Bruce Anderson

Bruce Anderson writes The Spectator's Drink column. He was previously political editor of The Spectator.

Recollections of Burgundy

13 June 2020 9:00 am

More than two months: who would have thought it possible? Before the great closure, I had been trying to decide…

Bitter memories: my craving for a pint

30 May 2020 9:00 am

It is enough to drive a man to drink. The most glorious weather, so suitable for white Burgundy on a…

Boris Johnson needs to admit his coronavirus mistakes

17 May 2020 7:00 pm

Be careful what you wish for. Over the past few years, a fair number of thoughtful Tories have included a…

The best New Zealand wine I’ve come across

16 May 2020 9:00 am

I was once invited to the Cheltenham races and found the experience underwhelming. Everything was too respectable: not nearly Hibernian…

Clarets to see in the summer

2 May 2020 9:00 am

This April was indeed the cruellest month, at least for those of us banged up in cities. From the country…

I’m drinking half as much as usual – with no ill-effects

18 April 2020 9:00 am

I cannot remember a prettier Easter, or a more frustrating one. This was no time to be in town. But…

Drinking in isolation is far less appealing

4 April 2020 9:00 am

Spring sense, caressing sunshine: last week, London enjoyed village cricket weather. Even in normal circumstances, the season would not have…

If we can’t go to the Veneto, we’ll drink to it

21 March 2020 9:00 am

We live in a world where yesterday’s inconceivable becomes today’s commonplace, but even so. I never thought that the day…

The Spanish winemakers with a missionary zeal

7 March 2020 9:00 am

It is time to begin with an apology, and hope. In the course of these columns, I have already admitted…

Which water goes best with whisky?

21 February 2020 10:00 pm

Peaty water ought to be classed as a luxury. You have spent a day on the hill, a’chasing the deer.…

How gin escaped from Gin Lane

7 February 2020 10:00 pm

In the mid-18th century, London was awash with gin. Socially-conscious members of the bourgeoisie believed that this was the root…

Bloomberg is the only Democrat who can take on Trump

28 January 2020 4:15 am

To paraphrase Shakespeare, the whirligig of time brings in… more whirligigs. Four years ago, few people thought that Donald Trump…

How Boris Johnson can emulate Margaret Thatcher

26 January 2020 6:30 pm

An open letter to Boris Johnson: People, even including your opponents, are getting used to the idea that you are…

A toast to Roger Scruton

24 January 2020 10:00 pm

In clubs and other admirable locations throughout the civilised world, glasses have been raised and toasts proposed. But this was…

My recipe to cure a hangover

11 January 2020 9:00 am

Journalists exaggerate, often reaching for superlatives to chronicle mildly interesting events. Even so, there are times when it is necessary…

Christmas without God in the Appalachians

21 December 2019 9:00 am

Christmas: without being grand and Proustian, this is a season when time present inevitably takes one back to time past.…

Never underestimate Boris Johnson

15 December 2019 9:34 pm

Much of the political class is still in a state of shock. Many are tempted to echo Lord Melbourne: ‘What…

Why I’m still convinced Boris will win a majority

9 December 2019 10:31 pm

Everyone seems agreed. Although the numbers may not have moved much, this election is still wide open. So anyone who…

Politics of a certain vintage – and wine to match

7 December 2019 9:00 am

I wonder how they do things now at Tory headquarters. For the ’79 election, the preparations had been completed weeks…

Wine that puts politics in its place

23 November 2019 9:00 am

In the era of vinyl, lost in one of Bruckner’s longueurs, it could be hard to tell what was stuck,…

The delights of Spanish wine – and art

9 November 2019 9:00 am

First, an apology. In my last column, I appeared to be saying that good champagne does not age. This must…

The finest champagnes do not age

26 October 2019 9:00 am

The other night, I dreamt about Brexit. Awakening to the oppression of an urgent task, it took me a few…

A vintage tale of Thatcher, Reagan and some truly great wines

12 October 2019 9:00 am

Poor Old Girl. The final act may not have been sanglante, but as the third volume of Charles Moore’s life…

There is always time for a bottle of Champagne

28 September 2019 9:00 am

My friend Dominic decided that it was time to convoke a lunch. There were matters to discuss, including that perennial…

It’s no surprise that Brexit looks doomed

21 September 2019 5:00 pm

I have a friend who insists that he takes little interest in politics. Even so, the other evening he came…