Apple Ginger Mojito

This is fun spin off of the mojito, not much beats it as a refreshing summer drink.

Ingredients:

1. 50ml Havana Club
2. 5ml Mazzenez Pomme Vert
3. 5ml Mazzenez Liqueur De Gingembre
4. Apple
5. Ginger
6. Mint
7. Half a large juicey lime
8. Sugar syrup
9. Apple Juice

* The liqueurs are not neccessary, more than effective to use 60ml rum

Directions:
This drink is made like the Caiprioska that I prefer - not shaken, but in a stirred loving manner. In to a tall cocktail glass (I like to use an old fashioned) and a few pieces of apple, and julien 4 or 5 pieces of ginger with the skin removed. add two teaspoons of sugar syrup (for all cuban origin drinks I like the recipe of 1/3 white 1/3 raw sugar 1/3 water) and muddle quite well through to extract the natural juices . Add 6-8 mint leaves depending on the size of the leaves and clap them in your hands before adding to being the process of releasing the aromas. Sqeeeze in the lime in quarters and gently muddle again.

Add quarter of the way with crushed ice and add 30ml Havana Club. Stir the drink through vigorously pressing the mint and lime through with the ice diluting, chilling, and mixing. Add another quarter of ice and add the remaining Havana Club and Mazzenez liqueurs and repeat the stirring process. The drink should be topped up with apple juice and garnished with a large mint sprig.

This cocktail does have a lot of ingredients and does end up quite a 'busy' drink, but is perfect for a summer afternoon drink, especially for those who might find the classic mojito too stiff.

If you wanted to make the classic version, don't add apple, ginger, liqueurs, juice, and use the same process.

Old Fashioned

This is one of my favorite drinks. Too often made to my dislike, When made well is an experience. This recipe minus the maraschino cherrys is pretty spot on to the original.

Ingredients:

1. 60ml Makers Mark
2. Sugar Cube
3. Agnustora Bitters
4. 2 Maraschino Cherry
5. Orange

Directions:

Place a napkin over an Old fashioned glass with the sugar cube resting in the middle. Soak the cube in bitters. Add the soaked cube, a slice of orange, a maraschino cherry, and a teaspoon of soda water or water to dissolve the sugar and muddle. Fill the glass a quarter of the way up with ice and add 30ml Makers Mark. Stir the drink through thoroughly chilling, diluting, and mixing the drink. Repeat the last process of ice, bourbon, and mixing. Top with ice and add the flamed zest of an orange peel and another un-flamed and finish with a maraschino cherry. The whole process should take you around 2 min for the required amount of love.

When finished the aroma of the drink is amazing, and the flavors in the drink develope as it goes on. This can be easily modified to taste, the most important part is the process.

Caiprioska

The western answer to the caiprihina. This recipe is easily the best I have come across.

Ingredients:

1. 60ml Ketel One Vodka
2. Half large juicy lime
3. Sugar syrup
4. Crushed ice

Directions:

This recipe is made like an old fashioned (stirring) rather than the over-used shaken method. Quarter the half a lime you have in to wedges squeezing the juice in to a large old fashioned glass. Add to big tea spoons of sugar syrup. The best sugar syrup mixture to use is 1/3 white 1/3 raw sugar 1/3 water. With the end of your spoon/muddling stick (use spoon if your muddling stick is wood) press any remaining juice out of the wedges to lightly press the lime rind in the process - this is something that is often done too liberally making the drink to bitter. Add crushed ice a quarter of the way up the glass. Add 30ml Ketel One and stirr the drink over, chilling, diluting, and mixing the drink. Repeat the process of ice and vodka. Now your drink is nearly finished, all that is left is to do is add remaining crushed ice in a neat mound on top of the drink. If made properly it will not overflow.

Gin Martini

The gin martini is a timeless classic, this is my favorite way to make it so far.

Ingredients:

1. 60ml Tanqueray 10
2. 15ml Noily Prat
3. Green olives

Directions:

In the glass of a boston shaker place a long bar spoon, fill with ice and add the vermouth. Place a strainer on the glass to stop the ice from falling out for the next step. Roll your wrist to coat the ice with the recently added vermouth and then strain around 10ml out of the boston glass. Pour the gin in to the glass and with the bar spoon already in place, stir the drink in a winding fashion around the edge of the boston rim. The reason for the spoon being added first and the gentle stirring is to keep the ice cubes from breaking in to flakes and later being poured in to the drink. If this is done correctly the drink is still well chilled and is free from pieces of ice. Strain the contens of the boston in to a well chilled martini glass and garnish with 3 green olives (with pip) on a toothpick.

Cosmopolitan

This is a favorite little twist to the cosmo which in my eperience is easily the best way to serve this contemprary favorite.

What you need:

1. 30ml Citron Vodka
2. 30ml Contreau
3. 30ml Cranberry Juice
4. Wedge of lime
5. 2-3mls lime cordial
6. Orange peel

Directions:

Mix the spirits, juice, the juice of lime, the smallest dash of lime cordial - which is a nice little sweetener when added in extreme moderation, in to the boston shaker. Add a large amount of ice, as you want this drink well chilled, and shake until the tin is nicely frosted over. Pour in to the a well chilled martini glass. The last step is to release the orange peel zest into the glass, then rimming the glass and adding the peel in for gargnish. The orange zest, cordial, and the use of citrus vodka istead of plain vodka is the only variation that seperates this recipe apart from the original.