OS Corkscrew Society

I am delighted to report on the recent activities of the OS Corkscrew Club, which continues to be an extremely popular part of the OS events programme. Last year, we held three superb tastings, all of which were a sell out!

We kicked off by gathering 30 people for a fascinating tasting with Chase Distillery at The Running Horse, Mayfair. The evening was led by Fred Barton from Chase and featured a tasty Williams Chase GB Gin and Tonic, three vodkas and three gins, all of varying flavours, accompanied by some incredibly delicious serving platters. Fred gave an excellent and informative talk on the history of Chase Distillery and the different ways that all their spirits are distilled and flavoured. Fred shared some helpful advice on differences in character between the spirits and which flavours work best in particular cocktails.

Our next occasion was a Champagne Tasting with expert sommelier, Guy Boursot held at Tadpoles Nursery School, which is owned and run by Claire Dimpfl, wife of Charles Dimpfl (Chatham 66). Guy’s family were among the first to import Champagne into England in the 18th Century and he continues the tradition with his company to this day. Guy led us through a selection of seven Champagnes, keeping everyone entertained with his expert knowledge, witty stories and party tricks for the duration. Zara White (Lyttelton 06) served an arrange of delicious canapés. To bring the evening to a close, Guy treated our guests to Sabrage – the technique for opening a bottle with a sword. It was a wonderful evening and we were delighted to bring together 50 wine enthusiasts!

Excitingly, as part of our programme for this year, Guy will be leading a tour of the Champagne Region, from Wednesday 13 May – Friday 15 May. The trip is £475 per person, including travel and accommodation, as well as entry to a number of Grand Marc Champagne Houses. The trip will focus on delicious French food and glorious wine and fizz from the region. Our coach will depart from London and places are available if you would like to join us. Please visit the OS website for the full itinerary.

Our final tasting of the year, held in October 2019, was kindly hosted by Andrew Clarke (Bruce 77) at the prestigious Cad & The Dandy tailors on Savile Row, kindly hosted by the owner, James Sleater (Chatham 99). The tasting featured various vintages of Chablis from Andrew’s vineyard in France. We had the pleasure of trying 6 different wines, all of varying ages, and Andrew spoke with advice on both the differences in tasting for each year and the history of Chablis wines. Once again, the evening was a sell out with 40 guests in attendance.

We remain ever grateful for the support of our members and look forward to seeing those of you who enjoy learning about wines at our tastings in 2020.

Talulla Barrow (Lyttelton 07)