1.
Brazil 66% -
With a waterfall of intense flavours, I find this
chocolate can definitely divide opinions. Tones of unripe banana
mingle with smoky, tobacco notes; finishing with fruity and acidic
aromas that linger on the palate. This blend of beans from the
Atlantic forests of Bahia, and the Amazon basin create a truly unique
flavour profile. With
the Brazil we decided to go a bit off piste and make a pineapple
punch to work with the tropical notes of the chocolate and showcase a
more interesting take on chocolate pairing. We acidified the
pineapple juice to bring a refreshing sharpness to the drink. The gin
we used was our Spring gin Pinga for its bright chamomile notes to pair
with the pineapple. To bring the chocolate back in to play we
sweetened the punch with a dark malt syrup.
2. Dominican
Republic 70% -
One of our most popular origins, using beans from
the Cibao valley (one of the most Northern cocoa growing areas in the
world). This chocolate is full of exotic and fruity green aromas,
which are elevated by spices, wine, and olive notes to create an
unusually tempting flavour profile. With
the Dominican we really enjoyed playing with the funky fermented
notes and wanted to create somehting that really highlighted that. We
made an Aqvavit sour with a lemon sherbet and and then finished it
with a celery seed infuzed port.
3. Ghana 85% -
An
aromatic chocolate, with a distinct cocoa and bitter flavour. Notes
of roasted nuts and coconut develop during tasting, with a lighter,
slightly floral aroma to finish. Our strongest sample in the group,
it does back pack a cocoa punch, but the lengthy conching process
ensures a clean and mellow finish, making it feel lighter than it
is. For
the Ghana we wanted to play to the classic chocolate notes and the
great coconut flavours. We made a gin and coconut flip using egg
yolks for texture and then finished it with Wiper and True
Milkshake stout to make something big that would stand up to the
chocolate.
4.
Gin and Grapefruit truffle -
On
trialling Psychopomp’s Woden gin, we wanted to find a chocolate
that wouldn’t completely overpower the subtle notes and flavours of
the botanicals. We looked to a more fruity, acidic chocolate base,
wanting to bring out the grapefruit citrus notes in the gin. One of
our favourites, from the Madirifolo plantation in Madagascar did the
job beautifully. Made from beans grown around Tamarind trees, this
chocolate has a fruity character, and a lot of fresh sour and acidic
notes. To further elevate the flavours, we created a grapefruit jelly
to add an extra citrus hint, which paired with the gin truffle
beautifully.
Where we’ve been eating
Team Pomp may be known for our love of booze, but we are also big
food fans too. Here are a few places the team have been eating recently. Danny
Urban Tandoor – I can’t believe I have only
just discovered this place, what an awesome Indian restaurant. Have
the soft shell crab it’s delicious.
Cargo Cantina – Tasty tacos, fresh and vibrant.
Great place to pop in for a snack and a Tequila.
Ceres – Really tasty brunch menu and free BYO.
We brought our own Bloody Marys, hangovers sorted. Liam
Squeezed – Burgers, fries, lemonade – need I
say more? Despite very close competition the best burgers in Bristol
in my opinion. The burgers make me go back again and again, but its
the freshly made lemonade that has turned my visits into a near
weekly event.
Farro Bakery – Not technically a ‘place’
but they do supply lots of cafes in Bristol and have stalls at a
number of markets. Maya buys their Caneles whenever she sees them –
they are quite special.
Wings Diner at Small bar – Finally fried
chicken done well. In fact its better than that, its really damn good
and in one of the best beer bars in Bristol too. Mark
Wilsons
- Finally
got around to booking a table and
it was worth the wait. No pretence, no gimmicks this wonderful place
is all about the food and little else.
Berthas
Pizza
- Their specials are worthy of
worship, the
standard menu
never
disappoints. Staff are friendly, service is quick and efficient and
my kids love it. Also there’s always a few Moor beers on offer
which is always a good thing.
Mark’s
Bread - There is very good bread available in most corners of
Bristol. Mark’s is in my corner and it is
possibly
my favourite place in the city. The bacon sarnies and poached eggs
are banging if you’re sticking around in the morning and not
rushing home to eat loads of bread. Steph
Eatchu
– I
am always in the mood for dumplings and these are always my first
choice. Order anything and everything off the menu, its all
delicious. But make sure you don’t forget the rather special soy
eggs!
Oowee
– My hangover takeaway place. Nothing quite soothes the pain like
their marmite and jack burger with waffles fries.
Sun
Tavern
( Bethnal green, London) – I was visiting friends recently and made
a stop into an old favourite of mine. Tasty beer, whiskey and cheese
– yes please. Matt
Bakers
and co – For me its the one for brunch.
Dela
– This place has
a
great open space and delicious Scandinavian food.
Hunter
and sons (Bath) – When I’m having a break from Bristol I’ll pop
in. Perfect for a snack and has an excellent beer selection.
We are on the look out for the right person to come and join our distillery family. We have a new position available for a distillery apprentice. The position involves working with the teams at both of our distilleries, learning on the job as well as through external accredited courses in distillation. There is no experience necessary, but there are a few attributes that will certainly come in handy. Attention to detail, computer literacy, an interest in science, a driving license and a good head for numbers would all certainly help. However the most important things we are looking for are a desire to learn and a passion for flavour. The role is based on 30 hours a week of work and 10 hours a week of independent learning leading to internationally recognised qualifications. We are a living wage employer, we have some great perks and we pride ourselves in being a good employer. We will genuinely consider all applicants. If you're interested, then email a C.V. along with a cover l
We love collaborating with other local independent producers in a variety of fields and like all other local chocoholics, we are massive fans of Zara’s Chocolates! We have previously been inspired by her products for ‘Distillers Table-CHOCOLATE’ and love tasting what the talented team create from each of our seasonal recipes throughout the year. Here Zara lets us behind the scenes on her process in creating the latest Spring Gin Truffle with ‘Freyja’. Process: On looking at the botanicals in the 'Freyja', and smelling the aromas, we immediately felt an urge to trial the gin with a frangipan style filling, to pair with the apricot and orange blossom notes. We felt like a lighter, sweeter take for Spring this time with our gin truffle, a change from our stronger boozy, fruity pairings we've done previously. Grinding up some freshly toasted almonds to make a smooth nut paste, we then paired this with a white chocolate, and some organic orange oil for a sweet frangipa
You will have noticed that we only serve three types of drinks in the distillery; Gin & tonic, Martini and Negroni. Its not just because we like to keep things simple (although we do) its because to us these are the holy trinity of gin drinks. Gin and Tonic Arguably the most popular way to drink gin and possibly the most famous booze pairing ever. Everyone's recipe varies according to taste but in the distillery we serve ours: 50ml gin, 100ml tonic, in a tall glass with a long stick of ice and garnished with fresh citrus. The history of the G&T really begins with British colonial India, when the British troops would mix their medicinal quinine with their gin ration to make it more palatable. The rise of the G&T as a drink can clearly be traced back to the early days of Queen Victoria and the return of the expatriates from the Indian colonies who had developed a love for the concoction. Martini Made with gin and vermouth, the Martini is arguably one of the mo
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