The Last Sipper with Georgie Bell
The Heart Cut founder on the book she’s been inspired by, her favourite whisky bars in the world – and the Mexican taco joint that will knock your socks off
Home is...
Plumstead, in southeast London. My husband Fabrizio and I moved here five years ago and since then, it’s become not just our home, but our children’s home and also our office where we run our whisky company, The Heart Cut. I lived in Edinburgh for 10 years before moving here, and still find going back there like returning to my other ‘home’. The warmth of the city, its culture, the people. I love it.
The last book I read
The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. It’s such a great book, anyone who has any involvement in running events or gatherings should read it. As we organise more tastings, guidance from the book is helping me figure out why we're hosting them, what we want people to take out of them, and why people should turn up. How can they get involved in The Heart Cut, and feel part of the little whisky community we're building, release by release.
My culture fix
Travel. I was a global whisky ambassador for eight years, travelling six to nine months of the year, and even after all that I still have the travel bug. Things are a little different now with the children, but we still travel for work and pleasure whenever we can, and immerse ourselves in different cultures, and eat and drink delicious things.
Where I get away from it all
I put on a pair of running trainers and just get outside. That’s my escapism.
Georgie is in the DRAM fam
Best whisky bar in the world?
A tough one – there’s so many that I love. But my top three, from a basis of great memories, great teams, great drams are The Jack Rose in Washington DC, Whisky and Alement in Melbourne, and DRAM in London.
My favourite whiskies right now are…
Can I be cheeky and start with our latest? The Heart Cut #12 Nc’nean, is a single cask release from Nc’nean distillery, finished in a Madeira cask. Everything that Annabel Thomas and her team make is exceptional – they’ve built a distillery just how one should be built in Scotland today, one that’s fully in line with nature. And our single cask release from them is just delicious.
Love me do: The Heart Cut #12 Nc’nean
Cotswolds Founder’s Reserve is our go to when we’re working late nights. An English Single Malt from the Cotswolds Distillery, this release is fully matured in an STR cask and really jammy.
Kanosuke Single Malt 2023 Release. Also a new kid on the block, Kanosuke is a Japanese craft whisky distillery from Kagoshima’s Mellow Coast. The family have made shochu for four generations, and they’ve brought some of their practice into making whisky. This 2023 release is lightly peated and partially matured in ex-shochuh casks and has a full on nutty/spicy/rich/smoky character. It’s so good.
The last great meal out I had
Pepe’s Fish Tacos. It’s a taco joint in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, where we were last month. They do, hands down, the best coconut fish tacos and maracuja (passion fruit) mezcalitas.
My go-to cocktail
A 2:1 Manhattan with Angel’s Envy Rye, Noilly Prat Rouge Vermouth (when you can get your hands on it) and a dash of peach bitters. And, of course, a Luxardo maraschino cherry. Made by my husband while the kids are having dinner so it has time to sit in the freezer with the glasses chilling alongside, and enjoyed with him once the munchkins have gone to bed.
You can buy every release from The Heart Cut here
