The Ruby Murray is an interesting cocktail. This recipe was sent to me by one of my daughters – supposedly from a cocktail bar menu in London. It’s got a bit lost in the mists of time. The bar no longer seems to exist which isn’t surprising given the damage wrought by hurricane CoVid.
The name Ruby Murray I assume is a reference to cockney rhyming slang for curry. Not the most inspired choice of name perhaps but it’s fine. It’s an unusual cocktail as it contains 2 unusual ingredients – things you don’t see in cocktails that often. Cardamon & coriander. And if that isn’t leftfield enough, it also contains lychee. So does it end up tasting like a liquid form of your Friday night take-away? No it doesn’t. Fortunately.
Ruby Murray – the cocktail recipe
- 35 ml blanco tequila (use 100% agave)
- 25 ml cardamom syrup
- 25 ml lychee liqueur
- 12.5 ml Aperol
- 3 sprigs coriander
- 12.5 ml concentrated lime juice (1/2 lime if using the fruit)
The original recipe from Bar Platform featured cardamom infused El Jimador blanco tequila. This is fine if you’re planning all this in advance. If you are like me and want to be able to produce the cocktail at the drop of a hat, then using both the blanco tequila and cardamom syrup is a practical solution.
Shake all ingredients with ice in a shaker. You will need to double strain this cocktail so that you don’t get green bits from your sprigs of coriander in your cocktail. It is an attractive cocktail – pink in colour and a gorgeous flavour. Try it. See what you think.
It was a hit with our audience
Admittedly we didn’t run with this cocktail on many menus. I considered that it might be a bit weird for many mainstream tastes. However I remember it was a massive hit at a garden party we ran in Leicester in 2022. The couple were Asian and white English and their guests the same. Once one person had tried it, many then requested it. Whether this was influenced by the fact that many guests were South Asian, I don’t know. But it was certainly popular.