A few months ago we allowed ourselves the rarest of 2020 treats… a between-lockdowns staycation. Fortunately we had a four week Airbnb booking in the bag and, with even greater fortune, we packed plenty of booze for the trip.
We used two weeks of annual leave to kick things off, then got back to remote working for the final two. It was a lovely thing to be able to do while both me and Dan are still working from home full time. Our Airbnb was a cosy little cottage in Llangrannog, Wales. We were right on the Welsh Coastal Path and so our days were spent exploring beaches, checking out the local area and playing with the dog. That naturally meant we deserved a slap-up meal and a nice drinkie every night.
Dan modelling two of my favourite drinking occasions; starting the day with him and a lovely flat white; and celebrating a big walk with a crisp lager next to the beach.
We packed plenty of gin, wine, champagne and beer – but when it came to cocktails I didn’t want to complicate things by weighing down the car even further with bottles that wouldn’t get much use.
Dan treated us to a couple of Made In Oldstead Food Boxes, which were wonderful. I went on a hunt for cocktail deliveries but found that this deep into 2020, there were simply too many to choose from. I struggled to find any Leeds bars that would deliver to the other side of the UK, and it was difficult to navigate around the larger, generic cocktail delivery companies that have popped up out of nowhere in the last eight months. I decided to stick to what I know and ordered some pre-mixed, fresh cocktails from Hoxton & Grey, a lovely company that my friend has gifted me from previously. I ordered a bottle of Arancia (a gin-based aperitif), Espresso Martini and Old Fashioned.
Long story short, this blog is basically a public service announcement: you can make an Espresso Martini in a Nespresso milk frother. Yes, it turns out a bottle of beautifully made plonk (sent across the country), on-the-road coffee equipment and a random wine glass is all you need for some top-notch gourmet boozing.
Don’t judge me – if it works, it’s not stupid! The froth in my first attempt was reminiscent of a very badly poured Guinness, but once I chilled out on the amount of frothiness it was smooth and silky.
We enjoyed so many great experiences while we were away, it was an unforgettable holiday and we are so fortunate to have been away in 2020! Another highlight was spending the evening drinking in Cardigan and eating pizza and drinking Welsh gin and tonics at Pizzatipi. We’ve bought home an unusual Seaweed gin to keep the holiday spirit alive!
