12 minute read
Liquid intelligence
Cocktail making tips from the top, with Zoe Burgess
Stirred vs shaken? It’s the ageold question that still divides people, especially when hosting and making cocktails in the home. You may be well schooled in the reasoning behind the methods involved in making cocktails and have established your preferences. But, for those of you who’d like a little information on how these methods of making affect a cocktail or wonder why this is debated, then read on.
Firstly, and most importantly, both stirring and shaking add dilution and chill to a cocktail and this should not be overlooked. Warm, overly alcoholic cocktails are hard to consume let alone enjoy. So, irregardless of your cocktail choice be aware that the goal here is to create a palatable drink. The correct amount of water added via ice dilution will make or break a drink as it opens up its flavour profile, making everything more perceivable and enjoyable. Dilution is a balancing act and something you can only learn through the practice of making and tasting cocktails. There is no set rule as to how many stirs or shakes produce the correct result, as factors such as how warm a room is and the quality of your ice will change the requirements. My advice to you is to pay attention to your environment and ingredients and taste each drink you make to teach your palate.
Stirring is a very accurate method of combining, diluting and chilling ingredients in a cocktail tin. This method makes dilution easily monitorable as it gives us the flexibility to stop stirring and taste the drink before we strain it. We can then judge if we’ve hit the dilution sweet spot or if we need a few more stirs to get us there. This is important when making a spirit-focused cocktail such as a Martini, Old Fashioned or Manhattan as our focus here is the flavour profile of the main spirit; we need to retain the aromatic quality of the gin or bourbon while we evolve this to create a new overall cocktail flavour profile. Visually, stirring produces a transparent liquid with great clarity – an important consideration as part of the fun of cocktails is how pleasing they are on the eye. Personally, nothing beats the look of a crystal-clear Martini in a beautiful glass.
Shaking is a more aggressive method that’s carried out in a sealed cocktail shaker. It also combines, dilutes and chills but here we have the additional effect of adding texture to the liquid as shaking aerates it. Shaking can make dilution a little trickier to judge as we don’t have the same flexibility of tasting as we make. It’s a method often used in sour cocktails where we need a little more dilution to integrate the sour taste of citrus with the cocktail’s other ingredients. A shaken cocktail will have a cloudy liquid when served and most importantly this cocktail will have more texture on the palate; feeling light and almost fluffy. If you happen to make a cocktail with an egg white foam then you are in for a textural treat – this transformation is something that only happens when you dry shake a cocktail (that is, shake a cocktail without ice first, then add ice and shake a second time).
Stirred Dry Gin Martini 50ml gin 10ml dry vermouth Olive or lemon disc to garnish
Method: Fill a cocktail tin with cubed ice. Add the gin and dry vermouth to the tin and stir. Double-strain into your selected glass, garnish with an olive or lemon disc that’s had its oils expressed over the surface of the liquid and serve.
Shaken Margarita 50ml tequila blanco 25ml triple sec 25ml lime juice Lime wedge to garnish
Method: Fill a cocktail shaker with cubed ice. Add the tequila blanco, triple sec and lime juice to the shaker then seal and shake. Doublestrain into a saltrimmed rocks glass, garnish with a lime wedge and serve.
Left: Sorry Mr Bond, you were wrong! ‘The Cocktail Cabinet: The art, science and pleasure of mixing the perfect drink’ by Zoe Burgess will be published 1 September 2022 at £20, Mitchell Beazley, octopusbooks.co.uk. Available to pre-order.
Bourbon + Acqua Bianca Liqueur + Cherry syrup
= Pick Me Right Up
45ml Bourbon 20ml Acqua Bianca Liqueur 10ml Acerola Cherry Syrup
Method: Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and stir over ice. Strain into either a a Rocks glass with ice or a Highball glass and top with soda for a lighter variation.
TAKE 3 INGREDIENTS
Kat Stanley-Whyte Bar Manager, Uno Mas, Edinburgh
“The most pared back cocktails can be the most fascinating and are a happy addition to my repertoire. This concoction is a very simple and lighter, more refreshing twist on the classic Bourbon Pick Me Up whilst retaining the core citrus and mint notes throughout.
“I love a cheeky bit of mint so utilising the incredible aromas of Salvatore Calabrese’s latest liqueur adds a smooth, delicious finish to this cocktail. The beauty of a simple cocktail is that it can be adapted with a single additional ingredient so if you’re wanting a slightly longer serve (ideal for the warmer weather) fire into a highball and top with soda. Enjoy!”
#WeLove
Where we’ve been, who we’ve seen and what we’re loving this season
Soaking up the gorgeous views with expertly made drinks mixed up by Raven Rudolph at Kokeye, at Mango House, Seychelles
Enjoying the one-night-only extravaganza where London venues The Connaught, Satan’s Whiskers, Lyaness and Hot 4 U took over Schmuck Street in Barcelona Checking out the glamour at Bar Joséphine on the ground floor and the recently opened Bar Aristide, the clublike speakeasy upstairs, at Lutetia, Paris
Tasting an array of perfectly judged cocktails, Greek wines and delicious tacos at Loco Taqueria Tequileria, Athens
Making friends with Taka and Maka, the two resident giant turtles at the Takamaka Rum distillery, Seychelles
Interviewing Jenson Button before joining him and selected guests for a special dinner to celebrate the launch of Coachbuilt Whisky (p. 17)
Stroking an original, signed, first edition of ‘The Savoy Cocktail Book’ before it went up for auction at Christie’s, selling for £3,250 Joining a host of industry friends at the launch party of the ‘Once Upon A Time’ menu at Donovan Bar at Brown’s Hotel, London
Having the privilege to read through the heartfelt messages from bartending legends around the world, to bartending legends around the world, all contained in ‘The Bartenders' Travelling Book’
Surveying the rum and cognac barrels ageing in Cellar 66, the new floating barge from Maison Ferrand, Paris
And a few notes from the home front…
WHAT WE’RE MAKING…
We’ve been revisiting a few of our favourite gin-based recipes: the Aviation, the Gimlet and, inspired by International Women’s Day (8 March), the Hanky Panky (gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca). Created by the first lady of cocktails, Ada Coleman (head bartender at the American Bar at The Savoy from 1903 to 1926), it’s become a new favourite. WHAT WE’RE SIPPING…
It’s not always about cocktails; sometimes we want to enjoy our drinks totally unadulterated. Top of our list right now is Red Red Rye from The Oxford Artisan Distillery, a sumptuous, very quaffable triple-matured rye whisky with a beautifully rich wine finish. And for a contemplative, supersexy juniper spirit, we’re going Seventy One Gin all the way. WHAT WE’RE WATCHING…
Have you discovered Spirits Network yet? Already big business in the US, the channel has recently launched in the UK. We’ve been tuning in for cocktail how-tos, histories of specific spirits, food and cocktail pairing ideas, plus the bits where you get to meet the makers behind the brands. All of the featured spirits are available to buy at the click of a button. We predict big things.
Above: Gabriel Waterhouse (centre) and team at work; Top right: The simple and stylish setting at The Water House Project; Right: One of the dishes from the sumptuous ninecourse dining menu
BUDGET CALCULATOR
£ EASY ON THE WALLET ££ CREDIT CARD-FRIENDLY £££ BLOW THE BUDGET
MAINS & MARTINIS
Experiencing the redefining of the neighbourhood bar in luxurious Kensington style, sitting back and sampling nine sumptuous courses with exceptional non-alcoholic pairings, and joining an uplifting celebration of mezcal and women in a unique arts space…
The Water House Project
1 CORBRIDGE CRESCENT, EAST LONDON, E2 9DS. THEWATERHOUSEPROJECT.COM (£££)
The vibe: Be aware, this is not the easiest place to find. Having turned off a main road, we headed down an unpromising alley. However, our perseverance was to be well rewarded. Eventually we spied huge windows framing an appealing warehouse-style space, with an interior like a large, lush living room. Settling in we were able to enjoy the spectacle of the open kitchen. It was a joy to see the beautifully choreographed, military-like precision with which each course was prepared and presented by Gabriel Waterhouse and his fantastic team. The overall effect is fine dining made informal.
The food: It’s a set nine-course tasting menu that changes monthly, reflecting seasonal produce and championing local ingredients. Relieved of choosing dishes it was simply a case of sitting back to savour course after course. And every dish was sensational. Just namechecking a few that came our way sets the mouth watering again: sweetcorn mousse, raisin chutney, herring roe; celeriac, St. Ewe egg, winter truffle, hazelnut and brown butter; Herdwick lamb, black garlic, kohlrabi, rosemary. Each was sensitive, sumptuous, sublime.
The drinks: Our welcoming aperitif was a lovely take on a Gimlet (gin, lime leaf infusion and syrups), which reworked the traditional lime ingredient to excellent effect and had a luxurious mouthfeel. Interestingly, the menu offers two pairing choices: alcoholic, with some exceptional wines, or non-alcoholic. In the case of the latter, the creativity and understanding of ingredients and flavour demonstrated in the food was apparent in equal measure in the drinks. Given the quality of the Gimlet and the alcohol-free creations, we would love to see a future menu pairing dishes with spirit-based cocktails. We imagine it would be very special indeed.
Amaro
15 KENSINGTON HIGH STREET, LONDON, W8 5NP. AMAROBAR.CO.UK (££)
The vibe: Imagine taking all the smartness, service and atmosphere of a favourite fivestar hotel bar, then condensing it into a bijou neighbourhood venue. That dream came vividly to life when we headed to Amaro. Warm colours and seductive textures make for understated yet elegant surroundings. And the always smiling, very engaging team ensured that every guest felt special, going above and beyond to cater to their individual requests. The food: first and foremost, Amaro is absolutely a bar not a restaurant, but be sure to share a dish or two. The charcuterie and regularly changing cheese selection both sat nicely alongside our drinks. There’s also a small pasta dish of the day. The standout, though, was the tuna tartare (tuna, avocado, wasabi mayo, sesame seeds, soya and parsley). Its appearance suggested a fine-dining experience. As for taste, if we’d ordered this in a restaurant we would have been more than happy, but having it served as a ‘bar snack’ was extraordinary.
The drinks: Given that this bar is headed up by Elon Soddu, formerly of The Savoy, it’s hardly surprising that the drinks have an air of luxury about them. The menu consists largely of classics but on looking a little closer and chatting with our bartender we discovered a whole lot of creative variations. The Peach and Pomelo Gimlet (Beefeater Gin, peach and pomelo) balanced the two fruits nicely for full-on flavour. The Pear Old Fashioned (Dewars 12-Year-Old Whisky, Sauvignon Blanc, Palo Cortado, pear and Angostura) combined wine and whisky to delicious, surprising effect. We also loved the Mango Bellini. (Wild Turkey Bourbon, mango and bubbles). All in all a rather delicious treat.
Doña
92 STOKE NEWINGTON HIGH STREET, LONDON, N16 7NY. BARDONALONDON.COM (££)
The vibe: Descending the stairs we stepped into a fairly small, quirkily appealing basement bar that blends a celebration of mezcal with tasty tacos and vibrant live arts performance. The design of the space is theatrical with bright colours, fluffy textures and lots of intriguing eccentric details. But the attitude is wholly authentic. Founded by Thea Cumming and Lucia Massey – it’s about, in their words, “Independent Creativity. Empowered Femininity”. Founded by, run by and a celebration of women.
The food: Tacos and mezcal is a match made in heaven. And the tacos here are heavenly indeed, courtesy of Tigre Tacos. We shared a selection including the Baja Fish (beer-battered catch of the day, topped with white cabbage and chipotle mayo), Camarones (grilled king prawns, habanero and roasted pineapple salsa) and Calabacitas (courgettes, baby corn, hibiscus flowers with El Tigre’s salsa verde and feta cheese). All were bursting with fresh flavours and suggested sunshine.
The drinks: Wherever you might be on your mezcal journey, this place should be circled in red on your map. The carefully curated selection of artisanal bottles offers an inclusive, welcoming introduction to the spirit, while aficionados can indulge in a grown-up sweet shop of choice. As for the mezcal-based cocktails, the extensive menu features sections such as ‘Sharp & Sassy’, ‘Badass & Boozy’ and ‘Fruity & Fabulous’ to aid your selection. We could happily have ordered the eponymous Doña (Dangerous Don Cafe Mezcal, ginger, lime and white vermouth) all evening, with its exceptional combination of spice and fruitiness. And what can we say about the Sabrina (Picaflor Mezcal, aquafaba, lime, pink peppercorn, habanero shrub and agave)? Apart from it perfectly showcased the mezcal, underlining its spice perfectly.
