Muddle Magazine July 2018

MUD DLE

Is s ue No . 12 - Th e Su mme r Ed i t i o n

Summer days sipping away...

The summer weather in the UK may be unpredictable, but why should that stop you treating your taste buds to a sun-kissed sip?

Editor: Claire White Contributors: Claire White Stephen Spiers Matt Looker Matthias Soberon

In the Summer Edition of Muddle Magazine, we’re sharing our top summertime spirits and their perfect serves set to embrace Wimbledon fever.

As our July Cocktail Club box features two of the world’s most famous coffee cocktails, we’re delving into the recent cold brew cocktail trend with blogger Matt Looker who has shared his top tips on how to rejuvenate classic cocktails with a splash of caffeine.

Photography: Matt Looker Matthias Soberon

For all editorial and advertising enquiries, please contact: info @ ti p p l e b ox .c o . uk

You’ll have no doubt spotted bitters on cocktail menus across the country, but do you know what they are? We’re sharing some insider knowledge from Matthias Soberon who explores how a single dash of bitters can turn a standard sip into liquid gold.

Alongside Wimbledon, the World Cup finale will take place this month so we’re sharing our top sports bars serving cocktails fit for celebratory drinks.

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Game, set, shake!

Cheers, Claire

INSIDE MONTH’S

THIS BOX 01

Welco me A L et t er From Tippl e Tow ers

02

Insi de Thi s Mo nth’s Box

03 Merlyn Cream Liqueur blends Penderyn distillery Welsh malted barley spirit with fresh dairy cream.

Ti ppler’s Tren ds Da t es For Your Dia r y Bot t l es & Ba rs

05

Ti ppler’s Tales Summer Spirit s

Friary Coffee Liqueur

07

Ti ppler’s Ti me FIVE Vodka Merl yn Crea m L iqueur Fit c h Brew Co

Fitch Cold Brew

10

Ti ppler’s Treats Grea t Brit ish Bisc ot t i Co.

11

Ti ppler’s Ti ps & Tri cks Coffee Coc kt a il s A Guide To Bit t ers

15

Ti ppler’s Treasu res Sport s Ba rs

17

Ti ppler’s To ast Compet it ion Time #Ta gMyTippl e

FIVE Vodka

Produced by Penderyn Distillery, FIVE Vodka is a premium vodka with a distinct smoothness and a modern twist.

Merlyn Cream Liqueur

Friary handcraft their distinctive liqueurs in small batches using the finest ingredients to produce full-bodied flavours.

Using high quality single origin coffee, FITCH Brew Co cold brew their coffee in house for up to 20 hours.

Sugar Syrup

A home-bar essential, sugar syrup will add a sweet kick to your cocktails.

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TIPPLER’S TRENDS

D AT E S F O R Y O U R D I A R Y B R I G H T O N C O C K TA I L W E E K

July 6th - July 15th

BrightonCocktailWeek.com

With 30 venues taking part in Brighton city centre and the surrounding areas, a Brighton Cocktail Week wristband will give you access to exclusive £5 cocktails across the city. Ending with Brighton’s first ever Flair World Open at The Haunt, the week will also feature masterclasses and pop-up bars celebrating the local cocktail scene.

C O C K TA I L S & S TA R S

July 5th - 15th

EventsInTheSky.co.uk

Take a trip 100ft in the sky to enjoy cocktails amongst the stars this summer with Events In The Sky. You’ll be able to enjoy two cocktails of your choice with a selection of canapes prepared in front of you as you enjoy London’s skyline by night. Each cocktail is themed fittingly, from the Supermoon Vodka to the Night Sky White Chocolate Martini.

B I R M I N G H A M C O C K TA I L W E E K E N D

July 13th - 15th

BirminghamCocktailWeekend.co.uk

You’ll be able to sample the best of Birmingham’s cocktail scene with £4 signature cocktails at venues across the city. A Birmingham Cocktail Weekend wristband will give you access to the discounted drinks, alongside entry to exclusive events, masterclasses and tastings to learn about your favourite cocktails.

M I N D F U L D R I N K I N G F E S T I VA L

July 28th MindfulDrinkingFestival.com Featuring 25 stalls with innovative drinks, the Mindful Drinking Festival will introduce you to 0 to 0.5% ABV drinks including beers and wines to adult soft drinks. The free festival will also host talks and tastings from producers and experts, alongside non-alcoholic cocktails and mulled drinks, with live music from local musicians.

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TIPPLER’S TRENDS

BOTTLES & BARS MOONSHINE SALOON

Inspired by the tales of the American frontier and its undercover operations, Moonshine Saloon will transport you from West London to the Wild West.

As you visit the in-house tailor to adorn the best cowboy gear, you’re invited to bring an unopened 35cl bottle of your choice to the immersive cocktail bar to enjoy bespoke cocktails made by the Saloon Barkeeps. Reservations for the night must be made in advance online to secure your stool at the saloon.

Book your slot online via MoonshineSaloon.com

TEA TERRACE

Taking inspiration from a Chinese tea garden, Yauatcha and Tanqueray No. TEN have transformed the east terrace of Yauatcha City into a floral gin garden. Working with Word Class Bartender Ali Reynolds, the menu pairs Tanqueray No. TEN’s citrus and grapefruit flavours with Chinese teas and tonics using the unique mixology method of flash infusion.

The Tanqueray Tea Garden is now open at Yauatcha City at Broadgate Circle

ARTESIAN MOMENTS

Hidden at the heart of The Langham, the Artesian bar has created a new cocktail menu centered around key moments in life. Asking 500 members of the public to share feelings and flavours that they associated with these pivotal moments, Head Bartender Remy Savage and Bar Manager Anna Sebastian curated 17 bespoke cocktails themed around the concept of #ThatMomentWhen.

Discover the full Artesian Moments cocktail list via Artesian-Bar.co.uk

S U N -K I S S E D S I P S

Foxdenton have released their newest flavour for summer with their crisp lemon and cucumber gin liqueur. The limited edition bottle was created for the summer season, made from English fruit and Buckinghamshire botanicals. Perfect for mixing with tonic or sparkling elderflower, the liqueur is the perfect cocktail companion for those sun-kissed sips.

Buy a bottle of Lemon & Cucumber Gin for £20 via FoxdentonEstate.co.uk 4 - M U D D LE - THE S U M M ER ED I TI O N

T I P P L E R ’ S TA L E S

SUMMER SPIRITS

MANCHESTER GIN

POETIC LICENSE

Commonly referred to as ‘Pink Manchester Gin’, Manchester Gin utilise locally sourced botanicals foraged from across Manchester, including dandelion and burdock roots. The award-winning signature gin is then infused with raspberries to create a pink tinged-gin which encapsulates a raspberry taste in every sip. _______________________________

Aptly named for an outdoor sip, Poetic License Distillery distills a strawberries and cream gin. A sweet gin with a creamy texture and taste, the gin is both distilled as well as infused with the botanicals to give the spirit a deep red colour that tints to pink when added to tonic.

Suggested serve 50ml Pink Gin 3 Raspberries Sprig of Mint Tonic of choice (To top)

Suggested serve 50ml Picnic GIn Fresh Strawberries Elderflower Tonic (To top)

RASPBERRY INFUSED

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PICNIC GIN

_______________________________

We know summer is well underway when Wimbledon hits our TV screens.

The weather in the UK can be unpredictable at best, but with the recent surge in sunshine we’re sure there’ll be moments for outdoor cocktail sipping so we’re here to help with sourcing those summer spirits.

We’re sharing some sun-kissed infusions set to add a splash of flavour to your al fresco drinking.

ARBIKIE

WHITLEY NEILL

Arbikie’s strawberry vodka combines wheat grown on the farm with fresh strawberries locallygrown next to the distillery. Providing notes of butterscotch and biscuit from the famed Arbikie vodka with a fresh strawberry aroma, each bottle release contains a different flavour as no two crops of strawberries are the same. _______________________________

Launched at the start of 2018, Whitley Neill’s raspberry gin infuses Scottish raspberries with seven botanicals including liquorice, coriander seed and orris bark. With a fruity taste and a lasting raspberry flavour, the gin promises to be packed with flavour.

Suggested serve 50ml Strawberry Vodka 10ml Vermouth Strawberry

Suggested serve 50ml Raspberry Gin 100ml Hibiscus Tonic Water 2 Lemon Wedges 4 Raspberries

STRAWBERRY VODKA

RASPBERRY GIN

_______________________________

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TIPPLER’S TIME Based in the Brecon Breacons National Park in Wales, Penderyn Distillery reintroduced the lost art of whisky distilling to wales when the first bottles rolled off the production line in 2014.

Alongside their famed whiskies, Penderyn Distillery also produce several award-winning spirits including FIVE Vodka and Merlyn Cream Liqueur, as featured in this month’s Cocktail Club box.

All of Penderyn’s spirits are produced in small-batches utilising traditional production methods, using only the finest ingredients available to create premium spirits.

Launched in 2007, FIVE Vodka is a premium vodka with a distinct smoothness and a modern twist.

Produced in small batches and married with water from the wild Brecon Beacons mountain range, the vodka is distilled five times for maximum purity, removing the need for further filtration.

In 2017 FIVE Vodka won gold at the International Spirits Challenge, known by many as the international standard for quality and excellence.

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Merlyn Cream Liqueur is a wonderfully smooth and creamy liqueur.

Distilled from the finest malted barley spirit taken from the stills that produce Penderyn malt whisky, the spirit is then blended with fresh dairy cream.

Named after the mighty wizard of Wales, the liqueur is another award-winning spirit for Penderyn, winning silver at the International Wine & Spirits Awards in 2016.

With the smell of creamy fudge and toffee, the liqueur has hints of vanilla, banana and exotic fruits creating a smooth sip.

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TIPPLER’S TIME

FITCH BREW CO FITCH Brew Co are on a mission to challenge people’s perceptions about coffee.

Long gone are the days of the instant piping hot mix with added milk and sugar, coffee is now enjoyed in innovative ways as the appetite for caffeine has ventured far from the simple hot cupful.

It was on one sunny day in New York in 2016, upon discovering a cold brew to quench their thirst, that Emily Fitchett and Andy Deeley decided to launch their own cold brew coffee.

Launching in June 2017, FITCH pride themselves on overseeing the whole process from farm to cup.

Sourcing the highest quality single origin coffee beans, the beans are then roasted and ground before being placed into brewing tanks at the FITCH brewery. The tanks are then filled with purified cold water and left to brew for over 20 hours as the lengthy cold brewing process creates a sweeter and less acidic taste profile.

Alike beer brewing, the possibilities with coffee brewing are endless. You can brew coffee with fruit, barrel age the beans or even add malt to create a unique full flavoured coffee infusion.

Following the innovative brewing process, the coffee mixture is then triple filtered and immediately canned to create the bold and smooth Cold Brew Coffee.

This month, our Cocktail Club members will be shaking up an Espresso Martini using FITCH Cold Brew!

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T I P P L E R ’ S T R E AT S

G R E AT B R I T I S H BISCOTTI CO The origin of the beloved biscotti can be traced back to Roman times.

The word ‘biscotti’ derives from the Latin words ‘bis’ meaning twice and ‘cotto’ for cooked. Traditionally, biscotti were a convenience food for travellers with the unleavened finger-shaped wafers baked twice to make them durable for travel while extending their shelf life to provide nourishment on long journeys.

A staple to the Roman legions diet, the craggy double-baked biscuits then became synonymous with Italy as their accustomed after-dinner dessert accompaniment, served side-by-side with a cup of coffee.

The Great British Biscotti Co are reinventing this traditional tale with a rejuvenation of the classic crunch with their repertoire of sweet and savoury biscotti.

Baked in Dorset, they aim to prove that there’s much more to the biscotti than acting as a simple coffee accompaniment and almonds aren’t always the answer.

With flavours including chunky Belgian chocolate to chorizo and parmesan, The Great Biscotti Co are double-baked, alike the traditional recipe, however the dough is rolled in a unique way with moulded trays used for the first bake to maintain the loaf shape.

Crumbling the old stereotype, it’s a winning formula which has won three Great Taste Awards to-date.

As featured in this month’s cockctail club box, the Coffee & Walnut Biscotti - a crisp biscotti biscuit enriched with dark coffee beans and walnut pieces is the ideal accompaniment to our Espresso Martini!

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TIPPLER’S TIPS & TRICKS

HOW TO INTRODUCE COFFEE INTO CL ASSIC C O C K TA I L S

By Matt Looker

We’re experiencing the unstoppable growth of the coffee revolution, where cafés occupy every street corner, polyethylene cups populate every commute and surely the entire global economy rests on everyone getting their all-important morning wakeup beverage.

And who would have it any other way? Coffee isn’t just an early pick-me-up, or a warming cuppa. Each sip is a familiar friend, comforting you with a lightly bittersweet taste invigorating, intoxicating and often burning your mouth with every sip.

So, as coffee culture reaches boiling point, it’s no surprise that caffeine kicks are spilling over into mixology more and more. After all, you only need to queue up at your local café and listen to people ordering ‘half-sweet hazelnut lattes with soy milk and caramel drizzle’ to know that coffee can work with a variety of flavours.

Obviously this is no new trend. Coffee’s most famous and popular cocktail – The Espresso Martini – has been

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a tried and tested favourite since its inception and subsequent popularity throughout the 1980s. Ever since, bartenders have been finding new and inventive ways to add java to their stirrers and shakers.

It’s not just hot espresso being used in this way, nor even the most famous of coffee liqueurs, such as Kahlua or Tia Maria. There has been a recent wave of using Cold Brew concentrate instead, with “cold brew” referring to the process of steeping coffee beans in water for 24 hours, extracting more distinct flavours than with the traditional hot brew method.

It seems the perfect solution to use when mixing drinks, but whether you’re using hot or cold ‘joe’, here are a few very simple ways to add an extra dose of caffeine to classic cocktails.

You can discover more of Matt’s cocktail creations via @CocktailChap on Instagram or by visiting CocktailChap.com!

TURBO G&T

- 50ml London Dry Gin - 12.5ml Cold Brew Concentrate - Tonic Water (To top) Build the gin in the glass with ice and top up with the tonic water. Add a lemon wedge for garnish and, lastly, pour in the cold brew concentrate to create the two-tone effect.

R E D -E Y E M A N H AT TA N

- 50ml Rye Whiskey - 25ml Cold Brew Concentrate - 25ml Sweet Vermouth - 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a coupe glass.

COFFEE NEGRONI

- 25ml London Dry Gin - 25ml Campari - 25ml Sweet Vermouth - 12.5ml Cold Brew Concentrate

Build ingredients in the glass with ice and stir.

Garnish with orange peel.

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TIPPLER’S TREASURES

A GUIDE TO BITTERS

By Matthias Soberon

When I started my home bartending journey about 18 months ago I had little to no cocktail experience.

I made classic G&Ts and occasionally tried a failed attempt at a Mojito. It was a cocktail book gifted by my wife that really spiked my interest in wanting to do it myself, but I quickly noticed that I would have to venture way past what I knew if I wanted to understand and practice the craft of mixology.

It sounds kind of crazy, but making cocktails isn’t just throwing some stuff together and hoping it’ll be alright. In the art of creating cocktails, every step serves its purpose; and so does every ingredient you put in your drink.

To me, the biggest revelation of all was the impact of ‘cocktail bitters’. Until I started experimenting, I would never have thought a single dash of a small bottle with an oversized label could turn an ‘ok’ drink into liquid magic, but that’s exactly what it did.

WHAT ARE BITTERS?

Bitters are highly concentrated flavour extracts made from blends of roots, spices, herbs, fruits or even vegetables, originally created by pharmacies for medicinal purposes. They are non-potable on themselves, but have the magical ability of highlighting flavours or connecting several different flavours to each other. They are often referred to as the ‘spice rack of the cocktail world’ and with good reason.

THE ESSENTIALS

- Angostura Aromatic Bitters The godfather of bitters, it’s a bold flavour bomb made from a secret blend of botanicals. Angostura Bitters are extremely versatile and can be used in any drink from Old Fashioneds and Tiki cocktails to G&Ts. - Orange Bitters Made mainly from the zest of oranges, combined with other botanicals. Wonderful in both fruity cocktails or boozy stirred drinks.

- Peychaud’s Bitters Gentian-based with a distinct anise flavor, Peychaud’s are sweeter, lighter and more floral than Angostura. Who wants a Sazerac?

THE RECOMMENDATIONS

- Chocolate Bitters Rich and dark, chocolate bitters are perfect in combination with most aged spirits, like rum and bourbon. There’s some sweetness, but mostly reminiscent of bitter cocoa.

DIY Finding all the roots and plants to create crazy blends like Angostura Bitters might be a bit hard, especially if you want a balanced result, but you can always start with tinctures. Tinctures are essentially ‘single botanical bitters’ created by steeping a botanical in high proof alcohol. Through maceration, the flavour of the botanical gets extracted into the alcohol and from just a couple of days, up to several weeks, the intensity cranks up until you think it’s perfect.

Strain, bottle and preserve. It’s super easy!

You can discover more of Matthias’ cocktail creations via @ServedBySoberon on Instagram or by visiting ServedBySoberon.com!

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PHOTOSYNTHESIS

- 60ml Birch Spirit - 20ml Supasawa - 15ml Bergamot Liqueur - 10ml Simple Syrup - 3 dashes of Sage Tincture

Stir all ingredients with plenty of ice for 30 – 40 seconds. Strain into a pre-chilled coupe and garnish with a sage leaf. Carefully add some pomegranate molasses on the sage leaf, feel free to drop it in when drinking!

SUMMERS IN THE MEADOW

- 50ml Gin - 30ml Fresh Lemon Juice - 15ml Agave Syrup - 15ml Elderflower Liqueur - 2 dashes of Orange Bitters - Mint and Raspberries

Muddle some mint leaves and three raspberries gently in your shaker tin. Add the gin, lemon juice, syrup, liqueur and bitters to a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for 12 to 15 seconds. Double strain into a glass filled with ice and garnish with more raspberries and mint.

B E T W E E N T H E WAV E S

- 60ml Lightly Aged Rum - 20ml Velvet Falernum - 30ml Fresh Lime Juice - 15ml Simple Syrup - 2 dashes Chocolate Bitters - Mint

Method: Shake all ingredients together vigorously with plenty of ice for 12 – 15 seconds. Double strain into a pre-chilled coupe and garnish with mint.

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TIPPLER’S TREASURES

SPORTS BARS The traditional sports bar has undergone a facelift in recent years.

Far from its stereotyped beginnings of beer and burgers, sports bars are embracing the cocktail trend shaking up specialist menus to enjoy delicious drinks while watching this summer’s biggest events.

With a summer flowing with sports, we’re sharing our pick of the UK’s sports bars.

BEER & SKITTLES

EDINBURGH

Top Tipple: Star Hill Spritz Beer & Skittles will screen the World Cup and Wimbledon in their basement bar with the chance to book a booth in advance or soak up the atmosphere around the big screens. With a cocktail selection in collaboration with Jim Beam, you can enjoy their ‘Check In’ range or high ball specialities, alongside traditional cocktails.

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DIVE

MANCHESTER Top Tipple: Cuban Heart Recently named as the number one venue in Manchester to watch sport by Sky Sports, Dive in the Northern Quarter promise to screen every football match every day on their HD screens, alongside screenings of Wimbledon. You can sit back and sip on a variety of classic and unique cocktails that the venue promises you won’t find anywhere else.

OSCARS

HULL

Top Tipple: Passion Fruit Cosmopolitan Serving up traditional tipples, Oscars will screen the World Cup across their seven screens in the Old Town while shaking up traditional tipples in their relaxed bar.

GREENWOOD

LONDON

Top Tipple: Mojito Royale An upstairs sports lounge awaits at Greenwood, featuring five screens and a projector showing all domestic and international sports throughout the day and night. Combining elements of London’s leisure at Victoria’s Nova food development, the venue serves up drinkology classics and Champagne infused cocktails to raise a glass to the winning team.

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TIPPLER’S TOAST

CO M P ETI TI ON T IME Win a bottle of FIVE Vodka!

We’ve teamed up with our July featured distillery Penderyn to giveaway a bottle of their FIVE Vodka!

Produced in small batches and married with water from the wild Brecon Beacons mountain range, the vodka is distilled five times for maximum purity, removing the need for further filtration.

Whether you’re enjoying a vodka mixer or a refreshing cocktail, FIVE Vodka is the perfect summer accompaniment for an al fresco tipple!

For your chance to win, simply visit Tipple Box on Facebook and enter via the Giveaway section!

T&Cs apply

NEXT MONTH

T R AV E L E D I T I O N

We’re taking you on a trip around the UK with the Travel Edition of Muddle Magazine.

From gin hotels to distillery vacations, we’re sharing our top recommendations for a tipple-infused trip.

While we’re in London, we will explore some of the world’s most famous cocktails that originate from the city, with a rich history dating back to the 1950s.

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From the Big Smoke to Scotland, we’ll bring you the latest news from Edinburgh Cocktail Week as Scotland prepares to host a seven day celebration of cocktails in the capital.

Our August Tipple Box will feature Boe Gin celebrating two of London’s classic cocktails - the Aviation and Bramble.

Let us know what you think of this month’s edition on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

TIPPLER’S TOAST

# TAGMY TIPP L E Enjoying your cocktails? Share a snap with us to win a barware set!

Simply post your Tipple Box cocktails on social media using #TagMyTipple and tag @TippleBox to be in with the chance of winning your very own Tipple Box Barware Set to add to your home bar set up.

By entering the competition, you can win all the tools you need to shake up the finest cocktails each month including a shaker, bar spoon, bar blade and jigger.

Each month, one lucky winner will be selected to win our bespoke barware set and see their photo published in Muddle Magazine!

Our latest winner is David Butcher who shared the Negroni from our May Cocktail Club box!

Before you get snapping, check out #TagMyTipple on Instagram to see the snaps from our cocktail lovers across the UK who have enjoyed a tipple or two!

@TippleBox #TagMyTipple

S H A R E C O C K TA I L S W I T H YO U R F R I E N D S

ENJOYED YOUR TIPPLE BOX? WHY NOT INVITE YOUR F R I E N D S T O J O I N O U R C O C K TA I L C L U B !

If you’re a monthly member, head over to TippleBox.com and claim your unique code to share with your friend who will receive £10 credit towards their first box.

For each friend you refer, you’ll receive £10 worth of points credited to your account when they remain as a member for a second month. The points you receive can be redeemed on speciality products via our shop including boxes and barware!

Visit TIPPLEBOX.COM! 1 8 - M U D D LE - THE S U M M ER ED I TI O N