Cocktail No 88 Negroni

There is nothing quite like a perfectly mixed Negroni. Whoever created it was a genius. The combination of herbs and spices from the gin, herbs and sweetness from the vermouth and the herbs and bitterness from the Campari create a unique taste that is simpy wonderful. Mind you my taste leans more to bitter / sour than sweet, so it isn't going to be to everyones taste. Lovely colour down to the Rosso.

If you are new to cocktails, I recommend to follow the measures for this one. It is easy to over do the Campari.

I usually serve my Negronis short, i.e. without the soda water, but today as the sun is shining I added an equal volume of soda water to spirit and it is a perfect refreshing drink - try both ways and decide

Recipe

3 ice cubes
50 ml Birkdale gin
15 ml Campari
15 ml Rosso Vermouth
Soda Water
1 orange slice

Add Gin, Campari and vermouth to a tall tumbler. Top up with soda water. Add Ice and stir. Garnish with orange slice.

Cocktail No 87 Martini Sweet

I was dreaing this one, but is far better than I was expecting. Yes it is sweet, which I normally dislike, but rich herbal complexity of the rosso vermouth compensates and give a real deepness to the flavour. I also was quite light in the amount, so pehaps less sweet than the recipe calls for. I went for grenadine instead of sugar syrup which also added to the flavour.

Lovely colour

A dry Martini will win out every time, but I am glad I tried this.

Recipe

2-3 ice cubes
40 ml Birkdale gin
15 ml Rosso Vermouth
1 teaspoon sugar syrup or genadine.
1 Cocktail cherry

Put ice in a mixing glass with gin, vermouth and sugar syrup or grenadine. Stir until icy cold and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the cherry.

Cocktail No 85 Martini Medium

I was going to skip this, but as I planned to do every gin cocktail in the book, taking one for the team. As I expected, it is too sweet for me. Don't get me wrong, Birkdale gin is the perfect gin for a Martini. The 15 botanicals I use to make it are a perfect complement to the herbs in vermouth, I just prefer it very dry as in the vermouth, not necessarily the amount. Some people add dry vermouth to the cocktail glass, pour it away and then add chilled gin - bit strong for me. This recipe has a bit too much vermouth for my taste at 50%, 25% is better IMHO.

The Rosso Vermouth does bring a much richer and earthier flavour than the dry vermouth which is very interesting but it does bring that extra sweetness, which kills it for me I am afraid. Still for those with a sweet palate, who have not tried or like a Dry Martini, this could be a welcome introduction.

Recipe

Ice cubes
40 ml Birkdale gin
10 ml Dry Vermouth or Noilly Prat (I would go for the former and save your money on this one)
10 ml Rosso Vermouth
Piece of orange peel.

Put Ice, gin and vermouths in a mixing glass. Stir well and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with orange peel.

ps, with a surname of Bond, I naturally have to have my Martinis shaken, not stirred.

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