The Cocktail Lovers were spreading the cocktail love on JoAnne Good’s Radio London show this evening. In between bigging up the vibrant bar scene in the capital we created two drinks with gin and rhubarb inspired by springtime in London.
Recipes
Good Times
A deliciously tangy celebratory cocktail charged with English sparkling wine
40ml gin*
15ml fresh lemon juice
25ml rhubarb liqueur*
20ml homemade rhubarb syrup*
1 barspoon rhubarb and ginger preserve*
4 dashes rhubarb bitters*
English sparkling wine*
Method:
Shake first six ingredients together over ice. Stir to make sure preserve is evenly distributed. Double strain into champagne flute. Top up with a float of sparkling wine (approx 20ml).
TCL Rhubarb Martini
A fresh spring take on the Breakfast Martini
40ml gin*
20ml fresh lemon juice
20ml Rhubarb Liqueur*
1 barspooon Rhubarb & Ginger liqueur*
Edible rose petal to garnish*
Method:
Shake over ice. Stir to make sure preserve is distributed evenly. Double strain and serve in a cold martini glass
*Where to find the ingredients
Gin:
We won’t lie, you can use any gin but we went for Sacred, a delicious organic gin hand distilled from Ian Hart’s kitchen table in Highgate. Not only does it have a smooth, creamy taste, we love it for its bona fide London credentials.
Rhubarb Liqueur:
Seek out the tall, slim, elegant bottle from Chase Distillery, a proudly British company producing this gorgeous liqueur combining fresh fruit and spirit made from potatoes grown on its farm.
Rhubarb Bitters:
One of nine cocktail flavourings available in the Fee Brothers range of bitters including peach, mint and cherry.
All above ingredients available in-store or online at: Gerry’s Wines & Sprits, 74 Old Compton Street, W1D 4UW. gerrys.uk.com
Rhubarb & Ginger Preserve:
We used Tiptree‘s version, available from Waitrose.
English Sparkling Wine:
Seriously good sparkling wines to rival the bubbly made in France are being produced right here in Blighty. Chapel Down, Nyetimber and Ridgeview Estate are all highly recommended. Seek them out in larger branches of Waitrose.
Edible Rose Petals:
Add a flourish to your cocktails with this amazing selection of edible flower petals, available online and delivered next day by uncleroys.co.uk.
Rhubarb Syrup:
Make your own by chopping two sticks of rhubarb into 1″ pieces. Place in a pan and cover with 1 cup of water, two tablespoons of caster sugar and a dash of vanilla extract. Bring to the boil and simmer until the rhubarb is mushy. Leave to cool then strain through a piece of muslin into an airtight jar. The liquid will keep for a few days in the fridge.
Our pick of the best London bars for gin-based cocktails
If you’d prefer to get someone else to do the shaking and making, here’s our selection of a few great bars serving fabulous gin-based cocktails right here in the capital:
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6 Responses
Loved you on Radio London today.
Thanks Sharon, we enjoyed every minute of it, Joanne is fabulous! Hope you’ll try the recipes at home
Mr G and Mrs S, Great Radio session on Monday. Sounded like great fun, and the cocktails were going down a treat. Will give these a go at our first summer BBQ!
Glad you enjoyed it, the TCL Rhubarb Martini went down a treat!
Thank you for the kind words – and we’re thrilled you love the rhubarb cocktail