Feather In Capsicum

I found these vintage glasses today in an antiques shop in Hassocks today, and after a quick once over in the dishwasher they were desperate for a lovely cocktail to go in them! This one I found on the Hendrick's Facebook page. I have a feeling it was inspired by Beyonce's rumoured Mastercleanse diet, although I can't confirm that Beyonce added gin...

YOU WILL NEED

(enough for Merv too)

• 4 shots gin
• 1 shot maple syrup
• 1.5 shots lemon juice
• Half teaspoon of cayenne pepper

AND TO MAKE

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker along with plenty of ice. Shake until icy cold.

TO SERVE

Pour into two chilled coupe glasses. Bootylicious!

Love Myrtle xxx

Clover Club

I have egg white in the fridge left over from the PX flips I made on friday night, and as I hate to waste perfectly good cocktail ingredients I'll be using it in a Clover Club. I also have fresh raspberries so they're going in too, they are not essential but should add a fresh note to the drink.

YOU WILL NEED

(enough for Merv too)

• 4 shots Bombay Sapphire gin
• 1 shot Chambord liqueur
• 2 shots lemon juice
• 1.5 shots sugar syrup
• 1 egg white
• 12 raspberries (2 for garnish)

AND TO MAKE

Reserve 2 of your raspberries for garnish if using them, then muddle the remaining raspberries in your cocktail shaker. Add all the other ingredients, but before adding your ice, dry shake the ingredients for 20 seconds. This will emulsify your egg white properly before you dilute it with the ice. I would recommend using a tea-towel around your shaker, the egg white has a tendency to expand and break through the seal of your shaker. (I forgot this and dribbled sticky pink drink on the floor). Once your drink is thick and foamy, add the ice and shake again until icy cold.

TO SERVE

Strain into your two chilled glasses. Sit one of your reserved raspberries on top of the foam in each glass, it looks pretty and adds the fragrant zing of fresh raspberry to your first sip of the drink. If you are not using raspberries, I would strongly recommend adding a couple of drops of Chambord onto the foam to add fragrance. Egg white adds a lovely velvety texture to your drink but the foam can have a tendency to have a very slight whiff of wet dog fur if you don't garnish it...

Do try to forget about Damp Fido (but I dare you to sniff the egg white before garnishing), it would be a shame to miss out on a delicious cocktail, and the Clover Club is a long-standing favourite of mine that I always enjoy drinking! Try it yourself, you won't be disappointed.

Love Myrtle xxx

Friday Night Cocktail: Derwood's Rum and Raisin Iced Cream

Our good friend Derwood does like a creamy drink.  And he loves PX sherry.  We have no idea if he likes rum and raisin ice cream or not.  But we hope that he does, because that's what this drink tastes like, if a little boozier.  We hope you like it too!  I went all out and additionally soaked some raisins in PX for a few days before making the cocktail, the drink is no less raisiny without them but they are a delicious garnish.

YOU WILL NEED

(Enough for Merv too)

• 2 shots dark rum
• 4 shots Pedro Ximenez sherry
• 4 shots double cream
• At least 8 large black raisins soaked in a shot glass of PX for 3-5 days

AND TO MAKE

Add all your ingredients, except the raisins, to your cocktail shaker, along with plenty of ice.  Shake until icy cold.

TO SERVE

Spear your PX raisins onto a cocktail stick for garnish, 4 is plenty per glass.  Strain your chilled cocktail over the garnish.  Cheers Derwood!

Love Myrtle xxx

Friday Night Cocktail: PX Flip

We love a glass or two of sherry chez Myrtle and Merv, and our favourite in the winter has to be Pedro Ximenez - it's rich, thick, raisiny and sweet, like an oil pressed from extra virgin Christmas puddings.  Whilst it's great to drink on its own, it's surprisingly good as a cocktail ingredient.  This recipe was created by Timo Janse for fancy speakeasy Door 74 in Amsterdam, but you can just drink it at home.  It's not too sweet, spicy and velvety thick.  And it's delicious!  I want another one...

YOU WILL NEED

(enough for Merv too)

• 4 shots Pedro Ximenez sherry
• 1.5 shots lemon juice
• 1 shot sugar syrup
• 2 egg yolks (save the whites for a sour or fizz)
• 2 pinches ground cinnamon
• 8 cloves
• Nutmeg

AND TO MAKE

Muddle the cloves in your cocktail shaker.  Add the rest of the ingredients, except the nutmeg, and plenty of ice.  Shake long and hard!  I ended up wrapping a tea towel around the shaker as it got so cold.

TO SERVE

Strain into a chilled glass and grate a little nutmeg over the top.

Love Myrtle xxx

Friday Night Cocktail: Snowball (original)

And here's the recipe for an original Snowball.  The last one went down a bit too easily!  This one has to be made with Rose's Lime Cordial, it has a stronger flavor than lime juice and adds extra tanginess.  You can omit the gin if you like for a truly classic Snowball, but I rather like it in.

YOU WILL NEED
(for each drink)

• 1 shot Bombay Sapphire gin
• 3 shots Warnink's Advocaat
• 1 shot Rose's Lime Cordial
• Lemonade
• 3 homemade Maraschino Cherries to garnish

AND TO MAKE

Build all ingredients in a highball glass, adding the lemonade last, and slowly, as it will froth up.

TO SERVE

Top each drink with 3 Maraschino Cherries on a cocktail stick, and serve with a straw.  Stir gently with your straw before drinking to combine the ingredients.

Love Myrtle xxx

Friday Night Cocktail: Snowball

It's been snowing all day here, and whilst we could venture outside for a snowball fight, we'd much rather stay toasty and just drink them!  It's a bit of a tradition here at Myrtle and Merv's to drink Snowballs on Christmas morning, here's my mother's version of a traditional Snowball which is a bit more substantial and more suitable for a friday night, not least because it includes gin...

YOU WILL NEED
(enough for Merv too)

• 2 shots Bombay Sapphire gin
• 6 shots Advocaat
• 2 shots freshly squeezed lime
• 6 homemade Maraschino cherries
• 2 teaspoons Maraschino liqueur from the cherries
• Lemonade

AND TO MAKE

Prepare your glasses by adding three cherries on a cocktail stick, and a teaspoon of Maraschino liqueur from the cherries to each glass.  In your cocktail shaker, shake the gin, advocaat and lime along with plenty of ice.

TO SERVE

Pour the shaken drink through a strainer into your prepared glasses.  Top up with lemonade.

Enjoy!  But beware, the gin makes it deceptively strong, so don't, like Merv, knock it back in less than 5 minutes...

Love Myrtle xxx

Marmalade Martini

Really it's a Breakfast Martini, but Marmalade Martini just sounds better.   Like a grown-up cocktail for Paddington Bear.

YOU WILL NEED
(enough for Merv too)

• 4 shots Bombay Sapphire Gin
• 2 shots Cointreau
• 2 shots lemon juice
• 3 teaspoons marmalade

AND TO MAKE

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and shake.

TO SERVE

Serve in a chilled martini glass.  Garnish if you like with an orange or lemon twist.  Present with or without one of Paddington's very hard stares...

Love Myrtle xxx

Friday Night Cocktail: Rosemary Amaretto Sour

Friday Night is usually Cocktail Night at Myrtle and Merv's, and tonight is no exception!  Inspired by Merv's favourite rosemary, lemon and almond cake, tonight's drink is a Rosemary Amaretto Sour.

Amaretto Sours are easy to make and as long as you have the Amaretto, the other ingredients are ones you should have in your pantry.  I’ve added the rosemary which gives a lovely herbal note.  If you have it, great, if not, leave it out!

YOU WILL NEED
(enough for Merv too)

• 4 shots Amaretto (Disaronno or equivalent)
• 2.5 shots lemon juice
• 1 egg white
• 4 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 4 sprigs rosemary

AND TO MAKE

• Pare off two nice pieces of lemon zest off your lemon before juicing, and reserve with two of the sprigs of rosemary for your garnish
• Muddle the remaining two of the rosemary sprigs in your shaker
• Add the amaretto, lemon juice, bitters, egg white and PLENTY of ice.  Using plenty of ice means the ice won’t warm up too quickly and melt, this is especially important when using egg white so you don’t water down that lovely unctuousness texture made by the egg white
• Shake HARD!   You should be shaking for at least 30 seconds to emulsify the egg white.

TO SERVE

Strain into your tumblers filled with ice, garnish each with a rosemary sprig and lemon zest.  Pour from a height if you like extra foaminess!

Drink and enjoy!

Love Myrtle xxx