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daegaer and louiselux the list of cocktails we tried on Saturday, so I thought as long as I'm typing them up I may as well share them with everyone, as some were particularly excellent.
I use the "Diffordsguide to Cocktails", currently issues #5.1 - 5.3, which is from 'A' to 'Q' (issue #4 'R to Z' isn't out yet). The recipes and histories below are all adapted from that unless otherwise noted. Comments are my own.
We started off with a bottle of Prosecco, the Italian version of sweet champagne, so the first cocktails all contained it (not that I'm typing these up in any particular order).
Cocktail: Bellini
First up, and easiest to make, is the Bellini. Possibly the quintessential Italian cocktail, it was created in 1934 by Giuseppe Cipriani at Harry’s Bar, Venice, Italy. Not only is this a delicious cocktail, but it holds wonderful memories for me of a four day holiday in a cool, quiet November Venice with a couple of friends. We sat at an outdoor café overlooking the Rialto Bridge, drinking Bellini’s and watching the sun set.
I’m not sure if the bar used real fruit back then, but on Saturday we used Funkin 100% White Peach Puree which is honestly much better; it’s fresh, beautiful quality, and someone else gets to do all that messy peeling, de-stoning and pulping. Score.
NB: You can add gomme sugar syrup and lemon juice to taste if required
Glass: Flute
Garnish: Peach slice on rim
Ingredients:
1 part puréed peaches, preferably white
2 parts Prosecco sparkling wine, chilled
Method:
Put all ingredients in shaker.
Top to 2/3 with fresh ice.
STIR.
Strain into a chilled glass.
Cocktail: Hot Tub
Basically a Flirtini/French Martini with bubbles. All four of us agreed this was good. We didn’t have any Chambord black raspberry liqueur, so we used blackcurrant liqueur (Crème de Cassis - try to get ones with at least 600 gm of fruit per litre).
Glass: Martini
Garnish: Pineapple wedge on rim
Ingredients:
1 ¼ shots Vodka
¼ shot Chambord black raspberry liqueur
1 shot Pineapple juice
Top up with Prosecco sparkling wine, chilled.
Method:
Put first three ingredients in shaker.
Top to 2/3 with fresh ice.
SHAKE.
Strain into chilled glass.
Cocktail: Expresso Martini
I thought this was disgusting – like drinking cold, watered-down coffee. A couple of the others thought it was OK but could be better with some fiddling with – maybe more coffee and no sugar. I don’t think this is cut out to be anyone’s favourite cocktail however. For garnish we used chocolate-covered coffee beans thatdaegaer and louiselux had kindly brought along.
Glass: Martini
Garnish: Float 3 coffee beans
Ingredients:
2 shots Vodka
1 ¾ shots cold Espresso Coffee
½ shot gomme Sugar syrup
Method:
Put all ingredients in shaker.
Top to 2/3 with fresh ice.
SHAKE.
Strain into chilled glass.
daegaer and louiselux the list of cocktails we tried on Saturday, so I thought as long as I'm typing them up I may as well share them with everyone, as some were particularly excellent. I use the "Diffordsguide to Cocktails", currently issues #5.1 - 5.3, which is from 'A' to 'Q' (issue #4 'R to Z' isn't out yet). The recipes and histories below are all adapted from that unless otherwise noted. Comments are my own.
We started off with a bottle of Prosecco, the Italian version of sweet champagne, so the first cocktails all contained it (not that I'm typing these up in any particular order).
Cocktail: Bellini
First up, and easiest to make, is the Bellini. Possibly the quintessential Italian cocktail, it was created in 1934 by Giuseppe Cipriani at Harry’s Bar, Venice, Italy. Not only is this a delicious cocktail, but it holds wonderful memories for me of a four day holiday in a cool, quiet November Venice with a couple of friends. We sat at an outdoor café overlooking the Rialto Bridge, drinking Bellini’s and watching the sun set.
I’m not sure if the bar used real fruit back then, but on Saturday we used Funkin 100% White Peach Puree which is honestly much better; it’s fresh, beautiful quality, and someone else gets to do all that messy peeling, de-stoning and pulping. Score.
NB: You can add gomme sugar syrup and lemon juice to taste if required
Glass: Flute
Garnish: Peach slice on rim
Ingredients:
1 part puréed peaches, preferably white
2 parts Prosecco sparkling wine, chilled
Method:
Put all ingredients in shaker.
Top to 2/3 with fresh ice.
STIR.
Strain into a chilled glass.
Cocktail: Hot Tub
Basically a Flirtini/French Martini with bubbles. All four of us agreed this was good. We didn’t have any Chambord black raspberry liqueur, so we used blackcurrant liqueur (Crème de Cassis - try to get ones with at least 600 gm of fruit per litre).
Glass: Martini
Garnish: Pineapple wedge on rim
Ingredients:
1 ¼ shots Vodka
¼ shot Chambord black raspberry liqueur
1 shot Pineapple juice
Top up with Prosecco sparkling wine, chilled.
Method:
Put first three ingredients in shaker.
Top to 2/3 with fresh ice.
SHAKE.
Strain into chilled glass.
Cocktail: Expresso Martini
I thought this was disgusting – like drinking cold, watered-down coffee. A couple of the others thought it was OK but could be better with some fiddling with – maybe more coffee and no sugar. I don’t think this is cut out to be anyone’s favourite cocktail however. For garnish we used chocolate-covered coffee beans that
daegaer and louiselux had kindly brought along.Glass: Martini
Garnish: Float 3 coffee beans
Ingredients:
2 shots Vodka
1 ¾ shots cold Espresso Coffee
½ shot gomme Sugar syrup
Method:
Put all ingredients in shaker.
Top to 2/3 with fresh ice.
SHAKE.
Strain into chilled glass.
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