Q&A: Alice Lascelles

Journalist, author and drinks expert Alice Lascelles has long been a clear and engaging voice on the world of spirits. This year she was named IWSC Spirits Communicator this year. Here, she tells db what’s currently in her cocktail cupboard and why setting the scene is the best way to get people shaking up their own serves.

Alice Lascelles is a self confessed “punch zealot”

What first enticed you into spirits?

My first job as a journalist was on the trade magazine Wine & Spirit International. I started off more on the wine side, but the cocktail scene was really starting to take off in Shoreditch, where I worked, and I was soon distracted by spirits – it was a very exciting time. One of my first assignments was visiting the Jura whisky distillery and the romance of it all, the adventure, the people, the history around it really blew me away. I was hooked after that.

You published your debut book, Ten Cocktails: The Art of Convivial Drinking, last year. How did you find the experience and what’s it all about?

I had been approached by various publishers to do drinks books before, but all their ideas were very generic. I wanted to do something different. I wanted to tell the stories that I would tell someone if I were making them a drink in my own kitchen, amazing stories from history, my own travels, tips for making the drinks, insight into how things are made. I wanted it to be conversational, not encyclopaedic, because that conviviality is a huge part of what the drinks world is about. I wanted to show how the liquid in your glass is just the start of a big cultural adventure.

How can the trade improve the way it talks to consumers about spirits?

I find the moment people’s eyes really light up is when you set the scene. Instead of just talking about how vermouth is made, describe the aperitivo hour, the food, the atmosphere, where that moment, that drink, might fit in their lives (after work/ at night/at a party). People think drinks are complicated/snobby/expensive. They need to see how easy they can be. Way too often, cocktail recipes in magazines are unrealistically complicated. People are very worried about getting it wrong. It’s about inspiring them and building confidence.

What tipples are you currently favouring?

Having spent a long time getting into all the molecular/sensory stuff I’m now returning to much simpler drinks: Negronis, G&Ts, whisky and soda, lots of vermouth and really just playing with the details – trying an alternative to Campari, a different whisky, or varying the garnish. I’m also a complete punch zealot. I always make punch for my talks and parties.

It has such an amazing history and is so easy. I’m more interested in ingredients than techniques these days, which is why I love bartenders like Marcis Dzelzainis (Sager + Wilde), who makes very simple drinks with fantastic flavours. I think the influence of chefs on bartending has been great for the cocktail scene.