Lush Life

I think relaunch is the word of the moment. It is Spring, after all. 

Not only will I be relaunching Season 8 of Lush Life, bringing you exciting episodes about sustainability, horse racing, the Beatles, absinthe, and so much more! 

But the big news is I have just re-launched my cocktail tours in London’s Soho- Long story but I first started them in Nov 2019 and well we know what happened then. 

Now, I am thrilled to say that they are up and running!  So next time you are planning a trip to London, check out londoncocktailtours.com! 

So, let’s toast to all this relaunching.

Since this time of year is all about apples - this is one of my favorite autumn cocktails (and one I always start the season with!)

It’s the Avallen Autumn Old-Fashioned:

Ingredients

• 30ml  / 1 oz Avallen Calvados
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 dash orange bitters
• Top up with champagne

Method

• Add all of the ingredients (except the champagne) to a cocktail glass
• Give them a quick stir with a teaspoon to dissolve the honey
• Top with champagne
• Add a small orange zest on the side for extra dazzle

Few people would have the courage to leave a very secure future in academia for a very uncertain life behind the bar.  Our guest did, and he has never looked back.

Are you crazy for Thomas Shelby and also have a passion for Japanese Whisky? Do you have no clue who Thomas Shelby is but love your Japanese whisky? Or do you not know either about Thomas Shelby or Japanese Whisky but just want to meet one of the greatest guys in the spirit industry? Then this episode is for you!

James Bowker is a proud Brummie; that is someone from Birmingham, England btw, just like Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders, one of my favorite programs. 

His early love of Japanese whisky grew into a role as the first House of Suntory Global Advocacy Manager.  I met James many years ago when he was one of the ten finalists for the Diageo World Class UK, and have just now finally had him on the program.  

It was kismet as I was just about to step on a plane to Japan.  He taught me so much, which made the experience a billion times better.  Even if you are not headed to Japan, his knowledge is invaluable. 

You asked for it, and you got it - all of you kind people who filled out my survey asked for more interviews with more legends. Our guest is the world's most-awarded bartender & bar owner. If Mr Lyan isn’t a legend, I don’t know who is.

If you call yourself a cocktail connoisseur, then you will have come upon the name Mr Lyan in your travels. Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr Lyan opened White Lyan in London in 2013. It was a moment that will go down in cocktail history as the first cocktail bar in the world to use no perishables, no fruit, and even no ice, an innovative approach to sustainability, with much lower waste and a use of pre-made cocktails and never before seen ingredients. 

This focus on a ground-breaking approach remains in the evolution of White Lyan, Super Lyan, Dandelyan, Cub, Lyaness, Silver Lyan, and Seed Library.

Throughout history, artists and writers have been drawn to the Northern Italian hill town of Asolo; some say it’s because it’s the “city of a hundred horizons,” I think it’s because it’s the home of Asolo Prosecco!

At one time, you might have caught a glimpse of poet Robert Browning, actress Elenora Duse, or writer Freya Stark sitting enjoying a glass of bubbly at one of the cafes in this Pearl of the Veneto; I can almost guarantee the liquid in their glass was Asolo prosecco! 

In this episode, I’m taking you with me to Asolo to meet a few people who are making Asolo Prosecco what it is! We‘ll begin with a masterclass led by Wine Educator and  Journalist Gianpaolo Giacobbo, who will explain what Asolo prosecco DOCG is exactly. 

Then Ugo Zamperoni is next. He is the President of the Conzorio of Asolo Prosecco - which is the association of producers and grape growers. 

Then we are off to meet a few producers of Asolo Prosecco: Dennis Bordin from the Tenuta d’Asolo Progress Country & Wine House,  Ermenegildo Giusti of Giusti Wine, and then we finish with Tenuta Baron’s Andrea Sbrissa.  

I interviewed them all in situ, so alas, there is no video podcast this week, but you can find a video guide to the town of Asolo and a selection of the vineyards and historical sites you can visit when you are next in town. You can find it on my YouTube channel, youtube.com/lushlifemanual. 

Our cocktail of the week comes straight from master mixologist Samuele Ambrosi, owner of Cloakroom Cocktail Lab and Knowledge Hub in Treviso. We met at Venice Cocktail Week last year, and I am thrilled to include one of his cocktail creations. It's called the Made in Italy and is a little different from what you might think of as a prosecco cocktail - because it’s savory!

The cocktail of the week is Samuele Ambrosi’s MADE IN ITALY.

INGREDIENTS 

• 50ml  Basil and "datterino" tomatoes cordial*
• 150 ml Asolo DOCG Prosecco extra Brut

METHOD

• Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass
• Add ice
• Stir, stir, stir
• Strain into a champagne glass
• Garnish with a tomato basil cracker

*Basil and "datterino" tomatoes cordial*

• In an electric blender, add 500gr cherry tomatoes and 10/12 fresh basil leaves and blend everything for a few minutes
• Leave the liquid all together for 10/15 minutes in the fridge.
• Then strain all and put 1 tsp white sugar
• Keep the cordial in the fridge
• Best before 10/12 days
• You can use the leftovers (tomato peel, basil leaves, etc.) to make the garnish! 

School is back, and a new season of Lush Life commences! How exciting!

I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is the Lush Life Podcast, every week we are inspired to live life one cocktail at a time.

Yes, next Tuesday, I bring you the first episode of Season 8 of Lush Life.  This season, we’ll have even more great conversations, enjoy more great cocktails, and visit a few more great places to enjoy a sip or two.

We’ll be delving into prosecco, horse racing, and absinthe, plus meeting even more legends of the industry, and that’s just the beginning! Of course, I will also be bringing you the latest cocktails of the week!