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A toast to Old Tom
Old Tom gin, a sweeter gin that was very popular during the eighteenth-century and is often called for in classic cocktail books, has been unavailable for many years. However Christopher Hayman, whose great-grandfather created Beefeater gin, recently launched Hayman’s Old Tom gin, so just how different is Old Tom to London Dry?
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Funkin’ For Jamaica
One of the best products I sampled at Tales of the Cocktail last year was a new rum from Haus Alpenz. A traditional Jamaican rum with a flavour profile similar to that which was prevalent in the early 20th century, Smith & Cross isn’t exactly a sipper but does work wonderfully in drinks like the Montego Bay.
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A nod and a Wink
After much procrastination, last week I finally made it down to new London bar 69 Colebrooke Row, headed by Tony Conigliaro. After enjoying a delicious Oh Gosh! made by its inventor, Tony served me the Wink – essentially a Gin Sazerac.
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Remember the… er…
A look at a drink from Charles H Baker’s Gentleman’s Companion, the Remember the Maine, which I tried last year and then promptly managed to forget. Two separate occasions whilst I was out in the US brought it back to my attention in two different forms, and I now won’t be forgetting either in a hurry.
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Fizzy eggs
Easter is just around the corner, and I’ve got eggs on my mind. To the surprise of many people eggs make for a great ingredient in quite a few cocktails, giving the drink a lovely texture and an attractive head of foam. Despite what government health campaigns may have convinced you, the dangers of using [...]
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RotLC – Apricot Brandy
The third round of Raiders of the Lost Cocktail, the semi-regular event that aims to find lost cocktails made with forgotten ingredients, draws to a close tomorrow. Paul picked apricot brandy as the chosen ingredient, which gave me a great excuse to go out and buy a spirit I had previously neglected. Armed with a [...]
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Chasing the Green Fairy
Absinthe, the Green Fairy, la Fée Verte – ask most people about this pale green spirit and they will probably conjure up tales of hallucinations and madness. Some may have even tried it in nightclubs, often in flaming glasses, but that really isn’t what absinthe is all about. So what is it all about?
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Corpse Revivers
Corpse Revivers are an old family of cocktails which were traditionally consumed as hairs of the dog – drinks to refresh you after a heavy night. Personally the idea of drinking even more alcohol when hung over sounds awful, but that doesn’t mean the cocktails aren’t tasty libations you can consume when not hung over.
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Sazerac
A true classic, born in New Orleans, the Sazerac has survived many years and a change in base spirit to remain one of the finest cocktails ever invented. From the Cognac-based original invented by John B. Schiller, to the modern rye recipe espoused by Thomas H. Handy, find out what makes this classic drink.
