Tag Archives: Drink

Drink of the Week: Cosmopolitan – 5 Smart Points

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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:

  1. Shake the liquid ingredients over ice then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
  2. 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.

Drink of the Week: Malty Biscuit Brew – 0 Smart Points

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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?!

Drink of the Week: Pear Blossom – 5 Smart Points

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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:

  1. Fill a tall glass with ice and top with the mint and lime.
  2. Shake the vodka and liqueur over ice.
  3. Strain into the glass.
  4. Top with the lemonade and enjoy!

Drink of The Week: Hendrick’s Gin with Cucumber

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Filed under Drink of The Week, Gin, Uncategorized

hendricks-cucumberMy previously reported education in the delights of gin continues to go well.

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.

Drink of The Week: Sipsmiths Gin with Elderflower & Lime

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sipsmith-fever-tree-elderflower-limeAs I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve recently been getting into gin.

My first ever home-poured G&T, I decided to go with a classic flavour that I love and chose Fever Tree Tonic with Elderflower as my mixer and lime as my garnish.

It was delicious – refreshing and zingy with a hint of sweetness from the elderflower – and works out at just 3sp per serving for a single, or 5sp for a double.

Drink of the Week: An Introduction (starting with Gin)

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Not only do I like food, I also like a nice drink.

You know how some people have a particular drink that they always order?  I’m not one of those people.  For me, what I choose to drink depends very much on the mood I’m in, and if it’s to accompany or begin a meal, what I’m going to be eating.

As with food, I love to try different drinks and experiment with different flavour combinations – unless I’m in the mood for something in particular, you can pretty much guarantee that I’m going to pick something off a cocktail menu or wine list that I haven’t tried before to see what it’s like.

As drink is so often consumed before, with or after food, I thought it might be interesting to share some of the things I try with you.

We’ll be starting with gin

A dear friend of mine has been introducing me to gin over the past few years.  She’s a big fan and I wasn’t.  But when we first went to the BBC Good Food Show together a few years ago, I joined her in tasting all of the samples on offer.  I must admit, I wasn’t keen at first (although I drank them anyway) but a few years on, I’d started to get quite a taste for it.  So I asked for her advice on which to buy.  She suggested several, and in the end, I went for Sipsmiths as they had a 35cl bottle available at Asda for £14.50 and I thought this would be a good place to start. I’ve since acquired a bottle of Hendricks from another kind friend and I’ve been trying different mixers and garnishes out over the past couple of weeks.

I look forward to sharing my drinks with you in the coming weeks.  If you’ve got any favourites you think I should try, please let me know.