Ditch the mulled wine as our rakish brother brand, Mr Hyde, presents its guide to ancient and modern punches, nogs and flips
Winter in the UK is cold. Wet and cold. For months. How on earth do we stick it out? Even enjoy it?
The answer is quite simple: the pleasure of huddling inside and boozing. Here are a few historic and modern mixes to help reduce all protruding nipples – a physical signpost for this time of year.
Note: for all drinks use heatproof glassware or mugs.
Pumpkin Pie
Created by bartender Edixon Caridad at Please Don’t Tell in New York’s East Village – a cocktail bar that celebrates seasonal ingredients and also serves outstanding hot dogs. This cocktail is a twist on a traditional ‘flip’, a mixed drink that filled glasses in the 17th century.
Ingredients
100g pumpkin batter (To make a batch: 425g organic pumpkin purée,
9 eggs, 85ml Demerara syrup, 65ml Pimento Dram liqueur. Whisk together the eggs, Pimento Dram and Demerara syrup until the mixture becomes light yellow in colour. Gradually add the pumpkin purée in small amounts and continue to whisk until it has all been fully incorporated into the mixture.)
50ml Santa Teresa 1796 rum
20ml Pierre Ferrand Ambre cognac
60ml half and half (mix of milk and single cream)
Method
Shake together the pumpkin batter, rum and cognac, then fine strain into a preheated heatproof mug (to warm the mug, simply fill it with hot water and leave it to stand for 3-4 minutes). Top up the mixture with some warmed half and half milk and finally garnish with cinnamon sprinkled on top.
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Toddy
In Jerry Thomas’s revered 1862 book How To Mix Drinks, he suggests this warm cure for all manner of ailments.
Ingredients
1 tsp of sugar
60ml of whisky
1 tsp honey
2 cloves
Cinnamon stick
Slice of lemon
Hot water
Method
Pour the spirit, add the spices and lemon then fill with hot water.
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Delight
Alex Kratena spent time in Japan and is a fan of the eclectic drinks they have on offer. He now plies his trade at the Artesian bar in London. Here he puts Umeshu to good use, a tasty plum liqueur that has sake at its base. You should definitely add it to your drinks cabinet, particularly if you’re having a vaguely Eastern-themed Christmas party this winter. And let’s be honest, who isn’t? Ahem. Anyway, this is a very simple serve and a splendid touch that you can enjoy after eating.
Ingredients
100ml Umeshu
100ml hot water
2 tbsp sugar of choice
(flavoured with cinnamon,
lavender or vanilla)
Dried plums
Method
Pour hot water over the Umeshu and flavoured sugar, and garnish with dried plums and cinnamon sticks.
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Jasper Jackpot Flip
Tim Fitz-Gibbon runs multi award-winning Oxford bar Raoul’s. He uses Jack Daniel’s for a twist on the flip.
Ingredients
25ml Jack Daniel’s whiskey
25ml Heering cherry liqueur
25ml single cream
2 tsp maple syrup
1 egg yolk, beaten
Ice cubes
Ground cinnamon to garnish
Method
Heat first four ingredients in a pan. Add the egg and whisk. Shake with ice and serve, dusted with cinnamon.
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Green Marteani
Created by New York bartender Kenta Goto, this cocktail was originally served cold, but is equally good warmed up. Leave the concoction to infuse for a few hours, but keep tasting it to check the Shochu isn’t overpowered.
Ingredients
45ml green tea-infused Shochu
30ml gin (Plymouth)
10ml lemon juice
20ml simple syrup (caster sugar dissolved in warm water)
Method
Heat the ingredients gently in a pan, then strain into a tea cup or teapot.
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Recipes from World’s Best Cocktails by Tom Sandham. published by Jacqui Small. Tom is performing his show, ‘The Thinking Drinker’s Guide To Alcohol’, at the Soho Theatre, London every Monday in December
(Illustration: Jack Hughes; Images: WINTER COCKTAIL IMAGES "THE WORLD'S BEST COCKTAILS BY TOM SANDHAM" AURUM PUBLISHING)
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