To Ellen Bach.
Port Ellen + Mandarins.
O noble Mandarin, ancestor of all citrus (along with the citron and pomelo but who remembers those losers?), majestic in thy sweet oranginess yet all too rarely utilised in the preparation of cocktaily splendour how shalt we honour you? I too was complicit in the under-use of this commonplace fruit until a recent visit to a favourite cocktail bar (no, I’m not telling you because it’s hard enough to get a table in this tiny place as it is) where there was a drink of some mandariny content that got me to thinking. Why do we ignore this fruit that is so tasty, widely available and affordable? And which fits so handily in a standard citrus squeezer? Damned if I know but let’s have a crack at rectifying the situation. Given the paucity of mandarin and even orange juice based cocktails where do we look for inspiration? The Blood and Sand springs to mind yet that is not a cocktail that receives much love. Regardless of that I think whisky is the way to go and a smoky Islay (pronounced eye-lah not eye-lay) malt seems to complement the sweetness of the mandarin juice so we’re off to a good start. When it comes to mixing with Islay malt I think we should tread carefully and not waste a fine and expensive whisky on a mixed drink where its nuances will most likely be lost. In these cases I always reach for an affordable and slightly mysterious bottling. Finlaggan Original Peated is certainly an Islay malt whisky but which of the small island’s clutch of distilleries produce it is a well kept secret. It is an uncomplicated affair with bags of peat smoke flavour but little complexity and likely only the minimum of ageing (three years) but that is exactly what we need in a case like this. There are other options such as Ileach or the lesser aged offerings of the “big” Islay distilleries. Going for a bit of depth I split this base with a little ruby port which bungs some tannins into the mix. We are already nicely balanced for sweetness but lacking in modifier and accent so lemon juice and grenadine in equal proportions followed by a couple of dashes of Fee’s black walnut bitters tick those classic cocktail anatomy boxes with the bitters replacing some of the woodiness our relatively young base lacked. The name refers to the place one steps off the ferry to Islay as well as the fortified wine component. I’m pleased with the result and think it pays a respectable homage to the unlikely but undeniable King of Citrus without whom no lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit would exist.
Port Ellen.
1.5oz / 45ml peated Islay malt whisky (such as Finlaggan).
0.5oz / 15ml ruby Port (I like Kopke).
1oz / 30ml fresh mandarin (or tangerine*) juice.
0.5oz / 15ml fresh lemon juice.
0.5oz / 15ml grenadine (homemade or good quality).
2 dashes Fee’s black walnut bitters (use a single dash aromatic bitters if you lack it).
Shake with ice and stain into a chilled champagne coupe. I didn’t garnish it because mandarin peel is a bit flabby but you can do so if you like.
Toast Citrus Reticulata.
* Tangerines are either just the same species as mandarins or as near as damn it that it doesn’t even matter – so use ’em instead if you like.
