Lightly buttered toast, with a generous dollop of jam or orange marmalade. For years, it’s been the breakfast that Britons choose to set them up for the day.
But what about adding a splash of whisky to the marmalade or a glug of gin to the jam? It may sound like a recipe for a hangover by lunchtime, but classic spreads are now enjoying an edgy rebirth thanks to a growing demand for booze-infused products.
‘It’s really lovely to mix, say, the finest Sicillian lemons with an earthy whisky,’ says Jennifer Williams, a specialist jam maker, whose company, Naked Jam, has seen a 40 per cent boost in the market since introducing alcohol-flavoured preserves.
Angela Epstein gives verdict on a selection of classic spreads with a tipsy twist (file image)
‘Fruits and alcohol really complement one another in terms of taste and balance. A clean spirit, like vodka or gin, can soften the overpowering sweetness of a jam, for example.’
Jennifer suggests that if you do have jam on toast, you should team it with a good, unsalted butter as the fat will absorb the tartness of some spreads.
For those wanting to start the day with a tipsy twist, there are plenty of products on offer (don’t worry, the alcohol content gets cooked off in the preparation process). Here’s how they fared in my taste test.
DROP OF THE GOOD STUFF
Pittenweem Preserves Malt Whisky Orange Marmalade, £3.50 for 200g, pittenweempreserves.co.uk
Angela said Pittenweem Preserves Malt Whisky Orange Marmalade (pictured) is best mixed with bourbon and lemon juice for a sundown tipple
Seville oranges are blended with Bunnahabhain whisky (a single malt produced from a distillery on the Hebridean islands since 1881) for a gloriously rich combination. The initial tartness of the orange gives way to a deep smack of peaty malt.
In fact, this does linger in the same way that neat whisky can leave a chemical aftershock. It’s not a problem if you’re a spirit lover like me but it may be a sharp surprise for those who usually decline a wee dram.
My advice is to forget the toast and mix a dollop of this golden amber spread with bourbon, lemon juice and ice for the perfect sundown tipple. Trust me, it’s gorgeous. 4/5
SEXED-UP SPREAD
Spreadable Pornstar Martini, £8.99 for 225g, thebottleclub.com
Angela said Spreadable Pornstar Martini (pictured) is redeemed when stirred into a neat vodka with ice
A Martini cocktail may have been Bond’s favourite tipple but even 007 might baulk at the suggestive name of this spread. Clearly this is an attempt to make staid marmalade sexy. Made from passion fruit puree, oranges, lemon and lime, it’s also ‘straddled by a vicious twist of vodka’.
The problem is that the taste is a huge let-down. I don’t pick up any vodka and the citrus hit is so sharp, it overpowers the passionfruit. If it weren’t for its dark telltale seeds, you wouldn’t know it was there. Redeemed slightly when stirred into a neat vodka with ice. But, frankly, I’m neither shaken nor stirred. 1/5
INDULGENT TREAT
Pinkster Gin Jam £6.50 for 340g, ocado.com
Angela said Pinkster Gin Jam (pictured) is extremely sweet with subtle notes of gin that can be enjoyed in jam tarts
Wow! A shade of vampy dark red, this jam is made from the gin-soaked raspberries discarded from production of the company’s signature Pinkster pink gin (for being too mushed), so there’s minimal wastage. The jam is extremely sweet and the notes of gin are subtle. I actually found myself spooning it straight from
