The Champagne Cocktail
An easy recipe for making champagne cocktails at home, using sugar, Angostura bitters, brandy and sparkling wine. Continue reading The Champagne Cocktail
Tag: history
Control Room B at Battersea Power Station
A review of the cocktail bar Control Room B in the newly renovated Battersea Power Station. Continue reading Control Room B at Battersea Power Station
A Martini with Homemade Roasted Seaweed
I’ve previously mentioned my liking for seaweed so I thought I would make my own to go with a martini. After a fairly long walk on the Isle of Mull, I was looking around the beach for something edible to forage. The tide was fairly high but there were several rockpools containing thick gutweed, as above. This dark-green, grass-like seaweed lives in upper tidal areas, … Continue reading A Martini with Homemade Roasted Seaweed
A Martini with Nori Seaweed
Our family is probably not alone in this matter: we adore crisps but recognise that they are evil. To my American readers – I’m referring to what you call ‘chips’ or ‘potato chips’. I could make some cliche comment about how you have abused our language but your people did invent the martini so I have to pay at least some deference to … Continue reading A Martini with Nori Seaweed
How to make an Old Fashioned Cocktail
This is a slight departure from my normal work, but I’ve got a cold and was craving something less potent and more sweet and fruity than a martini. Enter the Old Fashioned cocktail. Apparently emerging in the early 1800s (it might even have evolved towards the late 1700s), this drink is a lot older than a Martini. It also has a reputation for being … Continue reading How to make an Old Fashioned Cocktail
The Sri Lankan Arrack Martini – the Serendipitini
I have been working on this concept for a long time. It’s not a true martini, but it aims to serve a similar purpose, especially for those in Sri Lanka, perhaps without access to gin or vermouth. I resisted pressure to name it the Tamil Tiger Martini (it’s fiery, complex and deadly) as this would feel wholly inappropriate after Sri Lanka’s bitter internal tragedy. … Continue reading The Sri Lankan Arrack Martini – the Serendipitini
The Espresso Martini
“Make me something that wakes me up and then f#*€s me up.” I’ve wanted to make this one for a long time but given its chemical stimulant potency I found myself putting it off until a suitable situation arose. The origin of most cocktails is blurry (a testament to their effectiveness) but it is believed that the espresso martini was created in a bar … Continue reading The Espresso Martini
Time to choose…
If you drink a martini with someone you have around 30-40 minutes to relax and sink into gradual inebriation with that person, bonding with them whilst having the opportunity to share some conversation, ranging from light laughs to some potentially profound life stories. It is a crucial, perhaps pivotal aspect of the drink. Picking your company can therefore be as important as selecting the brand … Continue reading Time to choose…
Martinis y tapas
Having spent an amazing weekend in Madrid I thought I would write about the drinking culture in the city and see what inspiration I could draw from a martini perspective. Los Madrileños know how to have fun – without feeling guilty, without getting stressed and without getting post-apocalyptically drunk. If you feel like having a drink or having something to eat then do so. … Continue reading Martinis y tapas
The Churchill Martini
This is a crowd pleaser. Winston Churchill was one of the world’s greatest war-time political leaders. He was also a martini drinker. We can thank both him and the classic drink for leading the fight against fascism. “I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me” What should be noted is that Churchill liked his martinis to be somewhat … Continue reading The Churchill Martini
The Martini Socialist 