T.L.C Cocktail

TLC Cocktail - Bespoke Cocktail Service

This cocktail was created as gift to mark the 30 year, Pearl Wedding Anniversary of a couple who work hard all year on the farm and in the local community and enjoy an annual cruise to far flung lands as a reward. From the brief I was given, I wanted to create something that would combine quintessentially British flavours with something a little more  cosmopolitan, that was both fruity and sweet.

The name of the cocktail refers to the couple's initials, but serendipitously also stands for 'tender loving care', without which, a marriage is unlikely to last 30 years. The bottles were hand painted in a lace design with a pearl outline and the number 30 entwined into the pattern to represent their 30 years of marriage to one another.

And so, to the cocktail...

The recipe calls for fresh raspberry purée which is easily made by squishing the raspberries through a sieve with the back of a spoon - collect the purée in a dish and discard the pips. About 4 large raspberries should be enough to make a tablespoon of purée.

The dash of lemon juice should be fresh, not the bottled type, but is literally, just a tiny squeeze, less than half a teaspoon. Although seemingly minuscule, that little dash just adds a freshness and depth to the alcohol.

Should you wish to make their signature cocktail for yourself, you will need to invest in a bottle of Martin Miller Gin (highly recommended with Fever Tree Tonic for an exceptional G&T), Cartron Crème de Pêche de Vigne and Giffards Crème de Framboises (both delicious when added to fizz in the style of a Kir Royale) and a sweet vermouth such as Martini Rosso which is an essential ingredient for many cocktails, including my current fave, the Negroni.

TLC Cocktail

3/4 oz Martin Miller Gin
1/4 oz Crème de Framboises
1/2 oz Crème de Pêche de Vigne
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
1 tbsp raspberry purée
dash of fresh lemon juice
raspberry to garnish

Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice (cubed, not crushed) and shake hard until the outside of the shaker becomes frosted (about 20 secs).

Strain the contents into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a raspberry or two on a cocktail stick.

TLC Cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

If you find the drink a little intense, served this way, why not try it served over ice or topped up with champagne - delicious!

TLC over ice - glass by Toasted Glass

Think Pink

Pinkster Gin and Fever Tree Tonic

It's that time of year again when many of us will be thinking of what to buy our lovely mums for Mother's Day and if my children are reading this - ask daddy to get mummy a nice bottle of gin please...

There are a myriad of wonderful gins to choose from out there and I am doing my level best to work through them all with the able assistance of recent gin convert and father of my children, Mr TG. This week we have been mostly drinking Pinkster, a small batch, British gin with  a delicate, pink colour and slightly sweet and fragrant flavour that is partially derived from raspberries (hence the pink colour) and I suspect, lavender, although I don't know for sure as the makers are tantalisingly vague.  

This kind of vagary is not uncommon in the gin world, however. In order to qualify as 'gin', the main botanical must be juniper, but that does leave room for all manner of experimentation and whilst many artisanal brands list their botanicals with pride, it's likely that those ingredients are not the whole story. It's a competitive business these days and who can blame  distillers for holding a little something back...

So, back to Pinkster - drunk neat, it is sweetish and floral with a fruity sharpness that is more berry than citrus. The makers recommend serving it with a good tonic, a sprig of mint and a fresh raspberry, which makes an exceptionally pretty and delicious G&T. If your dearest mama is partial to a drop of gin then a bottle of this would make a marvellous Mother's Day gift or if you can't bear to be parted from it, having purchased a bottle, then why not rustle up a few cocktails instead?

Pinkster Gin

This week I have been making some 'pink' variations of a few of my favourite cocktail classics as well as creating this sweet citrus, easily quaffable drink that is bound to please even the most awkward of mothers on Mothering Sunday.

Belles of St Clements

1oz Pinkster Gin

1oz Triple Sec

1/2oz lemon juice

1 small egg white

1/2 tsp grenadine

1oz cava or champagne

Orange wheel to garnish

Add all of the ingredients apart from the fizz, to the bottom of a cocktail shaker and whisk until frothy - you can 'dry' shake the ingredients without ice, to the same effect, but please be aware that this can cause a build of pressure in the shaker and the lid can pop off!

Strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass and then float the fizz on top.

Garnish with a slice of orange - I have used a miniature orange, but an orange slice will be just fine.

Belles of St Clements - glass by Toasted Glass

This next cocktail is an update of the eternally popular and simple to make, Negroni, using Pinkster Gin and Chase Elderflower liqueur. In a classic Negroni, the bitterness of the Campari is tempered by the sweetness of sweet vermouth, but with the 'Pinkroni', I've countered the bitterness with elderflower liqueur which makes it slightly sweeter and more floral.

Pinkroni

1oz Pinkster Gin

1oz Chase Elderflower Liqueur

1oz Campari

Add all of the ingredients to a tumbler or rocks glass with a few large ice cubes and stir to mix and chill the liquid. This has quite an intense flavour, but will dilute as the ice melts. I personally like to stir mine for 30 secs to get to an optimal dilution, but do experiment until you find your perfect mix.

Pinkroni Cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

This next cocktail, the Martinez, is thought to be a precursor to the Martini (gin and dry vermouth) that mixes sweet vermouth with gin, but what really brings the drink to life, is the addition of a little maraschino liqueur and bitters. For me, the Martinez is a far more palatable drink than the Martini which is too dry for my liking and this Pink Martinez is a lovely alternative that uses Martini Rosato, the rosé alternative to Martini Rosso sweet vermouth. Martini Rosato combines flavours of pomegranate, raspberry, cinnamon and lemon giving it a sweet and spicy finish and a perfect companion to Pinkster.

Pink Martinez

2oz Martini Rosato

1oz Pinkster Gin

2 dashes Luxardos Maraschino Liqueur

2 dashes orange bitters

3 raspberries to garnish

Add all of the ingredients apart from the garnish to the bottom of a shaker with a handful of ice.

Stir the mix for about 20 secs to cool the liquid and create the perfect viscosity.

Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with 3 raspberries strung on a cocktail stick and dropped into the glass.

Pink Martinez

This last cocktail is a great alternative to Pimms as it's easy to put together and can be served by the glass or easily scaled up to serve in a pitcher. Rather than lemonade, it uses Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic which enhances the floral notes of lavender from the Pinkster Gin and the fragrant peach in Cartron's creme de peche de vigne.

Pinkster No.1

1 part Pinkster Gin

1 part Creme de Framboises

1 part Creme de Peche de Vigne

3 parts Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic

Handful of mint leaves

Handful of raspberries

A few lemon slices

Fill the bottom of a large pitcher with ice and add the mint and fruit.

Pour in the alcohol and tonic and stir to mix.

Pinkster No.1 - 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

Pinkster Gin

Back in June, you may or may not remember that I went to the wonderful, food and drink extravaganza, that is the Taste London Festival and although I did remember to eat something, it was a very gin-centric sort of day. One of the purveyors of gin that I met there, were the relative newbies, Pinkster, who were enjoying a fantastic response to their subtly pink and delicately flavoured gin. At the time, I was unable to take a bottle home and as yet, Pinkster is not available in stores, but can be ordered online and I am now happy to say that I have a bottle of my own and it has been well and truly tested - the results of which, I am of course, going to share with you all.

Pinkster Gin available online from Master of Malt

When I received my bottle in the post, simply, but attractively packaged, I wasted no time in breaking the seal, popping out the cork stopper and having a good sniff. There's no denying the hint of raspberry about the gin, but it's very subtle and should not be mistaken for a liqueur and is no way, akin to a sloe gin. The aroma and flavour of raspberry is predominant, but very delicate none the less.

In order to qualify as a gin, the predominant botanical has to be juniper, but other than that , there are not too many stipulations, hence, there are literally hundreds of different brands, all with varying flavour; some big and bold, like Old Raj or City of London Distillery, some very delicate like Bloom Gin. Pinkster is definitely at the subtler end of the scale, which will appeal to most and of course, the colour is very becoming. As a cocktail gin, it works rather well as it does not overpower other flavours and of course, anything that enhances that raspberry infusion is going to be a winner. I am rather pleased with all of the cocktails I have created and Mr TG and I have very much enjoyed sampling them - so much so, that the bottle is three quarters empty. Please do give Pinksters and these cocktails a try - I think you'll enjoy....

First up is the Pinkster, Summer Punch Mar(tea)ni. This is an adaptation of the Earl Grey Mar(tea)ni recipe, a drink I featured in my Mother's Ruin post and first accredited to Audrey Saunders, owner of the famous Pegu Club in New York. As with the Earl Grey Martini, the Summer Punch Mar(tea) requires infusing the gin ahead of time, with a teaspoon of Whittards Summer Punch loose tea. This tea is the perfect blend to use with Pinkster as it uses berry fruits and juniper, both of which enhance the gin's natural flavour.

To infuse the gin, first pour 2 oz into a clean receptacle, add a spoonful of tea and allow to infuse for 1hr and definitely no more than 2 or the flavour will become bitter and woody. Strain the gin into a cocktail shaker and you're ready to begin.

Pinkster Gin infusing with Whittard Summer Punch loose tea

 Pinkster Summer Punch Mar(tea)ni

Ingredients

2 oz Pinkster Gin infused with Whittard Summer Punch loose tea
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
1 egg white
1 raspberry to garnish

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker and dry shake (without ice), ensuring the lid is firmly on - dry shaking with egg white can cause a build up of gas in the shaker which can pop the lid off if you're not careful.

When the mixture is very frothy (about 20 secs) remove the lid, add ice and shake hard again until the outside of the shaker is properly frosted.
Strain the mixture into a martini glass or a small teacup if you prefer.
Garnish with a raspberry.

Hand painted, vintage teacup and saucer by Toasted Glass

Next up is the Colonel's Summer Cooler, a refreshing drink, perfect for those hot, muggy nights in the Colonies...

Colonel's Summer Cooler

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Pinkster Gin

1/4 oz Luxardos Maraschino Liqueur

1 oz freshly squeezed pink grapefruit

1/4 oz lemon

3 basil leaves

1/4 oz simple syrup

Dash of soda

Sprig of basil to garnish

Add all of the ingredients, except the soda, to a shaker with ice and shake hard

Strain into a tumbler or highball filled with ice and top with a little soda

Slap the sprig of basil gently between your palms to release the oils and garnish the drink

White Stag Tumblers by Toasted Glass

This next cocktail has some herbal ingredients but nothing that overwhelms the drink. The initial scent of rosemary is wonderful on the nose and adds to the gin's botanicals and the addition of a little Giffards Creme de Framboises, plays up Pinkster's natural raspberry flavour.

Pinkster Garden Party

Ingredients

2 oz Pinkster Gin

1/2 oz Giffard Creme de Framboises

1/2 oz lemon juice

1/2 lavender syrup

Sprig of rosemary to garnish

Add all of the ingredients, except the garnish, to a shaker with ice and shake until the outside of the shaker is frosted.

Strain into a chilled martini glass

Slap the rosemary gently, between the palms of your hands to release the aroma and garnish the drink

White Lace Cocktail Glasses by Toasted Glass

This next cocktail is a great alternative to Pimms on a hot day as it is fruity and refreshing and simple to put together.

Lady Pinkster's Summer Cup

Ingredients

1 oz Pinkster Gin

1 oz Cockburns Fine Ruby Port

1/2 oz Giffard Creme de Framboises

1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

Dash of soda to top up

3 raspberries on a cocktail stick to garnish

Add everything apart from the soda and garnish to a tall glass, half filled with ice cubes and stir to mix and cool down the alcohol.

Add more ice and top up with a little soda.

Stir again and garnish

Hi ball Glasses by Toasted Glass

Wimbledon 2013

Champagne Flutes by Toasted Glass

At the time of writing, it is the morning of the Wimbledon 2013 Mens' Final and by the time you are reading this, the nation could be in the grips of 'Murray Fever' or in the depths of despair. Either way, cocktails in the sunshine will make Wimbledon 2013 an infinitely more enjoyable experience. The cocktails I have chosen for today are all delicious and have been rigorously tested over the last week or so to bring you my current favourites that will hopefully be the perfect accompaniment to a victory party, hence they all feature a spot of prosecco because for me, nothing says celebration, quite like bubbles. You can of course substitute prosecco for champagne or cava, whatever floats your boat.

Love All

Ingredients
1 oz Chase Rhubarb Vodka
2 strawberries
Prosecco to top up

Muddle 1 strawberry in the bottom of a shaker, with the Chase Rhubarb Vodka.
Add ice and shake vigorously for 20 secs before straining into a chilled champagne flute.
Pop the other strawberry into the bottom of the flute and very slowly top up with prosecco to avoid it fizzing over

Champagne Flutes by Toasted Glass

Advantage

Ingredients
2 oz Otima Tawny Port
1/2 oz creme de framboises
1/4 oz lemon juice
Prosecco
3 raspberries to garnish

Add the port, creme de framboises and lemon to a shaker with ice
Shake hard for 20 secs and strain into an ice filled, tall glass
Top up with prosecco and stir carefully to mix
Garnish with 3 raspberries on a cocktail stick

Hi ball glasses available on Etsy

Deuce

Ingredients
1 1/2 oz Otima Tawny Port
1/2 oz triple sec
Prosecco
Strawberry to garnish

Add the port and triple sec to a large mixing glass with ice and stir for about 20 secs to chill the alcohol.
Pop a strawberry into the bottom of a chilled champagne flute and strain the mixture in.
top up carefully with bubbles to avoid fizzing over and give a little stir to mix.

Champagne Flutes by Toasted Glass

Game Over

Ingredients
1 oz Chase Marmalade Vodka
1 oz Martini Rosso
Dash of Peychauds bitters
Prosecco
Squeeze of orange juice
Orange zest

Add the vodka, sweet vermouth and bitters to a shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled champagne flute.
Top up with prosecco and then squeeze a wedge of orange over the top
Cut a strip of zest and twist and squeeze to release the oils before dropping into the glass.

Champagne Flute by Toasted Glass

Whatever the outcome, enjoy the cocktails  and if we are fortunate enough to be celebrating that elusive British victory this time around, then there may be a few sore heads in the morning, so drink plenty of water and be responsible. Fingers crossed x

Taste of London 2013

When I was but a young thing, the idea of a festival dedicated to food and drink, seemed an insane idea. After all, who needed food when you were leaping around in a field wearing a crop top? Thankfully for us all, the crop tops have long since been consigned to the the charity shop and the concept of spending a day just eating wonderful food and drinking cocktails is idyllic.So you can imagine my delight when I managed to procure a ticket for this year's Taste of London festival which ran for four days, finishing up on the 23rd of June.

The festival is held in London's Regent Park and is host to over 40 of the capital's hottest restaurants and food and drink suppliers. There are opportunities to watch amazing demonstrations, taste an array of beautifully presented dishes and sample some of the best that our epicurean city can offer. Of course, for me, it was all about the spirits, not that I wouldn't have loved to try everything, but time was sadly limited and there's only so much a lady of my size can imbibe before incoherence overtakes and I was trying desperately hard to be professional about it all.

My first stop was at the Pinkster Gin stand to meet  these new kids on the gin block and chat to the creator of their undeniably appealing, pink gin, Stephen Marsh.  Although he has making gin for the pleasure of friends and family for years, Pinkster has only been available to the public for the last 6 weeks. However, I suspect that it's natural, pink colour which comes from the raspberries used in it's distillation will set it apart from it's peers and make it a popular choice, especially with the ladies. There are a lot of gins on the market and no doubt some purists will baulk at this young upstart, but the taste is very pleasant and it makes a terribly  pretty G&T, especially with the addition of a raspberry and a sprig of mint. Sadly, there were no bottles available to take home on the day, so you will have to wait a bit longer to find out it's cocktail making potential, but I have high hopes...

Pink G&T from Pinkster Gin

Fortified by my Pinkster G&T, I popped over to the Sipsmith stand to sample an altogether, far more traditional gin. Sipsmith are master distillers of small batch, artisanal spirits, created in their bespoke built still, (charmingly named Prudence) in Hammersmith, west London. Their reputation for making high quality products is well deserved and I was keen to sample their take on Pimms, the Sipsmith Summer Cup. It is sweet and fruity with definite flavours of early grey tea and lemon verbena. For me, I would serve it with a lot of lemon and topped up with sparkling water as it is very sweet, but the bergamot and verbena tastes are right up my street. I also sampled their well renowned gin which did not disappoint. It's a very traditional, dry gin, flavoured with 10 different botanicals, all of which the young man behind the bar was able to name, but I have forgotten. However, there was definitely citrus, juniper, coriander and cassia bark in there, but whatever; it's good. In the end, I decided to take home a bottle of their barley vodka. It's unfiltered, but smooth to drink, with a hint of peppery spice and if you are the type to sip vodka neat, then this will perform well.

Feeling just a little wobbly, I swayed over to the Martin Miller stand, just to tell them how fantastic I thought their gin was. Admittedly, I may have been slightly buoyed by the two drinks I'd had, but it was true nonetheless - Martin Miller Gin is exceptionally good. I tried an array of gins at a tasting in Amathus Soho and it was my clear favourite. The flavour is incredibly fresh and light with all the flavours you expect from a gin, just arranged in an exceptional way. Perhaps it's the Icelandic water that Martin Miller insists is used to make his gin? As he rightly points out, over 50% of gin's volume is water so it should be the best of the best and Icelandic water is probably the purest and softest there is. As I already have a bottle of their wonderful spirit, I made my excuses and moved on, but it would wrong not to mention it as a stand out star of the show.

At this point I decided it was probably wise if I had something to eat or my impartiality was likely to be somewhat impaired and sustenance was provided, beautifully presented, in a scallop shell, by Theo Randall restaurants. Admittedly, I could have done with about 8 of these, but it was such a delicious combination of flavours that I was temporarily sated.

scallops, puy lentils, bacon and chilli from Theo Randall

My final port of call was over to the Chase Distillery stand, where, stomach duly lined (sort of), I was able to finally sample their delicious Rhubarb Vodka, mixed up in a Rhubarb Sour cocktail. I have to confess that since first trying their Elderflower liqueur a few months ago, I have become a bit of a 'fan girl' to the Chase brand as is probably apparent from reading through many of the cocktail entries. Anyway, it was a real pleasure to meet the Alex and James who were behind the bar, coping admirably well with the high volume of visitors and I am looking forward to visiting the distillery in Herefordshire, this summer. Mr TG and I are planning a little pilgrimage there to see just how it is all made and maybe to sample a beverage or two.... In the meantime however, I left, having weighed myself down with a bottle of Rhubarb Vodka, Marmalade Vodka and their Extra Dry Gin.

James Chase of Chase Distillery with his wonderful Rhubarb Vodka cocktail

So, on to the cocktails. What did I make with my fantastic array of delicious new spirits. Well, let's start with the Martin Miller Gin which, although I bought the previous week, I hadn't actually used to make any cocktails having been side tracked by bourbon (click here for Bourbon post). The cocktail I have made is a take on the modern classic, Bramble cocktail, given a raspberry twist and shaken up rather than stirred.

Raspberry Tumble

Ingredients
2 oz Martin Miller Gin
3 fresh raspberries
1/2 oz creme de framboises
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz sugar syrup

Muddle the raspberries in the bottom of a shaker before adding all of the other ingredients.
Add a handful of ice and shake vigorously for 20 secs.
Strain into an ice filled rocks glass (double strain if you don't want any raspberry pips)

White Stag Tumblers by Toasted Glass

This next cocktail I created to give a fresh, green flavour that would work with the spicy finish on the Sipsmith barley vodka.. Mr TG did question the pizza topping garnish, but was agreeably receptive to the flavour of the drink.

Lime and Basil Fizz

Ingredients
2 oz Sipsmith vodka
8 small basil leaves
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz sugar syrup
1 egg white
sparkling water

Muddle the basil leaves and lime juice together in the bottom of the shaker.
Add the vodka, sugar syrup and egg white and dry shake for 20 secs
Add ice and dry shake for another 20 secs then double strain into a chilled tumbler or highball.
Top up with a little sparkling water.

Tumbler available on Etsy

This next cocktail uses Chase Rhubarb Vodka in a martini style drink that is perfect for summer, combining the quintessentially British flavours of rhubarb and strawberry with a dash of bitters and lemon juice to cut through the sweetness and give a little more complexity to the drink.

Chase Summer Martini

Ingredients
2 oz Chase Rhubarb Vodka
2 fresh strawberries
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
Dash of Orange bitters

Muddle the strawberries in the bottom of a shaker and add the remaining ingredients with a handful of ice.
Shake vigorously for 20 seconds until the outside of the shaker is frosted and double strain into a chilled martini glass.

Butterfly cocktail glasses by Toasted Glass

Our final cocktail for today uses the magnificent Chase Marmalade Vodka. Regular followers will know that I love this stuff and have used it previously to create the King's Marmalade cocktail, a delicious combination of King's Ginger, Chase Marmalade vodka and citrus (get the recipe here). This time I wanted to create something totally different and combined the vodka with sweet vermouth to highlight the bitter orange flavour of the marmalde and take away some of the sweetness. I thought Mr TG would hate this as he is not keen on vermouth, but once again he surprised me by being actually rather positive. This is a great summer drink for enjoying outdoors in the sunshine, should we actually get the chance.

Wake Up Call

Ingredients
2 oz Chase Marmalade Vodka
1 oz Martini Rosso
3 dashes orange bitters
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
Sparkling water

Add all of the ingredients apart from the sparkling water, to a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake hard for 20 secs and strain into an ice filled tumbler or highball.
Top up with a little sparkling water

Tumbler available on Etsy

If you didn't get the chance to visit Taste of London 2013 this year then I highly recommend you try and make it along for next year. I will definitely be going and this time I'll make sure I don't have to rush home! Luckily, I can create a little Taste of London at home with my fabulous haul from the show. If you would like to get hold of any of the spirits I've mentioned, you can do so at Amathus Drinks or other, similar purveyors of fine wines and spirits. If you are confused by any of the terms used in the cocktail recipes, there are explanations provided here.

The Velvet Teas Cocktail

Bespoke Cocktail Service Hand painted detail of bespoke pitcher for Velvet Teas

Following on from the success of the The Secret Tea Society Cocktail (click here for details) , my involvement with the wonderful world of tea has carried on apace and I was recently commissioned to create a bespoke cocktail for a lovely company, based in Bath who create vintage style tea party events.

Velvet Teas is run by the delightful Emma Reynolds and was born of a love of fine china, beautiful linens and the exquisite pleasure of wonderfully sumptuous afternoon tea. Her tea party events already boast a selection of delicious sounding menus and Velvet Teas work with clients to provide the perfect tea party experience for any occasion. However, Emma felt that a bespoke cocktail would be a perfect addition to the  Velvet Teas menu and would enrich the whole experience for her ladies.

The criteria this cocktail had to fulfil were manifold.
First and foremost, it had to have universal appeal. As Emma's clients are almost exclusively female, this meant finding something with mass, feminine appeal.
Next, it had to be easy to prepare as events are very busy and nobody wants to wait half an hour for a drink to be ready. For this reason, it was decided that it should be a cocktail that could be made in a pitcher so that large groups could all order it without sending the catering into meltdown!
Despite being a pitcher based drink, it still had to be served in a coupe style glass which meant it couldn't be served over ice, like a highball.
It was also important to create a cocktail that went well with cake, so it had to be sweet without being sickly. Finally, and crucially, it had to be purple, so as to make it relevant to the Velvet Teas brand.

Many purple cocktails later, the Raspberry Velvet Tease was created. It's a fruity and fresh blend of Gin, creme de framboises, cranberry and lemon with the addition of blue curacao to give it the desired, purple hue. The recipe can be adapted to make a martini style cocktail, a highball or a pitcher, which is perfect if you are thinking of having a party.

As with all the Bespoke Cocktails I create, the final recipe is accompanied by a hand painted miniature bottle with the alcoholic part of the cocktail, a recipe sheet and a hand written letter to fully explain the thinking behind the choices.

Bespoke Cocktail Service hand painted miniature

In the case of Velvet Teas, I also hand painted a large pitcher that will be used for serving the Raspberry Velvet Tease cocktail at their tea party events. If you would like to find out more about Velvet Teas and the wonderful events they can provide, then please click here to go their website.

Bespoke Cocktail Service for Velvet Teas

Raspberry Velvet Tease

Pitcher Method

Ingredients
1 part gin
1/2 part creme de framboises
1/2 part blue curacao
1/2 part lemon juice
1 part cranberry juice
1 part sparkling water
lots of ice

Add all of the ingredients apart from the sparkling water, to a large pitcher, with ice.
Use a long handled spoon to stir the ingredients well, for about 20 seconds - it is important to get the drink as cold and as well mixed as possible.
Add the sparkling water and give another short stir to mix - not too vigorous this time or you will lose the fizz.
Strain the cocktail into martini style glasses to avoid including any ice.
Garnish with a fresh raspberry.

Bespoke Cocktail Service - hand painted pitcher

White Lace cocktail glasses by Toasted Glass