Martin Miller Gin

G&T with Martin Miller Gin

This week, we have been mostly drinking Martin Miller Gin which is always a pleasure. I have written about this marvellous spirit in previous posts - Peacock Cocktails and Taste of London 2013, but felt that after having focused on some excellent gins with a twist, such as Pinkster (raspberry) and Bloom (chamomile), it was time to get back to basics and revisit a spirit with a more traditional list of botanicals. That said, there is plenty to distinguish this gin from the pack, not least of all, the fact that the grain spirit at it's heart, is blended to strength with incredibly pure and soft, Icelandic water. As water constitutes over 50% of the liquid volume, this, frankly crazy sounding idea, starts to make sense. Much like Björk, the Icelandic chanteuse who made London her home, the slightly bonkers Anglo-Icelandic collaboration creates something positively exquisite.

Martin Miller GIn

Sadly, the founder, Martin Miller, died at the beginning of this year at the age of 67. His death was a sad loss to all, but his legacy continues and his ethos is upheld by the company he founded in 1997. Martin Miller Gin is already a worldwide brand and will continue to go from strength to strength despite the gin sector becoming an increasingly competitive arena. Martin Miller remains the gin of choice for bartenders across the globe by sticking to it's core values and creating a traditional, but exceptional gin with a strong citrus aroma and flavour that gives way to juniper notes and a clean, soft finish thanks to that pure Icelandic water.

So, what to create with my Martin Miller Gin that I haven't already covered in previous posts? Well, I decided to take my inspiration, in part, from the Savoy Cocktail Book, first published in 1930 and enjoying a bit of a renaissance as tastes shift from elaborate concoctions to the simpler, boozy beverages of yesteryear. Personally, I am partial to a cocktail that reads like a recipe from a Nigella cookbook, but am also beginning to appreciate the simplicity of the Savoy style when a cocktail was undeniably hooch laden rather than disguised as an alcoholic smoothy.

The Frankenjack cocktail was first published in 1927 book, 'Here's How!', a publication from which many recipes were directly taken for use in the illustrious Savoy Cocktail Book, which is where I found it. The unusual monicker comes from an amalgamation of two names, Frank and Jack, who were apparently the proprietors of an infamous New York speakeasy. It takes the classic martini as its foundation, comprising gin and dry vermouth in equal measure, but is made sweet and fruity by the addition of a little apricot brandy and Cointreau orange liqueur. Although the two liqueurs are added in equal quantities, the apricot brandy is definitely the dominant flavour.

Apricot brandy, rather than tickling the tastebuds with a purely fruit flavour, tends to hit the tongue like an apricot sledgehammer. Because the liqueur is made using the whole fruit, the strong flavour of the kernel pervades the brandy. Apricot kernels have an incredibly intense flavour and are at the heart of Amaretto liqueur and amaretti biscotti which gives some idea of the taste. However, the dry vermouth helps to temper the flavour and if you are a fan of Amaretto, then the flavour will probably taste quite subtle to you. For my personal taste, I would prefer the cocktail made with a few dashes of lemon juice to balance the sweetness, but it is pleasant and a fairly effortless crowd pleaser.

The recipe as stated in the Savoy Cocktail book lists the quantities in 'parts' rather than giving precise measures. I have kept to those ratios, but have put suitable amounts to them to make one cocktail.

Frankenjack

1oz Martin Miller Gin
1oz dry vermouth
1/2oz apricot brandy
1/2oz Cointreau

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake hard until the outside frosts over.
Strain into a chilled martini glass and serve.

Frankenjack Cocktail - Glass by Toasted Glass

A further trawl through the hallowed pages of the Savoy Cocktail book unearthed this classic that dates back to at least 1930. The Journalist cocktail which is essentially a Perfect Martini (one with equal parts dry and sweet vermouth), is given a little more depth with addition of a dash of this and that. It's amazing what a difference such small additions can make, but this drink really does have a flavour all of it's own. For anyone who enjoys a classic Martini or Martinez, this will hit the spot. It's unashamedly boozy and will appeal to the hard drinking, hard working hacks it earned its name from as well as traditionalists and hipsters alike.

Journalist

2oz Martin Miller Gin
1oz sweet vermouth
1oz dry vermouth
2 dashes lemon juice
2 dashes curaçao
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake hard to mix the drink.

Journalist Cocktail - Glass by Toasted Glass

Last but not least is a little creation of my own that was inspired by the competition on the Martin Miller website. The brief was to create a Martin Miller Gin cocktail that uses at least one locally sourced ingredient from the region where it is being served and as a denizen of Essex, I chose Tiptree jam and Maldon sea salt - two things my kitchen couldn't be without.

Maldon sea salt is renowned for its exceptional flavour and has particularly close associations as the children are learning how to sail on the estuary at Maldon. I have personally ingested more Maldon sea salt than I care to, by virtue of being an atrocious sailor and now leave it to Mr TG and the boys. However, I am more then happy, however, to use Maldon sea salt in my cooking and have used a pinch or two when making a Puro Margarita. Strange as it may seem, it actually helps to balance sweet and bitter flavours, just as it does in cooking and needn't be reserved just for margaritas.

My other ingredient - Tiptree Little Scarlet strawberry jam, is a conserve with a serious pedigree. Little Scarlet is an old fashioned variety of strawberry that has changed little in 200 years. It is extremely small and intensely flavoured, but needs to be consumed immediately, making it unsuitable for mass production. However, it continues to be grown on Tiptree farms in Essex where it is harvested and immediately made into this flavoursome jam and as if that wasn't enough, it is even the favourite conserve of archetypal suave spy, James Bond. Not only does he drink vodka martinis and vintage champagne, but according to 'From Russia With Love', his daily breakfast consists of a boiled egg and two slices of toast with a choice of marmalade, honey or Little Scarlet strawberry jam - I kid you not...

The most famous cocktail to date that contains a conserve, is the Breakfast Martini by Salvatore Calabrese (The Maestro), which uses marmalade to great effect and is a favourite of Mr TG. Similarly, I went for a martini style drink, partly because it seemed more Bond-esque and mostly because the Martin Miller Gin would be the main event. To prevent the drink from becoming too sweet, like Calabrese, I added lemon juice, but brought in another level of flavour with the addition of  bittersweet Campari. Added to that, a pinch of Maldon sea salt and I had a drink that hit every tastebud and yet blended seamlessly together. Bloody marvellous, if I say so myself...

Little Scarlet

2oz Martin Miller Gin
3/4oz lemon juice
1/2 oz Campari
1 rounded teaspoon Tiptree Little Scarlet
pinch of Maldon sea salt

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker and whisk with a Hawthorn whisk or dry shake (without ice) to ensure the jam is properly mixed (tip - do not use the conserve straight from the fridge as it causes it to set too hard)

Add a handful of ice, shake hard and strain into a chilled martini glass.

The ultimate garnish would be a couple of Little Scarlet strawberries, but as that is practically an impossibility, a tasty variety, sliced and placed on the rim will suffice.

Little Scarlet Cocktail - Glass by Toasted Glass

Gin-spiration

Gin Xoriguer-available from Amathus Drinks

Last week, my lovely neighbours returned from their family holiday in Menorca and knowing, as they do, my deep appreciation of gin, there were kind enough to bring me back a bottle of the Balearic classic, Gin Xoriguer which is produced in Menorca's capital, Mahon. Now, I am no stranger to Gin Xoriguer, having spent several, rather fabulous summer holidays in Menorca and have drunk many a Pomada under the setting sun, so I was keen to find out if the national drink of Menorca tastes as good, in the absence of the Balearic atmosphere.

Every bar and restaurant in Menorca will serve it's version of a Pomada and you can also buy bottles of it, ready made, although, past experience has taught me that this is best avoided. However, a Pomada, like most cocktails, is open to interpretation and varies wildly, from being prepared with fresh lemons to  basically gin and Fanta Lemon. To be honest, Gin and Fanta Lemon is pretty delicious, but that doesn't make much of a cocktail post, so I decided to make it from scratch and I can highly recommend you try it too. It's fairly simple, very refreshing and dangerously drinkable.

Pomada

Ingredients

2oz Gin Xoriguer

1oz lemon juice

3/4oz sugar syrup

Sparkling water

Twist of lemon zest

Before cutting the lemon to squeeze it, cut a long strip of zest from the peel, ensuring you leave the pith behind 

Add the gin, lemon and sugar syrup to a hi ball glass and fill with ice

Stir to mix and top up with sparkling water

Stir one more time and garnish with the lemon zest by twisting it over the drink to release the citrus aroma

Tumbler by Toasted Glass

Delicious as the Pomada is, I wanted to see if Gin Xoriguer was more than a one trick pony and so I put it to the test, trying out some classic gin cocktails on the aforementioned, lovely neighbours and Mr TG, none of whom, really share my fervour for the juniper elixir.

This first drink was probably the favourite of our guest's. It is a modern classic, created by London barman, Dick Bradsell and has become a firm fixture on cocktail menus across the country.

Bramble

Ingredients

2oz Gin

1/2 oz Creme de Cassis

1oz lemon juice

1/2 oz sugar syrup

Lemon wedge to garnish

Add the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup to a rocks glass

Fill with crushed ice and stir to mix

Pour over the Creme de Cassis

Garnish with a lemon wedge

Tumbler by Toasted Glass

The Bramble proved to be predictably popular with our guests and indeed, was most enjoyable, but this next cocktail was probably my personal favourite of the night. It's got gin, it's got champagne...enough said.

French 75

Ingredients

2oz Gin

1oz lemon juice

1/2oz sugar syrup

Champagne

Twist of lemon zest

Before cutting the lemon to squeeze it, cut a long strip of zest from the peel, ensuring you leave the pith behind 

Add the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup to shaker, with ice

Shake and strain into a chilled champagne glass 

Top with champagne and garnish with the twist of lemon zest

Champagne Flute by Toasted Glass

The French 75 was such a hit that perhaps any drink would pale by comparison, but I have to say I was a little disappointed with this. It didn't seem to have quite the flavour of the others and in fact, one of our guests did compare it to washing up liquid. That  is a little unfair I think, but certainly, it was lacking. The problem turned out to be, in the syrup. The original recipe calls for a raspberry syrup, but generally, grenadine is used in it's place. I thought to use Creme de Framboises, rather than grenadine and discovered that it doesn't quite have the sweetness required. I did make the drink again, using grenadine, as directed, and it was a far more enjoyable experience.

Clover Club

Ingredients

1 1/2oz Gin

3/4oz lemon juice

1/2oz Grenadine

1 egg white

Raspberry to garnish

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker, without ice and 'dry' shake

Add ice and shake one more time

Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a raspberry

Cocktail Glass by Toasted Glass

The White Lady is another cocktail that uses egg white to give it a creamier consistency, without the dairy taste. It is simultaneously sharp and sweet, like a melted lemon sorbet (with gin) and rather fabulous.

White Lady

Ingredients

2oz Gin

1oz triple sec

1oz lemon juice

1 egg white

Lemon wheel to garnish

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker, without ice and 'dry' shake

Add ice and shake one more time

Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a wheel of lemon

Cocktail Glass by Toasted Glass

This last cocktail is one I may well take to ordering when out and about. The Cointreau gives it some sweetness, but not so much as to make you want to drink it like pop and the bitters add a spicy dimension that gives it some depth. It's definitely one to try.

Pegu Club

Ingredients

2oz Gin

1/2oz cointreau

3/4oz lime juice

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Before cutting the lime to squeeze it, cut a long strip of zest from the peel, ensuring you leave the pith behind

Add everything to a shaker with ice and shake hard

Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a strip of lime zest

Cocktail Glass by Toasted Glass

Father's Day Cocktails

St Edward's Crown Glasses by Toasted Glass

For those of you, reading this, after the event, don't let the title put you off. This post's selection have been curated and created with Father's Day in mind and are perhaps a little less feminine than is my wont, but are in no way limited to the chaps. What I will say, is that they are not overly fruity or floral and even include a couple of drinks that can be knocked together without the aid of a cocktail shaker or any fancy shenanigans. Whether young or old, I'm sure you'll find something to impress dad, this June 16th and you might want to consider my Bespoke Cocktail Service, that takes into account, taste, personality and lifestyle to create a tailor made mix to perfectly suit the recipient. For further information, please click here.

This first cocktail is being hailed as a modern classic and deservedly so. It was created by Sam Ross; beardy Australian and celebrity bartender at Attaboy, the Uptown reinvention of New York's Milk and Honey bar. It's a whisky cocktail that cleverly uses two types of scotch, a blend for the main body of the drink and a small amount of a good smokey, single malt, floated on the top. As someone who doesn't really like whisky, I wasn't too sure about this, but the initial taste of a good single malt is fine and just as it gets to the point where I would normally gag (yes, I really struggle with whisky), the sweet ginger and lemon flavours come through. Of course, it does involve making Honey-Ginger Syrup, but that in itself is delicious and worth making a small pot of it to keep in the fridge. Click here for Honey-Ginger syrup recipe. The original recipe does specify using an Islay single malt to float on top. I have used Jura Superstition for it's spice and smoke and as the isle of Jura is a stone's throw from Islay, the whiskies produced from distilleries on both, share many of the same tasting notes. Laphroig, Laguvilin and Bowmore would all work well.

Penicillin Cocktail

Ingredients
2oz blended scotch (I used Grants)
1/4oz Islay single malt
3/4oz lemon juice
3/4oz honey-ginger syrup

Add all of the ingredients, bar the single malt, to a cocktail shaker, with ice
Shake vigorously and strain into an ice filled rocks glass
Pour the single malt over the back of a spoon, to float on the top of the drink

Bumble Bee rocks glasses by Toasted Glass

This next drink is simplicity itself to make and can be adapted to make any number of variations. It works well with whisky too and you can substitute lemon for lime. Use white rum and fresh lime and it's practically a mojito. The main thing is, it's a doddle to mix up and will appeal to those who don't like too much fuss. I used Blackwoods gin which already has slight mint undertones from the watermint in it's botanical mix.

Gin Smash

Ingredients

2oz Blackwoods gin
1/2 lemon, cut into quarters
3/4oz simple syrup
7 fresh mint leaves
Dash of Angostura bitters

Muddle (squish) the mint, lemon and simple syrup in the bottom of a large tumbler or highball glass using a muddling stick or similar implement
Half fill the glass with crushed ice, pour in the gin and bitters and stir carefully, ensuring that the alcohol mixes in well
Top up with more crushed ice  and stir again before drinking

Time For Drinks Tumblers by Toasted Glass

Followers of the blog will know that last week I made Vanilla Infused Vodka and deemed it such a success that I then went on to make a slightly larger batch. One of the things that really struck me about it was the earthiness that using natural vanilla brings - absolutely nothing like sweet vanilla flavouring and with a touch of the pipe tobacco about it. 'What could be more manly than pipe tobacco and single malt?', thought I and so the Old Timer was conceived. Otherwise, the cocktail is made just as you would make an Old Fashioned, using a little simple syrup, rather than a sugar cube, as the extra work is entirely unnecessary in my opinion. In an ideal world , you would serve the drink with one very large ice cube in the glass so as to keep it chilled, but not over diluted. The initial aroma is mellow and sweet from the vanilla and orange, but the lingering taste is the smoke of the single malt.

Old Timer

1oz vanilla vodka
1oz single malt whisky(I used Jura Superstition)
1/4oz simple syrup
Dash of Angostura bitters
Large strip of orange zest

Using a sharp knife, cut a long thin strip from the peel of an orange, leaving behind the pith and set to one side
Add the simple syrup to the glass, along with a dash of Angostura bitters
Add the spirits, stir and add ice - preferably a large cube or two
Squeeze the orange zest around the rim of the glass to release the oils. This creates an orange aroma without adding juice to the drink

Black Stag Rocks Glasses by Toasted Glass

The final cocktail today is loosely based on the El Diablo cocktail, a big favourite of mine and you can get the recipe by going to my Summer Spice cocktails post. What surprised me about the El Diablo, when I first tried it, was how well tequila and ginger work together and so, pairing tequila with King's Ginger, one of my favourite liqueurs, seemed an obvious move.

El Rey

Ingredients

1oz tequila resposado
3/4oz King's Ginger
1/4oz Creme de Cassis
1oz lime juice
Dash of Fever Tree Naturally Light Ginger Beer

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 20 secs
Strain into a tumbler with ice and top up with a dash of ginger beer.

St Edward's Crown Highballs by Toasted Glass

This drink also works rather well without the lime and prepared in much the same way as an Old Fashioned.

Old Fashioned El Rey

1oz tequila resposado
3/4oz King's Ginger
1/4oz Creme de Cassis
Dash of bitters
Strip of orange zest

Add all of the ingredients apart from the zest, to a tumbler/ rocks glass and stir well to combine
Add one or two large ice cubes
Squeeze the strip of zest to release the oils and wipe around the rim of the glass

St Edward's Crown Rocks Glasses by Toasted Glass

I gave myself the challenge of 'manning up' this week and I have to admit that I am rather enjoying it - so much so, that I have had to force myself to stop because we can't possibly drink any more cocktails. Still, watch this space as there are many more to come in the future. Have a fabulous weekend and test a few cocktails before you try them out on dad for Father's Day x

All of the glasses used and indeed, any in my Etsy shop, can be personalised to make a special gift for Father's Day.

Alfresco Cocktails

Cocktail Glasses - available on Etsy

Strictly speaking, any cocktail is an 'afresco' cocktail, provided you drink it outdoors and indeed, go to most of my previous posts and you'll find something to fit an outdoor occasion, but the combination of good weather and a long weekend, gave Mr TG and I, more time than usual, spent in the garden, cocktail in hand. There's nothing quite like sipping on a chilled glass of something or other, barefoot, toes in the grass and listening to the sounds of the garden. Of course, back in the real world, the idyll was short lived as we were invaded by our Nerf gun toting offspring declaring war, but the cocktails helped soften the blow.

All of this week's selection would make an excellent accompaniment to an afternoon spent in the sun, although I do recommend slapping on the sunscreen beforehand and quaffing lots of water too, as cocktails have a habit of making you forget to take the basic precautions and before you know it, you'll have a blinding headache and rosy glow that could guide ships in at night.

Our long weekend began on Friday, when we bunked off to the City of London for a spot of lunch and to visit the wonderful Amathus, City in Leadenhall Market.

Amathus Drinks Leadenhall

If you click on the link you'll be able to see the lovely staff, who were both in store when we visited and couldn't have been more helpful. We were treated to a tasting of gins, one of which is definitely on my list for when the Hendricks runs out and to delicious Coffee  and Cherry Heerings. In the end, we left with a bottle of Kings Ginger, a bottle of Cherry Heering, a miniature of Chase Marmalade Vodka and a bottle of rum which I will save for another post. Suffice to say that my knowledge of rum is greatly enriched and that I am inspired to devote a post to it entirely when I've learnt a little more.

King's Ginger is a delicious  and warming liqueur, prepared from the maceration of ginger root and added lemon oil. It is both spicy and zesty, not to mention more alcoholic than many liqueurs, weighing in at a hefty 40%. The story goes that it was developed for His Majesty, King Edward the VII, to stimulate and revive him whilst out driving his new horseless carriage.

Cherry Heering, produced in Denmark, is an intensely fruity, cherry flavoured liqueur with a brandy base. It is world renowned, highly valued in cocktails and generally considered the best of the dark cherry liqueurs. As you can probably see from the picture, it is so delicious, we had opened the bottle and had a snifter before I remembered to take a picture of it.

                                                                                                                                                                                              

I was extremely excited to try this out, having fallen in love with Chase Elderflower Liqueur, in the past. A perusal of previous posts will play this out as you'll notice that it crops up a lot. Let me just say, it did not disappoint. It has all the zesty, oranginess you would expect and a slight caramel, sweetness that gives it that unmistakable, marmalade flavour.

All of these tipples are worthy of drinking straight, in a schnapps glass or in a tumbler, over ice, but equally, make some great cocktails, so if you decide to buy, you can be sure they won't be lurking malevolently at the back of the cocktail cabinet, gathering dust. Anyway, enough waffle....to the cocktails!

Cherry Sling

Ingredients

1oz gin (I used Hendricks)

1oz Cherry Heering

1oz lime juice

1/4oz simple syrup (optional)

Splash of soda water

Add all of the ingredients, apart from the soda, to a cocktail shaker and half fill with ice

Shake vigorously and strain in to a highball glass filled with ice

Top up with a dash of soda 

Highball Glasses by Toasted Glass

This is a variation on the Singapore Sling, a cocktail made famous by the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. There are so many different interpretations, all claiming to be the original, but this definitely isn't. The original did not use soda and featured lemon rather than lime, not to mention, the ratio of gin to Heering was more in favour of gin. The original was a very sweet cocktail, but this is not, particularly if you leave out the simple syrup. To be honest, on this occasion, I preferred it with, as it still wasn't too sweet when served over ice.

Knock Down Ginger

Ingredients

1oz gin (I used Hendricks)

1oz Kings Ginger

1/2oz lemon juice

1/2oz orange juice

1/4oz Fever Tree ginger beer

Add all of the ingredients, apart from the ginger beer, to a cocktail shaker and half fill with ice

Shake vigorously and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass and add the dash of ginger beer

Cocktail Glasses by Toasted Glass

Originally this recipe was made without the ginger beer, but it didn't quite have the warmth you would expect with the addition of Kings Ginger. As Mr TG noted, it was a bit like a very strong vodka and orange, which is odd because it's made with gin, but his senses may have been slightly impaired by then. Anyway, a quarter ounce of Fever Tree ginger beer was just what it needed and so it was renamed, the Knock Down Ginger.

I picked this next recipe because of it's inclusion of Cherry Heering and because the name, Flying High, sounded fairly auspicious. The cherry flavour is quite intense in this one, so if you're not a fan of that, it's probably not for you. The egg white gives the drink a nice texture, but the colour does let it down a bit. After I had tested it, I put it in the fridge, to wait for Mr TG to come home and offer his insight and strangely enough, the drink cleared and looked far more appealing. Incidentally, Mr TG was rather partial to this one.

Flying High

Ingredients

1 1/2oz gin (I used Hendricks)
1oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz lemon juice
1oz orange juice
1 egg white
dash of Angostura Bitters

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker and shake without ice for 20 secs

Open the shaker, add ice and shake for a further 20 secs
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass

This next recipe was devised, purely on a whim, without much forethought and it turned out to be rather exceptional. Of course, the fine ingredients are the stars here, but I'm rather proud of my effort all the same.

The King's Chase

1oz Chase Marmalade Vodka

1oz King's Ginger

1 1/2oz orange juice

1/2oz lemon juice

1 egg white

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker and shake without ice for 20 secs

Open the shaker and half fill with ice

Shake vigorously for another 20 secs and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

Cocktail Glasses by Toasted Glass

Although there is no added simple syrup in this cocktail, both King's Ginger and Chase Marmalade Vodka are sweet, so the addition of lemon juice stops it veering into sickly territory. I used a full two ounces of juice in this one because I wanted something refreshing, without resorting to serving it over ice. The addition of egg white adds a silkiness to the texture without altering the flavour and gives the cocktail a little more substance. 

So, of all this week's cocktails, The King's Chase was a clear winner for me and I will definitely be making it again. I can highly recommend investing  bottles of both Kings Ginger and Chase Marmalade Vodka. The Cherry Heering is delicious too, but I've yet to try a cocktail, made with it, that really blows me away. Perhaps I need to come up with my own....watch this space.

Have a great week, drink responsibly and please have a look round some of the other posts for more cocktail inspiration x

Alpine Inspired Cocktails

My family and I took our first ever ski trip to the French Alps recently and discovered the wonders of an active holiday with lively children. I cannot recommend it enough. For once, our children were interested in something that didn't involve staring at a screen and their ability to just boldly, set off, head first, down a mountain, put me to shame.

Whilst we were away, there was little time to keep up with blogging, so I apologise for the lack of cocktail recipes, but I have prepared a bumper selection this week which all feature, in varying degrees, the French Alpine liqueur, local to the Courchevel area, Genepi.

Génépi is a liqueur or aperitif, similar in makeup to absinthe. The word is also used to refer to alpine plants of the genus Artemisia (commonly called wormwood) that provide the liqueur's flavour and colour.

Like many European herbal liqueurs, especially those used as digestifs, Génépi can be an acquired taste. It is less sweet than many digestifs, and the flavour imparted by the herbs is reminiscent of chamomile. It is naturally pale gold in color, but some varieties have a final maceration of the wormwood which yields a light green color. A few commercial products are made bright green through the addition of food colouring.

Because Génépi is produced by steeping the aromatic wormwood flower heads in a strong, clear alcohol such as vodka or pure grain alcohol rather than distilling or fermenting, it cannot be considered an equivalent to French eau-de-vie. Also, the added sweetness marks it out as a liqueur, rather than a spirit. 

We also brought back a bottle of Marc de Savoie (French Eau de Vie) and I can categorically state that I would not feed it to my worst enemy. Anything that smells like diesel, is probably not recommended for human consumption and nothing I tried mixing it with could disguise the aroma of lighter fuel. In fact, we only had a few sips of the evil stuff and I could not rid my mouth of it's foul taste and have awoken today with a sore throat, which may or may not be related...

Anyway, back to the infinitely more palatable, Genepi. Most of this week's cocktails would probably work equally well with Absinthe, particularly as many commercially available bottles are closer to the 40 % proof of Genepi anyway, but you can buy Genepi in this country and it's not a bad little drink. As well as it's cocktail potential, you can enjoy it straight up, chilled or over ice as a digestif. The wonderful Amathus Drinks sell it online or from their London stores, where knowledgeable staff are happy to assist. 

There were quite a few other ingredients needed for this week's selection, all of which can also be sourced from Amathus as full size bottles. However, I decided to play it safe and try out some of the ingredients in miniature as I wasn't sure how often they would get used. The Creme de Peche de Vigne could not be sourced from Just Miniatures, but they were able to provide me with Creme de Cassis, Creme de Violette and Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur. I paid a little more for express service and was not disappointed as everything arrived within 2 days. 

Creme de Peche available from Amathus

I have to be honest, not everything was to my taste this week, but I will give you all the recipes, my honest opinion and ways in which I think they could be improved, if any. First up is La Poudre, a cocktail which can be found in many of the bars in and around Courchevel. I found this to be a little cloying and personally, would add an ounce of lemon juice just to give it a bit more bite, but if you like it sweet, then this is for you.

La Poudre

Ingredients

1 oz Genepi

0.5 oz Creme de Cassis

0.5 oz Creme de Peche de Vigne

2.5 oz fresh orange

(1 oz fresh lemon juice) if you want a bit more tang

Fill a tumbler with crushed ice

Add all the ingredients into a shaker and fill with ice

Shake vigorously and strain into the prepared glass

Fruity Tumbler available on Etsy

Next up was the L'Arc de Triomphe, originally devised as an Absinthe cocktail, but working beautifully with Genepi. 

Featuring the unique influence of bitter orange marmalade, this cocktail from Scott Baird of 15 Romolo and the Bon Vivants in San Francisco is a bold and colorful quaff. It's not too alcoholic, but truly delicious and perfect for an afternoon tipple. I think, of all the cocktails, this one was my favourite.

L'Arc de Triomphe

Ingredients

1 ounce Genepi

1 ounce fresh orange juice

1 ounce fresh lemon juice

1 ounce bitter orange marmalade

¾ ounce egg white

Angostura bitters

1 ounce soda water

Add the Genepi, orange juice, lemon juice, marmalade, egg white, and a dash of Angostura to a shaker and whisk by hand, until frothy. Add ice, and shake well to make cold. Strain into a chilled tumbler and enjoy. 

Fruity Tumbler available on Etsy

Another delicious and infinitely more potent cocktail was the Hobnob. Again, it was originally created as a cocktail with Absinthe, but Genepi works very well too. The grapefruit and lime really give the cocktail some bite, not to mention the heavy shot of alcohol. As a daytime drink, I would just use 1 oz of gin or you may find yourself under the table by tea time.

Hobnob

Ingredients

¼ ounce Genepi

one 1-inch square of grapefruit zest

one 1-inch square of lime zest

½ ounce simple syrup

½ ounce fresh grapefruit juice

½ ounce fresh lime

2 ounces gin

½ ounce Luxardo maraschino liqueur

Add grapefruit zest, lime zest, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Muddle the zests until they begin to break apart. Add the grapefruit juice and lime juice. Fill the shaker with ice. Add the Genepi, gin and maraschino liqueur. Shake hard. Strain the drink into the prepared glass.

Fruity Tumbler available on Etsy

This is a version of the cocktail Death in the Afternoon (absinthe and champagne), which was created for a 1935 book of humorous cocktail riffs called So Red the Nose, or Breath in the Afternoon. While Death in the Afternoon is a great name, it is a little lacking as far as drinks go. The addition of crème de violette has a rounding effect and gives the drink some subtlety. I have substituted the absinthe for Genepi and although I enjoyed the result, Mr Toasted Glass said it tasted as though I had added Blueberry Nerds (horrid kiddy candy) to it. Admittedly, I do like anything that involves a bit of fizz and have adored Parma Violet sweets since I was a child, so I may be rather biased. Click here to read an earlier post with the original Death in the Afternoon recipe.

Death at Dusk

Ingredients

½ ounce crème de violette

5 ounces sparkling wine

¼ ounce Genepi

Pour the crème de violette and wine into a flute and float the Genepi on top. Serve.

Black Lace Champagne Flute on Etsy

I hope you enjoy this week's selection and if you have any feedback, I would love to hear from you, especially if you tried out any of the recipes, either with Genepi or with Absinthe. As always, drink responsibly and enjoy x

Mojitos

The Perfect Mojito Glass on Etsy

The first time I tried a Mojito was in 2001, in Havana, Cuba's beautiful and dilapidated capital city. Armed with our Lonely Planet city guide, Mr TG and I nervously negotiated the maze of narrow streets, constantly on the lookout for falling masonry from the buildings overhead, which were in a state of treacherous disrepair, until we found the unassuming frontage of La Bodeguita del Medio.

This little bar has continued trading on it's association with the the late, great writer and functioning alcoholic, Ernest Hemmingway, who famously wrote on the wall there, 'My mojito in La Bodeguita. My daiquiri in El Floridita' and is a pilgrimage destination for fans of Hemmingway and tourists looking for an excuse to drink in the afternoon. I admit, we fell into the latter category, although my father was inspired to become a writer after reading Hemmingway, so that counts - right?

Anyway, after stressing about falling masonry and whether or not all the fast talking Cubanos did want to be our tourist guide or just run off with our travellers cheques, the cramped interior of the bar was a welcome sight and the first taste of a mojito, a refreshing, minty, citrus hit. The barman there was more than happy to show me how to make a Mojito and the recipe that I have given you today, is just that. I am also going to give you a few variations which are equally delicious and just call for the simple addition of an ingredient or two, but the basic recipe is always the same. 

Since returning from Cuba, I have subsequently tried Mojitos in many notable establishments - well, it has been 12 years - and have been surprised at how many use granulated, brown sugar. Perhaps this is thought to be more authentic to the original drink, but it's not the one they serve in the home of the Mojito and all the sugar clogs up your straw, not to mention the massive bits of lime and mint floating about. I recommend using  white, caster sugar or sugar syrup which is readily available in most supermarkets and of course, it's only fitting that we should use Havana Club white rum.

Mojito (basic)

Ingredients

5 mint leaves
1 fresh lime
2 level tsp white caster sugar or 1 oz sugar syrup
2 oz white  rum
sparkling water
crushed ice

Take a large tumbler or highball glass and squeeze the juice of the whole lime into the bottom
Add the sugar/syrup and mint leaves and muddle together to dissolve the sugar and release the aroma of the leaves
Add the rum and almost fill the glass with crushed ice
Top up with sparkling water and give it a little stir to ensure it's properly mixed
Enjoy!

For an added little kick and a pretty colour, another Cuban barman recommended that I add a few shakes of Angostourra Bitters with the rum and in fact, that is how I've been making them ever since. 

If you are a follower of this blog, you will know that I am a big fan of Chase Elderflower Liqueur and this next variation uses both Elderflower and fresh raspberries, although, just Elderflower alone is delicious. It blends really well with citrus and mint, but the raspberries add a spot of colour too.

Visit Chase Distillery

Raspberry and Elderflower Mojito

Ingredients

5 mint leaves
1 fresh lime
3 raspberries
1 oz Chase Elderflower Liqueur
1 level tsp white caster sugar or 1/2 oz sugar syrup
1 and 1/2 oz white  rum
sparkling water
crushed ice

Take a large tumbler or highball glass and squeeze the juice of the whole lime into the bottom
Add the raspberries and muddle
Add the sugar/syrup and mint leaves and muddle together to dissolve the sugar and release the aroma of the leaves
Add the rum and Chase Eldeflower Liqueur and almost fill the glass with crushed ice
Top up with sparkling water and give it a little stir to ensure it's properly mixed
Enjoy!

Have an amazing weekend and please drink responsibly!

Monique
x

PS - The Friday cocktail will be taking a break in the French Alpes next week, but back the following week with some Alpine inspired deliciousness.