Drink

I have commented separately below on wine, beer and spirits. That's not to overlook what is arguable the best drink - 'Adam's ale' or water; but I can't help thinking that a few thousand years' tradition of brewing and viticulture have improved on the original. There is also a (short) section on soft drinks, which is essentially a homage to tea.

Wine

Berry Brothers & Rudd

For a top-notch supplier you can't do much better than Berry Brothers (based in St James' Street, but accessible anywhere through their website). They're not necessarily the cheapest, but their range is excellent, and quality is consistent. For more information, vintage chart and shopping guides click here.

Majestic

Much less sophisticated than Berry Bros., Majestic do still get in some very decent wines, and in my experience the store managers (not the casual labour) are well informed and enthusiastic. majestic is a bulk supplier so your minimum purchase is 12 bottles. They have a website at www.majestic.co.uk and will deliver throughout the UK free of charge.

Wickham vineyard

Very different again, this is an English vineyard producing a very creditable range of wines (the Fumé is served in the House of Commons dining room). You can take an audio tour, giving you the history of English wine, grape details and viticulture through the seasons, all whilst you enjoy a gentle walk through the vineyard, before tasting the wines themselves.

The estate is also home to a 7½ acre Nature Reserve, an area of marshland and mixed woodland. The marsh is home to many wild flowers. The pond, excavated in 1991, supports many birds. The whole area is home to great spotted woodpeckers, sparrowhawks and deer. Wellies are necessary after wet weather.

There is a restaurant (the Terracotta Room) where diners can enjoy the unique foods of Australia combined with traditional English cooking and the excellent local produce. Food is prepared by hand with fresh ingredients and where possible on the premises. Wickham presently smoke their own meats and fish, bake their own breads and pastries and produce their own range of chutneys made with specially imported native Australian ingredients. For opening times visit their website at www.hampshirefare.co.uk/wickham.

Beer

Bitter

My first rule of thumb on bitter, is that anything drawn straight from the barrel is worth a try (the Mayfly pub in Longstock usually has a couple). Failing that it should be hand-pulled, and I can recommend

	Gales' HSB is what the Gods drink on their nights out. Brewed in Horndean, they also do a fabulous range of country wines, and guided tours of the brewery every week. Gales will even sell you a barrel for a party (if you don't have time to let it settle, ask for it to be 'racked bright')
	Brewed in Devizes, and still delivered locally on drays drawn by shire horses. Wadworths do a good range of seasonal beers, including Easter Ale and Winter Warmer.
	Tanglefoot is a firm favourite, and the Export Ale (particularly if you can get it draught) is excellent
Theakstons	Theakston's Best has one great advantage: it's significantly less alcoholic than many other bitters, which means you can drink more! Theakston's Old Peculiar is a classic winter ale, and quite delicious.

Incidentally, I recently tried Fullers 'Summer lightning' straight from the barrel, and very good it was too.

If a barrel a time is too much, and you can't be out at the pub every night, then you're faced with the issue of home consumption. Since this is my bit of the website I can be dogmatic and say it must be bottles, not cans, every time.

Pils

The one that stands out is Budvar - the original Czech beer from Budweiss. The Czech beer is smooth and flavoursome. The American imitation 'Budweiser' is gassy and tastes chemical. If you haven't tried the real thing, you just haven't lived.

If you can't get hold of Budvar, there are other good Czech beers (Pilsner Urquell in particular) and German beers (e.g. Löwenbrau) which are almost as good. Failing that, try whatever is brewed locally. It works in most places (although Kathmandu is an exception!).

Spirits

I'll limit any comments on Whisk(e)y to a compliment for the Jameson distillery in Dublin, who organise a fine tour and tasting; and produce some very nice stuff.

Tea (and other soft drinks)

I can't help thinking that I must consume more tea than any other drink. The best cuppa is made with freshly drawn water and proper leaf tea - and is always made in a teapot. As a rule of thumb, the larger the leaf size, the better the tea quality. The best leaf teas are made with whole leaves of half a centimetre or more in length. Cheaper teas use broken leaf pieces, and the worst teabags seem to use the dust and scrapings from the floor.

Of course the problem with using leaf tea is that it stews if left in the pot too long. If, like me, you expect three or four cups at a time from a pot, this is a problem (unless you drink them very, very quickly!). The best solution is a large sieve or strainer which fits inside the pot, and allows the leaves room to circulate (the little mesh ball types are far too small to allow the tea to infuse properly). Alternatively, I have used the disposable 'sock' type - made out of paper (a bit like filter paper for coffee). Failing this, you can either pour four cups at once, and drink them in turn; or fall back on teabags. Don't forget to take them out though once the tea's fully brewed!

If you're interested in tea, visit the Bramah Tea and Coffee museum in Butlers Wharf, London (www.bramahmuseum.co.uk) where you can learn about traditional tea making, then taste it in the cafe.

Recommended importers of fine teas:

Williamson & Magor
Whittards
Fortnum & Mason