Because I have a spreadsheet I can report that my top 10 (in order of appearance) would be as below.
1. The Jungle Bird
2. The Short Rib
3. The Trinidad Sour
4. The English Martini
5. The Fig Leaf Old Fashioned
6. The Breakfast Martini
7. Clarified Milk Punch
8. The Clover Club
9. The Strawberry Shrub
10. The Vampiro
I'm generally drawn to those that were a) unusual or at least new to me b) involved a bit of effort/foraging and c) just hit the spot on the particular week - and sometime all 3.
Ooh, we come back to quite a few. The Jungle Bird and the Fig Leaf Old Fashioned (every year I regret not making even more fig leaf syrup), the Brown Derby, the Chet Baker … my husband loves the Suffering Bastard and the Old Cuban, I prefer the Boulevardier and the Rob Roy. Evidently you can bait a Sophie Trap with red vermouth and whisky. Planning to buy some Crème de Banane after that Cabinet post on it and I suspect the Banana Rum OF will make it onto the list too.
And I love the playlists. So good to have some new Friday or Saturday evening music to put on which does not involve making decisions, so an extra thanks for that!
A few of my favourites so far - The Jungle Bird, The Ramos Gin Fizz (although I sometimes go for just a normal gin fizz, because the Ramos is too much of a faff - but it’s so much better!…), Tommy’s Margarita (probably the cocktail I make more often, and always a success when we have friends over), the Jasmine (love it!), the Clover Club (already a favourite from the book edition of The Spirits)… and probably a few others that I’m forgetting. I should really start a spreadsheet!…
Fleurs du Mal, with NY Distilling Co’s Dorothy Parker rose petal-infused gin and a tiny drop of rosewater 🥀 - sweet-tart, delicately floral with the faintest whisper of rose essence. A lovely drink that’s been added to the rotation!
I finally got myself a bottle of Creme de Banane. So good. Feared it might be a bit sickly, like a cheap banana milk shake, but it has the glorious taste of baked bananas. Obviously excellent in the Banana Rum Old Fashioned but also works a treat in a Daiquiri (50ml rum, 15ml lime juice, 10ml creme de banane - sometimes 15ml... why not? - and 5ml sugar syrup). Otherwise, let's not forget the Vesper.
The one I have most successfully surprised people with is the Green Park, I think. It's the basil suprise that gets them.
My main loves are the absinthe ones, French Pearl, Corpse Reviver #2 and Fleurs du Mal (which I made for Eurovision last weekend), and for some reason also the New York Sour which is a very different vibe but I adore.
But you have converted me to pineapple juice cocktails and winter has been cheered by a Jungle Bird and occasional Pina Colada. I'm now looking forward to fruit season and re-encountering the Strawberry Shrub, Watermelon Negroni, Paloma (yes, possibly even the Canteloupe Frappe). Those are the recipes I'd probably never have tried without this joyful newsletter.
Because I have a spreadsheet I can report that my top 10 (in order of appearance) would be as below.
1. The Jungle Bird
2. The Short Rib
3. The Trinidad Sour
4. The English Martini
5. The Fig Leaf Old Fashioned
6. The Breakfast Martini
7. Clarified Milk Punch
8. The Clover Club
9. The Strawberry Shrub
10. The Vampiro
I'm generally drawn to those that were a) unusual or at least new to me b) involved a bit of effort/foraging and c) just hit the spot on the particular week - and sometime all 3.
Ooh, we come back to quite a few. The Jungle Bird and the Fig Leaf Old Fashioned (every year I regret not making even more fig leaf syrup), the Brown Derby, the Chet Baker … my husband loves the Suffering Bastard and the Old Cuban, I prefer the Boulevardier and the Rob Roy. Evidently you can bait a Sophie Trap with red vermouth and whisky. Planning to buy some Crème de Banane after that Cabinet post on it and I suspect the Banana Rum OF will make it onto the list too.
And I love the playlists. So good to have some new Friday or Saturday evening music to put on which does not involve making decisions, so an extra thanks for that!
100 already!! 😱😱
A few of my favourites so far - The Jungle Bird, The Ramos Gin Fizz (although I sometimes go for just a normal gin fizz, because the Ramos is too much of a faff - but it’s so much better!…), Tommy’s Margarita (probably the cocktail I make more often, and always a success when we have friends over), the Jasmine (love it!), the Clover Club (already a favourite from the book edition of The Spirits)… and probably a few others that I’m forgetting. I should really start a spreadsheet!…
Fleurs du Mal, with NY Distilling Co’s Dorothy Parker rose petal-infused gin and a tiny drop of rosewater 🥀 - sweet-tart, delicately floral with the faintest whisper of rose essence. A lovely drink that’s been added to the rotation!
I finally got myself a bottle of Creme de Banane. So good. Feared it might be a bit sickly, like a cheap banana milk shake, but it has the glorious taste of baked bananas. Obviously excellent in the Banana Rum Old Fashioned but also works a treat in a Daiquiri (50ml rum, 15ml lime juice, 10ml creme de banane - sometimes 15ml... why not? - and 5ml sugar syrup). Otherwise, let's not forget the Vesper.
The one I have most successfully surprised people with is the Green Park, I think. It's the basil suprise that gets them.
My main loves are the absinthe ones, French Pearl, Corpse Reviver #2 and Fleurs du Mal (which I made for Eurovision last weekend), and for some reason also the New York Sour which is a very different vibe but I adore.
But you have converted me to pineapple juice cocktails and winter has been cheered by a Jungle Bird and occasional Pina Colada. I'm now looking forward to fruit season and re-encountering the Strawberry Shrub, Watermelon Negroni, Paloma (yes, possibly even the Canteloupe Frappe). Those are the recipes I'd probably never have tried without this joyful newsletter.