It’s been a little while since I participated in a Mixology Monday, but today I am making a concerted effort to get back into the swing of things.

This months Mixology Monday is hosted by Kevin Langmack at Beers in the Shower. The title is ‘Money Drinks’, at first leading me to brainstorm some of the most expensive cocktails that I have made in the past. But the theme is actually referring to money in terms of ‘money shot’ or ‘we’re in the money’. In other words Kevin is looking for drinks that you can pull out like a signature move or superhero ability!

There are further descriptions on the Mixology Monday announcement post page, they kind of confused me though! Anyway, I’m taking it that Kevin is looking for killer cocktails to pull out when you really want to impress someone, regardless of their everyday preferences.

Phew! Let’s just get on with the frickin’ drink!

I had a little think about drinks that I have made in the past that are sure to impress. Perhaps ones that I wouldn’t normally make due tot he cost or effort involved. Of course you can take any cocktail and upgrade its ingredients almost indefinitely, but in my opinion this can end up only achieving a vagueness in quality and the sacrifice of some expensive booze.

The drink that I settled on is one that I always enjoy making, because it never fails to get a good reception. It’s an aperitif that I have pulled out on countless occasions, when a customer is not sure what to drink before a meal and especially when they don’t want to settle for a simple (though satisfying) G&T. It holds true to the ’simple is better’ mantra, whilst having a rich complexity and one unique ingredient.

It’s the ‘GT Turbo’.

Don’t let a name put you off, it’s supposed to be tongue in cheek… I think, plus it does have some relevance to the drink itself. The drink is best described as an espresso of Gin & Tonic. A turbo charger in a car compresses air, this drink compresses the flavours and aromatics of a G&T into a short strong slap of tongue curling gin loveliness.

This is achieved by making a tonic water syrup.

It just occurred to me that this could possibly be made simply by reducing down a bottle of tonic water until it is an essence of its former self. Though that method may or may not work (I’d like to hear from you if you’ve done it), I have always gone down the route of making my own tonic water and you can see my recipe here.

Once you have a ready supply of tonic syrup, piecing together the drink is easy…

Glass: Martini
Garnish: Lime Twist

Ingredients

• 50ml Tanqueray TEN
• 20ml Lime Juice
• 15ml Tonic Syrup
• Half an egg white

Shake everything hard, then single strain into a chilled Coupe.

Yes, it’s that easy. The ratio of ingredients creates a citrus driven cocktail that has all the elements of a G&T, but with a serious kick. The egg whites serves as replacement tingle for our absent friend, Mr. soda.

This was from a cocktail shoot I did for a magazine. This version of the drink separates the tonic and egg white into a foam on top. The base is pretty much just a gin sour.

If you like to drink Gin & Tonic (show me someone who doesn’t), then you can’t fail to like this drink. It’s probably one of my proudest creations and yet one of the most simple. Happy drinking this Christmas!

Here is the much anticipated round up post from this months Mixology Monday: Superior Twists. Thankyou to all who took part, generally folks liked to twist Manhattans, maybe because it’s a good place to start… or maybe because it needs twisting?

Coincidentally, we have below two cocktails that use a combination of Tequila and Rhubarb Bitters, and two cocktails titled The Black Manhattan.

Just before we begin, you may remember me asking for you favourite songs to dance the twist to? Well thanks to all who included a song, I have collated them into a Spotify playlist for you all to listen to whilst you check out the drinks below! Apologies if your song isn’t on the playlist (only one or two), but Spotify isn’t great at servicing folks with such *cough* eclectic tastes as yourselves…

Let’s begin:

Boring though it is, i’ll start with myself and get it out of the way. I wrote about my twist on a Mojito: Apple & Vanilla Mojito, a drink which I genuinely prefer to a classic Mojito. It has more fruit, depth, finish and balance, if you need to know more, check out the link.

My Apple and Vanilla Mojito

Paystyle's Bitter Clover Leaf

Next up and quick of the blocks, was Paystyle from Unamimart with a twist on a Clover Leaf, which is in turn a twist on a Clover Club, yes that’s right folks Paystyle is one out of control twister. The twist involves a berry syrup in place of grenadine and the inclusion of Fee Bros. Mint Bitters…. yum!

Great work Paystyle, but tone down the twisting or you’ll wind up injuring someone!

• Favourite song to dance the twist to: Twisted Sister – We’re Not Gonna’ Take It

Sascha's Agave and Basil

Next up is a MxMo first timer in the form of  Sascha from Cocktails Old Fashioned. Sascha has twisted a Margarita into a drink called Agave & Basil. Sascha has replaced Cointreau with St Germain, then added a handful of basil and some  Agave syrup. The name negates ‘Margarita’ from being in the title due to the fairly extreme piece of twisting, but that sure don’t make it any less tasty!

Sascha told me in Email:

Mhh… my favorite twist song… i really don’t know that many Chubby Checker is all right, i think.

Well let me alleviate any doubts Sascha, CC is a twist master!

• Favourite song to dance the twist to: Chubby Checker – Let’s Twist Again

Fred's Sand & Blood (Right)

Frederic from Cocktail Virgin submits what sounds like an awesome variation on Blood & Sand, known mysteriously as Sand & Blood. The reason behind the title becomes apparent when you find out that Fred has, Dr Frankenstein style, messed with the fruit identities in the drink by changing cherry liqueur to cherry juice, and orange juice to orange liqueur. Fred, that’s some pretty gnarly twisting, but those fruits will grow up to be very confused souls…

• Favourite song to dance the twist to: The Cramps – Goo Goo Muck (Fits in nicely with the drink too)

Tiare's Bitter Vanilla

Tiare from A Mountain of Crushed Ice is up next with not one, but two twists! First a twist on the Saratoga cocktail called Lady in Red, which used Metaxa, honeymix and creme de cassis. Tiare’s second twist is called Bitter Vanilla, it’s a twist on a Whisky Daisy, that includes Bob’s Vanilla Bitters and Campari… now that really does sound like a Superior Twist!

• Favourite song to dance the twist to: Fat Boys – Wipeout (I’m assuming?)

JT's Havana Mule

J.T. Centonze writes as the elusive ‘Raven’ on Quaff The Raven. In his inaugural blog post he twists a Moscow Mule into a Havana Mule… see where he’s going here?!

JT Uses a lower ratio of Cock & Bull ginger beer in comparison to the original mule, with Morgan’s Spiced providing much of the sweetness. Is a Havana Mule better than a Moscow Mule? Give it a go yourself!

SeanMike's Bols Genever Old Fashioned

Over at Scofflaw’s Den, SeanMike and Marshall are clearly having some kind of private twisting competition, with a great number of awesome sounding drinks being suggested, here are a couple: SeanMike twists an Old Fashioned into a Bols Genever Old Fashioned, a drink that I will certainly be trying myself. Did you use the Oulde style SeanMike?

Meanwhile Marshall is franticly twisting over in the corner, spurting out cocktail recipes like a crazy man. My favourite is the Chichicapa Margarita, Marshall’s very own twist on a Margarita, which simply replaces Tequila with Mescal, giving the drink a distinctive baked agave flavour… another one that I will be trying this week.

• Favourite song to dance the twist to: GWAR – Sex Cow (!!)

Christian's twist ingredients

Christian writes from Cocktailweltern and let me tell you, It seems that twisting is well and truly alive in Germany. Christian reliably informs me that he has twisted not one, but five cocktails! I’ll have to take his word for it, because I can’t read German. However (for US readers), four of Christian’s twists involve removing the Whisky from a Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Julep and Sazerac…

Christian eventually settles on a Mojito that uses Champagne instead of soda as the most superior of his superiors.

Cori's Plan C cocktail

Cori from Misohungry submits a simple variation on a Lemon Drop, that she titles Plan C. By adding the mint to a classic Lemon Drop  she finds a wonderful spring freshness in a drink that can be served long, short or straight up. Cori’s first ever MxMo and a fine effort in my opinion!

• Favourite song to dance the twist to: The Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop

Paul's Dubliner

Paul at Ganymeda gives us The Dubliner. Actually a brilliant piece of twist choreography by Gary Regan, but none the less an excellent variation on a Manhattan that uses Irish Whiskey and Grand Marnier… yet another one that needs to be tasted to be appreciated I reckon.

Paul doesn’t dance, he tells me that the only time he twists is whilst avoiding the desperate grabs of fellow twisters when escaping the dance floor.

Reese' Fire Island Daiquiri

Reese from Cocktail Hacker has come up with a spicy Daiquiri twist known only as the Fire Island Daiquiri. It has to be said that Reese has a slight advantage in this months MxMo, since he is of the opinion that anything tastes better with chile added to it… Martini with chile anyone? Negroni?

The Fire Island Daiquiri uses Hell Fire bitters and a touch of grenadine on top of the normal recipe, take a look at that thing… my eyes are burning!

• Favourite band to dance the twist to: Prodigy (Firestarter I guess!)

Black Manhattan from Steve & Paul at Cocktailbuzz

Steve and Paul over at Cocktailbuzz present what sounds like it could be a genuinely superior twist on a Manhattan. The Black Manhattan uses Averna in place of vermouth. According to the boys Averna is a bitter/sweet Sicilian amaro, with notes of caramel, cocoa and coffee. They also use Fee Bros Whisky Barrel aged bitters in place of Angostura, not tried the Fee Bros myself, but I need to.

Clearly the guys were on a roll, Steve then came up with a further twist using Averna, titled Il Bravo.

Favourite song to dance the twist to: Chubby Checker – The Twist

Felicia's Rosemary-Grapefruit Old Fashioned

Amelia Sauter aka Felicia from Felicicas Speakeasy, has come up with a superior twist on the Old Fashioned. It’s called the Rosemary-Grapefruit Old Fashioned and guess what’s in it?? Yup, rosemary and grapefruit, as well as Booker’s Bourbon, Lime and Grand Marnier. Looks like it might be a serious contender to the summer Old Fashioned category.

Apparently they don’t dance the twist at Felicias Speakeasy, but some other dance known as the ‘Frug’. Sounds like fun so let’s go with it…

• Favourite song to dance the Frug to: Mohammed Rafi - Jaan Pehechaan Ho

Jacob's Mexican Martinez

Jacob Grier submits the Mexican Martinez, a twist on the classic gin drink that uses (unsurprisingly) a Reposado Tequila. What is a little more surprising is the inclusion of Fee Bros Rhubarb Bitters, a combination that crops up twice in this months MxMo! Jacob also specifies Dolin Blanc vermouth as a particularly great match with Tequila.

Surely it should be called a Martian though, no?!

Kyle's Doctored Manhattan

Not a keen dancer, but when backed into a corner Jacob has been known to pop some moves to: Chubby Checker – The Twist

Time for another MxMo first timer, in the form of Kyle, from Paradise on the rocks. Kyle has also had a go at improving upon the Manhattan, his drink is called The Doctored Manhattan. Kyle opted to replace the vermouth with St Germain and coupled that with peach bitters. Kyle remarks (and I agree) that this is an excellent warm weather alternative to the original.

• Favourite song to dance the twist to: Twisted Sister – We’re Not gonna’ Make it

Dave's Mai Thai

Yet another first time MxMo entrant graces our pages next, Dave aka Captain McBoozy. Dave has twisted one of my favourite drinks, the Mai Tai. Dave’s twist is called the Mai Thai (spot the ‘h’) as it takes a lot of Thai influence from his homemade lemongrass and birds eye bitters, in place of the usual Angostura. The drink is based around Mekhong Thai Gin instead of rum and the result sounds rather intriguing, so it looks like we’re all going to have to start knocking together some bitters to give it a try out! Nice picture too, with the Kaffir Lime leaf garnish.

• Favourite song to dance the twist to: Danzig – Twist of Cain

Michael's Rurita

Who’s next? Well it’s Michael from A Dash of Bitters of course! Just like Jacob, but in a different kind of way, Michael has twisted a Margarita using Rhubarb Bitters, Cynar (Bitter artichoke liqueur – new to me too) and orange flower water.

The drink is called Ruirita and i’m thinking, bitter vegetal, floral, candy sweet. Yup, sounds good to me.

What is a bit odd though is Michael’s choice of twist dancing music: Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue - Where the Wild Roses Grow – great song, but the twist ?!

Michael's Rum Manhattan

Keeping with the Michael theme, may I introduce Michael from My Aching Head. Michael has also gone down the Manhattan twist (a common theme) this time with Mount Gay XO, Michael also references this blog’s caviar recipe, a method he uses to deconstruct and reconstruct the cherry, garnishing with a maraschino caviar. Good work! Check out the tiny cherries in the picture.

Michael states that he shakes this cocktail, but more importantly… to the sounds of: Whitesnake – Here I go Again. Not sure if that was intended as a twist song, but it’s going on the playlist!

Fellow Brit Jay from Oh Gosh! is up next. Jay twists the Last Word cocktail, a drink that by Jay’s own admission breaks all the rules of combing powerful flavours together. In Jay’s superior twist, which is titled Final Word (credit to Phil Ward of Death & Co.), he replaces the Gin with Rye whisky. So, even more powerful flavours, but it apparently works and will definitely be a drink i’ll try once i’ve got some fresh lemons in the house! Thanks Jay! Picture coming soon.

Chris' You Never Can Tell

Chris over at Blueprint Cocktail (first time MxMo entrant) has completed an awesome display of twisting. Firstly, the title of Chris’ Pisco Sour twist is You Never Can Tell, named after his favourite song to do the twist to! Top marks Chris, take note everyone else!

Chris’ twist uses a homemade geranium syrup, orange bitters and blood orange juice. But most importantly he has selected Capel Reservado as a great Pisco to stand up to and match the other flavours of the drink.

• Favourite song to dance the twist to: Chuck Berry – You Never Can Tell

Stevi's Rumgroni

Stevi from Two At The Most is up next, with her twist on the Negroni. As she says, this is an easy drink to twist by changing the Campari for another amaro, but Stevi thinks that she has come up with a better solution in the form of the Rumgroni. ‘Nuff said really, but for a greater insight check out Stevi’s post, she uses Mount Gay XO in place of the gin…

And guess what?

I’m drinking one right now. Tasty – Yes. Superior – Pretty bloody close!

Jacke's Doctor Collins

Jake the Drinks Snob has given us one almighty twist on a Collins with his drink, Dr. Collins. Essentially we are talking about a Rye and Aquavit Collins with a touch of muddled celery. Sounds pretty intriguing, right? I thought so too. Jake has doubts about this drinks supremacy over it’s predecessor however, no wonder when taking on the titanic anti-twisting might of the Collins!

• Favourite song to dance the twist to: Frightened Rabbit – The Twist (Just listening to their album, really good!)

Introducing next, the Godfather of MxMo – Paul from The Cocktail Chronicles. Alas, Paul is unwell at the moment, but not even a crippling bout of stomach sickness would stop this drinks master from twisting his heart out. Paul gives us the Jerry Thomas Manhattan, a twist on a Manhattan that uses twice as much sweet vermouth to cask strength whisky, plus a dash of Absinthe, Marischino liqueur and some Repeal Day Bitters.

The only twisting Paul will be doing this week will unfortunately be in his bed rather than on the dance floor. Get well soon!

Nat's Twisted Old Fashioned

Nat Harry aka Alpha Cook has served up a twist on the Old Fashioned, called… The Twisted Old Fashioned. Nat swaps Bourbon for Vanilla Cognac and Angostura for Fee Bros. Orange. The ensemble is completed with a nifty home made brandy cherry (recipe in the link). Sounds like Nat considers this drink to be perhaps not superior, but certainly not inferior to the foregoing cocktail.

• Favourite song to dance the twist to: The Trashmen – Surfin’ Bird – and I quote:

because, you know, the bird is the word.

*ahem*

Craig's Black Manhattan

Colonel Tiki or Craig, as he is sometimes known, has given us yet another twist on a Manhattan. The Black Manhattan has only the simplest of twists, but more often than not they are all that is required in order to qualify as superior. Why stray too far from tried and tested formulae?

Craig has used Punt E Mes (A favourite ingredient of mine) in place of sweet vermouth, and his Bourbon of choice is none other than Bulleit (another favourite of mine), a great alternative to Rye given it’s high rye content.

• Favourite song to dance the twist to: Queens of The Stone Age – Monsters in the Parasol

Jonas' Strawberry & Basil Mojito

Jonas over at Drink of The Week has, like me, twisted the Mojito. Jonas’ drink uses Basil and Strawberries in place of Mint, which is a combination that I have also often used in mules – Great minds ‘n all that. Anyway, Drink of The Week suggest that the Strawberry & Basil Mojito is a great accompaniment to a BBQ, plus it’s seasonal – strawberries are just coming in over here.

Kevin's Booker's Blazer

Apologies for the late posting of the entry by Kevin from Beer in The Shower, I must confess to twisting so hard that I knocked myself out and only just regained consciousness!

Kevin has twisted the legendary Blue Blazer cocktail into a drink that he calls the Booker’s Blazer. It uses (yep, you got it) Booker’s Bourbon in place of Scotch and could just be a superior twist on the classic. Despite being British I would have to say that the Bourbon version sounds nicer, but i’ve only personally tried a BB on one occasion and can’t remember much about it… I wonder why?!

And finally… Chuck over at Gumbopages has submitted The Delmarva Cocktail No. 2 (original by Ted Haigh, variation by Gary Regan). I would strongly urge you to follow the link, if only to read about why it is called the Delmarva (genius). The drink consists of Rye, Dry Vermouth, Lemon and Creme de Cacao, the Delmarva No. 1 used Creme de Menthe in place of the Cacao.

Chuck rarely dances the twist, but when he does… it’s a spectacle to behold: Little Bob and the Lollipops – I Got Loaded

I think that i’ve covered everyone, but if I have missed you – apologies and make sure you leave me a comment. Also, if you’re a little late posting or forgot to let me know, drop me a line.

Thanks for being wonderful guests, until next month!

Cheers!

The entries for this months MxMo (hosted by The Wild Drink Blog) are flying in. We’re about to hit 12pm here at GMT, so about time I posted my own recipe I think.

Twisting classics is one of my favourite past times. As bartenders we are very lucky to have products that have been expertly crafted to both a high quality and consistency.

With that it mind, it isn’t surprising to find that an Old Fashioned tastes great with both rum and Bourbon… and Tequila and brandy for that matter! But for a twist to genuinely improve upon its classic, it not only needs to taste better, but also stand up against decades of preference and popularity. Just because a twist on a Manhattan tastes, to me, better than any version of an original, can  I really judge it to be superior given all of the pre-prohibition history, drinking stories and cult advocation that goes hand in hand with such a landmark cocktail?

Perhaps it isn’t actually possible to improve upon a classic at all? Maybe the golden era of all of our best loved drinks provided plenty enough development time for the bartenders of yesteryear to tweak and perfect?

However, as I said in the original MxMo announcement post, today we have far more tools, ingredients, resources and quality products to play with than any classic forging bartender of the early 1900’s, let’s exploit it (with a polite tip of the hat to Cox, Craddock, Vic, Thomas et al.) and see if we can’t take things forward!

Apple & Vanilla Mojito – Twisting the Mojito

• 50ml South American Anejo Rum (Pampero, Diplomatico, Santa Teresa) infused for one week with one vanilla pod.
• 25ml Fresh lime juice
• 12.5ml gomme
• 8 mint leaves
• Cloudy apple juice

[Check out the method here]

This drink consists of two major twists over the classic Mojito. Firstly – I like to use a richer, sweeter rum than the light cuban affair, so I have chosen a turbo aged S. American variety and thrown a split vanilla pod into it. Secondly – I have chosen to top up with a nice dry apple juice, rather than the traditional soda.

The reason I like to use a richer rum is because it provides more length and complexity to the drink. A Mojito can sometimes suffer from a short sharp finish, but a caramel/vanilla/coconut rum can couple beautifully with the freshness of the mint for a delicious mint humbug finish. The reason that I like to use apple juice is because, when coupled with the rum, it can give the effect of sugar can juice flavours in the drink. Most bartenders only have room for the slightest splash of soda, by using apple instead, the drink has more body, natural sweetness and balance.

If you like a Mojito, give this a go and please let me know if you prefer it over a classic.

In genuinely preferring a twist over a classic, the biggest obstacle is often convincing ones self that popular trends, no matter how historically romantic they are, aren’t necessarily for everyone!

Cheers!

The Man.

PS. My favourite song to dance the twist to is Sam Cooke’s – Twistin’ The Night Away!

UK iTunes Store link

Mixology Monday is the monthly online cocktail gathering. Every month (on a Monday) imbibers from across the globe gather together to post in unison around a shared topic. In the month of April, 2009, The Wild Drink Blog will modestly host the goings-on and provide the theme for proceedings.

For a lot of you, this will no doubt be your first visit to my humble abode and I hope to make your stay on British shores as pleasant as possible.

It is with both great pride and trepidation that I announce this months Mixology Monday: “Superior Twists”. Pride that my blog should host such a respected and established event as MxMo, and trepidation for my blogs pathetically meager bandwidth, as you guys flock in like a bunch jigger branding geese!

Chubby Checker did indeed give us a superior level of twising, but I heard he made a terrible Old Fashioned...

So what’s the theme all about? Well, not the picture on the left! – Is that someone’s house he is dancing in?!

This month’s Mixology Monday is all about twists on classic cocktails, that for one reason or another do an even better job than the drinks upon which they are based.

This could be as simple as a classic Margarita with a dash with a special touch that completes it, or maybe as complicated as a deconstructed Hemingway Daiquiri with a homemade rum foam/caviar/jus/trifle. It might be taking a classic like a Manhattan and using Tequila instead of Bourbon?

Classics certainly have their place both on our cocktail lists and in our mouths, but many of these creations were devised in times where where the variety and quality of ingredients to play with were limited. Surely with the colossal array of spirits, liqueurs, bitters, fruit, spices, herbs and tinctures at out disposal today, a motley crew of sloshed bloggers such as ourselves can make a decent attempt at improving some old school drinks?

Here is what you need to do:

1. Devise an original cocktail, preferably relevant to the theme, then blog it on (or by) Monday 13th April.
2. Email me – tristan(at)tristanstephenson.com the following information: Your name, your cocktails name, the URL of your blog post and most importantly of all… your favourite song to dance the twist too!
3. Make sure that you post a link back to this post AND the Mixology Monday website, also please endeavor to include the MxMo logo in your post.
4. No blog? No worries! Head on over to the eGullet Spirit’s and Cocktail Forum and abuse their excellent forum facilities. Failing that, leave me something in the comments.

Once all of the recipes have been colated and checked for spelling mistakes (colour, flavour, realise etc. !!) I will publish a roundup of the event with a summary of every drink submitted. Good luck everyone, my palate is already moistened just thinking about the excellent concoctions you guys will undoubtedly come up with!

This months MxMo is hosted by the finger achingly long titled ‘Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails‘, who from henceforth (following advice from my hand doctor) will be reffered to simply as LUPEC. The theme is First Time, surprisingly enough this is not a call for cocktail recipes responsible for intimate teenage fumblings, but rather an invitation to devise or advise a drink for a potential customer who has never tried a cocktail before.

The drink that I recommend is set to cement the opinion of an entirely blank and easily influenced canvas. They say that first impressions count for a lot, well in this situation a bad choice could forever damage the fragile mind of this new-biber (an amalgamation of the words newbie and imbibe). If I was behind a bar I would probably ask the person exactly what spirits they like, if they want something fruity, dry, long, short, strong, light, sweet, sour, vodka, whisky etc. etc.

But if I had the opportunity to set the cocktail ball rolling for one individual, and to give them the best possible start on their journey, what cocktail would it be? My instinct is to go with one of the cocktails that got be excited about mixing drinks. I’m thinking about the Mojito, Singapore Sling, Mai Tai, Margarita and Moscow Mule. This Mixology Monday is not about homemade bitters, foams, gels, jellys and uphill rivers. But that doesn’t make it any easier, coming up with one drink that has the challenge of provoking further curiosity, excitement and interest into the world of cocktails.

I remember I once took part in a cocktail competition, which had a round that involved making up a drink for a particular customer. The customer I was given was a recently defected nun who had never had alcohol before in her life. In the short space of time that I had, I managed to devise a drink based around the seven deadly sins. Each ingredient represented one of the sins including sugar for gluttony, strawberries for lust, basil for envy (it’s green) and so on…

Assuming that this person is not a nun however, my mind turns to a simple drink that is both impressive and approachable. Something that gives its drinker a great foundation for future cocktails, and a very tasty experience to boot.

Tom Collins

I’m not going to get into the politics around the name Tom Collins, though I will say that the name ‘Tom Collins’ actually refers to a style of drink that can be made with any liquor. If i’m being pedantic, the drink I recommend is a ‘Gin Tom Collins’.

Glass: Collins(!)/Highball
Garnish: Lemon wedge

• 50ml Tanqueray 43.1
• 25ml Lemon Juice
• 12.5ml Gomme
• Soda

Shake or stir? Do whatever you like! Some would say that a Fizz (same ingredients, different method) by its very nature requires shaking and that a Collins should be stirred, others (who have done their research) will tell you that the Collins is the one which should be shaken and that in fact a Gin Fizz should be stirred.

I would personally stir it together in this situation, demonstrating to the drinker how simple and wonderful cocktails can really be.

The first MxMo of  2009 is hosted by The Scribe at A Mixed Dram and the theme is Broaden Your Horizons. This theme encourages us to make a drink and experiment with ingredients, methods or flavours that we have never tried before. To be honest, i’m having trouble coming up with anything though, partly because I have tried and used most things, and partly because the things that I haven’t tried before are obscure aperitifs/liqueurs, which I don’t own (or can’t find anywhere), or molecular kit and chemicals that I can’t get hold of easily or in time.

So now i’m left rooting around the kitchen cupboards, looking for ingredients that I have never used in cocktails before and pondering their eligibility. Potatoes? Too starchy, and just wrong. Oxo cube? Too savoury. Tea Cup? Not the most attractive serve and I have seen it done. Peas? Goes well with mint in a risotto, so maybe a Moji… nah. Garlic? Too garlicky.

Brandy Butter? Aha! I’ve made ‘Hot Buttered Rum’ before, but never used brandy butter. It’s left over from Christmas, festive, warming and using butter in a cocktail is surely broadening my horizons? I’m going to have a play, i’ll be back to report shortly!

….

I’ve had reasonable success with a drink which just seemed to work first time!

After tasting the brandy butter I decided that I would match it with mince pie-like flavours. Back up to the drinks cabinet and I selected a bottle of Frapin VSOP cognac, Heering Cherry liqueur and Cointreau (I probably would have used Grand Marnier if I had any). Mince pies for me are a mixture of sweet pastry, candied fruit, spice and richness, so I was looking to included all of these aspects in the drink and this is what I came up with…

“Pie, Splash and Liqueur” (A play on words from the classic cockney dish – Pie, Mash & Licker)

• 12.5ml Cognac
• 12.5ml Cherry Liqueur
• 12.5ml Cointreau
• 25ml Cranberry Juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla sugar (could be changed for vanilla seeds and a touch of brown sugar)
• 1 slice of clementine
• 1 clove
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 large teaspoon of brandy butter (mine was homemade)
• 100ml boiling water

Method: Warm a glass or cup with boiling water, I opted for a thick coupé style glass. Discard the water then add the cognac, cherry liqueur, Cointreau, clove, clementine, cinnamon and vanilla sugar. Quickly top up with boiling water and then spoon the brandy butter on top. The butter will sink and then begin to dissolve, firing little oily droplets onto the surface of the drink, serve it immediately so that the drinker can see the butter melt away.

I was really pleased with the flavour of the drink, the salt in the butter really adds an extra dimension and the cranberry is pretty critical in order to bind the other flavours together (originally I left it out). The linger of the aromatics is very similar to that of mince pies and brandy butter, with the vanilla playing an important role in emulating the pastry and giving the cherry liqueur an almond finish.

What started out as a tough MxMo, turned out to be a really great theme that encouraged a bit of thought and some nice results.

Mixology Monday this month is being hosted by Craig at Tiki Drinks & Indigo Firmaments. The theme is simply ’spice’, but as Craig quite rightly states, that could be anything from spicy Christmas drinks, to bitters, to bloody mary recipes and even types of bark or roots.

I’m going to play it moderately safe with my own recipe for Cornish Wassail (pronounced wauz’l)!

If you are a fan of mulled wine then you’re going to love this litle gem, it oozes seasonality, smells like Santa Clause’s kitchen and tastes delicious.

Wassail is a drink that originated in medieval times and is quite popular in the Germanic countries. The Wassail of the dark ages was typically made with Mead or beer, but it’s much better with a good bottle of farmhouse cider. In Cornwall1 there is quite a culture for cider and Wassail is very popular too. In fact, if you happen to be wandering around a Cornish orchard in the evening at this time of year, you might just spot the murky silhouettes of lightly intoxicated Wassailer’s!

Recipe (Serves 2)

The trick here is to not warm for too long as you lose some of the freshness. I like to keep it simple as well, so there is no reason why you can’t just add all the stuff straight to the pan:

• 400ml farmhouse cider (non-fizzy and yeasty is best)
• 25ml Calvados (Or even better – Somerset Cider Brandy)
• 100ml good quality apple juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 whole star anise
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 large tablespoon runny (Cornish) honey
• 1 small teaspoon of soft brown sugar
• 2 clementine wheels

The longer you warm the mixture, the more the spices will infuse, but if you go for too long you do lose some of the acidity and freshness from the cider and apple juice. I hate it when i’m handed mulled wine that just tastes like a spice draw, you need the balance of sweet and acid, so I recommend 5-10 minutes keeping it just off the boil.

Serve it in low thick glass teacups or short goblets, make sure you include a bit of the cinnamon stick and clementine wheel in each glass.

This month Doug at The Pegu Blog is hosting Mixology Monday and as usual it is our task, as fellow bloggers, to come up with drink recipes so that we can all laugh at each other.

Doug’s theme is Made From Scratch and what an awesome theme! – Particularly for me, because I absolutely love making my own ingredients!

Which leads me to a bit of a quandary: Which homemade ingredient is my favourite and which am I most proud of? To choose from I have the likes of Tonic Water, Cola, D&B, Rosehip syrup, Rhubarb Liquor, Vermouth, Bitters and that’s just the stuff that tasted ok!

In the end I decided to go for a cocktail which has not had much of a mention from me in the past.

An easy choice would have been my GT Turbo, which is one of my favourites and uses my tonic syrup and a simple formula to make an espresso of G&T. For anyone that likes to taste the gin in their G&T or who would prefer their drink to be shorter whilst still retaining balance, this is a good drink.

But the cocktail I went for in the end is a drink I created called The Libero Dairquiri, and here is the recipe:

• 50ml Pampero Especial
• 25ml Good Quality Real Ale
• 15ml Homemade Cola Syrup
• 15ml Fresh Lime

Shake that little lot up and double strain into a chilled martini glass, garnish with a good twist of orange peel.

This drink is kind of a cross between a Cuba Libre and a regular Daiquiri, but with the addition of beer. I love Daiquiri’s but the main flaw with them is that there are no bitter ingredients in the drink. For me, a great cocktail (or a great drink in general) is a balance of sweet, bitter and acidity. The Libero Daiquiri has all of these, not to mention the fact that cola adds a wonderful aromatic touch to ale, whilst the caramels of Pampero provide a neat canvas, on which the other flavours can work.

The recipe for the cola syrup is here.

EDIT: It has just occurred to me that Doug has asked for cocktails (existing) that have been improved by a homemade ingredient, but I have submitted an original recipe. Bashed knuckles for me, but it is loosely based on a Cuba Libre!

For anyone who reads other blogs to do with drink and specifically cocktails, Mixology Monday will probably be nothing new to you. I have been following the progress of MxMo for the last year with great interest and I have to say it is a brilliant idea.

The way it works is this: Once a month (on a Monday) all of the cocktail bloggers get together and write on the same subject. Usually the subject is specific to a certain genre of drinks, focusing on different spirit categories or eras of cocktails. Each month a different blog ‘hosts’ the proceedings and then a posts a write up covering the different submissions.

A great way to get blogs interacting I think, time to bite the bullet and join in with our friends over the Atlantic… bring it on American bloggers!

This month is the 32nd episode of MxMo and the theme is ‘Guilty Pleasures’, that being drinks which your ashamed to say you enjoy. As enthusiasts it is true that we spend a lot of our time covering the elitist liquids and spit in the face of lesser beverages, well now it’s time to come out of the drink cabinet and reveal to the world those dirty little secrets you’ve been hiding away, so here goes…

1. Coca-Cola. I know it has about 10,000 teaspoons of sugar in a single can, I know it is rammed full of artificial flavourings, colourings and other crap which probably knocks hours of your life, but I love the stuff. There is no other drink on earth like coke and I reckon it’s a great example of marrying flavours in perfect harmony. The flavour of coke is so unique it’s actually described as ‘coke flavour’ as if it grows out of the ground, not many drinks can claim that. Now you know why I felt compelled to make my own!

2. Flavoured Beer. Have you ever had a Desperados? That bottled beer that is supposedly flavoured with tequila and ‘lime’. Well I have and I can’t get enough of them! Sickly sweet and jam packed with artificial badness but damn, they are tasty! Apparently the beer itself is French.

3. Amaretto. I’m a huge marzipan fan, every birthday cake I have ever had contained marzipan in some shape or form. So when presented with the marzipan in it’s liquid form (amaretto) I lap it up like a dog. I’ll drink amaretto until my vision goes blurry from sugar consumption. It has to be said, I love it in a sour with a healthy helping of egg white, but to be honest i’d happily drink it warm out of a tramps boot.

And there you have it, my guilty pleasures. To be honest the list would be longer were I asked to write about drinks I should like but don’t! I did think about putting Campari in the above list but to be quite honest, there is no guilt in my mind when i’m necking back a bottle of the red stuff!

For the full round up of this Mixology Monday head over to Two At The Most blog