Journalist friends, please respond to the UK government's consultation on late payments and poor practices. The NUJ has responses to help your submission. This is an important opportunity for every freelance journalist. #StopTheFreelanceRipOff: nuj.org.uk/resource/stop-the-freelance-rip-off.html

For any of you that live within the SE London area, I will be holding a BS-busting, drink-it-your-way, build your whisky confidence tasting. Pairings. Blind drams. Fun. Esp for those new to whisky or suffering from Dunning-Kruger effect. Hit the link below. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/welcome-to...

This weeks #what3whiskies interview is with the fab Olivia Pattison. Pour a dram and take five to meet her. clairevokins.substack.com/p/meet-olivi...

In this weeks #what3whiskies, we meet Ryan Sweeney. A freelancer in this fab industry, with an specialism in Australian drams. clairevokins.substack.com/p/meet-ryan-...

Morning all. Just a little note to say I will be at the Midlands Whisky Festival in Birmingham this weekend, pouring some Torabhaig and Mossburn delights. Do come and find me if you are going. Always lovely to say hello!

📖 A glimpse into the past of London… From the bustling docks where sherry casks once arrived by the thousand, to the single malt soon to be in your glass Our upcoming release - Embarque - captures the spirit of that journey, inspired by the historic sherry cask trade

One of THE best articles on cask ownership/brokerage I have read. It's long, but worth it. Educational for sure, and a new acronym to to separate the good from the bad; SCIV wisgy.co.uk/wisgy-weekly...

Due to my shenanigans on Sunday, I didn't promote this new #what3whiskies terribly well. So please, take a couple of minutes to find out about @thedramble.bsky.social of @londondistilleryco.bsky.social clairevokins.substack.com/p/meet-matt-...

Hello BlueSky... I kind of forgot about you today. Anyway, have a read, share etc before the attention gets too much and I take it down.... clairevokins.substack.com/p/when-saltb...

ICYMI

We are on a fab roll at the moment with #what3whiskies This week we have 'The Dark Cloud', aka Sean Kinkaid from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Part of a great whisky community over there, here are his three chosen drams. clairevokins.substack.com/p/meet-the-d...

Evening all. A wee little bank holiday weekend #what3whiskies for you! clairevokins.substack.com/p/meet-frase...

It's been a while, but I have a new run of #what3whiskies incoming, starting with Dan of @summertonclub.com Enjoy! clairevokins.substack.com/p/meet-danie...

This was a great re-introduction to Bimber and the fantastic whisky they are making there. Future articles to come, and yes, I did ask "that" question.

Hello all. Will be at Whisky Fringe, Edinburgh this weekend, pouring some phenomenal drams for Torabhaig/Mossburn. If you're going, come and say hello.

A little writing outside my 'industry' comfort zones. Not whisky, not hort, just why I love film at the cinema so much. substack.com/home/post/p-...

We had Scott Sneddon, Managing Director of InchDairnie Whisky on the @honesttoamalt.bsky.social podcast this evening. An absolute pleasure to chat with Scott and try Raw, and the Double Matured, 8 year old bottles. #whisky

ICYMI

Tech request: anyone I know use a dictaphone? And if so which? Any tips for reasonable priced kit? Ta.

For UK Bluesky users, this is why you can't access DM's until you verify your age etc. www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safet....

Next instalment of why I am leaving horticulture is live. clairevokins.substack.com/p/how-i-came...

I feel bad for the staff, but "oh, what a shame"....

Been absent recently.... but here's why: A few days away for an annual trip with family to RAF Fairford for the Royal International Air Tattoo. Also a day in Oxford and today receiving result for this years Economics module, which I passed with higher grade than expected. Time to relax a bit.

ICYMI

Thanks for sharing Lewis!

Hello. New blog post up on Substack. Enjoy. clairevokins.substack.com/p/has-dei-died

Next Wednesday, the fab @exploringwhisky.bsky.social team are bringing 'Berry Bros. & Rudd' to SE London at the Ignition Brewery, Sydenham. A few tickets left. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exploring-...

ICYMI 2 Substack posts dropped over the weekend; one about whiskey and one about horticulture. Pick your poison!

On a writing roll.... here is my 'long read' about a PR trip to #SlaneIrishWhiskey and castle. clairevokins.substack.com/p/notaninflu...

Seriously, get in!!!

Been a while, but life is life-ing outside of social media! Anyway, finally got started on my Substack horticulture series on why I will be leaving the hort industry. (Also, working on a whisky long-read for this Sunday!) clairevokins.substack.com/p/how-i-came...

Morning all! Last call for a fab whisky tasting in SE London on Wednesday 28th May. @exploringwhisky.bsky.social is hosting #TheHeartCut whisky in Sydenham. Not only will there be some great drams, but beer pairings and maybe some chocolate as well/ Link below. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exploring-...

After the UK has been through the driest spring in over a century, today, I get to work in the pissing down rain because a delivery company f*cked up yesterday. Normally I could put off a job, but I'm turfing. It should arrive at 10am and I need to carry it through a house and lay it all today.

An actual pic of me, not working at a festival and having fun. Summerton, as always was awesome.

As the RHS Chelsea Flower show is about to start getting its yearly coverage, please take a read of this article I wrote a couple of years back, and is one of the main points I will be writing about on my new Substack feature. clairevokins.substack.com/p/to-volunte...

Nothing like a 6+ fire engine, hotel evacuation, leading to a bus crashing into a van outside your house to wake you up at 12.30am on a Saturday night. Everyone is ok.

IT'S SUMMERTON SATURDAAAAAAAAAY!!!!! And I hate waking up so early because I have longer to wait. Anyway, see some of you in a few hours. @summertonclub.com

I can heartily declare that the battle to clean up fragile male ego's in whisky is still well and truly raging on. Yes, this is cryptic. No, I won't go into detail on line. But, FAFO!!

This should be an absolute banger of an event. I'll be there supporting the event. #TheHeartCut are bringing a whole new approach to whisky, which is supported by a great story, great drams and 'Fab'* people. *IYKYK

🚨COMPETITION TIME 🚨 Win two tickets to this November’s English Whisky Festival worth £100- simply subscribe to our mailing list here bit.ly/4mcfLSF Good luck! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🥃🙌 Over 18s only. One entry per person (per email supplied). No cash alternative.

Morning you lovelies! Right, this weekend: Saturday I'll be at the Summerton Whisky Festival and on Sunday you can find me working with the utterly fabulous @dramaticlibby.bsky.social on the @glasgowdc.bsky.social stand at #thewhiskyevent Can't tell you how excited I am for that!! Details follow:

I have just completed my final essay AND online assessment for my L2 economics module. I just have exam to go in June. But I am dancing. It's been bloody hard playing catch-up after the events of last October-December (people died!), and I almost gave up and deferred. All I gotta do now is revise!

Yep, if you're going to ask for a name for getting my coffee, I am going to make you call out Maleficent really loudly.

And so, as May kicks in, so too does the 4.30am wake ups. Every f*cking year. Bloody Circadian rhythms!!!

#BraveNewSpirits These are not easy drams. I had to 'caress' flavour out of them by use of water, which I don't normally have to do with higher abv drams, they need time & patience. Many great on nose, difficult on palate. A great experience as always. Fave was North British Thanks Steve!

Dram 5: Swashbucklers Palate: very herbaceous, sweet. With water, allows a little orange in there, some tropical fruit flavours. #BraveNewSpirits NB. not a rum fan, so this was always going to be a difficult dram.

Dram 5: Swashbucklers at the Gold coast Nose: Not keen on this nose (and that's being polite), its like sweet, metallic, overly herbaceous, juniper. #BraveNewSpirits

Dram 4: Ingower Palate: soft, malty, cereals, cardamom, Indian culinary spices. With water, more savoury, brings out a funk, pineapple on the turn, a little coriander. #BraveNewSpirits

Dram 4: Ingower Nose: light, dusty, liquorice, honey-nut cornflakes in box. Back of hand adds floral, violets, cut Cotinus branch, coffee, burnt sugar, ginger biscuits, fig rolls. #BraveNewSpirits