Overrated cocktails. Ok, so while cocktails are a great, varied and interesting range of drinks, not all of them are classics. One such example is the Sex on the Beach. It may have been big in the 80s, but it didn’t feature on many Cocktail Shaker Boys menus over the years. It was only requested a couple of times and even when it was included, we didn’t serve many. not a popular choice at parties. And yet the ingredients are all fine individually. It is based on vodka, with the addition of peach Archers, shaken with orange and cranberry juice. It is quite a light, summery cocktail. But not one I’d choose readily
French Martini
The first thing about the French Martini is that it isn’t a martini at all. It doesn’t contain the classic gin or vodka combination with vermouth. But that’s not my issue with it. It’s more to do with the combination of flavours. I wouldn’t usually think to combine black raspberry with pineapple juice. The vodka base is a safe choice but I’m not sure the 2 flavours work well together. However, all is not lost. I saw a promotion run by the distinctive Laphraoig whisky which includes their smoky malt in the French Martini. Weird. It got my thinking. I added Chase smoked vodka in place of standard vodka to the pineapple and black raspberry mix and then a little lemon juice to cut through the sweetness. A well balanced and interesting cocktail.
The classic Martini
I’m not sure I really get the whole thing surrounding the Martini and it’s cult status. I agree that it’s probably the most well known cocktail. And it even has the classic cocktail glass named after it. But actually it is supposedly just gin and dry vermouth. Many recipes suggest that it should contain just a hint of vermouth. Surely that leaves you with a glass of gin doesn’t it? A spirity glass of fiery gin. I can’t remember the last time I heard someone say “what I really need now is a glass of neat gin.”
Long Island Iced Tea
I’ve written about this elsewhere. Read my article on the Long Island Iced Tea – I’m really not sure. It’s a big American V8 of a cocktail – no finesse but plenty of spirit. A quick way of getting drunk but is that the idea of a great cocktail? I’ve reworked it though and produced my own twist on this well-known cocktail with my dark spirits version of it, the Caribbean Black Iced Tea.
Dark n Stormy
This just isn’t a cocktail right? It simply combines rum and ginger beer, with a piece of lime. Incidentally, I like each of these ingredients. Yet, combined they don’t quite do it for me. I’m not sure why.
Cuba Libre
Oh, please. Also not a cocktail. It’s a spirit and mix. Nothing wrong with that. I like a spirit and mix. They’re often a great alternative to the effort of a cocktail. Few ingredients and no shaker. Sometimes the simplicity is perfect. Try my favourite 6 spirit and mix combinations. Some obvious ones but perhaps some you haven’t tried.
But to add rum and coke together with a piece of lime and refer to it by a fancy name, doesn’t fool anyone. On this basis, why not give the G&T a made up name and pass it off as a cocktail? The ‘London artisan’ perhaps.
OP 19th Apr ’15