Gourmet
Recipes
In
the late 1980’s and into the 1990’s
the Micro-brews kick started a whole new appreciation of what
we drink. It was all about savoring and not guzzling. Following
it was the wine boom. All of a sudden common wine choices were
Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Cabernet, Chardonnay,
and Syrah. Spirit sales declined and I’m sure many company
round table meetings were held all over the globe to figure out
what to do. The result was to follow the current trend and bump
up the quality of spirits.
Just
when bartenders heads had stopped spinning
from all the new beers and wines they had to learn, the new elite
Single Malt Scotch’s showed its peaty head. One by one,
each category of spirit reinvented itself. Bourbon was refined
to Single Batch and Single Barrel, vodkas turned boutique, fine
tequilas and rums immerged, gins were improved, and flavored infusions
never lost steam.
With the new superior line of spirits, some
bartenders naturally progressed into modern day mixologists and
bar chefs hand-making the classics of yesteryear as well as new
modern classics. Dale DeGroff made it his mission to resurrect
the craft of bartending. His pioneering efforts have led him to
be founding member and President of the The Museum of the American
Cocktail.
Check out this menu from Dusk Bar
Thai-Flower Cooler
This tantalizing
mix of lemongrass infused Wyborowa vodka, elderflower cordial,
bitters and fizzy bitter lemon, takes its inspiration from the
classic V&T and delivers a perfectly balanced summer time
cooler.
Lululita
Sweet English
strawberries pulverised with cracked black pepper, licked with
a monster measure of Arette tequila, shaken like a Polaroid picture(!)
with fresh lime and organic agave nectar.
East
Meets West Julep
Winner of the Whisky Cocktail Challenge 2005, taking Woodford
Reserve and shaking it really, really hard with fresh pomegranate,
Lebanese honey & fresh mint…enough said!
Rio
Bravo
Another home grown creation utilising the Brazilian spirit Cachaca,
fresh ginger and smashing it with almond syrups and fresh lime,
finished with a lick of orange…encore!
El
Rey
Created with the great rum maestro Constante Ribailagua in mind…This
one owes it origins to the Daiquiri and uses Havana Club Especial,
fresh rhubarb and vanilla syrup.
Sin
City Sour
Blood stained streets, total carnage and undeniable mayhem…
all in one glass! Dark morello cherries smashed & beaten with
Brazilian sugar cane juice, fresh lemons and a smidgen of free
range egg white to smooth it down… it’d be a crime
to miss out.
Relight
My Fire
Influenced by Jamaica and lit with a slug of Appleton V/X rum
and Tahitian ginger liqueur with fresh red chilli, vanilla sugar
and lime to produce a sweet and spicy ode to the Caribbean Islands.
Pineapple
& Sage Mojito (Nick Strangeway)
Nick ‘the Chef’ Strangeway, offers up a classic Cuban
masterpiece with his own sweet and savoury spin… Colombian
pineapple smashed with sage, laced with pressed lime juice, a
dash of sugar and fearful quantities of fine Cuban rum…served
numbingly cold and damn tasty!
