Cocktail No 67 - French Cocktail

With the French in a historic vote today for they next President it is apt that this is the next cocktail in the sequence.

Two fo my favourite drinks - Pastis & Gin - and they go wonderfully well together. There is fire from both the gin and the pastis. The aniseed in the pastis lifts the licorice in the gin. The grenadine is markedly sweet, for such a small amount added and the colour intensity is quite dizzying in its strawberry red intensity as well as clarity.

Take a large swallow - the fire starts in the top of the throat at the back of the mouth and then travels forward across the roof, with the flavours developing and the gin-aniseed combo growing in intensity. Its a drink to "fight" with as the flavours are uncompromising, which is my kind of drink.

If you don't like pastis, you definitely will not like this one, but if you do, its a winner.

Recipe

1 part Birkdale Gin
3/4 part Pastis (or Pernod, Ricard)
1 teaspoon Grenadine

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Enjoy.