Nick Strangeway's 'Disco Badger'

Despite the naff name I love the sound of this refreshing orangey beer cocktail created by legendary mixologist Nick Strangeway for Badger Ales. Great presentation too!

25ml gin

25ml lemon juice

2 tsp Seville marmalade

10ml gomme (sugar syrup)

Stir the above ingredients with a barspoon and top up the jar or glass with ice. Top with Badger Tanglefoot (or a similarly fruity golden ale FB)

Garnish with a lemon wedge

 

Hawksmoor's Bloodhound

A deliciously fruity but simple cocktail from Hawksmoor at Home that makes use of in-season raspberries.

Hugh Gott writes: "This precursor to the modern fresh-fruit ‘Martini’ (which usually only share the glass they’re served in with their namesake) started life in the American South in the first years of the twentieth century. During Prohibition it was brought over to London, apparently by the 9th Duke of Manchester, and soon became a hit amongst locals and expats at Ciro’s Club where Harry MacElhone was tending bar.

Harry had a colourful career. He probably perfected this drink (the earlier American version was nowhere near as good) and had a hand in creating the Sidecar and the French 75. After leaving Ciro’s he ran Harry’s New York bar in Paris where he founded the Paris Barflies, ‘a secret organisation devoted to the uplift and downfall of serious drinkers’ (Spirituous Journey II, Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller, 2009)."

serves 1

50ml good gin, such as Beefeater

25ml sweet (red) vermouth

25ml dry vermouth

6 raspberries

a dash of sugar syrup

Shake all the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker, and double strain (through a Hawthorne and a tea strainer) into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish by floating a raspberry on the surface of the drink.

Food match: I'm a bit stuck on this one, I must confess. I'm actually thinking posh handmade white chocolates though you'd probably want to kick off an evening with this rather than end it with one. Some kind of smoked duck canapé, maybe. Any thoughts?

From Hawksmoor at Home. Photo © Dan Lepard.

Declaration of interest: my son, Will, jointly owns Hawksmoor and I helped with the book!

Velvet Haiku, a delicious sake cocktail from Sake no Hana

This is, without a doubt, the most refreshing cocktail I've tasted so far this summer - an incredibly thirstquenching mix of sake, jasmine tea, cucumber and prosecco - perfect for this hot, steamy weather we've been having.

I came across it at the Introduction to Sake course I attended at Sake no Hana. I mentioned some of the pairings here.

I was hesitating whether to post it in this new cocktail series on the grounds that no-one would be able to find Velvet Falurnum (a sugarcane and lime-based liqueur that originally came from Barbados) but amazingly it turns out you can on Amazon, Beers of Europe and The Whisky Exchange, as well, I'm sure, as top off-licences such as Gerry's of Old Compton Street and Leeds. And at around £12 it's not that expensive either.

I've given the method and serving suggestion recommended by Sake no Hana's head mixologist George Matzarides but see no reason why you couldn't serve it in a martini glass.

Glass: Sake carafe + cold sake cup

Garnish: 2 thin cucumber slices cut in half

50 ml Akashi - Tai Honjozo sake or other good quality light sake

80 ml brewed, cooled jasmine tea

10 ml Velvet Falernum liqueur (see above)

10 ml cane syrup or gomme (sugar syrup)

5 ml lemon juice

Chilled prosecco as required (about 25ml)

Put all the ingredients except the prosecco in a mixing glass or jug, add a handful of ice cubes and stir. Double strain into a sake carafe. Place the cucumber in the carafe and top up with prosecco

Food match: According to George this cocktail works well with sushi but is best with sashimi made from fish like tuna and salmon.