14 Comments
User's avatar
Bruno Espadana's avatar

For any Apple Music users out there - here is this week's playlist: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/the-spirits-week-1/pl.u-d2b0v00CGBMv51

Richard Godwin's avatar

Thanks for much Bruno! Solid work

Bruno Espadana's avatar

No worries - I'll convert last week's as well and post a link, if that's ok with you.

Richard Godwin's avatar

Of course! It's a great service you're performing there, thank you. But hurry: it will be refreshed and replaced in 24 hours.

Danny H's avatar

Took up the sour challenge with a couple of attempts:

50ml Pere Magoire XO Calvados

15ml lemon juice

10ml maple syrup (because autumn)

Coupe glass garnished with a thin apple wheel

50ml Eau de vie de myrtille (brought back from France years ago)

15ml lime

15ml egg white

10ml jade blossom syrup (came free with a gin sample)

Rocks glass garnished with 3 blueberries

I'll put future attempts on Instagram, @chewy_dan over there.

Fantastic first edition and looking forward to more cocktail inspiration! Loving the playlist too.

Richard Godwin's avatar

Good lord these both sound heavenly

Peter Crack's avatar

Hey Bartender

How you doin?

That was a really good whisky sour, I’d like another. Oh, and can you re-fill the nut tray please.

I was talking to that dude about the hat he sold to Monk. Seems he got it from a fella called Kerouac who was selling off a bunch of them to raise money to buy a typewriter to take on a road trip he was planning. Seems a load of bull to me. I mean why would you need a typewriter on a road trip?? Said that Kerouac used to drink Jack and Coke a lot…..killed him in the end

Anyhow, that’s not what I called you over for. A while ago I was in a TGIs in Southampton, or maybe it was Portsmouth I get those towns mixed up…. it was by the docks anyway. And this was way back when TGIs ran good bars in their joints and the barman there made me the best dirty Martini ever. I mean it was the tops man. Now I’ve asked almost every where I’ve been but none have been as good as that one so I’m thinking that maybe you could let us in on how to make a good one further down the road.

While you fix my drink, I need to use the Gents. It’s a big dark in here but is that it over there with the Brando picture on the door….that is Brando, right?

Christian Layolle's avatar

Bravo!! And cheers to the imaginary bar! What shall we name it?

Richard Godwin's avatar

TBC! We will return to the precise layout of the bar, the neighbours, the regulars, sooner or later, I should think

Bruno Espadana's avatar

What a great start - I am really excited for this newsletter and the inspiration it will bring!

As for the sour - I did not have a lot of spirits around (need to restock urgently!), but I decided to use Opihr gin. I like the pepper and cardamom spiciness of it. The rest of the ingredients were chosen to match it. I ended up with the recipe below - it was very nice. Could have been a bit more extravagant with the black pepper and cardamom, though!

50ml Opihr gin

15ml fresh lime juice

10ml honey

10ml egg white

black peppercorns (maybe about 1/4 tsp... didn't really measure them)

2 or 3 cardamom pods

red peppercorns, for decoration

Add peppercorns and cardamom to shaker and muddle them. Add gin, lime, honey, egg white and lots of ice, shake for 10 to 15 seconds. Double strain into another glass, get rid of ice, rinse shaker, re-pour cocktail into shaker and dry shake for 10 to 15 seconds more. Serve and decorate with a few red peppercorns.

(not really sure what to call this... Sour'n'Pepper?... I am terrible at naming drinks :D )

Richard Godwin's avatar

Sgt Pepper? Sounds great, Opihr is tasty stuff

Bruno Espadana's avatar

That sounds much better! Thanks :)

Simon Carr's avatar

And playlists! I haven’t drunk spirits since I was 50 but reading this I am getting a powerful twitch.

User's avatar
Comment deleted
Apr 24, 2022
Comment deleted
Richard Godwin's avatar

Honey syrup. I mean - any kind of honey, really - loosened with a little hot water, which makes it easier to mix with. Usually, honey syrup is 3 parts honey to 1 part water. Super-useful to have in the fridge for lemonades, etc, too.