evo-lution

Coming soon...

Yes!

Hello everyone. As you may or may not be aware, our wonderful licensing board/council in Aberdeen intends to bring in a 12.30am curfew in September 2009. What this curfew means is that every pub and club in the city must shut their doors at 12.30am, barring entry to anyone after that time. For example, if you wish to go to a club after you've been in a bar, you have to leave that bar and be in the club before 12.30am. Disregarding the fact that some bars in the city are licensed till 1am. For those that work in the licensed trade, they'll no longer be able to finish their work and go for a drink afterwards. The freedom to move between licensed premises after 12.30am, for whatever reason, will be lost. The licensing board are basing their decision on the fact they've been out on the streets with the Police between the hours of 12midnight and 3am, blatantly ignoring the fact that any problem is happening way before that time. It has been estimated the economy in Aberdeen stands to lose approximately £2million as a result of decrease in trade, which will in turn lead to a vast number of job losses. With an estimated 35,000 students in the city, and a number of visitors through tourism and the oil industry, these jobs are vital. You'd like to think that in these troubled times that the council would do their utmost to ensure the safety of people's jobs and to boost the economy in the city, not add to the problems. Large scale events like Offshore Europe attracts hundreds, if not thousands, of delegates to the city, and they will undoubtedly be just one group that will directly suffer with this ruling coming into place. Once again, Aberdeen City Council is hitting the on-trade where it hurts, yet the off-trade is still allowed to continue selling bottles of beer cheaper than it sells bottles of water. They are blatantly stopping businesses trading in the permitted hours which they themselves gave out. To make matters worse they did not seek consultation from the industry before making this proposal. I don't think you need me to spell it out to you how ludicrous this plan is... A similar curfew was brought in to both Edinburgh and Glasgow, and they're no longer in place. Here's a direct quote from Aberdeen City Licensing convener Muriel Jaffrey, "It is a moving policy, it can be looked at again. In Edinburgh it lasted 18 months and it was a total disaster." I think that says it all. Please lend your support and sign the petition below... http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-t...n-aberdeen.html The petition is only a small part of the work that is being done behind the scenes to stop this proposal coming into place, however, the more people that lend their support, the better. Many thanks, Adam

Would it be possible that whoever wrote these codes used both spellings while they were writing them? I'm sure I've read this somewhere before... It often happens when you have two similar words. The likes of there/their/they're and loose/lose are great examples of words that are constantly mixed up.

I thought that you and Samuel would be interested in this. I'm making some more raspberry syrup just now, so took a photo of it after four days. What you see in the photo is just raspberries that have been mashed and left to sit. Nothing else has been added. You'll notice some bubbling and a 'foam' on top of the puree. I've been in contact with brewers near me to see if they'd be able to test the puree and tell me exactly what's going on. Is there a percentage of alcohol, etc.?

Not really on topic with regards Scotch whisky, but the 'whisky' on a bottle of Makers Mark has always interested me...

The third drink in the book is another Brandy Punch, but for a party of twenty, so I'm skipping that for the moment to get a couple more recipes completed. Method: Squeeze lemon into glass, add water, sugar and stir until dissolved. Add brandy, rum and whiskey, fill with cracked ice and shake hard for 5 seconds. Pour, unstrained, into large glass to serve. Glass: Boston Garnish: Orange slices and fresh raspberries Ice: Cracked ice Notes: Considering the amount of liquor in this drink, I found it to be a very well balanced punch. It reminded me of Tiki drinks like Trader Vic's 'Scorpion', and I wouldn't be surprised if the Mississippi Punch had some sort of influence on it. Lots of fresh lemon and grapefruit on the nose. The taste begins with a moderate sweetness, followed quickly by notes of caramel and a hint of coffee as well. I also detected a little vanilla in there. The finish is warm and predominantly from the brandy, almost chilli-chocolate like. Fans of Crustas, Sidecars, aged rum Daiquiris and Whiskey Sours will love this drink, although I believe the addition of orgeat syrup would take this drink up a notch and make it truly sublime. --------- And revisiting the Gin Punch, this time using the oude style of genever which would have been more prevalent in the 1800s. Method: Squeeze lemon into glass, add water, sugar and stir until dissolved. Add raspberry syrup and brandy, fill with cracked ice and roll back and forth between glass and shaker until well mixed. Glass: Boston Garnish: Orange slices, piece of pineapple and fresh raspberries Ice: Cracked ice Notes: After my first effort using a 'jonge' style genever, I wanted to make this drink with an 'oude' style genever which would have been more prevalent in the 1800s. Very similar to the first Gin Punch, in that the nose was predominantly raspberry with light citrus, although the grain was also apparent. The malt shines through on tasting, which balances perfectly against the raspberry syrup and lemon juice. A very creamy mouthfeel, with a subtle 'raspberry donut-like' taste, finishing with light grassy notes. Although it's 'Cosmo-pink', and has a subtle sweetness, this is still a very grown up beverage. Phenomenal cocktail, which showcases the genever brilliantly. Highly recommended... PLEASE NOTE: I WILL MOVE THE GIN PUNCHES WHEN I GET TO DRINK NUMBER TEN

The first stage in the construction of the Brandy Punch (and Gin Punch) is making a good quality raspberry syrup. To try and stay true to the drinks of the time, the recipe I'll be following can be found in Prof. Christian Schultz's section of the book 'Manual for the Manufacture of Cordial, Liquors, Fancy Syrups, 7c. 7c.'. Method: Squeeze lemon into glass, add water, sugar and stir until dissolved. Add raspberry syrup and brandy, fill with cracked ice and roll back and forth between glass and shaker until well mixed. Glass: Boston Garnish: Orange slices, piece of pineapple and fresh raspberries Ice: Cracked ice Notes: The fruit in the recipe is not specified to be included in the drink, and going by the picture in the book, the fruit is used as a garnish instead that was probably eaten alongside the drink. If you wanted you could shake the fruit in the drink but this would result in an unpleasant looking drink, as well as being over-diluted from the cracked ice. A decent drink with blackcurrant and lemon on the nose. The flavour of the raspberry syrup doesn't seem to carry through very well in this drink, I just don't think the balance is right. Not a bad effort, but one that goes down as 'must do better'. If I was to make this drink again, I'd be inclined to raise the level of the raspberry syrup and cut back on the sugar a little. I'd also be inclined to use tea instead of water, I think that would make a huge difference. Method: Squeeze lemon into glass, add water, sugar and stir until dissolved. Add raspberry syrup and brandy, fill with cracked ice and roll back and forth between glass and shaker until well mixed. Glass: Boston Garnish: Orange slices, piece of pineapple and fresh raspberries Ice: Cracked ice Notes: Predominant raspberry and light citrus flavours on the nose, with a smooth creaminess on the palate. I also picked up a subtle 'raspberry ripple' like flavour, but not in a sweet way. An extremely refreshing cocktail with a very striking colour, reminiscent of the colour of a well balanced Cosmopolitan. Such a shame that it's snowing outside... This drink works very well with the garnishes if you eat them whilst drinking it. One cocktail I'll definitely be making again, perfectly balanced and very more-ish. PLEASE NOTE: I WILL MOVE THE GIN PUNCH WHEN I GET TO DRINK NUMBER TEN

Thanks Dave! I do agree that this method would give you similar results, although having never used a method like the one found in the book to make raspberry syrup, I was curious about the fermentation stage and if this actually added anything to the completed syrup, and wasn't just about breaking down the pectin. To be honest, I don't really know? I'm no scientist, so I wish I could offer more than just the results which were, what appeared to be, early signs of fermentation happened after a couple days (slight foam/bubbles on top of the mashed raspberries), and the completed syrup has an intensity/flavour I didn't expect to still be there after the fermentation and simmering stages. The only other thing I have at this stage is that the syrup is still a syrup after chilling in my fridge overnight, and hasn't turned to jelly... I wish from a 'scientific' viewpoint that I was able to test the raspberries throughout the three days, however I may be able to do this at a later stage as I'll have to make more raspberry syrup, so if someone to tell me how I would go about doing this it'd be much appreciated! As I said from the outset, I'm going to learn a lot through-out the completion of the project, and a lot of the information I gather will come from the contributors on e-Gullet, Barbore and The Chanticleer Society. Theoretically, the project will be completed as a collective with everyone chipping in with various information and help.

So, the three days are up, and the syrup is completed, just waiting for it to cool overnight then I'll make the punch tomorrow (with pictures). The fermentation process started yesterday, so thought I'd leave it for the full three days as per the recipe in the book. Left it on the stove on a really light simmer for approximately one hour until it reached the 'little pearl' stage. The completed syrup is intensely rich, and has a pronounced flavour that still manages to retain a 'freshness' or 'zing' that I guessed it would lose. I assume that the intensity of the syrup's flavour comes from the fermentation process, which converts the sugars to acids, although I'd be interested to find out more about this.

The first drink from Jerry's book is the Brandy Punch. It's widely believed that punches were discovered by the British in India sometime during the 16th century. The name 'Punch' is derived from the Indian word for five, 'panch', and is believed to refer to the five ingredients that made up the completed beverage; tea, arrack, sugar, lemons and water. As with most stories surrounding mixed beverages, this has many variations, which is not surprising as there's rarely someone around sober enough to keep track/note of what's going on. Whatever the truth regarding the exact origins of punch, it makes sense that 'punch' would have made its way over to English colonies that were settling in the New World (before America became America), from those that had settled in India. It is known for sure that it made its way across to the other side of the globe before the 1700s, with references dating as far back as 1682. One such reference, from 1757, is attributed to an 'S.M of Boston', believed to be Samuel Mather, the son of Cotton Mather, a minister from New England . A box of lemons was sent to Sir Harry Frankland, along with the following verse:- Fast forward 100 years, and Punches were big, big business in America, which is apparent when you consider that a third of Jerry's book is devoted to punches (236 recipes, 79 punches). At the time, every bar was serving it, and every bartender was making it their own way. Jerry alludes to this in the passage above where he says, "The precise portions of spirit and water, or even of the acidity and sweetness, can have no general rule, as scarcely two persons make punch alike." I guess you could say this was an early form of bartender rivalry, where true mixological skill would separate the good from the bad... The first stage in the construction of this drink is making a good quality raspberry syrup. To try and stay true to the drinks of the time, the recipe I'll be following can be found in Prof. Christian Schultz's section of the book 'Manual for the Manufacture of Cordial, Liquors, Fancy Syrups, 7c. 7c.'. I'm not going to make the syrup to the measurements mentioned above as I don't require that much, instead I'm using only 170g of raspberries. I have mashed them up, and placed them in a warm place, which is pretty hard to find given the weather that's hit the UK in the last couple of days . As it's a smaller amount, I don't think it'll require three days resting, probably only 24 hours or so. Until then...

The 78 punch recipes that can be found in Jerry Thomas' 'Bar Tender's Guide - How To Mix Drinks; or, The Bon Vivant's Companion', are preceded by the following piece of advice with regards the preparation of punch.

You'll also notice in the recipes the use of the word 'do.', this was an early way of saying 'ditto'. [Thanks go to Dave Wondrich for the above information]

1. PUNCH 2. Brandy Punch 3. Brandy Punch (For a party of twenty) 4. Mississippi Punch 5. Hot Brandy And Rum Punch 6. Irish Whiskey Punch 7. Cold Whiskey Punch 8. Scotch Whiskey Punch 9. Whiskey Punch 10. Gin Punch 11. Gin Punch 12. Champagne Punch 13. Sherry Punch 14. Claret Punch 15. Sauterne Punch 16. Port Wine Punch 17. Vanilla Punch 18. Pine-Apple Punch 19. Orgeat Punch 20. Curaçao Punch 21. Roman Punch 22. Milk Punch 23. Hot Milk Punch 24. English Milk Punch 25. English Milk Punch 26. Punch à la Ford 27. Punch Jelly 28. Gin Punch 29. Glasgow Punch 30. Regent's Punch 31. Regent's Punch 32. Raspberry Punch 33. National Guard 7th Regiment Punch 34. St. Charles' Punch 35. 69th Regiment Punch 36. Louisiana Sugar-House Punch 37. Dry Punch 38. La Patria Punch 39. The Spread Eagle Punch 40. Rochester Punch 41. Imperial Punch 42. Thirty-Second Regiment or Victoria Punch 43. Rocky Mountain Punch 44. Punch Grassot 45. Light Guard Punch 46. Philadelphia Fish-House Punch* 47. Non-Such Punch 48. Canadian Punch 49. Tip-Top Punch 50. Arrack (No recipe as such) 51. Arrack Punch 52. Arrack Punch 53. Bimbo Punch 54. Cold Punch 55. Nuremburgh Punch 56. United Service Punch 57. Ruby Punch 58. Royal Punch 59. Century Club Punch 60. Duke Of Norfolk Punch 61. Queen Punch 62. Gothic Punch 63. Oxford Punch 64. Uncle Toby Punch 65. Capillaire 66. Capillaire 67. Punch à la Romaine 68. Tea Punch 69. West Indian Punch 70. Barbadoes Punch 71. Yorkshire Punch 72. Apple Punch 73. Ale Punch 74. Cider Punch 75. Nectar Punch 76. Orange Punch 77. Imperial Raspberry Whiskey Punch 78. Kirschwasser Punch 79. D'Orsay Punch 80. EGG NOGG 81. Egg Nogg 82. Hot Egg Nogg 83. Egg Nogg 84. Baltimore Egg Nogg 85. General Harrison's Egg Nogg 86. Sherry Egg Nogg 87. JULEPS 88. Mint Julep 89. Brandy Julep 90. Gin Julep 91. Whiskey Julep 92. Pineapple Julep 93. THE SMASH 94. Brandy Smash 95. Gin Smash 96. Whiskey Smash 97. THE COBBLER 98. Sherry Cobbler 99. Champagne Cobbler 100. Catawba Cobbler 101. Hock Cobbler 102. Claret Cobbler 103. Sauterne Cobbler 104. Whiskey Cobbler 105. THE COCKTAIL & CRUSTA 106. Bottle Cocktail 107. Brandy Cocktail 108. Fancy Brandy Cocktail 109. Whiskey Cocktail 110. Champagne Cocktail 111. Gin Cocktail 112. Fancy Gin Cocktail 113. Japanese Cocktail 114. Jersey Cocktail 115. Soda Cocktail 116. Brandy Crusta 117. Whiskey Crusta 118. Gin Crusta 119. MULLS AND SANGAREES 120. Mulled Wine Without Eggs 121. Mulled Wine With Eggs 122. Mulled Wine 123. Mulled Wine 124. Mulled Claret 125. Port Wine Sangaree 126. Sherry Sangaree 127. Brandy Sangaree 128. Gin Sangaree 129. Ale Sangaree 130. Porter Sangaree 131. TODDIES AND SLINGS 132. Apple Toddy 133. Brandy Toddy 134. Whiskey Toddy 135.Gin Toddy 136. Brandy Sling 137. Hot Whiskey Sling 138. Gin Sling 139. FIXES AND SOURS 140. Brandy Fix** 141. Gin Fix 142. Brandy Sour 143. Gin Sour*** 144. FLIP, NEGUS AND SHRUB 145. Rum Flip 146. Rum Flip 147. Ale Flip 148. Egg Flip 149. Egg Flip 150. Brandy Flip 151. Port Wine Negus 152. Port Wine Negus 153. Soda Negus 154. Cherry Shrub 155. White Currant Shrub 156. Currant Shrub 157. Raspberry Shrub 158. Brandy Shrub 159. Rum Shrub 160. English Rum Shrub 161. FANCY DRINKS 162. Santina's Pousse Cafe 163. Parisian Pousse Cafe 164. Faivre's Pousse Cafe 165. Pousse l'Amour 166. Brandy Champerelle 167. Brandy Scaffa 168. Sleeper 169. Claret And Champagne Cup, à la Brunow 170. Ratafias 171. Balaklava Nectar 172. Crimean Cup, à la Marmora 173. Crimean Cup, à la Wyndham 174. Tom And Jerry 175. White Tiger's Milk**** 176. White Lion 177. Locomotive 178. Bishop 179. Bishop 180. Archbishop 181. Cardinal 182. Pope 183. A Bishop 184. Knickerbocker 185. Rumfustian 186. Claret Cup 187. Porter Cup 187. Porter Cup 188. English Curaçao 189. Italian Lemonade 190. Quince Liqueur 191. Claret Cup, or Mulled Claret 192. Bottled Velvet 193. Champagne, Hock or Chablis Cup 194. Cider Nectar 195. Badminton 196. MISCELLANEOUS DRINKS 197. Blue Blazer 198. "Jerry Thomas" Own Decanter Bitters 199. Burnt Brandy And peach 200. Black Stripe 201 Peach And Honey 202. Gin And Pine 203. Gin And Tansy 204. Gin And Wormwood 205. Scotch Whiskey Skin 206. Columbia Skin 207. Hot Spiced Rum 208. Hot Rum 209. Stone Fence 210. Absinthe 211. Rhine Wine And Seltzer-Water 212. "Arf And Arf" 213. Brandy Straight 214. Gin Straight 215. Pony Brandy 216. Brandy And Soda 217. Brandy And Gum 218. Sherry And Egg 219. Sherry And Bitters 220. Sherry And Ice 221. TEMPERANCE DRINKS 222. Lemonade 223. Plain Lemonade 224. Lemonade 225. Orangeade 226. Orgeat Lemonade 227. Ginger Lemonade 228. Soda Nectar 229. Drink For The Dog Days 230. Sherbet 231. Lemonade Powders 232. Draught Lemonade, or Lemon Sherbet 233. Imperial Drink For Families 234. Nectar 235. Raspberry, Strawberry, Currant, or Orange Effervescing Draughts 236. Ginger Wine *Mixture **Santa Cruz Fix ***Santa Cruz Sour ****Aromatic Tincture *****Raspberry Syrup *PLEASE NOTE THIS LIST OF RECIPES WILL UNDOUBTEDLY GROW AS I PROGRESS THROUGH THE BOOK. CLICKING THE DRINK WILL ALSO TAKE YOU TO ITS PLACE IN THE THREAD AS WELL.

Just speculating as I've never tried this drink, but would a white wine with pronounced citrus flavours (for example a Reisling) be the perfect wine for this drink? Odd drink though, must be said.

Ask the person you're making the drink for! Other than that, there's no rules. I've made Martinis/Manhattans/Negronis/Daiquiris/Margaritas/etc. both on the rocks and straight up. I do have personal preferences for each of these drinks, and there are obvious historical factors as well, however that doesn't make it right nor wrong should a person wish to drink it over ice or not.

That'll have been me and Mal Spence! Highly recommend a trip to the BOLS academy in Amsterdam if you're in the area, especially now that Phil's opening his own place as well.

Review here for those interested. http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.a...843857?UserKey=

Not if you make them this way. 50ml Light rum (Havana 3, Flor de Cana 4, 10 Cane, Bacardi Superior, etc.) 25ml Fresh lime juice 2-1 sugar syrup to taste (15-20ml should suffice) 8-10 mint leaves Splash of soda Procedure - Add first four ingredients to glass, fill with crushed/cracked ice and churn. Top with crushed ice and a splash of soda Glass - Collins/highball Ice - Crushed/cracked Garnish - Lime wedge & mint sprig

I had the same belief as you, also believing that a Tom Collins should be made with Old Tom gin. Then I read this article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?.../WIHQ11I5I0.DTL And that really confused me. So I thought it only right to name the drink after the man who supposedly created the cocktail that is essentially gin, lemon juice, sugar, soda water and ice. Two things, first being that I wanted a point of difference with the menu. I tried numerous Mojitos, Daiquiris and Hemingways with a number of white rums, and the drinks with 10 Cane were as good as any I'd tried. I've selected Havana 3 as one of the rums on their back-bar, which the bartenders can use for those who prefer a Cuban-style rum We also had listing fees in place so had an obligation to use 10 Cane in some drinks on the menu. I did a few tasting sessions with the menu, and every time the stirred Tombstone was preferred to the shaken one. I also tried it with a number of whiskies (Scotch, American, Irish) and the Bailie Nicol Jarvie version was a particular favourite. Again, this offered a point of difference as scotch cocktails are really seen on drinks menus. Also, in the training of the menu, I used the Whiskey Cocktail, Old Fashioned and The Tombstone to show how one drink is fundamentally the same, but completely different at the same time. As they learnt about the Tombstone, they also learnt about the Old Fashioned and Whiskey Cocktail as well. So while I haven't stayed true to Dave's original recipe, I've just adapted it for different tastes. Thanks for your comments. The menu is intended to be a base for the bartenders to work from, so they understand the history of the cocktail, where drinks are from (Cities), the people behind the history (Bartenders), and where cocktail culture is going (Mim Recommends). The stories do feature in one of the menus we're producing. There are two menus, the first has short, snappy, straight-to-the-point descriptions, whilst the second is going to be in a book format, with loads more info on all the products available, basically a 'what's what' of the bar. It'll offer insight into everything stocked on the bar. The cocktail culture in Aberdeen is constantly evolving, with a few independent bars opening up recently and doing well. It's quite a strange city, as you've a vast number that work in the oil industry -because of this, Aberdeen has the second highest disposable income in the UK, second only to London - but at the same time there's a huge student populace that study at the cities two universities, so you've got the opposite end of the spectrum where they don't have two pennies to rub together. Obviously with the two we have a variety of different cultures and nationalities that frequent the city, so if you've got a reputation for doing something well, chances are people that are new to the city will have heard of you from colleagues, etc. With recent changes to the industry (smoking ban for example), bars have had to up their game to stay ahead of the competition, so it's no surprise to find the bars that have good beer/wine/cocktail lists, or offer food, are doing better than those that don't.

Foreword When I was first approached by Shabbi to act as a consultant for his new venture, Mim, it didn’t take me long to realise that this was exactly the sort of person I started Evo-lution to work with. From the off-set, I knew that Mim was exactly what Aberdeen needed, a bar & restaurant with the sole intention of offering a point of difference, but still focusing on what really matters, great food, great service, great music and great drinks. Anyone who’s ever been to Jewel in the Crown will know exactly why I was excited at the prospect at working with Mim. With the restaurant taking influences from around the globe, I wanted to mimic that ethos with the drinks menu, taking influences from around the world, but still creating a unique point of difference that falls in line with the restaurant offering. As Mim is the 24th letter in the Arabic alphabet, I’ve signified this number by compiling 24 cocktails that are split into three sections, ‘The Cities…’, ‘The Bartenders…’ and ‘Mim Recommends…’ each signifying all that Mim stands for. I’ve been lucky to have a few drinks given to me by some of the worlds foremost authorities on mixed drinks, and they’ve also given me a little note as to their inspiration behind them, so many thanks to them for their contributions. Those that know me know that my love for cocktails is serious, so I’ve selected what I like and what I think you should be drinking, with a selection of the finest rum, gin, vodka, tequila, cognac, scotch, bourbon, cachaca and liqueurs around. I’ve selected these brands based on their quality, consistency and the unique subtleties that they lend to the drinks you’ll find listed. As I wouldn’t want to ruin these spirits with second rate mixers and modifiers, all Mim’s juices will be squeezed fresh by hand, and syrups prepared in-house, ensuring that you’ll be drinking the freshest tasting cocktail possible. All my time and effort has gone into creating and compiling a cocktail list that I feel is right Mim. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Shabbi and his family, and I hope you enjoy the drinks on this menu as much as I’ve enjoyed compiling and creating them. Sláinte! Adam Elmegirab Evo-lution Bar Consultancy The Cities Paris, New York, London, Havana, Rio De Janiero, Florence, Kentucky… Seven cities synonymous with some of the finest cocktails ever created. I’ve selected eight of the most recognisable libations originating from these cities for your delectation. Mint Julep – Kentucky The world famous drink of the Kentucky Derby, the Mint Julep is the quintessential Deep South cocktail. Its name derives from the Arabic word ‘julab’, meaning rosewater, and is regarded by many as the pre-cursor to the Cuban Mojito. The oldest known reference was printed in 1803, where it was said it could be made with rum, whiskey and brandy, the latter two being the preferred option nowadays. Your choice of Bulleit bourbon or Hennessy Fine de Cognac, stirred through crushed ice with gently pressed fresh mint, sugar syrup and, staying true to tradition, served in a tin to keep it as cold as possible. Bloody Mary - Paris This is my version of the drink created in 1920 by Fernand Petoit at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. The drink was named by one of Petoit’s customers, entertainer Roy Barton, after the Bucket of Blood nightclub in Chicago where he once performed. The original Bloody Mary contained only vodka and tomato juice, and it wasn’t until 1933, after Petoit had moved to the United States, that the drink we know today was born. Our lighter variation on the original calls for Belvedere Cytrus vodka, shaken with fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, lemon juice, red chilli and a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper. John Collins – London Considered by many to be an English invention, this refreshing drink was created by John Collins, a waiter at Limmer’s Hotel in London. It even has its own rhyme: "My name is John Collins, headwaiter at Limmer's, Corner of Conduit Street, Hanover Square, My chief occupation is filling brimmers, For all the young gentlemen frequenters there." Tanqueray gin shaken with fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup, served over cubed ice and topped with soda. Caipirinha – Rio de Janiero Pronounced KYE-PI-REEN-YA, which translates to ‘Little Peasant’, this is a traditional Brazilian cocktail that utilises the national spirit of Brazil, Cachaca, a derivative of rum distilled from sugar cane juice. This is the drink to be sipping if you ever make it to Copacabana beach in Rio De Janiero. Sagatiba cachaca with muddled fresh lime and sugar syrup, served short over crushed ice. Mojito – Havana Arguably the most famous drink in the world and undoubtedly one of the most refreshing, the Mojito was likely invented sometime in the 1800’s after Americans introduced the Mint Julep to Cuban locals. La Bodeguita Del Medio is the bar usually credited with popularising the Mojito, and was where Ernest Hemingway could be found drinking his, “My Mojito in La Bodeguita Del Medio, my Daiquiri in El Floridita.” ‘10 Cane’ rum stirred through crushed ice with gently pressed mint, sugar syrup, fresh lime juice and a splash of soda, served long over crushed ice. Daiquiri – Havana The Daiquiri was created by Mr Jennings Cox, an American mining engineer who was working in Santiago, Cuba, in 1896. At the time, foreign visitors did not drink rum, seeing it as a drink of the lower classes. The story goes that Cox had unexpected visitors, and had nothing to hand other than rum, fresh limes and sugar, so he scrawled down a recipe using these ingredients, and named it after Daiquiri, the town that he lived in. El Floridita in Havana has since become the adopted home of the Daiquiri, largely down to Ernest Hemingway. A light, crisp mix of ‘10 Cane’ rum, fresh lime juice and sugar syrup, shaken until ice cold and served ‘straight up’ or ‘on the rocks’. Negroni – Florence This adaptation of the Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth and soda) originated in the 1920’s, after Count Camillo Negroni asked the bartender in the Casoni Bar, Florence, to remove the soda and add a good hit of gin. Thus the Negroni was born. This aperitif cocktail serves three purposes, cleansing the palate, stimulating your appetite and getting you ready for food. Truly the marmite of cocktails, you’ll either love it or hate it, with a finish as long as this list. Tanqueray, Campari and sweet vermouth stirred over ice and served ‘on the rocks’, before finishing with orange zest. Mim Martini – New York The origins of the Martini are debated the world over, although it is largely agreed that it was created at some time during the turn of the last century. The original Martini had a larger emphasis on the vermouth, and as we’re big on flavour, we make our Martini’s at a ratio of 5 to 1, that’s 5 parts gin or vodka to 1 part dry vermouth. A dash of orange bitters is also thrown in to give the drink some added depth. Your choice of Tanqueray 10 or Belvedere Pure stirred with dry vermouth and orange bitters, served straight up in a chilled cocktail glass. The Bartenders Behind every great drink, there’s a great bartender. The next eight drinks were created by some of the most influential bartenders to ever walk the Earth. From Professor Jerry Thomas, who wrote the first bar manual, ‘How to Mix Drinks (A Bartenders Guide),’ in 1862, right up to living legend Dale De Groff, aka King Cocktail and author of ‘The Craft of the Cocktail,’ I’ve reproduced a selection of mixed drinks that were always destined to be classics. Japanese Cocktail – Jerry Thomas Professor Jerry Thomas was the author of the oldest bar manual known to man, ‘How to Mix Drinks (A Bartenders Guide)’ in 1862, and is considered as the father of the cocktail. The Japanese Cocktail is one of the few drinks we know for sure he created, and was first printed in the Professor’s second book, ‘The Bartenders Guide’ published in 1887. This is a complex drink, lightly sweetened with a hint of almond and spice. Our adaptation of Jerry’s recipe uses Hennessy Fine de Cognac, fresh lemon juice, orgeat almond syrup and a dash of sugar syrup, shaken until ice cold and served straight up. Trader Vic Mai Tai – Victor Bergeron Undoubtedly one the best tasting drinks in the world, the Trader Vic Mai Tai was created by one of the forefathers of Tiki culture, Victor Bergeron, in 1944, at his Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, USA. “I was at the service bar in my Oakland restaurant. I took down a bottle of 17-year-old rum, made by J. Wray & Nephew from Jamaica; surprisingly golden in colour, medium bodied, but with the rich pungent flavour particular to the Jamaican blends. The flavour of this great rum wasn't meant to be overpowered with heavy additions of fruit juices and flavourings. I took a fresh lime, added some orange Curacao, a dash of sugar syrup, and a dollop of Orgeat, for its subtle almond flavour. A generous amount of ice and vigorous shaking by hand produced the marriage I was after. Half the lime shell went in for colour. I stuck in a branch of fresh mint and gave the two of them to Eastham and Carrie Guild, friends from Tahiti, who were there that night. Carrie took one sip and said, "Mai Tai - Roa Ae". In Tahitian this means, "Out of This World - The Best". Well, that was that. I named the drink "Mai Tai” Appleton V/X, fresh lime juice, orange Curacao, orgeat syrup and sugar syrup served short over crushed ice. Hemingway Daiquiri – Constantino Ribalagua & Ernest Hemingway The famed novelist, Ernest Hemingway, is associated with a vast array of cocktails, but none more so than the Daiquiri. Whilst Hemingway lived in Cuba he became fascinated with the Daiquiri, although it’s claimed he wasn’t a fan of sugar in his libations. To get over this problem, Constantino Ribalagua, a bartender at Hemingway's favourite haunt El Floridita, created him a Daiquiri to his own taste substituting sugar for maraschino liqueur and adding fresh white grapefruit juice to make it extremely tart. The drink was nicknamed the ‘Papa Doble’. We’ve adapted the original for the modern taste. ‘10 Cane’ rum is shaken with maraschino liqueur, sugar syrup, fresh lime and white grapefruit juices until ice cold and served straight up. The drink is then garnished with a homemade cherry that has been steeped in liqueur. Anejo Highball – Dale De Groff The world’s most famous living bartender, New York based Dale De Groff aka King Cocktail, is the author of ‘The Craft of the Cocktail’ and is regarded by many as the man responsible for the success of the Cosmopolitan. Best known for his stint at famed New York bar, the Rainbow Room, and most recently his consultancy work for the Match Bar group in London. Dale’s musings can often be found in a number of magazines and newspapers like the New York Times, Tatler, Glamour, Esquire, GQ and Marie Claire. “I created the Anejo Highball as a tribute to the great bartenders of Cuba, in particular Constantino Ribalagua from Havana’s El Floridita bar. The Anejo Highball evokes the spiciness of the Caribbean rum drinks; rum, Curacao and lime are the holy trinity of the island-rum drinks” Pampero Especial Venezuelan rum, orange Curacao, fresh lime juice and Angostura bitters, built over cubed ice and lengthened with spicy ginger beer. Bramble – Dick Bradsell If the United Kingdom was looking for their own ‘Dale De Groff’, then this is surely the man. Responsible for training some of the finest bartenders this country has to offer, Bradsell almost single-handedly revived cocktail culture in the UK at ‘Atlantic Bar & Grill’ in Soho, London in the 90’s. He is responsible for many of the modern classics including the Russian Spring Punch, Espresso Martini, Treacle and the Bramble, surely his finest drink to date. Tanqueray, fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup served short over crushed ice, finished with a float of blackberry liqueur. Jasmine – Paul Harrington A former bartender turned architect, Paul Harrington is the author of ‘The Drinks Bible for the 21st Century’. Regarded as one of America’s greatest bartenders, one of a select band that kick-started cocktail culture on the west-coast of the US. The Jasmine was created by Harrington in the 1990’s, for a regular customer named Matt Jasmine, whilst he worked at the ‘Townhouse Bar & Grill’ in Emeryville, California. Based on gin, Harrington has countered the bitter edge of Campari with Cointreau and sugar syrup, whilst fresh lemon juice keeps the drink sharp and refreshing. Tanqueray, shaken with Campari, Cointreau, fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup, served straight up and finished with orange zest. Tommy’s Margarita – Julio Bermejo You’re not a true tequila aficionado if you haven’t heard of Julio Bermejo, the tequila ambassador for the United States, described in the Wall Street Journal as “the epicentre of the tequila revolution.” Bermejo owns and operates Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco, and this is the signature drink which he created to showcase the true beauty of tequila. Bermejo has removed the orange liqueur from the traditional Margarita and replaced it with agave nectar, the natural sap of the agave plant that tequila is made from, which brings out the natural sweetness and complexities found in tequila. A generous measure of Jose Cuervo Tradicional is shaken with fresh lime juice and agave nectar, and then served ‘straight up’ or ‘on the rocks’ with no salt. The Tombstone – Dave Wondrich Dave Wondrich is widely recognised in the drinks industry as the world’s foremost authority on the history of cocktails. With his recently published book, ‘Imbibe – A Salute in Stories and Drinks to the Professor Jerry Thomas’, his work is now being recognised on a much wider scale. Wondrich gave me the recipe for ‘The Tombstone’, as well as a little insight into the origins of the drink. “I must confess that I stole this drink, but I stole it fair and square. It's really nothing more than Jerry Thomas's basic Whiskey Cocktail, but made with the Demerara sugar syrup I normally use with dark spirits. The name is to commemorate the first time this was served, which was at Jerry Thomas's grave, on the day in 2005 a group of New York bartenders and writers first discovered it.” Baillie Nicol Jarvie stirred with rich Demerara sugar syrup and a brace of dashes from both Angostura and orange bitters bottles. Served straight up and finished with lemon zest. Mim Recommends… Every restaurant & bar should have their own selection of signature cocktails that sets them apart from the rest, and in the following eight, Mim has an offering to be proud of. From Mim’s original signature cocktail, the ‘Mim Fusion’ right up to the ‘Ding Ho’, given to me by drinks historian Robert Hess, aka Drinkboy, I’m sure you’ll agree that these drinks are more than good enough. I’ll let them do the talking. Mim Fusion I’ve adapted a drink I created for a drinks competition in early 2008, which I’m now proud to call Mim’s signature cocktail. Based on Gabriel Boudier’s Saffron gin, I’ve added Grand Marnier and orange bitters to accentuate the bitter-sweet notes found in the gin, vanilla sugar syrup for sweetness, and fresh lemon juice to keep the drink sharp and refreshing. On top of this, I’ve lengthened the drink with ginger beer, offering a sweet spice hint that gives the drink yet more depth. Saffron gin, shaken with Grand Marnier, orange bitters, fresh lemon juice and vanilla sugar syrup, strained over cubed ice and lengthened with ginger beer. Ding Ho This drink was given to me by San Francisco based drinks historian, Robert Hess, and is an ideal fit with the offerings of Mim. “A few weeks back I was in ‘Chopsticks’, a little Chinese restaurant near me where they specialize in ‘Trader Vic Mai Tai’s’ made from scratch. I saw he had an unopened bottle of St. Germain elderflower liqueur on the back shelf. The owner had no idea what to do with it; he just loved the bottle and so bought it. I decided to try to make them up a ‘house specialty’ cocktail to use it in, and so tried a variation of the ‘Mai Tai’ with gin, fresh lime juice and Orgeat syrup. I named it ‘Ding Ho’, since that means in Chinese about the same thing as ‘Mai Tai’ means in Tahitian.” Tanqueray gin, shaken with St. Germain, fresh lime juice and Orgeat syrup, served short over ice. The drink is then garnished with lime and a homemade cherry that has been steeped in liqueur. Mediterranean Fizz Another drink of mine, this time influenced by tastes of the Mediterranean. For the base, I’ve used Ciroc, French vodka distilled from grapes. To accentuate the base spirit, we muddle fresh white grapes to extract their juice, a small handful of fresh basil leaves which offers a hint of pepper, vanilla sugar syrup for sweetness and fresh lemon juice to keep the drink balanced. For the final fizz element, we charge the drink with sparkling water. Ciroc vodka, shaken with fresh white grapes, basil leaves, vanilla sugar syrup and fresh lemon juice, charged with sparkling water and served long over ice. Vanilla & Coconut Lassi Lassi is a traditional Indian beverage, made by mixing yoghurt, water, spices, fruit juice and either sugar or salt. Our adaptation is of the sweetened variety on a base of rum or vodka, and is flavoured with coconut milk, vanilla sugar syrup, fresh lime juice, and a hint of spice. It’s hard to beat an ice-cold beer when accompanying hot food, but this Lassi is a fantastic alternative. Your choice of Pampero Especial rum or Smirnoff Black Label vodka, shaken with Greek yoghurt, coconut milk, fresh lime juice, vanilla sugar syrup and a hint of saffron and cardamom, served long over ice. Scotch Missed I created this drink for the first mixology competition I competed in, and won, in 2005. As it was a rum competition, the influence behind it came from classic Tiki drinks, which I tried to marry with Scottish produce, namely preservatives and whisky. I’ve adapted it for Mim, with the base still being rum, but mellowed with fresh white grapefruit juice, orange marmalade, a dash or two of Angostura bitters and Orgeat syrup. The drink is then finished with flamed cinnamon and a sprig of mint. The name came about as I’d tried to work some Scotch into the recipe, with no success. Pampero Especial rum stirred through crushed ice with fresh white grapefruit juice, orange marmalade, Orgeat syrup and Angostura bitters, served short over crushed ice. Pont Des Arts This is my variation on the classic Champagne Cocktail, consisting of a sugar cube, Angostura bitters and Champagne. Staying true to the original, I’ve adapted the recipe to offer a more aromatic, complex drink with the addition of St. Germain elderflower liqueur, orange, vanilla and a hint of subtle spice, which helps soften the drink and give it more depth. The name came about as I was creating the drink. A song called Pont Des Arts, by one of my favourite bands St. Germain, began playing in the background. I looked into what it meant and found it to be a bridge in Paris, making it the perfect name for a drink consisting of French ingredients. A sugar cube soaked in orange bitters is dropped into a Champagne flute, before adding Hennessy Fine de Cognac and St. Germain, before lengthening with sparkling wine and lemon zest. White Orchid The original White Orchid is a drink I discovered around 3-4 years ago, but for the life of me I cannot remember where. Over the years it’s a drink that I’ve adapted and found to be extremely popular in Aberdeen, whenever I’ve had someone ask for an off-menu drink. An extremely complex drink based on citrus vodka, it hits all the right spots with its main flavour notes being a mix of lemon, orange, vanilla and a hint of chocolate liqueur. The simplest way to describe it would be a floral, sweet taste similar to that of lemon meringue. Belvedere Cytrus, shaken until ice-cold with Cointreau, white cacao, fresh lemon juice and vanilla sugar syrup, served straight up in a chilled cocktail glass and garnished with an edible flower. Spiced Whisky Smash Around 2005, I came across a fantastic drink in London called a ‘Fuego Manzana’ (rum, fresh apple, chilli syrup and lime juice). This inspired me to create a similar drink recognising my background, with Scottish and middle-eastern influences, that would work on its own or as an accompaniment to a variety of dishes. I’ve always been a fan of spiced cuisine, having been brought up with middle-eastern food, so I just had to work out a way of softening the kick of the red chilli I wished to use. Glenmorangie Original has predominant notes of orange and honey, tastes that are prevalent in a number of Asian and middle-eastern dishes and often used to mellow the kick of chilli. With the addition of fresh muddled orange and honey, the ‘Spiced Whisky Smash’ was born. Fresh orange wedges are muddled with honey and diced de-seeded red chilli, before adding a large helping of Glenmorangie Original, then churning through crushed ice.

Okay, here's a little info first: There's two sets of descriptions, as we're producing two menus. The first menu has short, snappy descriptions, whilst the second drinks menu will be in 'book' format, with longer descriptions and more info on the drinks on sale in the bar-restaurant. I'll keep you posted on this as it's developing... The bar-restaurant is called Mim (pronounced - MEEM), which is the 24th letter of the Arabic alphabet, and means relax/chill. I've signified this by compiling a list of 24 drinks, split in three sections. The food menu takes influences from all around the world and offers a variety of dishes like curries, sushi, noodle bowls, fish & chips, homemade burgers, soups, and so on, so forth, with its main influences taken from far-eastern/middle-eastern cuisine. I've taken this ideology and transferred it onto the bar, so we're making all our own syrups, brandied cherries, etc, reviving the culinary aspect of bartending. The first section is called 'The Cities', featuring 8 drinks from some of the worlds most influential cocktail cities (Havana x 2, London, New York, Paris, Florence, Kentucky and Rio De Janeiro). The second section is called 'The Bartenders', featuring eight drinks created by eight of the world's most foremost drinks authorities (Jerry Thomas, Constantino Ribalagua, Paul Harrington, Dale De Groff, Victor Bergeron, Dick Bradsell, Dave Wondrich and Julio Bermejo). The third section is called 'Mim Recommends', with eight new drinks that showcase the culinary aspect of bartending, utilising a variety of herbs/spices/flavours, complimenting the food on offer.

I've just completed a drinks menu for a consultancy I'm working on for a new bar-restaurant that's opened near me in Aberdeen, and just wondered if you lovely people would like me to post it up here to have a look at? I had contributions from Robert Hess, Dave Wondrich and Dale De Groff which I've used for the menu, and also had a contribution from Gary Regan but I didn't think it was right for the menu. It will be included in the second menu we're producing.

Between the Sheets?

I guess this is really an extension of the 'national drinks' thread, and came about as I couldn't pin down a particular drink to France (more-so Paris). I don't think it's so much what Parisiennes drink, but more the mixed drink that the world associates with Paris. As Paris has played an important part in the history of mixed drinks, I would've thought that at least 1 drink would've jumped out as THE Parisienne drink, but nothing has struck me as an obvious choice. I think it's just me, but there's surely one drink. Surely? The Bloody Mary, whilst reputed to have been invented in Paris, didn't really come to life until Petoit went to the States and improved the recipe in 1933, if we're being honest. I still class this as a Parisienne drink, with it being created by a Frenchman, in Paris, although later adapted in the States. The French 75 was supposedy created in Paris, but as with a number of MacElhone drinks, he then credits the drink to Malachy Macgarry of the Bucks Club in London. Isn't there also some sort of link with the French 75 and America, as they were also using the same field gun as the French, and the British weren't? The Sidecar is the drink I'm leaning toward at the moment. Not just because of its history, but because of its ingredients which are wholly French (brandy and Cointreau). The story about the chaffeur driven army captain completes the drink for me. As usual with MacElhone though, he then decides to credit Macgarry with the drink.