…. I fell in love with 12 St Bernard puppies last week. They are from one litter, the newest arrivals at the kennels and St Bernard Dog Museum in Martigny, and they were presented to the public for the first time 19 April. As a birthday present to myself I paid them a visit – I’m lucky I didn’t, in the heat of the moment, come home with a family of a dozen furry little pals.

The little casks so famously carried by these dogs are a thing of legend only, by the way.

If you visit the dogs – and there is an open house where you can view their winter quarters, 18-19 May – be sure to take time to visit the dog museum.

My consolation for going home without a puppy was two small bottles of the St Bernard liqueur made by the Morand Distillery in Martigny.

Bitter and sweet at the same time, slightly spicy, made from Alpine plants: this was the first product made by Morand, a fourth-generation family business that is arguably most famous for its Williamine, a benchmark for pear brandies.

Louis Morand created the Grand-St-Bernard in 1889, a liqueur made of Alpine herbs and honey.

There are two versions, a green which is coloured by plant chlorophyll and a yellow one coloured by saffron, which grows well in the Swiss Alps.

Best drunk very cold, also good over ice cream, sorbet or pancakes.