Passion Fruit Collins
A variation of the classic Tom Collins, the addition of granadilla pulp gives an exotic twist to one of the great gin cocktails.
35ml Gin
15ml Fresh lemon juice
15ml Brown sugar syrup*
50ml Granadilla pulp Soda
Combine all ingredients except the soda in a Collins glass. Fill glass with crushed ice. Churn well with a spoon, top with soda. Garnish with a ring of granadilla shell and a sprig of fresh mint.
Kingston Colada
A twist on the old school pina Colada, this version uses coconut water rather than coconut cream to create a refreshing variation. Use a flavourful light or gold rum – dark might overpower the other flavours.
35ml Rum
35ml Coconut water
50ml Pineapple juice
2 dash Angostura Bitters Squeeze of fresh lime
Combine all ingredients in a whiskey glass over ice. Stir well and garnish with a wedge of fresh pineapple.
Serrano
Campari gives this citrusfocused cocktail a slightly bitter, delicious edge. perfect if you are looking
for a less sweet, but equally refreshing aperitif.
35ml Vodka
15ml Campari
15ml Lemoncello
15ml Sugar syrup*
35ml Orange juice
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice and shake well and double strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a twist of lime peel.
El Diablo
Tequila doesn’t have to give you chills. It pairs perfectly with the blackcurrant flavours of Crème de Cassis to provide one of the easiest ways to enjoy tequila you’re likely to find.
35ml Tequila (Use a 100 percent agave brand)
15ml Fresh lime juice
15ml Crème de Cassis Top with ginger ale/beer
Combine ingredients in a Collins (tall) glass over ice. Garnish with a wedge of lime, squeezed and dropped into the drink.
*Sugar syrup
A staple of many good cocktails, it’s an easy way to add sweetness. Combine two parts sugar (brown or white) with one part water in a pot or saucepan. Bring to boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Keep it in a glass bottle in your fridge (for up to two weeks).
Raising The Bar
Ryan Duvenage is the South African National Cocktail Champion and a trainer for the Barcode Bar Academy. The four cocktails featured are his favourites, and his tips below will ensure you make cocktails with spirit:
1. Quality matters. Use the best quality liquor you can afford. You’ll taste the difference between a
decent brand and that dodgy bottle of something you found at the back of the cupboard.
2. Since you’re using decent booze, don’t go and ruin it by skimping on the rest of the ingredients.
Fresh fruit and juices, fresh ice and the correct glassware go a long way to making a good drink.
3. Lime cordial and lime juice are not the same. Freshly squeezed lime and lemon juices add balance to cocktails and a “brightness” that you won’t get from substitutes.
4. Measure your ingredients. Think of cocktails like baking a cake – too much or too little of something and it’s going to flop.
5. shake your cocktails well. The act of shaking is not all for show. There’s some pretty complex
scientific principles going on in your shaker – do them justice by shaking properly.
6. Don’t be scared of ice. It’s not in there by accident or personal preference. You actually need it to make the drink taste like it should.
7. Pick the right drink for the right time. Don’t whip up a round of Bloody Mary’s as an after-dinner
nightcap or a Hot Buttered Rum for your friends on the beach. Look at ingredients, style, temperature
and occasion and choose a drink that fits.
