Make mine a large Gravy Sour cocktail!
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The best thing about Boxing Day is the leftovers. Right about now you may be devouring your second turkey sandwich with a curry bubbling away on the stove and a mince pie ready to go with a big dollop of brandy butter.
But how about drinking your leftovers instead — by way of a festive cocktail? No, we’re not suggesting Brussels sprout Bellinis but simply using your leftover sauces to add a little something extra to your tipple.
‘With costs rising, more and more people are mixing their own cocktails at home,’ says Adrian Gonzalez Parrondo, bar manager at London’s Kensington Hotel and K Bar. ‘Customers are increasingly asking me for the cocktail recipes so they can recreate them. They’re being more creative, too, experimenting with more adventurous flavours and ingredients.’
So instead of leaving that jar of cranberry sauce at the back of the fridge until next Christmas, add some gin and sparkling wine and voila — a cranberry cocktail far more exciting than your usual Cosmo.
But how about drinking your leftovers instead — by way of a festive cocktail? (Pictured: But how about drinking your leftovers instead — by way of a festive cocktail?)
From Chutney Martinis to Gravy Sours (yes, really!), here Adrian offers Inspire readers five exclusive recipes for leftovers cocktails . . .
FESTIVE FIX-UP
‘This fresh spritz is a great drink to start with,’ says Adrian. ‘If you don’t have English sparkling wine, you can use any fizz you have. If you like your drinks that bit sweeter, add an extra teaspoon of sugar.’
ingredients
l 50 ml gin
l 25 ml lemon juice
l 15 ml of port
l 2 tsp cranberry sauce
l 2 tsp white sugar
l English sparkling wine
method: Mix the above, shake with ice, decant into a glass using a sieve and top up with English sparkling wine over ice.
VERDICT: The cranberry sauce gives this a lovely pinkish tinge. The sharpness of the lemon wonderfully offsets the sweet sauce and sugar. This slips down worryingly easily.
GRAVY SOUR
‘I had potatoes in mind when I created this one,’ Adrian tells us. ‘You can cook them with rosemary and lemon and serve with gravy. I thought, why not bring that concept to a drink?’ Before you turn your nose up, bear with us.
ingredients
l 50 ml whisky
l 25 ml lemon juice
l 3 tsp white sugar
l 1 tsp of gravy
l 5 rosemary sprigs
l 1 egg white
Method: Dry shake first (shake without ice to emulsify), then shake with ice. Serve in a short glass with ice.
VERDICT: The teaspoon of gravy means there’s only a savoury hint which adds richness with a pleasant umami aftertaste. If you’re a Whisky Sour fan, give this a go. Trust us, you’ll be drinking your words.
BRANDY ALSANDER
‘This is my version of a Brandy Alexander,’ says Adrian, ‘but as we’re using Baileys or Irish Cream, I’ve used the Irish spelling of the name, Alsander.’
ingredients
l 50 ml brandy
l 20 ml Irish Cream or Baileys
l 2 full tsp soft brandy butter
Method: Shake with ice and serve in a cocktail glass garnished with grated nutmeg on top.
VERDICT: Rich and creamy with the brandy butter adding a touch of sweetness, this is the ‘dessert’ of Christmas drinks. It’s heavy so best to leave to the end-of-your cocktail tasting.
AFTERNOON MARTINI
This is a twist on a Breakfast Martini, made famous by master mixologist Salvatore Calabrese, who designed the menu for the Donovan Bar in Mayfair. Instead of his orange marmalade, add any leftover fruit chutney from your festive cheeseboard.
ingredients
l 50 ml of vodka
l 25 ml orange juice
l 2 bar spoons fruit chutney
l 1 pinch salt
Method: Muddle together, strain and pour over ice, served in a short glass.
VERDICT: Perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth but, if you want more of a sour taste, add lemon or extra salt.
CHRISTMAS SPICE
Inspired by a Penicillin cocktail — no we didn’t know that was a thing either! — with lemon, honey and ginger, this is a great immune-booster if you’re feeling a bit rundown post-Christmas. Like it extra spicy? Adrian suggests adding a light dusting of chilli powder.
ingredients
l 50 ml whisky
l 25 ml lemon juice
l 3 tsp of honey
l 1 tsp of chilli sauce
l 3 slices of ginger
Method: Shake and serve in a short glass with ice.
VERDICT: This is called spice for a reason as it’s got a real kick and will certainly wake you up for Boxing Day charades. All the benefits of a ginger shot but much more fun.
Adrian’s top tips:
- Double-strain your drinks to make them as smooth as possible.
- No cocktail shaker? Simply add ice — I recommend four cubes per drink — and mix it up in a blender.
- Don’t over shake. Lots of people make this mistake to try to look impressive, but it destroys the ice and gets rid of the fizz.
READ MORE:
From Aperol spritz to a twist on the classic G&T, six of the best cocktails to make at home this summer
Shaken AND stirred! Delicious summer cocktail recipes you’ll LOVE (plus, how to make your garden your favourite place to hang out!)
The ultimate Aussie drink: Genius cocktail recipe using Paddle Pop Cyclone iceblocks is shared by thousands on TikTok
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