite among beer lovers, with Spitfire Ale now Shepherd Neame’s biggest-selling cask-conditioned ale.
POP AND PAGEANTRY
Her Majesty’s champagne of choice since awarding Moet & Chandon a Royal Warrant in 1955 (her great-great-great-grandmother granted the champagne house the same honour in 1893, along with three kings before her), Moet has released Moet & Chandon Diamond Jubilee Cuvee (£33.49, Waitrose) to commemorate HM Queen Elizabeth II’s remarkable reign.
