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FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Alternatives to Chartreuse
If you’re currently feeling the effects of the global shortage of green Chartreuse (and believe me, some of us are), then book a plane ticket to New York, ASAP, and visit Astor Wines and LiqueursThis fine Manhattan liquor store has curated a fine selection of substitutes, including Faccia Brutto Centerbe ($49.96 for 75cl), an emerald-green herbal liqueur made at the Faccia Brutto craft distillery just a few miles away in Brooklyn.
The resurgence of ratafia
I had always thought of ratafia as some sort of dainty ladies’ drink, relegated to a bygone era. But on a recent trip to Champagne, I discovered that this sweet French specialty is experiencing a renaissance. Henri Giraud ChampagneA family-run Aÿ business with a spa and accommodation, crafts two delicious examples of “Champagne ratafia,” a regional take on the style made by blending grape brandy with unfermented Champagne grape juice.
Henri Giraud Ratafia Solera 90-19 is a rich, silky wine with flavours of apricot, nuts and sticky dates; the most intense, Ratafia Vieillissement Exceptionnel, has notes of spice, ashy toffee and orange peel. Both are excellent after-dinner sippers. The largest bottle is 4.5 litres (€750), so leave room in your suitcase.
Border wines
Climate change has driven wine production northwards, and a bottle of wine from one of these wine frontiers would make an interesting souvenir (especially since almost no wine from this part of the world is exported). Finland’s Nagu Archipelago, sometimes called “the Saint Tropez of Finland”, is home to Nagu Castlean ambitious winery that grows noble grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, in a combination of greenhouses and open-air vineyards.
The first release, a 2024 Cabernet Sauvignon (€1,050), will hit the market in 2026, but you can sign up for the waiting list. And in the meantime, take a tour of the vineyards and enjoy the art exhibition taking place this summer in the vine-filled greenhouses. (Due to byzantine EU laws, Finland is not currently an officially recognised “wine-producing” country, but thanks to lobbying by Château Nagu founder Herman Haapman, this looks set to change in 2028.)
Dumb soft drinks
Wherever I am in the world, I always try to make time to visit a local supermarket in search of weird and wonderful junk to bring home for my kids: quirky breakfast cereals, novelty candy, and strange fizzy drink flavors. A recent find in Tokyo was a limited edition QDOL Carbonated Sea Salt Illustrated with an action hero from the cult video game of the 90s. King of Fighters 97 (It actually tasted more like cream soda than sea water, disappointingly, but no one complained.)
Distillery Exclusives
Another classy way to say “I’ve been there” is with an exclusive distillery. If you’re in the Lake District this summer and fancy Macallan-style sherry malts, then head straight to Cockermouth’s The Lakes Distillerywhich features rare bottles and collectors’ editions in the on-site shop. Kairos is a “Whisky Makers Edition” available only to those who make the trip (£80 for 70cl). Make time, too, for the grand distillery tour and a spectacular lunch in the family-run bistro afterwards. If you’re really lucky, you might even get to feed the distillery’s herd of alpacas.