Bobby's Girl

Bobby's Girl cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you are ever in the City of London, do take a stroll through Leadenhall Market and pop into Amathus Drinks. Often, there is some new spirit, wine or liqueur to sample and I guarantee you'll leave with a lighter wallet, but with a spring in your step. Even if there is nothing new to try that day, Diosa and Tom who (wo)man the store are friendly, well informed and always happy to talk you through the mind boggling array of booze that towers overhead in the little shop.

My latest visit unearthed this treasure and it was love at first sip. Bobby's Scheidam Dry Gin is bursting with the exotic flavours of lemongrass and cubeb peppers (which have an almost piney undertone), as well as juniper, rose hip and clove. This week, I wanted to bring in the flavours of Southeast Asia and Morocco to really enhance that lemongrass/cubeb pepper taste and create cocktails that I could sip in the garden while we enjoy some unexpected and practically tropical weather.

This first cocktail (see above) is  a fresh, fruity drink that isn't overly sweet. The addition of the freshly squeezed orange juice and triple sec could be a little sweet, but the lime juice adds a zing that combines with the fresh thai basil and the lemongrass of the gin, to create a taste that evokes the fresh flavours of Thailand.

Bobby's Girl

1.5 oz Bobby's Scheidam Dry Gin
0.5 oz Cartron Curaçao Triple Sec
0.5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
2 basil leaves

Muddle (gently squish) the basil leaves in the bottom of a shaker with the gin and triple sec.
Add a handful of ice and both the lime and the orange juices.
With the lid firmly closed, shake the cocktail until the outside of the shaker becomes frosted over.
Remove the lid and strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Little Bird cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

The fragrant, passion fruit syrup in this cocktail, is lightly floral and enhances the exotic scent of lemongrass. The freshness of mint and lime balance the drink and a little sparkling water dilutes the intensity whilst adding effervescence. Extremely quaffable - you have been warned...

Little Bird

2 oz Bobby's Scheidam Dry Gin
1 oz Giffards Passion Fruit Syrup
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
4-6 mint leaves
sparkling water to top up
sprig of mint to garnish

Muddle (gently squish) the mint leaves in the bottom of a shaker with the gin.
Add a handful of ice and both the lime juice and passion fruit syrup.
With the lid firmly closed, shake the cocktail until the outside of the shaker becomes frosted over.
Remove the lid and strain into chilled cocktail tumbler, with a couple of large ice cubes.
Top up the drink with a little sparkling water, but don't overdo it - add a little, stir with a swizzle and test. You can always add more, but you can't take it away!
Garnish the drink with mint, gently slapping it between your palms to release the minty aroma.

Bobby's Ginger Martini - glass by Toasted Glass

This gin makes a mean martini - it's so distinctive in flavour that it doesn't need a lot of dressing up (although dressing up is fun), but I have added a little ginger liqueur for a touch of heat and to give a little twist to a classic cocktail.

Bobby's Ginger Martini

2 oz Bobby's Scheidam Dry Gin
1/2 oz Cartron Ginger
1 1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with a handful of ice.
With the lid firmly closed, shake the cocktail until the outside of the shaker becomes frosted over.
Remove the lid and strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Bobby's Cardamom Rose cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

Cardamom and rose are beautifully suited to one another and this is a cocktail that will work with many different types of gin. However, once again, the fragrant lemongrass just adds another dimension that will arouse your sense of smell as well as taste. The gorgeous Van Wees Rose Without Thorns  (also from Amathus Drinks) is distilled from a selection of different roses, selected for their exceptional fragrance and the result is heady to say the least.

Bobby's Cardamom Rose Cocktail

2 oz Bobby's Scheidam Dry Gin
1 oz Van Wees Rose Without Thorns
1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cardamom pods
Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic to top up

Gently muddle (squish) the cardamom pods with the gin and rose liqueur.
Add the lemon juice and a handful of ice.
With the lid firmly closed, shake the cocktail until the outside of the shaker becomes frosted over.
Remove the lid and strain into chilled cocktail glass.
Top up the drink with a little elderflower tonic - remember, easy does it - stir and serve.

I hope the sun is shining where you are too. Have a fabulous weekend!

A Passion for Rum

Deco Fan Coupe by Toasted Glass

It has been a while since rum featured on my cocktail menu, but with warmer weather looking like a distinct possibility and sunshine streaming in through the studio windows, I felt the urge to mix up a drink to invoke languid, summer evenings in tropical climes.

As Bacardi has recently unveiled a new bottle design and a return to the traditional Spanish names, I thought I would remind myself of its smooth, nutty flavour. With hints of vanilla, it makes for easy drinking and has been a populist choice for decades, but the new bottle and name (Bacardi Carta Blanca) give it more of an authentic feel. A Cuba Libre might just be a rum and coke, but somehow, renamed, it just tastes better...

As well as using white rum, I decided to crack open the bottle of Vanilla Galliano that has been glowing like a great, yellow lighthouse in my cocktail cupboard. I must confess that I bought it erroneously, thinking it was standard Galliano, but as I am a fan of the original's earthy vanilla undertones, I figured that earthy, vanilla overtones might not be such a bad thing.

The vanilla aroma is quite intoxicating and could be overpowering if used in quantity, but used sparingly, will add depth and complexity. As well as vanilla, there are over 30 different herbs used in the distillation of this Italian liqueur, notably star anise which, as any absinthe drinker will know, likes to make it's presence known.

To compliment the complex flavours of Vanilla Galliano and white rum, I added Giffards Passion Fruit Syrup and the juice of half a ruby grapefruit. The result is a delicately floral, sweet and citrus cocktail that slips down, all too easily.

Roll on summer!

Galliano's Passion

1 1/2oz Bacardi Carta Blanca
1/2oz Vanilla Galliano
3/4oz Giffards Passion Fruit Syrup
2oz freshly squeezed ruby grapefruit
strip of grapefruit zest to garnish

Using a paring knife, carefully take a strip of zest from your grapefruit and set aside for garnish.
Add all of the other ingredients to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice.
Close lid firmly and shake hard until the outside of the shaker becomes frosted.
Remove lid and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Twist the strip of zest over the drink to release the citrus oils and drop in the glass.

Southern Belles

Kentucky Peach cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

This week, my thoughts have turned back to bourbon. Perhaps it's the chill in the air that makes the smooth vanilla and spice of a rye bourbon seem so appealing right now...? Perhaps I'm running out of Gin-spiration...? Whatever the reason, it felt like the time was right to crack open the bottle of Buffalo Trace (again) and mix up some new drinks.

Any regular readers will know that bourbon is not necessarily my drink of choice, but I have mixed up the occasional Manhattan and in an earlier post, (Kentucky Fried) discovered that given enough of a cocktail makeover, bourbon has what it takes to be a tip top tipple. Obviously, hardened bourbon drinkers may crack their hairy knuckles in consternation, but that's just fine; they can continue to swig it neat from a chipped mug and good luck to them. I, on the other hand, will be taking my medicine with a large spoonful of sugar and probably some lemon and mint. It might not be macho, but it sure does taste swell.

Bourbon is a grain spirit, made, using predominantly corn (at least 51%), but the remaining 49% can come from a combination of barley, rye and wheat. Using more wheat than rye will result in a smoother, creamier bourbon as wheat allows the sweetness of the corn and the vanilla (from ageing in oak barrels) to shine through. A bourbon made with rye will have a higher concentration of  spice notes such as pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. It typically has more 'bite' than it's wheatier counterparts and the end result of your cocktails will vary depending on the type of bourbon you use. Buffalo Trace contains rye and is therefore a little spicier, but is by no means at the spiciest end of the spectrum. It's a good, all round bourbon that adds a little bite without totally overpowering. That said, don't be afraid to experiment with other bourbons - you might just find your new, favourite drink.

One of my favourite cocktail ingredients, of late, has turned out to be ruby port. It seems that barely a week goes by when I'm not sneaking in yet another port based beverage and surprise surprise, I'm at it again.

My inspiration originally came from a cocktail recipe I stumbled across, that used red wine and bourbon. I had made a mental note to give it a try and then got sidetracked and forgot all about it. When I tried to recall it, the details were hazy, but I knew that some kind of sweetening would be necessary to bring the flavours together. That's when I realised that using port would bring the flavour I was looking for, along with the sweetness that was required. The addition of triple sec brings a bittersweet orange note that blends with spice of the bourbon and the brambly fruitiness of the ruby port. A spot of fresh lemon juice prevents the cocktail from descending into cloying sweetness - perfect...

Scarlett O'Hara

Ingredients
1 oz Buffalo Chase bourbon
2 oz Cockburns Ruby Port
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
Twist of lemon zest to garnish

Before cutting your lemon to squeeze it, use a sharp knife and cut a wide strip of zest from your lemon.
Add everything apart from the the lemon zest to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice.
Shake hard for 20 secs and strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with a twist of lemon zest.

Scarlett O'Hara cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

This next cocktail is basically a martini style version of my 'Bird on the Wire' cocktail, created as a bespoke cocktail for a client, but I'm sure they won't mind this apprehension and adaption of their drink. Some things are too good to keep under wraps..

Southern Passion

Ingredients
2 oz Buffalo Trace bourbon
1 oz Giffards Passion Fruit Syrup
1 passion fruit
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
6-8 mint leaves
Twist of lime zest to garnish

Before cutting the lime to squeeze it, take a paring knife and cut a strip of zest from the peel.
Halve the passion fruit and scoop out the pulp and add to a cocktail shaker.
Add everything apart from the zest and muddle (squish)the mint leaves to release their minty essential oils.
Add a handful of ice and shake hard until the outside of the shaker develops a frosty bloom.
Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a twist of lime zest.

Southern Passion cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

This last cocktail combines Buffalo Chase bourbon with Cartron Creme de Peche de Vigne which may not seem like an obvious pairing, but actually, peaches are big news in the Southern States and the fruit pairs well with the vanilla, spice and nuttiness of bourbon. 

I am a huge fan of the fragrant taste of peaches, but when it comes to alcohol, not all peach liqueurs are made the same, but Cartron Creme de Peche is made using lots of beautiful vine peaches and is bursting with natural flavour. When making this cocktail, ensure that you use a peach liqueur that is made using the 'creme' method of macerating real fruit and contains no artificial flavouring.

Kentucky Peach

Ingredients

2 oz Buffalo Chase bourbon

1 oz Cartron Creme de Peche de Vigne

1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar syrup

Twist of lemon zest and sprig of mint to garnish

Before cutting your lemon to squeeze it, use a sharp knife and cut a wide strip of zest from the peel.

Add everything apart from the the lemon zest and sprig of mint to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice.

Shake hard for 20 secs and strain into a chilled martini glass.

Garnish with a twist of lemon zest and sprig of mint.

Tip - slap the mint gently between your palms to release the aroma, before garnishing the cocktail.

Kentucky Peach cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

This week's cocktails were served in these Vintage Pin Up cocktail glasses; The Scarlett O'Hara cocktail was brought to you by lovely brunette, Jane; Southern Passion came courtesy of bombshell blonde, Marilyn and Kentucky Peach was served up by lovely Rita, redhead. Who's your favourite?

Vintage Pin Up Cocktail Glasses by Toasted Glass

Celebration Cocktails!

Champagne Flute by Toasted Glass

In the Toasted Glass household, cocktails aren't just for special occasions - they are more, a way of life -  but I am aware, that for many, cocktails are saved for celebrations or nights on the town. However, I am of the opinion that half the fun of having a drink, is in the making of it. A little pomp and ceremony lends an air of gravitas to the situation and elevates it from merely drinking, to a more exciting and creative process, rendering me, an artist, as oppose to just a piss artist. Anyway, the only problem with this attitude, is that when there really is something to celebrate, how do you go the extra mile? What can you possibly drink that is more fantabulous than your everyday cocktail consumption?

This was the spiritous conundrum that Mr TG and I were faced with this week as we had much to be thankful for, not least of all, the timely return of the younger TGs to school. Most of all, however, we wanted to toast the launch of Toasted Glass online. Of course, Toasted Glass has been selling online through Etsy and Folksy for close to a year now, but there's nothing quite like having your very own website. Much like buying your first home, it is fraught with difficulties, but the joy of putting all your own things in there, exactly where you want them to go, is something quite special. The whole process has been, very much, a joint effort and not something I could have done without the wonderful Mr TG. I am very proud of our labours and hope you will visit us in our new home at toastedglass.co.uk. There is also a link on the homepage, direct to this blog, so you can shop for glassware and then see it action, here.

So, you can see my quandary - lots to celebrate and the need for some extra special cocktails to help us along. My instincts led me inexorably, to champagne. I am very partial to a glass of bubbly and even more so, to a champagne cocktail, as previous posts will support (see list at the end of this post), so to ring the changes, I went for some pink bubbles. There are many bubbly rosés to choose from - big champagne houses like Veuve Cliquot and Moet produce pink fizz as well as far more pocket friendly cavas rosados from Freixenet and all the big supermarkets. It really is just a matter of preference and budget as to which you choose, but just make sure it is a brut fizz as the cocktails all have some form of sweetness to them that would soon become sickly if mixed with a sweeter wine.

First of all, I rustled up a variation on a Kir Royale, the classic champagne cocktail of Creme de Cassis and champagne. I threw into the mix, an ounce of Chase Bramley Apple Vodka, which has a slight sweetness of it's own, but a very natural apple flavour, from the apples grown in their orchards at Rosamaund Farm in Hereford. Having made a pilgrimage to the farm and distillery this summer (you can read about it by clicking here), I can assure you that the apple flavour is 100% natural. Chase often make products in small batch numbers, so if it is not available, you could try either Smirnoff or Absolut, who are both making naturally flavoured apple vodkas. I haven't tried either, as yet, but the Absolut Orient Apple contains a hint of ginger too, which sounds quite interesting, although perhaps not for this particular drink.

Apple Kir Royale

Ingredients
1 oz Chase Bramley Apple Vodka
1/2 oz creme de cassis
Pink fizz to top up
Strawberry to garnish

Add the vodka and cassis to a shaker, with a little ice and shake briefly, just to cool the spirits down.
Strain into a chilled champagne glass and top with ice cold pink fizz
Garnish with a fresh strawberry

Champagne Flutes by Toasted Glass

Next up, was a cheeky little gin number. There is not much in life that can't be improved with a drop of gin, says I, and this is no exception. The combination of Williams Chase GB Extra Dry Gin which has a lot of juniper and spice, with floral, citrus zest of passion fruit, makes for a flavourful and fresh cocktail with plenty going on to entertain your taste buds.

Gin Passion

Ingredients
1 oz Williams GB Gin
1/2 Giffards Passion Fruit Syrup
1/2 fresh, purple passion fruit
Slice of white flesh peach to garnish

Scoop the pulp from the halved passion fruit and add to the shaker with the syrup, gin and ice.
Shake hard and strain into a chilled champagne flute.
Top with pink fizz and garnish with a slice of white peach.

Champagne Flute by Toasted Glass

This final cocktail was my favourite of all. The combination of bitter, sweet and fresh orange with a dash of fizz to pep it all up, is just delicious. I keep coming back to variations on this theme, with or without fizz and have not found it lacking.

Lady Marmalade

Ingredients
1 oz Chase Marmalade Vodka
1/2 oz triple sec
1/3 oz Campari
1 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
Pink fizz to top up
Twist of orange zest to garnish

Before you cut the orange to squeeze it, take a sharp knife and cut a strip of zest to use as garnish.
Add all of the spirits  and the freshly squeezed orange juice to a shaker with ice.
Shake hard and strain in to a chilled champagne flute
Top up carefully with pink fizz - the combination of fresh orange and fizz can be quite volatile.
 Twist the strip of zest into a spiral, over the top of the drink, releasing the lovely aroma and garnish.

Champagne Flute by Toasted Glass

For more fabulous champagne cocktails, take a wander through some vintage posts on this blog.

Champagne Cocktails

Skinny Cocktails (look for the Pink Grapefruit and Basil Champagne Cocktail)

Wimbledon Cocktails

Easter Cocktails (look for the La Fleur de Paradis)

Mother's Day Cocktails (look for the Elderflower Fizz)

Passion Fruit Cocktails

Tumblers - available on Etsy

This week, I've been experimenting with passion fruit and rather loving the results. It all began with a bespoke cocktail I was creating for a client, who had included passion fruit as a possible flavour in their drink and to keep things fresh and zingy, I wanted to use the actual fruit as well as tinkering about with liqueurs or syrups.

Passion fruit come in several varieties, but in this country, we mainly import the purple skinned variety, which are smaller, but have more juicy pulp and a richer flavour and aroma. They are the fruits of a Passiflora genus which grow like a vine, clinging on with hook like tendrils. We have a rather gorgeous Passiflora in the garden, but sadly, no passion fruit. Lucky for me then, that they are widely available from many larger supermarkets and I was able to easily purchase a pack of three from my local Tesco store.

They are not much to look at on the outside, but cut them down the middle and it's a riot of colour going on in there. And that unmistakeable smell; it's tropical, floral and fresh and the taste, although a little bitter for some, has an almost citrus flavour, backed up with some floral notes. I quite like to eat them just as they are, scooping out the pulp with a spoon, but in some countries, they like to serve them that way, but sprinkled with a little icing sugar, which I imagine is rather nice.

I also decided to purchase a bottle of Giffards Passion Fruit Syrup so I could experiment with that as well. Giffard make a range of liqueurs and syrups, all of which use a maceration of real fruit and although, of course, they use a lot of sugar, the flavour of the fruit always shines through. I love using fresh ingredients as much as possible, but a dash of naturally flavoured syrup here and there, will help to boost your drink's taste and a bottle goes a long way.

One of the most recognised cocktails with a passion fruit flavour, is the Porn Star Martini, which was concocted by Douglas Ankrah at the Lab Academy bar in the 1990's. It was originally dubbed the Maverick Martini and personally, I wish it had stayed that way as ordering a Porn Star Martini always makes me feel a bit of an idiot, but it's a sweet, crowd pleaser, made all the more fun, by the accompaniment of a champagne chaser. In my version, I confess, I used Cava, but seeing as I always end up tipping it in the drink because I find it a little sweet, it doesn't really matter. Plus, there are some great Cavas out there, so there's no need to overspend on fizz. I also used this as an excuse to finish up the vanilla vodka which I had been infusing for so long, it was as dark as bourbon. You can get the recipe to make your own, by clicking here. Alternatively, there are numerous vanilla vodkas you can buy, including Stolichnaya, Absolut, Grey Goose and even Smirnoff.

Porn Star Martini

Ingredients
2 oz Vanilla Vodka
1/2 oz Giffards Passion Fruit syrup
Dash of Clements Martinique Syrope de Canne (or vanilla syrup)
1 passion fruit
1/2 oz lime juice
2 oz Cava

Add all of the ingredients , apart from the Cava, to a cocktail shaker and shake hard, over ice.
Strain into a chilled martini glass and serve with a large shot of fizz.

Shot Glasses available on Etsy

Having got the taste for vanilla vodka, I decided to make a similarly, flavoured cocktail, but one that could be enjoyed as a long drink, over ice. As I said before, I always end up tipping the fizz into the martini glass when I have a Porn Star Martini, so why not make it a long drink instead? However, I'm not one for smutty cocktail names, so I have given this a far more demure monicker...

Passiflora

Ingredients
2 oz vanilla vodka
1oz Giffards passion fruit syrup
1/2 oz lime juice
1 passion fruit
2 oz Cava

Add all of the ingredients, apart from the Cava, to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake hard and then strain into an ice filled, hi ball glass.
Top up with the cava and stir gently to mix the drink
Garnish with a lime wedge.

Butterfly Glasses by Toasted Glass

This next cocktail was devised as an alternative to pudding and was absolutely delicious - I'll take one of these over the pick of the dessert trolley, any day. I used the very last shots of my vanilla vodka in this, which is why you can see a dark sediment in the bottom of the glass from the insides of the vanilla pods, but I can assure you, it in no way detracted from the enjoyment of the drink.

Just Desserts

Ingredients
2 oz vanilla vodka
1 oz Giffard passion fruit syrup
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
1 egg white
strip of orange zest to garnish

Add all of the ingredients to the cocktail shaker and shake without ice, holding the lid firmly down - sometimes gas can build up in the shaker, doing this, and actually pop the lid right off, which is messy to say the least.
Carefully open the shaker, add ice and shake again until the outside of the shaker has frosted.
Strain the drink into a chilled martini glass and squeeze the strip of orange zest to first, release the oils and then, garnish.

Cocktail Glasses from Toasted Glass

The final cocktail in this week's selection is the one that started it all. It was created as a bespoke cocktail for a private client, so I'll keep the story behind it to myself, but the cocktail is too good, not to share. It uses bourbon, but is one of those cocktails that works well with rum and even gin, too. Keep the proportions the same and substitute with your favourite tipple.

Bird on the Wire

Ingredients
2 oz Buffalo Chase bourbon
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1 passion fruit
3/4 simple syrup
8 mint leaves
sprig of mint to garnish

Firstly, cut the passion fruit in half, scoop out the pulp and add to the cocktail shaker with the simple syrup.
Add the mint leaves and muddle gently to release the essential oils.
Add the remaining ingredients and half fill the shaker with ice.
Shake hard, until the outside of the shaker begins to frost, then strain into a tumbler filled with crushed ice.
Slap the sprig of mint gently, between your palms - this releases the minty aroma - and garnish the drink.

Tumbler - available on Etsy

I highly recommend experimenting with these tasty little tropical fruits. For those with a sweet tooth, the Giffards Passion Fruit syrup is a must and for those who like it fresh and zingy, use the fresh fruit. It's incredibly versatile and combines well with citrus, whilst retaining it's own distinctive flavour. Have fun trying out some of these cocktails and please drink responsibly. x