Cocktails are back in vogue in the bars, restaurants and suburban homes of the British Isles. Gin and tonic, rum and coke, whisky and water all may do the job, but in their dull predictability they're being pushed aside in favour of the effervescent colour of the cocktail, with its alluring mix of sophistication, exoticism, and sheer tastiness.
Shaking When making cocktails, if you are using heavy ingredients they need to be shaking vigorously in order to be mixed. Shaking tends to create a colder and cloudier drink than just stirring alone. To mix cocktails using this technique either use a Boston or a three piece, fill the …
A Mojito, championed by Hemmingway in the late 1940s is a traditional Cuban cocktail and cousin of the Brazilian cocktail Caipirinha. It became popular worldwide in the late 1980s and is still very popular today. This cocktail is sweet although refreshing with its citrus and mint taste, this tones down …
The Sidecar was invented in a bar in Paris during World War I for a customer. The customer was an American Army captain and was driven to and from the bar in a motorcycle sidecar, hence its name. The Sidecar was first introduced to London by MacGarry, an ever popular …
The Old Fashioned was said to have originated at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky in the 1880s and invented by a bartender there. However, the popularity was due to a member of the club who happened to be a bourbon distiller; Colonel James Pepper transported the drink to the …
A Black Velvet is made using a stout beer more often than not Guinness and a sparkling white wine, often champagne. The origin of this cocktail comes from Brooks Club in London. In 1861 as people mourned the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s Prince Consort, this fine cocktail was …
Donn Beach, formerly known as Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gannt created the Zombie cocktail in the mid 1930s. He made it in his restaurant for a friend before his flight to San Francisco, whereby he was served three. The name of the cocktail came about as when Beach’s friend returned from his …
Mixologist Donato ‘Duke’ Antone was said to have invented the Harvey Wallbanger cocktail in Los Angeles in the 1950s along with his other creations the Rusty Nail, the Flaming Caesar and The Godfather . The name supposedly comes from a humorous story about a Californian surfer called Harvey. He apparently …
In 1948, Giuseppi Ciprianti created the Bellini in Harry’s Bar in Venice. He was inspired by the 15th century Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini; it was the pink glow in one of Bellini’s paintings that was the inspiration for this famous cocktail. Marinating fresh peaches in wine is an old long …
A Ramos Gin Fizz also known as a New Orleans Fizz dates back to 1888 when it was created by Henry C. Ramos in his bar New Orleans. Before prohibition this drink proved to be very popular, so much so that the Ramos brothers hired “shaker boys” to produce these …
The Brandy Alexander is a creamy brandy based cocktail, extremely popular during the early 20th century and is ideal to serve as an after dinner cocktail. The Recipe This recipe serves 1 2 measure brandy 1 measure crème de cacao (dark and white) 1 measure double cream Garnish: grated nutmeg …