DUBLIN COCKTAIL FESTIVAL 2014

Upstairs@KinaraKitchen is one of 25 venues taking part in the first Cocktail Festival to hit this fair city. From today, customers can buy wristbands for €5 and this will allow them to receive a 30% discount on selected cocktails in various Venus across the city.

Our cocktail is called Smokey Robinson and will be available at the reduced price of 9.95 for the week, to writ and holders only. Normally it is 14.95 so this is an excellent opportunity to taste this delicious concoction.

It contains, Ron Zacapa 23yr Solera rum from Guatemala, sweet vermouth, Orange Curaçao, Maraschino liqueur, chocolate bitters and finished with a hickory smoke.

Wristbands can be bought in any of the participating outlets.

Take advantage of the week and sample some of what Dublin's finest cocktail bartenders have to offer....

More info can be found by emailing us on upstairs@kinarakitchen.ie

Cocktail of the week:- Turkish Delight

35mls Vanilla Vodka
25mls Creme de Cacao White
20mls Rose Syrup
Rosewater spray(3 sprays)

Method:- Add all ingredients except the rosewater to a shaker with ice. Shake well, strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a rose petal if available

Happy Easter!

Cocktail of the Week:- Casino

35mls Old Tom Gin
17.5mls Maraschino liqueur
17.5mls fresh lemon juice
17.5mls sugar syrup
2 dashes Orange bitters

Method:- Shake and strain into an Old Fashioned Glass filled with cubed ice
Garnish with lemon and mint sprig

Notes: - like an Aviation but with an orange twist instead of Violette. Really nice!

Is in the Savoy Book but I found it in Imbibe magazine also.

Must use Old Tom gin!!!!!!!

Cocktail of the week :- Lychee Rose

35mls London Dry Gin
17.5mls Lychee liqueur
50mls Grapefruit juice

Shake

Strain into a martini glass

Spray with rosewater

Garnish with a Rose petal

Where to buy? :-

Lychee liqueur:- Celtic Whiskey Shop
Rose Syrup:- Fallon and Byrne or Celtic Whiskey shop
Rosewater :- make sure and get the edible kind
Which Gin to use? We really like Geranium Gin(Celtic Whiskey Shop) which has a wonderfully floral aroma and works so well with the Rose aromas!

Cocktail of the week:- St Charles Punch

Our cocktail of the week this week is a St Charles Punch, taken from Jerry Thomas' 1862 book, The Bon Vivant

35mls VS Cognac
35mls Ruby Port
25mls fresh lemon juice
15mls sugar syrup

Method:- Shaken

Glass:- Martini Glass

Garnish:-Lemon zest, squeeze over and discard

Comment:- This is delicious! Taking the popular Irish tipple of Brandy & Port and giving it a cocktail makeover of sorts with the simple addition of fresh lemon and sugar. Definitely try this at home.

For a treat use VSOP Cognac and LBV(late bottled vintage) Port

Happy New Year people!

We at Mixologic would like to wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

We promise to be more active on the blog this year! We will have some recipes coming up and also news of what's going on in the Irish Cocktail Scene.

See you all soon!

Ps in the meantime here is a recipe we sold at Kinara Kitchen last night, called Chand Nim(a Pakistani phrase used to wish people well for the new year) it contained , Ceylon Arrack, fresh lemon, lemon bitters, Orgeat syrup and topped with chilled with Champagne. Enjoy!

DERBY DAY MINT JULEPS

As it was Derby weekend in Kentucky, and we were making Juleps at the weekend. We decided to give you a few tips on how to make a delicious mint julep for yourself.......


1) Take a Julep cup and put about 12-15 mint leaves in the bottom of it
2) Add 15mls sugar syrup(we prefer syrup to granules as you get more fuller flavoured drink using syrup)
3)Muddle to extract flavour out of the mint
4)Fill the Julep cup with crushed ice
5)Add 50mls of your favourite bourbon and churn until the outside of the cup is starting to frost

6)Add a little more crushed ice and garnish with 3/4 mint sprigs bunched together beside a straw. (this way, with every sip you get the wonderful aroma of the fresh mint)
7) Enjoy.........responsibly of course. :-)


These delicious drinks can of course be made in a glass if you don't have a Julep cup, but there is something special about sipping out of an ice cold drinking vessel that adds to the magic of this cocktail.


They can be purchased at www.cocktailkingdom.com

The Imposters

An interesting read from Mr Wondrich....

The Imposters

EASTER COCKTAIL RECIPES

Ok, so the bars are closed here in Ireland on Good Friday, so.....what to do??????

Here is a couple of recipes for you to try:-

AFRICAN ALEXANDER
25mls Hennessy VS
25mls Amarula Cream Liqueur
25mls Creme de Cacao Dark
25mls fresh cream

Method:- Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Add ice. Shake well and double strain into a chilled martini glass/coupette. Dust with grated nutmeg..

Deliciously rich,creamy and chocolatey it is the perfect cocktail for chocolate lovers. A fruity twist on the classic cocktail Brandy Alexander.

And for you none cream lovers..........

CHERRY MANHATTAN
60mls Woodford Reserve Bourbon
20mls Martini Rosso
5mls Cherry syrup
1 drop angostura bitters

Method:- Pour the bourbon, Martini Rosso and syrup to a mixing glass with ice. Add a dash of bitters and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a Maraschino infused cherry.

Enjoy!! Oh and  Happy Easter!!!!

BOLS FOAMS NOW IN IRELAND

During a training sesison in Dundalk last week I spotted what I thought were quite dinky minitaure bottles of Bols liqueurs only to discover that they were actually Bols Foams.

Available in the following flavours:-

BLUE CURACAO
BANANA
CREME DE CASSIS
AMARETTO
CREME DE MENTHE GREEN
CREME DE CACAO WHITE

You can get them from Barry and Fitzwilliam 021-4320900 or 01-6671755

I used a couple of them and found them easy to use, the foam lasted ages and tasted great. My only drawback would be the selection of flavours avilable. But if they take off, I am sure they will work on other flavours.

Oh and because of the small amount that comes out with each pump, covering the top of a martini cocktail takes a little time.

Keep your drinks in champagne flutes and highballs for now :-)  but definitely worth a trial!!!!!!