Oz and Hugh Drink to Christmas

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Oz and Hugh Drink to Christmas
OAHDTCtitle.jpg
GenreFood and drink
Directed byMark Powell
Starring Oz Clarke
Hugh Dennis
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes1
Production
Executive producerNick Shearman
ProducerMark Powell
Running time60 minutes
Original release
Network BBC Two
Release20 December 2009 (2009-12-20)
Related
Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure
Oz and James Drink to Britain
Oz and Hugh Raise the Bar

Oz and Hugh Drink to Christmas is a BBC television programme in which wine personality Oz Clarke and comedian Hugh Dennis travel through Britain to sample a wide array of seasonal Christmas beverages, including whisky, winter ales, mulled wine, wassail, sloe gin, Buck's Fizz, Port wine and Sherry. Upon its 20 December 2009 broadcast on BBC Two, it had a viewership of approximately 2.4 million with an audience share of 9%. [1]

Contents

In contrast to Clarke's other programmes with James May, Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure and Oz and James Drink to Britain , the Christmas special was criticised in the press for its greater focus on achieving intoxication and exploring which drinks are more effective in that pursuit. Dublin Evening Herald columnist Katie Byrne described the show as Clarke and Dennis divining that the true spirit of Christmas is "getting hammered". [2]

Background

Oz Clarke is internationally known wine expert and writer who has worked in the wine industry since 1984. He has served as the wine correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and was previously featured on the BBC Two programme Food and Drink . Following the cancellation of Food and Drink, Clarke was paired with Top Gear presenter James May to produce a series of wine and drink related programs for the BBC. [3] In the premise of those shows, Clarke was the beverage expert with James May serving as the "wingman" who was not as knowledgeable about the subject. In December 2009, Clarke was paired with comedian Hugh Dennis, a self-described "half a bottle drinker", to produce a similar odd couple dynamic. [2] The change of front man was a direct result of May's unavailability, owing to the filming of his own factual series James May's Toy Stories. Oz made reference to this on screen stating that May was "off playing with his toys".

The premise of Oz and Hugh Drink to Christmas is Clarke and Dennis' tasting experience throughout the United Kingdom sampling a variety or beverages "Christmas tipple" traditionally associated with the holiday season. In addition to sampling the drinks, the history of the beverages and their association with the holidays is also explored. Among the drinks featured in the show are whiskies and Winter ales from the Scottish Highlands, mulled wine in Portsmouth, wassail punch in South West England, sloe gin in Wiltshire, the Spanish wine Sherry and the Portuguese wine Port. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gin</span> Distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper

Gin is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries and other botanical ingredients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mulled wine</span> Heated red wine with spices

Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is an alcoholic drink usually made with red wine, along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins, served hot or warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas. It is usually served at Christmas markets in Europe, primarily in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, Romania, Nordics and eastern France. There are non-alcoholic versions of it. Vodka-spiked mulled wine can be found in Polish Christmas markets, where mulled wine is commonly used as a mixer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Dennis</span> British comedian

Peter Hugh Dennis is an English comedian, presenter, actor, impressionist, and writer. He was a panellist in every episode of the comedy show Mock the Week (2005–2022). He has also appeared in the comedy double act Punt and Dennis with Steve Punt and played Dr. Piers Crispin in the sitcom My Hero (2000–2006), Pete Brockman in the sitcom Outnumbered (2007–2016), Toby in the sitcom Not Going Out (2014–present), and the Bank Manager in the first season of the comedy-drama series Fleabag (2016). He presents the community archaeology television show The Great British Dig (2020–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suntory</span> Japanese beverage company

Suntory Holdings Limited is a Japanese multinational brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan, and makes Japanese whisky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James May</span> English television presenter and journalist

James Daniel May is an English television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a co-presenter of the motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond from 2003 until 2015. He also served as a director of the production company W. Chump & Sons, which has since ceased operating. He is a co-presenter of the television series The Grand Tour for Amazon Prime Video, alongside his former Top Gear colleagues, Clarkson and Hammond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sloe gin</span> Red liqueur made from gin and blackthorn drupes

Sloe gin is a British red liqueur made with gin and sloes, which are the drupe fruit of the Prunus spinosa, the blackthorn plant, a relative of the plum. As an alcoholic drink, Sloe gin contains between 15 percent and 30 percent alcohol by volume. However, the European Union has established a minimum of 25% ABV for sloe gin to be named as such. Sloe gin is technically a gin-based liqueur, but due to historical prevalence at the time of writing the EU spirit drink regulations, the colloquial name 'sloe gin' was included in the legal definitions and as such is the only gin-based liqueur that can legally be called gin without the liqueur suffix. The traditional way of making sloe gin is to soak the sloes in gin. Most recipes call for the addition of sugar, but this is not required. The drink develops sweetness when the fruit is left in the alcohol and is allowed to mature. The addition of sugar is actually likely to inhibit the passage of flavour compounds from the fruit into the spirit, due to a reduction in osmotic pressure; a common criticism of sloe gin is that it is much too sweet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punch (drink)</span> Drink usually containing fruit or fruit juice

The term punch refers to a wide assortment of drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic, generally containing fruits or fruit juice. The drink was introduced from the Indian subcontinent to England by employees of the East India Company in the late 17th century. Punch is usually served at parties in large, wide bowls, known as punch bowls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wassail</span> Hot mulled cider

Wassail is a beverage made from hot mulled cider, ale, or wine and spices, drunk traditionally as an integral part of wassailing, an ancient English Yuletide drinking ritual and salutation either involved in door-to-door charity-giving or used to ensure a good harvest the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eggnog</span> Sweetened dairy-based beverage

Eggnog, historically also known as a milk punch or an egg milk punch when alcoholic beverages are added, is a rich, chilled, sweetened, dairy-based beverage. It is traditionally made with milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, and whipped egg whites. A distilled spirit such as brandy, rum, whiskey or bourbon is often a key ingredient.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liquor</span> Alcoholic drink produced by distillation

Liquor is an alcoholic drink produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit, distilled beverage, spirituous liquor or hard liquor. The distillation process concentrates the liquid to increase its alcohol by volume. As liquors contain significantly more alcohol (ethanol) than other alcoholic drinks, they are considered "harder." In North America, the term hard liquor is sometimes used to distinguish distilled alcoholic drinks from non-distilled ones, whereas the term spirits is more commonly used in the UK. Some examples of liquors include vodka, rum, gin, and tequila. Liquors are often aged in barrels, such as for the production of brandy and whiskey, or are infused with flavorings to form flavored liquors, such as absinthe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oz Clarke</span> British actor and wine writer

Robert Owen Clarke, known as Oz Clarke, is a British wine writer, actor, television presenter and broadcaster.

<i>Oz and Jamess Big Wine Adventure</i> British TV series or programme

Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure is a BBC television programme of which two series have been broadcast. It was presented by wine expert Oz Clarke and motoring journalist James May, with Clarke aiming to educate May about wine while undertaking a road trip. The first season focused on France and the second on California. The sequel series Oz and James Drink to Britain, broadcast in 2009, made the change to a focus on the variety of beverages available in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fizz (cocktail)</span> Type of carbonated alcoholic mixed drinks

A "fizz" is a mixed drink variation on the older sours family of cocktail. Its defining features are an acidic juice and carbonated water. It typically includes gin or rum as its alcoholic ingredient.

Oz and Hugh Raise the Bar is a BBC television programme in which wine personality and expert Oz Clarke and comedian and actor Hugh Dennis travel across Ireland and the United Kingdom in order to sample and discover the wide array of British and Irish Alcoholic beverages. In this series they collected different beverages from each location before selling them at a pub in Shustoke. Currently only one series has been made.

Dà Mhìle is a Welsh whisky distillery. It was the second to produce producing commercially available whisky made in Wales since the 19th century, and its existence allowed the European Union to designate Wales as a whisky-producing country. The distillery's first whisky was commissioned to Springbank in 1992, and the second in 2000 to Loch Lomond.

References

  1. Tryhorn, Chris, The Guardian (21 December 2009). TV ratings: Christmas Cranford starts with 6.5m
  2. 1 2 Byrne, Katie, Dublin Evening Herald (21 December 2009). Cheers to the true spirit of Christmas
  3. J. Codd "Wine wizard Oz Clarke is a man of many talents" Daily Echo, 8 December 2008
  4. Hampshire Portsmouth area news "Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to star in BBC2s Oz and Hugh Drink to Christmas" About My Area Local News, 16 December 2009