Author Archives: Andy

The Kessel Run + Szechuan tincture.

The Kessel Run + Szechuan tincture. We’ve covered a lot of ground here over the years but it seems to me we’ve not done enough Sci-Fi Tiki drinks. Yes, it really is a (sub)genre. My contribution to the canon is … Continue reading

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Mexican “Firing Squad” Special.

Mexican “Firing Squad” Special. While the “Firing Squad” might sound like some modern student bravado shooter it’s really something much older and wiser. Charles H Baker’s 1939 The Gentleman’s Companion: Being an Exotic Drinking Book or Around the World with … Continue reading

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Panacea + Chartreuse Elixir Vegetal.

pana

Panacea + Chartreuse Elixir Vegetal A coronavirus lockdown is just the thing to get some cocktail inspiration. My self-set brief was to come up with an (imaginary!) Covid-19 “cure” solely using ingredients with alleged curative powers. First up is Jamaican … Continue reading

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New Amsterdam.

New Amsterdam. The tweaking of rock solid classic cocktails is a great low effort way to have some creative fun. The Manhattan is an excellent base for such experimentation with its simple formula of whisky, Italian vermouth and bitters. While … Continue reading

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Amaretto Sour + dry shaking.

Amaretto Sour + dry shaking. A reader recently approached me and asked why I hadn’t written about any sweet cocktails. Errr, because I don’t like them? I’m not in this gig for the money, but solely to force my views … Continue reading

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Cavalier

Cavalier. It’s been three years this week since I started this blog so I thought I’d celebrate with my own variation of the Champagne Cocktail which we talked about a wee while ago. Basically I realised that I liked my … Continue reading

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Hayman’s Royal Dock – gin review.

Hayman’s Royal Dock navy strength gin. Last time around we were talking about the Pink Gin which is a drink that (once fixed) demands a punchy gin to stand up to the powerful force of all those dashes of Angostura … Continue reading

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Pink Gin.

Pink Gin. Everyone knows that sailors like rum but in the British Navy the officers preferred gin – largely to differentiate themselves from the “lower ranks”. The two gin delivery systems of choice were the Gimlet and the Pink Gin. … Continue reading

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Old Cuban.

Old Cuban. Just recently we were looking at the Gin Gin Mule by Audrey Saunders so it seems like the right time to examine her other famous creation – the Old Cuban. It’s a kind of French 75/Mojito lovechild that’s … Continue reading

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Gin Gin Mule

Conversion therapy.

Gin Gin Mule How many times have you heard a guest say,”I don’t like gin/rum/whisky”? These pre-existing dislikes are often based on bad experiences long ago with iffy examples of those spirits and should be seen as something of a … Continue reading

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