Bigging up Birmingham bars with Matt Arnold

We've packed a lot into this week's episode, so sorry not sorry that it's a little longer than most… We start with a tasting of Aber Falls Single Malt Whisky from Wales and continue with Brugal 1888 Double Aged Rum from the Dominican Republic, while our pick of the week on the book front is 'Signature Cocktails' by Amanda Schuster. Instead of one bar review, we have seven from a recent visit to Venice. There's a mix of historic and modern, all recommended for the next time you visit The Floating City. From northeastern Italy, we head to the middle of the UK where we catch up with World Class GB winner Matt Arnold. We hear from him about why he's on a mission to put Birmingham on the global map and to recap on his experience at the recent World Class Global Finals in São Paulo. For more from The Cocktail Lovers, visit thecocktaillovers.com For the products featured in this episode, see websites below: What we're mixing: Scorpion 45ml Gold rum 22.5ml cognac or pisco 60ml freshly squeezed orange juice 30ml freshly squeezed lemon juice 15ml orgeat syrup Method: Blend all ingredients with crushed ice and serve in a Collins glass. Garnish with a slice of orange and mint sprig. Recipe: diffordsguide.com Aber Falls Single Malt Whisky Brugal 1888 Double Aged Rum Passing Fancies Signature Cocktails by Amanda Schuster Italian Bars: Aman Arts Bar Experimental Cocktail Club Bar Longhi at The Gritti Palace Harry's Bar Venice Osteria I Rusteghi The Library Bar at Nolinski Venezia Venice Cocktail Week The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' Watson Edited by Christian Fox