Harry Brompton's London Ice Tea

Harry Brompton's London Ice Tea

The power of twitter is a force to be reckoned with, that has brought me followers and customers from across the globe and sparked connections with wonderful people from all walks of life, some of which I can now count as friends. One such connection is the very lovely @GreyFoxBlog who has long been a champion of British design and manufacture and who was instrumental in introducing me (once again through the medium of twitter) to the chaps at Harry Brompton's London Ice Tea. They appropriately met at the Best of Britannia 2013, a celebration of all that is great about British design, manufacture and produce, where friends, Philip Harding and Ian ODonohue, along with his father Martin, were keen to extoll the virtues of their premium, bottled, alcoholic ice tea. Whilst selflessly quaffing their delicious ice tea in the name of supporting British produce, Grey Fox recalled his dipsomaniac, tea loving, cocktail creating, glass painting, blogging friend (does that make me a 'renaissance woman'?) and decided we would be a perfect fit. How right he was...

Harry Brompton's is an incredibly well balanced drink that has all the rich flavour of black tea with citrus notes and a crisp astringency that stops short of woodiness and is tempered with the light effervescence of tiny bubbles that prickle the tongue in a tantalising manner. There is alcohol in there - I know because it says 4%abv on the bottle, but that little spike of grain spirit does nothing to mar the flavour making it not only highly quaffable, but a great mixer and cocktail ingredient.

In order to give a well balanced review, Mr TG and I thought it was important to try Harry Brompton's in it's natural form before diving headlong into the cocktails and can confirm that is incredibly refreshing served over ice with a wedge of lime (as seen at the top of the page) and can even be enjoyed straight from the chilled bottle with a citrus slice wedged in the neck - perfect for you young folks, out and about on the town.

My love of tea and cocktails and the combining of the two thereof, is well documented in this blog, so it was never going to be too much of a stretch to come up with some tasty beverages. Using Harry Brompton's meant I could create cocktails with tea without the prior infusion of spirits and reduced the need for additional sweeteners as it is already lightly sweetened.

To begin with, I decided to combine a great London gin with a great London tea in this delicately floral and crisp cocktail. Berkley Square Gin counts among it's botanicals; kaffir lime and lavender, both of which enhance the citrus and apple notes of the ice tea. To further reinforce those flavours, I added a little lavender syrup and some freshly squeezed lime.

Lavender in London

2 oz Berkley Square Gin
2 tsp lavender syrup
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Harry Brompton's Ice Tea
twist of lime zest to garnish

Add the gin, syrup and lime juice to a shaker with ice and shake briefly to combine and chill the ingredients.
Strain the liquid into an ice filled, chilled tumbler and top with Harry Brompton's Ice Tea.
Garnish with a twist of lime zest.

Lavender in London - tumbler by Toasted Glass

Next up is a fragrant, peachy delight that combines Sipsmith (another London stalwart) Barley Vodka , Cartron Creme de Peche de Vigne (from Bourgogne, slightly south of London, but available from Amathus Drinks) and Harry Brompton's London Ice Tea.

Brompton Peach Tea

1 oz Sipsmith Barley Vodka
1 oz Cartron Creme e Peche de Vigne
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
Harry Brompton's Ice Tea
sprig of fresh mint to garnish

Add the vodka, creme de peche and lemon juice to a tumbler with ice and stir to combine and chill the ingredients - the outside of the glass should become frosted.
Add enough ice to fill the glass and top up with ice tea.
Gently slap the mint between the palms of your hands to release the essential oils and garnish the drink.

Brompton Peach Tea-glass by Toasted Glass

This next drink has a bit of a Moroccan influence, combining the flavours of rose, mint and lemon. Hendricks Gin is infused with rose and cucumber, making it the ideal spirit for this cocktail and the floral flavour is further enhanced with the addition of a little rosewater.

Harry in the Kasbah

2 oz Hendricks Gin
6 - 8 mint leaves
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 tsp rosewater
Harry Brompton Ice Tea

Muddle (gently squish) the mint with the gin and lemon in the bottom of a shaker.
Add ice and shake until the outside of the shake frosts over.
Strain into an ice filled tumbler or tea glass.
Add the rosewater and ice tea.
Stir to combine and garnish with mint.

Harry in the Kasbah-tea glass by Toasted Glass

This last cocktail is further proof that chilli infused Campari is an absolute must for every cocktail cabinet. The bittersweet combination of Campari and Triple Sec, combined with a chilli kick make this a tea with a twist.

Harry Brompton and the Goblet of Fire

1 oz chilli infused Campari
1/2 oz triple sec
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
Harry Brompton's Ice Tea
twist of lemon zest to garnish

Add the Campari, triple sec and lemon to a shaker with ice.
Shake to chill and strain into an ice filled tumbler.
Carefully top with ice tea to maintain the layers.
Garnish with a thick twist of lemon zest.

Harry Brompton and the Goblet of Fire-tumbler by Toasted Glass

So, I hear you ask, 'where do I get myself some of this fabulous ice tea?'. Well, I am reliably informed that Waitrose will soon be stocking it and it is currently available in bars and restaurants across the UK. However, I highly recommend you visit their website to keep up to date with developments and to be in with a chance of winning yourself a crate of the stuff - click here to enter the competition

Green Tea Cocktails

Orange Chai(tea)ni

The inspiration for this post came about after a bit of chatter on twitter (try saying that after a few cocktails) with my friend, style blogger, Grey Fox. I was bemoaning the fact that after a week of abstinence, I was feeling quite ill and he suggested I drink more green tea. Well, I decided to take his advice on board as I am rather partial to a drop of green tea and I must say that after I had sampled this lot, I felt much better....

Green tea is much lauded for it's health benefits and there is some scientific evidence to back up many of these claims. As a result, its uses are myriad and diverse; from its inclusion in dietary products, to face creams, exponents believe its anti-oxidative and metabolic boosting properties are the secret to a youthful glow and a healthy heart. This is in part, due to its high levels of flavonoids, which can be found in greater quantities in green tea, than in many fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids are thought to help protect against heart disease and some cancers, so it certainly can't do any harm to include a cup or two of green tea in your diet, although levels of these health boosting phytochemicals do vary significantly depending on which teas you drink.

The origins of green tea are to be found China, where it has been enjoyed for over 4000 years and has been the subject of Chinese literature and medicine from as far back as 600 AD. It is the product of Camellia Sinensis, the tea plant, which, in it's various forms, produces all types of tea depending on the amount of oxidisation they have undergone. Black tea, which is the type we most commonly drink in the West, has undergone a much greater amount of oxidisation, whereas green tea is picked early, thus retaining more of the health benefits. This also means it is higher in tannins and must be brewed carefully to avoid it tasting overly bitter and woody. Boiling water, poured straight on to the leaves, can 'burn' them, causing the tannins to be excessively released. Therefore, it is advisable to allow the water to cool or catch it before the boiling point, to keep the tea a little sweeter. Most green tea leaves will also benefit from another brewing, becoming sweeter with consecutive infusions. So there you have it - healthy and economical. What's not to love...

Which brings me to the subject of Green Tea Cocktails (I get there eventually). No doubt the alcohol will mitigate all of the health benefits, but that aside, you can create some really delicious and interesting flavours by infusing spirits with tea or by using cold tea as a mixer. Indeed, this is a well worn path for me as I have created and sampled numerous Tea Cocktails in the past;

The delicate rose tea infused Hendricks gin in the Secret Tea Society Cocktail
The earl grey infused gin in the Earl Grey Martini
The summer punch tea infused Pinkster Gin in the Pinkster Summer Punch Mar(tea)ni
The addition of chamomile tea to Bloom Gin in the Chamomile Lawn

I highly recommend you try them all at some point. Just click on the titles to visit the post that features the recipe.

It won't have escaped your notice, I'm sure, that all of these cocktails are gin based. There are two reasons for this: one - I just like gin, a lot, and two - the fragrant nature of gin generally combines well with tea and often, if you look at the botanicals that are used in a particular brand, you will be able to make a pretty failsafe combination with a tea that has a similar flavour palate.

But enough revelling in cocktail victories past, and on to our latest crop of tea-based delights....

To begin, and just to prove that I can see past gin on occasion, I've created a cocktail that uses green tea infused vodka. To make this yourself, use a fairly decent vodka to keep the flavour smooth, but there's no need to invest in anything too flashy. For each cocktail you will need 2oz of vodka and 1 tsp of green tea. Flavour will vary according to which tea you use, but that's part of the fun. I used Chun Mee green tea, which amusingly, translates as 'precious eyebrows' (unless Wikipedia is just having a laugh at my expense). Add 1 tsp of green tea leaves to the 2oz vodka and leave to infuse for no more than 1 hour or the flavour will become woody, due to those pesky tannins. Strain the infusion and discard the leaves. Now you are ready to begin.

Rosemary Green

2oz green tea infused vodka
1oz Chase Elderflower Liqueur
3/4oz fresh lime juice
fresh rosemary(about 12 needles)
dash of sparkling water
sprig of rosemary to garnish

Add the vodka and rosemary to the bottom of a shaker and gently muddle (squish) to release the oils from the herb.
Add the lime and elderflower liqueur with a handful of ice and shake until the outside of the shaker has frosted.
Strain the contents into a tall glass filled with ice and add a dash of sparkling water to top up.
Stir with a swizzle to mix the drink and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Tip - to enhance the scent of the rosemary garnish, slap it gently between your palms beforehand

Rosemary Green-tumbler by Toasted Glass

 Next up is yet another variation on a classic Mojito, but in place of the sparkling water, I'm using green tea. If you are a fan of the Mojito, I expect you will like this drink, but it's different enough from the original to not seem like a pointless substitution. The addition of green tea gives it a little more bite and a little less sugar, keeps it suitably grown up.

Green Tea Mojito

2oz Clements Martinique Rhum Agricole
3/4oz fresh lime juice
8-12 mint leaves
1/2oz simple syrup
2oz chilled green tea
sprig of mint to garnish

Muddle (squish) the mint with the lime juice, in the bottom of your shaker, but don't press too hard or you'll bruise the leaves and end up with the taste of leaf rather than mint.
Add the rum and simple syrup with a handful of ice and shake it all for about 20 secs.
Strain the cocktail into a chilled, ice filled tumbler and top up with the green tea.
Give a stir with a swizzle stick and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint, slapping it gently in your palms to release the minty aroma.

Green Tea Mojito - glass by Toasted Glass

This next cocktail is served in the martini style, shaken over ice. The combination of jasmine and elderflower really is quite beautiful and the little kick of green tea keeps it from being too floral. As before, you need to infuse 2oz of spirits with 1 tsp of tea for no more than hour. Jasmine tea can come in many forms, but the one I used combined jasmine flowers with green tea. I would give you the name, but it was all in Chinese as I bought it in an Oriental Minimart. I can however, tell you that the gin was Aldi's own, Oliver Cromwell, London Dry Gin which, for the money is perfectly acceptable, especially for this purpose.

Jasmine Flower

2oz jasmine tea infused gin

1oz Chase Elderflower Liqueur

3/4oz fresh lemon juice

sprig of mint to garnish

Add the jasmine infused vodka, elderflower and lemon to a shaker with ice and shake hard.

Strain the cocktail into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a sprig of mint.

As before, gently slap the mint to release the aroma, before applying as garnish.

Jasmine Flower-Lace glass by Toasted Glass

Last but not least, is a cocktail made with Whittards Chai Tea which is actually a black tea, but combined so beautifully with the gin, I couldn't leave it out. As with the other infusions, use 1 tsp of tea leaves to 2oz gin and infuse for an hour at the most, before straining and discarding the leaves. 

Orange Chai(tea)ni

2oz chai tea infused gin

1/2oz triple sec

3/4oz freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2oz fresh lemon juice

strip of orange zest to garnish

Add everything apart from the garnish to a shaker, with ice.

Shake until the outside of the shaker is frosted and strain into a chilled martini glass.

Twist the zest over the cocktail, spraying it with a fine mist of orange oil, and garnish.

Orange Chai(tea)ni-Lace glass by Toasted Glass

Retox

Lavender Martini Spritz

The weeks that follow the Festive period are generally fraught with guilt and wavering resolution after a month long bacchanalian booze fest. Buttons don't seem to fasten properly, elastic seems to cut into body parts, turning limbs into link sausages and the last time you awoke feeling vaguely human is a dim distant memory. So it's no surprise then, that for most of us, January has become a month of avoidance, restraint and low level misery. Whilst there is a definite need to let the body recover, there will come a time when you want to start to drink again without entirely undoing all that good work you've put in. So, as you sip on your hot water with a side order of self-sacrifice, why not undo a button or two of your hair shirt and start planning your 'retox' diet....

Cocktails can of course be very fattening; often they are laden with sugar to make them taste like pop which in turn makes them easy to quaff at an alarming rate. However, if you make them yourself, you can control exactly what goes in the glass. Many recipes will call for an ounce of sugar syrup which can equate to over 150 calories before you've even added the alcohol. All of these recipes use only a teaspoon or two of syrup, but will still taste great and you'll be less inclined to chug them down like a  Sunny D crazed teenager. Each cocktail contains around 180 calories which is less than a large (250 ml) glass of wine.

First up is a far less sugary version of the Mojito; a cocktail of rum, mint and lime whose origins are Cuban, but whose popularity has spread worldwide. This version uses a little runny honey to sweeten the taste, but far less than the equivalent sugar in a traditional Mojito. As a result, the other flavours really come to the fore, so be sure to use a good quality white rum and the freshest of ingredients.

Mojito Flaco

2 oz white rum
3/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
6-8 mint leaves
2 tsp runny honey
sparkling water to top up
sprig of mint to garnish

Add the mint leaves, honey and lime to the bottom of a shaker and muddle (squish). Don't overdo the muddling as the mint will end up tasting vegetal rather than deliciously minty if the leaves become too bruised.
Pour in the rum,  a handful of ice and give it a good shake (with the lid on of course).
Put plenty of ice into a chilled glass and strain the cocktail into it - be sure to check the strainer isn't clogged with mint or you won't be able to get all the cocktail out.
Top up with a little sparkling water and give it a little stir to mix.
Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
(Tip - if you gently slap the mint between your palms, it will release a fabulously minty aroma that will enhance the drinking experience)

Mojito Flaco - glass by Toasted Glass

This next drink uses Berkley Square Gin which is distilled in the traditional, London style and then infused with a bouquet garni of botanicals, including lavender, sage kaffir lime and basil. The Lavender Martini Spritz uses a little lavender syrup and fresh lime juice to enhance those wonderful flavours and just a little dash of sparkling water to diffuse the intensity.

Lavender Martini Spritz

2 oz Berkley Square Gin
2 tsp lavender syrup (click here for recipe)
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
dash of sparking water
lime wheel to garnish

Add the gin, syrup and lime juice to shake with ice and shake hard until the outside frosts over.
Open the shaker and add a dash of sparkling water.
Strain the cocktail into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a wheel of lime.

Lavender Martini Spritz - glass by Toasted Glass

Finally, to celebrate the end of detox and the start of retox, a champagne cocktail that is fresh, light and fabulous. Of course, in the spirit of restraint, you can use a brut cava instead of champagne...

Apple Mint

1 oz vodka
2 oz apple juice
4 mint leaves
1 tsp sugar
champagne or cava to top up
sprig of mint to garnish

Add the sugar to the apple juice in the bottom of a shaker and stir until dissolved.
Add the vodka, mint leaves and muddle gently before popping in a handful of ice and giving it a shake.
Double strain the cocktail to remove the bits of mint and pour into a chilled champagne flute. Carefully top up with fizz and add a sprig of mint to garnish.

(Tip - fruit juice and fizz can react quite vigorously so add the champagne or cava incrementally, waiting for the bubbles to subside before adding more.)

Apple Mint - glass by Toasted Glass

Nature's Harvest (in a glass)

Jolly Sailor Mulled Cider - glassware from Toasted Glass

Only a few, short weeks ago, it felt as though Summer might last forever, but of course, the seasons march on a pace and here we are, pulling on sweaters and wondering when it will be acceptable to crank up the central heating. Thankfully though, there's more to Autumn than just shorter days and chilly mornings. This is harvest time for a plethora of fruits, vegetables and grains, many of which will make an appearance on our plates and some of which should definitely be charging our glasses. British apples, pears, blackberries and plums are all at their best right now and if you are lucky enough to grow your own, you're probably wondering what to do them all, so when you've had your fill of fruit crumble, might I suggest that you turn your culinary skills to the drinks cabinet. After all, a warming tipple is a welcome pleasure as the nights draw in and the temperature drops. But don't worry if you don't have a garden full of fruit trees, the supermarket has plenty of British produce in store right now that will taste better than ever.

For this first cocktail, I actually made some pear nectar, which may sound a little over the top, but was surprisingly, very simple to do and a fabulous way to use up a surfeit of pears. Mine, I hasten to add, were from the supermarket and had inconveniently all decided to ripen at once, simultaneously turning from molar challengingly hard, to squish, within a day. As I couldn't convince my children that they really wanted to eat a bowlful of pears in a sitting, I decided to make them into juice.

Pear Nectar (makes about a pint)

3 large pears
150 ml of water

Chop the pears into quarters - no need to peel or core - and add to a pan with the water.
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for a few minutes.
Allow to cool and place a sieve over a large bowl.
Mash the pear through the sieve and hey presto...pear juice!

As there are no preservatives, I suggest you use the juice within a day or so, but if you do want to store it for longer, you must keep it refrigerated in an airtight, sterilised container. This is very important as juices can become volatile if not kept in a sterile environment. However, it's so delicious, I can't imagine it will last too long.

Now, of course, you can buy pear nectar from some health food outlets or even make it by whizzing up unsweetened tinned pears, so don't feel you have to go all 'Nigella' in the kitchen. Using fresh produce is always a nice touch, but this cocktail is going to taste delicious, whichever way you prepare it. What really gives it that Autumnal, spiced flavour, is the delicious cinnamon, vanilla and clove syrup and luckily, you can buy it, ready made in a bottle  ( Clément Sirop de Canne available from www.amathusdrinks.com ). Alternatively, you can make your own:

Vanilla, Cinnamon and Clove Syrup

Add a vanilla pod, cinnamon stick and a couple of whole cloves to a pan with one cup of water.
Bring to the boil, reduce heat and add two cups of sugar.
Simmer for 5 mins and allow to cool.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Phew, so you've got your pear nectar, you've got your syrup, let's make some cocktails already!

Spiced Pear Martini

Ingredients

2 oz vodka (I used Sipsmith Barley Vodka)
2 oz pear nectar
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 - 1 oz Vanilla, Cinnamon and Clove Syrup (1/2 oz is enough for me, but if you like it sweet, add a little more)
Cinnamon stick and a strip of orange zest to garnish

Using a paring  knife, cut a strip of zest from and orange - try to leave the pith behind if possible.
Add the vodka, pear nectar and syrup to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice cubes.
Shake hard for about 20 secs and strain the contents into a chilled martini glass.
Twist the orange zest over the top of the drink to release the essential oils and use as garnish along with the cinnamon stick.

Spiced Pear Martini - glass available from Toasted Glass

Next up is a cocktail that will definitely warm  you up after a chilly day. It combines lots of warming ginger with the earthy spiciness of tequila and the fresh flavour of blackberries. If you can pick your own, so much the better, just give them a little wash before you start.

Tequila, Ginger Bramble

Ingredients

2 oz Tequila Resposado (gold in colour)
1-2 cm root ginger, peeled and finely grated
3-4 fresh blackberries
1/2 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz agave nectar or sugar syrup
Sparkling water to top up
Blackberry to garnish

Add the ginger and blackberries to a cocktail shaker and muddle (squish).
Add the tequila, lemon and syrup with a handful of ice and shake hard.
Strain the contents into a chilled tumbler or hi ball, filled with ice and top up with a little sparkling water.
Stir gently to combine and garnish with a fresh blackberry.

Tequila, Ginger Bramble - tumbler by Toasted Glass

Finally, Autumn hasn't really started before you have your first Mulled Cider and Britain has no shortage of fine ciders to choose from. With the apples, literally falling out of the trees, there is no better time to celebrate that most British of drinks and warm your very cockles, to boot.

I could probably write a whole book, just of Mulled Cider recipes and indeed, I may, but for now, let's settle on just one that will see you through the next cold snap and into the Festive Season. The quantities here will make two generous cups, but if you are entertaining guests in the near future, scale up and give them a warming treat.

Jolly Sailor's Mulled Cider

500 ml dry cider
50 ml dark rum
Peeled zest of 1/2 an orange
1/2 an apple, cut into 4 wedges
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla pod
4 cloves

Put all of the ingredients in to a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat gently - do not allow to boil.
Simmer very gently for about 20 mins and pour into cups with the apple wedges - try to leave the zest etc, behind, as the cups get a little crowded, but be sure to eat the apple at the end - it's delicious!

Jolly Sailor Mulled Cider - glassware by Toasted Glass

Lavender Cocktails

Lavender Highball Glasses by Toasted Glass

I am always on the look out for new cocktail inspiration and last week it came from Gin Monkey, whose fabulous website gives independent and impartial reviews of  cocktail bars in the UK and around the world. I am an avid user of twitter and was following the exploits of @GinMonkeyUK, tweeting about cocktail bars in Prague and in particular, the Hemmingway Bar where one of the drinks on offer was a Lavender Martini. As a huge fan of anything with lavender in, this instantly got my attention and I set to work, tracking down lavender to make lavender syrup, full details of which you can find by going to my Lavender Syrup post.

Having made the lavender syrup, the first recipe I tried was a classic martini with the addition of lavender syrup. I have to admit that I am not a lover of neat spirits, hence my love of cocktails and whilst I can appreciate the nuances of a neat gin for tasting purposes, I would find it hard to drink a whole shot. Therefore, I am perhaps not best placed to judge this impartially, but I have to be honest, this was a tough drink to get through. Gin is very aromatic and the lavender syrup is very floral. Combined with only a little vermouth and bitters, no amount of shaking will disguise the fact that there is a lot of alcohol in there. The result, I have to say was a bit like drinking your grandmother's perfume. That said, I did drink it all, albeit, very slowly and if you are a fan of the classic gin martini (and/or Yardley), then do give it a whirl. I am definitely going to experiment a little more with some of the more classic cocktails and see if I can't educate my palate.

Lavender Martini

Ingredients

2 1/2 oz gin (I used Hendricks)
1/2 oz dry vermouth (I used Noilly Prat Dry)
1/2 oz lavender syrup
dash of orange bitters

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with ice
Shake vigorously and strain into chilled martini glass

Slightly deflated by my result, I decided to try another recipe, loosely based on the martini, using home made vanilla vodka. You can find out how to make it in my Vanilla Vodka post. Don't worry, it's ridiculously straight forward. The resultant drink here, was far more to my taste. The vanilla vodka has a slight natural sweetness and a little earthiness that is a suprise hit with lavender which is used to a lesser degree in this recipe. The lemon juice works very well with lavender and gives the whole drink a nice sweet/sour balance. For me, this was a big hit and my independent tester, neighbour Amy (Mr TG is away), enjoyed it too. She did comment that it too, was reminiscent of Yardley, but not in a bad way.

Lavender Martini Glasses available on Etsy

Vanilla, Lavender Martini

Ingredients

1 1/2oz vanilla vodka
1/2oz lemon juice
1/4oz lavender syrup

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with ice
Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass

Lavender Martini Glasses available on Etsy

This next cocktail is a great, refreshing drink that marries together the obvious pairing of lemon and lavender. It makes a fantastic non-alcoholic drink, minus the alcohol and is delicious with either gin or vodka. I have chosen to go with gin on this occasion as the botanicals that flavour gin really add more depth to the drink. I wanted to try a different gin this week and so tested Blackwoods Vintage Gin, made using botanicals from the Shetland Isles. The gin is very competitively priced and really does deliver. The label stated that amongst other things, it was distilled using violet and water mint, both of which I could discern from sipping it neat. It was slightly floral and fresh and seemed perfect for this drink.


Lemon and Lavender Cooler

Ingredients

2oz Blackwoods Gin
10z lemon juice
1/2oz lavender syrup
sparkling water

Add the gin, lemon and lavender to the shaker and half fill with ice
Shake vigorously and strain into highball glass with ice
Top up with sparkling water

Lavender Highball Glasses by Toasted Glass

Keeping with the long drinks, in the hope that the sun will start shining again and I can sit in the garden, sipping iced cocktails, this next drink mixes vodka with dark, berry fruits, lavender and citrus. It is quite sweet, depending on how much sparkling water you use to top it up. For my tastes, I would only half fill the highball with ice, leaving more room to add sparkling water, making a longer, more refreshing drink.

Lavender Berry Cooler

Ingredients

1 1/2oz vodka
1/4oz creme de cassis
1/2oz lavender syrup
1oz lime juice
6 blueberries

Muddle (squish) the blueberries in the bottom of a shaker with the lime juice. If you don't have a muddler, then improvise with a pestle or handle of a cooking implement.
Add the vodka, cassis and lavender syrup to the shaker.
Half fill with ice and shake vigorously before straining into a highball glass, half filled with ice.
Top up with sparkling water.

Butterfly Highball Glasses by Toasted Glass

Finally, and this is a first for Toasted Glass, I have made a whisky cocktail, loosely based on a Rusty Nail (whisky and drambuie), which is one of the few ways I have ever been able to stomach Scotland's finest. It is a shameful admission that as a Scot myself, I have no love for the whisky, but a cocktail is an incredible thing, that done correctly, can really turn flavours around. Because I wanted to add sweetness and warmth to the whisky, I chose to mix it with King's Ginger, which, if you follow this blog, you'll know I am a fan of it's sweet, earthy warmth. Knowing that I like the lemon and honey of a hot toddy, I was fairly confident that lemon and lavender syrup would work with the whisky. I deliberately chose a whisky with a sweeter flavour and honey overtones, but decided to go for miniatures as I'm not quite ready to embrace whisky wholeheartedly. This Jura 10yr old whisky definitely has a sweet finish to it, but one sip was enough to tell me that I've a long way to go before I'm able to drink it neat. My late gramps would turn in his grave if he knew what I'd done to a good single malt...

Summer Toddy

Ingredients

1 1/2oz Jura 10 yr old whisky (or similarly sweet)
1/2oz King's Ginger
1/2oz lavender syrup
3/4oz lemon juice

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker and half fill with ice
Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled tumbler

White Stag Tumblers by Toasted Glass

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked this and who knows, maybe, in the same way as I have been with tequila, I'll be persuaded to choose it more often. I'm not sure what whisky purists would make of it, but I think anyone who enjoys a whisky with a mixer, will approve.

Next week, I'll be looking at cocktails to impress your father with, on Father's day, so probably a little less of pink drinks and glasses with butterflies and possibly a little more whisky - who knows....

Have a great weekend and drink safely x

All of the spirits and liqueurs listed are available to buy at Amathus Drinks (see link to their shop on the  left of the page) or similarly high quality purveyors of wines and spirits.

Vanilla Vodka

Like all infusions, vanilla vodka is very straightforward to make and the result is worth waiting a few days for. Using vanilla pods gives an earthy undertone that is reminiscent of pipe tobacco and a hint of sweetness that makes the vodka very smooth to drink. In fact, it was so great, I decided to make some more so I could make more delicious Vanilla, Lavender Martinis. This recipe will make 6 x 1oz shots - if you wish to make more, just scale up the quantities, adding one vanilla pod for every 150 ml of vodka,

Vanilla Vodka

Ingredients

150 ml vodka
1 vanilla pod (whole)

Score the length of the vanilla pods with a sharp knife and open out slightly to reveal the seeds

Add the pods and vodka to a clean, airtight container and close the lid.

Leave for a minimum of five days, swirling the container gently, each day

The vodka will become progressively darker each day

After five days, or more, if you can wait, your vodka will be ready to strain

Pour the vodka through a coffee filter paper, into a jug and that's it. 

Now you can get mixing or enjoy it chilled and neat if you prefer.

Easter Cocktails

Cocktail Glasses by Toasted Glass

As my family and I are preparing to embark on our first ski trip together, I had thought to miss this week's cocktail, but I couldn't resist trying out these tangy treats and as many of you may well be entertaining family and friends over the Easter break, this will give you plenty of time to make sure you have the ingredients. Both of this week's cocktails are once again, bursting with fruit - I'm not sure if they count as one of your five a day, but they certainly will put a spring in your step. 

The first cocktail, Country Thyme works well as a mocktail, when the vodka is omitted, should you wish to offer a non alcoholic beverage for those that don't indulge. Just follow the recipe as is, but miss out the vodka. Equally delicious, are last week's mojito recipes, minus the rum. Not that I am suggesting you avoid alcohol altogether, but it could be useful, should you find yourself appointed as designated driver for instance. Anyway, for the rest of us, let's throw caution to the wind, charge our shakers and make some cocktails!

Country Thyme

Ingredients

1 sprig of thyme
10 - 15 blueberries
Half a lemon, roughly chopped
1.5 oz vodka
0.5 oz sugar syrup
crushed ice

Place the thyme sprig in the palm of your hand and slap it to release the oils (yes really), then give it a twist and pop it in the bottom of a large tumbler or a highball glass and fill with crushed ice

Set aside the glass, and in the bottom of a cocktail shaker, muddle the blueberries and lemon

Add the vodka and sugar syrup and fill with ice
Shake vigorously for 10 - 20 secs and strain into the prepared glass
Garnish with another sprig of thyme and enjoy!

Agapanthus Tumbler on Etsy

Next up is this delicious concoction which calls for the addition of a dash of champagne. Obviously, it would be a terribly wasteful to open a whole bottle, just for this, but if you need some inspiration on how to finish it (other than just necking it, that is), then read my vintage post from 2012, all about champagne.

La Fleur de Paradis

Ingredients

2 oz gin
0.5 oz lemon juice
0.5 oz grapefruit juice
0.5 oz orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
0.75 oz Chase Elderflower Liqueur
0.25 oz sugar syrup
1 oz champagne or cava

Add all of the ingredients, bar the champagne, to a cocktail shaker
Top up with ice 
Shake vigorously for 10 - 20 secs 
Strain into a cocktail glass
Enjoy!

Orange and Lemon cocktail glass by Toasted Glass

Have a wonderful Easter - drink responsibly  - and I'll be back just after the Easter weekend with some apres ski inspired cocktails x

Mother's Day Cocktails

Flush with the success of last week's cocktails, using the fabulous Chase Elderflower Liqueur, I decided it was definitely worth using again for today's Mother's Day special. After all, I'm a mother of two and I love it, but that aside, it has a delicate, floral bouquet that seems appropriate for the occasion.

Visit the Chase Distillery

First up is the ridiculously quaffable Elderflower Fizz, which is not only delicious, but so simple to make. I have decided to use Cava for this, but you can use Champagne if you prefer. The addition of Elderflower liquer will significantly sweeten the drink, so do be careful if you decide to use Prosecco, as it can be slightly sweeter to begin with.

Elderflower Fizz

1 oz Chase Elderflower Liqueur
Champagne or Cava to top up  glass

Pour the Elderflower liqueur into the bottom of a champagne flute and top up with Cava - simple and totally delicious!

Champagne Flute by Toasted Glass

This next cocktail, was the winner of the May 2012 Vodka Cocktail Contest and with good reason. It is a fruity, herbal mix that is a joy to drink and was inspired by the creator's mother's garden. As ever, I have adapted it slightly, not least because the name made me howl with laughter. The original recipe calls for Grey Goose vodka, hence the name, 'A Goose in Spring'. I can only imagine that in the US, the term 'goose' does not have the same connotations, or perhaps his mother is partial to a goose in spring - who knows? Anyway, I do not have Grey Goose Vodka and I used lavender in the cocktail, rather than infusing the vodka for 6 days and as I am so enamoured of Chase Elderflower Liqueur, I have decided to call it:

Chase in the Garden

3 raspberries
Sprig of Lavender
2 oz vodka
3/4 oz Chase Elderflower Liqueur
1/4 fresh lemon juice

Muddle the raspberries and lavender  in a cocktail shaker
Add the spirits and lemon juice
Fill to halfway with crushed ice
Shake well
Strain into a chilled, lavender rubbed cocktail glass

Waterlily Cocktail Glasses by Toasted Glass

I hope you get a chance to treat mother to a cocktail or two, this weekend, or even just try them for yourself - they won't disappoint, but please remember to drink responsibly and never drink and drive. Have an amazing weekend xxx

Butterfly Cocktails

Butterfly Glasses by Toasted Glass

Well, it's Friday afternoon and the weekend is almost upon us, so I think it must be time to start planning a tipple. I stumbled upon this week's delicious libation when I Google searched 'Butterfly cocktails' and found this gem, created by Alex Kammerling in London. 

The cocktail called for the inclusion of Elderflower liqueur, which I had tasted before, but did not have in my possession, so the wonderfully obliging, Mr TG was dispatched to Leadenhall Market in his lunch hour to obtain a bottle. The shop there have several London outlets and even more fabulously, an online shop where you can purchase a wide range of interesting alcoholic beverages. However, a trip in person is recommended if you can, as the staff are extremely knowledgeable and really helpful: Amanthus Drinks

There were several options available, but Mr TG chose this one, which I love. It comes in a lovely bottle and best of all, is made in Britain. I have since discovered that they make vodka, primarily, so next time I am stocking up, I'll be sure to buy British and try theirs!

visit the Chase Distillery website

I must confess that I was so taken with Elderflower liqueur, that I upped the quantity a little as I found the original cocktail a little wersh (bitter,for the non Scots among you), but that could have been down to the grapes I used. Anyway, I shall give you my version of it and you can likewise adapt, if necessary. After all, that's how the best cocktails are born.

Butterfly Cocktail

Ingredients

1.5 oz vodka
1oz Chase Elderflower Liqueur
1/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 seedless white grapes
3 leaves basil
3 leaves mint
ice

Muddle the grapes in the bottom of a cocktail shaker (muddling is essentially just roughly mashing them) 
 Add the other ingredients with enough crushed ice to half fill the shaker
Give it a bit of a shake - nothing to vigorous as the delicate flavours of the herbs will be marred. 
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and enjoy the fresh citrus flavour.

I had a little sip before putting it in the fridge for later as I still have to take my son to his gymnastics club, but I can assure you it is delish and I will be quaffing it later!

After the success of this Butterfly cocktail and seeing as I had a whole bottle of liqueur, I thought I would put my Mixologist's hat on and make a slightly sweeter, fruitier version and I'm so pleased with the result, I just have to share. 

Strawberry Butterfly Cocktail

Ingredients

1.5 oz vodka
1 oz Chase Elderflower Liqueur
3 large strawberries
1/2 large orange
ice

Muddle the strawberries in the bottom of a cocktail shaker
Squeeze the 1/2 orange directly into the shaker
Add the other ingredients with enough crushed ice to half fill the shaker
Give it vigorous shake this time and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

Not only does it look gorgeous, but it's really tasty too and practically a health drink with all that fruit (okay, maybe not) and although sweeter, not so much so that it tastes like an alcopop - these cocktails are definitely for grown ups!

So, I hope you get to give one or both of them a try and I can't recommend the Chase Elderflower Liqueur enough. In fact, you will definitely be seeing a few more drinks that use it, over the next few weeks, so grab a bottle if you want to join in.

Of course, I'm sure it goes without saying, but I will anyway - always drink responsibly and never drink and drive. Have a fabulous weekend. x

Pastel Butterflies Cocktail Glasses by Toasted Glass

Loveheart Vodka

Set of 6 Loveheart shot glasses by Toasted Glass

This week, I was transported back to my childhood as I painted these Loveheart shots. These were definitely one of my favourite sweets, not least because of their little love notes. Gaggles of girls would gather to squabble over, who got which message and which boy they might give it to. I was rarely brave enough to hand mine over and also, quite greedy, so it was never a path to true love for me, but I am still very fond of the sweets. Having painted the shot glasses, it seemed the logical conclusion, to show you how to make Loveheart Vodka. It is a little time consuming, but fairly simple and tastes just like the sweets. Don't be fooled by the innocuous flavour though - this vodka packs a full on punch and should be drunk with caution.

Firstly, you will need a bottle of vodka (it needn't cost the earth to be honest) and a packet of these...

Next, take a microwaveable bowl and put some Loveheart sweets in it. I used 14 to make 3 x 1oz shots of flavoured vodka, but you can scale up the volumes to your own preference. Just remember to use roughly 4-5 sweets per 40ml of vodka.

Now, pour on just enough boiling water to cover the sweets. As you will see, they start to fizz a little. 

Put the bowl in to the microwave and heat on full power for about two minutes. what you are trying to do, is reduce the sweets to a syrup, so they will blend with the vodka. Remove the bowl carefully as it will get very hot. Stir the mixture, but do not touch it - this stuff is like molten lava and will seriously burn you. 

Now, pour room temperature vodka on to the mixture and stir. Generally, what will happen, is that the sweet syrup will become rock solid, like hard candy, but don't worry - this is fine. Leave the mixture to dissolve in the vodka. For a small amount like this, it should only take 30 mins and you can hurry it along by stirring it every now and then.

Don't panic! It does look vile, but we are going to pass it through a filter to get rid of all the scum. If, like me, you are making a small amount, you can just pour it through some sturdy kitchen roll (the type that claims to be like a cloth), but please don't use ordinairy kitchen roll as it won't be strong enough. Alternatively, a coffee filter paper would be ideal, or perhaps a muslin cloth.

When you have filtered the vodka, pour it into the shots, sitting them on a tray or plate that will fit in your freezer and pop them in for at least an hour. The alcohol prevents the drink freezing over - it just gets nicely chilled.

Remove from freezer and drink!

shot glasses by Toasted Glass

Time for Coffee

Coffee Time coffee cups by Toasted Glass

This week, I've been looking at the devil's brew, that is coffee -where did it come from and is it really bad for you? I have also selflessly tested some coffee based cocktails and brought to you, my top 5. It would have been a top 10, but I was losing my ability to see straight, so we'll save the rest for another day. 

 Did you know that, according to the British Coffee Association, we drink around 70 million cups of coffee every day in the UK?  So how did we, as a nation, become so hopelessly hooked on caffeine and where did the black stuff come from, before there was a coffee franchise on every corner?

The origins of coffee are more myth than actual history, but it's a good story so let's go with it for now.
Around A.D 800 in Ethiopa, lived a goatherd named Kaldi. According to legend, he noticed that his livestock were extra frisky, frolicking between the coffee shrubs, munching on the red fruit (coffee beans aren't beans at all - they are actually the seeds of this red fruit). Not wanting to miss out on anything that might relieve the tedium of goat herding, Kaldi scoffed a load as well and was soon bouncing off the hillside. A passing monk spotted Kaldi off his trolley on caffeine and picked some to take back to the monastery where no doubt they then stayed up all night praying  and brewing moonshine as monks were wont to do.

There are historical accounts detailing various uses of the coffee plant fruit, by Africans around this time -they made a kind of wine from the coffee fruit pulp and energy balls using coffee and animal fat - yum! From Africa, coffee traveled across the Red Sea to Arabia where it was drunk as an infusion like tea, by soaking the leaves and dried fruit of the coffee plant in hot water. By the 13th century, Muslims were drinking coffee in its more recognisable form, crushing and grinding the dried seeds of the coffee plant and brewing them up as we do today.

 As Islam spread across to India and the Mediterranean, coffee went too, although being such a precious commodity, Arabia tried to keep coffee growing, in house, by exporting only infertile beans. Legend has it that no coffee seed took root outside of Arabia until the 1600s, when Indian pilgrim Baba Buban, smuggled them out of the country and initiated a global coffee agriculture.

From then, the race was on to obtain coffee plants as it was clear that this brew meant big business and everyone wanted a piece of the action. The Dutch were the first to bring a coffee plant into Europe and set up a plantation in Indonesia, which was then, colonial Java. The Dutch in a bid to curry favour in Europe, gifted coffee plants to the European aristocracy and thus, Louis XIV came to install one in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. Some years later, Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu, an ambitious naval officer serving in the french colony of Martinique, stole a cutting from  this plant, with the intention of creating a Java style plantation on Martinique.

De Clieu's dreams were realised and the progeny of his seedling went on to provide coffee to Latin America until another opportunist in the form of Lt. Col Fransisco de Melo Palheta was able to obtain seedlings by wooing the governor of Martinique's wife, who presented them to him covertly, in a bouquet, as a token of thanks for services rendered. These fruits of love were taken to Brazil which went on to become the world's biggest producer of coffee and today holds 30% of the entire world market.

Coffee began it's journey to our grey shores by way of the British East India Company and the first coffee house was opened in Cornhill  by Pasqua Rosee, the servant of Daniel Edwards, a trader in Turkish goods. By 1675 there were more than 3000 coffee houses, which became a hotbed for political discussion among the enlightened, middle classes, to the extent that Charles II tried to remove them. The king was not the only one to object - women were banned from entering these establishments and in 1674, published a charter, outlining their distaste for coffee. It is so hilariously ridiculous that I almost think it must be a Wikipedia joke, but it is definitely worth a read. Here is a little snippet to amuse you.















.The disgruntled women of 1647 were of the belief that coffee was to blame for the menfolk's lack of vavavoom in the bedroom, but there certainly is no medical evidence to bear out this theory. So is coffee bad for you? Opinions seem to sway on a daily basis, but the general consensus seems to be that it is fine to drink coffee in reasonable amounts. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that there was no increased risk of death of any sort from drinking coffee and that it was fine to consume up to 600mg of caffeine a day, which amounts to six normal size cups of coffee. Basically, if you are drinking so much coffee that you've got the shakes and can't sleep, then it's probably too much. The advice to pregnant woman is still to reduce intake due to a slight risk of early miscarriage and for people with high blood pressure, excessive amounts of coffee could exacerbate the condition, but otherwise, it's all good.

A recent study showed that coffee's ability to dilate blood vessels could possibly help relieve a tension headache and it even has some antioxidant content, (though admittedly, tea has more), so don't feel guilty - enjoy your coffee with a clear conscience. However, you might want to hold back on mega whopping frappalappadingdong ccinos with extra whipped cream - coffee on it's own has only 2 calories in an 8oz cup, but a caramael frappuccino has 390 - eek.

 That said, I have spent an interesting afternoon, 'testing' cocktails containing coffee, which probably do not have any health benefits whatsoever, but it was a lot of fun....calorie count not included. x


Here are my top 5

Espresso Martini - glass by Toasted Glass

Espresso Martini

2 oz Vodka
3/4 oz simple syrup

1 oz. espresso

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass.

Taster's verdict - Grown up, but sweet enough to be quaffable.

The Truffle - glass by Toasted Glass

The Truffle

1 oz. Frangelico

1 oz Vodka

¾ oz. cold espresso

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into an espresso cup

Taster's verdict - Yummy - a bit like drinking praline without the creaminess.

Espresso Summer - glass by Toasted Glass

Espresso Summer

1 oz. Espresso

1½ oz. gin

½ oz. simple syrup

½ oz. orange juice

Garnish: orange wheel and blackberry

To make simple syrup, mix equal parts hot water and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add remaining ingredients and ice, and shake vigorously. Strain into a glass filled with ice and garnish with an orange wheel.

Taster's verdict - Thish onesh really nice too - I imagine it's lovely on a summer's day, but it's not bad in the middle of winter either.

Hot Shot Espresso - glass by Toasted Glass

Hot Shot Espresso

1oz Coffee liqueur

1oz Baileys

Double shot of espresso

Steamed milk

Garnish:sprig of mint

Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Taster's verdict - mmmmmmmm......hic...

Bronx Bomber - glass by Toasted Glass

Bronx Bomber

Double shot espresso

1/8 oz. absinthe

1½ oz. gin

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a glass.

Aye caramba ! That'll certainly put some lead in your pencil.