Just how long does it take to make a great cocktail? In truth, probably not as long as your fancy G&T’s with ice and a lot more than a slice!
So how did Northern Ireland go from making dull G&T’s at home to the kind of gin perfection the Spanish would be proud of? In a word, commitment! We started to watch what the great bartenders were actually doing, we started to splash out on better spirits and we even started to show off our gin concoctions on Instagram. So time for some cocktail commitment….
Espresso Martini – the vodka cocktail that’s taken over the bars and restaurants. If you’re a fan , the good news is that it’s super quick and easy to make at home. Just a few quality ingredients and 30 seconds of vigorous shaking. Plus, you’ll get to show off your fancy Nespresso machine to your all your guests. I’ll take this opportunity to plug our new ‘Frank&Honest’ Espresso Capsules; as always, your cocktail is only ever going to be as good as the ingredients that you use.
Bramble – get the ice right and the rest is very simple. It’s said that Sean Muldoon, the Belfast born Cocktail veteran who opened the Best Bar in the World (twice), was obsessed with developing perfect ice while working within The Merchant Hotel in Belfast, so much so that it was called The Merchant Ice Program! But firstly, let’s focus on making a simple, fast cocktail for our friends and one day we too may be ready to conquer New York City!
Ginger Jameson – Deep down we’d all love to be connoisseurs of Irish Whiskey, especially when entertaining guests from the rest of the world. But the reality is we didn’t start loving the likes of Gin by drinking it straight, so give the refreshing Jameson & Ginger a go and see if you begin to appreciate the spirit that we arguably make better than the rest of world!
