Campari was the first alcoholic drink to mesmerise me. I was no older than six and, as I stared in wonder at my parent’s collection of liquor bottles stashed under the kitchen sink, it was the elegant Campari bottle that allured me the most. Never mind that it was stored next to our collection of canned beans and sardines: all I could see was an adult world of … [Read more...]
How to make an Old Fashioned cocktail
The Old Fashioned is to cocktails what steak is to barbecues – it's the classic, the standard, the foundation of all that is holy about drinking. Made with just a base spirit (usually bourbon or rye whiskey), sugar and bitters, the Old Fashioned is for those who like the taste of alcohol. This sounds simple – and it is – but there are countless flavour variations … [Read more...]
How to make a sazerac
Complex, seductive and (if well made) smooth, the sazerac is the cocktail that started it all (some claim it's the first cocktail ever made). Hailing from New Orleans, the sazerac was originally made from absinthe (New Orleans was, with the exception of Paris, the absinthe capital of the world at one time), Peychaud’s bitters and cognac – but then the recipe evolved and it’s … [Read more...]
How to make a whiskey sour
I was young and alone in Paris on my birthday when I fell in love with whiskey sours. This was longer ago than I care to recall but I do remember wandering down some small street on the Left Bank near midnight, the Seine just minutes away, desperately in search of a bar so I can celebrate the passing of another year. Instead of finding a sophisticated wine bar or … [Read more...]
Lynchburg Lemonade cocktail recipe
To be perfectly honest, I never even heard of this cocktail until I had it at Ivy. Named after the Tennessee town that gave us Jack Daniels, this cocktail combines bourbon, Cointreau, lemon juice and lemonade to create a refreshing drink that’s suitable for summer sipping. Despite packing a punch it’s easy to drink and good for those who don’t like the taste of spirits. … [Read more...]