Tag: gin

Gin Julep

Another Saturday evening cocktail with gin. Still working through the gin gifts from last Christmas. This time I used the Ramsbury gin from my brother. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves plus a separate wee sprig for a garnish
  • 1/4 floz (1 tsp+) fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 floz (1 tsp+) fresh lemon juice 
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 2 floz (50ml) gin

METHOD:

  • Put the mint, lemon, lime and sugar in the bottom of a tumbler and crush them together
  • Add ice, and then the gin. 
  • Add a garnish of mint

Death in the gulf stream

Saturday cocktail hour. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 floz gin (50ml)
  • 1 1/2 floz lime juice (35ml) – about 1 small lime
  • pinch of caster sugar
  • 3-4 splashes of Angostura bitters

METHOD:

  • Put a load of ice in a tall highball glass
  • Pour in the gin and the lime juice and stir
  • Add the bitters and sugar and stir again
  • Twist a strip of lime peel over the drink and then drop it in

Elderflower Collins

Last Christmas was the Christmas of Gin. I’ve just opened the bottle from my sister Louise, very nice Dockyard Gin. It came with a recipe for Elderflower Collins. Very good. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 50ml gin
  • 25ml lemon juice
  • 25ml elderflower cordial
  • 10ml simple syrup, or to taste
  • Soda water, or sparkling water

METHOD:

  • In a tall glass, over ice, add the cordial, syrup, lemon juice and gin, and stir together. 
  • Top up with soda and garnish with lemon peel. 

Very refreshing. 

Buckfast Negroni

In the interests of investigation and fearless gastronomy, once upon a time we purchased a small bottle of Buckfast at the co-op in Broadford. It has been languishing in our kitchen ever since. Neither of us has developed a taste for it at all, but every now and again we try it out as an ingredient. It works as part of a cocktail.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 25ml London dry gin
  • 25ml Buckfast
  • 25ml Campari
  • 3 dashes of orange bitters

METHOD:

  • Put about six cubes of ice in a mixing glass, and pour the ingredients over the ice.
  • Stir for around 2 minutes, to chill the ingredients and dilute them with melted ice.
  • Serve in a small glass over ice.

Hebridean Bees Knees

This is a lovely and easy cocktail. Sorry for skipping the cocktail recipe last weekend; I was working.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 20ml heather honey syrup (see below for directions)
  • 50ml Harris Gin
  • 15ml lemon juice
  • 1 cocktail shaker with ice

METHOD:

  • Melt heather honey in water – make a 50/50 mix, and slowly heat and stir until the honey is dissolved. Chill the mixture.
  • Put a good deal of ice in the cocktail shaker, and put your glass in the fridge to chill.
  • Measure the gin, lemon juice and honey syrup into the shaker and shake the living whatnots out of it for a couple of minutes, so that the mixture is ice cold and looks smooth and opaque.
  • Serve in a cold cold glass. It is quite strong so be careful.

Bramble cocktail

I keep thinking it would be nice to have a cocktail each weekend, try out a new recipe. It has taken me quite a long time to get round to it. I had some blackberries in the freezer, picked last autumn, so I made this.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 blackberries
  • 1 level teaspoon of caster sugar
  • juice of half a lime
  • 1 1/2 floz gin
  • 1/2 floz creme de mure (blackberry liqueur)
  • Soda water (or any carbonated water e.g. from the sodastream, to avoid plastic)

METHOD:

  • In the bottom of a tall glass, mix the sugar and lime juice and add the blackberries
  • Fill the glass with ice, and add the gin and creme de mure.
  • Top up with soda water, and stir. Garnish with a slice of lime.

I have some Tanqueray gin flavoured with lime, so I might try that next time.