The neighbours have a very good espresso machine, a Francis Francis X1. It came from here. The reason why I know it is good is because it always produces a very good crema on the espresso. The orange/brown foam on top is very present and persistent. The coffee it produces is rich and full of flavour. It is also easy to clean and maintain, it takes coffee pods as well as ground coffee and can make one or two shots at the same time; the perfect coffee machine for what is known as the pro-sumer market. Current beans in the grinder are a light-roast espresso bean; my personal preference is for something a bit darker and stronger but this is good, it has a reasonable degree of balance in its flavours and it is not over-whelming. I feel deeply invigorated after a cup. It is also handy for making one of the raw materials for espresso martinis.

You'll note I do not only drink alcohol.

Whilst in New York last year we had plenty of good cocktails. One of these provoked us to buy a cocktail shaker and try to perfect a recipe for it: the margarita. It is very important to use decent tequila, Sauza Commemorativo is perfect; the first time I tried (quite a lot of) this I was sure it was vaguely hallucinogenic. Perhaps it was simply that I had quite a lot to drink.

To make the perfect margarita you will need:

One shot Sauza Commemorativo tequila
One shot Cointreau (both of these straight from the freezer)
The juice of one and one half of the ripest, juiciest limes
The juice of one half of a ripe, large lemon
Plenty of ice
Perhaps one half of a teaspoon of sugar (depending whether or not you need super-grade raw acidity to wake a slumber-dizzied mind)

Shake all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with as much vigour as your as-yet-unperked-up muscles can manage then strain off the ice into a martini glass. Drink. Then mix yourself another, drink it and wonder if the loudness of the walls breathing will distract from you finally getting around to serving your guests.

You will note that I do not have a salty rim on the glass, nor is this one of those dreadful icy-slush concoctions. This is a characterful, powerful and invigorating drink for the strong of mind and noble of character.

If you are in the UK a good source of Commemorativo is the Drinks Shop.

I cannot afford to drink Grand Cru Burgundy every day, so I need something refreshing (and alcoholic) to keep me perked up; gin and tonic is a perfect drink for this. You have to use decent gin, of course, the dilute Gordon's just will not do. Tanqueray and Plymouth are my standard gins, and both of them have a heroic version (Tanqueray Export and Plymouth Navy Strength) for when a bit more happiness is required. I have tried other gins that are available, but these are my usual purchases.

I like my gin and tonics to be quite strong and quite large. The best place to obtain one of these is the spiritual home of the gin and tonic, the Basque country. On ordering a G&T there a pint glass with some ice in it will be put on the bar and gin will be poured into it. They keep on pouring until you say stop. It is then topped up with tonic water. On my one trip to the Basque country this resulted in many happy lunches and a reasonable number of relaxing afternoon kips. Better than drinking Rioja, certainly.

Perhaps the most memorable gin and tonic I had was in that region at a restaurant called Akelaŕe; it was a gin and tonic on a plate. The gin was a sorbet and the tonic was a fizzy jelly. It was really rather nice and really quite strong. We sat at the table with the best view over the sea. After the G&T on a plate I didn't mind that the view consisted of fog and driving rain with nothing beyond twenty metres visible.

An important note: G&Ts should be served with lemon. The use of limes is a foul abomination.