Created by Dick Bradsell at Fred’s Bar in Soho, 1984, this has gone on to become an absolute staple cocktail. As we’re just out of blackberry season Merlin has got a freezer full of the things and decided to make a blackberry brandy/liqueur type syrup himself instead of Crème de Mure for this cocktail.
2 shots London gin
1.5 shots lemon juice, fresh
0.5 shots sugar syrup
1 shot blackberry liqueur / Crème de Mur
Large whisky tumbler
The rise of non-alcoholic cocktails, or nought-percenters, has been going on for some time now. And many people would like a cocktail experience without the alcohol. For some time Merlin has been making Margaritas with agave nectar, a Tommy’s Margarita as it’s known. And that will form the base for an Ever After. The aim here is to create a cocktail that you could swear has a spirit, but is fully non-alcoholic.
50ml Everleaf Forest (0%)
25ml fresh lime
15ml fresh OJ
20ml agave nectar
OJ peel & dash of OJ bitters
Optional Tajin spice salt rim.
A New Orleans version of an Old Fashioned, it uses spicy Rye Whiskey as well as Bourbon and Cognac. A great cocktail to consider if you are an Old Fashioned drinker. Marginally more complex than an OF, but absolutely worth it.
20ml Bourbon
20ml Rye Whiskey
20ml Cognac
10ml Sugar Syrup
4 dash Peychaud Bitters (the red one)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
20ml Absinthe to rinse glass
Lemon twist to garnish
Bramble (w/homemade blackberry liqueur)
Put the gin, lemon, sugar into the glass, and fill the glass with crushed ice, creating a volcanic mountain of it. Drizzle the blackberry over the top, garnish with a raspberry and drink using short straws. Simple genius, it’s delicious.
To make the blackberry liqueur:
in a 6oz kilner/preserve pot add equal parts caster sugar and blackberries (weigh them!) until the pot is stuffed full. Close it, leave it in the fridge until it’s reduced to syrup – about 3-4 days. Add one ounce of brandy to the pot, shake it all very well to mix. It’s now ready to use. Use the blackberries themselves as garnishes.
Ever After
Add all to a shaker, including a piece of orange peel, with loads of ice, shake and strain into an ice filled rocks glass. Optional – you can rim the glass with some Tajin spice and salt mixture for an added authentic Mexican kick. Garnish with an orange twist.
Sazerac
In a whisky tumbler, add the Absinthe, ice and couple of ounces of water.
Meanwhile, in a shaker or mixing glass, add the spirits, sugar and bitters with plenty of ice and stir well until thoroughly chilled, and a little diluted.
Strain the Absinthe & water into a small glass/shot glass and reserve. Strain the cocktail into the whisky tumbler, no ice. Garnish with the oils of a lemon zest, but do not put the peel into the drink. Serve with the side glass of Absinthe.
Created by Dick Bradsell at Fred’s Bar in Soho, 1984, this has gone on to become an absolute staple cocktail. As we’re just out of blackberry season Merlin has got a freezer full of the things and decided to make a blackberry brandy/liqueur type syrup himself instead of Crème de Mure for this cocktail.
2 shots London gin
1.5 shots lemon juice, fresh
0.5 shots sugar syrup
1 shot blackberry liqueur / Crème de Mur
Large whisky tumbler
The rise of non-alcoholic cocktails, or nought-percenters, has been going on for some time now. And many people would like a cocktail experience without the alcohol. For some time Merlin has been making Margaritas with agave nectar, a Tommy’s Margarita as it’s known. And that will form the base for an Ever After. The aim here is to create a cocktail that you could swear has a spirit, but is fully non-alcoholic.
50ml Everleaf Forest (0%)
25ml fresh lime
15ml fresh OJ
20ml agave nectar
OJ peel & dash of OJ bitters
Optional Tajin spice salt rim.
A New Orleans version of an Old Fashioned, it uses spicy Rye Whiskey as well as Bourbon and Cognac. A great cocktail to consider if you are an Old Fashioned drinker. Marginally more complex than an OF, but absolutely worth it.
20ml Bourbon
20ml Rye Whiskey
20ml Cognac
10ml Sugar Syrup
4 dash Peychaud Bitters (the red one)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
20ml Absinthe to rinse glass
Lemon twist to garnish
Bramble (w/homemade blackberry liqueur)
Put the gin, lemon, sugar into the glass, and fill the glass with crushed ice, creating a volcanic mountain of it. Drizzle the blackberry over the top, garnish with a raspberry and drink using short straws. Simple genius, it’s delicious.
To make the blackberry liqueur:
in a 6oz kilner/preserve pot add equal parts caster sugar and blackberries (weigh them!) until the pot is stuffed full. Close it, leave it in the fridge until it’s reduced to syrup – about 3-4 days. Add one ounce of brandy to the pot, shake it all very well to mix. It’s now ready to use. Use the blackberries themselves as garnishes.
Ever After
Add all to a shaker, including a piece of orange peel, with loads of ice, shake and strain into an ice filled rocks glass. Optional – you can rim the glass with some Tajin spice and salt mixture for an added authentic Mexican kick. Garnish with an orange twist.
Sazerac
In a whisky tumbler, add the Absinthe, ice and couple of ounces of water.
Meanwhile, in a shaker or mixing glass, add the spirits, sugar and bitters with plenty of ice and stir well until thoroughly chilled, and a little diluted.
Strain the Absinthe & water into a small glass/shot glass and reserve. Strain the cocktail into the whisky tumbler, no ice. Garnish with the oils of a lemon zest, but do not put the peel into the drink. Serve with the side glass of Absinthe.
