There’s always something to look forward to

School holidays, sunny weather and a cost-of-living crisis that’s still very much in full swing are all distracting in their own ways. As we all attempt to navigate the situation as best we can, it’s easy to forget that we are in the middle of ‘Holy Week’, which is traditionally the most sombre and reflective week in the Christian calendar. Truth be told, fewer people purchase flavoured Prosecco online at this time of year, but that’s all the more reason to look forward to the end of Lent!

Sacred harmony.

The journey from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday is hugely significant, with each day having its own Theological theme that has been carefully observed by Christians for more than 1500 years. Without going into it too much (this is, after all, a blog about Prosecco-style cocktails), it’s worth pointing out that Western Christians are unusually coordinated in the observance of Holy Week: Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists and all other churches essentially agree on how each day should go. In an increasingly fragmented world, this is something to be proud of.

The time to celebrate is nearly here.

Holy Week is, essentially, a sombre time. Events like Judas’s betrayal, The Last Supper, and the Denial of Peter are all fundamentally sad, as each of them represents a step towards the awful events of Good Friday. It has to be like this, though, as forgiveness of sin must come at a price. It also sets the tone nicely for the happiest and most important day of the Christian Calendar: Easter Sunday. The day we celebrate! And, of course, the absolutely perfect time for a bottle of Gasm! There is no better way to mark the end of Lent, so we’d recommend starting your preparations by following this link to buy flavoured Prosecco-style cocktails online. 

Glorious fizz cocktails.

The solemnity of Holy Week and the fact that lots of people still give up booze for Lent only makes the arrival of Easter more special. We firmly believe that those of you who have managed to abstain successfully should reward yourselves by choosing something special with which to wet your whistle. Trust us when we say that a glass of Razz Gasm after a period away is a thing of beauty! There’s something uniquely celebratory about a champagne cocktail; our expertly crafted blends of finest-quality sparkling wine and British fruit gins mean you can enjoy a colourful, exciting and moreish tipple that’s perfect every time. And ready at the pop of a cork. 

Forget the red wine: lamb has a new best friend.

While we’d recommend Razz Gasm for that all-important first toast, when it comes to the main course, we’re squarely in lamb territory, which lends itself rather better to something else in our range. An Easter leg of lamb is among the oldest of all culinary traditions. It even predates Christianity itself, as lamb plays a central role in the Jewish Passover (Hebrews marked their doors with lambs’ blood). We should also say, as proud inhabitants of Wales, that we’re blessed to have the best lamb in the world, so we don’t need much persuading! But before we get to an easy and delicious lamb leg recipe, we want to let you in on a little secret: sloe and lamb pair wonderfully together. And the same applies to Sloeberry Gasm…

Prepare to impress.

But first, we need to prepare a feast to remember. The first step is to find yourself a quality butcher and buy a leg of lamb. Those of you who don’t need a whole one should get a half leg: just make sure it’s the butt end (from the top of the leg) as you get a much better portion. If you can choose Welsh lamb, do, as it is the best, but any British lamb will be very good quality. We’d also recommend stocking up on Sloeberry Gasm, so make sure to buy flavoured Prosecco online and buy a bottle or two straight from us.

Easy leg of lamb method.

When it comes to cooking, it’s all about timing. The first step to a perfect Easter lunch is to take the leg of lamb out of the fridge. Room temperature joints are far easier to cook evenly. The next thing is to peel potatoes and get them boiling. While the spuds are bubbling away, the oven is heating up and you’re enjoying a glass of Razz Gasm, prepare the joint for roasting. This is incredibly easy. Thinly slice two large cloves of garlic, then make holes throughout the meat with a sharp knife and slide the garlic into them. Then roll the joint in olive oil and season well with salt and pepper (nothing else). Finally, stick a few sprigs of fresh rosemary into the garlic holes.

Perfect, rested lamb, crispy roasties and real gravy.

The potatoes should have boiled for about ten minutes, so drain them and allow them to steam and dry out. Get a large tray and put the lamb in the centre, with the potatoes scattered around the side. Add a bit of butter and olive oil to the spuds and pop the tray in the oven at 190˚  for about 55-70 minutes (or 25 minutes per 500g). Remove the lamb and put on a chopping board that retains resting juices. Leave it. It won’t go cold, but you might want to cover it loosely in foil. Take the spuds, put them in a new tray and return them to the oven. Place the original roasting tray over a very low heat, add a little flour and whisk all the sticky goodness into a paste, which you can loosen with a little water. Once the vegetables are boiling, use a ladle to pour their water into the tray to finish the gravy, along with the resting juices from the lamb. The absolute last thing is to slice the lamb and transfer the gravy into a boat. 

The birth of a modern classic.

Leg of lamb and Sloeberry Gasm go wonderfully together. We like to imagine a future where this marriage is as familiar and well-loved as strawberries and Champagne. Lamb goes fabulously with bolder fruit flavours like sloe and juniper, so a gin-based Prosecco cocktail is pure perfection. Please do give it a try and let us know how you get on!