The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Toast gin day with tasty concoctions
In celebration of today’s International Gin Day, Highlands-based Caorunn Gin has partnered with world-class mixologist Walter Pintus to curate a selection of the ultimate mouth-watering cocktails.
Caorunn is the perfect gin to use in your favourite cocktail, or to try out these recipes, which are ideal for summer, below.
The first, An Afternoon In The Highlands, is a sophisticated take on the classic G&T, and brings a concentration of acidity, fruitiness and umami notes, all embraced with some quinine aromatics and a hint of floral smoke, for an extra layer of flavour. Try this one in a tumbler or gin balloon glass.
The second recipe, Celtic Remedy, is a celebration of one of Britain’s best-loved summer berries – light and amble, it’s perfect for a sunny afternoon tipple. Try it in a tumbler.
AN AFTERNOON IN THE HIGHLANDS SERVES 1 Ingredients
40ml Caorunn 30ml raspberry cordial (recipe below) 25ml lemon juice 40ml tonic water 2ml peat whisky Handful of wildflowers, to garnish
For the cordial: 500g caster sugar 1 litre water 200g raspberries
1. For the raspberry cordial, stir together the caster sugar with the water and raspberries in a pan. Bring it to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Let it cool down, strain and refrigerate.
2. Stir all the ingredients for the main drink with ice and serve in a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with wildflowers. Tip from Walter: This straightforward recipe can be built directly in the glass, over ice cubes. If you don’t have a measure, use the screw cap from a bottle, which takes roughly 10ml of liquid.
CELTIC REMEDY SERVES 1
Ingredients 30ml Caorunn 10ml Campari 2.5ml (½ tsp) cider vinegar ¼ apple 1 blackberry 10ml sugar syrup Handful of blackberries, to garnish 1. In a shaker, muddle the apple and the blackberry together in a cocktail shaker. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake. Double strain over ice and garnish with a blackberry. Tip from Walter: If you don’t have a shaker, a clean, empty jar will do the job, just remember to seal it before you start shaking – and be sure to strain all the fruit out before serving.