Cocktail No 66 - Empire

Another brilliantly clear cocktail, on the sweeter side.

The viscosity of the Apricot Brandy is felt before the actual taste - the Calvados dominates with a nutty apply taste followed by the apricot. The gin is omnipresent as a base under pinning everything else.

Normally I don't like too sweet a drink, but this one has everything going for it - complexity, changing flavours on the palate, each element distinctive yet blending and supporting the others. And then of course there is the booze laden Maraschino cherries for double th epleasure.

Recipe

25 ml Birkdale Gin
15 Calvados
15 ml Apricot Brandy
2 Maraschino cocktail cherries

Put ice in mixing glass with Birkdale Gin, Calvados and Apricot Brandy. Stir well and strain into a cocktail glass. Decorate with cherries and serve.

Cocktail No 65 - Cooperstown

Having launched the Churchtown Deli Gin last night, which ended up being a very late night, 5 pm could not come around soon enough today for this most welcome pick-me-up.

A variation on the Martini, a dominance of gin, supported by both dry and sweet vermouths and lifted with a sprig of crushed mint leaves.

Visually, its a beautiful drink crystal clear with the faintest hing of green. The first taste is the sweetness of the Bianco vermouth, then the herbs come rushing through and suddenly you realise that you are tasting the Noilly Prat over and above the Bianco. The gin is there of course as a master slug underpinning everything with the faintest hint of mint finishing the taste profile.

A very welcome to the start of the end of a glorious sunny day.

Recipe

25 ml Birkdale Gin
15 ml Noilly Prat or Dry Vermouth
15 ml Bianco Vermouth
1 sprig of mint

Put ice in a mixing glass along with Birkdale Gin and both vermouths. Stir well and strain into a Cocktail glass. Decorate with the sprig of mint.

Cocktail No 64 - Clover Club

Bright strawberry coloured from the grenadine, with a creamy head from the shaken egg white, it tastes as sweet as it looks. The grenadine dominates and if you like pomagranates, that's great. The gin is there, but I initially mistook it for the chill of the drink.

Don't be put off by the egg white - you can't taste it and its there to thicken up the drink and give it some texture.

Very pleasant for a hot summer's day. If you are new to gin and unsure, this is a very good starting point as the gin is there, but not over present.

Personally I think a little more lemon juice, but that's just personal taste.

Edit

Wow - wait for the end and the crema - its like drinking liquid meringue - wonderful

Recipe

2-3 ice cubes
1 egg white
15 ml lemon juice
40 ml Birkdale Gin
20 ml grenadine

Crack ice and put in shaker with other ingredients. Shake very well (more so than usual to incorporate and "whip" the egg white). Strain into a small goblet.

Cocktail No 63 - Blue Lady

Highly recommended to try.

Icy Chilled, the first impression is of a sherbet dipper, if you remember those from your childhood. The tart lemon juice gives the "fizz"and the Blue Curacao the sweetness. The citrus in the gin complements the bitter orange in the curacao and the colour - just look at the wonderful shade of turquoise blue.

Sweet & sour play against each other, with orange the dominant flavour. It is also very refreshing - shame the day has clouded over after brilliant sunshine all day. A perfect sundowner for a hot & humid evening, with the delicious reward of the maraschino cherry at the end.

Recipe

2 measures Birkdale Gin
1 measure Blue Curacao
1 measure lemon juice

Add Birkdale Gin, Curacao and lemon juice to shaker with ice. Shake well until very chilled and strain into cocktail glass. Decorate with Maraschino cherry, impaled on a cocktail stick.

Cocktail No 62 - Bronx

The rosso vermouth is the first taste to come through, giving that caramel herbal flavour. Then orange blasts across the mouth, followed by the dryness and cleaness of the Noilly Prat competing for attention. The aftertaste reminds my slightly of the Dry Martini with the gin becoming noticible.

Don't think this is one for me.

Recipe

1 measure Birkdale Gin
1 measure Noilly Prat (or Dry Vermouth)
1 measure Rosso Vermouth
1 measure Orange Juice
1 dash Angustura bitters
Spiral of orange peel

Add Ice with gin, vermouths, orange juice and bitters to shaker. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Spear orange peel on a cocktail stick and use to garnish