Greetings, foul friends!
Brother G here.
As you may recall from last month’s journal entry, we were doing our best to try and learn more about you humans and your interests.
Amongst The Black Lodge’s cast of oddities, no one matched Brother T’s unbridled enthusiasm for the football experiment. However, owing to an unfortunate accident involving a two-footed tackle, an angry werewolf, and an ill-judged remark about the referee’s eyesight, he’s writing this month’s Black Lodge journal entry from his sick bed.
Please join me in wishing him a speedy recovery (3,000-year-old bones don’t repair themselves as quickly as they used to, but he’ll never admit it).
Over to you, Brother T.
Thank you, Brother G.
While the rest of The Lodge wasn’t exactly enamoured by your little human quirks and eccentricities, I found myself warming to them immensely, especially your sports events.
And with a plethora of sporting events happening this month, I couldn’t have picked a better time to be incapacitated.
A comfortable bed of nails to lie on, delicious Black Lodge Potions gin in plentiful supply, and a whole month of human sport to watch without having to wrestle the remote control away from Madame Vestra and her soaps? (or Ghost Adventures and Most Haunted as you might know them).
Marvellous!
Here’s what I’ll be watching (and drinking) this month:
Wimbledon (1st – 14th July)
I confess the scoring system of this game baffles me, but I enjoy sending hexes through the TV and watching racquets being smashed in anger and players arguing with the umpire – it does my undead soul the world of good.
Might I humbly recommend an alternative drink to the traditional Pimms while you watch this year’s events? See the Cocktail of the Month recipe a little further down this page for more details.
British Grand Prix (7th July)
Traditionally miserable weather, horrendous crashes, and watching drivers struggle to explain the lack of performance in their car whilst blissfully unaware of the gremlins we sneaked into their engines when they weren’t looking – I ask you; what’s not to love?
Euro 2024 Final (14th July)
England may be odds-on favourites to win the tournament, but after some research into their prior form, I believe they’re quite fond of, what’s the expression? Bottling it.
Regardless of whether England is there or not, I’ll be tuning in to get some diving tips for when I’m back on my feet and able to play again.
Speaking of diving…
Olympics (26th July – 7th August)
The very best athletes from around the world meet up every 4 years and compete for the chance to stand on a small step and wear a shiny gold sovereign around their neck. I can’t say I completely understand why you’d put all that effort in for so little reward, but I appreciate the spectacle all the same.
For those of you who aren’t into your sports, worry not, there’s still plenty of value for you in this month’s journal to get your fangs into.
GIN OF THE MONTH
In the spotlight this month is our fruity favourite; Wild Strawberry and Black Pepper. Believe it or not, the creation of this mercurial masterpiece almost didn’t happen. We were already happy with our lineup of award-winning craft gin flavours, but we had a few ingredients and some unflavoured gin left.
So, we did what any self-respecting connoisseurs of taste would do; we threw what we had left in the fridge and the cupboards into some gin to see what would happen. From these uncivilised beginnings, one of our most popular flavours was born.
Nose
Fruity fresh, piny, slightly smoky
Palate
A fresh burst of mouth-filling strawberry, warming peppery heat and a silky smooth texture
Finish
A warm, sweet conclusion, with long-lasting, tingling sensations
Order your Wild Strawberry and Black Pepper gin and enjoy the taste of summer.
COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH
As I mentioned above, we’ve got a flavoursome summer cocktail that’s a stunning alternative to the traditional Pimms they serve at SW19.
Wild Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin;
- Plenty of Ice
- 50ml Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin
- 150ml Asti sparkling wine
- 25ml Crème de fraise bois (Strawberry liqueur)
- Dash of lime juice
- Garnish with slices of lemon or lime
UNTIL NEXT TIME…
We’ll be back next month. By then I’ll be on my feet again and be able to attend some more events, food festivals, and conventions, which I’m looking forward to immensely. I always enjoy meeting you humans and talking all things Black Lodge Potions with you, but now, I can engage in your sports banter too.
Just kindly tell me if you’re a referee first.
Stay spooky,
Brother G and Brother T
