winter WARMERS Cocktails anyone? Now we know snow and frost won’t be a problem (hopefully) over the next few months, but the time for frothy, bubbly cocktails by the pool, with a little paper brolly to spear the cherries, is long gone. ‘Cocktail time’ now calls for something a touch more substantial. We’re not talking ‘hot toddies’ here, but nectar that warms the soul as well as the body when it swishes deliciously round the mouth. Our good friends at Cairo InterContinental Citystars have come up with three suggestions just right for the season. So for you ‘movers, shakers and mixologists’ out there, here are the recipes … but maybe first pop along to Bellini at the InterConti and Lime Lounge at Holiday Inn so you know what you’re aiming for. Let’s begin with a cocktail that begins with a bit of history … the Sidecar. The Sidecar is a classic cocktail traditionally made with cognac, orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier) and lemon juice. The origin of the Sidecar is unclear, but is thought to have been invented around the end of World War I in either London or Paris. The Ritz Hotel in Paris claims origin of the drink. The first recipes for the Sidecar appear in 1922, in Harry MacElhone’s Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails and Robert Vermeire’s Cocktails and How to Mix Them. It is one of six basic cocktails listed in David A. Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1948). In early editions of MacElhone’s book, he cites the inventor as Pat MacGarry, “the Popular bartender at Buck’s Club, London. The drink’s name is credited to an American Army captain in Paris during World War I “and named after the motorcycle sidecar in which the good captain was driven to and from the little bistro where the drink was born and christened,” according to Embury. Apparently the Sidecar became famous in Harry’s Bar in Paris. Brandy Alexander The Brandy Alexander is a luxurious, creamy cocktail that has been popular throughout the 20th Century. This is the Brandy version of the ginbased Alexander cocktail; it’s warmer and silkier and absolutely perfect for winter afternoons. The Brandy Alexander is also a luscious after dinner drink that pairs best with chocolate desserts. 20 ml Brandy 20 ml Crème De Cacao 20 ml Double Cream Ground nutmeg Preparation: Pour Brandy, Double Cream and Crème De Cacao into a cocktail shaker. Shake well with cracked ice then serve. Garnish with dusting of nutmeg. (Served at Bellini) Sidecar 50 ml Brandy 25 ml lemon juice 25 ml Cointreau Preparation Pour the lemon juice, Brandy and Cointreau into a cocktail shaker. Shake well then serve. (Served at Bellini) Blue Nile Dash Blue Curacao 20 ml Apple Juice 20 ml Soda Dash Cinnamon Syrup Preparation: Shake the apple juice and the Blue Curacao, pour the mix in a Martini glass top it with soda, cinnamon and serve. (Served at Lime Lounge)
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