Cocktail No 76 Horse's Neck

When I do a gin course one of the questions I ask is "what is the most distinctive taste in almost every gin?" and it isn't Juniper. Its pepper, in my case coming from Grains of Paradise and Cubeb berries. Next time you drink a G&T look out for it - its a fire at the back of the throat. As soon as it is pointed out to them practically everyone can taste it.

But this isn't the only fiery botanical in gin. The other is Ginger. I use dried ginger as the aroma and the bite is so much stonger than fresh ginger.

The Horse's Neck is basically Gin & Ginger. It a perfect combination if you like it on the spicy side. The lemon tones it back a touch. Couldn't be simpler.

Recipe

Spiral of lemon peel
Ice Cubes
50 ml Birkdale Gin
Dry Ginger Ale

Place one end of the lemon peel over the edge of the tumbler, letting the remainder to curl inside. Anchor with two ice cubes. Add Birkdale gin and top up with ginger ale.

Cocktail No 75 - Gin Punch

Nice and simple for a warm sunny evening on Easter Saturday.

Its strong and sweet.The Maraschino and juice from the cocktail cherries is really pronounced, but the lemon juice cuts through and prevent it being too sweet. Really refreshing.

Recipe

Ice Cubes
40ml Birkdale Gin
15 lemon juice
2 teaspoons caster sugar
2 dashes Maraschino
Cocktail Cherries
Pineapple chunks (if you have them)

Crush Ice and add to a shallow tumbler. Add gin, lemon juice, sugar and Maraschino. Stir, then decorate with cherries and pineapple chunks.

Cocktail No 69 - Gimlet

The ridiculously easy cocktail to make is very refreshing on a summers day. It has a naval origin to prevent scurvy.

The Gimlet was promoted and drunk by British officers back in the 19th Century. Citrus juice was a gift from the Gods to sailors, as it prevented them from catching scurvy – a brutal, painful and sometimes deadly disease brought about by vitamin C deficiency.

Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Desmond Gimlette (served 1879 – 1913) is cited by some as the namesake of the Gimlet. Acting as a doctor to sailors, he administered gin with lime in order to mask the bitter taste. Allegedly, he introduced this to his shipmates to help them swallow down the lime juice as an anti-scurvy medication. British sailors, So great was the consumption of this ‘medicine’ by British sailors that they became known as “Limeys”.

Another credible etymological story is that the concoction was named after the hand tool, which was used to bore into barrels of spirits on Navy ships – a gimlet.

The lime juice comes through very sweet and strong - perhaps cut back on the volume if this isn't to your taste. The gin is masked, but comes through as an aftertaste. The soda gives the slightest fizz making this all in all very refreshing. 

Recipe.

50 ml Birkdale Gin
25 mls Lime cordial
Soda water

Put ice in mixing glass with gin and lime juice. Stir well and strain into a cocktail glass. Add a shot of soda.

Cocktail no 68 - Eton Blazer

It helps if you like Kirsch, that fiery eau de vie made from morello cherries & their stones. The Kirsch is the dominant taste, with the lemon undercutting it and highlighting that unique sour cherry flavour. The gin follows as an afterthought, with the sugar syrup compensating for the tartness of the lemon juice. The soda gives some bubbles and dilution that prevents these very strong flavours being over-powering.

It is incredible refreshing and perfect for a hot summers afternoon as we have today and the Cherries are even better after their soak in the drink

Certainly worth adding to your to-try list.

Recipe

25 ml Birkdale Gin
25 ml Kirsch
15 ml Lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar syrup
Soda water
2 cocktail cherries

Place ice, Birkdale Gin, Kirsch, lemon juice and sugar syrup in a tumbler. Stir, then top up with soda water. decorate with cherries.

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.

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 61 - Bloodhound

I nearly didn't make this today as it calls for strawberries and strawberry liqueur and I have neither. Then I remembered the stewed straberries in the freezer from last year and the strawberry spirit produced from strawberry wine. Its possibly sweeter than the original, but as I haven't tasted strawberry liqueur, I can't say.

Its like a slushpuppy with high octane. The complexity of flavours and organoleptic (mouth feel) qualities of the drink are quite extraordinary.

The dash of strawberry spirit dominated the initial taste, but in a great way - none of the harshness that accompanies some Eau de Vie drinks. Immediately next is the strawberry fruit followed by sweetness. Then a warmth boosted with the herbs from the vermouths floods over the roof of the palate. The clean high notes of the Noilly Prat are clearly discernible, but so is the caramel and the earthiness of the Rosso. The Birkdale Gin is not noticible, but binding everything together we presume.

I am not normally one for sweet drinks, but the complexity and the kick of the Strawberry spirit makes this one to try. Will be fantastic on a summer's evening when the strawberry plants are fruiting.

Recipe

4 ice cubes
1 part Birkdale Gin
1 Part Noilly Prat or dry vermouth
1 part rosso vermouth
2-3 dashes Strawberry Liqueur
4 Strawberries.

Crack ice. Put half cracked ice in an electric blender with gin, vermouths, strawberry liqueur and 2 strawberries.

Blend briefly and strain into a cocktail glass. Add remaining cracked ice and decorate with remaining strawberries.

Serve with straw and a spoon.

Cocktail No 59 - Angel's Face

Well this is bizarre. The overwhelming note on the nose is Marzipan, with the characteristic Birkdale Gin notes hiding behind. On tasting, the almonds disappear and the apricots come through.

Its a sweet drink, so not my personal favourite, but I am sure many others will disagree. The gin gives it great complexity, which is why its the base for so many great, classic cocktails. It doesn't bring down the sweetness, but adds an undercurrent layer of flavour - its almost as if you have 2 flavour streams in the one drink that are equally present and not mixing - like oil and water, but in taste terms.

I notice the recipes on the internet call for equal measures, whereas my cocktail book calls for half the measure of Calvados, which may make a difference.

For those with a sweet palate, this is worth trying. If you prefer sours, it may be a little too much for you.

Recipe:

1 measure Birkdale Gin
1 Measure Apricot Brandy
1/2 Measure Calvados.

Crack Ice and put in shaker with other ingredients. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass.

I tried to take a different photo shot - no awards for including my feet.

Cocktail No 58 - Alaska

The pic looks identical to the Martini Dry, but I promise it is a different drink - almost exactly the same concept though of an excess of gin with a minority of a herbal liquor. I didn't have Yellow Chartreuse in the house so substituted Green Chartreuse, which is stronger and less sweet.

The first thing to notice is the nose. The herbs in the Chartreuse come through loud and clear - can hardly smell the gin, though it is there in the background. There is a slight green tint to the drink. The first sip tells you immediately that this is nothing like a Martini Dry, even though it is the same concept and similar measure of gin to herbs. This is Chartreuse with adrenaline. Everything is there - the herbs, the bitters, the gin cutting through as an aftertaste.

It is a very particular drink - I suspect it has the Marmite factor - you either love it or hate it. Its not a sweet drink. Its not sour. It has a purity and cleanness - its going to sound crazy, but the alcohol has an impact like chilled vodka, even though its laced with herbs and bitters. The gin does not dominate, but it is there and changes the Chartreuse enormously.

Its definitely one to try - I like it. Have to get some Yellow Chartreuse to see how that works.

Recipe

3 parts Birkdale Gin
1 part Yellow or Green Chartreuse

Put ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass and serve.

Cocktail No 57 - Martini Dry

OK its been a while, but a new chapter has opened - we are going to have a run of classic gin cocktails made with my very own Birkdale Gin - a highly aromatic gin that is going down a storm in the locality.

We start with the absolute classic - the Dry Martini or Martini Dry.

First sip and I am slightly lost for words - in a good way. This one is a little drier than I would normally make and I am glad it is as the vermouth is still quite dominant. I couldn't get Noilly Prat, so unsure if that would make a difference. The first flavour is definitely the taste of the herbs in the vermouth. I little fire from the spirit is followed by the complexity of the gin coming through. I used a twist of orange peel instead of lemon, based on others tasting observations.

The gin is very powerful and aromatic. It works, but its not your classic dry Martini taste, where the gin is so clean its almost invisible. Birkdale Gin definitely makes its presence known.

I think its a hit.

Update - turns out I did not look hard enough and the Wine Rack did have Noilly Prat in stock, so had a re-run. It does make a difference. It's a lot cleaner than the supermarket dry vermouth which was all I had yesterday. Initially there is no taste - just a chill in the mouth and throat. After a few seconds, a warmth spreads across the top palate. The very first sip had a dominance of the vermouth, but after a few more sips, it falls very much into the background and the gin comes forward, with a herbal topnote. It still will not please those who favour the classic London Dry Martini's, but there is a complexity which makes it interesting and worth sampling.

I still think it is a hit.

Recipe

5 parts Birkdale Gin
1 part dry vermouth

Add to cocktail shaker and shake over ice. Pour into martini glass. Add twist of orange or lemon peel. Serve

Cocktail No 51 Opera

Sophistication is needed for a night at the Opera and this drink does deliver. Its very similar to a Negroni and will be enjoyed by all who love that classic.

Some references with different ratios of the ingredients can be found on the net, here is one link:

Opera - Cocktailia

The bitterness comes from the Dubonnet, which is a much overlooked aperitif.

The sweetness comes from the Maraschino - is it sad that I bough both of these just so I could try this cocktail? The Maraschino also ass a roundness from the cherry and its own contribution to bitter. The Gin is hiding in the background to deliver a punch to the gut, when you are not expecting it.

First sensation and taste is of cold, sweet and very subtle cherry.  Both the sweetness and the cherry intensify in flavour and the herbs in the Dubonnet start to kick in. Finally after about 2 seconds a warmth spreads through the mouth and across the tongue and the strength of the Gin powers through.

Bitter - Sweet - Strong and complex. Just what a cocktail should be.

Dubonnet website
From its origins with the French Foreign Legion to the legions of modern mixologists still using it today, Dubonnet Rouge Aperitif Wine has been a staple on the cocktail landscape since its introduction in 1846. Created by Parisian chemist / wine merchant Joseph Dubonnet as a means to make quinine more palatable for the soldiers battling malaria in North Africa, Dubonnet's mix of fortified wine, a proprietary blend of herbs, spices and peels, and the medicinal quinine is a recipe that has earned it legendary status in the world of sophisticated drinks.

Recipe

Add 2 measure of Gin and 1 measure each of Dubonnet and Maraschino to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

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 43 Eton Blazer

The most expensive cocktail to date, due to the ridiculous price of Kirsch here in the UK. Pick a bottle up when next in France or on a ski trip and it will be 1/3 the price.

Kirsch is like most of the Eau de vie family - you either love them or loath them. There is rarely any middle ground. Fortunately for me, I love them. The flavour is hard to describe. There is a bitter nuttiness, with a very delicate hint of the fruit above it. It has to be drunk icy cold.

Water of Life: Eau de vie Wikipedia

There are so many conflicting recipes for this one on the internet. Some substitute Maraschino for Kirch, which is also cherry based. I'll have some from my brother in Naples in a few days, so will compare the tastes. Absolut uses Cherry Brandy, which is a completely different and more full cherry flavour. The Cocktail database and the Savoy Cocktail book both use Kirsch, but in lower proportions than my book and the lemon juice is higher. So I am going with Kirsch as the authentic recipe.

I have wanted to make the Eton Blazer for years and yesterday purchased a tiny 20 ml bottle of Kirsch for the purpose. The taste comes through very strongly, but also very differently. The bitter sweetness, is changed by the lemon juice and the sour actually makes the Kirsch light cherry flavour more pleasant. The soda water dilutes everything so its not too strong and a great highball for the summer.

Recipe

Add ice, 1 measure Gin, 1 measure kirsch and 1/2 measure Lemon Juice to a tumbler with 2 teaspoons sugar syrup. Stir then top up with Soda Water. Decorate with 2 Cherries.

Aah chilled Maraschino cocktail cherries - I think I am getting hooked!

Cocktail No 42 Green Hat

I will confess to putting off making this cocktail for a number of years. My previous experiences with Crème de Menthe have not been good and most drinks with it in seem to taste like toothpaste. So this came as a pleasant surprise.

Yes it is minty, but there is a sweetness and the Soda Water transforms the balance of flavour - perhaps its the bicarbonate of soda in the Soda Water that neutralises some of the excessive mintiness. Its very cold on the tongue and I wonder if some of that is due to the Gin in addition to the obvious ice.

So if you have a bottle of Crème de Menthe languishing at the back of the cabinet, dust it off and give the Green Hat a go.

Recipe

Add one measure of Gin and one measure of Crème de Menthe to a tall glass. Add ice and stir. Top up with Soda Water.

Cocktail No 40 Hawaii Kiss

OK I admit to cheating on this one as I didn't have a pineapple. You are meant to scoop out the flesh and squeeze the juice out and then use the pineapple shell as the drink vessel. So I just made it in a glass.

It would taste good out of the fruit with a straw, mind you. It would be very good on a Caribbean evening. If you are not a gin lover, it perhaps goes better with rum. The gin and sparkling wine makes an interesting combination and the pineapple provides a balancing sweetness.

A pleasant way to kick off the weekend.

Recipe (Cheat)

Add 1 measure of Gin to a tumbler with 2-3 measures of Pineapple Juice (depends how sweet you like it). Top up with sparkling wine and add ice.

Recipe (correct)

Scoop out flesh from a Pineapple and squeeze juice out. Return juice to hollowed out shell. Add 1 measure Gin and top up with sparkling wine. Add ice and serve with straws.

Cocktail No 35 Queen Elizabeth

Oh this is good, this is very good, this is exceptionally good! I think I might like this one!

As a kid I loved those aniseed balls - do you remember the ones that were rock hard and had an anis seed in the centre? Well this is what this cocktail tastes of. Clear sharp anise, spiked with lemon juice to really lift the taste. Its only a dash, so its not overpowering like Pernod can often be and the Orange citrus from the Cointreau brings it all down and leaves a lingering smooth sweetness in the back of the mouth.

A fine drink to name after our Monarch and another of complexity with multiple taste elements and sensations in the mouth. If I can't tempt you with anything else try this one.

Recipe

Add 1 measure Gin to a shaker with 1/2 measure Cointreau / Triple Sec, 1/2 measure lemon juice and a dash of Pernod / Ricard / Pastis. Shake on Ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Decorate with a cherry.

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.

Cocktail No 25 Maiden

Made with freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice, this is a very fine and clean drink, The acidity of the 2 citrus fruits balances the sharpness of the gin perfectly. Initially it orangey gin and then the lemon juice hits the roof of the mouth in a bitter-sweet sensation due to the Cointreau.

Yet another of those cocktails that has multiple taste sensations as it goes down the hatch.

Make sure it is really cold for that first mouthful. Quite delicious.

Recipe

Add one measure of Orange Juice to a shaker with 3/4 measure of Gin, 3/4 measure of Cointreau and 1/2 measure of Lemon Juice. Shake on ie and strain into a large Cocktail glass.

Cocktail No 24 Island Highball

Simple to make. Pleasing on the eye. Some bubbles and a complex but balanced taste - what's not to like about this one. As with all Highball's the base alcohols are diluted with non-alcoholic mixer making them less concentrated than most of the posts to date.

Wikipedia entry on Highball Cocktails

I can't precisely taste the Gin, but there is a sharpness to the Rosso Vermouth, which I think comes from the combination of the Gin and the Carbon Dioxide in the Soda water. I can't taste the Brandy at all - as I said bell blended together.

A consistent, light drink that is probably better on a warm summers night instead of a cold rainy evening in Lancashire.

Recipe

Put2-3 ice cubes into a tumbler with equal measures of Brandy, Gin, Rosso Vermouth and a splash of Orange Bitters. Stir and top up with Soda Water to taste.