Cocktail No 52 - Butterfly Flip

A festive twist for the approaching season of goodwill.

This is essentially an enriched and sweetened Brandy Alexander and quite delicious. Well I omitted the sugar by mistake, so mine was closer to the Alexander.

Brandy with Crème de Cacao and cream is always a good combination. Add an egg yolk plus sugar and spice it up with nutmeg. If  you like Bailey's then throw your bottle in the bin and taste what its really meant to be like. Decadently thick on the tongue with a chocolat blast followed by the warmth of brandy coming through as it slips down the throat.  It always reminds me of the scene in Bridehead Revisited when Anthony Blanche drinks 4 Alexanders is quick succession to the outrage of the Oxford matrons doing lunch.

It needs really good shaking to mix in the cream, egg yolk and dissolve the sugar.

Recipe

Add equal measures of Brandy, Crème de Cacao and cream to a shaker. Add 1 egg yolk and a tablespoon of caster sugar. Shake very well to mix everything together and strain into cocktail glass. Sprinkle with grated nutmeg and enjoy!

Cocktail No 47 Magnolia Blossom

This didn't really work for me - a bit too much lemon juice, which is intended to offset the cream. Perhaps its better with fresh lemon (I used Jif as it only needed a small amount). The grenadine is pleasant and gives a nice rose colouring. Just doesn't seem a good way to use Gin for me.

Recipe

Add 1 measure Gin to 1/2 measure cream to a cocktail shaker. Add 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice and 2 dashes Grenadine. Shake on ice and strain into a Cocktail glass.

Cocktail No 34 Mogulmeister - by special request.

An old school chum gave me this challenge:

"My challenge to you Gene, is to come with a cocktail called "fruit-of-the-loom". Marks will be awarded for conceptual structure and originality while still filling the brief."

However, knowing this particular individual, I felt Fruit of the Loon was more appropriate.

Sadly, I cannot comply as I have been beaten to this name for a cocktail:

http://www.cocktailszone.com/cocktails/fruit-of-the-loom_3564.html

So I dedicate my concoction to the spirit of the challenge and name it in honour of my challenger:

This will be difficult for most of you to recreate unless you make your own fruit infused Vodka. I had a lousy harvest this year, so mine was a mix of Raspberries, Gooseberries and Blackcurrants. Simply mascerate and put in a bottle and top up with Vodka for several months. I don't add sugar which can help in the breakdown of the fruit as it becomes too sweet and alcohol is sufficient in my experience with time.

So the idea was natural fruit in the Vodka flavoured with home grown Raspberries, Gooseberries and Blackcurrants, softened with some Galliano and a splash of cream to give a white wool effect.

It works rather well. Well balanced. Film over the teeth. nice viscosity for mouth-feel. And the cream gives a snow effect to fit the Mogul reference and the Galliano give vanilla to smooth the drink out.

Recipe

Add 1 & 1/2 measures of home made fruit infused Vodka (not sure if the commercial fruit vodkas would work as they are much sharper) to a shaker with 1/2 measure Galliano and a splash of single cream to taste. Shake on Ice and strain into a Cocktail glass.

Cocktail No 31 The Stem Cell

My own creation based on the research we are doing to harvest stem cells from liposuction waste (body fat is very rich in stem cells and everyone thinks that research will be improved if you use fresh stem cells straight from the body instead of growing them through culture which changes them - end of science lecture).

The squeamish won't like the next bit, but I was really going more for an optical feel than taste. I wanted a milky reddish tinge to the drink to reflect the combination of fat emulsion and traces of blood in the washings from the lipoaspirate. So a mix of cream, with a splash of Pernod and water from sugar syrup creates the right emulsion and Rosso Vermouth and Angostura Bitters gives the red tinge. The pearl onion is the single stem cell in the mix - it doesn't really work like it does in the Gibson, but its white like a stem cell.

Perhaps the viscosity could be increased, so addition of an egg white would turn it into a Stem Cell Fizz.

The Squeamish can now start reading again.

Tastewise it works rather well. Really minimise the Pernod, otherwise it overwhelms the drink - you just want a hint of aniseed in the background. The Rosso Vermouth balances the drink surprisingly effective considering the small amount added. Its a little sweet, velvety and wonderful aftertaste. There will probably be several iterations of this until I perfect it.

Recipe (Working)

Add to a shaker 2 measures of Gin, a capfull of Rosso Vermouth, a teaspoon of Pernod, a teaspoon of single cream, a splash of sugar syrup and Angostura Bitters. Shake on ice and strain into a Cocktail glass. Garnish with a pearl onion.