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Top 10
Ten cocktail recipes for October
Now that the warm weather is (for the most part) behind us, it’s time to turn your attention to cocktails best enjoyed shacked up in the comfort of your home – ideally with these 10 serves.
Considering its officially snuggle up on the sofa in front of the TV season, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best serves that will keep you nice and warm over the colder months, from heady Halloween-themed potions to pumpkin spice and hot cocktails.
Still pretending it’s summer? Check out our recommended recipes from August and September.
Do you have a cocktail recipe you’d like featured in next month’s round up? Get in touch at info@thespiritsbusiness.com.
Espress-ghoul Martini
This smooth spin on an Espresso Martini, shaken with Irish Shanky’s Whip, makes for an ideal grown-up Halloween treat.
Ingredients:
- 50ml Vodka
- 35ml Shanky’s Whip Irish whiskey liqueur
- 25ml Freshly brewed espresso
Method: Add all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice, shake hard and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with coffee beans.
Paloma Noches
A winter take on the Mexican classic.
Ingredients:
- 25ml Cazcabel Blanco
- 25ml Cazcabel Coffee
- 20ml Pink grapefruit juice
- 12.5ml Lime juice
- 150ml Grapefruit soda
Method: Fill a highball glass with cubed ice, shake the Blanco, Cazcabel Coffee, pink grapefruit and lime juice together and strain into the glass. Top with grapefruit soda and garnish with a grapefruit slice.
RataFashioned
Simone Cuppari at DeGusto has created a perfumed cocktail with a spicy and smoky finish, as part of The London Bourbon Experience.
Ingredients:
- 50ml Rebel 100 Kentucky Straight Bourbon
- 15ml Ratafia
- 10ml Demerara syrup
- 3 drops of Islay whisky
Method: Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, stir well, and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry.
Silent Pool Pumpgin Spice Cocktail
Autumn and pumpkin spice are made for each other, especially within this gin-based serve from Silent Pool.
Ingredients
- 50ml Silent Pool Gin
- 25ml Lemon juice
- 15ml Pumpkin spice syrup
- 10ml Sugar syrup
Method: Shake and double strain into a Nick and Nora glass.
The Loving Lavender
A serve based on lavender, a symbol of femininity, acknowledgement and devotion, which has a smoky smell and a floral, minty taste.
Ingredients:
- 50ml Mataroa Mediterranean Dry Gin
- 45ml Lavender cordial
- 15ml Lime juice
Method: First, to make the lime cordial, sous vide the following ingredients at 55oC for three hours: 500ml water 300ml fresh organic pomegranate juice 1kg sugar 7.5g lavender 100g pistachio paste, and then add 3% of citric acid per litre of product. After, stir together with lime juice and the gin.
Sunny Day
Blissfully ignore how cold it’s getting outside with this lower alcohol serve that smells like fields of rosemary in Provence, and apricot trees.
Ingredients:
- 30ml St-Rémy Signature
- 20ml Apricot liquor
- 30ml Verjus
- 10ml Agave syrup
- 120ml Sparkling water
Method: Pour the St-Rémy Signature, apricot liquor, verjus and agave syrup into a tumbler glass, then fill with ice, top with sparkling water and stir. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.
Hot Rum Symphony
This toasty creation from the The Artisan Drinks Company is worth making a song and dance about.
Ingredients:
- 50ml Spiced rum
- 10ml Vanilla syrup
- Star anise and a cinnamon stick
- 200ml can of The Artisan Drinks Co Fiery Ginger Beer
- Orange wedge
Method: Pop the ingredients into a pan to warm up – until you can see whisks of smoke rising from the liquid. Garnish with a dried orange wedge, a cinnamon stick and cinnamon powder.
Kah Ghoul’s Gold
Get into the spirit of Day of the Dead with this Tequila-based cocktail. Add absinthe if you dare.
Ingredients:
- 25ml Kah Tequila Blanco
- 10ml Fresh lime juice
- 25ml Cointreau
- 5ml Simple syrup (optional)
- 2 dashes of Absinthe (optional)
- Lemon wedge
Method: Put all ingredients into a shaker with plenty of ice. Shake and strain into a glass and garnish with the lemon wedge.
NY Juniper Sour
Aviation Gin has released a few cocktails to help ease you into autumn, including this cosy sip.
Ingredients:
- 45ml Aviation American Gin
- 30ml Lemon juice
- 20ml Ginger syrup
- Red wine
Method: Combine all ingredients except red wine into cocktail shaker with ice. Shake, then strain into a rocks glass with ice. Carefully top with red wine.
Kaua’i Spice Mulled Wine
Created by Sarah Stephens of Foraging for Cocktails, Koloa Rum envision the perfect scenario for this as being ‘snug in a weighted blanket on your porch, stargazing and sipping’.
Ingredients:
- 1 (750ml) bottle of Pinot Noir
- 355ml Kōloa Kaua‘i Spice Rum
- 180ml Local honey (Mānoa Honey is suggested)
- 120ml Tangerine juice
- 20 Cinnamon leaves
- 10 Allspice leaves
Method: Heat ingredients over medium heat in a saucepan until warm. Serve in a mug and garnish with tangerine wheels, cinnamon leaves, and allspice.