Red Wine…. More than just a wine.

I love a nice drop of red, and for a while now, I've been playing around with the use of wine in cocktails. So whilst doing some research, I came across a couple of recipes which I had too make. The first was a home made red wine sorbet which I came across in one of Jamie Oliver's cookbook's.  Red wine being a drink which is usually served at room temperature, I was curious to see how refreshing this would be served sweetened and frozen. Like most Jamie Oliver recipes, this is a simple concoction. I mixed together red wine, lemon juice, lemonade and sugar syrup. You need to make sure this is stirred together well and pour into a few containers and then freeze. Due to the alcohol content,  this takes a little bit longer to freeze. The result is a refreshing summer dish which I like to serve in a martini glass and finish with a sprig of mint. I made this for my work colleagues and the response was quite positive. Even for the "non red wine drinkers", this goes down a treat. The refreshing citrus flavours of the lemon juice and lemonade takes the edge off the spicy qualities of the red wine. 

Another recipe which caught my eye was a "Merlot Martini". I've made many martinis in the past which used rose wine, sauvignon blanc, champagne, etc, but this was a unique cocktail which I was keen to try. The merlot martini starts with muddling 5 - 6 fresh red grapes, followed by 30ml of merlot, then 15ml cognac, 15ml Chambord and 15ml Creme de Cassis (blackcurrant liqueur). Add ice to your shaker glass and shake all ingredients together. Double strain into a martini glass and garnish with a strawberry. The cocktail is rich and sweet. The sweetness of the chambord and the creme de cassis work well together, and the dryness and smokey finish of the red wine and the cognac balanced it out nicely which makes this cocktail easy to drink. Having said that it, it does suit the sweet tooth, more so than the dry spirit drinker.

"Red Wine Sorbet”

Serves 6

300ml Sugar Syrup

300ml Red wine

300ml Lemonade

The juice of 1 lemon

“The Merlot Martini"

In a shaker glass:

Muddle 5 - 6 red grapes 

30ml Merlot Wine

15ml Cognac

15ml Chambord

15ml Creme de Cassis

Add ice and shake well

Double strain into a Martini Glass

Sipping Bramble’s at the “Gherkin"

When you walk the streets of London, you see and learn the history of famous buildings, places and other landmarks. Places like the famous clock tower (“Big Ben”), was opened in 1858. Even older is Buckingham Palace, which was built in 1705. Then there is Westminster Abbey, which has been around since 1245. I could go on and on, but basically, the architecture in London is steeped in history. It seems like every building you look at always involves detailed stone carvings and fine decoration. So when you find yourself staring at a building that is not even 10 years old, and it’s shaped like a gherkin, You can’t miss it.  It stands out like a sore thumb. A smooth curved building which consists of almost entirely glass and standing 40 floors high, 180 metres tall. It is quite impressive. We decided on one of our day trips to London to visit the famous “Gherkin” and to check out a bar that was inside.

The bar was located at the base of the building and we found a nice spot outside to sit. After we spent a few moments looking up at the giant structure we decided to consult the cocktail menu. The menu consisted of all the classics. One of the classics on the menu was the ‘Bramble’. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a classic Bramble and being a cocktail that was invented in London, this was the perfect opportunity to order one. The Bramble was invented in 1984 by Dick Bradsell at Fred’s Club located in the Soho district of London. It a simple mixture of Gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and blackberry liqueur.

To make this drink you shake together with ice 45ml gin, 15ml lemon juice and a dash of sugar syrup. Traditionally this cocktail is served in a short spirit glass, but it can be served in a tall glass. Finish the drink with a drizzle of blackberry liqueur (Chambord or Creme de Mure work great). Garnish with either a slice of lemon or a blackberry.

The Bramble is a simple but very refreshing drink.  Cara and I had a great afternoon, sipping on a classic London cocktail and admiring a modern London icon.



"The Bramble"
In a Shaker add,
45ml Gin
15ml Lemon Juice
A Dash of Sugar Syrup
Shake and pour into your glass
Drizzle a dash of Chambord or Creme De Mure over the top, Garnish with either a Lemon Slice or a Blackberry

The Queens Boulevard

South Australia is famous all over the world for it fantastic wine regions. So as my first post on this blog, i can think of no better way to start than to pay tribute to my home state of SA and share with you one of my most popular cocktail creations, The Queens Boulevard.

Rockford winery in the Barossa valley, is well known for its famous Alicante' Bouchet, A rose' which uses grenache as the main grape. It's a grape that is soft, lightly coloured yet full flavoured. It's main characteristics are strawberries and raspberries. There are not to many people around who can't drink this wine. It appeals to the masses, so it was a perfect starting point when creating this drink.

To compliment the Rockford rose', i chose to use Chambord black raspberry liqueur. Chambord is a french liqueur. It's legend began in 1685, when King Louis XIV visited Chateau Chambord. There he enjoyed a sweet liqueur made from wild black raspberries.  Today Chambord is an iconic liqueur, used in many different cocktails by bartenders all over the world.

So after 30ml of Rockford Alicante', and 30ml of Chambord, i had a nice combination of flavours, but something was lacking. I needed a 3rd dimension in this cocktail. I turned to vanilla. One of my favourite desserts is the classic vanilla slice, so maybe i was a bit bias when i decided to add vanilla to this drink, but it did finish it off nicely. just a dash (15ml) of Absolut vanilla vodka.

Combine these 3 ingredients into a shaker, add some sugar syrup and the juice of half a lime and shake together with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass and serve.

I find this drink to be perfect for the sweet tooth. It's very rich and full bodied. It is also very attractive and elegant to hold. It makes other people in a bar look at what your drinking and often entices them to order one too.

Hope you enjoy the Queens Boulevard

30ml Rockford Alicante Bouchet Rose'
30ml Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
15ml Absolut Vanilla Vodka
Dash of lime juice
Dash of sugar syrup
Add ice, shake and strain into a chilled martini glass