bringing drinks to life

It’s undeniable that we’re in a new 'golden age' of cocktails; you can tell that this is true by the fact that cocktails are making it into mainstream culture. Want proof? Look no further than programmes such as Madmen and Boardwalk Empire. Want proof a bit closer to home? Well take a look at Tesco’s ‘Real Food’ website and you’ll notice a new cocktail section that’s gone live recently. Now maybe like me when you hear the word ‘cocktail’ you don’t immediately think of a national supermarket chain, but sure enough Tesco have caught on to the cocktail craze. So when they contacted me to ask if I’d be willing to come up with a Christmas cocktail or two from a box of random ingredients, I pushed aside fears of being sent a box of unusable ingredients and said yes.

A week later a large red box arrived and I eagerly unwrapped it, filled with equal parts excitement, trepidation, and of course hope at what the contents might be. Now before I tell you what was in the box (the photo to the left might give it away!), I should make it clear that I have enough self-awareness to know that I’m a bit of a spirit snob, I like my bourbons premium, my rum well aged and my tequila 100% agave. But I’m also a realist, so I knew I wasn’t going to be greeted by a bottle of El Dorado 15yo and a crystal mixing glass, but I was quietly hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

So what exactly did my Christmas box of cocktail delights hold? Well there was rum, liqueur, vodka, cava, and a selection of cocktail equipment that was perfect for the home cocktail enthusiast to make a start with. Citrus fruit and spices had been included too, just to ensure that I’d be able to come up with cocktails relevant to the Christmas theme. The exact products in the box were Captain Morgan’s original rum, Smirnoff vanilla vodka and Disaronno Amaretto liqueur. To be fair these are all category leading brands and good mainstream products as the whole point of this exercise is about creating cocktails from readily available ingredients.

So, supplied with a range of ingredients and instructions that simply stated that I could use whatever additional ingredients I wanted to, I set forth to create some easily replicable Christmas cocktails.

KEEPING IT SIMPLE

In the spirit of opening up the world of cocktails to a wider audience I decided not to over complicate things by delving into the b&t drink cabinet. Sure it would have been easy to reach for a selection of unusual bitters and obscure liqueurs, but the whole point of this exercise was to make some cocktails using ingredients you could find at any Tesco up and down the country.

So having decided to use only the ingredients provided, plus gomme (sugar syrup) and fruit juices or mixers I thought I’d try to produce three different cocktails showcasing the spirits in the box. As for the Cava, I decided to drink it while I was working on the recipes! Well, it is the festive season so I thought I’d treat myself!

Below you’ll find three very different cocktails that anyone should be able to make in the comfort of their own home, after a trip to Tesco of course to buy in supplies. I hope you’ll take a moment to check out the Tesco Real Food website and look at their cocktail section, it’s a work in progress but has made a great start at helping to move cocktails into the mainstream.

HOT APPLE PIE

50ml Disaronno Amaretto

150ml cloudy apple juice

25ml lemon juice

1.5cm piece of cinnamon stick

Heat all ingredients in a saucepan over a gentle heat and, once steaming and infused with cinnamon, strain into a warm glass or mug. Garnish with a cinnamon shard across the rim of the glass, which is there for the lovely aroma it adds.

This winter warmer can be scaled up easily, so is perfect for festive parties and gatherings, just be sure to use a gentle heat to warm it through as you don't want to scold it. The almond, cinnamon and apple come together to create a flavour that reminds me of homemade apple pie and it’s hard to resist having a second or third helping, especially on a cold winter night.

CHRISTMAS COSMOPOLITAN

30ml Smirnoff Vanilla

20ml Smirnoff Red

20ml Cointreau

25ml limejuice

1-heaped barspoon of raspberry jam

Shake all ingredients hard with cubed ice and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a flamed orange peel: holding a lighter in front of the peel (skin side facing out) and above the cocktail glass, squeeze the orange peel to express the oils through the flame.

This twist on the ever-popular Cosmopolitan is slightly richer and fruitier than the original, which is reflected in the deep vibrant colour. Where the original 'cosmo' is a light and delicate summertime favourite, by replacing the cranberry with raspberry jam and adding a kick of vanilla it takes the flavour in a more wintery direction.

THE CAPTAIN’S COOLER

50ml Captain Morgan’s original rum

30ml cranberry juice

20ml limejuice

10ml gomme

1cm slice of ginger

Cut a thick (1cm) slice of ginger and cut into four chunks. Drop the ginger into the shaker and add gomme before muddling hard to extract the ginger juices. Add remaining ingredients and plenty of cubed ice and shake hard. Fine strain into a tall glass filled with ice and top off with ginger beer and garnish with a slice of ginger.

I know a rum cooler doesn’t sound very wintery, but with the dry flavours of cranberry and the spicy fresh ginger complementing the rich molasses flavour of the rum, there is a definite nod towards Christmas. This is what we’d drink if we were catching some winter sun in the Caribbean this year!

I hope you’ll all enjoy a few festive cocktails and spirits this year! We’ll be back next year bringing even more drinks to life. Cheers!