Category Archives: Recipes

Fake Empire.

Fake Empire. My favourite band – The National – release their new album Sleep Well Beast today and I thought I’d mark the occasion the only way I know how to: by creating a cocktail. I took my inspiration from … Continue reading

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Revolver + flamed orange peel.

The Revolver. Created by Joe Santer of Bourbon and Branch, the Revolver is a rather interesting drink. On paper it hardly looks revolutionary – just a coffee tweaked Old Fashioned. However made properly, the Revolver is a revelation. One of … Continue reading

Posted in Recipes, Technique | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Solipsist

The Solipsist. When mixing with wonderful, wonderful mezcal we need to tread carefully. It’s a spirit that can take over a drink and it pays to use a little less of it than you would of a milder spirit. I’ve … Continue reading

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Claymore.

The Claymore. I’m a big fan of Glayva – a Scottish whisky based liqueur with hints of spice, honey and tangerine. Sounds a bit Tiki to me. Should we do some Tiki magic? I thought so. Glayva is strong enough … Continue reading

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Queen’s Park Swizzle + swizzling.

Swizzling. Everyone knows you can shake a cocktail, stir a cocktail or blend a cocktail. But what did bartenders do before there were electric blenders? They swizzled. Swizzling is a great way to make a drink as well being a … Continue reading

Posted in Recipes, Technique | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Sidecar.

The Sidecar. Here’s a cocktail with a solid 100 years on the clock. Created in Paris (Harry’s New York Bar and the Paris Ritz Hotel both claim the honour) during the first world war, legend has it that it was … Continue reading

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jungle Bird – three versions.

Three little birds. Created at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton in the mid to late 1970’s the Jungle bird is an unusual Tiki drink in a number of ways. How many bona fide Tiki drinks were created during The Dark Ages? … Continue reading

Posted in Recipes | Leave a comment

The Gold Rush + A Proper Drink.

The Gold Rush. Sometimes you just want a simple cocktail devoid of fancy ingredients and techniques. Sometimes you want a cocktail that doesn’t have a complicated history or backstory. Sometimes you want a Gold Rush. Created by Milk & Honey … Continue reading

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Apprentice + internet recipe hunting.

Internet recipe hunting. We’ve got it easy these days. The internet gives us access to an enormous array of cocktail recipes – and of course I’m pleased to play some small part in that. But the downside of this ocean … Continue reading

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Last Mariachi + mezcal.

The Last Mariachi. Here’s the thing: I’ve recently developed a bit of a mezcal habit. For a long time I thought, like many of us, that mezcal was a cheap and somewhat dodgy version of tequila. And it often was. … Continue reading

Posted in Ingredients, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment