The picturesque Laverstoke Mill, the distillery where Bombay
Saphire is made, is on my bucket list of places to visit. So when I saw a
cocktail which had been created to mark the opening of this magical place, I
had to try it.
I’m not a massive fan of ginger ale, and I’ve got to be
honest, I wasn’t sure how it was going to marry with the elderflower cordial,
but marry they did and for me, it was love at first sip!
In a large wine glass, mix together one measure of Bombay
Saphire, one measure of Martini Extra Dry and 10ml of elderflower cordial. Add
crushed ice and top with diet ginger ale. Garnish with a wedge of lime, a
spring of mint and some fresh ginger. Cheers!
Based on my posts thus far, you’d be forgiven for thinking
that I’m all about the cocktails with the occasional cup of tea thrown in. This
is simply not true – I’ll drink pretty much anything!
In particular, I love a nice glass (or two) of wine. One of my favourite varieties in recent years has been New Zealand sauvignon blanc. I love the crisp refreshingness of the tropical fruit notes that you get with it.
A friend, who knows my tastes particularly well, recently treated me to a bottle of Mud House. It’s not one I’ve tried before and so I was excited to try it. It packed a real citrus punch with lemon overtones and was made for a very satisfying drink after a hard day at work. Definitely one I’d buy myself.
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I’m a big tea lover, and whilst Mr FFF often complains that
I have too many boxes, pouches and packets of tea, my philosophy is the same as
that which I apply to shoes and handbags – you can never have too many!
I used to drink buckets of English Breakfast Tea each day,
but a few years ago I decided to reduce my consumption of caffeine. I substituted
my usual brew with redbush/rooibos and, like with most things, I’m always keen
to try new varieties.
I also love all things caramel so imagine my excitement when
I came across these bad boys in Sainsbury’s: Rich & Indulgent Caramel
Rooibos Infusions. Disregarding the likely inability to be able to fit them
into the cupboard at home, I chucked them into the trolley hoping that the
flavour would be as good as the promise – as experience has told me this is not
always the case with flavoured teas.
I needn’t have worried. The cup of tea I enjoyed as soon as
I’d put the shopping away more that delivered. It smelt of toffee popcorn and
the taste didn’t disappoint either: it was sweet and creamy – almost like
sucking a Werther’s Original. It was so sweet (though not sickeningly so) that I
had to check the ingredients list to make sure there was no added sugar. As an
added bonus, the teabags come individually wrapped so they’ll stay fresh while
I enjoy all of my other tea varieties.
I can’t see maintaining freshness being too much of a
problem though as this has quickly become a firm favourite of mine and is
perfect for enjoying on a cosy, autumnal evening.
Another gin-based cocktail this week, but this time, one that uses sloe gin. I usually think of sloe gin as a wintery option but couldn’t resist trying this surprisingly refreshing option on my summer hols.
Mix together a measure of sloe gin, 50ml of fresh orange juice, a dash of lemon juice and a teaspoon of vanilla syrup. Fill a short, wide glass with crushed ice. Pour in the gin and citrus mixture then top up with soda water. Garnish with a lemon ribbon and enjoy. Cheers!
Back to cruise memories with a sweet and sour twist on a classic G&T.
Pour a measure of Tanqueray gin into a tall glass half-filled with ice. Add 60ml of cranberry juice and top up with low calorie tonic water. Garnish with a slice of lime – if you like it more sour, add a squeeze of lime to the drink too. Cheers!
As I’ve said before, I’m a BIG fan of tea. I’ve got a cupboard full of the stuff; a bit like shoes and handbags, I firmly believe you can never have too many varieties.
This variety is a green tea with peppermint from Whittard.
Inspired by the tea served in the souks of the Moroccan medina, we’ve blended our smoky Gunpowder Green with pure peppermint leaves for a refreshingly nuanced infusion. We’ve even added a sprinkling of blue cornflower petals for a British touch – why not try it the traditional way, mixed with honey or sugar?
It was a thoughtful present from my amazing cousin who is also a tea lover (she’s a bit of an English breakfast purist, but does enjoy a Biscuit Brew). I love the Moroccan tiled print on the tin and the little flecks of blue cornflower petals in the tea itself.
Being a green tea, you only want to brew it for a couple of
minutes otherwise it will taste bitter. And being a loose-leaf tea, you’ll need
a teapot and strainer or an infuser but it’s worth the effort: you’ll be rewarded
with a slightly sweet, refreshing tea with a hint of smokiness. Perfect for an
afternoon pick-me-up when you want something without the heaviness of ‘standard’
tea or coffee.
This week we’re back to one of the gorgeous cocktails I enjoyed on my cruise. This time, it’s the classic Cosmopolitan. As a fan of Sex and the City, this cocktail is always spiked with nostalgia for me. Taste-wise, I love the sharp tang of cranberry set off against the bittersweet tang of the orange rind.
What you’ll need:
50ml mandarin or lemon vodka
30ml cranberry juice
squeeze of lime juice
orange rind
What to do:
Shake the liquid ingredients over ice then
strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a curl of orange rind.
Top tip: For an even tastier cosmo, hold a 3cm round piece of rind about 10cm above your drink. Carefully pass it over a flame, bending the outer side of the rind towards the flame to release the oils before dropping it into the drink.
What’s your favourite cocktail? Let me know in the comments section.
It’s not all about the alcohol here on Drink of the Week!
I’m a BIG fan of tea and enjoy trying all different types
and flavours. I also love to dunk biscuits into my tea but I don’t love the Smart
Points values that come with them! So imagine my delight when I came across
these bad boys whilst doing my weekly shop.
Now, my tea-purist relatives turned their noses up when I
mentioned it to them, but, having tried a cup, many have been won over.
So what’s it like? Well, it’s just like tea and Rich Tea
biscuits but without the sludge of crumbs that end up at the bottom of your mug
when you dunk. Because it’s made by Taylors of Harrogate (the finest purveyors
of English Breakfast tea IMHO), you also get a strong brew, which isn’t always
the case with flavoured black teas. What’s more, if you make it using milk from
an allotted allowance for the day as I do, it costs you 0 Smart Points! What’s
not to love?
If you have any tea recommendations, please let me know. Mr FFF says I’ve got far too many varieties in the cupboard as it is, but what does he know?!
On my recent cruise, I took advantage of the opportunity to sample a (wide) variety of the different cocktails they were handcrafting on board. One of the first I tried was the delightfully refreshing ‘Pear Blossom’. The combination of pear and elderflower meant that it was sweet, but not sickly, whilst the mint and lime added a freshness that made it perfect for recharging my batteries after long, hot days in port.
What you’ll need:
25ml pear vodka
25ml elderflower liqueur
diet lemonade
spring of mint
slice of lime
What to do:
Fill a tall glass with ice and top with the mint and lime.
This week’s lesson comes courtesy of a bottle of Hendrick’s Gin from one lovely friend, and the suggestion to serve that particular gin with cucumber from the equally lovely friend who got me in to gin in the first place.
Delicious, smooth and refreshing, I poured the gin over the ice and cucumber before topping with Fever Tree Indian Tonic and muddling gently for 3sp per serving for a single, or 5sp for a double.
Mr FFF and my mum have also confirmed that this is indeed delicious.
My 
Fat Fighting Foodie 