Q libations: with BARTENDER HYLTON
When I was thinking about this month's issue, and what food I could cook and share, I decided to go in a different direction. What about what comes before (and sometimes after) dinner? While many of us may be happy with a glass of wine while cooking dinner (I know I often am), it's also nice to treat yourself once in a while, with a cheeky cocktail.
As with cooking, while the processes may be fairly straightforward, the selection of ingredients really can make a difference when creating a lovely cocktail, some of which I've included below.
Negroni
The negroni, the epitome of a pre-dinner drink, was named after Pascal Olivier Count de Negroni, who asked a Florentine bartender to strengthen his favourite cocktail, the Americano, by adding gin rather than soda water, and presto, the Negroni was born.
When it comes to the gin, any will do in a pinch, but there are some interesting options out there. Four Pillars, a Gin distillery in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, make a Spiced Negroni gin, specifically designed, as the name suggests, to be used in a negroni.
The Applewood distillery in South Australia also make a wide range of gins, made with some less expected botanicals, such as Kakadu Plum, Lemon Myrtle or Bush Apple, to name just a few. While their focus is clearly gin, Applewood also make their own bitter liqueur, Økar. While Campari is usually the bitter liqueur of choice, I find that Økar, tends to add a little complexity to a negroni, and also has the benefit of being quintessentially Australian.
Ingredients
• 30mL gin
• 30mL bitter liqueur
• 30ml sweet red vermouth
• Orange rind, or slice.
Method
• Add ingredients, along with ice, to a rocks glass and stir
• Garnish with orange
Espresso Martini
While not technically a martini, as it lacks both gin and vermouth, the espresso martini has become a staple in pretty much every cocktail bar from here to Timbuktu. Its origin story varies, depending on who you ask, but it is widely believed that a young female patron asked a London bartender for a something that would “wake me up, then f*** me up.”
When it comes to the main spirit, I typically use vodka, but there are those that prefer to use Patrón XO Café (a coffee infused tequila) or even spiced rum (which really packs a punch). There's a distillery in New Zealand called Jumping Goat, who make a coffee infused vodka that is absolutely delish, whether you drink it on its own (very easy to do), use it in an espresso martini, or cheekily add it your coffee on your day off.
When it comes to selecting a coffee liqueur, Tia Maria or Kahlua are the obvious choices, however there is a company, just north of Sydney, called Mr. Black, who makes a cold brew coffee liqueur that simply wins, hands down. They are also the sponsors of Espresso Martini festivals around Australia. If you get a chance to go, please do, you won't regret it, until perhaps the next morning. There is some contention when it comes to how much coffee to use. I find that using two shots helps to promote that creamy foam of any good espresso martini, and if served immediately after being poured, you can watch the foam slowly dissipate and settle at the top. If you don't have an espresso or pod machine, cold brew coffee can be bought in a bottle.
Sugar syrup can easily be made by dissolving sugar (1:1 ratio by volume) in boiling water, then cooled. If the resulting product isn't viscous enough, add more sugar.
Ingredients
• 30mL vodka
• 30mL coffee liqueur
• 60mL espresso
• 15mL sugar syrup
Method
• Add ingredients, along with ice, to a cocktail shaker
• Shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds
• Double strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass
• Garnish with coffee beans
Fruit Salad Sour
This cocktail of my own design came about after dinner at home with friends. I wanted to make cocktails, but only had a spattering of odd spirits and liqueurs, so I just threw a few things in a cocktail shaker and gave it a try. If you're feeling adventurous, try different combinations and you may be surprised with what you come up with.
When making sours, the main draw card in terms of appearance, is the foam on the top. This is usually achieved by the use of egg white, but with people that may be vegan or have allergies, alternatives have been discovered. Aquafaba, literally “bean water,” is the strained liquid from a can of beans, generally chickpeas, which fills the same role as egg whites in not only cocktails, but cooking as well (try an aquafaba meringue someday). Finally, a great product, often used in cocktail bars, is Wonderfoam, which comes in a small jar with a pipette. Two or three drops (not squirts) of Wonderfoam creates a foam equal to that of egg white or aquafaba. Wonderfoam is available through large specialist liquor stores.
Ingredients
• • 30 30mL mL elderflower Captain Morgan liqueur Tropical spiced rum
• 30mL grapefruit liqueur
• 30mL lemon juice
• 15mL sugar syrup
• 15mL egg white/aquafaba, or 2-3 drops of Wonderfoam.
Method
• Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake for 10 seconds
• Add ice to contents and shake vigorously for 30 seconds
• Double strain into a chilled glass of your choice
• Garnish with an edible flower or lemon slice