For all you gin lovers out there we’ve compiled a collection of five simple recipes, with the help of some friends, to get you through the long summer of outdoor dining and socials. Your soirée is guaranteed to become a much talked about success with these tempting tipples, especially when (like me) all you’ve served in the past has been a can of shop bought premix, garnished with a bit of left over celery leaf from last night’s salad. Enjoy.
Hayman’s Lavender Lady
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The Lavender Lady is the Hayman’s take on the traditional sour White Lady cocktail. The egg white creates a silky mixture, which perfectly accompanies the honey and Cointreau. Top the cocktail with a sprig of Lavender, and sit back in the garden and relax.
Ingredients:
50ml Hayman’s London Dry Gin
20ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
10ml of locally sourced honey or 20ml of honey water (see below)
10ml Cointreau
1 medium egg white
Dash of orange bitters
Sprig of lavender to garnish
Honey water:
Combine equal parts of honey and hot water
Stir until mixed
Method:
– Add cubed ice to a cocktail shaker
– Pour the Hayman’s London Dry Gin over the ice
– Add all the remaining ingredients, except the garnish
– Give all the ingredients a very hard shake and strain into cocktail glass
– Garnish with a sprig of lavender
British Bramble
Langley’s English gin brings us the best of British with this take on the Bramble. Made using classic English gin, Langley’s No. 8, and premium British blackcurrant liqueur, British Cassis, this is a versatile drink that’s ideal to enjoy on a hot (or rainy) summer day. One sip and you’ll soon be foraging for more.
Ingredients:
60ml Langley’s No. 8 gin
30ml Lemon Juice
15ml British Cassis
10ml of sugar syrup
Method:
– Pour Langley’s No. 8 gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into your shaker, half-fill with ice, and shake until ice cold.
– Strain into a rock glass filled with crushed ice
– Drizzle British Cassis over the top so it trickles through the ice
– Garnish with fresh blackberries and a slice of lemon
Coconut Ramos
Mr Lyan says: “In the original recipe that inspired me, Ramos Gin Fizz, the drink was reputedly shaken for five minutes solid to get it to what was described as ‘drinking clouds’. Apparently, it took 18 bartenders standing in a line taking over from each other when their arms began to ache. In this recipe I’ve used a soda siphon – you ‘charge’ it with nitrogen and CO2 to whip air in!” Recipe from Ryan’s book: Good Things to Drink with Mr Lyan & Friends. Images courtesy of Waitrose.com.
Ingredients:
250ml London Dry Gin
120ml lemon juice
150ml rice milk
90ml Waitrose Cooks’ Ingredients Organic Coconut Cream
150ml cold water
120ml egg white
50ml sugar syrup
2 dashes orange blossom water
1 dash rose water
Method:
– Whisk all the ingredients together and then add to a soda siphon.
– Charge with one bulb of nitrogen and one bulb of CO2.
– Pour into chilled flutes and garnish with candied ginger.
Hayman’s Victorian Mojito
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Ingredients:
50ml Hayman’s London Dry Gin
25ml freshly squeezed lime juice
20ml sugar syrup
Premium tonic water or soda water
Freshly picked mint leaves
Method:
– Fill a highball glass with cracked or crushed ice and a few fresh mint leaves
– Pour in the Hayman’s London Dry Gin and let it run down over the ice
– Add the lime juice and sugar syrup
– Churn vigorously ensuring the ingredients are well mixed
– Top with the tonic water or soda water
– Garnish with a mint sprig
Diamond Southside
Mr Lyan says: “With lots of fruity flavours, this is a great summer cocktail – it’s light and really refreshing. Crushed ice is good for tempering sweet or sharp drinks.” Images courtesy of Waitrose.com.
Ingredients:
50ml London Dry Gin
Splash of lime juice
6 mint leaves
30ml cloudy apple juice
10ml rhubarb and lavender syrup*
Strip of cucumber
Method:
– Build over crushed ice in a wine glass. Add more crushed ice and garnish with a sprig of mint.
*To make a flavoured syrup, bring one part water to two parts sugar to the boil. Turn off and add your flavours while the syrup is still warm. As the syrup cools it extracts the flavour from whatever you have added. Much like cooking, keep tasting until you have the right balance. Keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
