With summer a hazy memory and autumn leaves starting to fall entirely, winter is well and truly rapping at the door. We’re sorry, but someone had to face up to reality. Your flip-flops and swimsuits are likely back in their cupboards, and your Big Coat is probably seeing almost daily use. While some may feel melancholic as winter arrives, we feel rather differently…
Winter, on the right day, has the best scenery, best food and best fashions. With the need for more layers comes structured, sculpted outfits, while stick-to-your-ribs culinary classics are food for the soul. And what can replace the magic of a field of snow? Of course, the drinks menu also changes as the weather turns; thirst-quenchers and light spritzes are replaced with shorter serves, darker liquors and spicier flavours. A dark ale, spiced hot chocolate or peaty whisky become much more enticing propositions.
This does not, however, mean that your favourite gin isn’t there for the party. In fact it’s front and centre, providing a bright, herbaceous base for sweeter and heavier ingredients. Hidden Curiosities’ key notes of citrus, peppercorn and juniper are perfect for enlivening a syrupy cocktail, while pink peppercorn and sansho add a beautiful heat and piquancy.
Join us as we examine some of our favourite short serves, robust flavours and power combos to sip by the fireside this winter…
Bramble
Photo credit: OHLQ
The late summer/early autumn in the UK means blackberry season, with the fruit surviving well into the winter months. In countryside areas, people still go out with a basket and help themselves to the tart, sweet and complex berries growing in hedgerows or by the roadside. If you have access to some, it would be criminal not to reserve a few for this gin-based classic along with the blackberry liqueur. Light and fresh while still feeling indulgent, it’s one of our very favourites.
Ingredients
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4-6 fresh blackberries
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25ml fresh lemon juice
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¾tbsp sugar syrup, or to taste
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crushed ice
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¾tbsp Crème de Mûre
Method
First, take 4-6 fresh blackberries and muddle them in a glass or bowl. Add into a cocktail shaker with the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup, along with a good handful of ice cubes. Shake them together then strain into a rocks glass full of crushed ice. Drizzle the small amount of Creme de Mûre over the top of the drink, so it “bleeds” into the drink, providing a stunning visual effect. Garnish with a slice of lemon, along with a fresh blackberry or two.
Classic Negroni
The perfect Negroni is something of an obsession for us. A traditional cocktail with a long history and a beautiful bittersweet flavour, there are variations for every season. We have a few here, but let’s start with the basics -
Ingredients
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25ml Campari
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25ml sweet vermouth - we like Cocchi di Torino
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Orange peel, to garnish
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Ice
Method
Pour the gin, vermouth and Campari into a mixing glass or jug with some ice cubes. Stir well until the outside of the glass feels cold to the touch. Pour over ice into a heavy tumbler, then garnish with a strip of the orange peel.
We also like this one with our Aranami Navy Strength Gin, but recommend you take it down by 10ml so each ingredient is in equal quantities - this makes it a shorter drink and avoids the alcohol content becoming overpowering.
Bonfire Negroni
This powerful and aromatic serve is a full-throated drink for the winter. A Negroni variation, it’s deep and complex, utilising the aromatic spices from the gin as the base, a lingering smokiness from mezcal, a modest sweetness from red vermouth, bitterness from classic Campari, and finally finishing off with rich and chocolatey notes from Bob's Chocolate Bitters. An absolute delight, and one that perfectly suits the season.
Ingredients
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10ml Mezcal - we use Ojo de Tigre
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25ml Campari
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35ml Antica sweet vermouth
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A dash of Bob’s Chocolate Bitters
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90% dark chocolate, to garnish
Method
Pour the gin, vermouth, mezcal and Campari into a mixing glass or jug, along with ice in the same manner. Stir until cold and pour into the same heavy tumbler. Pour in a dash of the bitters and finely grate some of the chocolate into the drink for a spicy, deep garnish.
Old Fashioned
Photo credit: INSIDEHOOK
Sometimes, believe it or not, we do take a break from gin and enjoy some of its deeper, darker cousins. We think that an Old Fashioned is the perfect arena for American or Canadian rye whisky, being a perfect halfway between the power of scotch and the sweetness of bourbon. You can almost measure how good a cocktail bar is on the strength of their Old Fashioned, and the stirring is most assuredly NOT optional - so take your time over it.
Ingredients
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50ml Rye Whisky, eg Sazerac, Templeton or similar
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1 sugar cube
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Few dashes Angostura Bitters.
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A splash of water
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Orange and maraschino cherries, for garnish (optional)
Method
Pour the sugar, bitters and water into a small tumbler, then stir with a muddler until sugar dissolves. Fill your glass with ice, preferably one large cube, then stir in the whisky slowly over a period of a few minutes. Once prepared, garnish with a piece of orange and a maraschino cherry.
Red Snapper
Photo credit: Advanced Mixology
Some call this “a gin Bloody Mary”, and while they’re not wrong, the gin provides backbone to the drink that vodka doesn’t, interacting entirely differently with the savoury elements. In fact it’s something of a mystery to us that gin isn’t the default spirit, as it simply works so well. If you can find freshly-squeezed tomato juice, this will also make a great difference to the flavour.
Ingredients
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2 pinches black pepper, freshly ground
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2 pinches celery salt
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1 lime wedge
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50ml Hidden Curiosities Aranami Navy Strength Gin
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300ml fresh tomato juice
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10ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
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Large dash Tabasco sauce, to taste
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Large dash Worcestershire sauce, to taste, switch with Henderson’s Relish if vegetarian/vegan
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Celery stalk, lemon wedge, rosemary sprig, to garnish
Method
First, pour the pepper and celery salt onto a small plate and mix together. Run the lemon wedge around the rim of a tall glass, then coat the rim with the mixture. This gives a powerful flavour with every sip, so don’t skip it! Proceed to fill the glass with ice cubes. Add the gin, tomato juice, lemon juice, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce into a cocktail shaker with more ice, shaking until well-chilled. Strain into the prepared glass, and garnish with a celery stalk and lemon wedge. A sprig of rosemary also makes a fabulous garnish for this most grown-up of drinks.
Hot Ginger Apple
Photo credit: Australian National Drinks Co
A twist on a classic Hot Toddy, using London Dry Gin as a base. While it would seem an obvious place to use whisky or rum, the gin here employs its botanical undertones to great effect, offsetting any sweetness and emphasising the astringent citrus and ginger.
Ingredients
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150ml cloudy apple juice
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200ml ginger beer
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15 ml lemon juice
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1 tsp honey
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Cinnamon stick and ginger slice, to garnish
Method
Place the ginger beer, apple juice, cinnamon stick and honey in a small saucepan or milk pan, over a medium heat. Stir together gently to combine. Once the mixture is gently steaming, remove from the heat and allow it to cool a little. Add the gin and the lemon juice and stir to combine. Pour into a warmed mug or tea glass and enjoy, preferably in front of a roaring fire.
Frankly, we could go on all day about our favourites, as we really do believe that this season has the best cocktail menu, combining flavour and context for an utterly satisfying experience. What’s more, it’s the perfect time to be inside and sitting comfortably, all while the storm rages outside.
What’s your favourite?
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